Diane and Michael Meet

She stood staring out the window, not really seeing anything at all but lost in her own thoughts, instead. The box she was unpacking was forgotten at her feet for the moment. Shoulders relaxing, she lets out a sigh and idly wonders if it was a sad one or one of content. At this point in her life, she's not sure of anything, even her own emotions.

Three weeks ago she and her family loaded everything they owned and moved across the country to start a new life. He's promised her it will be good for them, and she doesn't think she cares one way or the other. She is simply glad for the change. He started to work immediately and left her to deal with the house while he's gone during the week. The kids are in school. She does regret moving them in the middle of the year, but at least they are both young enough that they seem to be adjusting well. She sighs again, this time knowing it's a sad one; her babies are growing up. But she's glad too, with the freedom she has now that they are both in school. Maybe she'll actually take time to do things for herself. What's that old cliché? Read books she's always wanted to read? Somehow she doubts she'll ever really get around to it, but anything is possible.

It's hard to believe that she's left behind everything she's ever known and moved to a house that she had never seen until they moved into it. They are renting for now, but the owner said if it all worked out he would be willing to sell if they want it. It's a nice neighborhood from what's she's seen, which isn't much. She's been too busy trying to unpack and find a spot for everything. Drawing herself out of her reverie she looks down into the box at her feet and gets back to work.

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He flips through the radio stations trying to find his talk show. Why can't he ever remember where it is? Goodness knows he's made this trip enough times he should have everything about it memorized, much less the radio channel. Giving up in frustration, he leaves it on a country station that's coming in clear, for the moment, and turns it down so it's just a low buzz in his head. He hates this drive and for the thousandth time curses himself for having to make it. If she wasn't so stubborn... or maybe if he wasn't? He's not sure of anything now. Last trip home was a disaster, and he's not expecting it to be much better this time. The conversations with her over the week haven't been promising. Just casual conversations, the weather, work....nothing too personal. But at least there hasn't been any shouting, yet. Losing himself in the hum of the road, he flexes his shoulders and tries to relax in his seat. He picks up his cell phone out of the seat next to him and calls his house. No answer, just her voice on the machine. He leaves a quick message with his arrival time and hangs up, wondering where she is. He could call her cell, but she'd probably just be aggravated that he's tracking her down.

Hours later he makes the final leg of the journey home, stopping at the liquor store before heading on to his house. He pulls into the drive, and relief at just being home washes over him. One more trip safely completed. As he unloads the truck he's saddened but not surprised that no one comes out to greet him. Two trips inside to cart all his laundry and other belongings in and still no one is present. He figures she must already be in bed, as it is pretty late. He turns off all the lights, and makes his way in the dark to the kitchen to put his beer in the fridge. Standing in the cool glow of the fridge light he closes his eyes and wishes for the best. He closes the door and heads for their room.

She's in the bed, but not sleeping because as he walks in she rolls over and her eyes open to stare at him in the dark. He doesn't say anything as his body tenses, waiting. For what, he doesn't know. I sign from her, he supposes. She doesn't say anything, just rolls back over and closes her eyes.

Releasing the breath he didn't realize he was holding, his shoulders drop and his head hangs. Moving to his side of the bed he undresses. Not really ready for sleep because his mind is racing, he stands gazing out the window. Vaguely he notes that the house across the street is lit up. Someone must be renting it again. He makes a mental note to ask her in the morning if she has met them. Maybe they have a boy the right age to be a pal for her boy. He lays downs beside her and feels her shift away. Sleep is a long time coming.

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The sound of laughter wakes her as sunlight spills across the bed and she smiles. Oh how those kids love to laugh! It's what she lives for. Tossing her arm out to the side, her smile fades when she remembers he isn't there beside her. But there is no time for lying around feeling depressed. Kids have to be fed and dressed and rushed out the door to catch the bus. They can lay around tomorrow and start the weekend off right. But today is Friday and there is a schedule to keep. She shuffles to the bathroom to take care of her morning business. Minutes later she emerges to find the little one standing outside the bathroom door. The little girl obviously has decided to dress herself for school today and has picked a very striking combination of stripes and polka-dots. Fighting down laughter she decides to leave it alone and goes to fix breakfast. They are only little once.

