The Dinner Invitation

THE DINNER INVITATION

Like any other neighborhood, ours has gone through its cyclical changes. When we moved here thirty years ago, it had an abundance of young families. Over the years it then became predominantly filled with empty nesters; and now it's beginning to cycle back to young families again. I remained in our home, after my wife's passing and our boys having moved away to begin their careers. There are so many memories that were made under this roof which I will always cherish. This was primarily why I stayed. That is, until recently.

I have developed a friendship with a female neighbor who lives directly across the street from me. The family is a young couple with two elementary-aged children. The mom, Amber, works sparingly as a real estate agent. She switched to part-time once they started to have a family, primarily to keep busy and get a chance to get out of the house occasionally. They can easily afford to live on her husband's salary alone.

Her husband, Matt, in sales, is away from home a lot due to work. He's the typical college frat boy born with a silver spoon in his mouth. You know the type. Arrogant. Knows everything. Our paths crossed only a few times in the two years since they've moved in, and I've concluded that he's not the type of person I would like to spend my free time with. I'm not sure what Amber sees in him, but love is a strange thing.

With Matt gone so much, Amber is basically raising the 2 kids alone. If she's not working in the yard, she's either playing with the boys, or chauffeuring them to soccer and baseball games. I would consider her a single parent since she isn't getting any help from her husband raising their kids, other than financially. She has a hectic life and rarely has time for herself and has no social life whatsoever.

As I mentioned, over the last couple of years my friendship with Amber has grown. What started out as short, neighborly conversations that consisted of nothing more than an exchange of pleasantries, talking about the weather, etc., has now grown into a relationship where we can depend on each other when necessary.

I have helped her out with "guy things", like changing flat tires, or minor repairs around her house, and she has brought over many dinners since she knows that I'm all alone and how difficult it is to cook for one. Amber is a terrific cook too. I had to increase my gym frequency to work off the extra calories she was providing. The extra work has paid off, as I'm noticing the results from the extra time that I am putting in. Apparently, I wasn't the only one.

A few weeks ago, on a Friday afternoon, as I was working in the yard and sweating profusely in the late summertime heat, I felt something cold on my bare back. I jumped and spun around to find Amber there, smiling, with a tall, cold, glass of lemonade.

"You look like you could use this right about now.", she said motherly.

"You're a life saver.", I replied as I gulped the huge glass down. Some of it was dripping onto my bare chest, but I didn't care. The cold contrast against my heated torso was refreshing.

Amber noticed it too and began to wipe off my chest with her bare hand. "Honestly. You're as bad as my boys.", she said scoldingly. "Except my boys don't have such a nice build as you do." Her eyes were giving me the once over as she was biting her lower lip.

I noticed that her hand stayed on my chest even after the lemonade was cleaned off. I thanked her for the compliment and the cold drink.

Amber then broke out of her trance and asked, "What are you doing for dinner tonight?"

I replied that I had nothing special planned, as her hand was still on my chest. I don't think she even realized it. Then again, maybe she did.

She said excitedly, "Great! Then I'm inviting you over. Matt is out of town with his friends for a golf weekend. And the boys are leaving for their grandparents' tonight and all of them will be gone until Sunday dinnertime. So, I won't take 'no' for an answer. How does 7:00 sound?"

I said that 7:00 would be perfect, as Amber gave a light squeal like a schoolgirl who was just asked to the prom.

As Amber turned to leave, she removed her hand slowly from my chest and slid it down over my 6-pack as she pulled away and commented her approval with a hushed, under her breath, "Mmm. Mmm. Mmm."

As she turned and headed back to her house, I couldn't help but stare at the little jiggle her bubble butt was making in her tight, black, satin shorts with every step she took. "Geez. You dirty old man. You're old enough to be her father." I mumbled to myself and went back to my yardwork.

By the time I finished I had just enough time for a shower. Afterward, I stood in front of the bathroom mirror, looking at my middle-aged body and thinking how far I had come. Seven years ago, I was overweight and had high blood pressure. I wasn't leading a very healthy lifestyle. Then my world was shattered when my beloved wife of 25 years died of a massive heart attack. That was my wake-up call. If a person in as good of health as she could die from a heart attack, I would have to be a ticking time bomb. I didn't want her to have died in vain, and I didn't want to orphan our two sons who were still minors at the time.

