COVID Birthday Swap Pt. 03

COVID Birthday Swap Pt. 03

This celebration of counselor Kelly's birthday during the pandemic is tamer, slower, more thoughtful than previous chapters as she reconnects with her friend's boyfriend as part of a long-distance pandemic swap. It likely could be read as a stand-alone story. Thanks to my editor and fantastic writer LAHomedog for help getting this done.

Kelly opened the text from Tara as the beat of "You Say It's Your Birthday" exploded into her otherwise silent condo. With every window open to take in the morning 70-degree temperatures, she hoped she hadn't startled any neighbors.

"Coming up, but not for a week and a half -- let me enjoy being young," Kelly texted back.

"You are young -- but definitely an old soul."

"I'm turning 26 -- my 20s are half over!"

"I'll mail wrinkle cream. Seriously, though, you are wise and give great advice in your blog. So how do you want to celebrate?"

"Drive over to my boyfriend Mark's house, and send him to me in a large box with extra air holes?"

"You'll see him when you can travel again. But what would you like to do with my boyfriend?"

This birthday swap coming up the week after next would be the next of their improvised COVID long distance relationship solution of swapping boyfriends to celebrate birthdays. This time Tara's boyfriend Michael, who lives in Austin near Kelly, will be filling in for Kelly's boyfriend Mark, who lives in Washington DC near Tara.

The women arranged the swap early in the summer when Tara read a blog post by Kelly, who is a counselor at a shelter for young women and writes a blog on relationships. After a few emails and phone calls they realized they had quite a bit in common besides long distance boyfriends. They were both worked in fields that required them to be friendly but tough, and they balanced their job stress with lots of exercise -- yoga for Kelly and swimming for Tara.

Over the months they had developed a friendship while working out the logistics of the birthday celebrations and sharing how they stayed connected to their own boyfriends in between. While not ideal, these swaps had kept their own relationships going with everyone able to stay faithful -- well sort of.

"IDK - just normal stuff," Kelly wrote back.

"Why normal? You can have normal when the pandemic ends. My turn to send you a list of a few ideas."

"What will Mark think?"

"He won't know the details -- unless you tell him. But from what Michael and I learned during our first swap it can be better not to talk about that part."

"Can't I just work that out with Michael when he gets here?" Kelly said.

"Sure -- that works. Think of it as an opportunity to explore, feel empowered -- with no risk. Isn't being empowered something you advocate in your blog?"

Kelly responded with a few laughing emojis.

* * *

It had been more than a week, and Kelly had thought of half a dozen ideas for how to celebrate her birthday today. But still she wanted to just wait to see what felt right in the moment once Tara's boyfriend Michael arrived.

Kelly patted herself dry with the thick white cotton towel and hung it back on the rack. She opened the sleek white modern cabinet and slathered on peony-scented lotion, and then released her straight shoulder-length brown hair from its bun.

She normally kept makeup fairly minimal, and even more so with wearing a mask lately. Lip gloss and even tinted moisturizer ended up on the mask. But for tonight she applied mascara, plum eyeliner and light plum eye shadow to play up her blue eyes, probably her best feature. Although Mark always appreciated her full breasts on her otherwise petite frame.

No one had been to her condo since the pandemic started, but she kept it neat so she really didn't need to do any extra cleaning ahead of Michael coming over. Even so, she scanned the room looking for anything that needed to be put away. Finding nothing, she fluffed the pillows on the bed and straightened the white towels on the rack.

Everything around her was white -- counters, cabinets, walls and wood trim. Maybe that's why she choose this apartment she thought as she picked up her white terry robe off the fluffy Sherpa stool in front of the low white granite counter.

White gauze curtains billowed from the open window and white sheers hung from her canopy bed. Could white even be a favorite color? Wasn't it more of an absence of color? Kelly thought she remembered learning white was technically every hue of visible light in the spectrum.

What she appreciated beyond the soothing crisp cleanness was that it made her notice other things -- textures, certainly, but also it made any other colors stand out all the more. Turning her head, she saw the contrast of the green and gold leaves just outside the window, the ivy and herbs in pots and the copper kettle in the kitchen and the red, orange and blue book spines lining the white shelves and the yellow sky against the color dotted mountains in a painting she bought in a parking lot on Oahu's north shore.