Thirty minutes later they are fed and out the door, full of the boundless energy only the truly young possess. She sits at the kitchen table, watching cereal float in their breakfast bowls and wonders how she'll fill the hours til they come home. She never thought she could feel so lonely. Maybe today she could start seriously looking for a job. Thoughts of work push her out of her chair and out the front door to get the newspaper. She walks quickly, hoping no one is watching her with her wild bed hair, bare feet, and her favorite jammy t-shirt that barely covers her ass. Tossing the paper on the couch she heads to her room to shower and start her day. She peels off her shirt and slips her panties down and steps out of them. She tries to avoid the mirrors on her way into the shower and is soon lost in steam.

After her shower she dresses quickly and grabs the paper, unrolling it as she slips on some shoes and heads outside. The yard is definitely taking on a brown cast and she intends to water it this morning while perusing the paper for job opportunities. Putting the paper down on the porch she heads to the side of the house where the hose is laying in a tangle, exactly where she left it three weeks ago when she unloaded it.

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She left this morning for work without really saying anything to him. At least, nothing he wanted to hear. He walks aimlessly through the house, not really seeing anything. Deciding he'll play golf today he dresses and goes to load his clubs in the truck. As he lifts the clubs into the truck an ear-piercing squeal fills the still morning air. Tossing them to the seat, and half hoping they stay put he turns and looks for the cause of the commotion. He finds it. As he jogs across the street he's already laughing. Reaching down to turn off the water he also offers out a hand to lift her off the ground. She looks like she's been attacked by her water hose. His laugh cuts off sharply as he really looks at her. Her eyes are bright with unshed tears.

"Are you OK?" he asks her very quietly.

"I think it's safe to say my hose has a leaky connection. Wouldn't you agree?" She looks down at herself and groans at the water soaking her clothes. Her shoes are splattered with mud, as are most of her legs. Her shoulders start to shake and he's afraid she's crying until he hears a small giggle escape her lips. She throws a hand over her mouth as if she feels the need to hold it in. He grins at this woman standing in front of him.

"I could help you, if you want. I've got some plumbers' tape. I'm sure that's all you need to make it stop spraying like that around the seal."

"That would be nice, thanks. I'm sure we have some somewhere but I wouldn't know where to start looking."

"I'll just run and get mine. It won't take but a second."

He jogs back across the street and into the house. Taking deep breaths, he digs around in the toolbox looking for the tape. "Whew", he blows out in a breath. First impressions aren't everything but she sure makes a lasting one.

Her heart is pounding and she's not so sure it's all from the fight she just lost with the hose. What a great way to make an impression. She looks like a fool, a soppy muddy fool.

He returns shortly with the tape and she hovers over his shoulder watching what he does, in case she ever has to do it herself. He finds her distracting with her leg brushing his shoulder as he squats down but she seems oblivious to his discomfort, asking questions about the work. Her breath blows across his ear and he jerks away. Hopefully she'll think I lost my balance, he thinks to himself, as he balances on the balls of his feet again. He takes quick peeks at her from the corner of his eye. Her breasts hang heavy, straining against her thin wet shirt as she leans over him. He feels a stirring in his groin and jerks his eyes away as if he has been burned. She smells faintly of something soft and powdery, and he wonders when was the last time he noticed such a small detail about a woman. Her legs are not long, but muscled like a runner's and very tan. He follows them up to the edge of her shorts and is intrigued by what might be under them.

She leans close to him as he works, watching intently, pretending to pay attention. But all she really cares about is the way he smells. Funny how she's always found her sense of smell to be so powerfully linked to her emotions. He has the familiar man smell of shampoo, after-shave, and deodorant. Wondering if he showered this morning her minds drifts off to thoughts of him wet and naked. She blows her breath out in little puffs. She's brought back to the present when she feels him start to lose his balance as her thigh brushes against his shoulder. She backs up some from him as he steadies himself. Just another minute and he's all finished. He stands and turns to face her, a huge smile on his face.