So, I made the decision to throw out all the junk food and stopped eating fast food. Instead, I began to eat healthy and go to the gym five days a week. The work has paid off in more ways than one. I am not only healthier and looking better, but I feel better. I have much more confidence, energy, and stamina than I did when I was seven years younger. And I've noticed that I've been getting some attention from the fairer sex lately, as Amber displayed earlier in the day with the lemonade.

I looked at the clock and realized I was running late. I began to get dressed. Since it was so damn hot out, I decided to go with something that would breathe, and decided on a light-blue, cotton crew neck shirt and khaki shorts, with sandals. The lighter colors were a good contrast against my tanned skin. The shirt fit snuggly over my chiseled torso. The veins in my bronze arms were popping from my workout earlier in the day. I figured I looked presentable enough for a friendly dinner with my neighbor.

I grabbed a bottle of wine from the refrigerator and made my way across the street. It was still hot and humid outside. I could feel the sweat build up on my back in just a few seconds.

Amber answered the door in a white, cotton dress with a plunging neckline, that hugged her body like a glove and emphasized her curves. Her sparkling brown eyes danced when she smiled. She had her chestnut brown hair pulled back into a ponytail. She wore her makeup conservatively, but was wearing pinkish lipstick that made her sensual, full lips look moist and inviting. Someone with her natural beauty didn't need much make-up. I couldn't help but notice that her nipples were poking through the thin material. A result from the a/c blasting inside that I experienced as the cold air hit me when she opened the door. It was hard to believe that she was the mother of two.

"Welcome neighbor!", Amber said as she broke my trance with her warm greeting. "Boy, don't you clean up well.", she added.

"Well, seeing how lovely my hostess looks, I had to step up my game.", I replied.

"Aren't you sweet.", she said as she leaned in and gave me a peck on the cheek. The perfume she was wearing smelled heavenly. She gave me a wink, as she took the bottle of wine from me and invited me inside. As I followed her inside to the living room, my eyes bore a hole in her luscious ass. She told me to make myself at home as she went to put the bottle of wine in the refrigerator. I couldn't take my eyes off her body and how that dress showed off her shapely, tanned thighs. I took a seat on the sofa to hide my developing erection.

Amber asked if I would care for a drink, and I told her that a scotch on the rocks would be wonderful. A few minutes later she returned with my drink, and one for herself. She sat down on the couch next to me while we waited for dinner. We talked about pretty much every topic under the sun.

The scotch really hit the spot. I sucked it down quickly due to the warm day. I was surprised how Amber was keeping up with me. She refreshed both of our drinks. "I'm sorry, but dinner will be about another 20 minutes. It was chaos over here about an hour ago, trying to get two boys ready for a weekend visit to my parents.", she said as she handed me my second scotch.

I told her that I didn't mind because I loved spending time talking with her.

With the heat of the day, and skipping lunch, I could feel the second drink start to hit me a little bit. I was in that "feeling good" stage. Not drunk yet but I had a nice buzz going. Amber was feeling it a bit more than I was. I could tell by the way she began talking with her hands. She became more touchy-feely as she would touch me on my arm, leg, or shoulder as she talked.

As promised, about 20 minutes later, the oven timer sounded to my relief. I needed to eat something to soak up this alcohol.

Dinner was fabulous. With it, we had the bottle of wine that I had brought. Halfway through the bottle, Amber began to open up about the history of her and Matt. How they had met in college, and how she really loved being a mother. That there were times where she would trade in all the money Matt made at his job for a lesser paying one that kept him home more often. She said that the boys really needed their father and a male role model at this time in their impressionable lives. The more she drank, the more she opened up. The more she opened up, the more pissed off she was getting about her marriage situation.

"And then, to make matters worse, Matt finally gets a weekend to be home, and what does he do? He goes on a golf weekend with his college buddies. I'm just sick and tired of all this bullshit. Am I asking too much for my husband, the father of our children, to spend some fucking time with me? With us?", she complained.

