One-on-One Ch. 03

It had taken some convincing from her friend Bethany, but finally Katie agreed to meet her old friend at the Iron Kettle Brewery for drinks and live music. Mike was excited to go. He and Katie had never been before. In fact, it had been a while since he and Katie had gone out to a new place. Mike loved meeting new people. He also loved music and beer, so tonight was a win all around for him.

As Katie pulled into the parking lot, Mike's gaze fell to her legs, which were covered in thin, nearly see-through black tights. Her black skirt and purple blouse with long sleeves hugged her body and highlighted her figure. It drove Mike wild when Katie dressed up, especially when she wore eye liner and glossy lipstick. Mike smiled.

"What?" Katie said, playfully. The look in her eyes told him that she knew she looked good. Mike was glad. Katie had seemed down lately. Distracted. But as she got ready to go out tonight, she had been happy, almost carefree, dancing back and forth, lightly singing under breath as she tried on her clothes.

"Nothing," Mike said. "You look so beautiful. So hot."

Tonight felt special, but Mike kept it cool. He was interested in hanging out with an old friend of Katie's, but what he really looked forward to was going home and fucking his girlfriend. Looking at her perfect legs, Mike imagined returning to her place, Katie pushing him against a wall, falling to her knees, and taking him in her mouth. He couldn't wait.

"You look hot too." She smiled at him. Mike had worn a slim-fitting pair of khakis and a button up shirt. His short hair neatly framed his face. He had spent a lot of time in the sun this summer, and his face was tan and littered modestly with freckles. He hoped he looked good for Katie. He wanted to make a good impression on her friend.

Katie had been pretty tight-lipped on details of her friendship with Bethany, but Mike understood they hadn't spoken in a few years. They weren't even Facebook friends. Mike suspected that would change after tonight. Katie would have a few drinks and it would be like no time passed between them at all.

"You ready?" Katie said, getting out of the driver's seat.

"Let's do it!" Mike said.

They walked to the entrance holding hands. The brewery had been converted from an old iron factory, and several sections of the exterior were original brick. Mike ran his fingers along it as they walked to the door, imagining the history that had happened here, from the masons who laid the brick to the workers who had given so much of their lives to this place. He wondered who had been the last person to leave, to lock the door, to close the place down before someone imagined new life for the building as a hot night spot.

Inside, the music had started already, and the old building seemed to shake from the noise. Mike saw Bethany leap up from her table and make a beeline for Katie. "I'm so glad you made it!" She hugged them both. "We saved you some seats."

Bethany led them to a table where Mike at least recognized one person - Grant from the park. They man-hugged and sat together while Bethany squeezed in close to Katie. The two quickly became the life of the party as Bethany regaled everyone with stories of the shows and venues the two of them had shared.

It was tough to hear over the noise, and as the beers came and went, Mike felt himself drifting from the conversation. It seemed like the rest of the group was as well, and soon Mike found himself talking to Grant about their games that morning. Eventually, Katie excused herself to use the restroom, and Bethany slid between Mike and Grant.

"So tell me something about yourself," Bethany said. "Who is this man that swept my friend off her feet?"

Mike told her briefly about his job and how he met Katie, but he kept his guard up. It seemed odd to him that Bethany asserted herself as Katie's friend so easily. He didn't know for sure, but it sounded like there had been a reason for the two to part ways.

"Are you still working in theater?" Mike asked. "Are you with another company in town?"

"Hold on," Bethany replied, looking down at her phone. Mike glanced down and saw Katie's name on Bethany's screen. He looked away quickly, not wanting to invade his girlfriend's privacy, even if she was texting her old friend from the bathroom.

Bethany's lips curled into a slight smile as she typed a reply and looked back up at Mike.

"Sorry about that. What were you saying?"

"Do you still work in theater?"

"No, I'm an RN in a cardio unit at Mercy Hills."

"That's great. Did you always want to be a nurse?"

"Well, not really, but I - hang on, so sorry." Her phone buzzed again and she typed

furiously, her smile growing. She stood and looked around, scanning the crowd. Her eyes widened for a moment, and she sat back down.

