The Natalie Incident Ch. 03

The band bought the tune to halt and received a tremendous and deserved response. I wiped the back of my hand across my eyes and then joined Natalie in her enthusiastic clapping. When she turned there was a huge smile across her face, but she frowned when she saw me, and asked if I was all right. I assured her that I was.

‘I love that tune,’ I said, ‘but I don’t think I ever really appreciated it fully. Not until tonight anyway.’

She kissed me, took me by the hand and pulled me up from the seat, and led me across bar towards the entrance. Eddie the barman saw us as we passed, and he raised a hand and told us to come back anytime. I realized that we hadn’t even touched the beers that he’d bought us. No matter, someone else would find them, and if not, he’d probably collect them up and put them back out for sale. It was that kind of place.

The air was fresh after the hot atmosphere of Excalibur, and it hit me as Natalie pushed open the door and we went back outside. The night had seemed to grow darker and a cold breeze had risen, the threat of rain was once again making itself known. We stood outside the bar and Nat ran her hands under the back of my shirt as she embraced me. She hadn’t said anything since we’d stood up.

‘I take it you’ve had enough of that place then?’ I said, feeling a slight shiver as her finger caressed the base of my spine.

‘No, I like it. But I don’t want to be with anyone else, or listen to any more music,’ she said. Her hands crawled up my back as she kissed me again, harder this time. ‘I just want you to take me back to our room, and make love to me. That’s all I want...’

**********

The cab made it’s way through the narrow streets, moving steadily as the driver hummed along to a tune that was playing quietly on the radio, but I barely heard or saw anything except for Natalie. We were wrapped around each other on the backseat, her mouth against my neck as she whispered into my ear and her hand sliding between the buttons of my shirt. I had my fingers on the soft skin of her leg, running my palm up and under her dress and tickling her inner thigh, and her breath gasped against me as I stroked as high as I dared without exposing her to the driver. There was heat coming from between her legs and in response I was desperately hard, my jeans pressing painfully against me. Natalie felt me squirm and she glanced at the rearview mirror to see if the driver was watching us. He wasn’t, and a second later her hand was on my dick, squeezing my erection and making me grit my teeth. She pressed her mouth to mine, and our tongues bounced off each other as we kissed.

If the journey had been longer there was good chance we’d have just gone for it in the back of the taxi - mercifully we pulled up outside our building, and Natalie jumped off me and climbed out into the street, the open door letting in the first spots of rain. I paid the fare and stumbled out behind her and up the steps. She stood at the entrance to the lobby and watched me, and the evening wind blew against her, making her loose hair come alive and causing her dress to wrap itself tightly against her body. As I reached her I noticed a hint of nipple peeking through the material. Luckily the doorman was nowhere to be seen as we kissed each other quickly and I gently squeezed her breast through the dress, making her shudder.

The lobby was as quiet and serene as always, but this time Dieter had been replaced with an equally smart woman who hardly noticed us or chose not to as we walked as quickly as we could past her. We rounded the corner to the staircase, and once out of sight were all over each other again as we made our way up the stairs as fast as our groping hands would allow. By the time we made it to our door Natalie had my shirt open and I’d popped several of the small buttons on her dress. I scrabbled in my back pocket for the key while Nat ran her fingers over my chest, and luckily no-one saw us before we’d managed to fall through the door together.

Our room was fully dark, but we didn’t need directions to make it to the bed. We collapsed onto it, rolled across each other, and Natalie gripped my hair as I moved my hand under her twisted dress and found her strip of damp panties. I pushed against her and she spread her legs wider to accomodate my fingers, and the material was hot as I ground it against her body.

‘Put the light on,’ she gasped breathlessly. ‘I want to see you.’

I rolled away from her, unbuckling my jeans as I did so to relieve the pressure on my dick, and slid from the bed to find the lamp on the side table. My vision still hadn’t adjusted fully to the blackness of the room, and as such it took me a moment to locate the switch. When I did, and flooded the room in mellow light, the view I had of Natalie was breathtaking. She’d moved onto her front, and the black dress was now almost up around her waist, not fully exposing her but just enough for me to see the creamy skin of her thighs, the rounded curve of her buttocks and the small sliver of white underwear that disappeared into the shadow between her open legs. She rested her head on one arm and looked back at me with eyes sparkling with desire, and her hair lay across the sheet, a thick strand falling over her face and contrasting with her rose-coloured lips. The dress had been pulled to reveal one of her shoulders, lined with a thin strap of bra. Her other arm was underneath her, and she had her hand against her panties. I saw her fingers move, and her eyes fluttered closed as she touched herself, before once more looking directly at me.

