Second Chance Ch. 03

Donna smiled, "That would be nice, Tim. It smells delicious. Did you make it?" she asked with a sly grin.

"Yeah right, I'm going to ask you to my house for a nice dinner, then risk poisoning you with my cooking?" he laughed. "It's from this restaurant Pete and Trisha took me to a while back. The food is excellent. Just hurry, before I accidentally ruin it."

They went to the dinning room where the table was set with care. He had purchased a tablecloth specifically for the occasion, along with the candles, which cast a soft glow across the scene. He pulled out a chair and motioned for her to sit, then moved to the other side.

The food was delicious, but there was tension in the air as they tried to make small talk. Tim needed everything to be perfect, so did his best to keep things light between them for the moment.

After they finished eating, he went to the fridge and retrieved the French Silk pie that had been delivered from his favorite bakery. Donna always had a weakness for chocolate, and French Silk was her favorite. Her expression let him know he'd hit a home run with the gesture. They had a large slice each, but had to put away the rest for later.

"I can't believe I ate that much," she complained. "I think you're going to have to carry me out of here."

"Well, the question is, did you like it," he said, fishing for a compliment. The truth was, it was easy to tell that she had loved everything.

"Tim, it was wonderful," she said sincerely. "This entire trip has been beyond anything I could have imagined. Thank you."

He beamed at her praise. "Well, can we move to the living room? I have one more surprise left." She smiled and walked into the living room, while he stayed behind and grabbed a bottle of wine and a couple of glasses. Then he took a deep breath and went to join her.

After pouring her a glass, Tim raised his. "To old friends, finally reunited," he said, studying her face closely. She looked so happy, he knew it was finally the right time to ask. After taking a sip, he started the speech he had been rehearsing ever since the talk with Pete.

"Donna, I wanted to tell you how glad I am that you came back here. I understand how hard it was for you. I'm sorry that I didn't make it easier."

"Tim, you didn't do anything wrong," she protested. He put his finger to her lips to stop her so he could finish.

"This isn't about who's right or wrong. What happened is in the past and we can't change it. Now we have to figure out what to do about the present." She looked like she wanted to interject, but heeded his unspoken warning.

"The last couple of weeks have been wonderful for me and I don't want it to end." He paused to see what she wanted to say.

"I don't want it to end either, Tim," she said, her eyes beginning to tear up. "This has been the best I've felt in as long as I can remember. But what can we do? I have to go home tomorrow. Work won't give me any more time off and..." she paused and looked away in embarrassment, "I can't afford it if they did."

Reaching out, he gently took her hand. "What if you could?" She stared at him in confusion. "Donna, if there was a way for you to stay here, would you consider it? Would you think about going out with me again? Taking the chance to see if there is something between us?"

"But how? You're not suggesting I stay here," she protested, looking around the house.

"No," he answered, shaking his head. "That would put impossible pressure on both of us. But what if I had a place you could stay at that would be really nice and very affordable?"

"Tim, I would love to stay here," she cried, a tear trickling down her cheek. "There's nothing for me back home. I just can't afford it. I'm completely broke. This trip has wiped me out."

"Listen Donna, you've already told me that you don't like your job that much and it's taking forever to get where you want to be. My company sells a lot of equipment to one of the big hospitals here and we have a special program we established where we refurbish old equipment for the tax write-off. Pete proposed the deal and has overseen it since it started. He has a lot of pull with their administrators and has already been assured that a job application from you would be viewed...favorably," he said with a smile.

"You'd be looking at a better position. One that paid more, plus had great opportunity for advancement. Cindy lives nearby and I know how close you two still are. You'd be able to see her all the time. I've talked to my mother," he said with a mock grimace, "and found out you're welcome there any time."

She smiled apologetically. "I am very sorry about that, Tim. I never meant to deceive you. When I went to talk to your mom, I didn't think I'd ever see you again. To be honest, I expected her to really let me have it. She was so nice to me," her eyes took on a faraway look, "I can never tell you how much it meant. Thank you for not being upset about it."

