An Accidental Pickup

Smokey Joe's was nearly empty that Wednesday night. It was only around 9:30 PM, and the place wouldn't start to fill up for, at least, another hour. Back in those days, Smokey Joe's was located near the corner of 38th Street and Walnut Street. It has relocated, at least, twice since then.

As I walked past the grill, I was surprised to see Susan sitting at the bar. The students from our school didn't hang out in Smokey Joe's, so I assumed that she was there with a date, or one of her girlfriends.

Susan was a friend of a friend, and we had had a couple of classes together. I knew that she was older than the other coeds in our senior class and that she had once been married. I also knew that she had decided to go back to college, to earn a degree in engineering, sometime after her divorce.

I hadn't really gone out of my way to learn anything about Susan. It was just that the number of students from our school that lived on, or near, our campus was fairly small. Our university was, by-and-large, a commuters' school. The upper classmen that lived around our campus tended to hang out together, and we all seemed to know a little something about each other. I knew Susan well enough to say hello, but we had never socialized.

Susan looked me over as I approached the bar. Her eyes widened and her mouth formed a silent "Oh!" of alarm when she recognized me. Susan blushed and looked away in embarrassment, for a couple of seconds, before turning back to face me.

I wasn't surprised that I had recognized Susan before she recognized me. I'm one of those guys that just don't stand out in a crowd. Susan, on the other hand, was a tall woman with shoulder-length, platinum-blonde hair, and an attention getting figure. On top of that, on that particular Wednesday night, she was wearing a tight, black, scoop-neck top, that accentuated both her platinum-blonde hair and her figure.

Susan's tight, black top revealed just a hint of cleavage. A top like that wouldn't cause much of a stir today, given the way that a lot of women walk around with their boobs on display and their ass cheeks hanging out of their short shorts. Back in the 1970's, however, a top that displayed just a hint of cleavage would get a woman a lot of attention.

When I got closer, I looked at Susan's wide-set, blue-gray eyes and saw that she had had just a little bit too much to drink. I also saw that she was wearing a lot of eye makeup. It suddenly dawned on me that Susan was in Smokey Joe's because she was looking to get picked up. I realized why she was so embarrassed to see me; Susan didn't expect to be seen by anyone that she knew, away from our own campus. It was very obvious that she knew, that I knew, exactly why she was in Smokey Joe's that night.

It was really none of my business why Susan was there, so I smiled, to put her at ease, and said, "Hi, Sue. I didn't know that anyone else from our school came in here." I added, "Except, maybe, on the weekends, that is."

Susan forced a little smile and answered with false cheerfulness, "Hi, Nick. Fancy meeting you here!" She regained her a little more of her composure and continued, "Actually, this is the first time that I've ever been in this place."

I nodded and continued conversationally, "I live near here. Smokey Joe's is, actually, my friendly neighborhood bar."

Susan said, "Oh, I didn't know that." She took a long sip from her mug and continued, "You really surprised me, Nick. I didn't expect to see anyone else from our school in here tonight."

I nodded again and said, "As far as I know, I'm the only one from our school that lives in this neighborhood." I continued, "I come in here, once or twice a week, for a draught beer, or two, before I go to bed."

The campus of our school was right next to the much larger campus of The University of Pennsylvania. Most of the out-of-towners from our school lived on, or near, our own campus. Those of drinking age, that didn't belong to a fraternity, usually hung out in a bar right next to our own campus's Main Building. The U of P was, and still is, an Ivy League school. Our school was strictly "blue-collar", and the students from the two universities didn't socialize with each other. It was a joke, but true, that even the fraternities and sororities, that had chapters on both campuses, didn't socialize with each other.

Susan relaxed a little more and said, "Is Smokey Joe's always this quiet?" She continued, "I had heard that this place really jumped."

I laughed and answered, "It does, but it's still early for a weeknight. This place doesn't get really busy, on a weeknight, until almost eleven o'clock." I continued, "That's when the people that work the evening shift at the local hospitals start to come in." I finished, "On the weekends, this place is strictly Standing Room Only."

At that moment, the bartender came over and said to me, "What would you like to drink?"

I saw that Susan's mug was still well over half full, so I said, "Give me a mug of Pabst on draught, please."

