Tiny Tina

For Monday and most of Tuesday they drove back to Central City. Maria was fairly tired and was anxious to return to her home. When they got to her car, Miguel turned off his car and turned to Maria.

"You're sure you don't want to stay tonight?"

"Yeah, I really need to get back. I've had to reschedule this one client twice already."

"OK. Makes sense. Uh, Maria, where does this leave us?"

"Leave us?"

"Yeah. I mean, we seemed to click, you know, get along."

"Umm-hmm, we did and I'm glad for Tina's sake."

"What about those nights when we slept together? Did they mean anything to you?"

"Well, we didn't have sex."

"I know, I know. I kinda wish we had. But didn't you feel at least closer?"

"Yeah, I did. You are a good hugger and a great kisser."

"So are you. Those hugs and kisses meant something to me. What about you?"

"Yea, they meant a lot, but Meegs, we have to be realistic. We live over two hundred miles apart. It isn't realistic to plan for us being together now, is it? I mean, I've got my family and practice down there and you're well established here. We can't really expect to have a serious relationship under those circumstances, can we?"

"Uh, I dunno. I always thought distances could be overcome if the two really wanted to."

"Uh, I'm going to say something here that might sound mean, but I gotta say it: I can't be doing the long-distance thing. Just don't even go there. Look Miguel, I had a great time. I love having reconnected with my daughter and I'm tickled you reconnected, too. Let's be good parents to her but I don't see how we can be parentstogether for her."

"I see. OK, Mar, I'd better let you go. Drive safe. See you later," he said as he stepped away from her car. Maria put her car in drive and slowly drove away.

-----

For the rest of the week Maria did catch up work and took care of a few difficult clients. By the time the weekend came around, she was exhausted. Saturday morning her doorbell rang right as she was brewing her coffee.

"Well, Mar, how'd it go?" asked Sofia when the door was opened.

"Oh, OK. No, pretty good, I guess. Coffee?"

"Sure. Thanks. Tell me all about it." Maria related the story including the surprise journey Miguel took her on to see Tina and how the two got along fabulously well.

"How'd you get along with him? Huh?"

"It was OK."

"So, tell me about your sleeping arrangements," laughed Sofia.

"We, uh, we stayed together in the same hotel rooms."

"Uh-huh. Well, did you play 'hide the salami'?"

"No! Nothing happened."

"Nothing? Didn't you at least taste the salami?"

"Jeez, Sof, get your mind out of the gutter!"

"Hey, I can't believe you didn't even think about it. How about him? Did he dine downtown?"

"No one ate downtown, to use your words. Look, I've had a few relationships since my divorce and the sex was more clinical and not so emotional. I've decided from here on in I need to love someone before I have sex with them."

"You had sex with him back then!"

"We were two young people getting our rocks off. I didn't love him then!"

"Oh, so you love him now?"

"No. Oh, I don't know. We got along great. We hugged and kissed, but that's all!"

"Yeah, right!"

"No, honest. No sex. None at all."

"But you wanted to, I bet."

"Well, he is still pretty hot and one time I was getting pretty turned on."

"Why didn't you, you know, go all the way?"

"He wasn't pushing and I kept worrying about the distance between us."

"Distance? What distance? You could do a lot with long weekends, video conferencing, sexting..."

"Ooh, that's so gross. No, any sex for me has gotta be in person and I just don't see that happening. You know, Tina might apply for a summer internship at his clinic so I could go up there to visit her and maybe see him, too."

"Uh-uh, won't work. I bet he'll offer his place for her to stay and then you two couldn't do the horizontal polka without her knowing about it."

"You know, Sof, sometimes you're pretty crude," Maria laughed.

"Yeah, but tell me honestly that you haven't been thinking about it."

"I'll admit, I have, maybe, a little. But when I left, he wanted to discuss 'us' and I told him it wasn't reasonable, you know, with the distance and all."

"You are such a fool and you know it, Mar. I sense you really want to be with him but you threw up barriers. You'll regret it. A good guy like that doesn't come along very often and you just threw him away. Twice!"

"But..."

"No 'buts.' You blew it. Jesus, Mary and Joseph, God forgive me! And to think I used to think you were the smartest thing ever."

After Sofia left, Maria was in a turmoil. In her heart she knew she wanted to give the relationship a chance but in her mind she knew it couldn't work.