I was so turned on my head was swimming, and I allowed myself the briefest of moments to look at the beauty before me, before I dived back towards her. She squealed as my hands gripped her legs, gasped as I lowered my head towards her ass. I flicked my tongue against her inner thigh and ran upwards, leading a wet trail up to the soft skin of her taut buttocks. Her skin tasted of vanilla, and I placed kisses across it as I moved my face lower to find her panties now moving, stretched as Nat played with herself. I wanted to see that, and I pulled the garment aside, making her gasp as it grazed against her. She had the tip of her middle finger inside her, only to the first knuckle, but the way her hand was bent I knew she’d be putting pressure on her clitoris with her palm. Her vagina was wet, the tiny black pubic hairs surrounding her lips shining, and she tasted like sweet nectar as I slipped my tongue from her ass to rest against her rapidly pistoning finger. I started to lick, to double her pleasure, and Natalie’s repeated gasps were high and breathless. She drew her finger out of herself and allowed me to take it into my mouth, almost as if she was feeding me her own juices, and that was enough to almost make me come there and then. I thrust my tongue into her alongside her own finger, and lapped at her hot wetness while pulling apart the cheeks of her butt and sliding my thumb against the most secretive part of her body.

I’d managed to kick my clothes away, and I touched myself, needing my own relief. Natalie sensed what I was doing and started to pull me around towards her, her finger leaving her vagina as she reached for me. I moved, twisting myself until we were inverted and both lying on our sides. I felt her hands on my legs, then my balls, and as I dipped down once again against to her clit, her soft, wet tongue brushed my penis. I trembled at the sensation, which only increased as her lips slid around my shaft and she took me gently into her mouth.
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I think we both knew we were close to coming, and we played with each other carefully, letting the blissful feelings last for as long as possible. I worked my finger leisurely back and forth into Natalie, and alternated my mouth against her thighs and stomach as well as her vagina. In turn she sucked me slowly, stopping now and again to nibble against my penis or swirl her tongue over the skin, her hands working me slowly up and down. We held each other, explored each other.

Eventually our movements increased with our rising excitement, and we moved apart just long enough for Nat to pull the creased dress over her head and tear her underwear off. I threw my shirt to the floor as she resumed her position face down on the bed, her back arching as I rubbed my hands up her ass and along the ridges of her spine before I lowered myself over her. She turned her head as I nibbled her neck and we still managed to kiss, our passion now so great that we really did nothing more than just lick our tongues together. Her arms were out infront of her, hands gripping the pillow, and I laced my fingers through hers as my solid erection rubbed over the cheeks of her bum and into the dark hollow beneath. Her wet lips rubbed the top of my dick, and for a moment I moved myself against her stiff little clitoris, the action making her gasp into the sheet, her voice muffled. And then I buried my face in the fragrant mass of her hair and pushed myself upward, gripping her tightly as our bodies connected and I penetrated her deeply.

Our breathing came quickly as we made love, and I stayed deep inside her and made small thrusts while Natalie rocked her hips back to meet me. I felt unbelievably hard, and her vagina was so tight and moist that really that was all the movement we needed. I pushed my hands under her and cupped her breasts, teasing the hard nipples while I hugged myself against her back. A crimson flush spread across her shoulders, competing against the small freckles that dotted her skin, and I felt her shaking beneath me and a moan escaped from her throat. The moan became words, and I heard her saying that she wanted to come, but her voice sounded distant, as if I was far away. I saw the skin on her knuckles turn white and then it went dark as my eyes squeezed shut. My teeth bit against her shoulder and I felt still more heat over my throbbing dick as Natalie reached her orgasm, crying out, and then I was right there with her, the muscles clenching in my back as I pushed myself deeply into her one final time. Hot, sticky, a total rush of pure pleasure, my come joining her own, my breath a harsh wind in my throat, sweat on our skin. Our love fulfilled.

