Alex's Story Ch. 03

Loud strains of an obnoxious song woke Alex from a deep sleep. Rolling over on her side, eyes still shut tight, she felt around for the snooze button on the alarm to silence the awful music. Long ago, she had learned that the only way she could wake up when short on sleep was to set her alarm to music she found extremely distasteful. Wiggling her toes, she yawned sleepily and turned onto her stomach, pressing her face gently into the pillow. Nine minutes later, the sounds ensued, and Alex grudgingly turned the alarm off and slid from her bed.

Bending at the waist, she stretched downward slowly, touching the ground with the palms of her hands, enjoying the exquisite stretch throughout her body. Raising herself back up languidly, she smiled as she recalled the previous evening. The play had been wonderfully performed and excellently directed, though its premise left a viewer leaving with more questions than answers. On the subway ride back from the theatre, amidst discussing the production, Em had apologized for her behavior earlier in the day. On the whole, it had been a wonderful evening. However, Alex couldn’t help but wonder what she had missed in being unable to spend her time with Robert.

Stretching her arms out over her head, she walked toward the bathroom with her head in the clouds. Blushing lightly, she wondered at the way her body responded, unbidden, when she thought of him. Never had she experienced such a physical response from just thinking of a man, much less a man she had never known intimately.

Feeling the blush spread from her cheeks down her neck to her chest, Alex slipped the thin white camisole over her head and down her arms, placing it in the hamper next to the sink.

She looked down, laughing quietly in private embarrassment and pleasure at her hardened nipples, swollen and flushed pink with her thoughts. Running a hand across her waist and over her right breast, drawing a teasing circle around the sensitive skin, she wondered what his hands would feel like on her. Gentle and tender…or rough and coarse…touching…grazing…pulling…twisting. Moaning softly as her mind spun a delicious thread of mental pictures, Alex flattened her palm and brushed it across the tip of one nipple, sucking in a deep breath at the sensation.

Giggling softly, she reluctantly withdrew her hand from her chest before she could get so distracted that she would forget about her morning meeting and spend a few hours languishing in pleasure. Sliding her thumbs into the low waistband of her matching white panties, she slid them down her legs and off quickly, adding them to the small pile in the hamper. Smiling to herself, she slid the shower curtain back partly and bent to turn on the water.

Hanging a fluffy towel on the hook next to the bath, she cursed under her breath at the limitations of her apartment. It took a full five minutes for the water to turn hot, and it never lasted for more than fifteen minutes. The stove was unpredictable, the walls thin, and the kitchen miniscule. However, she constantly had to remind herself that her rent was substantially less than was standard for her neighborhood, due in large part to the fact that it was subsidized by the university.

Stepping into the refreshing spray of water, she turned, feeling it soaking through her hair and coursing down her body. Forcing herself to keep her thoughts from taking a sexual turn, Alex mapped out her day mentally. First thing in the morning was a meeting with the other graduate students in her department to discuss some of the issues that would arise when the funding for her research ended. There were gaps that would need to be filled in her absence, whether she decided to cut ties with the university completely or chose to go with the semester abroad option instead. She loved the idea of teaching out of the country, but they hadn’t told her *where* she would be needed. Teaching in Southeast Asia was blatantly less appealing than Northern Italy.

Finishing her quick shower, she stepped into her robe and wrapped the towel loosely around her head. After the meeting, there was some office work to be done, and when that was finished, she had a lunch date scheduled loosely around one o’clock with Em and a few of their friends. She was still uncertain what the rest of her day would hold, as the entire department had the afternoon off for a late spring holiday. Classes for the students were over, and the Dean had decided that a break was needed before the department waded through the post-semester work that lay ahead of them.

Humming cheerfully, she bent at the waist and turned her head upside down, sliding the towel off of her head and to the floor. Squeezing excess water from her hair onto the towel, she smiled, remembering that Robert was supposed to call later in the evening. Fumbling for the gel container, she opened it and squirted some into her hand, distributing it through her hair with her fingers. She scrunched the curls lightly with her fingertips, setting the gel, and then straightened as she picked up the towel and tossed it over the side of the bathtub.

