Change is Mandatory

"Of course, It's you I came to see. You've been in my thoughts a lot lately."

She stopped and turned to look at him as she smiled. "Have you really thought about me?"

"Of course, many, many times, but more so lately for some reason."

"I think of us quite often too, Jay." She led him in through the mud room and to the kitchen saying, "Go on in and I'll go wash up. Can I get you anything first?"

"No, I'm fine until you join me." As he waited in the living room, he looked around and smiled. She had a new sofa, but it was in the same place, and the open staircase was just the same. He didn't even sit down right away. He just smiled inside as he quickly relived their first tryst. That time when he was so consumed by her charm and beauty and allure.

When she came down the stairs this time she was wearing short red shorts and a modest halter top. He smiled at her and as she neared him he said, "I have to say again, I don't know how you do it, but you look as good as you did the last time I saw you."

She put her arms around him and told him, "I'm so glad you stopped Jay."

"I drove by once telling myself not to stop, but as you can see that didn't work."

"Why wouldn't you stop?"

"I wasn't sure how...I don't know I guess. Fear maybe. Fear that you wouldn't want to see me again."

"Of course I want to see you again."

"Mia, I still remember you coming down those stairs in that red filmy outfit of yours and I remember how I was overwhelmed by you."

She led him to the sofa and sat down pulling him down next to her. She was sitting on the edge of the cushion and half turned toward him as she held his hand and asked him, "How have you been? Are you married?"

"I've been fine and I'm not married." He made a point of looking at her left hand and added, "And I see that you aren't either."

"Almost, but we both pulled back. I still see him...or rather we still see each other. Now how is it that you're still single?"

"Like you, almost one time, but it wasn't right. She went her way and I went mine."

She leaned toward him and they shared a light and tender kiss before she asked him, "Not even a significant other?"

"No." They talked on, and Haley's name was never mentioned. Then Jay told her, "I have three very close friends and we get together every couple of weeks." Then he told her about him telling them about their time together.

Mia looked at him seriously as she said, "Oh god, what did they say? I'll bet those guys had names for me."

"One other guy and two women. They said that my story was so nice and they were happy that I could have those great memories. They said you and I had been good for each other. That you and I needed each other at that time."

"I think I like your friends, and they were right of course. Maybe it wasn't so much need as want. When we went out to eat that Friday night, I knew that I wanted us to make love. I didn't think it would happen and in fact I considered that thought ludicrous, but that's what I wanted. I told myself again and again that I was too old to be having those thoughts, but that didn't help."

"I wanted you too Mia, and no you were not too old to have those thoughts or desires. You're still not too old for that, or even close to it."

"Thank you. What did you tell them? I mean, how much did you tell them?"

"I told them how beautiful you were and are. I told them about you descending the stairs as I stared at your legs and willingly became your slave. I told them about us kissing and exploring and I told them that we made love in your bed and then made love again. I told them that I would never forget our times together." Their eyes were locked onto each other as he told her his story and then asked her, "Did you make the right decision when you said no more after the second time?"

"I'm not sure. No, of course it was the right decision, but I wanted so much to keep seeing you. It was my fault for ever flirting with you in the first place. I should have never invited you in when Haley abandoned you, but I felt sorry for you. That had to hurt so much and it was so unnecessary."

"I don't remember hurting and I owe that to you. You came to my rescue and I'm still glad that she ran off with that other guy that night." He leaned toward her and kissed her again and said, "It's like there was no gap in time between the last time I was here and now. You look so great and I still love to kiss you."

"You're more mature and if possible more handsome." The little kisses and touches were happening with increasing frequency. They wanted each other so much they hurt, but they were trying to control themselves. "Jay are you sure you don't want something?"

"Yes there is Mia, I want you. Please don't tell me no. I want to feel us together again."

