Dreams, Drawings, and Panties

"So, tell me about one of your pockets of responsible fun," asked Alex, "or are you bluffing?"

"I hope that I haven't gotten myself into trouble," said Julia as she bashfully covered her face.

"Well, the cat is out of the bag, now," said Alex as he leaned forward attentively.

"Okay, so last summer," said Julia "I went hiking with two of my girlfriends, not romantic girlfriends, just friends. Not that there's anything wrong with that..."

Alex smiled at her.

"And when we got to our remote destination, which was a river, the other two women changed into their swimsuits and jumped into the water to cool off. No one told me that we would be swimming, so I didn't bring a suit. I didn't want to hike in wet clothes, so I went skinny dipping."

"You sound like my kind of woman," said Alex.

"My friends thought that it was hysterical and took pictures of me with their phones. I gave them a show. There wasn't anyone around, so why not?"

"Darn, I'd probably do the same!" said Alex.

"Anyway, that's one of my little pockets of responsible fun," said Julia. "I hope that doesn't disqualify me as dating material for you."

"I like the way that you think," said Alex. "It not the stuffy, prudish attitude you might think of when you think of a psychologist."

"I like to believe that I think for myself," said Julia as she pulled out her phone. "I may have a discrete photo that one of my friends sent me. Yes, here it is," she said as she handed her phone to Alex. The photo didn't reveal any intimate body parts, you could definitely tell that Julia wasn't wearing a swimsuit while her friend standing next to her was wearing a bikini. Both women in the photo were laughing hysterically.

"Wow!" said Alex. "That's so cool! Getting to know you is fun!"

Their server appeared and brought them their drinks. Alex took a sip but realized that he had already relaxed quite a bit. His desperation for the drink had subsided. Julia grabbed her drink and immediately took a large gulp, paused, and then took another gulp as her face tensed up. They hadn't yet looked at their menu, so they asked for some more time to examine it. They studied their menus and eventually decided to share a couple of items

"Your friends sound fun," said Alex. "And speaking of your friends, I'm sorry that charity event didn't go well," asked Alex.

Julia's face fell. Alex regretted bringing up the topic.

"I'm sorry," said Alex. "I shouldn't have said anything."

"No," said Julia. "I just really screwed up. I feel like a heel."

Alex didn't say anything.

"I didn't even show up. I...I felt terrible that morning and didn't get out of bed...but I didn't even call her, though."

"Oh," said Alex. "I had a really special time with you Friday night. I'm sorry for my role in keeping you out so late."

Julia's brows furrowed. "I wasn't out THAT late," said Julia. "I feel so irresponsible, though."

"Was she angry with you?" asked Alex.

"She was extremely gracious about it," said Julia. "She never complains about anything, though."

"She sounds like a good friend," said Alex as Julia took a large sip from her whiskey sour.

"Yes, she and two of my other friends have been cheering me on for going out on a second date with someone tonight," said Julia as her smile grew bigger.

"Really," said Alex. "So, your friends know about me?"

"Yes, I told them about you yesterday. They sent me a photo before I arrived encouraging me on my date tonight." She took out her phone again and showed him a photo of three smiling women with their thumbs up. Julia took two more additional large gulps from her drink as Alex was looking at the photo.

"That's fantastic!" said Alex. "It looks like you have some fine friends. And they seem to think that you're a pretty valuable person yourself."

"Yeah, they're all married and have been encouraging me to at least start dating," said Julia. "I've had very little free time, though. Starting up a business is much more than a full-time job. I'm not going to even go on a FIRST date with a guy unless he looks like a really good catch."

"I guess that I should take that as a compliment," said Alex.

"Well, you should," said Julia. "You seem to have your life in order, and you seem emotionally stable from what I can tell so far. You also seem kind and likable, and there are some qualities that I don't know how to characterize." Julia closed her eyes, took a sip of her drink, and then took a deep breath.

"Well, thank you," said Alex. "You are describing the same observations that I've had about you." Julia smiled as she repositioned herself in her seat.

"Let's get back to the topic of wild but responsible activities," said Julia.

"Okay," said Alex.

"Fess up. Do you have any wild-but-responsible activities that I should know about?" she asked mischievously.

