Dinner for Three Ch. 01

"Damn. I hate this stupid thing..."

"Nat, you have to give it a chance to catch up with you." Adam laughed. "How can you be so incredibly patient with your kids at work, but your computer makes you worse than a 2-year old?"

Natalie drummed her fingers on the edge of the keyboard. She glanced over her shoulder at Adam and said, "Yeah, but my kids have problems. They're supposed to go slow, make bad decisions, have tantrums -- and I get paid to be patient with them. I shelled out $1300 bucks and this thing is just supposed to work."

"Okay then. Think about it this way. You bought a really high-functioning idiot savant..."

Natalie interrupted him, "'Autistic.' Come on, you know how I feel about that phrase." Given her job and daily interaction with autistic kids, she hated the 'idiot' term.

"Right—sorry." Adam winced at his stupidity for forgetting how committed Natalie was to her kids. "Just realize that thing's got a limited set of tricks but can do them really fast. Other than that, it's a hunk of metal, sand, plastic and..."

Natalie had heard this before from Adam and still didn't buy it. "And it's supposed to do what I need it to do, when I need it to do it. Oh, I'm tired of this for now; forget it. I just wanted to show you the pictures from our drive up the coast last month."

Once Natalie's frustration had kicked-in, Adam had left the couch and approached the table where she sat with her laptop. He was reluctant to leave now that he'd found such a good excuse to be close to her. Her lavender shampoo mingled with fragrant steam rising from the tea next to her machine. With her leaning over to put her hands on the keyboard, her ripped-collar t-shirt was hanging tantalizingly open from his perspective. He noticed the lack of any outline from bra straps on her shoulders and the soft cotton came to clear points rather than rounded on her chest. He said. "Hang on. A little patience if you please. See—it finally caught up. Next time don't hit the thing that says 'F: Drive' when you're not on your network at school. When you do it here, you'll just end up sitting and waiting while it tries to find something that's not there."

Natalie gave an unhappy sigh. "So you're saying this was..."

"User error. Yep—that about sums it up." Adam had enjoyed her big sigh which had drawn her shoulders back and he'd been rewarded with a momentary view of the vale between the rise of each breast when she'd exhaled. Natalie wasn't 'stacked' as his friends would say, but she was curved in all the right ways as far as he was concerned. When she'd let her breath go, Adam had glimpsed the elegant, gentle inside curve of her right breast and even the pale skin of her mid-section which was all scrunched due to her seated position.

Adam reached around her shoulder and said, "Where'd you put the pictures? In here? Ah—look there they are; exactly where they're supposed to be." Adam let go of the mouse and, as casually as he could, placed his hand flat on her back. He reveled in the warmth of her skin through the thin shirt but was careful not to linger. "Alright. Let me see this beach you were telling me about."

"Finally! Okay—so. Remember that Laurie and I went down to that Development Techniques conference in Ashland? When it was done, we decided to take an extra day off and come back the long way. We cut out to 101 and poked our way north. I think we must have checked out a dozen beaches. We were trying to find really out-of-the-way spots. We found a place...hell, I don't even know its name...a little more than an hour south of Newport that was amazing. It was the best tide pool-ing I'd ever seen."

Adam went and got a chair from the eating nook next to the small kitchen. Natalie shifted her chair over a foot or so in order for them both to see, leaned back and clasped both hands around her tea cup.

Adam asked, "Must've been cold. March can be nasty on the coast."

"No, actually. We got lucky. It was a crazy beautiful day—we couldn't believe how warm it was. We must've found that little inlet at low tide because the rocks were totally exposed. There were, like, thousands of sea stars on the ocean-side of the rocks. Yeah, see—in that one there we found a whole mound of them stacked on top of each other."

Natalie had happily relinquished the mouse to Adam. He was flipping slowly through the pictures and commenting on items of interest. She was looking at his profile and was struck once again by her reaction to him. He was a 'guy, guy.' He was a sports fan, he wasn't into his appearances but wasn't a slob, he had a goatee, he was athletic, he liked to wear beat-up baseball hats...he should have been blah. And yet, she knew he was more than casually athletic with his road cycling which made him trim and really fit. The same focus that he applied to his biking seemed to carry into other areas of his life as well. Yet for all the guy-ness he was so thoughtful—he was always aware of the people around him in a supportive way without simpering. She'd become increasingly attracted to him which was a complete surprise to her. Girls were usually more her speed.