While the bartender poured my beer, I said politely to Susan, "Is this seat taken, or are you waiting for someone?"

Susan smiled ruefully and said, "Be my guest, I'm here by myself tonight."

I said, "Well, in that case, would you like to move to an empty booth?" I continued, "The booths are a lot more comfortable than these old barstools."

Susan smiled and said resignedly, "Sure, why not."

Susan's attitude annoyed me. I had just walked down to Smokey Joe's, that night, to unwind after studying all evening. I was in a good mood and I wasn't looking to hit on Susan, or anyone else, for that matter. All that I had done, that night, was to try to be friendly to someone that I had just bumped into from my class. If Susan was cruising the bar, looking to be picked up, then that was her own business. She was a big girl. Far be it from me to ruin her evening.

I sighed and said, "Look, Susan. I didn't mean to impose on you." I continued in a friendly voice, "Like I said, this is my friendly neighborhood bar. I come in here, once or twice a week, after I'm through studying, to have a draught beer, or two, before I go to bed."

The bartender brought my beer and I turned to him, for a moment, and paid for it. Picking up my frosted mug, I turned back to Susan and said with a smile, "I'll leave you in peace now, Sue." I finished, "See you around school," as I turned and walked down to the other end of the bar. At that point, I just wanted to enjoy my beer, walk back to my apartment, and go to bed.

I relaxed and smiled to myself as I drank my beer. I thought that I had handled the situation with Susan diplomatically. I also thought that Susan's boobs had looked especially good that night, in that tight, black scoop-neck top of hers. It occurred to me that Susan probably wore minimizer bras, most of the time, to conceal the size of her big breasts. I also remembered that Susan's hair had been light-brown, before this fall. Obviously, she had dyed her hair platinum-blonde, recently, to attract someone's attention.

Susan was a tall woman, at 5'10", with a strong, pretty, rectangular face, a shapely figure, and an usually serious demeanor. In truth, most of the younger guys in our senior class were intimidated by her. Susan didn't smile much, and, as far as I knew, she didn't socialize with very many people.

As I was finishing my beer, the bartender brought me another one. Before I could say anything, he nodded towards the other end of the bar and said, "This is from the lady that you were speaking with earlier."

Needless to say, I was a bit surprised. I told the bartender, "Thanks," and then looked down the bar at Susan. She gave me a tight little smile and a little wave.

I raised my mug to her, in a salute of thanks, and thought to myself, "O.K. Now what?"

I decided, reluctantly, that I should go back over and talk to her again. As I walked up to her, Susan gave me another little smile and touched me lightly on the arm. She said, "I'm sorry, Nick. I didn't mean to . . . ," as her voice trailed off.

I smiled at her, to put her at ease, and shrugged, "No problem, Sue." I continued, "We all have our occasional moods." I finished, "Thanks for the drink."

Susan's smile widened, a little, and she said, "You're welcome, Nick." She continued, "Would you like to move to a booth, where we can talk?"

I looked at her carefully, for a moment, and said, "Sure, Sue." I continued, "Is this one alright?" as I indicated the empty booth behind me.

Back in those days, Smokey Joe's was on the ground floor of a long, narrow building. The booths were located along the east wall, just across from the bar. You could see that Smokey Joe's had been around for a long time, even back then, just by looking at the booths. About a thousand people had carved their initials into the booth's wooden seats and tables.

Susan said, "Yes, that one will be fine," as she picked up her mug and stood up. Susan and I were at eye level with each other. If she had been wearing high-heels that night, she would have been taller than me and most of the other men in the bar.

We moved into the booth and sat down across from each other. Susan's long, platinum-blonde hair was parted near the middle, and hung straight down to her shoulders. Her lipstick was a pinkish shade of red, and she was wearing mascara and smoky-blue eye shadow. In truth, studying her hair and makeup helped me to stay focused on her face, rather than staring down at her chest.

Susan looked at me closely, smiled broadly, and tossed her head. She sighed loudly and said with a laugh, "So, what does a girl have to do to get picked up around here?"

Susan caught me totally by surprise. I stared at her in disbelief, for a few seconds, then sat back and roared with laughter. Susan laughed with me and leaned across the table to add in a low, giggly voice " God, I need to get laid!"