Chapter Eight

Mia's heart was jumping because she knew she had to have him again. As soon as he had said he wanted her, her battle was lost. "I want you too Jay." When they stood up, he undressed her and left her clothes scattered on the sofa and floor. She led him to the stairs and he followed close behind as he watched her naked ass move in front of him. His hands went to her hips as he stopped her on the stairs while he knelt and started to shower her ass with kisses. "Oh god Jay...," and then the went up the rest of the way. At the top of the stairs he turned her around and pulled her into him as his hands explored her for a second. His first time with her, he was so overwhelmed that he just went along following her lead for the most part. But this time he knew what was coming and his impatience was showing.

"Damn it Mia, I want you so much." They finally made it to her bedroom where he undressed and they made love. This time they managed to explore and kiss and use their hands. They made love, rested and then teased again. He loved to feel her under his hands, her small soft breasts and her nearly shaved mound.

She gloried in his youth and stamina. His eagerness to please her and the warm gossamer veil of flattery that he laid over her. Mia didn't have his stamina, but then if she got too tired, all she had to do was lie there and let him come to her. It was some time before they pulled themselves out of bed, but to them it seemed that it was over in minutes. "Damn you," Mia said as she smiled. "I told myself no and that we couldn't get into lovemaking again, but I couldn't stop myself. I think I should meet your friends and tell them that everything was your fault. That you're just too irresistible."

"They know me, so they wouldn't believe you. I'm just another guy to them."

"Then they need help."

"Would you like to meet them?"

"What? No...that would be pretty awkward, I mean knowing that they know we made love."

"So? I'm sure all of us have made love to somebody. Look at a woman carrying a baby. Nobody looks at her and her man and says, "Wow, those two screwed for sure."

"That's different though."

"Okay, but if you'd like to meet them we could have dinner someplace. Connelly's maybe."

"Very funny."

"I'm serious."

"I'll think about it. I mean I'd like to meet them, but I'm not sure I could deal with it."

"I'll ask the others, would that help?"

"Maybe it would." They made their way downstairs, but rather than dress, Mia walked him to the door where they shared more kisses before he left promising to call her soon.

Jay didn't want to wait, so Sunday afternoon he called Nikki. He'd wanted to talk to her after their story telling anyway.

"Hi, busy?"

"I was, but I'm not now, what are you up to?"

"Well for one thing I wanted to see if you had decided you hate me after hearing my story."

"Of course I don't hate you. Okay, meet me at Kelly's for coffee."

"On my way," and he closed his phone and headed for the restaurant. He was there just ahead of her and smiled as she walked up to him. He kissed her cheek and they went inside, ordered coffee and they talked.

"Why," Nikki asked him, "Are you so concerned that I'll think badly of you for bedding this Mia?"

"I just wanted to be sure."

"Well rest easy okay?"

"Listen, Margo told me that I was caressing your belly that night, is that right?"

"More or less, yes you were. I put my hand on yours and you stopped, but if I moved my hand you'd start again."

"Oh. Sorry, I didn't mean to..."

"It's fine, did Margo say it wasn't?"

"No...no she just asked me if I was aware that I was doing that."

"It was kind of nice actually. You were so into your story and every minute or so you'd look down at me and smile. The whole experience was one of caring and perfect peace. You told your story so nicely that in a way I could feel what you had experienced. Well and were experiencing as you told us. I couldn't have been happier or more comfortable. I even wished the story wasn't over when it was, but unlike Tony, I really didn't want to hear the fine juicy details either," and she smiled at him.

"Nikki...I drove by Mia's house yesterday."

She smiled and said, "I'm not surprised really. I mean you had just revisited those memories. Did it look as you remembered it?"

"Pretty much. I drove by slowly just out of curiosity and she was in the front picking at a bush."

Again Nikki smiled and said, "And you stared at her as you eased past her."

"Actually, I was so surprised that she even lived there that I went to the next street and turned around and came back. I wasn't going to stop. It was nice to see her and to know that she was okay, but I told myself to keep going."

"Jay you stopped didn't you."

He looked at his coffee and then back to her as he said, "Yes, I stopped." He didn't get the smile of understanding from Nikki that he was hoping for. "Like I said, she was out there in her shorts working on that bush and didn't even see me."

"So you could have moved on and she wouldn't have known the difference."

"Yeah."

"Jay, tell me the rest."

