Stella

I looked at my phone and typed in the code Barry had given to me.

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The double iron gate began to swing open and I wheeled my rental Kia up the winding blacktop driveway. Barry and Jen's lovely Tudor home stood up a hill and behind a large stand of pines and was invisible from the road. I'd visited many times before, but this time stood to be a little different.

I usually stayed with Barry and Jen when I had business in the city. I'd fly into LaGuardia, rent a car and drive up their place in Mount Kisco, usually trying to get there by cocktail hour. From there I had easy access to the commuter train into Manhattan for my meetings.

While it was a bit of trek to make my way up to Westchester County and their lovely home, it gave me a chance to hang out with two of my best friends from college. Barry and Jen had been college sweethearts three decades ago and were still going strong. He was a high-powered patent attorney and she was in demand as an interior designer. They'd been incredibly supportive during my divorce two years prior, and had always had my back. Yes, it would have been easier to stay in a hotel in Manhattan. But I would never find accommodations as nice as their palatial home and the comradery and warm welcome could not be beat.

That had all changed, however, on Monday. The first shoe dropped when Barry called to tell me he was, unfortunately, going to be out of town for my visit. He had been called to Philadelphia for a few days for a series of depositions on an important case he was working on. He'd be home Saturday, but that was the day I was to depart. Jen was going to be in town, however, and was looking forward to seeing me. That was okay with me - she was a gem.

The second shoe had dropped yesterday when I got a text from Barry.

Jake - Sorry to tell you this, but Jen also has to go out of town for a few days. She'll be there when you arrive on Wednesday, but got called down to North Carolina unexpectedly for some last minute furniture shopping for a good client and has to leave early Thursday morning, Sorry, man. You know the house is yours. And the good news is Stella is home for a week and we've made her promise to make sure you're comfortable. Really sorry - Barry

So it was not going to be one of my typical visits with late nights of wine and good cheer, but sometimes real life did get in the way. I'd still be able to enjoy the accommodations and a routine I had become accustomed to. Their lower level had been devoted to a very luxurious guest suite that exited out at the pool level one floor down from the main house. It was cushy and comfortable and it felt like it had a private pool with a sauna and a lovely view of the surrounding hills.

And Stella was in town. I hadn't quite gotten my head around that piece of news yet. Thinking back I realized I hadn't seen Stella in five or six years. She was following in her old man's footsteps and attending law school in Michigan. I was pretty sure she was in her last year. I'd seen her briefly one Christmas season when she was still an undergraduate. She'd gotten her mother's good looks and her father's sharp wit.

Our families had vacationed together in the early days when both of our kids were younger and fairly close in age. But as the years wore on it became too unwieldy to make vacation weeks work and we'd fallen out of that wonderful tradition. My divorce had further complicated things and it was unlikely we'd ever be sharing a lakeside cottage or an ocean condo again.

In any case, it would be fun to visit a bit with Stella and see what she was up to. As I pulled my car up into the parking court, I saw Jen walking down the stone steps to greet me. I squinted in the late afternoon sun as I got out of my car and walked toward Jen with my arms open.

"Jakey boy," she greeted me warmly. Damn if she wasn't still fine in her fifties. Some women defy gravity and age well and Jenny was one of them. She was dressed in shorts and a colorful top and had her blond hair up loosely. She looked casual and delicious, as usual.

"Hey, Jenny." I gave her a tight squeeze and a brief lip kiss as she held me by my arms and looked up at me.

"It's so good to see you. We are both so bummed about the travel thing. Damn. I was looking forward to hanging with you for a few days even with Barry gone. But, the best laid plans..."

"Yeah, I know. But, no biggie. That's the way it goes. I know the drill here at Villa Benson. I'll make the most of it."

"I know you will. Well, grab your bag and come inside. Cocktails await. You can take a swim if you want to. I've got dinner all set. At least we should take advantage of tonight."

I grabbed my bag and followed her inside. She steered me downstairs and told me to get comfortable and join her outside for a drink once I was unpacked. I changed into shorts and a summery shirt and joined her on the deck overlooking the pool and the gorgeous view.

