COVID Birthday Swap Pt. 04

This story took awhile to come together and I'm grateful for the encouragement, patience, editing and then the rewriting of the final scene by my editor and much more experienced writer LAHomeDog. I can't thank him enough for adding a guy's perspective and details that made it much hotter.

Tara pulled the whistling kettle from the burner and emptied a couple of tablespoons of oolong tea leaves into the strainer and poured, as steam filled the air with the mossy scent. While the tea steeped, she gulped a large glass of water, hoping that would alleviate her headache. The low pressure during rainstorms in the suburbs outside Washington, DC, where she lived did it every time.

It was her co-conspirator, Kelly's, birthday last night, which meant Tara's boyfriend Michael spent the evening at Kelly's Austin condo to celebrate.

They had a birthday romp, and she assumed a hot one.

All four of them, Tara, her boyfriend, Michael, Kelly and her boyfriend, Mark, had agreed to a once-only birthday swap arrangement. Basically the swap was a one-time gift to the loved one that they couldn't be with because of the pandemic.

Tara, meanwhile, had her own celebration with an entire bottle of Chardonnay, watching "Eat, Pray, Love" on Netflix, and then a visit from her pink, Lelo vibrator.

She wasn't sure why Javier Bardem got her so hot in the movie. He wasn't her type, but seeing him on screen made her imagine what she herself could do with him on an island like Bali.

Tara hooked her knee over the arm of the chair and leaned back, stroking her clit through the thin cotton robe. She thought of Kelly's boyfriend Mark, and the feel of holding his enormous biceps as she straddled him on the bar stool in her dining room for her own birthday celebration more than a month ago.

When the movie ended, Tara had considered calling Michael on video chat, but instead walked to her room, took the thin vibrator out of her drawer, and bent over an upholstered bench at the end of her bed.

She remembered the lingering pink marks on her butt from the spanking on her own birthday celebration as she slowly pushed the vibrator in until it disappeared into her soft, wet folds.

Tara straddled the bench so that when the vibrator started to slide out she could push against the bench cushion to keep it in and looked over her shoulder watching it disappear into her again and again.

She imagined she was astride a saddle from this angle and she leaned forward until her nipples dragged against the suede fabric of the bench.

She circled her hips as the vibrator slid out at one point of the circle only to be pushed back at the top point of rotation.

Tara wasn't thinking of Mark at this point or Michael, just the sensations pushing her toward a climax, but not quite over the edge. She wrapped her long legs more tightly around the bench and concentrated on the rhythm, anticipating each sensation with the changing motion of her hips

Soon she felt a familiar clench in her stomach, what she called the no going back point. Even alone, she never knew what kind of orgasm it would be -- how long or how strong. But she could feel the shift as every sensation stopped for a beat and then began to build toward this unknown crescendo.

She wanted one. She needed one.

Her hips froze as the first wave crashed through with one big contraction. Tara panted in the gap as the next wave shot through from her knees to the top of her head followed by smaller flutters.

After the waves quelled, she leaned forward to rest her cheek against the bench and took a deep breath as her heart pounded in her chest.

* * *

When they agreed to swap long-distance boyfriends to celebrate birthdays, Tara knew there would be difficulties -- particularly the day after one of them had sex with someone else.

She took her tea to her back patio, and lowered herself carefully onto the lounge chair, her head protesting the movement.

Tara checked her phone, no message from Michael. They video chatted in the afternoon yesterday before he left to go celebrate Kelly's birthday.

She held the steaming mug an inch below her chin and blew, sending more steam onto her cheeks. She pushed a stray wave of auburn hair behind her ear.

She smiled into the steam thinking again of her birthday celebration with Kelly's boyfriend. Tara met Kelly online in the early months of COVID, a pretty, younger woman, who wrote about relationships as a blogger in addition to her regular job counseling young women at a halfway house.

In some ways they were very different, Kelly was a hipster, fun and less uptight and traditional than Tara. But they had some similarities. They both had a fair amount of confidence and knew what they wanted, and easily communicated it to their friends, clients, and partners.

At her medical sales job, Tara ranked first in her district in sales. She considered herself a strong, independent woman who wanted a partnership where they respected and honored each others' wishes.

