A Serendipitous Reunion Ch. 02

The sun shone bright through a gap in the curtains. Her head lay on my shoulder, our limbs tangled with the sheets. I slowly came awake in the realization that we had exhausted ourselves making love. Her hair filled my face, and her body filled my arms. I had never felt so alive in my entire life. She'd suggested we might go through the entire box of condoms, and we had. It was unfortunate because I very much wanted to make love to her again this morning. She was the very fantasy I'd had for years, come to life, and she had stayed the night with me.

She moved a little, her leg slid against mine, her hand slid up my chest. A deep sigh followed and she settled again. I felt my smile broaden and my eyes close in a feeling of bliss. This is what I'd craved for so long. Intimacy with an intelligent, funny, thoughtful, beautiful woman, my dream woman, the kind I never thought I could ever attract. The thought passed suddenly and the cold reality struck me that I hadn't attracted her, I'd bought her time. The bliss I felt ebbed and I felt empty, drained of the joy I'd felt only a moment before.

I slipped free so as to not wake her and pulled on my boxers before going into the bathroom. I closed the door quietly, ran the water, and grabbed my toothbrush. I looked at myself in the mirror, my hair was mussed up, my lips were swollen, and I had a few red marks on my neck. I looked at my eyes and they had dark circles from a lack of sleep. The corner of my mouth turned up as I realized why and I quickly brushed my teeth and splashed my face. If all indications were correct I'd done a passable job of it last night. I sure couldn't fault my teacher. That thought brought the smug look back to my face.

"My teacher." I whispered. "Holy shit." A mix of emotions flooded through me. My teenage fantasies mixed with the reality that they had come true. I thought back and she'd been a little softer then, her face rounder. Now she was sharper, slimmer, with the same bright, intelligent eyes, smile, and great sense of humor. The thought popped into my mind to remind me that I'd just paid her for a nice dinner and sex.

"That's not why she stayed. That's not why she was so relaxed and open with you, idiot." I scolded myself. I suddenly wondered if this was more. At first glance it may appear so, but the truth of it made me think she may be acting the part to the fullest. Does she do this, act the sweet, sexy, ingénue, to lure repeat clients? My head started spinning when I was startled by a soft knock on the door.

I pulled myself together and opened it. Megan stood there with a sheepish expression on her face, and nothing else on. She looked just as beautiful as she did last night with her messy hair, swollen lips, and a mark on her own neck. She bit her lip before speaking.

"Do you mind?" She gestured beyond me.

"Oh, no not at all. I slipped past her in the doorway and she closed the door. I walked out into the bedroom and looked at the mess we'd made. Our clothes were scattered across the floor, the duvet tossed aside in a heap. One of us must have grabbed the blanket because that was rumpled with the sheets on the bed. I picked up my suit and went to hang it up and noticed it looked like it had been crumpled up and stuffed under a seat cushion. I glanced at the clock and called the front desk to see if they had a cleaning service. I gathered our things in the plastic bag provided from the dresser and tossed Megan's things in too and grabbed my robe. I handed them items to the bellhop who tagged the bag with the room number and told me he'd have them back in about an hour or so. Moments after the room door closed the bathroom door opened and Megan peeked around the edge.

"I heard you talking to someone."

"It was the bellhop, I just sent some stuff down to be cleaned."

She opened the door the rest of the way and walked into the room. The sun shone in from the now open curtains and made her skin glow.

"I imagine you've got plans so I should get a move on and let you..." She stopped, noticing the floor was clear of clothing and her shoes were set neatly on the dresser. "Uh?" She craned her neck around to see if her dress had been hung up.

"Oh I sent it down to be cleaned with my stuff. It was pretty wrinkled."

Her eyes opened in surprise.

"I was going to order the continental breakfast from room service, if you want." I felt nervous again.

Megan began laughing. "Well I'm not going anywhere like this if that's all I have left to wear." She pointed at her shoes.

"Did you want anything else for breakfast?"

Her smile turned wicked. "I was thinking of having it before you got out of bed," with a quick turn of expression she pouted, "but you left and I got cold." She closed the distance between us and rolled up onto her toes and kissed me, breaking it off quickly before walking past me to her look in her handbag.