Mike looked in that direction. Standing, he realized he should slow down his consumption of beer. The band was in full swing, and the music was beginning to smother everything around him. Katie had been gone for a while now, and he hoped nothing was wrong. She hadn't texted him so he assumed she was okay, but he wondered if he should go look for her. Just as he was about to climb out of the tight circle of chairs, he spotted Katie. She was holding a beer and talking to someone. Mike couldn't see his face in the dim lighting, but the man was tall and had broad shoulders. Katie looked up at this man and swept one foot back and forth in front of the other, swaying slightly to the music.

"Do you know who that is?" Mike asked Bethany. "Is he with one of your friends?" Jen and Sarah had left the table as well, and Mike wondered if one of them was introducing Katie to their boyfriend.

Bethany shook her head and typed on her phone.

Mike watched as Katie pulled her phone from her purse and checked it. She immediately looked over at her boyfriend and old friend and waved. She said goodbye to the stranger and hurried back to the table. The man remained where he was, looking down at his beer. He never left the shadowy high-top and didn't glance in their direction.

"Hey, sorry about that," she said. She kissed Mike on the cheek. "You'll never guess who I just ran into."

Oh, Mike thought. That must be Ian, her ex-boyfriend. He imagined seeing Ian would make her uncomfortable, but she had swayed before him so gracefully - in the same carefree manner she had gotten dressed that evening.

"Who?" he said, deciding it best not to immediately guess it was her ex-boyfriend.

"Blake," she said. She tilted her head and looked up at him as though she was worried what his reaction would be.

"Blake?"

"From the game this morning."

"Oh."

Mike felt a pang in his stomach. Today had been the first time he had played against - or even met - Blake. But Grant told him that Blake, a few years younger, had been a local star when he played high school basketball. The name Blake Davis did sound familiar, but Mike thought that it was because it was so plain - and vanilla.

He shook his head. "What were you guys talking about?"

"Well, it turns out his sister was in our production of Hamlet last year - Christy Davis. I don't know if you ever met her, but he says he recognized me from Facebook - turns out I was in one of her profile pictures for a while. How crazy!"

Wow, Mike thought. How crazy.

"Anyway, he said his sister is auditioning for some shows downtown. We were just talking about that."

Bethany nodded, smiling.

"I was also telling him," Katie said, "about some of the things we're doing in the community -" she turned to Bethany - "like our mentoring program, our school assemblies, river clean-ups, and all that. I said Christy should get involved."

"He should too!" Bethany said. Mike just looked at her. "Because he's, you know, athletic. He'd be great at pulling tires out of the river."

Katie stared at her friend, and it dawned on Mike that she was feeling self-conscious, at the very least, about talking to another guy for ten minutes while he waited for her at their table and had no idea where she was. Mike knew how proud Katie was of her theater, and deservedly so.

Mike trusted her completely, too - always had - but understood her trepidation. The optics did look bad. She had gotten lost in a conversation (probably one very much flattering her) with a tall, handsome man (Mike couldn't deny it) who had bested him on the basketball court just this morning.

What was it she had said about him? He had a good jumper.

And oh, yeah. That it would be hard for anyone to beat him.

"That's cool," Mike said. "Maybe he can put you and his sister in touch. Bethany was just telling me about her career at Mercy Hills." The abrupt change of subject did not go unnoticed at the table, where almost everyone had returned. Bethany grinned and picked up the conversation, all the while typing away on her phone. Katie glanced at her own phone and blushed.

Later, Mike excused himself from the table and glided to the restroom. He was really starting to feel each beer, and wanted to go home soon. He would stop at the bar and close his tab after he went to the bathroom. Then, he and Katie could go home and hopefully, get it on.

Get it together, man.

He didn't want to pass out early. It had been kind of hot seeing Katie get hit on - that's definitely what was happening there, he thought - and it made him want her even more. Knowing that his girlfriend was desirable to other men really amped up his feelings for her. It made him feel good to know that Katie was hot and totally devoted to him. He really wanted her tonight.

When he returned to the table, Katie was gone again. This time, her purse stayed in her chair, with Bethany keeping a close eye on it, so he knew she couldn't be far.

"Where's Katie?"