A dry martini in a frosted glass was sitting on the coffee table awaiting my arrival. We toasted, sipped and sat back to catch up. It was great to see Jen, as always. She had one of those infectious personalities that made time fly when one was with her. I'd had a serious crush on her in college, but she only had eyes for Barry at that time and I let my own desires simmer over the years. Their marriage was solid as a rock from what I knew and I had never harbored any thoughts of doing anything about my attraction. I was going to enjoy this evening and the view - both the view of the hills beyond their pool, as well as the lovely lady seated across from me.

She invited me into the kitchen where she served up a simple Mexican dinner that we ate at their large granite island. The time flew by as we brought each other up to date on our current lives and reminisced about college days and beyond. It was such a lovely evening that we decided to return to the deck and finish our bottle of wine.

"So how is Stella doing? I hear she's in town. I can't wait to see her."

Jen looked at the clock on her phone quickly before responding. "Actually, she should be along soon. She went out to an early dinner with friends." Just as she said that her phone pinged and she smiled. "Actually, that's her coming through the gate now."

We continued to talk as I heard a car come up the driveway and pull into the garage. A short time later there was movement in the kitchen and the door to the deck opened. To say I was blown away by the lovely young woman who crossed the threshold would be an understatement.

As I mentioned I had seen Stella briefly about five earlier. It was a brief interaction at a holiday party and she was a lovely young coed even then. But she was now 25 and a fully blossomed woman. She reminded me of Jen in her youth, but she also had a bit of her father's Mediterranean blood in her DNA. She had most definitely inherited the best of each and the combination was a young woman that would turn heads anywhere.

She was wearing a soft summery dress that flowed as she walked out to greet me. Her long wavy hair was a delicious tangle of light brown with blond streaks of sin. Her open-toed sandals made her taller than her 5'-6" in stocking feet and her slender body was curvy in all the right places. She had sunglasses on her head and looked like she'd just been driving a convertible, which she probably had. I did my best not to ogle her in front of her mother, but this was going to be a test of my fortitude and self-control.

"Hi, Jake. It's so good to see you!" she said, with a gorgeous open smile. I know I was grinning from ear to ear myself.

She strode toward me with her arms open and I stood for a platonic embrace appropriate for an older gentleman and the daughter of his best friends. But even just placing my hands lightly on her back as we briefly embraced was enough to tell me that this young lady was blessed with an incredible body to go with her gorgeous face.

She had high cheekbones and her mother's pretty blue eyes. Her lips had that sinful curve that made it impossible for a man's thoughts not to contemplate what they would look like in an oral moment. Her body was model slender, but her small breasts still found a way to stretch the slinky bodice of her dress. Her long legs were on display below the short hem and highlighted by open toed heels that accentuated her regal stature.

"It's great to see you too, Stella. Geez, it has to have been five years or more. You were just a pup in college; now you're almost done law school. Incredible."

"Yeah, well, it's been a grind. It's nice to be home for a few days," she added, happily. "And nice to see you too, Jake."

Jen told her to grab a glass of wine and join us, so Stella turned to the kitchen and I scanned her backside briefly as she made her exit. Jen looked at the time again and shook her head.

"Well, now that reinforcements are here, I should go upstairs and pack for my trip, which I haven't done yet. My flight is early so I have to leave the house at 5am tomorrow. But I'll come back down and say goodnight and goodbye before I hit the sack."

"Sounds good, Jen. Thanks for everything."

As Jen went in the door, Stella came back out with an empty glass. I filled her up and we toasted to nothing in particular. She sat down on the love seat across the low glass coffee table from me and crossed her legs; the dress riding high up her long lean thighs. She must have spent the past few days by the pool because her skin glowed with the golden patina of a recent summer tan.

As we talked I took in this beauty. I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but there was something different about Stella. Perhaps it was just that she had matured in the years since we'd last crossed paths. I shouldn't have been surprised, of course. She was a woman now and close to embarking on a serious career.