"I like your skinny-dipping story, but the first thing that comes to my mind isn't naughty at all," said Alex.

"That's okay," said Julia. "Is it a little bit wild?"

"About a month ago, I was at a friend's house. His daughter had gotten a clown makeup kit for her birthday. She had put the makeup on her own face several times, but she really wanted to do someone else's face. No one in her family was willing to do it, so I volunteered for her. It's not very wild, but I did step outside of my box a little bit."

"Really! That's fantastic!" said Julia. "That was so sweet of you!"

"It made her REALLY happy, and it was easy to do. Here's a photo of me afterward," said Alex as he handed her his phone.

"That's terrific, Alex!" said Julia. "She's beaming! My opinion of you just went up some more!" She closed her eyes and her face went tense as she leaned back in her seat.

"Are you feeling okay?" asked Alex.

"Oh," said Julia with a distressed look on her face. "Yes, I'm just a little stiff."

"I am too," said Alex. "I didn't sleep well and I'm feeling a little achy."

"It's funny how missing sleep affects everything," she said.

Their server eventually showed up with their entrees and Julia ordered another whiskey sour for herself. "You want another?" she asked Alex.

"No thanks, I'm still working on my first one," he said.

The server soon turned up with Julia's second whiskey sour and the two of them devoured their shared entrees together.

"On our last date," started Julia, "you asked me about dreams. I thought that..." She was interrupted by a series of loud pops from the other side of the room followed by a loud distorted guitar warming up.

"I think that a band is getting ready to play," said Alex. "I don't think that they normally have a band on Sunday nights, but I suspect that this is special for the holiday weekend."

"Fuck," said Julia under her breath with a distressed look on her face. She covered her mouth as if she hoped that Alex hadn't noticed what she had uttered.

"How about if we..." Alex started before being interrupted by a cymbal crash. "How about we find someplace for dessert?"

Julia's face lit up. "That's a great idea," she said. "See if you can flag down our waiter so that we can get our check." Just then, the band started their first song, shutting down any further conversation between the two of them. They eventually got their check and Julia insisted on paying for it.

"Did you drive tonight?" asked Alex as they were departing the club.

"I took a ride share again. I never know where to park around here," she said.

"Not a problem," said Alex. "I passed a coffee shop on my walk from my apartment. I think that they have desserts. It's a block or two in that direction."

"Sounds great!" said Julia. A gust of wind blew into their faces as stepped out of the club.

*

Chapter 9: The Walk

"I think that a cold front just blew in," said Alex. "I'm feeling a bit chilly."

"I am too," said Julia as they continued. "It looks like neither one of us brought a jacket."

"Let's walk quickly," said Alex. "It will keep us warmer and get us there faster."

As they began their brisk walk to the coffee shop, Alex began to feel giddy. There was something about the way this evening was turning out that felt good deep inside, and his earlier doubts about Julia were all but gone. He was looking forward to spending more time with her, and he felt confident that she felt the same about him. The walk together was energizing and was burning off some of the fatigue that he was feeling earlier. It was good to feel joy again. Finally, something was going well!

Julia reached towards Alex and clutched his hand. Her hand felt cold to Alex, and he imagined that his felt warm to hers and he felt grateful that maybe he could be comforting to her. He looked down and they smiled at each other. After a few more steps, Alex heard Julia inhale quickly and he saw a tense expression on her face as she stopped walking.

"Are you okay?" asked Alex.

"I'm fine," answered Julia with an embarrassed look on her face. "I just stepped wrong. I'm okay."

"Okay," said Alex. "Should we slow down? It's not too much further."

"No, I'm getting colder. This is easy compared to my morning aerobics, though I have better shoes when I do that," said Julia. Alex smiled at her as they resumed walking. "Do you know what kind of desserts they have?"

"I've never been there," said Alex. "I'm fussy about my coffee and make it at home when I can, so I rarely step into a coffee shop these days unless I'm already out."

As they approached the coffee shop, Alex developed a disgusted look on his face. "Damn! They're closed," he said.

"It's Sunday night," said Julia. "I guess that they normally close early on Sundays."

Just then another long gust of chilly wind whipped over their clothing. "I think it's getting colder," said Julia.

