Titletown Tryst

So, clearly this was a fantasy. They were looking for a dedicated family man, somehow unattached, good looking (but not too good looking), a little bit buff, but not too buff, fortyish, confident, established, and willing to, in a non-threatening way, hop into bed with Erin while Jared watched. Those guys grow on trees, and every fall they ripen up and are hanging low, just waiting to be plucked. They joked about that a lot.

They joked about Marcus as they approached the stadium. He fit so many of the traits they were looking for it was uncanny, and the more time they spent with him the more they both grew to like him. He just seemed like a great guy. He was their best fantasy guy, except for that pesky ring on his left hand, or maybe because of that ring on his left hand. It was just so impossible, and they agreed that was a good thing.

Erin continued to think about him as they passed through the gates and into the stadium. She loved his hands. They were strong looking, but not overly large. She watched them as he did a trick with a quarter for a young hometown fan sitting at the next table. He deftly dropped a quarter into the recess between his fingers, making it seem as though it disappeared. Then he magically made it reappear behind the child's ear. The giggles and glowing eyes were heartwarming...from Marcus. The little boy enjoyed it too. She felt a tingle inside and hoped that would one day be Jared.

"Erin...ERIN...What the heck were you thinking about?" Jared asked. "I thought I'd lost you for a minute. I stopped to get a program and you just wandered off."

"Nothing really," she lied. He may have guessed. He probably guessed, but he didn't say anymore. On they marched to their seats.

The game was a real nail-biter. The home team pulled ahead on a long pass play with almost no time left. Erin stared blankly into the crowd as everyone around her stood up to cheer and high five their seat neighbors. She eventually stood up and smiled at Jared, feigning excitement at what would end up being the winning touchdown. He noticed, but didn't say anything about it. Deep inside he thought he knew what it was about. When they were out of the crowd, he meant to find out for sure.

They chatted over the noise of the celebratory crowd as they made their way through the maze of crazed hometown fans in the parking lot after the game. Erin high-fived a drunk guy with a bouncing bare green & gold belly. It seemed the best way to get him to move on. As they got further from the stadium the crowd thinned and they could talk in normal voices.

"You seemed kind of distracted in the game, Hon. what were you thinking about?" asked Jared. "And don't tell me 'nothing', because I'm not buying it."

The smile that crossed her face gave her away before she could do anything about it. She knew she'd have to give him something...and why not the truth. "I was just thinking that Marcus was 'the guy.' He was everything we talked about in a guy, and I KNOW we could never REALLY do it...for a million good reasons...but if we did..."

She didn't have to finish her thought. Jared knew exactly where she was going. He'd been thinking the same thing. He knew it would NEVER happen for real, but he also knew that she had never behaved like this before. Was she actually wishing they had gone through with it? He was there, right in front of them. They could have asked him up to their room. It could have happened.

No, it couldn't. That's not the kind of people they were. And the simple fact that he would have been willing to cheat on his wife would have taken away the primary thing that made him so attractive to Erin. None of it mattered anyway. They had all parted ways before the game and they would never see each other again.

The two of them joked over their crazy thoughts as they started the walk back to their hotel. On the way they passed the Titletown Sports Bar. It was a night game, so it was late, but the sports bar was still pretty busy with the post game party.

"Let's stop in for a night cap," suggested Erin.

Jared thought that was strange. It was late, she was not normally much of a drinker, and for as long as he knew her, he didn't believe she'd ever had a 'nightcap.' He got the feeling she was up to something. Like Erin, he had enjoyed their little pre-game tryst, and was thankful for the little boost Marcus had given their sex life. Unlike Erin, he didn't remember that their server was nice enough to suggest putting everyone's leftovers in the cooler for them to pick up after the game.

Chapter Five

Marcus sat there sipping soda as he watched the highlights of the day's games on the big screen TVs. He couldn't hear the commentary over the bar noise, but he could catch all the news on the radio on his drive back tomorrow morning. Ben, Jonathan and Becky had already left. They were driving back that night, but Marcus had a meeting in town in the morning and would head back after that. He was just waiting for the server to return with his leftovers and slurping the end of his soda through his straw. Mom never broke him of that childhood habit. Or maybe she had and he just decided to start it up again.

