Afternoon Lessons

"Hello there, neighbor!" The keys slipped out of Charlie's hand at the sound of a voice, crashing onto the floor despite his best attempts to hold onto them.

He turned to see his next-door neighbor Meredith staring at him, the right side of her lip curled with amusement. Charlie reminded himself not to stare at her, making eye contact. She wore nothing but a sports bra and gym shorts going down only to mid-thigh, frazzled black hair between her shoulder blades. Sweat fell down her forehead, neck, and arms. "Sorry, I didn't mean to do that." Meredith giggled. "I'll get them for you." Before he could say anything, she bent down and placed them into his hand, giving him almost what felt like a stroke before withdrawing.

"Well, all things considering, not quite the impression you want to make on a woman." Charlie joked back, eyes still focused on her face, free hand carrying his laundry basket. "I swear, I have no idea how you move that fast."

"Talk like that, I'm going to think you're spying on me." Meredith threw her hair across her neck, taking a step closer. "Because it does seem that every time I work out, somehow, I see you doing your laundry in the other room. You come down there just to enjoy the show?" He looked down at her toned, muscled legs.

Charlie coughed, his face burning. "Um... no, I'm not spying on you." He didn't want to admit there were occasions where he'd gone down there to see Meredith, the glass door to the exercise room providing him with a perfect view. "Hey, if it's making you uncomfortable, I can always wait until you're done." His heart beat faster, something he hoped she didn't notice.

She laughed louder, head going up to his nose. "Oh, I promise, you're not in trouble." Meredith placed a hand on his shoulder, a look in her eye he couldn't identify. "You know, I don't exercise for so long for the health benefits alone. Actually... I kind of like the attention." She placed a finger on his lips. "Don't tell anyone, though. Might revoke my feminism card and kick me out of the sisterhood."

"I promise, your secret's safe with me." He opened the door to his apartment, the squeaky hinge making his ears cringe. "I happen to belong to the sex-positive branch of feminism. Good to know I have permission to ogle you." Being on the autism spectrum often made it difficult to know what the rules were, especially when they seemed to change on a whim.

Meredith leaned against the wall. "Besides, guys are going to look no matter what, so why get upset about it? Might as well put on a good show." She frowned for a moment. "I hope this isn't an imposition, but... you work with computers, so can you take a look at mine?"

"I'm a paralegal, not a computer technician." Despite knowing her for a few months, Charlie couldn't remember offhand what her job was. "But I can fix some simple issues."

Meredith fiddled with her sports bra. "Not only am I pandering to men, I need one to bail me out again. God, I'm going to be ex-communicated for sure."

Charlie smirked, eyes briefly wandering down to her C-cups. "Let's see: I've had to pick you up in the middle of the night more than once, helped you drag heavy objects up the stairs, found your phone when you left it in the lobby, and let you borrow some of my books. If they haven't thrown you out by now, I think you're safe." He gave her a light pat on the arm, his blue eyes locked with her brown ones. Charlie set his clothes down just inside his apartment and moved to follow her.

Meredith opened the door to her apartment complex, Charlie looking over the living room and dining room. The couch stood prominently in front of the television, which he'd previously hauled inside alone for no other reason than to show off a bit. A sink of dirty dishes had several flies buzzing around it. Not something his roommate and older sister Melanie would ever have tolerated.

Her Christmas tree still stood in the living room, though the lights were turned off. Meredith marched to the dining room table, which her desktop stood, complete with modem. "Keeps turning off randomly and I don't know why. It runs anywhere from a few minutes to a couple hours, then dies."

"I'll see what I can do for you. If I can't help, I apologize." Charlie clicked the computer on, holding back a sneeze from the dust.

"Well, I need to hop in the shower, wash all the sweat and grime off me." She smiled. "Wouldn't want to be a poor host to my favorite neighbor." She blew him a kiss and marched into the bathroom, not bothering to wait before stripping off her sports bra. Charlie's cheeks burned, catching the faintest hint of boob as she disappeared.

All right let's see what's going on. Charlie's eyes wandered over to a folder in the right-hand corner, labeled "NUDES" in capital letters.

He moved the mouse above it, listening to the shower, before moving the cursor away. He'd had an infatuation with her for close to three months, the duo at least acquaintances, if not friends. Early on, he made the decision to keep it to himself, not let it get in the way, and allow it to run its course. Didn't mean he wasn't curious about the folder's contents.