"I think you're right," said Alex. He could tell that Julia was getting unpleasantly cold. He paused as he considered their options. "Well," Alex began, "There isn't anything else near here, but I live a few more blocks in the same direction. We could go warm up there and I could make us some coffee. I don't think that I have any desserts, though. If you are comfortable with that."

"Sure," said Julia as her face lit up. "I'd love to see your apartment."

"Did you forget what it looked like last time?" asked Alex as they were hit with another gust of wind. They quickly resumed their brisk walk in the direction of Alex's apartment without saying another word.

As they crossed an intersection into the next block, Alex could hear that Julia was breathing heavily. He glanced in her direction and noticed that her lips were tightly pursed. "Are you sure you're okay," he asked her again.

"I'm fine Alex, I promise, I'm just a little stiff," she answered tensely. She took another deep breath. "But thank you." She seemed nervous now. "I'm sorry if I seemed..." She paused and seemed to be frantically looking for the correct word. "...abrupt. I honestly appreciate your concern. Thank you."

"Okay, we'll be indoors soon," said Alex. He was beginning to feel concerned about Julia's state of being Is she physically hurting this much or is this a panic attack or something? He hoped the situation wasn't more complicated than it appeared. An unwelcome thought of Emma's warning flashed into his mind. He reached inside his pocket to touch the lace on her panties again.

"Being indoors will help a lot," said Julia as she squeezed his hand. They resumed walking, but she soon began breathing heavily again as she turned her head to look in various directions. She stopped walking and pulled her hand away from Alex. She reached into her purse and pulled out her phone.

"Oh, no!" said Julia, "I need to take this. It's a patient. Emergency."

"Uh," was all that Alex could say.

"Excuse me while I step away. Patient privacy," she said as she began trotting into a paved courtyard nestled within a building complex in front of them. "Hello, this Julia, what can I do for you?" she said loudly into the phone as she disappeared around a corner in front of them.

Alex felt bewildered and a little annoyed. When does a patient have their doctor's personal cell phone number? And who would call a doctor late Sunday night? Something seemed a little fishy, but he felt guilty for feeling that way. He then felt a flash of malevolence. Was this an old boyfriend who isn't completely out of the picture? Has she been dishonest about her dating life? He thought of Emma again and felt a seething rage building as he considered walking away right now and leaving her. He clenched his teeth, closed his eyes, and clutched her panties again. Thankfully, the feeling slowly passed...mostly.

Alex took a deep breath and waited for Julia to return. He could faintly hear her voice but didn't want to eavesdrop. Her talking became more continuous, but now it sounded like she was crying. He listened closely, and it definitely sounded like sobbing. He felt torn in several directions. On one hand, he wondered whether this was a hint of Emma's warning about her. Maybe she's a basket case....or worse. On the other hand, he felt sympathy and his heart sank. "Poor girl," he thought. "Has she been on the verge of tears all evening? Or maybe she just got some bad news." At the same time, he felt a need to respect her patient's privacy, if that really was a patient who had called. The rhythmic sounds of her distressed voice continued, intensifying Alex's concerns. Alex didn't want to violate her privacy, but he felt some responsibility to check on her. He also wondered if there was something else to be learned about her, maybe something that he should know about if he were to pursue a relationship with her.

Alex quietly stepped up to the corner courtyard and peered inside. Her voice was louder from here, and he could tell that she was at the other end of the courtyard, apparently inside an alcove that housed an ATM. He was able to quietly remain in the shadows and approach a kiosk that was near the center of the courtyard. From the side of the kiosk that was engulfed in a shadow, he was able to remain hidden while he stealthfully peeked his head around the corner of the kiosk. He was initially confused at what he was seeing. Julia was standing with her back against the wall next to the ATM. She had the front of her skirt pulled up, her legs slightly spread, and was furiously masturbating with her fingers. He could hear her breathing heavily from this distance, and what he initially thought was sobbing were clearly rhythmic sounds of pleasure. He listened as Julia progressed through an orgasm which removed any doubt as to what was going on.

"Holy fuck!" Alex thought to himself as he stood frozen and continued to watch Julia work her pussy. He felt a little creepy and voyeuristic, but he couldn't look away as he felt a rush of arousal. One of his first thoughts was that she could be the ultimate girlfriend if she wants sex this intensely. She could be fun tonight and on future dates. Maybe she is some kind of nympho, which may be why she stalked him home for sex after their first date.