"Nat—you nerd." Adam was laughing at a picture of Natalie doing her best explorer-on-a-rock, eyes shielded by a hand, looking into the distance pose. "You look more like you've got sand in your eyes."

Natalie hit him on the shoulder. She was about to say something pithy back, but remembered a moment too late that this was the last picture she wanted him to see. She'd been leaning back with her tea and was a beat slow in reaching for the mouse.

"Ah—wow." Adam blushed crimson but couldn't take his eyes away from the picture in front of him. Natalie was laying on a smooth rock in the sun. She wore only a pair of panties, her shirt having been relegated to being a blanket on the rock under her. Her bra was nowhere to be found.

Natalie was frozen with indecision. Should she make a big deal of this and slam down the cover of the laptop, or just let him see the rest? Then she remembered the picture Laurie had set up with the automatic timer—kissing with bodies mashed together. Natalie felt flushed at the memory of had happened next when Laurie had eaten her on that rock, in the open. It had been one of the most exhilarating rushes she'd ever had. Yet she knew Adam had no clue that she and Laurie did more than just share the apartment.

Adam wanted to look away, but he was entranced. Flat stomach, panties snuggly encasing her mons, the high curve of her hips and her chest was perfection for his tastes. Her nipples were clearly hard from the cool ocean air, and there was a slight rise to her breasts even though she was on her back. Her eyes were closed and her face was turned to the sun with her dark hair splayed across the rock. He knew he shouldn't be seeing anything more even if he was dying to click the mouse again. He gently closed the laptop cover and sat back; he didn't know what to say. Not that he could have said much with a mouth and throat that had hastily gone dry.

Natalie broke the silence, "Err, sorry about that." She gave a nervous chuckle. "I forgot to move those. I hate that stupid machine."

"Don't worry about it. I'll never complain about pictures like that." He rotated in the chair to face her. "For what it's worth—you're gorgeous." Adam's blush deepened further. He wanted to say more but couldn't bring himself to do it. How he could be twenty-six and still unable to talk directly to Natalie about his feelings for her? Of course, who was he kidding—this was the first time he'd ever allowed himself to feel this way. About anyone. There'd been plenty of girlfriends but they'd never penetrated his resolve or had this effect on him. His hesitance with Natalie was a constant source of frustration.

Natalie was flattered by his reaction. His embarrassment was genuine and the fact that he'd lingered on the picture before being a gentleman by turning it off was so 'him.' Natalie made up her mind and started to lean in to kiss him when a key jangled in the lock to the apartment. The metallic clang of the deadbolt shattered the moment.

Adam could've sworn she was going to kiss him but when Laurie's keys hit the door, Natalie got up and he couldn't tell if she was simply moving to put down her tea. He could never get a bead on her feelings for him, and thus he once again failed to intuit what her intentions had been. Natalie jumped up and crossed to the door which completely dissolved any possibility that something further was going to develop.

Natalie grabbed a grocery bag from her roommate's overflowing arms. She grimaced and glared at Laurie—the timing had been beyond cruel.

Laurie could instantly tell that something was up. She was about to ask if everything was okay but Natalie gave her a warning with her eyes. So she went for casual instead. "Hey, Adam. How's it going?"

Adam tapped his fingers on the laptop wishing he could reopen it. He turned to the door and got up to help with the groceries. "Hey, Laurie. Things are okay. Can I help with those?"

"Sure. There are two more down in my car. Can you lock it before you come back up?"

Adam was glad for a respite from the apartment. "Yeah, no problem." He grabbed Laurie's keys from the lock and took the stairs two at a time down to the street.

The moment he was out the door Laurie asked, "What's going on?"

Natalie blew a sigh. She gave Laurie a quick hello peck on the lips. "Oh, I showed him the pictures from our drive up the coast and forgot about the sunbathing shots."

Laurie gave a giggle and put her hand over her mouth. "Oops. Yeah, you were on that rock and...oh, shit. Did he see the one I..."

"No. He closed the lid when he saw the first one."

"Wow, chivalry lives."

Natalie smiled. "I know. That's just it. He's a great guy."