She headed toward the closet, smiling to herself. Unwrapping several items still covered from the cleaners, she folded the light plastic bag and placed it on top of a teetering pile of shoe boxes. Grinning, she took her favorite skirt from its hanger and selected a scarlet button-down shirt. Grabbing a fun pair of low black heels with her other hand, she walked to her bed and dropped her selections gently on the bedspread and turned toward the dresser.

Opening the top drawer, she smiled to herself and pulled out her favorite set of lingerie. Her mind drifted again to Robert and she blushed unconsciously. For a man she had met so recently, she could not keep him from her mind. She slipped the black lace straps onto her shoulders and clasped the material expertly behind her back. Adjusting the cups, she laughed softly at herself as her hands wandered lower than was necessary, brushing nipples that lately seemed constantly hard.

She rolled her eyes, still laughing softly, and set the matching panties on the bed beside her other clothes. Sliding her fingertips beneath the lace, she pulled the nipple upward gently, freeing her breast from the soft material. Smiling in delight, she ran a fingernail over the taut nipple and shivered softly. She repeated the act with her other breast, smiling at the sight of her chest resting gently above black lace. Taking one hardened nipple between her thumb and forefinger, she squeezed it lightly before twisting upward and pulling it away from her breast.

Letting it slip from her fingers, she moaned quietly and felt around in her partially-open lingerie drawer for “the box”. Opening it quickly, she slipped out the red vibe that had been one of her Christmas gifts from Em. She laughed to herself and thought out loud. “Whoever says diamonds are a girl’s best friend has *definitely* never had a vibrator.”

Alex turned the small knob at the base slightly and grinned as it buzzed to life. Touching it to each swollen nipple, she shuddered and slid onto the chaise lounge in the corner of her bedroom. Laying herself gently on the long chair, she spread her legs and closed her eyes a moment, enjoying the vibrations on her sensitive breasts. She licked her lips and thought of Robert. That smile…those amazing eyes…those shoulders. Biting her lower lip softly, she imagined those shoulders without clothes…in front of her…with the rest of him…all of him. Shaking softly, she brought the vibe lower and pressed it against the top of her pubic bone, trembling at the sensations.

Sliding the tip of the vibrator lower, she avoided her clit and rubbed it over the wet opening. “So wet,” she mumbled to herself. Feeling the hard little nub begging for attention, she slid the thick vibe slowly up the length of her pussy and grazed it over her sensitive clit. She gasped and her hips pressed upward instinctively. Pulling hard at a nipple with the fingers of one hand, she held the vibe tightly against her clit with the other, her body beginning to shake with need.

Bringing fingers from her breast to her open mouth, she licked and sucked them before guiding them, glistening, down to her cunt, sliding one, then two fingers, deep inside. Alex sucked in a breath and her hips arched upward, fingers sliding in and out slickly. Biting hard at her lower lip, she fumbled one-handed with the levels of the vibe and turned it up. Her eyes flew open and her hips pressed up harder against the toy, forcing her fingers deeper inside.

She slid a third finger into her pussy, trembling at the sensations wracking her body. Moaning constantly, she fucked her fingers in and out of her clenching pussy as her mind flashed pictures of Robert in continuous succession. She imagined his mouth on hers, her fingers as his fingers. Sliding them in and out, those gorgeous blue eyes lit with desire, watching her orgasm build. She saw his mouth sliding down, brushing her clit, licking and sucking and tugging gently with his teeth.

Thrusting her hips upward strongly against her fingers, she felt his tongue sliding into her cunt thickly, pressing into her and licking quickly in and out. Alex gasped as her pussy tightened around her fingers and she fucked her spasming cunt faster, pushing herself higher and higher until she screamed out her orgasm, fingers flying, vibe pressed tightly to her throbbing clit.

Shuddering and slowing her fingers down gently, she blushed furiously, mindful once again of the thin walls of her apartment. Turning the vibe off, she shifted softly against the chaise lounge and stroked her clit lightly, feeling the warm remnants of pleasure floating through her body. Alex closed her eyes slowly and saw his face. She licked her lips and laughed self-consciously, whispering softly to herself. “It’s been too long if just thinking of him does this to me.”

She bit her lip and swallowed, knowing it was a lie…

*******

Hurrying into the building, Alex brushed her hair away from her face with one hand and smoothed her skirt over her hips with the other. Taking a deep, cleansing breath, she opened the door to the tiny lecture hall they had fashioned into a conference room earlier in the year.