After we’d both calmed down I moved my weight off Natalie, smoothed her hair away from her face, and gently kissed both of her eyelids. She looked up at me with a sweet smile and we started to kiss each other, slowly and tenderly, until she rolled over to face me and nestled her face against my chest. I stroked her back and we whispered words to each other, until soon I felt longer, more relaxed breaths against my skin and I knew she was asleep. The air was still and no noise came from outside, save for the nightly patter of rain against the window, and my heart drummed a steady beat. I slept, but it took time to come, despite the long and tiring day I’d had. Everytime I felt my eyes closing I forced myself awake. Sleeping seemed such a waste of the time I had left with the girl I loved, especially when I heard the church clock strike midnight and I realized later that day she would be gone from my life once again.

**********

When I was kid it always seemed to me that Christmas eve was the longest night of the year. I always had to go to bed early, and the anticipation of the next day made sleep impossible. I’d watch the hours tick by, time almost seeming to stand still, dawn an eternity away. How I yearned for the same feelings now, for it seemed as if I’d no sooner fallen asleep with Natalie in my arms than the dawn arrived with breakneck speed, and with it our final morning.

We lay and snuggled close and enjoyed the luxury of the bed for the last time, and then took a bath together. It seemed as if we couldn’t bear to be more than a couple of feet apart from one and other at anytime. We ate breakfast in the hotel, sitting at a small table decorated with fine china, and held hands and watched the scenes pass by on the canal right outside the window. Dieter the clerk saw us, and came quietly across the dining room to wish us well, dressed as always in his fine suit. We briefly outlined why we were checking out early, and he was genuinely saddened to see us leave so soon. As he left us to finish our breakfast I watched him walk away and thought what a decent guy he was, honest and genuine. My feelings for him reflected Amsterdam and it’s people in general.

I helped Natalie pack her clothes into her two neat cases, and I stuffed my own into my bag. I was still undecided about what I was going to do with myself once she had gone. I’d been trying not to think about it, but I knew there was no way I could stay on my own at the hotel. The building and the room held too many memories of our time together, and sleeping on my own in the huge bed would have been nothing less than torture to my emotions. As I gripped our bags and Natalie closed the door sadly behind us, I took one last glance inside and told myself that I’d never come back here unless it was with her.

At the reception Dieter had sorted everything we needed in his efficient manner. Natalie’s plane ticket had been forwarded to her by courier the day before, and he’d arranged a cab for her to the airport and had put together a small file of faxed papers that had been sent to the hotel from Elizabeth back in New York. We signed out of the register, settled our bill, and thanked him for his time and attention. I shook his hand warmly, Natalie kissed him on both cheeks, and he blushed and told us he was just doing his job. We said our good-byes, told him we’d see him again as soon as possible, and exited the beautiful little hotel.

The morning was bright with acres of blue sky lined with wispy clouds that reminded me of frost patterns on glass, and occasional bursts of blossom fell from the trees blown free by an almost polite wind. The old lady was still there, her skin cracked and tanned like worn leather while she sold flowers from her cart, and the canal was calm, lined with boats and a posse of ducks that bobbed happily along. Our street was as quiet as always, few people passed, and there was little noise. We held each other closely and took in the view, and I quickly checked my watch.

‘What time is it?’ said Natalie, her arms clasping my back tightly.

I sighed. ‘Almost time. The car will be here in a couple of minutes.’

She looked at me so earnestly I could see my own sad face reflected in her eyes. ‘You will be careful, won’t you? Promise me you’ll be careful.’

‘I promise,’ I said, and smiled. ‘Anyway, you’re the one going to a strange country.’

‘I know, but I’ll have a lot of people looking out for me. You’ll be on your own.’

‘Yeah, but I’ll be with you again soon,’ I replied, needing to say it out loud to convince myself as much as her. ‘So don’t worry about me.’

She stroked the stubble on my chin. ‘Will you be all right once I’m gone?’