-----

For the next couple of months her life went on as before. Miguel texted her a few times and called once but he never tried to initiate any conversation about 'them.' He told her Tina had applied for a summer internship with his clinic and was accepted. He had offered her the chance to stay in his spare bedroom to save money and she had agreed. He encouraged Maria to come to visit right after Tina arrived.

It was a sunny day in June when she drove up to his place. She had planned a long weekend with Miguel and Tina and was delighted to see them both. After the usual hugs, they sat on his back patio drinking a bottle of wine, listening to music and getting caught up. Tina admitted she was newly considering medicine as a career and was becoming less interested in research or law. After a couple of hours getting caught up, they went to dinner at a nice little bistro in town. Back at his place things got a bit awkward when they discussed sleeping arrangements.

"Tina's got the guest bedroom for the summer. It has an en suite bathroom and is perfect for her needs."

"Yeah, Mom, it's great. I really appreciate it. But where are you sleeping?"

"Uh, I think I should get a couch or..."

"No guest of mine is sleeping on the couch. Look, I've got a single in the study and I'll sleep there and you get the master bedroom."

"Oh, Meegs, I can't put you out like that!"

"Not only can you, but you will," he insisted.

After things had settled down, Maria lay awake on his bed totally unable to sleep. She felt badly about him sleeping in the study. The more she thought about it, the less relaxed she felt. Eventually, she knew she'd have to talk to him. She snuck out of the bedroom and slipped down the hall to the study.

"Psst. You awake?"

"Uh, yeah, I have to admit I am."

"Meegs, I feel awful kicking you out of your bed."

"You didn't kick, I volunteered."

"Still, I feel awful."

"It's OK. Really."

"No, it's not. Now, go into your room and I'll stay here."

"Nope. Not gonna do it," he chuckled.

"Oh, yes you are," she laughed as she playfully grabbed his hand and tried to pull him from the bed. He won the battle and ended up pulling her down onto his bed before wrapping his arms around her.

"The only way I'll go to that bed is if you come with me."

"We can't do that. What will Tina think?"

"She'll think it's great. I kinda think she wants us together."

"We've talked about this and you know it just can't be."

"Maybe not, but for tonight we're sleeping together in the big bed," he announced as he rolled over, grabbed her by the waist and picked her up squealing and laughing while carrying her to the master bedroom. There they stretched out, arms around each other, as they drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, they were awakened with a frantic knocking on the door. "Mom, Dad's gone!"

After making sure they were decent, she invited Tina in. "Uh, he's right here.

"Honey. I couldn't sleep on that god-awful bed. Your mother came to my rescue."

"Eww, this is kinda embarrassing."

"Look, Tina, your parents slept together last night, and I mean weonly slept together," laughed Maria.

"Aww. So, no little siblings for me, huh?" she pouted while grinning the whole time.

"Get out of here, you nosy little shit," laughed Miguel, "Give us a second to get dressed and we'll be down for coffee."

Over coffee and breakfast they laughed some more about the sleeping situation until Maria quietly said, "You know your father is a nice body pillow. I could see myself using him again tonight."

"OK, Mom, but remember to practice safe sex!"

After their laughter died down, they decided to spend the day at a nearby state park. They hiked a few miles, ate a picnic lunch and enjoyed the outdoors. That evening featured a wonderful dinner cooked by Miguel.

At bedtime there was a bit of nervous laughter when Maria made it clear she'd be sleeping with Miguel again. Once they all went to bed and things quieted down, Maria snuggled up to Miguel.

"You really are a nice sleep pillow," she whispered as she kissed his neck.

"Glad I could be of assistance," came the rather curt reply.

"Are you upset, Honey?"

"No...well, maybe a tiny bit."

"Why?"

"Just what are we doing, Mar? Are we a couple or not?"

"No, we're not a committed couple, but for tonight I'd like to be comfortable together. Can't two adults spend a bit of time together and enjoy each other without labels?"

"Well, one label could be 'Friends with Benefits' but we're not even that. No benefits, that is."

"I get it, Meegs. You want more than I'm willing to consider. I find you incredibly sexy and it would be so easy to crawl on top and have my way with you. But I'm not much into the FWB idea. I want a bit more than that."

"So. Do. I. Dammit," he said with exasperation, "But you keep saying 'No' to anything more. What's a guy to do?"