Two of the graduate students were seated around the long, oblong table Alex had stumbled across at a garage sale early one Saturday morning. One of them, Jennifer, looked up and laughed as Alex rushed inside.

“Having a rough morning, Alex?” she asked, her voice tinged with laughter. The other girl, Madeline, chuckled and grinned at Alex, waiting for her reply.

Alex laughed and settled her bag next to one of the chairs across from the seated students. Taking out several file folders, she responded, trying to keep the embarrassment from her voice. “Do you have those mornings that just …um…don’t quite go the way you intend?”

Jennifer grinned at Alex and quipped, “I have those mornings all the time”, putting huge emphasis on the ‘all’.

Shaking her head, Alex settled into the slightly battered chair and blushed furiously. “Looks like I’m not getting away with this one, am I?”

Jennifer winked. “No. But we won’t tell anybody.” With those words, the door pushed open and three more people walked inside. She giggled and dropped the subject, striking up a conversation with one of the girls who had walked in about afternoon plans.

******

During the meeting, Alex attempted to focus on the topics at hand, but her mind continued to wander back to her morning. She listened to those speaking, and spoke where it was needed, but her cheeks were flushed a light pink that deepened slowly as the meeting wore on. By the time that all potential issues were discussed and addressed, her legs were tired from being crossed and uncrossed continuously. Madeline made a brief summary about the new division of responsibilities, and there was a general agreement amongst the group.

Jennifer laughed as the meeting ended and several of the students stood up to leave the room. “Alex, we’ve taken a poll. You just can’t leave.”

Rolling her eyes, Alex giggled and lowered her voice to a silly growl, doing her best impression of Dean Lucas. “The department appreciates the work you have done for us, but at this time, we need you elsewhere.”

Madeline shook her head and muttered dryly, “That damned royal ‘we’.”

Grinning, Alex gave her a spontaneous hug.

Jennifer took that moment to giggle wickedly and said, “Careful, now, Alex. You know Maddie swings that way.”

Madeline laughed and waggled her eyebrows at Alex before turning to tell Jennifer unabashedly, “What can I say. I like girls. Sadly, though, Alex has made clear her adoration of the male form.” Rounding her eyes, she sighed dramatically and sank into her chair.

Alex shrugged her shoulders and grinned, mimicking Madeline. “What can I say. I like men.” She winked at Jennifer mischievously and continued. “Shoulders, eyes, cheekbones. Mmmmmm. Did I mention shoulders? Waists and thighs and calves and-”

With a laugh, Madeline interrupted her. “I get it, I get it. Just stop with the heterosexual drooling before I hurt someone, please.”

Alex sniffled and hid a giggle. “But Maddie, I haven’t even gotten to the *good* parts yet.”

Reaching out from her chair, Madeline flicked Alex’s shoulder. “Anymore and I might feel the urge to launch into a diatribe about the joys of whiney, off-key, acoustic ballads that-”

Jennifer interrupted with a smirk. “You don’t even like that sort of music, Maddie.”

With a straight face, Madeline replied, “That’s right. But I could learn to love it, just to irritate the hell out of you.”

******

Walking back to her tiny office, Alex heard the quiet buzzing of her phone in her purse. She fished it out of her purse cheerfully, and saw that it was Em’s phone number flashing on the screen.

“Heeeeello? Dis is the Hut of Pizzzzza. May I…your order…take?”

Laughing, Em replied, “Someone’s sure in a silly good mood. How’s things, pizza lady?”

“Goodgoodgood.”

Alex turned the corner and came to an abrupt stop.

“I was just calling to see if you could move lunch up. My appointment’s been rescheduled, for the life of me, I don’t know why, probably one of those things where they double-book in case someone no-shows, but what about when both people show …”

She interrupted her own tangent. “Alex, is everything okay?”

“Em, this is something you need to see for yourself.”

“On my way. Should I worry?”

“No hints.” The grin in her voice colored her words.

Em laughed. “Now I’m all curious. Be there in five minutes.” Alex hung up the phone, and refocused her attention on the entrance to her office.

Two red pots sat on either side of the open door, filled with picture-perfect red primroses splashed with bright yellow at each center. Red marigolds were twined with baby’s breath along the doorframe. Shaking her head, giggling, and grinning at the same time, she took a step inside the doorway. Placed about the room were matching pots, these filled with brilliant red daisies, lilies, and snapdragons.