Bethany looked up at him. "Bathroom," she said, typing on her phone yet again.

Mike looked around and saw Katie hurrying back to the table, putting on her jacket. She looked amazing. Even though she wore tights, he was still driven wild by how short her skirt was. It ended at least two inches above her knees.

"You ready, babe?" she said.

"I'm ready. You okay to drive?"

"Yeah, I'm good." She hugged Bethany goodbye, and Mike followed suit. He couldn't shake his initial impression of Bethany - he didn't trust her. But he knew that Katie did and that was what mattered. He looked forward to hearing what Katie had to say about the evening.

In her car, Mike put his hand on Katie's thigh. She smiled and placed her hand over his for a moment before returning it to the wheel.

"I had fun," Mike said.

"I'm so glad. I did too." Katie smiled and moved her leg - just ever so slightly - so Mike's hand moved a little farther up her thigh.

"What's the deal with Bethany, though?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, she was all over you tonight, talking about what great friends you are."

"Yeah?" Katie said.

"Yeah, so, like, where has she been the past few years? I mean, it's like you guys never stopped being friends."

The air in the car became still, and Mike immediately wished he hadn't said anything.

How many beers did he drink?

Katie was silent, and her face took on an expression of fierce quiet. It was the look she always got when he said something wrong. He had seen it just this morning, even if it was just for a moment, while he made her coffee in the kitchen.

"We never stopped being friends."

Mike accepted her answer and didn't argue. He didn't mention how she rarely spoke of Bethany, and when he had been introduced that afternoon after his games, it took a minute for him to even put the name and face together with memories of vague theater stories Katie had shared with him. He also didn't mention that he was annoyed she had taken an interest of any kind in Blake. She didn't have to swing her leg around like that talking business.

Mike thought it best not to share any more thoughts and was silent for the rest of the ride home. He realized Katie's gorgeous lips would probably not be wrapped around his dick tonight. Worse, no matter how much he tried, he never understood how he so easily and so often said the wrong thing.

They got back to her place and Mike went to bed while Katie undressed. The room was nearly spinning around him. He hadn't been this drunk in a long time and hoped he wouldn't be sick in the morning. Beside him, Katie tossed and turned for a few moments.

"Everything okay, baby?" he asked.

He was asleep before she could answer.

**

Katie looked over at Mike, who had passed out on his stomach next to her. She was annoyed that he had gotten so drunk in front of her friends, but she was more angry at him for judging her. He didn't know the full story of her friendship with Bethany. That wasn't his fault, she knew. She was the one who hadn't been honest with him. But he presumed to know, and Mike always presumed things.

And he was almost always wrong. That was the problem.

One thing he had gotten right, however, was that she had taken an interest in Blake. Not in that way - she would never cheat again - but the way Mike changed the subject told her that he was worried about, or at least aware of, the possibility.

Katie rolled over to face her window, kicking off the covers. Bethany had gotten under her skin tonight. She didn't know how to tell Mike that the reason she stopped talking to Bethany was because she always got under her skin. She always found a flaw in Katie and pushed her until it opened like a wound.

Tonight, she had done it again. When Katie first left the table and ran into Blake, she had texted Bethany.

-Omg, guess who's here.

-Omg, who?

-The basketball player from this morning.

-New Kyle? Lol!

-Beth...

Talking to Blake had flooded her with memories, and for a moment she felt helpless in front of him. Like he was a black hole pulling her in. Of course she would be drawn to him. That's what happens when you get too close.

Then Bethany texted her something that sent her reeling.

-Mike is waiting. Don't go Gala on me!

Don't go Gala.

Katie stirred in bed as she thought about what Bethany was implying. Beth didn't know her anymore; that much was clear. She would never do to Mike what she had done to Ian. Certainly nothing like what happened on the night of his firm's annual gala - a black-tie fundraiser benefiting a local charity while company executives patted themselves on the back.

She had worn a tight-fitting white and black dress that showed more than a hint of cleavage. She wore two-inch heels and had her hair done at her favorite salon. Her make-up was subtle but carefully applied. Ian - like Mike, and probably all men - liked it when she wore eye liner. She liked it too. And just a touch of eye shadow gave her an air of mystery and confidence. She spent the better part of that afternoon trying to look perfect for her boyfriend, but also thinking about Kyle, her hot next door neighbor that she had fucked just a week before.