Being a good friend, I listened and let Amber get it all off her chest. I also noticed that the alcohol must have been influencing her because I've never heard her swear before.

Amber continued, "I don't know. Maybe he doesn't think that I'm attractive anymore. Lord knows I've put on a couple of pounds after bearing two children. Maybe he's cheating on me. I mean, it would make sense if he was. Our sex life is nonexistent. When we do get the rare chance, it's all about him. He doesn't care if I cum or not. If he gets his rocks off is all that matters. Don't get me wrong, I make it a point to satisfy my man and enjoy doing so, but shouldn't it be a two-way street?"

Amber quickly took another sip of her wine, and then continued.

"And it's not like I'm a prude either. I'm willing to spice things up and try new things. What do you think? Am I wrong to feel frustrated?", she asked.

I was sitting there taking this all in. I was in disbelief how a guy like Matt, who had this drop-dead gorgeous wife, and 2 young kids, could be so selfish and not want to spend every free moment he had with them. He was missing out on the times that memories are made from. I started to think about when my boys were that age when I then realized; she had stopped talking.

I snapped back to the present, "What? Oh, I'm sorry. Well. Um. Number one, you are very attractive. Probably one of the most beautiful women I know. And even after having two kids, I think your body is amazing. That dress is very flattering on you. If he's cheating on you, then he doesn't deserve you." She started to blush. "Number two, yes. It should be a two-way street, and you are not over-reacting one bit."

I decided to stick with this topic and probe a bit deeper. I wanted to get more information from this sultry mommy. "So, your husband has proven what you don't like in a lover. Describe for me then your ideal companion."

Amber refilled her wine glass, took her time, and thought this through very carefully before answering. "Well, I want a man who is in charge, who dominates me and the situation. I don't mean that weird S&M shit, but a man who takes control. A man who knows what he wants and takes it, but also thinks of my needs as well. Who knows how to satisfy a woman. Matt doesn't get that. He gets what he wants, and only what he wants. He couldn't care less about my needs. He doesn't have time for any of that. He just wants to bust a nut and then watch T.V. 'Nice of you to take 30 seconds out of your day to be intimate with your wife. Asshole.'" Her temper was starting to show as she started to stray off topic.

"Forget about your husband.", I interrupted, trying to calm her down and bring her back to the topic at hand. "The question was 'What do you want in a lover?' And, if I understand you correctly, you want a man's man who decides what is going to happen, but who caters to your needs as well as his own. You don't have a problem if he dictates what to do, what position to be in, etc. As long as he focuses on pleasing you and you focus on pleasing him. Do I have that right?"

"Yes! That is exactly how I would describe him. Boy, if I had a man like that, my body would be his for anything that he wanted." Her sentence trailed off toward the end as she started to daydream, I could only assume she was fantasizing about her perfect lover.

I cleared my throat, and now it was Amber's turn to come back to the present. "I'm sorry. I usually have this type of conversation with one of my girlfriends.", she said apologetically. "I didn't invite you over here to cry on your shoulder about my marital problems. But you really do get me though. You seem to really understand what I'm saying. You're such a great listener. I'm not used to experiencing that with a man. Thank you."

I replied, "You're welcome. And to be honest and transparent, I'm a consultant. So, I get paid very well to fix problems for a living. Usually not on the personal level, like this, but it pays for me to be a good listener. Plus, I kind of know what you're going through from a being-alone standpoint. I'm alone in that house day in and day out. And with the neighborhood changing and with the old neighbors having moved, you're the only friend I have left around here.", I admitted.

By this time the bottle of wine was empty, and it was beginning to get dark outside. The sound of the light jazz on the stereo was emanating from the living room. Amber stopped her pity party and said, "Go relax in the living room. Give me a few minutes to clear the table and load the dishwasher, I'll grab us a glass of wine and join you."

I replied, "Nope. You relax and allow me to do that. You've done enough already by preparing that fabulous meal." She began to protest when I interrupted her, "I insist."

Amber almost had tears in her eyes. "Your wife was one lucky lady to have a guy as considerate and as thoughtful as you. I envy her."