Light dawned for Laurie. "Ah...I see. And you're interested."

The sound of size-12 shoes on the stairs along with the rustle of paper bags abruptly put a stop to the conversation.

Adam used his butt to push the door closed and set the bags on the counter. "I'd love to hang guys, but I've gotta run."

Laurie gave Adam a quick hug to say thanks for the help. "Aw, come on. Stay for dinner. I picked up some fresh pasta—I picked up plenty."

Laurie was shorter than Natalie and had to reach up to hug him. Adam tried unsuccessfully to ignore the press of Laurie's body against his. She had more curves than Natalie, but she wasn't out of proportion. Her blonde hair was cut high in the back and came down to severe points in front. Somehow it really worked to frame her face.

Adam wanted to stay. He always wanted to be around Natalie, but felt like he needed a little space. He'd decided to say something to her the next time they were alone, but it would be hard being in the apartment while Laurie was around. "Nah—thanks. I have to work on my bike. I've got a race next weekend and I've been putting off changing out some stuff on it. I'll catch up with you guys soon." He turned to go, but found Natalie between him and the door.

She said, "Come on, the bike can wait." Natalie had walked over to him when she saw that he was gearing up to leave. She put her hand on his arm and looked him in the eye. "Stay for dinner. Please."

****

The pasta had been worth staying; Laurie hadn't lied. The three of them were at the small kitchen table and well into their second bottle of red. All of them were a slightly lit. The table was strewn with bread crumbs from the remains of a baguette and there wasn't much left of the asparagus or the salad. Adam's normal fare was cereal for dinner if he was at his place, the fact that these two always cooked for each other amazed him. It wasn't that he didn't have money, coding apps for the bank paid well; he just wouldn't spend his time cooking if he had the choice. He loved these meals with Natalie and Laurie which he'd been joining them for occasionally over the past few years since he'd met Natalie.

Adam stood and grabbed a third bottle of wine from the rack on the counter. His earlier reticence had faded under the salve of good food and great company. "You guys up for another? It's Friday after all." He raised the bottle in a general toast to the weekend.

Laurie pushed back from the table and got up. "You bet. But I've got to get out of these work clothes. I'll be right back."

Adam cut the sealing foil and pulled the cork. He topped-off Natalie's glass and put the bottle on the table. He motioned for her to stay seated. "Don't—I've got it. It's the least I can do since you guys feed me so well." He shuttled plates and serving dishes up to the counter. His thoughts were churning on what he could possibly say to Natalie now that they were alone, but he couldn't come up with anything. So he focused on scraping the dishes and loading the dishwasher.

He'd spent years convincing himself he didn't need someone close to him. His parents had shown him that relationships were sources of pain and he'd begun to believe his own bullshit that he didn't need one until he'd met Natalie. Even though she'd never given him overt signals, he'd grown more and more interested in her. Hell, rather than positive signals he seemed to run into a wall of indifference from her time and again just when he thought they were on track to get together.

After a minute or two, the sound of a door in the hall opened and another closed. Then the shower kicked on. It would be a little while until Laurie joined them again.

Natalie sipped her wine. She watched him. It was stupid, but the fact that he was doing the dishes was unquestionably sexy. He was lean and she knew even more athletic than he looked due to the many hours peddling his bike. And he was so damn smart, but somehow never managed to make her feel inadequate. He'd helped her through her calc homework—hell, the whole class. She'd never have had the grades to get into her graduate program if he hadn't been working that course. She'd avoided math like the plague during college, but it turned out she had to take calculus as a pre-req. for grad school. Her great grades in undergrad psych, history and biology were useless in the face of the mysterious equations that filled her text book. Adam had been assisting the professor to make extra money while finishing his masters on some kind of math that she could barely pronounce. Through that whole experience he could've made her feel like an idiot, but he was supportive instead.

Natalie sipped more wine and noticed that with his sleeves rolled up she could see the muscles in Adam's forearms working under the skin. Nice arms. Nice ass for that matter.