He checked her anti-virus and anti-spyware programs, finding they hadn't been run or updated in more than two months. Hmm, maybe this'll end up being simple after all. Charlie headed to her kitchen and grabbed some cleaner and paper towels, wiping all the dust off her console.

He looked down at the back to see the fans almost completely caked with dust. "Hopefully, this will do the job." He stared at the "NUDES" folder again, feeling his khakis stiffen. Charlie wiped the fans with all the delicacy he could manage, the fans inside the modem growing in strength as he did so.

She'd be in the shower for several more minutes and... Nope, not doing it. Fearing temptation would overwhelm him if he remained, he retreated to the kitchen and poured a glass of water. He reached into his pocket, tossing a painted rock into the air he always kept with him whenever he needed a moment to think. Nothing, however, kept his mind off Meredith for long.

In the end, it didn't matter. He wasn't going to risk one of the few friendships he'd managed to make in his life. Whenever he confessed to a female friend, or they figured out he liked them, the friendship was dead in the water despite any attempt he made to salvage it.

A few minutes later, Meredith arrived in the living room wearing nothing but a robe, her skin and hair still damp. Charlie's cheeks burned, looking down at her smooth legs. "So did you get everything squared away?" She typed something on the computer, mouse hovering over her "NUDES" file. "Hey, were you looking in here?"

"No... of course not." He stammered, staring at the ground. "What kind of person do you think I am?"

"Relax, I'm just messing with you...though I'm a little surprised, to be honest." Meredith sat down on the couch next to him, staring at him with an unreadable expression. "I put a lot of work into those photos, you know."

"I'm sure." At least she didn't appear angry, though it'd always been hard to him to tell. "Turns out I just need to clean the fans and update a few things. Should work now." He expected his face made an excellent impression of a tomato.

"You weren't in the least bit curious?" Meredith raised an eyebrow, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Wanting to be a naughty neighbor?"

Charlie looked down at the gap between her breasts, before catching himself. Meredith placed a finger on his chest. "Well, I expect anyone in my position would be." He ran a hand through his hair. "You're a gorgeous woman if you don't mind me saying so. Just seems like basic decency not to pry... tempting as it may have been." He cursed himself for saying that, having been slapped for less.

"Such a gentlemen." Meredith hugged him, Charlie going stiff as a board. "People looking at my body has never bothered me, long as there isn't any unwanted touching. And... I don't mind looking, either." Her gaze wandered toward his erection.

He struggled to keep eye contact, taking in her strange behavior. "Well, anyone would be lucky to have your attention, woman like you."

"I heard something about you, a couple weeks ago." If he didn't know better, he'd swear she was flirting with him. "Someone said that you've never... been with a woman."

"Yep, I'm a virgin." It didn't bother him the way it had in his younger years, though he occasionally felt left out of a fundamental human experience. "Tried reassuring a college kid living on the first floor it was okay, only for him to laugh and spread it around. Expect everyone knows by now."

"Well, screw him!" Meredith held his hand. "How old are you, anyway?"

"I'm a week away from my thirty-eighth birthday." Charlie's face flushed. "Being on the autism spectrum makes it very difficult to connect, especially when it comes to romance. Didn't take care of myself physically or mentally in my younger years. Starting about thirty, I lost weight, bulked up, got healthy, put myself out there. Spent three years trying every dating profile you can imagine, tried networking, got out of my comfort zone, all the classic advice you receive. Haven't so much as been on a date." She was the first he'd told of his condition in years, remembering how others responded in his past. "How old are you, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Had my twenty-ninth birthday a couple months ago. That was the night I needed to call a ride." Meredith's hand went to her thigh. "I, for one, notice all the hard work you've done." Still that strange gaze she gave him. "Can't believe some woman hasn't snatched you up. If you hadn't told me, I'd have thought you were around my age."

"I suppose it wasn't in the cards for me." Charlie got to his feet. "But you know what? I've got a good life. I have a job I like, I have my independence, my health, even a couple friends. So I don't have much to complain about." He struggled to change the topic. "Everything should be in order now. Still, I give it a week before you need me to pick up something heavy or squash spiders for you. Let me show off my muscles a bit."