He was startled out of his TV trance by arms draped over his shoulders from behind in a playful hug. He felt soft hair bounce against his cheek and saw Jared walk into view. 'So this was the lovely Erin draped over my shoulders,' he thought. He never expected to see them again, but it was a very welcome surprise. They were a great young couple and he really enjoyed the time they'd shared before. Not so long ago his thoughts would have been a bit more lurid, but that kind of stuff was far from his mind lately.

"Wow, it's great to see you guys. You just missed the rest of the gang, they headed out a few minutes ago," Marcus remarked. "Care to join me for a...soda? Or something more potent if that's what you're after." Before they could answer him his cell phone rang. He looked concerned as he looked at the screen, and excused himself from the table while he took the call.

The server returned and the young couple ordered sodas while they pretended not to watch Marcus. He had a finger stuck in one ear as he talked loudly into the phone. He looked very concerned at first, but transitioned into a smile and was soon back at the table. "Sorry," he said, "My daughter couldn't sleep and wanted to talk to me. She's been a bit nervous when I travel, ever since the accident," he said without thinking.

"Oh, poor girl," Erin replied, "What accident?" She pried out of concern, more than anything else. Or was it something else?

"Hmmm?" Marcus replied.

Erin realized she was prying and hoped she hadn't offended him. "I'm sorry," she said, "You said she was nervous ever since the accident. I didn't mean to pry."

Did he really say that? He thought he just thought it. "Yeah, her Mom passed away in a car accident about a year ago. Ever since then she has been nervous whenever I travel. She's staying with her grandparents tonight and they let her call me when she couldn't sleep."

"I am so sorry," her heart cried for him. Now she felt like a real heel. "I had no idea."

She noticed the ring again on his left hand. He was still wearing it a year later. While she was staring at his ring, the last cog in a complicated tumbler lock fell into place in her brain. She straightened up in her seat and looked at Jared. 'He's a widower,' she thought. 'That is very interesting.' Everything they'd ever said about why it could never happen for real flashed through her mind. They always came back to one key point. How could you ever find a dedicated family guy that was willing to cheat on his wife? You couldn't. It was impossible...unless...he was a widower.

Chapter Six

Marcus got up from his seat and went to find their server. She retrieved the leftovers she had so kindly stashed in the cooler for them while they were at the game. After he squared up with her for the sodas they wished each other a good night.

When he returned to the table Jared and Erin were engaged in a quiet conversation with their backs to him. He politely waited, not wanting to interrupt them. Their conversation seemed at once very serious and very secretive. Something was up, but he didn't know what. He made a move to get up. He needed to hit the restroom and that would give them some time to wrap up their conversation.

Jared spun around, "Marcus, can you stay for a bit?"

"Sure, I was just going to go to the little boys room. I'll be right back." He thought that was a little weird and wondered what was up. When he returned the two seemed different.

They sat there, side by side, both grinning at him...nervously? Maybe if he knew them better he'd have a better read. He sat at the table across from them and there were a few moments of uncomfortable silence. Marcus finally broke the silence, "So, are you guys headed back to K.C. soon or are you staying a while?"

"We fly back tomorrow night, " Jared replied, "How about you?"

"I would have driven back tonight, but I have a morning meeting in town so I'll be spending the night."

"Oh, really, where are you staying?" Erin asked politely.

"Hampton Inn...you guys?"

"The Marriott," she sounded apologetic. "It's normally a little out of our league, but this trip was kind of a present from my parents."

"Hmm. I have to drive right past there. Can I give you guys a lift?" Marcus asked.

Almost too quickly, Erin hopped off her stool and grabbed her jacket. "Sure. Let's go."

A few die-hard tailgaters were still going at it under the lights in the parking lot behind the sports bar. The threesome wandered past, admiring the endurance of the hometown faithful. After unlocking the doors with the key fob, Marcus opened up the back door. He needed to clear the back seat of the road trip accoutrements: cooler, jacket, overnight bag, and football. He stepped back and Erin hopped into the back seat. He closed the door for her and climbed into the front with Jared.