Perhaps it was the way that we related that evening as we sat in the gathering dusk and talked like old friends. There was a comfort level that I'm sure hadn't been there before. She was an adult now and I felt like I was talking to a fully realized woman and not my friends' kid. She was funny, worldly, and intelligent and our conversation was free ranging and expansive.

"I was sorry to hear about you and Sarah, Jake. It was always so much fun hanging out with your family. How are the kids?"

I brought Stella up to date on the comings and goings of my own family and answered her questions about my divorce. She didn't appear to be probing; she was just curious. Our divorce, in fact, had been pretty tame compared to some. Our kids had adapted and moved on and everyone was probably better for it in the end.

"So how is law school treating you?" I asked. That question took us off into another realm of clerkships and bar exams. Stella was taking her studies seriously and was doing well from all accounts. She had clerked all summer long and had a week before school started to head home and relax. She seemed to have taken full advantage of her time at home.

"It's been a good week - I needed it. I've seen a few friends and done some shopping. But mostly I've been chillin' by the pool and just relaxing. It's been great."

"Well, it is one of the nicest pools I've ever seen. You notice I'm sitting here and not in some hotel in New York," I offered.

"So you are. And I'm supposed to take good care of you," she added.

The way she said it sent a shiver to my core. I shouldn't be misinterpreting something said innocently by my friends' daughter, but she did have a suggestive smile on her face as she had said it. Then again, maybe I was reading way too much into the moment.

"Listen, Stella. That is entirely unnecessary. Your parents are kind to offer and you are polite to go along, but I can fend for myself pretty well. There's no need to put yourself out."

"I'm not putting myself out, Jake. It's not often my parents host a handsome older gentleman. I'm just offering to step in since they'll be out of town. What's your schedule like? Let's do something tomorrow night."

I had to protest, but not too hard. She was offering to hang out the next night and I couldn't pass up an offer like that.

"Well, I have to head into the city early tomorrow. I'm there most of the day. I'm part of a project team and we have a huge interview on Friday morning. Tomorrow is the long day - all the team members coming together to prep for the interview. Friday will be intense, but it will be an early day. I fly out Saturday around noon."

"Great, then you'll be back in Kisco at a decent hour. Let's do something."

"Well, if you insist, at least allow me to buy you dinner somewhere nice. You decide where."

"Oh, that will be fun. I'll make a resie tomorrow - or tonight. I know just the place. This will be fun, Jake."

"I can't wait, Stella. I can't." And truer words had never been said.

As I was finishing my sentence, Jen returned to say goodnight.

"Well, I'm packed and ready to so I'm gonna hit the sack. I just wanted to say goodbye, Jake. I hope you'll come back and see us when we're both here at the same time," she laughed.

"Oh, I'll be back. I haven't finished freeloading on you guys yet." I joked.

Jen turned to Stella and reminded her to take good care of me.

"Oh, I am, Mom. We're going to go to Winston's tomorrow night."

Jen smiled and clapped her hands in agreement. She told me I'd have a great time and a good meal and it did her heart good to know I wouldn't be alone the next night.

I felt a little guilty for my lascivious thoughts, but I acted like I was going along with the game and Jen said her goodnights and departed. The reality finally hit me that I was going to be alone with Stella for the next two nights. The thought made me shiver with delight.

I was tempted to stay up talking to Stella, but it was getting late and I did need to catch an early train. Reluctantly, I said goodnight to Stella and headed downstairs after gathering in an innocent goodnight kiss. I had a big day the next day, but I knew what would be running through my head all day.

*

I was at the Mount Kisco train station early the next morning and studied up on my part of the presentation as I commuted down to Grand Central Station. The day was a busy one and very productive. All the members of our team assembled at the project manager's office and we parceled up our presentation and did a couple of dry runs. I was invited to hang out with the rest of the team after hours - to head out on the town for the evening - but I declined and said I had made plans to see friends.

I had received a couple texts from Stella during the day, just confirming where she had made a reservation and checking on timing. My social secretary was keeping me apprised of our evening's activities, but she was also making me excited for the day to end.