"I can't imagine it takes long for breakfast, but the laundry will take an hour or so."

"What ever will we do without my clothes for an hour?"

I chuckled. She turned back to me with another box of condoms in her hand. She brushed past me and opened them out onto the nightstand. She turned and came for me.

"You won't be needing this." She opened my robe and pushed it off my shoulders. She stepped back and sized me up, a slow smile curled her lips. "You turned out very nice Paul Lawrence, very nice indeed." I stepped forward taking her in my arms, our lips met as our bodies melted together. She ground her hips into me. "I was beginning to think you didn't like me any more, but you're rising to the occasion."

I laughed. "You get knocked down a few times it takes you a little longer to get up."

"Do you think you've got another round in you?"

"I think I'll surprise you."

"You already have." Her lips parted, her tongued slid across my lower lip. She took my shoulders leading me back to the bed.

I woke to the sound of whispering. I looked over to see Megan wrapped in the hotel robe she'd stripped off me earlier speaking to the bellhop that had picked up our cleaning earlier. She turned with the clothing I'd sent down and hung it in the closet and held up a finger to the guy. She padded to where her purse was and went back and gave him a tip. I closed my eyes and heard her moving. I moment later I heard her tapping buttons on the phone. I smiled as I heard her order breakfast in a whispered voice. She made another call and said to whomever she was speaking that she was fine, and answered a few questions before hanging up.

I felt the bed shift as she slid in next to me. I could feel her breath on my lips.

"Faker, you're not asleep." She kissed me. I turned toward her and ran my hand under the robe, my fingers sliding along her hip.

"I was until the cleaning got dropped off."

Her hand slid over my chest to my arm. "How did a computer nerd get so fit?" Her fingers squeezed my arm as her tongue kept me from responding to her question.

When we came up for a breath I answered. "I took up track in high school, been running since."

"That explains the stamina." She giggled. There was a knock on the door. She wrestled out of my grip and stood up, straightened the robe and retied it before answering the door. Room service wheeled in the cart and Megan signed off on the receipt and palmed him a tip.

Once he was gone she took the lid off the dish in the center and plucked a large strawberry off the top of the pile of fruit and bit into it.

"Oh that's good." She began pouring coffee into the cups.

"I don't know. The most delicious thing I see is wearing a bathrobe and I wish she wasn't."

Megan laughed, set the pot down and slipped the tie on the robe and let it fall to the floor.

"Better?"

"You have no idea."

We quickly discovered eating in bed led to other things even more delectable as I licked crumbs off her chest.

"I need a shower." She giggled as she looked at the smears of fruit juice down her chest.

"Mmm hmm." I agreed giving one of the smears a lick. "You taste like strawberries."

After watching Megan perform magic on her long hair by putting it up into a bun with chopsticks she'd pulled from her purse. I pushed the decimated breakfast cart into the hall and heard the water start. I suddenly wanted to help her wash. I slipped into the bath and she smiled when the glass door slid back.

"I was wondering if you'd come and wash my back."

"I'll help with the front too." I kissed her wet shoulder and slipped my hand over hers as she washed her chest, the suds rolling over our hands. She leaned back to find I was getting hard again.

She laughed. "I'm starting to wonder if my skills are lacking. Why hasn't that thing hasn't been beaten into submission in the last twelve hours."

"The benefits of youth."

She scoffed and turned, planting the soapy washcloth on my face. I reeled back sputtering. "Hey I wasn't criticizing you!" I laughed. "I mean this honestly. You are drop-dead gorgeous and I'm surprised you stayed with me all night."

She smiled. "Don't think yourself any less of a catch Paul. You're a handsome guy, and if I'm any judge you're going to do just fine with any girl lucky enough to find herself in my position."

I felt that cold stab inside again and I lost sight of the fact that this was a transaction. She must have sensed the change because her eyebrows came together, her expression shifted to concern.

"Did I say something wrong?"

I leaned forward and kissed her softly. "No. No you didn't. I just... I was just lost in my fantasy world. I didn't think about you ever going back home and not seeing you again."