"You're never letting me live that down, are you?" Meredith stood next to him, hands on his shoulders. "But... I had something different in mind. I was thinking I could help you..." Her breath blew against his ear. "... with your virgin problem."

Was she saying what it sounded like she was? "What do you mean?" Charlie inquired in case he was wrong. He hated how difficult reading nonverbal often was, especially where dating and sex were concerned.

"Well, I do know someone who's single." Meredith wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "And more than a little horny." She pressed her body against him, Charlie's erection poking her.

"Wow, talk about a conversation I never expected to have." He put his hands on her waist. "I'll admit, it's been an occasional fantasy, but... figured I didn't want to lose one of the few social connections I had."

Meredith stood on her tiptoes to kiss him, Charlie's hand pressed against the small of her back. He explored her mouth, taking in the unfamiliar sensations. "You might be the oldest virgin I've deflowered, but you're not the first." She undid the first button on his shirt.

Charlie moved his lips against hers, listening to her heart pound as she held him. "I wasn't trying to help you out of some ulterior motive, just to be clear."

"I know." She pecked his cheek, holding his hands. "But... you're going to have to be the one to make the first move." Meredith guided them to her bathrobe. "All you need to do is tug on this bow, and this tiny silk robe will fall open."

"Hmm, thought you didn't approve of traditional gender roles." Charlie needed all his strength to avoid hyperventilating. She moved his hands to the bow, nibbling on his bottom lip.

"Sometimes, they can be kind of fun." Meredith nibbled on his neck. "You don't have to be nervous with me, babe."

Well, if she wanted him to do it... Charlie closed his eyes, braced himself, fingers fumbling around the bow. Once he opened the bathrobe, she shook her body until it fell onto the floor, allowing him to get a full look at her.

His mouth went wide open. Meredith was perfect, from the casual grin on her face, to her smooth skin, nipples peeking out. Charlie stared at her chest, her breasts firm and just the right size. His pants became even more uncomfortable, looking her up and down. His grip on her waist reduced to his index fingers, unable to believe this was real.

"So what do you think? I mean, it can take a lot of effort to get the right camera angles and I often take several before I'm happy with them and..." She began stammering.

Charlie pulled her to him, kissing her neck. "You're a very beautiful woman, Meredith. Anyone who thinks otherwise is a fool." She blushed in response.

"That really means a lot, you know. My friends often get more attention because their boobs are bigger and I always seem to be ignored." Charlie lightly slapped her ass with a teasing grin, initiating a more forceful kiss.

"Why would anyone ignore beauty like yours?" Charlie brushed his fingers against her breasts, reminding himself that if she wanted him to disrobe her, it was unlikely it crossed any boundaries. Meredith scratched his back under his shirt, staring into his blue eyes. "This is okay, right?"

"You don't need to keep asking, handsome." Meredith squeezed his crotch, feeling him through the fabric. Charlie jumped, his cock throbbing. "Women happen to enjoy sex too, you know."

"Trying not to be nervous," Charlie confessed. "I mean, I suppose most people are their first time. They're just a lot younger than I am." Twenty-five was considered an old virgin, let alone thirty-seven.

"Don't think about that, okay? Just think about me. I'm not about to change my mind." Meredith undid all the buttons on his shirt, kissing his chest. "In fact... I've played this moment in my mind over and over again."

She practically tore off his shirt, hands going down to his pants, soon leaving him in nothing but a pair of boxers, erection no longer hidden. "When you get to something you've never done, tell me. I want to make it very special for you." She reached into his boxers, fingers around his erection, making him gasp.

"If you want to know, I've never done anything behind a couple kisses." Charlie placed his hand on her ass, nibbling on her neck gently, Meredith's arms around his shoulders. "Having someone like you, standing in front of me, okay with my lack of experience... that's as special as it can get."

"Don't you say the sweetest things, darling." Meredith guided his hands to her breasts, fingers caressing the soft skin. "You don't have to be gentle, you know. My body can take...and often needs...a good pounding."

"So you're not the delicate little flower I thought you were when you met..." Charlie grew bold enough to kiss each of her nipples, hands increasing the pressure on her breasts, her moans encouraging him to continue. Her hand rubbed his cock up and down, pleasure flooding his mind. Taking care of it himself had never done anything similar.