"There you go, try it now."

"Oh no, you turn it on. It's not that I don't trust you, but still...."

Laughing, he reaches down to turn on the water. It hisses as the hose fills with water, moving like a snake, but no water escapes. He gives a satisfied nod, looking at her and she nods too.

"Would you like something to drink? I have some tea."

She looks at him expectantly, yet sure that he'll say no. She's no fool; she knows how she looks to men. She is always one to be called cute but never pretty. A little plump after two kids, although it's hidden well. Plain long brown hair that is hard to tame with its natural curl. Average, that's the perfect word for her. Although she does like her smile, and she knows her eyes are striking. She feels those are her only redeeming features, but what man wants a woman for her eyes?

He doesn't say anything, just nods, and he notices that she blinks in surprise. Was he supposed to say no? Why did she ask then? Women! She leads to the door, but he waits on the step as she goes in. She turns and smiles funny at him. "You can come in if you want to, it's OK. The place is a mess, boxes..." She trails off as her face turns red. He follows her in through the door and she gestures off to the right where he can see her sofa surrounded by boxes. "Have a seat if you can get close enough to it. You might have to make a jump for it." She laughs at her own joke and walks off in the direction of her kitchen. His eyes watch the sway of her hips as she disappears around the corner.

He threads his way to the couch and sits on one end. She returns with two glasses of ice tea and hands one to him. She takes a seat at the other end. After kicking off her shoes she curls her legs up underneath her and faces him, holding her glass to her lips, as if she's trying to hide behind it.

"So, neighbor, you have a name?" he asks her. "I'm Michael. I live right across from you."

"Oh, I'm Diane. Nice to meet you, and thank you..."

They sit staring at each other from the length of the couch. He sits his glass down on a box near him and moves closer to her end. He asks her questions about herself and her family. He's discouraged to hear she's married, but something in her voice when she mentions it leaves him with some questions. He'll leave them unasked for now. He smiles at her expression when she talks about her children, and is impressed to hear that just a few short months ago she graduated from college. They talk about jobs for awhile and he tells her he's in the army and about having to travel so much. He mentions his marriage briefly with a small frown, and presses on to other subjects.

An hour passes pleasantly, and then she uncurls herself from the couch and stands. She announces that she really should get back to what she was planning on doing that day, and waits for him to rise and head towards the door. She could swear she saw a shadow of regret on his face, but it passes so quickly she's isn't sure. She starts to open the door for him when he lays a hand on her arm. She looks down at his fingers touching her arm and feels tingles slide down her spine.

"Diane, I enjoy your company. Would you mind sharing the day with me? You can water your yard tomorrow."

He smiles an electric smile and she loves the ways his eyes crinkle at the corners. She also loves the feeling of the butterflies it stirs in her stomach. She's not naive and she's seen that kind of smile before, she just can't believe someone is directing it at her. She blushes and a smile plays at the corners of her mouth. She hopes he finds encouragement written on her face, because she's terrified to make the first move, or to open her mouth to respond, afraid he'll hear the rush of passion in her voice. She leans as close to him as she can without brushing against his body, that's the best she can do. Anything more and she'll lose her nerve.

He sees her blush and her secret smile and again feels a stirring in his cock. As she leans he cups her chin in his hand and gently lowers his mouth over hers. The sharp intake of her breath is arousing. He kisses her softly, not wanting to scare her. Their lips part and they back away. Without a word she takes his hand and leads him back through the house to her room.

She pauses in the doorway until he nudges her on the ass. They can't stop now. "I'll be right back," she whispers. She heads into her bathroom. Through the closed door he hears her running water. When she returns he sees that droplets of water are still sliding down her legs where she has washed the mud off of them. She looks beautiful to him, and so unsure of herself. He crosses to her and wraps his arms tightly around her. She hides her face against his chest breathing in the smell of him. "Are you OK?" he asks gently. She nods her head and squeezes him tightly. "Lay down." She lets him go and sits on the bed, pushing herself backwards with her feet until her head reaches the top. Leaning back on her hands she watches him as he strips down to just his shorts. He has a dark smattering of hair that gets thicker the closer it gets to his waistband. He comes and lies down on his side facing her, propped up on one arm. She mirrors him, so they are facing, side by side. They begin to kiss, slowly at first, him opening her lips with the eager probing of his tongue. She opens willingly to him and they spend time leisurely getting to know each other in the most intimate way. She's always found that kissing is more personal than anything else two people can do together.