Their coffee was ignored as he began the story. He looked like a big kid confessing his sins, except for one thing. He didn't confess. He lied to his friend. "When she saw me," he continued, "We shared a long embrace and she led me inside."

"Jay you didn't. Tell me you didn't make love to her again."

"A minute ago, you thought that whole thing was sweet and understandable."

"You were young and innocent then. It was one of those things that just happened. This time it was like you were looking for it and that's not the same. She must be close to fifty by now."

Her reaction really caught him off guard. "I'm not sure I see that there's a lot of difference. I didn't expect to see her so again it was spontaneous. And she's forty four."

"That's totally different Jay. Did you make love to her?"

"No." There was his lie. Quick and a little assertive and he didn't like himself very much right then, and mostly because he'd lied to Nikki. "No, but of course it came to my mind."

She seemed to relax a little as she said, "Well of course it would come to your mind. So how was it to see her again?"

"She really hasn't changed a lot. We talked for quite awhile."

"And embraced...and what else. Now be honest Jay."

"We kissed a few times and...well I guess that's it. We hugged and kissed and talked." The words raced from his mouth as he tried to avoid the bitter taste of his verbal sin. "I told her about the four of us and about me telling you three about her."

"So she knows that we now know about you two making love?"

"Yes."

"I'll bet she didn't appreciate that at all."

"Not at first, but we talked about it. Nikki, people make love all the time. Married or not, young old or in between. You've made love. It's part of life."

"But Jay, she'd have to be a little uncomfortable simply because of the big age difference between you two. To know that your friends have had a peek into her intimate life had to be a little upsetting for her."

Jay wasn't handling himself very well. "I told her that I'd like you three to meet her and have her meet you three."

"My god, I can't believe you. I thought you were more sensitive than that."

He shrugged his shoulders like a kid, avoided eye contact with her and said, "Well I told her that, and so I'm asking you if the five of us could meet for dinner or something one day soon."

She allowed a smile as she said, "Well we both know that Tony would love to meet her. And it isn't that I wouldn't want to meet her, it's just a little awkward. Oh hi Mia, you're the older woman that seduced Jay a few years ago."

"Three years ago just for the record, and you're overreacting. You're dramatizing the whole thing."

"I am not. Ask Margo and see if she doesn't feel the same way. Don't bother with Tony though, because he'd be singing your praises."

"I'm sorry that I disappointed you Nikki, but once I saw her I just had to stop and see her."

"And that's fine and I can understand that. You had me thinking you two made love again and that bothered me a little. Okay, I'll agree to meet her and so forth." She leaned back a little and said, "And okay I'll even admit to being curious about her. If Margo says yes, let's have dinner with her."

"At Connelly's."

She looked at him again. "That's where you and she had dinner that night that you made love for the first time."

"Yes, it's a nice place."

"I know, I've been there before too. Nice touch there lover. Okay, Connelly's or wherever, but assuming Margo agrees, let's make it soon so we...rather, so you can move on okay?"

"I'm good with that. Thanks for being so understanding and I'll be ready to move on. I'd just like to keep in touch with her because I do see her as a friend."

Nikki smiled and said, "Well we both know not in the same way you see me as your friend."

He smiled and said, "True enough."

As they left the restaurant, Nikki took his hand in hers and said, "Sorry I got a little testy with you."

"That's okay, sorry I rattled you. By the way, why would it have bothered you had I made love to her?"

"I don't know. The first times were...had a sweet and innocent quality to them. You were almost to manhood, but still pretty naïve. I don't know, I can't explain it I guess, it just bothered me. When will you tell Tony about what you did?"

"I guess I'll call him when I get home. I'll tell him about the dinner too of course. I'll call Margo too."

"Next weekend for the dinner?"

"If that works for you."

"It will. Oh wait, no that's when we're going to hear Margo's and Tony's stories."

"That's right. Okay Friday night then."

She just smiled at him and said, "Perfect. Then we can talk about her Saturday night."

When they reached her car ,he put his hands on her shoulders and after kissing her very lightly on the lips said, "Thanks for listening to me and giving me the chance to explain myself."