"I'm...I'm sorry. I, I do care for you but I need some idea about the long term. I'm not like when I was nineteen and twenty. Then sex was exciting, new and fun. Now it means so much more to me. I guess I could see myself having a quickie with you. It would be fun. But...don't you think it would mean so much more if we were truly together?"

"Yeah, I get it. And I'm the same way actually. But Mar, the one thing you don't realize is that Istill have strong feelings for you. And I'd like to make a go of this."

"But how can we? The distance..."

"First, we need to decide if we want this, then we figure out the rest."

"I guess I'm a bit more pragmatic and not as romantic. I think we need to figure out the rest first."

"OK, well, we agree to disagree. Come here Sweetheart, get your hug and kisses and we'll have to think things through some more."

-----

Maria didn't stay around very long the next morning as she had a five-hour drive and wanted to get home fairly early. She wished Tina good luck in her internship and kissed Miguel goodbye on the cheek before she left. For her entire trip home all she could think about were her feelings for Miguel and their conversation from the night before.

She found herself extremely drawn to him. He was sexy as all get out, smart, established, friendly; in other words, he was a perfect catch. But she couldn't see uprooting herself from her home and practice to move just to be with him. She loved her parents whom she knew would need more help as the years went by. Her nephews were great kids and she loved her sister, people she didn't want to leave. And she was well established in the legal community. No, it was clear; she couldn't get involved with Miguel. She decided to remain friendly with him and told herself to avoid sleeping with him in the future. A hotel would be a better idea the next time she went to visit him and Tina.

-----

The next time together turned out to be a few weeks later when Miguel brought Tina with him for a surprise visit over the fourth of July weekend. Tina texted Maria right as they were coming into town Friday afternoon asking if she could visit. Maria obviously said 'yes' and was doubly surprised when Miguel and Tina both got out of the car. After a round of hugs she invited them into her modest home. She was able to stretch her meal to serve three and they stood around in the open kitchen/family room talking and drinking wine while Maria finished the meal.

After dinner and over another glass of wine, Maria proposed they meet her parents the next day. After calling them and Sofia, plans were made for an afternoon bar-b-q at Maria's. Her father would slow cook some ribs through the night and bring them while Maria would arrange for all the side dishes and beer.

That night their sleeping arrangements were exactly as they had been at Miguel's place with Maria and Miguel sharing a large bed while Tina slept in the guest room. Once they were alone, they came together to share hugs and some tender kisses. After a bit, Miguel pulled away and looked at her in the dimly lit room.

"You have no idea how wonderful your kisses are. I've looked forward to them ever since your last visit to me."

"Umm-hmm. Nice. Very nice. I agree."

"Maria, Honey, I, uh, I would like to try and see if we can make thing work."

"It's tempting, Meegs, but we've already talked about the distance thing. I can't do a long-distance relationship. When I commit, I want to go full in and not for only a weekend now and then."

"How about moving?"

"I can't do that. Mom and Dad are getting up there and will need more help as the years go by and Sofia's got her own kids, so she can't do it all. Plus, I'm close to her, also. I don't want to lose her either."

"So, this is your home huh?"

"Yeah, it is."

"OK, I get it. I understand," he paused a bit before chuckling, "Not interested in a little booty call?"

"Meegs, I'm a normal woman with normal desires and I could see taking a tumble with you, but with my last couple of short-lived relationships the sex didn't seem to mean so much. You know, if I want an orgasm, my vibe and a romance novel work just as well and without the emotional baggage."

"So, sex is off your table unless you're in a relationship?"

"Yeah, pretty much, I believe so."

As his arms held her close, she heard him say softly, "We're in a relationship, Maria, you just won't admit it to yourself."

"Maybe you're right. Let's see how things go, OK?"

"Yeah, let's see."

The bar-b-q was a wonderful success. Sofia and her family arrived and Tina was able to meet her younger cousins. The boys were fairly shy around her until she took them out to the front yard and played catch with them for nearly an hour. Maria's parents seemed to like Miguel once their initial nervousness wore off and they all sat around enjoying the warm weather, the cold beer and the easy comfort of a family get-together. Later in the afternoon Sofia invited Tina over for the evening to show her some more family photos and heirlooms. Right before they left, Sofia snuck up to Maria and whispered with a sly grin, "I'll bring her back no sooner than ten thirty. Plenty of time to bump uglies."