By tuning out the background, she could more easily appreciate the details that made her home hers.

She found her pale ballet pink nail polish in her drawer and sat down on the Sherpa bench to paint her nails and layer on more lotion as they dried.

* * *

Kelly glanced at her fit bit and realized Michael would be there any minute. She re-hung her rob, and slid the long white seersucker dress over her head and wrapped her blue pashmina scarf around her neck, draping it over one shoulder just as the doorbell rang.

"Happy Birthday!" Michael said as Kelly stepped back to let him in. "These are for you," he said, raising his arm to hand her the bouquet of white roses.

"My favorite -- how did you--?"

"Mark told me," Michael said.

"You talked to Mark?" Kelly said, blanching at the thought.

"No, he just emailed telling me to take good care of you," Michael said.

"Wasn't that weird?' Kelly asked.

"Not for me." Michael strode briskly past her into the kitchen with the bag.

After depositing the bags on the counter, he glanced from the kitchen through to the dining room and living room.

"I feel like I'm in an Apple store," Michael said. "... if it had a kitchen and living room. When were these condos built?"

"Just a couple years ago -- maybe that was the goal -- to lure tech workers downtown near the music scene," Kelly said.

"It worked for me. Though I was actually lured by a social worker and a humanitarian mission to deliver hot food and birthday sex," Michael said.

"Humanitarian mission?" Kelly said, rolling her eyes. "This place is peaceful and near some of my clients. Speaking of work how is yours going?"

"Well enough -- tech services at least are in demand now," Michael said.

Kelly set the vase of roses on the table and turned to bring out a couple white glass plates and glasses and filled the glasses with lemon water.

"What are you drinking? Margaritas? Or I have white wine," Kelly said.

"How about the wine. Tequila was a little strong last time," Michael said with a wink.

"I don't recall you complaining," Kelly smiled and tucked her shoulder length brown hair back behind her ear before retrieving the wine from the fridge.

Michael followed her in and wrapped his arms around her from behind.

"No complaints," he said against her ear.

Kelly turned within his arms and tilted her chin up to meet his eyes. She watched a light flicker within them as he gripped her elbows. She had somehow not noticed during their Zoom call or first meeting that his hair was the exact shade of medium brown as her own, though his was wavy and longer than when she last saw him.

It was probably the reduced hours at hair salons, but it looked good, better really.

Michael stroked her hair behind one ear and lifted her hand to kiss the back of her fingertips.

Was he remembering his birthday celebration almost 4 months ago? And if so, what part? The strap on wasn't her idea. She was just the birthday surrogate -- not that she didn't enjoy the new experience too.

There was something actually freeing about this long distance COVID birthday swap arrangement. Kelly didn't have to worry about trying something new and not liking it as much as her boyfriend -- or vice versa.

After one deep kiss, Michael kissed her nose, then forehead and released her to pour Chardonnay as he unwrapped the boxes from Chuy's Tex Mex restaurant.

"I'm surprised you were not tired of Mexican food living this close," Michael said.

"Never! The Chuy's salsa is addicting," Kelly said.

"That it is," Michael said handing her a plate with a tortilla to let her dish up her own fajita toppings.

Kelly brushed his hand feeling the heat and looked down, feeling her cheeks tingle.

Over dinner they compared notes on what had opened and closed in Austin and how the shutdown was hurting the music scene. Michael used to play drums in a band that played out about 3 times a month on average, but he had only played twice in the past 3 months over the summer at small outdoor venues.

"So Tara says you would choose your own birthday adventure today, " Michael said. "Was this just so you didn't have to share your interests in a text?"

"Or, to let myself decide what I felt like today in the moment," Kelly said.

"Well your options are on the coffee table," Michael said.

When did he set that up? Maybe he did that while she found a vase. On the otherwise empty white melamine table Kelly saw a blindfold, beads and a rope. Not knowing where the beads might end up or how serious he might get with the rope, Kelly picked up the blindfold and laid it beside Michael's napkin, now refolded near his plate.

But as she looked down, she drew in her breath as she saw salsa splotched on the front of her white sundress. Kelly grabbed Michael's napkin, dipped it in her water glass and dabbed at the stain.

"I'll be right back," Kelly said dashed to the bathroom sink.

Moments later Michael knocked on her open bedroom door and came in.