So she was confused why the spanking during her evening with Mark was such a turn on. Actually, beyond a turn on. It was the hottest thing that had happened in a long time. Maybe ever. It had actually embarrassed her that she got so wet she was literally dripping.

Between a range of fiction and a few porn clips, she understood some women liked to be dominated. If anything, Tara liked being in control -- she thought.

But still, the sensation, the blood rush and not knowing what was coming next that night in July got her hot then, and again this morning just thinking about it.

She shook her head, which was a mistake, her headache reminded her. But even though she would not cop to it, the creeping thought in her brain was in bed, she liked to surrender.

Actually, loved to surrender, at least that night, but still....

She checked her phone and then went on Google to research to see if being powerful and then surrendering in the bedroom was a thing. Turned out it was --- for some men and women.

She checked for messages again. Still no word from Michael.

By dinnertime, she was too worried to clean the kitchen. Her mind raced, wondering why she hadn't heard from him, and if this well-intentioned pandemic swap would be it for their relationship.

As each hour ticked by, she further worried she was missing the window to just text a casual upbeat message.

Tara clicked on her last chat with Michael, adding to the chain.

"How was your ride today?" Off topic, benign, casual, normal.

But her tight throat told her otherwise. She picked up the phone and called her friend Lori so she wouldn't just wait for a response from Michael.

"Well, what did you expect? You both slept with other people. How is this different than when he met that gal in April?" Lori asked.

"That time he called the next morning. Maybe the second time brought them closer? I don't know!"

"Well, what happened when you tried calling him?"

"I didn't."

"Oh, so you're worrying, and don't even know if there is a problem?"

"Yeah, I guess."

"This doesn't sound like you at all. Get a grip, girl. But how about we talk about the fun parts of this swap rather than your, err, worries. You still haven't told me. How was your night with bicep dude? Hot?"

"It was fine... different,"

"Nah, that's not good enough. Give it up. I'm horny too, and need some details!"

"Ugh -- maybe after the next time."

"Really! Again! Wow! And when is that exactly?"

"Just a few weeks."

"Girlfriend, I'm telling you right now, I'm going to need a whole lot of details after that. How do you expect me to live vicariously through you without details?"

"You don't need to live vicariously -- you have Tom. You actually have a lockdown snuggle buddy right in your living room."

"And bathroom, kitchen and bedroom -- it's not the same after almost 10 years," Lori said.

"No -- it's probably better. You trust each other," Tara said.

"Agreed, but give me a break. It's not so much ten years with the same cock, but the same stuff we do -- and don't do. Won't you allow a girl a little fantasy? Come on, I need some phone porn. At least tell me something -- something vivid. Didn't you say he had chiseled abs? "

"Lori! I love Michael! This is just a -- a solution, a duty, really -- to keep him satisfied amid all this."

"Yes -- a real sacrifice fucking a hot cowboy with chiseled abs. You're such a self-less girlfriend. Tell me more about this selflessness..."

"Okay, he came over, brought Tex-Mex, gave me a birthday spanking and then yes, we did it on the bar stool in the dining room."

"Wait -- birthday spanking?! You mean he bent you over and paddled your butt?"

"Well, yeah. It was my birthday. That's what you do. Okay, who knows? Maybe it's something he's into."

"But were you into it? How was it?"

"Fine."

"Fine?"

"You want a Yelp review? Seriously?"

"Actually I do!"

Tara laughed, "It was hot. Okay? Someday over drinks, I'll give you the play-by-play."

An hour later Tara checked her phone. Michael's bike ride should be long over so she pressed the button to call, not knowing what she would say if he answered.

"Hey," Michael said.

"Hi," Tara said a little too quietly. "How was your ride?"

"Fine," Michael said.

"How was the birthday?"

"That's what you have been wanting to know. Right? We had a deal. It was good. Thanks again for arranging it. You continue to amaze me."

"But was it, was she...?"

"Tara, listen to me. She's not you. It was a fun evening, but I want you. Do you want me to say it? Okay, I will. I want to sleep with you. Not Kelly. You. And, by the way, I love you."

"I love you too."

* * *

The following month, Kelly texted Tara to start coordinating logistics for Mark's birthday. He was planning to horseback ride in Great Falls, Virginia, where he rented a stall from a friend. Then Tara would meet him at a guest cabin on his friend's property and bring dinner.