Emma's warning about Julia flashed into Alex's head: "She's crazier than you can comprehend." His mood quickly changed to contempt as he also remembered Julia's behavior in last night's dream. The dishonest bitch deserved to be watched.

Alex was reminded of a saying that had heard in his college days: "Don't put your dick in crazy." It was crude but seemed appropriate for his current situation. Some pussy needs to be left alone, no matter how easy and sweet it might look. A reality set in that he really shouldn't have sex with her tonight, even though it looked like it might be hard to avoid having sex with her now. They were already on their way to his apartment. "Shit!" he quietly muttered under his breath. He took one last peek at Julia with her busy fingers in her crotch and carefully tiptoed back around the entrance of the courtyard. He felt resentment at being taunted with pussy that was this easy and close to him. He fumed as he thought about her fingers being wet and covered with a musky scent.

"Damn. Is this really happening?" he thought, "or is this just another weird dream?" He reached into his pocket and confirmed that her panties were still there. He rubbed the fabric firmly and took a deep breath. "Be a good person," he thought as he tried to purge his mind of anger and darkness. "Don't put your dick in crazy," he reminded himself tensely as his cock pressed uncomfortably against the front of his underwear.

Eventually, Julia emerged quietly from the courtyard and approached Alex. "Crisis solved," said Julia as she smiled nervously.

"Good," said Alex.

"Yeah, that rarely ever happens," said Julia as they resumed their walk down the street. "I mean, that I would get a call late like that. From a patient."

"I would hope not," said Alex. He knew that she was being dishonest, but was determined to not react to it. "Be a good person," he reminded himself.

Julia reached up to grab Alex's hand and Alex reflexively reached down to grab hers. Her hands felt warmer than his, this time, though her fingertips felt cold and slightly damp. "Oh," uttered Alex unintentionally as he realized that he was touching the lubrication from her pussy on her fingers. Julia had a look of horror on her face as she realized what she had done. Alex didn't want to acknowledge the wetness on her fingers, so he continued to hold her hand. They both shuddered as another cool blast of air hit them.

"We'll be there soon," said Alex as he contemplated what to do. He'd make coffee to warm them up and then try to get a rideshare set up for her as soon as possible to bring her home. He'd claim to be exhausted, which would be true. His feet were already feeling heavy from exhaustion.

The dampness from Julia's fingers began to feel sticky. Alex felt an urge to feign scratching his nose so that he could discretely sniff them to confirm that he now had the juices from her pussy on his fingers. He really wanted to know. However, the scent of her pussy would make it almost impossible to say no to her when they got to his apartment. "Don't put your dick in crazy," he reminded himself once more. He wasn't proud to be utilizing this phrase, but it was effective. Given Emma's stern warning, she may be more than just harmlessly nutty. Be careful.

Alex rubbed her panties against his fingers and reminded himself that while she may be nutty, she was a real person. "Be a good person," he reminded himself again. "But why couldn't she a little bit more normal?" He wondered how he'd feel about her being a nympho if Emma hadn't said anything. And after all, Emma wasn't real. Julia was real. Maybe they could have some harmless fun together. He shouldn't be making relationship decisions based on dream content. Alex looked up and saw the antique shop and knew that he'd need to get his head straight soon. Another blast of much colder air swirled between them as Alex quickly led them up the stairs to his apartment.

*

Chapter 10: The Apartment

"I love the location," said Julia.

"Yes, it's been extremely convenient for work and on weekends," said Alex. He unlocked the door and lead them into his living room.

"Is this some of your artwork?" said Julia as she stepped over to take a closer look at one of the framed drawings that were on the wall.

"Yes, all of the drawings in this room are mine," he said.

"You really are talented," said Julia as she continued staring at the drawing closest to the door.

"Thank you. The portrait you are looking at is one of my latest," said Alex. "I was pleased with how it turned out."

"Wow!" said Julia as she smiled enthusiastically without removing her eyes from the drawing. "She looks so realistic as if she is about to start talking to me."

Alex smiled back at her. "I'm glad that you like it so much." She seemed so normal at this moment.