Maria gave her sister a dirty look as she led Tina down the sidewalk to the car.

And suddenly, they were alone. The mess had been picked up, the dishwasher was running and the two of them sat together on the couch.

"Meegs?"

"Umm?"

"Could I interest you in a kiss?"

"Umm-hmm," he responded with a grin.

Their kisses were tender and meaningful, far more soulful than those of twenty years before. It didn't take long for her to feel a familiar sexual fullness in her pelvis. When Miguel reached up and gently stroked her breast, she knew immediately she wanted him, all of him.

"Oh, Honey," she whispered when they paused, "I could definitely see inviting you to my bed."

"Why don't you?"

"Well, you know, Tina will be back..."

"In nearly three hours."

"It'll make me nervous."

"Tell you what. Let's go in there and set the alarm for ten. Until then we do whatever we want and we stop and clean up at ten," he murmured into her neck, sending chills down her back.

"Mmm, nice. Promise to stop at ten?"

"Promise."

"OK, let's do this," she laughed as she scampered into the bedroom with him close behind. Their lovemaking initially was a passionate sharing of oral pleasure, bringing each other to climax quickly.

After they recovered, she crawled on top and slowly let herself down on him, feeling him fill her, a sensation she always associated with pure womanhood. She slowly began to pump herself on him, feeling him fill her until she stimulated her clit on him before pulling back. The in and out, back and forth slowly picked up speed, energy and passion. Moans and cries filled the room as their bodies worked in sync, bringing both of them closer and closer to the edge.

Her orgasm was the most powerful she ever could recall having, taking her power of speech from her, draining her of energy until she collapsed on his chest. She realized she must have been unconscious for a tiny bit as she suddenly became aware of her surroundings. Tears puddled in her eyes as she realized how powerful the sensation had been, not just the sexual release but also the feeling of closeness, of unity, of togetherness and, yes, of love.

After a few minutes, Miguel stirred a bit and drew back to look at her. "Sweetheart, that was..." he murmured, unable to truly describe his feelings.

"Yeah, it was, that was...wow, that's what that was."

"You know we're not making any sense."

"Umm-hmm."

"Mar, I will say one thing that does make sense. I have never, ever felt so close to another person as I have tonight. This has been beyond unbelievable. And," he paused, "And I have to confess, Mar, I have to confess that, uh, that I love you. Simple as that."

She pulled herself up away from him a bit to look him in the eyes, sniffling as her own tears made their way down her cheeks. "Meegs, I love you, too." Their lips met in a sweet union, sealing their unspoken promises.

Over an hour later Tina returned to find them sitting on the couch, holding hands and gazing at the muted TV. She regaled them with stories of what she had seen and showed a few items Sofia had given to her. Finally, she told them she was crashing and wished them a good-night. The two went to bed shortly after that and fell asleep with arms wrapped around each other.

They had no time to talk about themselves the next day with Tina being in the house until they left to drive back to Central City. That evening Miguel texted Maria a simple emoji: one red heart.

-----

The next week at work was one of mixed emotions for Maria. On one hand she was happy, elated even, knowing she was loved by a great guy. And she loved him. Even her secretary commented Maria seemed to be in extra good spirits.

But on the other hand, she was despondent. Her lover was nearly five hours away with an established medical practice he didn't seem able or willing to leave. How could they ever hope to be together under those circumstances?

One week later on a somewhat hectic Friday afternoon, she received a text.make dinner reservations. best restaurant. be there in 3 hrs

She was stunned. Was he coming to visit?serious? here?

Y

She raced through the rest of her paperwork and took off promptly at five leaving her secretary, who was used to Maria working far too late in the evenings, speechless. After a quick run-through picking up the house and a shower, she laid out a nice, sexy thong, stay up stockings and a LBD which left little to the imagination.

She looked at herself in the mirror. "Not bad for an old woman," she mused to herself. "A bit full in the belly but the girls and ass still look good. And luckily no stretch marks. Glad I used that cream." After the clothes went on, a couple of spritzes of perfume helped her feel ready for him to arrive.

She answered the bell to find him dressed very nicely with a pair of gray wool slacks, white shirt, tie and a dark blue sport coat . He looked fabulous standing there holding a large suitcase, a bouquet of flowers and a stunned look on his face. "Uh, Hi, Mar. Oh my God, you look fabulous."