He shrugged. "What am I going to do? She was the instigator, and I'm way more scared of her than you." When Donna laughed, he turned serious again. "So what do you say? Take a chance."

Donna wiped her face with the back of her hand. "That sounds so amazing; I can't believe you went through all that trouble for me. But I just can't. I never really told you how tight things are for me. The job sounds wonderful and I would really like to spend more time with you, but I couldn't afford to move right now." Her eyes took on a determined expression. "And I couldn't take charity from you either. It wouldn't be right." She let her guard down and stared through him, just the way he remembered from college.

"I want you to know Tim; I would love to find out if there was a chance for us. You are a wonderful man and I am so impressed by what you've done with your life. It's amazing. If things were different, I swear I would be happy to stay."

Taking another breath, Tim sprung his last surprise. "Well, what if there was a way to stay until you had the money you needed? Trisha has a friend named Maria who just lost her roommate. They talked and Maria said if you were willing to commit to signing a lease for a year, you could stay there for the first two months free. The woman who moved out paid ahead, so Maria doesn't need the money, but she wants someone she can trust without having to go through a million interviews. All she would want is for you to pay your share of the utilities at the end of the month."

Donna looked at him in shock. "I don't know what to say," she stammered.

"Well, I'd love to hear you say you'll at least consider it. I kind of have to give a bunch of answers soon."

Her expression softened, changing to hopeful. "You really want me to stay that much? You're not just being kind?"

Tim was surprised to see fear in her eyes, and it snapped him out of the giddy mood. "Donna, I would not have done all this if I hadn't given it a lot of thought. I really want you to stay. This is hard for me," he let his eyes drop from hers. "I haven't felt like this in a long time and am afraid of getting kicked in the teeth. You mean so much..."

He was interrupted by Donna suddenly throwing herself against his chest, her arms wrapping around his neck and her lips pressing firmly against his. She kissed him hungrily, devouring his lips with her own. Her fingers worked their way through his hair as she held tight, refusing to let him move. Finally, she relinquished her hold and pulled away, looking slightly embarrassed at her behavior.

"Um...so can I take that as a yes," he stammered.

