Unbundling Tamara

I could certainly do that, so I leaned down and began kissing that pale, silky skin. I slowly worked my way along her leg until a welcome musky aroma assaulted my nose. Two more kisses and I was at those familiar puffy labia that hid the enthralling pinkness that I craved. I kissed and licked them to soft moans from Anna, her hips moving back and forth with each kiss. My tongue was anxious for more, and it pressed between her labia, finding a warm and very wet place to penetrate. A deeper moan from Anna only spurred me on.

One hand on each labium, I spread her wider, and there it was, that swollen pink nub that was craving attention. I had decided I could tease us both, and I continued kissing and licking the labia, my tongue penetrating her over and over to louder and louder moans from a lip-chewing Anna who moved her hips, striving to bring that nub into contact with my lips and tongue.

"Marc," she said, taking hold of my head and pressing it against her. I knew what she was yearning for and was intent on maintaining her yearning. "Please," she added, a pleading sound to her groan.

I flicked that delectable nub one time to a delightful jerk from Anna. Then one more touch of my tongue and a third. Her fingers were wound tightly in my hair. She was determined to get what she wanted.

"You bastard," she grunted, her hips pumping up and down. My lips closed on her clit, sucking hard, my tongue rubbing back and forth. I could hear Anna's breathing change, and when her back began to arch, I released her.

"Oh, fuck."

I waited a few seconds before pulling her clit into my mouth once more. When her back arched again, I stopped once more, expecting a protest from Anna. She simply waited, knowing it was just a matter of time. I went to work again, this time not backing off until her loud moans and spasms stopped.

"That's the last time I tell you to do what you want," she said with a smirk when her breathing returned to near normal. "You want to ravage me now or take a break?"

"If you stay naked, we can take a break."

We talked for a while, and then I had my way with her, spectacularly satisfying as always.

Afterward, we climbed into the bed, another month behind us.

"Don't forget about that dare."

I gave her nipple a twist to show what I thought of her dare.

***

Tammy's 2X sweatshirt, flowered at that, made me smile when she came through the door of my office. It reminded me of my conversation with Anna and her dare.

"We need to resolve the earbud issue before someone is injured."

It sounded to me like Tammy had resolved it in her mind. But maybe I could rattle her a little.

"Can you take your glasses off for a second?"

A frown from Tammy. "What's up with that, Andrews?"

I smiled and shrugged. "A simple request, Golubev."

"I know you. Something's going on."

"Humor me."

"I may be sorry for this," she said, looking around as she removed her glasses. "Now what?"

They were green--a very pleasant green at that.

"I, um, just wondered what color your eyes are."

"You could have asked."

"I'm a visual person."

"Right," she said, smirking.

"About the earbuds. If you'll go to dinner with me tonight, we can discuss it some more." There, I'd said it. If I'd smacked Tammy with a two-by-four, I don't think her expression would have been any different.

"What?" she finally said.

"Dinner tonight with me, cuisine of your choice."

Tammy's look softened. "Andrews, are you asking me for a date?"

"Twice."

"Why?"

"Why do boys ask girls for a date?" I could see her mind working and expected a wisecrack in return.

"Okay," she said. "What time and Italian is good for me?"

I guess that, subconsciously, I expected her to say no. But it was going to happen. It wasn't often that Tammy Golubev surprised me. But, like it or not, I was going to have a date with her.

"Is six too early, and Italian sounds great?"

"I'll leave here at three-thirty. You're sure?"

She'd lowered her head when she asked if I was sure, and I could see those green eyes looking right at me. I wondered how I'd missed spotting them before.

"I'm sure if you are."

She smiled and nodded. I'd never seen her smile like that, and it was kind of pleasant.

"See you at six." And I couldn't help but wonder what I'd see at six.

Tammy had written her address on a Post-It note, and I'd put it in my GPS. All the way to her house, my mind was racing, hopelessly trying to picture the Tammy that would answer the door. I parked--less than a minute now. I knocked, waited, and then the door opened.

"You look like you just saw a ghost, Andrews."

Not a ghost, but nothing I'd ever seen before. "At work, you can call me Andrews. On a date, I'm Marc. And where did you come from?"

"Surprised you, didn't I?"

Surprise was an understatement.