When I finally stopped laughing, I grinned at her and said, "Oh, I don't think that you'll have too much trouble tonight, Sue!" I continued, "You'll just have to wait around here for another hour, or so, until the second shift crowd from the hospitals start to come in!"

Susan smiled ruefully and sat back. She said seriously, "I've already had way too much to drink tonight, Nick. I'll be really smashed if I stay here too much longer." She sighed and finished, "I think that it's just about time for me to go home."

"Do you want a cup of coffee, or something, Sue?" I asked seriously. I knew approximately where Susan lived, so I continued, "If not, let me finish my beer. Then, I'll walk you home, if you like."

The University City area was really pretty safe back then, but it was still in Philadelphia. It was not one hundred percent safe.

Susan smiled pleasantly and said, "No, I don't want anything more to drink, thank you." She continued, "I'm going to use the Ladies Room. Then, you can walk me home, if you want." She finished, "After you finish your beer, of course."

I had finished my beer by the time that Susan came back, so we put on our jackets and left the bar. It was early in October, so light jackets were all that we needed that night.

As we walked outside, Susan said, "Oh! I feel much better, now that we're out here in the fresh air!" She continued, "Believe it, or not, I don't go out drinking very often."

I believed her. From what I had seen and heard, Susan was all business when it came to her studies. The campus "party girls" were all well known to everyone, and she wasn't one of them.

I said, "I didn't think so." I continued, "I don't remember ever seeing you in The Jail House."

The Jail House was the bar next to our own campus where the older students hung out. The drinking age in Pennsylvania was twenty-one, so that restricted the crowd to mostly seniors, graduate students, and some of the faculty. I usually went in there on Friday evenings, with a few friends, after our classes were over.

Susan answered, "Probably not. I've only been in there a couple of times."

As we started to walk east along Walnut Street, Susan said, "So, Nick, I've heard that you were in the Army before going to college." She continued, "That would make you, like me, older than most of the other people in our class." She finished, "So, what's your story?"

I answered, "Actually, I was in the Navy." I continued, "I got through my first two and a half years of college, right after high school, then ran out of money." I laughed and added, "In truth, my grades weren't too good, either." I finished, "After a hitch in the Navy, I'm back in school with the help of the G.I. Bill."

Susan said, "So then, Nick, you're what, twenty-five, or twenty-six years old?"

I answered, "That's right. I'm twenty-six." I continued as we walked along, "You live somewhere north of the new gymnasium, don't you, Sue?"

As we walked along, I took my time admiring the way Susan filled out her skin-tight jeans. There was no doubt that she had beautiful, long legs, and a voluptuous, womanly ass.

I hadn't gone into Smokey Joe's, that night, looking for female companionship. Now, I was beginning to wish that I had been a little more prepared to deal with someone like Susan. I thought to myself, "After I walk her back to her apartment, I should ask her for a date. What the hell, she's probably only a few years older than me."

Susan said, "Yes, I live a couple of blocks from there." She continued, "So, where exactly do you live, Nick?"

I said, "I live about five blocks south and west of here."

Susan stopped and looked me directly in the eyes. She gave me a meaningful little smile and said, "So, why don't you invite me over to your apartment for a cup of coffee, if we're that close?"

I looked at Susan carefully, for a few seconds, before I answered. I definitely found her to be attractive. Susan was, also, old enough and sober enough to know exactly what she was doing. Besides all that, I found her honesty and straightforwardness to be very refreshing.

I smiled and said, "Sure, Sue. It's still early." I continued, "I have my car here in the city. I can drive you back to your apartment later on, instead of us having to walk all the way back."

Susan smiled back at me and said, "Well, then let's go!"

As we turned and walked along, Susan asked, "So, do you have any roommates, Nick?"

I said, "No, I have a small studio apartment." I continued, "After living aboard ship for a couple of years, with a few thousand other guys, I'm sick and tired of roommates."

Susan was silent for a little while. Then she said, "Are you seeing anyone, Nick?"

I answered truthfully, "No, not really." I continued, "How about you?" although I thought that I already knew the answer to that question.

Susan said, "No. I haven't even been out on a real date in well over a year."

We continued our casual chit-chat until we reached my apartment.

