Maya & Tarik - The Test Pt. 01

Dear Reader,

Thank you for joining me for the next chapter of Maya and Tarik's story. If you are new to these stories, I suggest starting at the beginning with "The Journey", followed by "Them" and returning to this chapter. A note before you dive into this chapter. There are five parts to this chapter, and these are a bit longer than previous chapters. This chapter focuses on a lot of details and world-building for Maya and Tarik, along with additional character development, which is partially why it's filed under "romance". There are still lots of juicy bits, don't worry. But if you aren't a big fan of the additional detail, you may wish to skip ahead to those sections. I won't be offended if you do, after all, I know why you're *really* here. ; )

Without further ado, I hope you enjoy this next installment.

----I----

Maya and Tarik had settled into life in their new town and were enjoying every bit of it. Thanks to their overall frugality and both of their savings, they were able to buy a large piece of property in the foothills of the neighboring mountains. The property was about 30 minutes from the city, where they were still close to urban amenities and the university, but it was far enough away that there would be plenty of peace and privacy. Maya didn't have too long of a commute, and Tarik was able to rent space to open a yoga studio in one of the suburbs and taught classes regularly.

The property had sat abandoned and neglected for many years, so they were able to buy it for practically nothing. This left plenty of room in their budget to design and build their dream home. Using the rest of their savings and some loans to build the house and eventually design and install the landscaping, Maya and Tarik were thrilled to begin the project. What remained on the property was in shambles, and they would have to tear down the old house and lay a new foundation. Building an entirely new home, even with an ace construction crew, would take at least a year to complete.

Luckily for Tarik and Maya, there was an old stable at the far southwestern end of the property that had already been partially converted into two guest apartments, and they were able to live on the property while the main house was being built instead of renting an apartment. It was right along the main road and was in surprisingly good condition. With a few minor repairs and hiring someone to finish the remodel before they relocated entirely, they were able to move into that space right away once they arrived with most of their belongings going into storage.

The grounds of the property, however, were a mess. Everything was overgrown, weedy, and the soil was eroding due to crumbling retaining walls along the northern edge. There was plenty of acreage, however, with enough room for Tarik to have a massive swimming pool, Maya to have a writing retreat, plus large vegetable and flower gardens with fruit trees. But, it would need a lot of work to get there. After the house was built, Maya and Tarik spent quite some time designing the future garden, and once the winter was over, they were excited to find a company to help them bring their vision to life.

Life was happy and quiet, even with the stress of building the house for the first year and a half of their transition. Maya and Tarik's marriage and relationship were as strong and healthy as ever. They had plenty of robust and healthy debates about a range of topics, but they rarely fought or argued. Their most serious disagreement was over whether or not Thai Palace really was the best Thai restaurant in town. Sometimes Tarik would get annoyed at Maya's hair ties everywhere, and Maya would get irritated from tripping on Tarik's yoga mat lying in the middle of the floor. But beyond that, they were so good together, balancing each other out where they needed it while supporting and loving each other endlessly.

They still talked openly about sex and their deepest fantasies, and they were not shy about wanting to try new things and explore their desires, unafraid to share what they wanted. This openness did not change with the routines of marriage and deepened their passion for each other even more. As they continued to explore, they always came back to the pleasure of Maya being with other men, and soon, they both wanted to revisit the possibility.

As Maya had lost weight, she became more comfortable and confident in her body, and enjoyed flirting with her admirers. Tarik loved seeing her blossom and grow into this newfound version of herself. He would love her any way she came, but seeing her happy with herself filled his heart with joy. So, it seemed like it would be easy to find someone given how men fell over themselves around Maya, hungry for her attention, but it was turning out to be more complicated than that.

One night, Maya and Tarik were having dinner out in the city at the Thai Palace, and it was clear that the new waiter was flirting with her. In the short time since their arrival, he had fallen prey to her charms, even with Tarik sitting there. Maya was dressed somewhat casually, in soft jeans and a deep v-neck sweater, her hair pulled back, short tendrils poking out around her face. The sweater accentuated her cleavage, and this, along with her easy charm, seemed to have enamored the young waiter. Tarik smirked at Maya as she slyly batted her eyelashes at the waiter when he brought her dessert plate.