Stopping to smell each arrangement, her eyes fell on the vase on her desk. Deep pink tea roses tipped with fiery red were held together with spirals of gossamer white ribbon around the stems beneath the clear glass. On the desk beside it was a folded note that Alex grabbed up quickly. She opened the smooth linen paper and grinned as she recognized the handwriting.

Alexandra

Have dinner with me tonight.

I know there are supposed to be rules for this sort of thing, and I have the vague memory that asking on the same day is frowned upon. Please accept the flowers as my way of suggesting you avoid the rules. If the idea feels strange to you, know that I enjoyed giving you something pretty.

Eight o’clock…

Robert

Attached to the note were directions from her apartment to an address with which she wasn’t familiar. Alex rolled her eyes and giggled. He was certainly confident, to say the least. A part of her couldn’t help but be attracted to that sheer self-confidence and what seemed like an innate security he had in who he was.

Whoever he was.

Her mind drifted to the time they had spent together.

In all actuality, it was not much time at all. The rational side of her mind found it hard to accept how much she trusted him. Despite that, there was no denying it.

“But why?” she whispered quietly to herself.

Em stepped through the door, and Alex turned, grinning at her. “Want a flower?”

Gaping, Em looked around the room slowly. “Is this from ‘the guy’?”

Alex laughed softly. “Yes, dear. They’re from ‘the guy’. However, this is the least ‘guy-like’ man I’ve ever met.”

Em let out an exasperated sigh. “How do you do it, Alex? No men in your life, and all of a sudden, you have one who would do something like this??”

She shrugged and laughed. “Don’t ask me, Em. And I don’t ‘have’ him. He just hasn’t stumbled onto all my deep, dark secrets yet.”

Bending down to sniff one of the tea roses appraisingly, Em rolled her eyes. “What deep dark secrets? Ohhhhh! You mean that---oooooo…I should shush. There could be hidden cameras!”

Alex decided it was best for once to just keep her mouth shut and held up the note for her friend to read.

Em’s eyes rounded and she grinned, straightening her shoulders. She spoke seriously. “You do know what this means, don’t you, Alex?”

Biting back a laugh, Alex cleared her throat. “What does it mean, Miss Emily?”

Em frowned at her. “It means, my dear, dear friend….that we…” She trailed off and lowered her eyes a moment before raising them. “We must….shop.”

Laughing hard at her friend, Alex raised her hands in partial surrender. “We shop. After lunch?”

Continuing in her dramatics, Emily pressed on, with a hand lightly against her collarbone. “In times like these, we must look beyond our baser desires for food to more important…more vital…more life-affirming things…..like clothes!”

******

It was the perfect dress. Alex stood in front of her open closet with Emily, and they smiled together. Fresh from their shopping adventures, it was hanging on the inside of the door.

Em turned to Alex and laughed. “What are you waiting for? Put the damned thing on. We spent long enough searching for it.”

Alex hugged her spontaneously. “Today was such fun. Thank you for not strangling me. I have a feeling I was more than a little picky.”

Rolling her eyes, Em chuckled and poked her playfully in the stomach. “You weren’t picky. Picky is looking for that perfect shade of pink in a sweater. Today… Alex, my dear friend, today…you were searching for the Holy Grail.”

Alex burst out laughing and wrapped her arms around her stomach. Grinning at Em, her laughter subsided to giggles and she replied, “And I do believe we found it, didn’t we?”

Em eyed the dress carefully like an artist studies his masterpiece. “Yes. Yes, we most certainly did.”

******

Tugging nervously at the ends of the light wrap settled around her shoulders, she walked along the paved sidewalk, smiling at the quaint lanterns lighting the pathway. This was an area she had never seen before. Located just beyond the western edge of the city, there was an even mix of elegant homes and stately businesses. Alex’s curiosity grew as she watched the numbers inch closer to those of the address she had memorized before leaving her apartment.

Where was she going? What was she doing? Would he think it strange that she had promised to call her friend when she had arrived? Questions flowed through her brain, but they stopped abruptly as she spotted a building with 1321 engraved in curved script above a large white door. Her mind quieted as the tiny click of her heels came to a stop on the sidewalk in front of the fenced yard.