Donna smiled and kissed him on the tip of his nose. "That's definitely a yes."

~~~~~

"You know, if you had told me this was going to be part of my responsibilities as your girlfriend, I probably would have moved back to my mom's." Donna grinned as she held up a ratty pair of sweat pants. They were ones Tim continually forgot to throw away, despite her constant reminders.

"They're not that bad," he insisted, trying to defend himself. "You wouldn't believe how comfortable they are."

She raised an eyebrow and shot him a disapproving glare. "I'll never find out. I prefer my clothes to be from this century, thank you very much." Despite his protests, she went down the stairs, determined to not let him get away with hiding them again.

Tim smiled as he watched her walk away. The way her jeans hugged her hips and ass never failed to catch his attention. It made the awkwardness between them even more puzzling. Despite the fact that they had been dating regularly for two months, there had been a decided lack of rhythm. They enjoyed each other's company, but intimacy had been nothing more than a wishful thought. The word "love" hadn't come close to making an appearance. He was concerned that despite their fondness and their history, it might be a case of something that just wasn't meant to be.

He realized it might not be that surprising a development. Despite the intense relationship in college, they had both grown and changed so much in the years since. The comfort level that he enjoyed with her was long gone. She reacted differently to things than he anticipated, and she often seemed surprised by how he responded to situations. They constantly were feeling each other out, making it impossible to move forward in the relationship.

There were still ghosts from the past that haunted him despite his sincere efforts to bury them. He had to assume that she felt the same, although that was something they rarely talked about. The memories were too painful to both, so they tried creating a fresh start. Tim was certain that the desire to avoid those thoughts was keeping them from opening up to each other as they needed to. But he still couldn't bring himself to broach that subject.

He pushed the doubts from his mind as he saw her come back up the stairs. Nothing could distract him from the sight of the tight fitting tee shirt straining across her chest, outlining her breasts. Tim swore to himself as he noticed that she hadn't worn a bra.

Just what I needed, he thought in frustration.

Just because they hadn't been intimate, didn't mean the thought hadn't crossed his mind. The memories of their lustful encounters were burned into his memory, causing him to see them as clearly as if they happened yesterday. Plus he had the more recent image of her skinny dipping in his pool to contend with. That was front and center as she walked closer.

"Are you alright?" she asked, breaking his reverie.

"Huh...Oh yeah, sorry," he mumbled. "I was just daydreaming."

"Yeah, well don't even try whining to me. They're gone and you'll never get them back," she teased him.

Tim tried to act more annoyed than he felt, hoping she wouldn't realize that he had been staring at her body, not thinking about his old clothes. "Keep this up and I won't ask you to help again."

"Promises, promises," she laughed. Donna walked over to the dresser and started digging through a drawer to find the matching shirt she knew was stashed away. Tim was so entranced by watching how sexy she looked that he failed to notice which drawer she was digging in.

"What's this?" she asked unexpectedly.

He stepped forward to see what she had found and could feel the blood drain from his face. Donna stood in front of him holding a small jewelry box. She opened it without looking up, then Tim saw her face go pale as well. Slowly her eyes rose until they met his, the intensity of her stare causing him to look away.

"Well, um..." he stammered, unprepared for how to explain an expensive engagement ring buried in a clothes drawer in a worn jewelry case that was obviously several years old. His evasive behavior confirmed instantly that what she had found was something from their past.

"Tim," she said, her voice thick with emotion, "please tell me what this is."

He didn't want to admit the truth, but was caught without any other explanation. Unsure of what else to say, he turned away in embarrassment.

"I bought it in college, before we...you know," he mumbled, feeling a twinge of the humiliation tied to those memories. Although a voice was screaming inside his head to be strong and not fall apart, Tim could feel tears welling up in his eyes.

Damn it! the voice in his head screamed. Not now! Things were just starting to feel normal again. He was searching for a way to make a tactful retreat from the room with some semblance of self-respect when there was a touch on his shoulder.

"You bought this for me," she whispered, her voice trembling.

He nodded, refusing to look, trying to prevent her from seeing his shame.

There was a moment of silence, then hands were touching his cheeks. Tim tried to shake them off, not wanting her pity, but she refused to be deterred. Her fingers gently forced him to turn his face toward her. When their eyes finally met, he was surprised to see tears raining down her cheeks.

Donna tilted her head back and brought her lips up slowly. As they met his, Tim felt electricity that had been absent since they began dating again. Her mouth opened as her lips danced across his hungrily, her body melting against him.

He felt a stirring in his groin, when she unexpectedly pushed against him, forcing him into the wall with a loud thud. Her kiss intensified, her tongue moving between his lips, while a hand snaked behind his head forcing him against her. She pulled back, kissing his face and neck.

Without warning, Donna spun him around and shoved him to the bed, falling hard on top. Her mouth moved back to his and she nibbled at his lips, seemingly intent on devouring them. Her hands were at his shirt, her fingers fumbling at the buttons as the kissing intensified. They worked down quickly until Tim felt her reach his belt and unlatch it in a single motion. Before he could make a move of his own, she kissed her way down his chest; nibbling and biting a path toward her goal.

His head fell back as she reached his navel, briefly running her tongue across it, then continuing down. Her hand slid into his boxers, her fingers grasping his erection around the middle. He could feel the cool air on it for just a moment before her lips wrapped around the head. She quickly ran her tongue around the tip, then plunged her mouth downward, softly raking her teeth across the sensitive skin. Donna's head moved back and forth several times before letting it slowly, agonizingly slip from her lips. Her hand cradled it, her mouth moving to the shaft, where she went from the tip to the base, dragging her tongue lazily across the surface.

"Harder," he moaned, grabbing the sheets with his hands and squeezing.

She responded by closing her lips around the underside of the shaft and sucking. The sensations were overwhelming, both because it had been so long for him and because this level of aggression was out of character for the woman he knew.

"Baby, you have to stop or I'm going to cum." Despite the pleasure, he wanted to be inside her.

Her eyes locked on his as her effort instead intensified. She took the hand rapidly back and forth while she kept her head still, her cheeks hollowing as she applied even more suction. Tim jumped involuntarily as her other hand came up between his legs, stroking from his scrotum to his anus. Her fingertips brushed across the sensitive skin several times before moving back up.

Without a word, she pulled away and quickly slid out of her jeans. She climbed on the bed and straddled him, reaching down and guiding his cock inside. Tim shuddered as the tip pushed past her lips, then sank deeper as she sat down hard on his lap. There was no attempt at subtlety, she just moved her hips up until only the tip remained inside her, then slammed back down. She repeated the motion over and over, gaining speed with each thrust. Tim's hips moved up to meet hers, increasing the speed dramatically as he felt himself reach the point of no return. Sensing his impending orgasm, Donna moaned, "Come for me baby...I want to you to come. Please Tim, do it now. Come inside me."

"Ah!" he groaned, as an emotional and physical wave rushed over. He grabbed her hips and pulled her down, holding her tightly against her as he came. Her hands braced against his shoulders as her body shuddered in it's own orgasm. When it waned, she fell against him, the ferocious display having exhausted her.

He lay back, exhausted, sweat dripping from his body. Turning to look at Donna in amazement he asked, "Where did that come from?"

She cupped his face with her hands affectionately and said, "You are a wonderful man and I don't deserve you."

Tim shook his head in confusion, but decided not to press the issue. The sex had been like something out of a fantasy and he didn't want to kill the mood. He guessed that she felt badly about another reminder of what happened, but promised himself to assure her later there was no need. The past was gone and it was time for them both to move forward.

Watching her lying there, basking in the afterglow of a wonderful orgasm, Tim felt the final piece of the wall he had built around himself crumble away. A part of him came alive for the first time in years. He knew without needing to hear it from her that whatever had been holding them back was gone.