"You're welcome. It's just that I have you on such a pedestal. You're a cool guy with just the right amount of macho in you. Not enough to keep you from being sensitive and caring, but enough to tell the world, hey, I'm a guy and proud of it. Then you did that stunt with Mia and it rattled me. I thought that was all behind you. We grew up together, so we're a little closer than a lot of friends. All four of us are and that means we think about each other a little differently than the average friend."

"Again, I'm sorry. Just so you'll know, you are my perfect friend. Feminine to the max and yet a little feisty, good looking and caring."

She smiled as she showed just a hint of surprise before she said, "I better go before we get carried away with sweet words."

He was several feet toward his car when he turned and told her, "Hey...I liked having your head in my lap that night," and he smiled and waved as he turned away as she watched him so. She didn't know what to think about what he had just told her.

Chapter Nine

Jay called Margo from his cell phone while he sat at a stop light. As the light turned green she answered and he said, "Hey, it's me, got a minute?"

"I have a lot of minutes I hope, assuming I don't get killed by this idiot in front of me."

"Where are you?"

"On Greenfield, about three miles from your place."

"If you have time, stop by because I want to ask you something."

"I don't know where you are, but I'll be there in ten minutes."

"I'll be right behind you."

Jay left his car in the driveway and he and Margo went up the front walk together. "So, what is your question Jay?"

"When we get inside okay? Actually I have two questions for you."

"Okay."

"Something to drink?" he asked her.

"No thanks." They sat next to each other on the loveseat as she said, "Okay, hit me with the first question."

He told her about going to see Mia first and as with Nikki, he lied about making love to his forty four year old friend. "Okay Jay, tell me the rest."

"So you're not mad at me."

"Not so far anyway, so keep going," and he did. "Okay, so you two were on the...what, couch?"

"Yeah."

"And you held hands, talked kissed and talked some more."

"Yeah."

"Jay..."

"What?"

"You're playing with fire. Okay, I'll assume you're being truthful and you two didn't make love, but you had to be close to it and both of you thought about it without a doubt."

"Sure I did, a lot. I just wanted to see if you thought that I was acting crazy."

"Of course you were. Okay, but I also understand. Talking about her brought back those memories enough that you wanted to see her again. You're a big boy and are free to make your own decisions. Of course that doesn't mean that you'll always make good ones. I said I understood, but I'll also say that I think you should have left the past where it was...in the past."

"Okay, so how would you have reacted had I said Mia and I made love?"

"About the same I guess, except I would have been more verbose about how bad your thinking was and how you were playing with Mia's life."

"Mia's?"

"Of course. God, a woman her age having a young guy make over her and want to make love to her is pretty heavy. Let's say she has or one day soon has a man her age come into her life. She's going to compare him to you. Is he as virile as you? Does he move as fast and have your stamina? Even if those answers were yes, she'll still know that she attracted a twenty four year old guy into her bed and it was you that came to her, not the other way around."

"So that would be a big disservice to her."

"That's my thought, but then I'm not a forty four year old with you in my bed."

"You don't know how I'd be in bed."

She smiled and said, "Oh, so now we're going to start talking dirty? You and I made mud pies together remember? Back behind the neighbors garage?"

"Yes I remember that and I remember you were topless most of the time."

"Very funny, I was maybe eight years old."

"Yeah, but still..."

Look lothario, I'm past mud pies and going topless."

"I'll bet you're not past going topless. It all depends on where you are and who you're with."

"Mia has had an effect on you that's for sure. Listen, I better tell you that Nikki called me right after you left her at the restaurant to warn me that you'd be calling and why."

"That's not fair, that's like having two against one."

"Don't look now, but that's it exactly. Neither of us think you made a smart move."

"I suppose she told you that I'd like Mia to join the four of us for dinner at Conner's."

"What? No, she didn't tell me that part. Tell me more."

"Well, Mia's a friend and I'd like her to meet my best friends, that's all. Oh, and she knows that all of you know about she and I making love."

"This is getting weird. And to think this all started when you told us that sweet and about half innocent story about you and Mia." She took his hand in hers and said, "Okay, I'd like to meet this woman that makes you do and say stupid things."