As they pulled out of the parking lot, Erin leaned forward between the front seats, so her head was almost between the two men. She turned toward Jared and winked, then turned back toward Marcus and asked if he would put the air on in back. She was feeling very warm. She then sat back in the middle of the seat, right in line with his rearview mirror. Their eyes met in the mirror for a moment and she smiled at him.

'She was such a pretty girl,' he thought as he glanced at her in the mirror. 'Had she unbuttoned one or two buttons on the front of her blouse?' He must have imagined it. He nonchalantly adjusted his mirror down a little, and felt just a bit naughty.

They were stuck for a bit at a stoplight in the post game traffic. Erin had her hands behind her head and leaned back as she took a deep breath and sighed. The move pulled her blouse tight across her chest as she arched her back. A move that Marcus didn't miss. He noticed a flash of white lacey bra as her shirt shifted. He also noticed that the cool air had awakened Erin's nipples and they were showing through her shirt and bra. She lowered the top of her head just a bit so he could see her eyes in the mirror, and she smiled a kind of playful smile at him.

'Oh my God, I am so busted,' he thought. He looked away embarrassed.

When the light changed and traffic started to move he automatically checked his mirror, but all he saw was Erin. He noticed her delicate fingers playing over her pink lips, and then the tip of her index finger carelessly tracing a line down over her chin and down to the hollow of her throat. She pulled the collar of her shirt to the side, exposing the white strap of her bra, and absentmindedly ran her pretty nails back and forth across her collar bone.

Somehow Marcus broke the trance he was under and glanced back to the road in front of him. SCREECH! He stopped the SUV inches from the bumper of the car in front of them. "Sorry about that guys. My attention drifted. I must be getting a little sleepy. With all this traffic it may have been faster for you guys to walk," he noted.

"We're happy for the ride, thanks very much," Jared replied. He sat up in his seat to shift his weight and flashed a warning stare at Erin. Obviously she was having the intended affect, but they wanted to get to the hotel in one piece. She got the message, but wasn't done yet.

When they stopped at the next light she tugged her shirt far enough to the side to expose the top edge of her bra. Then she pretended to have an itch just under the edge of the lacey material and the ends of her fingers disappeared into her bra. She leaned her head back onto the top of her seat and deliberately closed her eyes, giving him carte blanch to gawk at her in the mirror. 'If she reached any deeper she'd be scratching her nipple,' he thought as he shifted in his seat to try to adjust himself inconspicuously.

He and Jared kept up a very shallow conversation that touched on traffic, the weather and a few other things that he forgot the moment he spoke the words. He didn't quite know what to think of this most unexpected, but most enjoyable show. He was just very sorry that it was about to end. He pulled into the parking lot of the Marriott Hotel and drove into the roundabout to drop them off and say his goodbyes. He was sure he would have some very interesting memories playing in his head as he drifted off to sleep that night.

At this point Jared and Erin were caught at a crossroads. They had talked about getting this far, but not about the next step. They could say their goodbyes now and not cross that dangerous line they agreed to never cross. They were both so excited that neither of them was thinking very clearly. "W...would you like to come up for a night cap?" 'Oh my God that sounded so stupid,' Jared thought. 'Not to mention a little bit gay, which he was not.' This was going to end badly, he just knew it.

Erin caught his nervousness and giggled, although she was trying to think of a backup plan in case the 'nightcap' approach didn't work. After the show she put on in the backseat, which she still couldn't quite believe she did, she hoped there wouldn't be a need for plan B. 'Oh my God,' she thought, 'I can't believe this might really be happening. Her stomach was doing somersaults and she was feeling a little light headed.

Marcus looked out the window thoughtfully for a bit, then said, "Sure, why not." Both Jared and Erin would have breathed a sigh of relief if they weren't both so nervous about figuring out what they were going to do next.

Marcus pulled out of the roundabout and into a parking spot. The three of them climbed out of the truck and crossed the lot to the entrance. Jared got their first and held the door for Erin and Marcus. They crossed the lobby and waited for the elevator. The elevator ride seemed as though it would never end. They walked down the long hall to the door of their room. Not a word had been spoken since they entered the hotel. They all seemed to feel the awkwardness of the moment.