Katie's hand drifted to her waist as she thought about that night. It turned out to be hotter than anything she had experienced with Ian up to that point, but it started out innocently enough as she texted with Kyle about innocuous things - their favorite bands, what movies they wanted to see.

She slipped her hand into the waistband of her pajama pants. Like Mike, she had been hoping to fuck tonight, but he had passed out before she even had a chance to tell him how presumptuous he had been, and always was.

Her hand made its way into her panties, and her finger lightly touched her clit. Katie sighed and looked over at Mike, who was definitely passed out but who was still facing her. She hoped he wouldn't wake up while she lost herself in this memory. Damn it, Bethany. Why did you have to bring up the Gala?

**

Ian texted that he was running late but would be at her place soon to pick her up. Katie had finished her make-up, and it was perfect. She looked at herself in the mirror, pleased with the results of all her hard work.

She checked her phone again and began to feel impatient with Ian. She knew he would be there soon and decided she'd better delete her latest messages with Kyle. Even if they had been harmless, she didn't want her boyfriend to know that she was texting him, especially when he could tell by looking at the timestamp that she was texting him while getting ready for the Gala.

This was her second time attending the Gala, and her third black-tie event with Ian. In previous years, the event benefited and honored local homeless charities, a cause close to Katie's heart. This year, the event would honor a local organization working to promote international fair trade practices. This didn't interest Katie much, but she was still looking forward to the evening.

First, though, she had to delete her message history with Kyle. Looking through it, Katie felt a surge of excitement that was starting to become familiar. The thrill. She was amazed with how easy it was becoming to separate her sexual desires from her love of Ian.

She even told Kyle about how she was saving something special, just for him.

-What is it? he had asked.

Delete.

-You'll see ;)

Delete.

It dawned on her that now might be a good time to at least give him a preview. She quickly texted Ian.

-Touching up my hair. Call when you get here :)

Then she texted Kyle.

-R u busy?

-Not at the moment. Whats up?

-Can I come over? I want u to see me

-Sure.

-K. Be right there.

She thought for a moment before adding, Don't mess up my makeup.

If Kyle was confused by her last message, he didn't say so. Not by text nor when he opened the door for her. He simply smiled as he took her in.

She looked perfect. "Come in," he said. "You look amazing."

"Thanks," she said. "I wanted you to see." She closed the door behind herself.

He smiled and took her hand, pulling her close to him.

"I also wanted... to give you something..." She held her phone in her hand and glanced down at it, expecting to hear from Ian any minute.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. I want... I want your dick in my mouth when he calls."

"Oh my god, Katie," Kyle said, his free hand moving slowly to his belt.

She smiled and bent over at the waist so her butt was firmly pressed against his door. She didn't want to get her knees red or dirty before the Gala. She also didn't want her makeup ruined, and hoped Kyle would oblige.

As she leaned forward, her breasts were in their full glory and Katie couldn't wait to bring them out, just for Kyle. But that would have to come later.

She unzipped his jeans and pulled out his large penis. Putting her phone on the floor, she placed one hand on his shoulder to hold her weight and gripped his dick with her other hand. Slowly, she took him in her mouth. She loved the way he filled her; she had loved sucking him last week. The night they fucked she had backed away from him and motioned him to follow her with one finger and sat on the chair of his sofa and guided him to her mouth and let him fuck her face. Tonight was different, however. Tonight, she wanted to suck him passionately, because she felt passionate about him and the secret they were sharing. She had gotten her first real taste of the thrill of cheating when they had fucked last week, but now she craved another secret, a new one - one that no one would believe if they ever heard about it.

Kyle was close to coming. She could tell. She moved her mouth up and down his penis, slowly, as he gently rocked his hips back and forth. She sucked him while her hands moved to grip his hips, keeping him from moving too fast and ruining her make-up with their illicit face fucking.

Katie shivered.

Even though he was going slowly and gently and lovingly, there could be no doubt that Kyle was fucking her face, and she was loving every second of it.