"What were you expecting?" she asked, her cheeks a little pink.

"Honestly, I was asking myself that same question all the way over here. What I found is nothing that I expected, and you have to know that too."

"Before we go any further, I'm going to ask a favor of you." Tammy raised her eyebrows as she looked at me.

"No problem," I said, still in a state of shock.

Tammy held her hands out, gesturing to me and then herself. "This is a secret between the two of us."

"What? You mean how you look?"

"Exactly, no one at work can know, okay?"

That got my brain whirring. Glossy and wavy auburn hair just below her shoulders, the green of her eyes easily visible without the glare of the fluorescent light; from the neck up, she was stunning. Below that was a bit more of a mystery, but not totally. It wasn't difficult to see that there was a figure hiding beneath her three-quarter length sleeved blouse and sleek black slacks that covered legs that seemed much longer than they did at work. The two-inch casual heels she wore accentuated that. Why didn't she want people to know about this other side of Tamara Golubev?

"I'm not sure why, but okay. My lips are sealed."

"I'm trusting you, Marc."

The look on her face said way more than her words. Tammy had never spoken to me that way before. It had its effect, and I vowed to myself not to betray that trust.

"I'm curious about your reasons, of course."

She smiled. "You'll find out when and if the time comes."

"That's cryptic," I said, smiling back at her.

"Italian?" she said, ready to continue with the date.

"Sure, ma'am. Dominic's okay?"

"Never been there, but let's go."

I went out the door first, allowing Tammy to lock her front door. She put the keys in her purse, then stopped.

"Crap," she said and unlocked the door. "Forgot to set the security system." She turned to me. "And I forgot to check the back door." She was gone for fifteen seconds, then relocked the front door, tugging on it several times before putting the keys in her purse. She took hold of my arm and smiled. "Let's go, Andrews--um, Marc."

Everything she did seemed foreign to the Tammy I knew.

I opened the car door, and Tammy slid into the seat. I waited till I was sure she was settled safely inside before I slammed the door, then ran around and climbed in.

"How about this," I asked. "If we're talking about something personal, I'm Marc. If it's business, I'm Andrews."

"Okay, the same for me," she said.

At Dominic's, we were seated in a corner booth, and the warm smile on Tammy's face made sitting across from her very pleasant. Our table had a candle mounted in a wine bottle, and the flickering light did wonderful things with her green eyes.

"Okay, Andrews, about those earbuds."

My mouth dropped open. I wasn't ready for business, but that had been part of her acceptance of the date.

"You really think they're not safe?"

"Not just me. I've read several articles where other companies have banned them."

I smiled and winked at her. "If I let you win this one, what's in it for me?"

"You're getting a little cheeky awfully quickly, Marc."

I was relieved that she was back to the personal, but she wasn't hesitant about suggesting I apply the brakes. I hadn't realized I was speeding up, but she had caught me. Her change in demeanor from work-Tammy had me thinking, and I did have thoughts about all of this, but it was total guesswork.

"I'm not sure whether you're Marc or Andrews here, but why did you ask me for a date?"

That caught me unaware, and I could tell Tammy knew it. How to answer, though? She'd just said that she trusted me, but if I told her the truth, would things change?

"Just tell me, Marc. You weren't overwhelmed by my sensational beauty."

I could almost hear my gears turning, those green eyes boring into mine. I quickly decided that maybe I could massage the story a touch, not lying, just leaving a bit of it out.

"Well, I was with a friend the other night, and they asked me about work. So, naturally, you came up in the course of the conversation, and my friend wondered if I'd asked you for a date. That's how it came about."

Tammy looked a little suspicious.

"And am I ever glad I did," I added, winking at her. "But, since we're asking questions, and from what I know, why'd you say yes?"

"I guess because I decided I could trust you. We don't always agree at work, but you've always been honest, forthright, and willing to admit when you're wrong."

"Thanks. I have a natural question after all of this."

"I know what your question is going to be, and you may get the answer one of these days."

I could see that pursuing that subject was a fruitless chase. Perhaps I just needed to be patient, not my strongest attribute.

Seeing the Tammy sitting across from me and thinking about the Tam I knew at work, I was satisfied with that. I recognized there had to be something significant behind it, so I forced myself to relax and be patient. Tammy seemed like she'd be worth it.