"Why are you giving me that look?" Maya asked Tarik, laughing, and blushing as she spooned a small bit of the delicate mango custard in her mouth. She watched the waiter walk away, and when he turned around to look back at her, she gave him a smile.

"Ha, because you are flirting with him," he replied, still trying to hold back his smile.

"And?" she teased, laughing and cocking an eyebrow. Maya returned Tarik's smirk, gently licking the underside of her spoon clean, curling her tongue to remove the last bits of custard.

Tarik leaned across the table, lightly tracing the shape of her wrist with his fingers, his eyes fixated on Maya, his voice soft and excited.

"And...it's been a while...do you maybe want to ask him?"

"Would you like that, Tarik?"

Maya kept her voice at a whisper, and she leaned forward, slipped off her shoe, and ran her foot along Tarik's calf. She took another bite of custard, slowly withdrawing the spoon from her moist lips. Tarik licked his lips and looked up at Maya. Feeling her unexpected touch and the topic of the conversation caused his cock to stir, trying to stay calm in the busy restaurant.

"Yes, yes I would."

Maya smiled wider at him and took his hand in hers, lacing their fingers together. She looked at Tarik and rested her eyes on him for a moment. He was wearing a pair of dark jeans, a white v-neck t-shirt, and a dark blue flannel shirt. Even in his casual clothes, Tarik always looked so handsome, his hair laying just right, his dark and sparkling eyes shining in the light on the table. Maya's smirk pulled at the corner of her mouth as she looked at Tarik.

"Well, I would like that too," she said, placing the last bite of custard between her lips as she sat back in her chair. "But. We can't just go around asking random guys if they want to sleep with me while you watch," she said matter of factly, licking her lips as she dabbed the corners of her mouth with a napkin.

Tarik sat back a little and laughed, rubbing Maya's hand with his thumb, resting his leg on hers.

"That's true. We do want to be careful. We could try online?" Tarik offered.

"Hmm...even then, I think that could go wrong. You never really know who people are and who you can trust. I don't know," Maya responded, somewhat solemnly.

"Isn't that how you met your last men, though?" Tarik asked.

"It is, that's true," Maya admitted, "But I got lucky that none of those guys were serial killers or something. And now, I'd have too much to lose if something went wrong," she continued, trailing off and looking down as she squeezed Tarik's hand.

Licking his lips again, Tarik looked at Maya. "Well then, I guess for now you'll just have to keep flirting, and I will keep enjoying that."

He gave Maya's hand a kiss, and she smiled down at him, ruffling his hair.

Maya rested her hand against Tarik's cheek. "Good, thank you. And besides, you are more than enough for me."

Maya gazed at Tarik, her foot running up his leg again, eliciting a shiver. Tarik bit his lower lip and reached under the table to stroke Maya's foot as she inched closer to his crotch. She could feel his cock growing hard underneath her toes as Tarik supported her ankle, his fingers pressed against her. She let her foot rest there for a moment, then signaled the waiter for their check.

He brought the bill over to the table, and Maya looked up at him, her eyelashes fluttering as she smiled at him. He looked down at her and his eyes roamed over Maya as she slowly stroked the opening of her sweater above her cleavage. As she made some final chit chat with the waiter, she kept her foot on Tarik's cock.

"Well, Aaron, thank you for such wonderful service tonight. I really enjoyed it," Maya cooed at him, tilting her head to expose the soft line of her neck.

Tarik glanced at the waiter and watched him clearly become very flushed and nervous. She had such a way about her that just saying a man's name made him weak. He loved it when she did that. Even after almost two years of marriage, whenever Maya said his name, Tarik still felt a deep flutter of desire in his stomach and heat race through his body.

"Y-y-yes, Miss," Aaron stammered. "You're very welcome. It was my pleasure. I hope you'll be dining with us again soon."

"Oh, of course, this is our favorite restaurant or at least mine anyway. I'm here quite often, so I'm sure I will see you," Maya replied, her voice low and soft, giving the waiter a warm smile.