~~~~~

"Hurry up, we're going to be late," Tim complained

"Keep your pants on, I'm not going to go meet your friends looking like I just fell out of bed," Donna answered, irritation clearly evident in her voice.

"First of all," he said, amused by her annoyance, "if you just fell out of bed, I'd be tempted to make them wait for us." He walked up behind her and squeezed her breast playfully as he kissed the side of her neck. Donna shooed him away, trying to finish her hair.

"Secondly," he said, retreating from the bathroom, "they're not my friends, they're our friends."

Donna stopped what she was doing and looked at him contritely. She walked over and took his hands. "I'm sorry honey, I shouldn't have said that. I love both of them dearly. It's just hard sometimes to think about them that way after all that happened. They loved you and hated me for years. I don't blame them, but they still know you far better than me." She kissed him on the cheek and stared deeply into his eyes.

"They are our friends," she said with exaggeration, "and it's important that I look my best so they know I'm not taking you for granted. Now let me get finished so we can go." She kissed him again and went back into the bathroom.

Tim watched her getting ready, trying to take in every detail of how she behaved and looked. This was a big night and nothing would be the same afterwards. He thought about the six months that had passed since the day she found his old ring. They made love so passionately that day; he couldn't imagine anything being able to top it.

Watching her primp, Tim reflected on the folly of his assumption. After finally making love after so long, they immediately fell into a rhythm that was relaxed, comfortable, and more than he could have hoped for. Everything had been so different than when they were together in college. They were both more mature, and felt connected in many small ways that he didn't even know were possible back then.

Sometimes he wondered if it would have actually worked out so well if they hadn't had the break up. Whenever that thought came, it was accompanied by another, darker one. It was possible that he was just trying to find ways to get past the pain. Tim loved her so much that it was difficult to even deal with the memory of what happened. After a lot of work, he found ways to avoid the subject. He wasn't sure if it was the best way to handle things, but it had gotten him to this point, which was more than he ever expected.

"Since you're in such a hurry, why are you just sitting there daydreaming?" she chastised him.