Adam finished in the kitchen, picked up his wine glass and made his way to the couch. He leaned his head back and steadied the glass on an out-stretched leg. He was wracking his brain for a topic to start with Natalie and was failing miserably. All he could see in his mind was her on that rock. The rise of her panties from the flat of her lower stomach was etched in his thoughts and driving him to distraction. He wanted to straddle her legs and to kiss all around her mound. Kiss the thighs, the hips, the pliable skin of her tummy, and then to push his nose into the soft fabric to draw in her arousal. He realized that he had to stop his train of thought or he was going to get into an embarrassing state. So much for being a gentleman.

Natalie grabbed the bottle and her glass before crossing the few feet into the living room. She looked at his exposed neck and wanted to kiss it. She knew Laurie would be okay with Adam. The strange thing about their relationship was that boys were fair game, other girls were strictly off-limits. Laurie was more balanced in her proclivity for guys and girls, but Natalie wasn't generally interested in guys. She'd been with a few and enjoyed those experiences but it just wasn't as comfortable for her as it was with Laurie. So why was Adam different?

Natalie asked, "You want a refill there, Mr. Dishwasher?"

A grin ranged across his face. "Mmm. That'd be good."

Adam opened his eyes in time to watch her pour the wine. She furrowed her brow as she concentrated on not spilling on his leg. It was the same look when she focused on anything. He'd watched that furrow form so many times it'd become a weather vane to determine how hard she was concentrating. He doubted she even knew she was doing it. He was about to sit up when she innocently bent at the waist to put the bottle on the low table. The torn collar draped open and he had an unexpected view of her right breast. All of it. The nipple just barely touched the shirt and he could guess that it would be slightly up-turned when she was standing. The skin was un-tanned but tinted auburn from the light passing through the fabric. It stole his breath away, but she hadn't noticed and dropped to sit cross-legged on the floor. His pulse jumped involuntarily.

Laurie's bedroom door opened and she padded down the hall in bare feet. She stopped at the thermostat and adjusted it higher. She wore black leggings and a loose-fitting, comfortable top. Damp, darkened hair hung straight and seemed glossy in the light of the room. Adam noticed the sway of her chest and saw the trace of her nipples against the fabric. Apparently post work-week attire didn't call for bras. He was all for their dress code.

Laurie snagged her glass from the dinner table and walked into the living room area. She went over to a small set of speakers where an iPhone was plugged in and selected some tunes. While she was doing this Adam was treated to her tightly clad ass. Her legs were slightly parted and he could have sworn he saw the rounded push of her sex at the juncture of her legs.

When the music came on, Laurie spun around and did a little dance move before joining Natalie on the floor. Laurie said, "So I know what we're going to do."

Adam raised an eyebrow. "Yeah? What's that?" Laurie rummaged under the coffee table while mumbling to herself.

Natalie shook her head. She knew the look on her friend's face and could tell she was up to some mischief. "This can't be good. When she starts talking to herself we should be afraid. Be very afraid."

Laurie triumphantly held up a deck of cards. "I knew they were under there somewhere." She talked to the deck of cards. "You little bastards thought you could hide from me, but no! I got you."

"The mighty huntress." Adam laughed at her and threw a small pillow from the couch but it sailed harmlessly over Laurie's head.

"Missed me, bitch." Laurie laughed.

"I had to aim high otherwise the wine..."

"Not interested in your excuses." Laurie wasn't going to be deterred from her original idea. "As I said, I've decided on the night's entertainment. Actually—I think it will be far more entertaining for me than you two."

Natalie knew that Laurie was a beast at drinking games. "Oh, no. Not Asshole. You'll kill us at that."

Laurie scoffed. "No, no, no. We're going to play contract bridge. Jeez-uz. Okay—so not Asshole. Alright, we'll start with something simple. Hi-Lo. Ever do that one, Adam?"

Adam's friends in college had been as creative as most. He'd worked his way through assorted games and had some stories to share like everyone. "Sure—no problem."

Natalie rolled her eyes. "Great. You pick a game like Hi-Lo with the one guy we know who can actually count cards." She was smiling though and shifted her position up onto her knees. Laurie had shuffled the deck and Natalie reached for the top card. "Rules?"

Laurie grabbed a card as well. "We'll make it simple. Max bet is three sips. A war doubles the bet."

Adam took his card. "Got it. Laurie, you go first." He held his card up against his forehead, number side facing out as did the other two.

"Fine. I'll start tame—one sip against you, Nat. I'm low."