"Sorry," Kelly said, still working on the stain at a double sink, dressing area without looking up.

"Try this," Michael said, holding up a canister of salt. "But you'll have to take the dress off."

"I knew there was a catch," Kelly said smiling and looking up at him as her hair slipped from behind her shoulders and fell forward against her cheeks.

"And you knew it was coming off soon anyway, " Michael said winking at her as she handed him the dress. He spread it across the counter and poured a pile of salt on top of the stain.

"We just need it to sit there for a half hour or so to absorb the salsa," Michael said. "What shall we do in the meantime?" He turned back to Kelly who was standing barefoot on the fluffy rug in her white strapless push up bustier and panties.

"I wonder," she said, raising an eyebrow.

"Wait here -- I'll be right back," Michael said.

He returned to the bathroom, presenting the blindfold to her with a bow and wicked grin.

Kelly sighed and shook her head before complying, arranging the blindfold over her eyes, aware of how she may look to him, before realizing he wasn't looking. She heard footsteps on the wood floor and him shuffling nearby -- likely her bedroom not the kitchen.

"Just getting one more thing if that's alright," Michael called.

"Sure -- help yourself -- as long as it's not the rope," Kelly said.

"Don't worry. This will be fun," Michael said.

"Kelly heard something click against the floor and felt Michael take her hand and shivered, every sound and touch seemed amplified in her darkness.

"Almost done," he said, kissing her with a quick peck before walking a few steps away.

Kelly heard something somewhat heavy being set on the bathroom floor.

Was he moving furniture? Then she heard a zipper and some shuffling as he quickly undressed.

"Come," Michael guided her a couple steps, turning her around to face the opposite direction and brushed her hair back from her cheek before kissing the spot he cleared and then trailed kisses along her chin to her neck.

Kelly gasped arching her neck further into the pressure of his hot mouth. His mouth encircled her shoulder widely and bit down.

"Oh yes," Kelly moaned, swimming in the sudden sensation. Michael let go and then more gently nibbled her ear darting his tongue in lightly and quickly.

Kelly was breathing hard as he circled behind her and began unhooking the links of her strapless bustier and let it fall to the floor.

Michael pressed his bare chest against her back and reached around to squeeze her freed breasts, which overflowed his hands. He ran his thumbs over her nipples until they hardened, and pull her hair aside to kiss the very top edge of her neck.

Kelly sighed at the heavenly sensations as she felt her stomach contract.

Michael reached around her waist and put his hands above each check sliding her panties to her thighs and then further down so she could step out and leave them on the bathroom floor too.

"Take a step forward and kneel. Good, now lean forward onto your hands around this stool," Michael said.

Kelly felt the soft Sherpa fabric brush against her nipples as she planted her palms in the soft rug.

Michael ran a hand up her inner thigh encouraging her to spread her knees wider, then sliding his fingers up further until he touched wetness, and then pressed his fingers further in.

Michael knelt behind her now and moved his fingers eventually to swap them for his cock, which pushed against her and until it disappeared into her warm wetness.

Michael reached forward encompassing her and then ran his hands up her arms to her shoulders, and then back down to cup her breasts as he slowly thrust in and withdrew before sliding in again.

As the thrusting grew steadier and deeper Kelly pushed back against him, taking him in deeper. She pushed in rhythm to his thrusts, the blindfold freeing her to surrender to sensation and eliminate any responsibility for her actions.

Kelly could sense the brightness of her bathroom. The main vanity lights must still be on, but she could see nothing through the thick black blindfold -- only feel. Michael's hips crushed against hers before slowly withdrawing in languid, deep strokes. His hands held her shoulders tightly before moving down to her breasts and hips as he drove more deeply into her.

Kelly's muscles clenched against him and suddenly she felt his hand move to her cheekbone and upward dragging the blindfold off quickly. Her eyes adjusted to the sudden brightness as they took in the scene.

Kelly was starring into her own eyes in a large mirror Michael had taken from her bedroom and placed on the tile floor angled to capture them together kneeling across the bench as her breasts swung against the Sherpa fabric with each thrust.

Michael's muscular shoulders and arms flexed slightly as they pushed against the floor and in the far end of the mirror she could see the angle of his well-shaped ass rising and falling with each thrust into her.