"So potato salad and brisket from Red, Hot, and Blue. What about cake?" Tara asked.

"Just banana pudding from there. It's his favorite. Add a candle to a vanilla wafer if you want. Definitely bring beer."

"Anything else? What should I plan for the evening?"

"No, that's it. He's just happy you're coming. Besides, he likes to be in charge, as you probably noticed, so I'm sure he'll figure it out."

Fortunately Mark's birthday that weekend was supposed to be a crisp, sunny late fall day. Should be lovely to be outside in the country.

* * *

Friday Tara's phone rang.

"Kelly? Hi -- everything is all set for Mark tomorrow. Nothing to worry about," Tara said.

"I got the vaccine!" Kelly said, panting almost as if she had run from the clinic -- or at least her car.

"What? Really? Wow, that's great. How?"

"Because of my job at the halfway house, I volunteered for the trials the day after we spoke last week. So I got a last minute flight to DC tomorrow afternoon to surprise Mark!"

"Wow -- that's great news about the vaccine. Lucky you. I guess you guys won't need me then?" Tara was surprised to find herself disappointed.

"Actually, I had another idea," Kelly said.

* * *

Saturday had arrived, and Tara was crunching down the gravel path toward the stables in Great Falls, Virginia where Mark boarded his horse. She went in through the wide open door.

The sweet earthy smell of dried hay and the three horses inside their stalls filled the building., but it didn't overshadow the smell of one stall that needed to be cleaned.

"Hello!" Tara called, as her eyes adjusted to the dark tunnel of empty stalls illuminated on either side by partially opened doors. "Hellooo?"

A spotted gray stallion whinnied in response. Tara walked through an almost unsettling stillness, and out the door on the opposite side into the early evening sunshine coming through a thicket of treetops.

Soon it would be "magic hour," where the sun is down, but the sky is still lit -- her favorite time of day.

A soft scraping sound broke the stillness. When she turned, she saw Mark was brushing down a chestnut horse tied to a post between the barn and a corral.

"You made it!" Mark looked up and smiled broadly, putting down the brush and wiping his hands on his jeans.

"Happy birthday, Good Looking!" Tara said, lifting the bags from the barbeque place she was holding in each hand.

"Mmmm -- Red, Hot & Blue -- my favorite," Mark said glancing at the bags and then traveling from Tara's tall boots up, past her thighs to some cleavage between the buttons of her flannel shirt to her green eyes and wavy auburn hair swept back in a high ponytail.

He winked, and Tara wondered if he was remembering her birthday celebration a few months ago a little too vividly.

"How was your birthday so far?"

"Fan-fucking-tastic! We went for a long ride down to the river. Some of the leaves are just starting to turn and we saw an eagle. Pretty good exercise for Charlie here," he said patting the horse's neck.

"Let me wash up. Will you feed him a carrot or two?" He handed her one from a small bag next to the brush.

"Palm open -- don't flinch. He's pretty tame," Mark said.

Tara held out the carrot and laughed as the horse nibbled from her palm before joining Mark at the utility sink to scrub her hands with some lemon basil soap.

The temperature was dipping lower into the 60s as Tara spread out their picnic and Mark withdrew two amber ales from one of the bags and then popped open one for each of them.

"Thanks for coming," Mark said, looking into her pale green eyes as he handed her the bottle.

"Well don't thank me yet," Tara said smiling and shaking her head.

"So is this your favorite? Tara asked, gesturing to the brisket, green beans, and potato salad as she considered what to try first.

"Yes the potato salad is better than my mom's -- but don't ever tell her that if you meet her," Mark said, winking, taking his first bite.

"Mmmm, I see what you mean," Tara said, thinking the place must make their own mayonnaise. It was so fluffy and fresh. The brisket was good too or maybe it was just that she rarely ate red meat that made it seem so.

"So how have you been during all of this craziness since I saw you last?" Mark asked.

Tara met his eyes for as long as she could, and then looked back to her plate to scoop a bite of the brisket and hot sauce onto her fork, seeing Mark had already almost finished his.

"Good, I guess. Work is still steady, but it takes longer to get through various security and health checks to meet with doctors," Tara said. "Traffic, however, is amazingly great. How are things going for you?"