Jared and Erin were about to do something they had previously promised each other they would never do. Marcus had no idea where this was going. There was no question in his mind that if it had been one year ago, he would have said goodbye in the hotel parking lot and would never have seen them again. He didn't know what had prompted the tantalizing backseat performance, but he couldn't get it out of his head. The effect for him was like being on a leash, and he followed like a curious puppy dog. If there was any chance for a continuation of that show, he wanted to put himself in a position to be part of that.

Chapter Seven

After walking into the suite Erin dropped her jacket on the couch in the sitting area and grabbed the phone on the table. "I'm going to order room service. Will anyone drink some champagne with me?" She made the call.

Jared recalled fond memories of the last time she drank champagne, about six months ago, and that sounded good to him. Marcus was not a champagne drinker, but she seemed to be on a roll and he had no intention of getting in her way. Marcus sat in an oversized comfy chair and Jared sat on the love seat next to Erin. While they were waiting for their champagne they chatted about mundane things. For all Marcus knew it was the same conversation he forgot he had with Jared in the truck.

As they waited for the champagne to arrive, the conversation turned around high school boyfriends and girlfriends. It eventually led to Marcus and the loss of his wife. It had been quite a while ago, but he hadn't done any dating yet. He supposed that he was probably as ready as he would ever be, but it was going to be difficult. Erin and Jared listened intently, encouraging him that he'd find someone special again. They shared some of their history. Except for each other it seemed that their experiences were pretty limited.

While they spoke Marcus noted the features of the large suite. When you first came in there was a little kitchenette / bar area where they were able to stash their leftovers in the mini fridge. Straight ahead was the sitting area, which contained two comfy overstuffed chairs and two love seats around a square glass coffee table. Off to the side through a pair of French doors was the bedroom area which was dominated by a king sized bed with an ornate wooden headboard. Between the bedroom and bathroom was a large four person hot tub set up on a tile deck, over which was an enormous skylight. 'Very nice indeed,' thought Marcus.

A rap at the door told them the champagne had arrived. A cart was pulled into the room with two bottles of champagne and two silver capped bowls. After signing for the bill Jared pushed the cart into the sitting area and uncorked one of the bottles with a pop. He poured 3 glasses while Erin got up to investigate the silver covered bowls. Beneath the first cover was a mound of beautiful, giant strawberries. Beneath the second was a pile of fresh whipped cream. Erin had some creative thoughts about what they could do with those.

Jared kept their glasses full and Erin kept their conversation dancing, every once in a while throwing in an erotic comment to stir the boys up. The conversation turned around many topics but somehow kept coming back to sex. At one point Erin mentioned body shots and Jared jumped all over that. He laid her flat on the love seat and brought over the bottle of champagne. He pulled the bottom of her shirt out of her jeans exposing her flat tummy and cute little insie belly button. Marcus watched, intrigued as Jared knelt alongside the love seat and carefully poured champagne into her belly button. Of course some spilled out, running down to her jeans, as it wasn't that deep and he wasn't as careful as he could have been. She giggled as he lowered his head, making her tummy bounce and splashing out more of the champagne. Then he opened his mouth and covered her navel, sucking the liquid up as it spilled out.

Marcus didn't quite know what to make of the young couple's openness around him. That was only the beginning, he was about to learn.

"OK, your turn Marcus!" Erin shouted. Jared poured again, spilling more, and offered the spot on the floor to him. He hesitated out of courtesy, not because he wouldn't love to put his lips and tongue on her hot young body. After some cajoling he knelt down and slowly bent his head down to her. As he inched closer he noticed little goose bumps rising on her tummy and sides. She shivered as he rested one hand on her thigh and one on her arm, steadying himself. As his lips touched her skin and his tongue followed, she let out a little giggle and squeal. After sucking the fluid out of her belly button the tip of his tongue pushed into the little crevice to catch any last drops. As he came up he noticed her eyes were closed and her hands were grasping the fabric of the couch tightly. 'She seemed to really enjoy that,' he thought.