I swallowed hard, felt my throat click, and shook my head. ‘Not really. But I’ll have plenty to occupy me, like finding somewhere else to stay.’ The previous day we’d discussed what I’d do once Nat had left for Romania. I’d had some sketchy ideas, maybe stay in the city for another day or two, or take a train to Paris. I wanted to think about writing again, maybe try and get a job on one of the papers back in New York, or perhaps just go in a totally different direction. But I had a strong feeling that in the hours following Natalie’s departure it would be difficult to think about anything else but her.

‘Don’t stay anywhere horrible.’

‘I won’t,’ I said, stroking her hair. ‘Listen, are you going to be okay?’

‘No, I’m not,’ she said, her voice quiet. ‘You might have a lot to do, all I’ve got is a long and boring flight with the knowledge that every mile I take is a mile further away from you.’

‘Don’t forget me, Nat,’ I said quickly. ‘It’ll break my heart.’

‘I couldn’t, not ever’ she said, and a tear formed in her eye. ‘I’ll just be counting time until we’re back with each other at home.’ She paused. ‘You’ll be there, won’t you? You might forget me.’

‘If I had to swim I’d be there. Anything else isn’t an option. I love you.’

There was a throb of engine, and I felt my stomach twist as I saw the smart red taxi pull to a halt outside the hotel. The driver stepped out, a small man wearing spectacles and a neat cap pulled down low on his brow. He crossed over to us and I indicated the bags to be taken. He picked up Natalie’s cases and left mine at my feet, and that seemed to be as good a confirmation, not that I needed it, that we really were about to leave each other. We watched as he secured the trunk of the cab and then climbed back behind the wheel and waited patiently for us. Natalie turned back to me.

‘Rich, just remember everything I’ve said to you, how much I care and think about you. How much I love you.’ Now I was aware of a wet trail running down my cheek, and she raised her hand and gently wiped my tear away. ‘Don’t, or I’ll start, and I fear I’ll never stop.’

We kissed, and just for one moment, as our arms were around each other and our lips were together it felt as if I was inside her body, as if our hearts were beating in unison, as if we were almost the same person. It was a feeling which only lasted for a moment, and was gone totally as soon as we broke the kiss. I took her hand and walked her to the cab, the backdoor already open.

‘I’ll be seeing you, Miss Portman,’ I whispered, and smiled, tickled my finger across her nose. She got into the cab, and I closed the door behind her and bent down to where she was already leaning out of the open window. She put her hands on my face.

‘I’ll be seeing you, Mr.Edwards,’ she whispered back, and we kissed for the last time, before I pushed her gently back inside the cab and stepped away, my legs shaking. The driver got the engine back into life, and swung the vehicle in a tight loop into the narrow street and back in the direction he’d arrived. The car pulled away, and Natalie turned around in the backseat to look at me through the rear window. I stood there with my hands in my pockets, already feeling numb, and watched her slowly leave my world. We didn’t wave, or blow kisses, or even smile at each other. Everything we needed to say had been said; the rest we told with our eyes. The cab reached the end of the street, turned across the bridge, and disappeared from my view.

I turned and walked back to where my bag was sitting looking lost and lonely, and slumped down heavily on a nearby wooden bench. I felt drained of energy, almost unable to stand. The street was deserted, with only the birds in the willow trees around me producing any kind of noise, and their musical chatter was no replacement for the sound of Natalie’s voice. A headache was forming behind my eyes, and it felt as if my heart had been ripped out of my chest and kicked down the street. I’d never felt this low in all my life. I was only going to be separated from my girl for seven or eight days - I couldn’t imagine the pain I’d go be going through if I’d had to say goodbye to Natalie forever. Loss of this depth was a new feeling to me, but then over the last few days I’d experienced a lot of new feelings. Maybe total euphoria could only be balanced by complete despair.

I sat on the bench and let the rest of the morning slip away while the citizens of Amsterdam went about their lives around me. After a while I spread my arms out along the top of the bench and leaned my head back until it was supported on the backrest. In that position I could look straight up at the azure sky, and I spotted a milky vapor trail. I wondered if the plane that produced it was the one that was taking Natalie away from me. It didn’t take long for the trail to disappear, absorbed into the atmosphere, but more soon appeared. I stayed that way for a long time, counting the lines that crossed high above me, and staring up into a universe that went on forever...