"It's odd that my office now spends more time in online meetings than we ever had when we were there in person," Mark said. "But given it's just about my only social interaction aside from the grocery store and church, I guess I appreciate it."

"So what do you think?" Mark asked, interrupting her thoughts.

"Wonderful," Tara said, though uncertain if he was asking about the food or the place. Fortunately, both fit that description. She looked out at the meadow with a few wildflowers at the back fence posts and the groves of oak and pine trees beyond it. She tilted her head up at the sky starting to darken now that the sun had set.

"It's so peaceful here," Tara said.

She looked back down at their empty plates and up at Mark, holding his gaze. When he looked away, she glanced at her watch. Kelly should be landing any minute now, then driving over in her rental car to surprise him.

Mark swallowed the last of his beer, and put down his napkin and tucked it under his plate so it wouldn't blow away in the slight evening breeze.

"Come -- let me show you what I'm working on," he said, getting up from the bench as Tara downed the last of her beer and then joined his outstretched hand.

They walked the couple steps toward the log cabin that had a screened sun porch to one side. Mark held the door to the screened porch for her.

A hip-high bench covered with a folded horse blanket stood inside next to a pillar. An old but polished brown saddle sat on top.

"Bought it at auction to refinish. Climb up," Mark said. "It's from Australia. So the horn is like a Western saddle, but then the back Cantle is sloped more gently like an English saddle. Much sleeker design than a typical Western saddle too."

"Maybe the English weren't as worried about falling off the back as we were," Tara said, stroking the leather.

"Try it," Mark said.

Tara knew almost nothing about horses let alone saddles except what she watched in westerns, and was more familiar with horses on a merry-go-round. But she grabbed the horn with her right hand and swept her left leg over.

"Here - put your feet in," Mark said as he held one stirrup and then lengthened the buckle on one side to fit her long legs, and then adjusted the other so her knees were less bent.

Mark ran his hand firmly up Tara's jeans and held her right hip as he swung his leg over the bench. Mark climbed up and sat down behind her forcing her to scoot forward until her clit pressed against the hard leather horn of the saddle through her jeans.

Mark circled his arms around Tara, putting his hands first on the horn, and then slid his thumb down between the horn and her jeans while he nuzzled under her ponytail to kiss the back of her neck.

His warmth felt so good. Another actual body pressed against her. She was shocked how much she missed it. She leaned back against Mark's chest, as his thumb stroked her gently through her jeans.

She relaxed against his chest enjoying the closeness and his warm breath against her neck.

As Mark's mouth moved to her ear, Tara's hips contracted forward and jerked again as his thumb pressed harder against her. She could feel the growing wetness even through the thick denim and gasped.

Mark reached around and pulled, untucking her shirt, and then began unbuttoning it, trailing his fingers along the newly exposed skin after each freed button.

He peeled the shoulders of her shirt back and slid his hands up to cup each breast through the thin lace of her bra and kissed the back of her ear again.

Tara thrust her clit against the horn and leaned back against his chest, arching her back to press her breasts more firmly against his hands.

Mark skillfully unclasped the front hook of her bra, and then wrapped his hand over both of her wanting breasts, and squeezed firmly as his thumbs stroked the pink tips.

"We really need to stop," she said, sighing needing him, but also needing to wait for Kelly.

Mark heard her and did.

She felt his erection through his jeans before he pushed back away from her. Her body already missed the sensation.

Tara glanced down at her watch. Kelly should be there in about 15 minutes tops. She shrugged her shoulders back into her shirt and leaned forward to give him room to climb down first.

"How about a tour of the stables? I'd like to meet some more horses," she said pushing open the door and walking a few steps back toward the stable.

Mark jogged a couple paces to catch up as she stopped in front of the first stall.

"Who's this?" Tara asked, standing in front of a mare with a sandy blonde mane whose ears twitched from front to back.

"That's Sascha," her owner lives nearby but has been stuck in Europe due to travel restrictions back here, so I help get her out from time to time.

"That's nice of you, but where's the owner of the stables?"

"What can I say? COVID and other stuff. She's visiting her grandchildren this weekend. That's why I'm here to help take care of the horses while she's gone for the night."

Mark told her about how he chose this stable and his first riding lessons as a kid. Tara listened as she waited for her watch to buzz with a text that Kelly had arrived.