I replied, "Well, guys my age were raised differently than guys today. We value what a woman brings to the relationship. We don't take them for granted. Guys in Matt's generation think that the world revolves around them."

I then added rhetorically, "As frustrated as you are, and it's obviously been this way for quite some time, I can't help but wonder what you ever saw in him in the first place."

At that moment I realized what I had said and how it must've sounded to someone in Amber's situation, and I apologized immediately. "I'm sorry. I was out of line for saying that. It was more rhetorical than anything, but I still shouldn't have said it. Again, I'm sorry. Go and relax in the living room, listen to some music, and I'll clean up and join you shortly."

Amber didn't say a word. She appeared to be deep in thought about our previous conversation and contemplating what I had just said. She nodded and stood up. But her legs were a little wobbly. I asked if she was ok. She assured me that she was, but her walking said something different. I put my hands on her hips, to steady her, and helped her to the other room.

I said, "Maybe another drink is a bad idea. You're a bit tipsy as it is."

Amber spun around, looked at me sternly, and scolded me as if I was one of her boys, "I'm fine. DAD!", before she started to laugh.

I answered in a self-deprecating manner, "Well, I am old enough to be your father."

She said, "Well, I doubt you're old enough to be my father. You sure as hell don't look like you're that old, and you definitely don't have the body of an old man.", as she began to move her hands over my chest and midsection again.

Amber moved her hands to my shoulders and pressed her chest next to mine as she leaned in for a kiss. I could feel her hard nipples rub up against my lower chest, and I'm sure she could feel my bulge growing as it grew against her.

Thinking fast, I thanked her for the compliment and reminded her that I still had to clear the dishes.

Amber's juicy, full lips produced a slight pout which started to turn me on. But that pout soon turned into a mischievous smile and she now had a wicked look in her eye. She was up to something. "Ok. You go and take care of the dishes and get the wine. There should be another bottle in the fridge. I'll get things ready in here."

I wondered what she meant by "get things ready in here." So, I quickly began to clear the dishes from the table and put this conversation behind us.

The dishwasher was soon loaded, and I went to get the wine. Except when I went to the refrigerator, there wasn't any.

"We're all out of wine.", I informed Amber, and she said there are plenty of bottles in the downstairs bar area, and asked if I minded getting one.

I told her that I'd be right back.

Once downstairs, I made my way to the bar area. They had several bottles of wine in their cooler to choose from. I selected a bottle of white, and before heading back upstairs, I took a moment to clear my head. I reminded myself that Amber is a good friend who's in a vulnerable place right now. And as much as she was turning me on, the best thing she needed right now is a friend to listen to her, and not someone to complicate things with sex.

I walked back upstairs with a new confidence in my game plan, reassuring myself that this was the right thing to do. I could hear the music from the living room as I got back to the kitchen.

I filled our glasses, put the remaining wine in the refrigerator, and as I entered the living room, I nearly knocked both glasses out of my hands with my dropping jaw as I stared at the unbelievable sight before me.

Amber had lit many candles inside and around the fireplace and room. The blinds to the windows were closed, and the only light filling the room was from the candles. She was lying in front of the fireplace on a bunch of oversized pillows. Her dress was lying across the room in a heap on the floor. She was lying on her back, propped up on her elbows with her hands massaging her bare, rock-hard, nipples. Her legs were together and bent at the knees with her feet flat on the floor. Between the candlelit room, the jazz on the stereo, the alcohol, and now this naked beauty lying in front of me, I kissed my game plan goodbye. My level of self-control was no match for this.

"Are you ready for your dessert?" Amber purred, as she parted her knees, spread her legs wide and displayed her cleanly shaven pussy.

"Um. Uh..." I couldn't think straight since all the blood had left my brain and was now rushing to between my legs.

"Are...are you sure?", I stammered.

"Yes baby. Very sure. As we agreed, a relationship should be a two-way street. My marriage only goes one way, and it appears to also be a dead end. So, I've been thinking while sitting here waiting for you, and have come to the conclusion that if my self-centered husband would rather have fun with his college buddies, I've decided that I'll have my fun with you. Now, are you going to come over here and finally make me feel like a woman?"