I was on the 4:30 train and back in Kisco by 5:30. I had texted Stella to my ETA. After a short ride I was pulling through the gate and up the driveway to an adventure that had little clarity in my mind at that moment. All I knew was I was going out to dinner with a gorgeous young woman for the evening and the chips would land where they would. I tried to drive the thought that she was my best friends' daughter out of my dirty little mind.

I let myself in the house and found Stella in the kitchen reading the newspaper at the large granite island.

"I'm home, honey," I joked.

"And right on time. Welcome back."

"Should I change into something more comfortable?" I was still wearing a jacket and tie and felt like I would be overdressed for a Wednesday night in Mount Kisco. But once I saw how Stella was attired I realized I didn't want to dress down too much. She looked like a million bucks.

"Sure, but you look pretty dapper the way you are. Maybe lose the tie and we're good to go," she suggested. "Our reservation is for 7 at a place called Winston's downtown. It only takes 10 minutes to get there. Freshen up and come upstairs for Happy Hour. It's on the house," she grinned.

As she spoke I finally had an opportunity to check her out. She was wearing what could best be called by its popular moniker - a little black dress. And where she had looked casual and flouncy the previous night, she looked sexy and exotic on this evening. She was wearing heels that had thin straps around the ankle and the dress itself was tight and showed off her considerable curvature.

"Damn," I said as I made no excuse for looking her up and down. "You look like you must have a hot date tonight," I joked. She smiled and I thought I was going to melt.

"I do, in fact, and I'm looking forward to it."

I excused myself and went downstairs. I took care of business, changed my shoes, put on a fresh shirt and splashed on a little cologne. I was ready for the evening's activities. I emerged from my lair as Stella was mixing martinis.

"Do I need a coupon for this free drink?" I inquired. Stella looked up as she picked up the shaker and gently shook the ingredients on ice. The upper slopes of her breasts shook just slightly with the effort and I shook my head in amazement.

"First one's free," she chimed. "Actually, we only have time for one shorty, then we should be on our way."

She poured a small drink into a fancy glass and handed it to me. We toasted.

"Just enough to wet your whistle," she purred.

I really needed to check my libido. I was reading subtle sexual nuances into every word she said. It was hard not to, however, given how incredibly hot she looked.

"You do the LBD proud," I stated, disregarding my own rule immediately.

"You like? I threw it in my suitcase when I left - just in case."

"Sure. Why not? It can't have taken up much room."

"You're quite right. It doesn't," she agreed with a smile.

We laughed and bantered as we sipped our drinks, but were out the door on time. She tossed me the keys as we descended the stairs to the garage.

"You okay driving Dad's Mercedes convertible?" she inquired.

"I think I can handle it, thanks."

She got in the car and the dress rode sinfully up the longest smoothest legs I had seen in some time. I was going to have to make sure I concentrated on the road and not the sinuous thighs now on display. We backed out of the garage, careened gently down the driveway and pulled out on to the open road. Stella had put her hair under a baseball cap and looked like she might be ready to go for a jog in her tiny black dress.

We parked in the rear of the restaurant and closed up the top. I veered around the rear bumper to open her door - partly to be a gentleman and partly to get an eyeful as she emerged from such a low slung vehicle. She took my hand and kept her lean thighs together properly as she swung and stood. The hat was gone and she looked like a movie star arriving at a premier.

"Why thank you, Jake. I hope you'll throw your jacket down if we come to any puddles."

"You know I will," I responded.

We entered the restaurant and were seated immediately up in the mezzanine at a very private table for two against the exposed brick wall and directly above the bar. It was a perfect table for a private conversation. We were right in the middle of things and could see the entire restaurant, but had no other tables nearby.

We ordered two proper martinis and perused the menu. The drinks were brought promptly and the waitress took our order efficiently. We toasted to what felt like the beginning of a wonderful evening.

I had noticed a few looks from patrons and the hostess as we had entered the restaurant. It was a hip young place and I had to figure that Stella might run into someone she knew. I was hoping my presence was not going to embarrass her in some way.

"I hope you're okay being here with me. It feels like the kind of place you might know someone, seeing as you grew up here."