Suddenly having the visuals to go with the sensation pushed her over the edge.

"Ahhh," Kelly gasped as her hips contracted rocking her between Michael and the bench. She reached around to grab his butt.

Then Kelly pushed herself back further so her elbow on the bench supported her weight and her hand brushed her neck and own breast as she trailed it down to grab Michael's hand.

Her abandon and need caught his imagination and he felt the build of sensation as he grabbed Kelly's hips and came into her with a final thrust. Michael collapsed against her, resting, until his knees complained and he leaned back onto his heels and freed Kelly.

Michael rolled down to sit on the bathroom floor and Kelly flipped over and sank down onto the rug with her back against the cabinets to join him, and hold his hand.

After awhile Michael broke the comfortable silence.

"Are you ready for your cake? He asked.

"So I get to have my cake and eat it too?" Kelly asked.

"Cupcake anyway," Michael said, getting up off the floor and offering his hand to pull her up.

Kelly stood up and reached for her robe on the nearby hook.

* * *

In the kitchen, Michael put the two vanilla bean cupcakes with mounds of cream cheese frosting onto plates and rummaged in the bag for the tiny white candle and matchbook.

"Make a wish," he said, holding the cupcake with the candle up to light it and then carrying the plate to the white Formica table where Kelly sat.

Kelly closed her eyes and blew.

"What did you wish for?" Michael asked.

"You can't ask that!" Kelly said. "Besides I won't know if it comes true for months."

"Okay stay in the present -- just tell me if you're enjoying your birthday," Michael said.

"Absolutely -- that was incredibly intense, going from nothing but sensation to seeing so suddenly," Kelly said licking a dollop of frosting and then biting into the cupcake.

"These are really good," Michael said. "Normally I'm more of a dark chocolate person, but the vanilla bean is strong... and unique."

"So I've got you appreciating the plainer, simpler things?" Kelly said. She knew she looked more like the average girl next door compared to Michael's long-legged, auburn-haired girlfriend.

"You're anything but plain, and this arrangement is not all that simple," Michael said, his face clouding into something unreadable.

"It's probably our last time together. There should be a vaccine or at least fewer travel restrictions before any of us has another birthday," Kelly said, looking up to see his reaction. Was he disappointed? Would he miss her? If things were different, would they be dating each other?

"True -- at least together like this," Michael said, gesturing to the only article of clothing he was wearing -- a shirt he had put back on, but left unbuttoned.

"So maybe I could show you something else, something more unusual before we end the evening. Do you trust me?" Kelly asked.

Michael started to laugh and choke on his cupcake before swallowing. "You're asking me this now? Your last visit for my birthday needed the warning label," Michael said.

"First those were Tara's ideas. I was just the umm... the messenger. Second, that was playing. This is real -- but playful," Kelly said.

"How real?" Michael asked.

"As real as it gets," Kelly said. "Or as real as you allow it to be."

"Oh no what depravity do you plan to subject me to now?" Michael asked.

"You wish, but no this isn't like that at all," Kelly said.

"Okay, what's it like," Michael said.

"Intimate," Kelly said.

"So far, so good," Michael said, raising an eyebrow, waiting for her to say more.

"Is it really? Kelly asked. "Most people think that's what they want, and it is. We're starved for it. But usually it's not possible, not safe or maybe most people are too scared to risk it. They want to be safe, in control -- not vulnerable."

"I don't know isn't that what drinking is about -- getting out of control and not being responsible for whatever happens?" Michael said.

"Sure," Kelly said. "But that's different this isn't zoned out irresponsibility. This is consciously leaving the controls on the table and kneeling, naked with another person."

"We're already undressed and we were on our knees earlier," Michael said. "So what position will we be in for this?"

"Joking is good -- gets you in the right frame of mind. Position doesn't matter, though eye contact is useful," Kelly said.

"Okay, consider my body is yours for the evening. Tell me where and how you want me," Michael said.

"For this I'll need your heart and mind more," Kelly said.

"Wait. If I'm not getting off, not sure I'm onboard," Michael said. He looked at Kelly who was smiling.

"That's likely, but again, secondary," Kelly said. "Think of this as just a short exercise, sort of like wading into the ocean up to your ankles. Enjoy the journey, the sensation without the stress of going anywhere or getting to a destination."