"Are families for later too?"

Tammy was silent for several seconds, then burst out laughing.

The puzzled look on my face only brought more laughter.

"You mean your family and my family, not our family." More laughing.

My face reddened that she'd even thought that. Tammy was watching me closely, and her laughing stopped, a big smile covering her face.

"I didn't... um, I, well..." I stammered, watching that smile get even larger.

"Don't apologize; it was me. But I'm glad to see those rosy cheeks." She reached across the table and gave my hand a gentle pat. "My family is, well, a little too typical of today, I guess. My mom and dad separated when I was twelve or thirteen."

I gave her a sympathetic look because I remembered how hard it was for me, even at 19, to lose my dad, and I'm sure it was even harder for mother, although she didn't share her feelings too readily.

"I actually wanted to go with my mother, but there was a custody fight, and I didn't end up getting too much of a say in it. It was an ugly divorce which surprised me since I hadn't seen it coming. Maybe I was just naive."

Tammy stared off over my head, and I could tell that even remembering was almost more than she could handle. Maybe I could help a little.

"Yeah," I said, "I lost my dad at nineteen, and even that was hard. I can't imagine what a divorce with split loyalties must be like, particularly at such a young age.

"Keep going," she said. I want to hear about your family."

We finished our dinners and talked more about family, Tammy providing sketchy details about hers, and I sensed she wasn't inclined to provide more details yet in our brand new relationship. I was fine with that, curious, of course, but willing to go slowly. I was twenty-nine, and she was close to that, so we didn't have forever if we wanted things to progress normally. My definition of normal, at least.

I drove her home, both of us still talking full-speed, and, when I walked her to the door, I wondered. She looked at me, smiled, and those glossy lips moved toward me, but right past mine to my cheek, where I received a slightly longer than usual kiss.

"Thanks for being who you were tonight," she said, still close enough that I could feel her warm breath on my face.

"I'd like to be that same guy on Saturday if that's possible," I replied, longing to lean toward her and kiss those lips but able to stifle the desire.

"Oh?" she said, smiling.

"Different venue. How about a picnic at Watterson park at 10?"

Her smile continued. "Okay. What shall I bring?"

"I'll take care of everything this time, but if you have a specialty you love to prepare, surprise me."

"I think I surprised you today, so we'll see if I can keep my streak intact."

Other than appearing on Saturday stark naked, nothing could surprise me the way she had tonight. Thank heaven for Anna's dare. I'd have to get her something nice to repay her.

We said our goodbyes, and Tammy went through the door, my eyes glued to those black slacks that covered a surprisingly good-looking butt.

***

I stopped by Tammy's office early the next morning and wondered if last night had been a dream. What I saw was what I always saw when I stopped by her office, but remembering last night helped me send her a smile.

"Good morning, Golubev."

"Ah, Andrews, you'll be happy to know I got with HR this morning, and the 'no earbuds' policy goes into effect tomorrow." A big smile from Tammy.

"Even quicker than I thought, Gol--" I needed a change. "Can I change something?"

"Something important?"

"Could be, I guess." I looked around to make sure we were alone. "It's awkward to call you Golubev, except when I'm mad at you. How about Tam for work and Tammy for the other?"

"Sure," she said simply.

Unfortunately, our picnic had to be postponed due to a rainstorm--for three consecutive Saturdays, but that didn't mean that Tammy and I didn't get together on five or six occasions, and I got several more kisses on the cheek, the last few being a little "breathy" if that was possible for cheek kisses. I was anxious for a little more, but Tammy seemed very content with the way things were going, and we were certainly getting to know each other a little better, even though she was still quite private about personal things.

One day I received a surprising call.

"Hey Marc, it's Anna."

"Hi, Anna," I said, wondering where this conversation was headed.

"Can you meet me at Rocky's this evening?"

That didn't help a lot, but I decided not to ask the question.

"Is six good?"

"Perfect, see you then."

She didn't always announce her intentions, although they were usually the same, so her being vague this time didn't concern me too much. What did concern me was Tammy. We'd only been dating a short time, but there was something I sensed about her, a kind of vulnerability I couldn't quite put my finger on. It affected me, though, and as I thought about Anna, I thought differently than in the past. I'd just have to see.