Tarik turned his attention back to Maya on the other side of the table. She had leaned back into the chair and extended her foot higher underneath the table, her toes completely covering his crotch. He tried to resist growing harder as she flirted and he lightly stroked the top of her foot underneath the table. As Maya stared at the back of the waiter when he retreated from the table, she licked her lips and smiled and turned her attention once again to Tarik. She removed her foot from his crotch and slid it back into her shoe.

"Let's go. I'm feeling very horny all of a sudden, and I want to get you home."

"Yes, ma'am."

Tarik grabbed the bill and slid out of his chair, following Maya toward the host's desk, hoping the bulge in his pants wasn't too obvious.

In the car on the way home, Maya sat back in her seat and sighed wistfully.

"I'm sorry this isn't easier for us."

"That what isn't easier?"

"Finding another man. At first, it just worked out with little effort to find guys, which I know I got used to. And even before we moved, we were able to have a couple of random fun nights. But now...it's just harder. My job is really getting in the way of everything."

"Oh, my love. Do not apologize. Your work is so important, far more important than that, and I would never want you to think that it's getting in the way. We will meet someone when the time is right, and if it doesn't happen, that's okay too. I'm happy with you, no matter what."

Tarik took Maya's hand and kissed it, turning to look at her, but trying to keep his attention on the road at the same time. Maya gazed at him and gave him a deep, soft smile. It was the look Maya always gave him when she felt especially in love with him, which, fortunately for him, was often. He loved how she looked lost in him, her eyes saying what she sometimes had difficulty expressing.

Maya shifted in her seat and rested against Tarik, letting her head lean on his shoulder. She brought his hand up and kissed it, exhaling a deep and satisfied sigh. They drove silently the rest of the way home, the stars twinkling and dancing above them in the late winter sky.

A few weeks later, Tarik and Maya were out on a Saturday morning, making their usual stop at the farmers' market before heading to breakfast at their favorite cafe. They were getting close to finalizing the property's landscaping plans now that they were completely settled in and were ready to start looking for a company that could handle the job. With spring beginning to arrive, they were hoping to find someone that could start right away and get the job finished before summer. That way, there would be time to finally enjoy the gardens, outdoor spaces, and pool this year.

Maya and Tarik stopped at their favorite farmer's stall and were chatting when a truck pulling into the parking lot caught Maya's attention. She saw that the side of it said "Munoz Landscaping" and thought to make a mental note of the name for their landscaper search. The truck's door opened, and she watched as an incredibly good looking man she hadn't seen before stepped out. He was about six feet tall with bronze skin that seemed to glimmer in the early morning light. He was lean but muscular and broad-shouldered with a tapered and still somewhat soft looking mid-section.

He seemed to be in his mid to late 20s, with dark eyes and black, thick, wavy hair that curled slightly behind his ears and along his forehead. Tarik looked over at Maya and saw her staring at the man by the truck. Her eyes were fixed on him, and a smile curled at the edge of her lips. Tarik chuckled to himself, reaching his hand over to lightly stroke the outside of Maya's thigh as he whispered into her ear.

"Maya..." The deep timbre of Tarik's voice sent Maya's heart racing.

She quivered a little at this and turned to Tarik, blushing. He smiled at her as they walked from the stall to get eggs from their friend at another table. Maya's eyes strained to stay fixed on the young man as he walked toward the market.

Tarik leaned over to Maya, still whispering. "Do you like what you are seeing, my love?"

Maya laughed. "Yes, I guess so. I was just noticing that his truck says he's a landscaper. And we need a landscaper, don't we?" She gave Tarik a knowing look.

"Ah yes, we do," Tarik replied, his smile growing wider at Maya. "I will go talk to him, see if he would like to come and talk about our project. Do you want to come with me? Get a closer look?"

He chuckled, giving Maya a mischievous grin.

"No, no, no need for that. Just let me know what he says, and I'll finish the shopping." Maya blushed slightly, taking the shopping list from Tarik's hand.

Maya's smile lingered as she watched him walk over, glancing over at Tarik while she chatted with her friend over eggs and organizing their share of a pig for delivery in the fall and lamb for spring and summer. Maya moved to the next table, selecting some early wild ramps and asparagus, still looking over at Tarik while he talked to the landscaper as they shook hands and introduced themselves. She saw Tarik gesture toward her, and she smiled and waved before turning back to finish her purchase.