"Bet you wish you'd looked at those pictures now," Meredith gasped, her neck arching back. "Thought for sure you wouldn't be able to help yourself. Didn't think you were such a boring... Ahh!" Her nails dug into his back as Charlie's hand stroked her inner thighs, though he still didn't quite have the courage to touch her pussy.

"I prefer to keep my depravities quiet." Charlie kissed down her chest, the sound of her heartbeat stiffening him still further. Meredith yanked down his boxers, Charlie kicking them away with no hesitation.

"Not me." Meredith broke their embrace, taking a step back. He worried for a moment he'd done something wrong, until she went to her knees, face inches away from his dick. "I refuse to pretend that I don't want sex, that I don't enjoy sex." Her tongue brushed against the head. "Nor that I don't get a thrill from giving a virgin something he'll remember forever."

Charlie didn't trust himself to speak, putting a gentle hand on the back of her head. She left a string of kisses along each side, staring into his eyes, throwing an arm around his waist so he couldn't pull away. Meredith sucked on the head, mixing saliva and pre-cum. He thrusted a bit aside her mouth before withdrawing. Charlie hardly dared to breathe, possessing no words for the way her warm mouth felt around his cock.

Meredith's muffled giggles responded, grip around his waist tightening. She took him a little deeper, tongue swirling around him, her free hand playing with his balls. "Meredith... God..."

"My, my, so eager. I've only started with you." She sucked harder, making as much eye contact as she could.

Charlie caught himself thrusting more than once, though she didn't seem to mind. Moans uttered from his lips, Meredith cupping his balls. Nothing compared to this; little wonder so many people were obsessed with sex. He moved his hands to her breasts, kneading them, making her quiver.

She momentarily withdrew, sucking the head. "Mmm, you don't have to keep your moans quiet, you know." He didn't respond, his free hand shaking. "I love knowing what I'm doing to you."

Charlie gasped, Meredith making as much eye contact as she could, allowing him to see her giant smile. She giggled each time he lost control, wondering what it would be like to bury his cock deep down her throat. He yanked on her hair, whispering her name, her fingers rubbing his balls.

Trembling, he closed his eyes, withdrawing mere moments before he knew he'd spill himself inside her throat. "Are you okay?" Meredith frowned. "Why'd you stop me, handsome?"

Charlie panted, erection still throbbing. "I didn't want to cum down your throat. Know a lot of women don't appreciate that." It had taken all his willpower to do so.

"Don't think about them." She moved back toward him. "Don't worry about how they feel. All you need to be concerned with is me." Meredith kissed the head. "Tell me: do you want to cum down my throat?" Her tongue moved along the underside.

"Yes, I do." Meredith took him as deep as she could, nose almost touching his skin, tongue moving faster than ever. "Meredith, Meredith..." He no longer held back his thrusts or his cries of ecstasy, losing himself inside her. Every moan she made spurred him onwards.

And relief came, several spurts of his seed filling up her throat. Meredith stared up at him, refusing to pull away until she obtained every drop. She swallowed him in a single gulp, giggling and smirking. "Damn, that was so much." She took several deep breaths, still stroking him. "I didn't think you'd be so pent up."

He pulled Meredith to her feet and kissed her, not caring about the possible taste. "Better than I ever dreamed. That was... amazing."

"Not all women hate it, just so you know." They hugged one another, Meredith rubbing his back. "But I'm not done with you yet. Let's just sit on the couch, make some tea while waiting for you to recover."

"I've got a better idea." He bent down and hoisted Meredith into his arms. "So tell me: where's your bedroom?" He'd always wanted to carry a woman and it hadn't been as difficult as he anticipated.

"MMM, I didn't think you'd be ready again this soon." Meredith pointed down the hall before placing her arms around his neck. Marching into the second room on the right, Charlie gently set her down onto the bed, stroking her hair.

"Seems only proper I return the favor, beautiful." Charlie's hand pressed against her thigh. "I may lack experience, but I do understand that both people are supposed to enjoy themselves."

"You know how hard it can be to get guys to go down on us?" Meredith laid down, allowing him to see her whole body. "And here you are, volunteering when I intended to focus this on you." Charlie's finger moved between her legs, feeling how wet and aroused his lover was. "Curious to see what you'll do, but... while I enjoy a bit of roughness, you need to build up to it, all right?"