She closed her eyes, lips pursed she let out a deep sigh. "Paul." Her voice pleading. "If this had been any other "date" it would have ended after our first time last night. I would have slipped out with my book and not looked back. I didn't do that because of you. I've truly enjoyed our time together, getting to know you again." She looked askance. Her lips shifted and she bit her lip. "The truth of it is I felt like I was on a real date, with a great guy and I got a little carried away myself. I didn't want it to end either." She turned to look up at me, her eyes blue-gray in the artificial light. I kissed her long and hard, our bodies melted together as we stood under the water.

She pushed me gently away and began washing me vigorously, unfortunately for her that only prompted me to rise to the occasion. "You just can't keep a good man down." She said softly as she made sure I was very clean there as well. I performed the same ablution on her, softly caressing away the suds. She told me to go gently underneath as she'd been savaged by a handsome brute all night. The request spoken with a smile.

We dried off and she exited the bath and went to the closet to get her clothes. She slipped into her panties and took the bra and slipped it on as well. She turned to me as she took the dress from the hanger.

"Oh my God Paul." She closed her eyes and grinned. "You look like a puppy that's being dropped off at the shelter."

"I was just thinking that this was like watching your birthday gift wrap itself back up and disappear."

Her eyes went wide. "It's your birthday?"

I shook my head. "This Saturday."

"Grand old twenty-seven?" She grinned as she stepped into her dress and slipped the straps over her shoulders. She reached around behind her back and I moved towards her.

"Let me." I said, to her surprise. She turned and I zipped her dress slowly up as I leaned forward and kissed her shoulder. She tilted her head and I kissed up beneath her ear.

"I'd better get out of here before this dress comes off again." She laughed and turned back to me, her arms coming up around my neck. "Are you staying in the city through the weekend?"

I wrapped my arms around her and shook my head. "No I'm checking out on Friday and heading back home."

She pouted then smiled.

"Are you headed back to New Haven?"

"No I'm going to Ruby's. She's got a place in Queens I stay at when I'm in the city."

"Is she the one that called me back?"

"Yeah, she handles the business side, verifying people, making appointments, and such. She used to do this herself as far back as when we graduated college. She even danced over in Rhode Island for a few years."

She let go of me and turned to the desk and tore off a piece of the hotel note pad and wrote something on it.

"That's my info. Since you know who I am it's not really a secret. Please..." She paused, her expression turned serious. "Be discreet. I mean don't go telling any old school pals that if they want to they can screw the English teacher." She bit her lip and she looked away and turned to pick up the book, flipping it open and removing the cash, placing it in her purse.

"Least of all Shawn?" I smiled.

She turned, the fear palpable in her eyes.

"Hey, hey." I walked towards her and took her in my arms. "I barely talk to anyone from back home these days. Don't worry, your secret is safe with me." I kissed her forehead. She looked up and kissed me deeply.

"Thank you. Heaven forbid this ever got back to my family."

"Nobody will hear a word from me."

She looked into my eyes and kissed me again.

"Thank you for a wonderful time Paul. I mean that sincerely."

She turned and picked up her things and walked towards the door. I was heartbroken in a way I hadn't expected to be from this encounter. The entire situation started to spin in my head. My heart sank and I felt as if I had to do something fast or I'd never see her again.

"Megan!" I called out louder than I had planned. She had the door open and turned back. "Will you come with me, to see the sights I mean?" I didn't want her to go.

She turned in the doorway and looked back over her shoulder. Our eyes met and I could see something there. She wanted to stay too.

"Please? It's no fun going alone."

A smile spread across her face and she nodded. "I'd like that. Meet you back here at two?" She said glancing at the clock on the nightstand. "I'm not hoofing it around Manhattan in heels." She added with a laugh.

I glanced over my shoulder at the clock and turned back with a smile and nodded. She threw me a wink and a little wave before closing the door behind her. I stood there with a grin for a moment and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. I'd promised to cover her time if she'd stayed the night and I didn't so much as tip her over the agreed upon amount.

I went and shaved and completed my morning routine, albeit much later than usual. I smiled as I thought about what kept me in bed so long. I got dressed and made my way down to the street.