She pulls back after a lifetime of kisses and lies down. Reaching down to grab the bottom of her t-shirt she arches her back off the bed to pull it up over her head and tosses it off the edge. Slipping one hand around her back she unfastens her bra and takes it off, and it joins her shirt in the floor. He whistles through his teeth at the sight of her exposed breasts. As a present to herself for graduation she had saved all her money and bought new boobs. They are nothing extravagant, but well suited to her short frame. She now has very full C's and she loves them. They lay on her chest like two perfect orbs calling to him. She has not shown them to anyone except her husband until now, and she enjoys the hungry stare. He reaches out to give feather light touches with his fingertips to one nipple and is rewarded instantly by the tightening of her skin forming a hard brown peak. She closes her eyes just as he starts to lower his mouth to her firm nipple.

She's not sure what she expects from him, but she is certainly startled to feel just his warm breath on her skin. Waiting for the feel of his tongue is agony and she arches up towards him. He gives a low throaty laugh at her eagerness and obliges her, taking her nipple between his teeth and gently nibbling. It sends sharp tingles down her body as if her nipples are directly connected to her clit. He rolls quickly so that he sits low on her thighs straddling her so he can touch both breasts. He kneads them, licking from one nipple, down the valley between them, and then over to the other nipple. Sharp quick flicks with his tongue have her squirming underneath him, but she can't get away. She tries to cover herself, to stop the torturous pleasure but he grabs her wrists and twists her arms over her head and holds them there. Her eyes open in surprise and anticipation. He looks up to give her a lopsided grin, and then with one last flick at each nipple he rolls off her. Standing up again, he finishes undressing himself, sliding out of his shorts and underwear.

Taking her cue from him she slides off her side of the bed to take off her shorts and her panties. She feels very vulnerable standing before this incredible creature with his firm body that is perfectly proportioned. He stands, lightly holding his hard cock in one hand, eyeing her from the top of her head down to her pink painted toenails and then back up again, stopping at her eyes. Surprisingly she sees approval in his gaze and she feels flushed all over. She turns from him to break away from his stare and crawls onto the bed, lying on her stomach.

He stretches out beside her on the bed. He sweeps her long dark hair off of her neck and brushes his lips across her tender skin. She shivers and giggles softly. His kisses press harder so he doesn't tickle her and she now whimpers. With one hand his fingertips are tracing the curve of her shoulder blades, down her spine, to the small of her back, resting at the top of her ass. Shifting, he presses himself up to his hands and knees, hovering over her so he can leave a trail of damp kisses from her neck to her ass.

She rolls over and wraps an arm around his side, pulling, telling him without words where she wants him. He positions himself between her thighs and holds himself up with his arms. They tremble on either side of her head. He lowers his body down on top of hers, his hard cock pressed against her belly as they kiss long and hard. Her hands take advantage of the time and explore his body, the slope of his shoulders, the curve of his ass, down the sides of his hard thighs, and back up, to rest lightly on the small of his back. Her fingertips press into his skin as she becomes more and more aroused by his kisses. He breaks away from the kiss and slides his body down hers until his cock is brushing against her swollen outer lips. Their eyes lock as he slowly pushes the tip of his cock inside her. She is slick with desire and he pushes the rest of the way into her with one quick thrust. She gasps as she feels him stretching her, filling her. He's much larger than what she is used to. It's slightly painful but in a pleasing way. He lays still waiting for her to adjust to him. When he feels her relax around him he begins to move. Sliding one hand under her he lifts her lower back up off the bed. Their bodies are pressed close together so that with every stroke he rubs her clit causing her to moan deliciously.