Once inside, I took Susan's jacket and showed her around. As it was a studio apartment, it really didn't take very long to give her the complete tour. Susan complemented me on my apartment, and took her time looking at some of my books, photographs, and paintings.

While Susan was looking around, I said, "Let's see, I've got coffee, regular tea, herb tea, coke, and ginger-ale." I continued, "I've also got some wine, bourbon, and scotch, but I think that we've already had enough alcohol for tonight." I finished, "So, what would you like to drink?"

Susan thought for a second and said, "Herb tea sounds good."

I said, "Fine, I'll put on the teakettle."

We continued to chit-chat, while the water boiled. When the water was ready, I poured our tea, and set the cups and saucers down on my small kitchen table.

Susan smiled and said, "Why don't we sit on the sofa, Nick? It will be more comfortable than these kitchen chairs."

I nodded and said, "Sure, let's sit on the sofa," and carried our cups over to the coffee table. Susan sat down and I joined her, leaving a little space between us.

Susan took a deep breath and turned to face me. In a serious voice she said, "Look, Nick. I'm too busy trying to get through my senior year to have time for a regular boyfriend." She continued, "I'm 29-years-old. I've been married and I've been divorced." She took another breath and said, "I'm not looking for romance, I just want to get laid once in a while." She finished, "Are you interested, or not?"

These days, we call that sort of thing "friends with benefits", or "fuck buddies". Back then, we didn't have a name for that kind of a relationship.

I was shocked by Susan's bluntness, and I really didn't know what to say. Finally, I managed to smile and stammer, "How could I resist an offer like that, Susan?"

Susan smiled serenely back at me and calmly took a sip of her tea.

I thought to myself, "My god, this woman is a cool one! What am I getting myself into with her?"

Just as calmly as before, Susan placed her cup on the coffee table and turned to face me again. She put one arm on back of the sofa, looked me in the eye, smiled, and tossed her head.

I took the hint and moved over to sit right next to her. Slowly, I put one arm around Susan's shoulders and my other hand at her waist. We looked into each others eyes, studying each other for a few seconds, and gently kissed. After we broke our kiss, we held each other tight for a little while.

I had, of course, picked up other women in the bars before tonight. Before this, there had always been a mutual rush to get undressed and get down to business, as soon as we were alone. This time, with Susan, it was different. Perhaps it was because we knew each other, or perhaps it was because of Susan's honesty about the situation. Or, perhaps, is was a little of both reasons.

In any case, neither one of us was in a hurry that night. We kissed again and I inhaled the floral scent of her perfume. Soon, Susan gently guided my hand up her voluptuous body towards her breasts. I didn't need much urging, and I was soon fondling her big boobs through her tight top and bra.

As I felt her up, Susan giggled and said softly, "I had the feeling that you were a boob man, Nick!"

I laughed softly and said, "That's very true, Sue, among other things."

Susan said sweetly, "Oh?" She continued, "And what do you mean by, 'among other things'?"

I laughed softly, again, and said, "We haven't gotten to those other things, yet." I continued, "You'll just have to wait and see."

Susan laughed and said, "Oh, O.K." as we resumed our kissing and fondling.

Slipping a hand under the hem of her top, I slowly ran it up her back until I reached her bra straps. Even more slowly, I brought my hand around to the front of her body and cupped one of her breasts through her bra.

Susan leaned back and smiled. Slowly, she began to lift her top over her head, with my assistance. Susan was wearing a black satin bra that cradled her big breasts beautifully. Her bra looked incredibly sexy against her pale, ivory skin.

When we had Susan's top completely off, she said seductively, "Do you like what you see, so far?" and began to unbutton my shirt.

All that I could say was, "Oh yeah!"

When my shirt was off, Susan ran her hands over my chest and said, "My, Nick. You're much more muscular than you look in your street clothes."

I smiled at the complement, and Susan reached behind her to unhook her bra. I stopped her and said, "There's no reason to hurry. Is there, Sue?"

Susan looked at me curiously, stopped working on her bra, and leaned back against the sofa. She smiled and said, "No, not really," as we embraced and kissed again.

We French-kissed as I slowly ran my hands over her bra covered breasts and down over her body to her womanly hips. As gracefully as I could, I picked her up and sat her down on my lap. I continued to slowly explore her voluptuous body with my hands as we kissed and cuddled.