I left work a little early, so I could stop by Mother's as I'd promised. I wasn't excited about looking at old school papers, but since she'd saved them all these years, they were important to her. I might just go ahead and take them home.

We talked for forty-five minutes, Mother catching me up on all the family news... and gossip, of course. And, as mothers do, she asked me when I was going to find a good woman. I let her know I'd had a couple of dates, and it seemed my whole body was smiling. That was a new feeling.

I loaded the car with several boxes of papers, kissed Mom goodbye, and headed for Rocky's, curiosity making me a tiny bit nervous. There were a number of possibilities, some more palatable than others.

"Hey, Marc, the usual?" Rocky called as I came through the door.

"You got it," I said, looking around but not spotting Anna.

I was halfway through my Coors Light when Anna came through the door, or rather, squeezed through the door on the arm of a tall, dark stranger, a gigantic smile on her face.

At least some of those possibilities appeared to be eliminated.

"Marc, this is Andre," she said, nearly bubbling. "I think I told you about him before. And Andre, this is my oldest friend, Marc."

We shook hands, and I immediately liked Andre. The fact that Anna seemed totally enamored with him may have colored my thoughts. Seeing her like this filled me with joy as well.

Anna ordered her white wine, type unknown as usual, and Andre ordered a Coors Light, which gave him a few more points in my scorebook.

We laughed and talked, had more wine and beer when Anna remembered something from our last meeting.

"Did you ever ask your co-worker for a date?"

I smiled, picturing Tammy.

"I like that smile," Anna said.

"I did, and, well, she's been very surprising."

"You look kinda happy."

"So do you."

"Yeah. I wanted you to meet Andre, so you'd..." She paused and giggled. "So you'd know why we won't be getting together like we have in the past."

She'd said what needed to be said. I understood what she was saying, and Andre was still smiling, although I hoped he didn't know the complete meaning of what she'd said.

"You have a jewel here, Andre. Take care of her." I was sure she was taking care of him.

"I will," Andre said, and the way he looked at her told me he was serious.

A hug and a kiss on the cheek from Anna, and I was on my way home.

***

Tam and I saw each other a normal number of times during the week, and there were no crises to deal with, and, finally, it was a bright and sunny Saturday morning. I'd filled a big wicker basket with lots of picnic goodies, including a bottle of wine. I was curious what surprise she might have in store for me and was anxious to see how Saturday picnic Tammy would look. I knocked, and the door opened.

She had legs, mostly bare legs, and bare arms as well. She also had a big smile and an auburn ponytail. With very little makeup, her freckles were enticing. I couldn't restrain myself any longer.

"Tammy, get mad if you want, but you are one good-looking woman."

"Why would I get mad at a very nice compliment like that." She leaned forward, and I got another kiss on the cheek. Knowing what I knew about Tammy and realizing it was only a peek at the total person she was, the cheek-pecks were endearing. But I was determined to see if more than that was possible.

"I just, you know."

"You'll learn," she said, and I wondered if I was reading too much into that simple remark. The transformation from work Tam to outside Tammy was fascinating, and I hoped that wasn't the only thing keeping me here. I didn't think so.

"Let me get my contribution for today," she said and was gone for twenty seconds.

Eyes wide, I said, "Did you read my mind?"

"I did okay?"

"Cherry pie. How'd you know?"

"Like you said, I read your mind. It was easy."

"In that case, I better watch what I think," I said, laughing.

"Too late."

I took the pie from her, set it on a table, turned, and hugged her. I felt her stiffen, so I stepped away. She was biting her lower lip but gently extended her arms toward me.

Carefully, I stepped between them and hugged her once again, and the stiffening was still there but much less severe. There was much more to Tammy than I knew today, but I was determined to find the answers.

I held her tightly, my face buried in her hair, a wonderful citrus aroma filling my nose. Slowly she relaxed, her arms closing around me as she returned my hug, tentatively at first, but finally more completely.

"Thank you," she said, smiling at me as we parted.

I wasn't sure what I was being thanked for, but was very happy she had said it.

Tammy went to the back door, carefully locked it, then tugged on it three times. Next, she went to the panel on the front wall.

"Would you do me a favor?" she said.

"Sure."

"Step outside the front door, wait ten seconds, and then open the door."