I was laying on the bed with a new book in hand, glancing up at the clock at regular intervals for the past half hour. It was only quarter past but she hadn't shown up yet. I was beginning to get the feeling she might stand me up and anxiety was keeping me from getting past the first few pages. I started to doubt myself and run myself down in my head. My feelings were starting to turn sour about the entire situation when there was a knock on the door. It startled me so much I fumbled the book dropping it on the floor. I snapped it up and tossed it behind me on the bed as I nearly ran to answer the door. I pulled the door open without even checking the peep hole. Standing there was Megan in a knee-length white sundress and sneakers with a bag over her shoulder. I relaxed and smiled at her as she greeted me.

"You didn't think I was coming back, did you?" She asked smiling up at me before giving me a kiss.

"I was starting to worry." I laughed and stood aside as she came in.

"Got caught in traffic. Are you ready? I know a great place we can grab lunch if you're hungry."

"Yea, I had a late breakfast." I said grinning.

There was a smirk on her face as she sidled past me into the bathroom. "Late night?" She asked as I watched her set her bag on the counter and dig around pulling out a scrunchy and hair brush. She proceeded to whip the brush through her hair pulling it together behind her and tying it off in a ponytail.

"It's pretty warm out there but this early in the season it will cool off as soon as the sun goes down."

"You don't have a sweater or anything?"

"I didn't even think of it while the inquisition was going on."

"Inquisition?"

I heard a deep sigh as she turned off the bathroom light and came back into the room. "Ruby wanted the rundown on why she didn't get the usual all-safe call from the lobby last night before I would normally grab a cab back to her place."

"Oh?" I was curious but didn't expect the full story.

She laughed as she watched me tie my sweatshirt around my waist. She walked over to me and untied it and folded it neatly hanging it over the top of her bag before throwing the strap over her head and across her body.

"Come on, I'll explain on the way. Grab your key."

We made our way down to the lobby and out to the street. She turned me left towards Madison Avenue where she said we could hail a cab.

"I told her that out of all the people in the world that I could have a date with last night, it was with someone I knew from school and we got reacquainted over dinner." She stopped and I looked at her and she was biting her lip and blushing. "She pointed out, pretty sarcastically I might add, that it must have been a really good acquaintance for me to not call her until late this morning."

I started laughing. "I seriously hope there were no further details about how we knew each other."

"No, no. I told her the truth as far as she needed to hear it." She joined me laughing. I saw a cab coming and raised my arm to flag it down. "I did tell her we reacquainted, several times. She figured it out." She laughed harder and covered her mouth, her cheeks flushed.

She climbed into the cab ahead of me and slid across giving the driver a street corner to drop us at.

"It's a few blocks east of the Empire State Building." She said to me.

"Do you spend a lot of time in the city?"

"In the summer I'm here a lot for..." She stopped and glanced at the back of the drivers head and then at me. She just tilted her head and gave me a nod. "You know."

I got that sinking feeling again. This was just a business transaction not a budding relationship. It must have shown on my face. Megan ran her hand up my thigh and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"I'm sorry." Her voice was low.

"It's okay." I tried to not sound heartbroken. "How long have you..." I glanced towards the partition and back at her.

She sighed and responded, her voice low. "This is my third summer. I have some regular," she grasped for a better word than clients, "friends that spend time here and call me. I stay out of the limelight, no public events just one-on-one meetings and I enforce the end of summer rule despite a few trying to get me to meet more often."

The ride downtown was quiet after that. We pulled up to the side of the street and I paid the driver and we hopped out. She turned to get her bearings and grabbed my hand.

"This way." She directed us up the block to a diner and reached for the door. I leaned in and caught it for her. We went and found a table and ordered lunch.

"I hadn't planned it this way." She said, after the waitress had walked away. "Ruby told me I should dance like she had for years. Told me I still had the 'gams' and the looks for it." She rolled her eyes and grinned. "I couldn't do it, not with that level of notoriety. Imagine being a PTA dad walking in with his buddies one night and seeing your kids English teacher shaking her ass." She covered her face with her hand and looked down at the table.

"I can see how that would be a problem but.." I swallowed hard, "this seems, I don't know, even more extreme."

She looked at me for a long moment and glanced around. "I don't have any moral objection to what I'm doing." She added softly. "I'm not doing anything I consider out of the ordinary. Literature is full of women that barter themselves for what they've needed or wanted."