While he talked to Tarik, his heart almost stopped when she waved and smiled at him. Even though she was a little far away, her smile was bright and dazzling. Her hair was shiny in the morning sun, flecks of gold and silver glinting in her long dark tresses. She looked very soft, her curls falling around her shoulders and her sweatshirt and fleece jogger-style pants fitting her loosely but still showing off her curves and muscles.

He realized that he had seen her picture in the local newspaper some time ago announcing her new position and prestigious grant award at the university. He had thought she was attractive from the photo, but that paled compared to how she looked in person. He couldn't help but feel intrigued by her when he read her bio in the paper and looked up her background. She was clearly smart, ambitious, and well regarded. Not to mention beautiful. Seeing her here now, she seemed even more enchanting, even from some distance away.

He cleared his throat and turned back to Tarik, who was telling him about their project.

"Yes, yes, I think that sounds very interesting and like something my company could handle. I'd have to come and see the property, of course, to be sure." He nodded enthusiastically, a broad smile occupying his face.

"Oh yes, of course." Tarik eyed his reaction to Maya.

"Do you have a card? I can discuss more with my wife and call with you a day that would be good to come. Our schedules are flexible, so it shouldn't be too hard."

He gave Tarik his card, and they bade each other farewell, Tarik returning to Maya's side at the other end of the market.

"Well?" she asked as he strutted over to her, grinning like a cat that just caught a mouse.

"Well," he whispered, "his name is Victor, and I think he likes you."

Tarik chuckled and gave her ass a little smack, handing her the business card. Maya took the card out of his hand and looked at it, a smile stretching over her face as she looked up at him, her eyes sparkling. Tarik felt a small jolt of excitement as Maya stared at him, and his cock reacted too. Maybe they found someone after all.

They finished their shopping and headed out of the market. After completing the draft of the property plans over breakfast, Maya and Tarik headed back to the house. When they returned home, it was time for their daily yoga session before Maya sat down to write on the deck for a while. It was still early in the spring and warm enough to sit outside, but not yet blazing hot that being in the sun was unbearable.

The deck had a large pergola that created a shaded space with a big table, a padded bench, and large comfortable chairs that she and Tarik had already turned into an outdoor office of sorts. Maya tried to leave the weekends open for her and Tarik without work interrupting them, but she was on a tight deadline for Monday and close to being done. A few hours passed, and she was able to close her laptop with a sigh of relief.

"Ah, finally finished!" Maya exclaimed quietly, rubbing her neck and straightening her back.

She stood up and stretched a little, moving over to sit and stretch out on the wide padded chaise next to the pool. The sun was already starting to dip in the sky, and she loved the way the water sparkled and rippled in the late afternoon light. Tarik joined her outside and handed her a cup of Earl green tea, her favorite. Tarik stood behind her, moving her hair around her shoulders so he could massage her neck.

"Are you happy with how it turned out?"

Maya sighed heavily and let her head fall forward under Tarik's touch, setting the cup on the side table, clinking the porcelain on the marble surface.

"Mmmm...yes. Yes, I am, actually. I'm just glad to have it done. Of course, once I get the manuscript to the reviewers and editors, I'll have a lot of edits, but I'm happy with where it is right now." She had a sense of pleasant satisfaction in her voice.

"Good."

A silence fell between them as Tarik rubbed Maya's neck. After a few minutes, Tarik cleared his throat and pierced the silence with his voice.

"So...the landscaper...you like him?" Tarik asked, the tone of his voice dropping in the way it did when he was excited about something but trying to contain it.

Just the sound of his voice in this register stirred the heat between Maya's legs. She knew what he was thinking.

"Who, Victor? Well, I mean. He's good looking. But you're the one that talked to him." She was trying to seem nonchalant, but it was not working.

"That's because you were being so shy. You didn't want to go talk to him yourself. He was definitely checking you out," Tarik paused, laughing lightly, still teasing her. "I know you liked what you saw. You couldn't stop staring."

"Like I said, he's good looking, and that's all I can say. Most importantly, though, do you think he could handle the work on our property? That has to be our number one priority right now."