Warm, Sultry, Kiss Pt. 03

Steve and Mary decided to take their glasses of wine outside and enjoy the rare breezy, cool, summer evening. The tapas, that Steve was preparing for the two of them to share, was mostly prepped.

They walked out onto the deck, walked straight for fifteen feet, and then down two stairs to reach the grass. Walking slowly together, they stopped at their raised garden beds, where mid-June sized tomato, jalapeno, and cucumber plants, were advancing out of the seedling stage.

Mary broke the temporary silence. "I hope I didn't disappoint you or burst your bubble. I am sure I will have some pretty kinky fun at some point and letting you know about it and such. Just don't expect me to be doing it often. I do get tired. I am actually still pretty exhausted from our weekend. If you were hoping for sex tonight, I'm telling you now. It won't happen."

Steve took a hold of Mary and squeezed her tight. Mary was quietly impressed with Steve's embrace. Too often in the past, Steve would stand around awkwardly, while Mary would be craving his touch.

Steve said softly into Mary's ear, 'You are perfect the way you are Mary. You can be who you are. I love you so much."

They broke their hug as they heard, and then saw, the new neighbors walk out on to the deck. With Justin and Audrey, was their baby, and a guest.

The guest was a good looking young man, maybe in his late 20's, about 6'3", with blond locks, a golden tan, and a filled out t-shirt, barely containing his ripped muscular chest.

Steve and Mary walked back up on their deck and over toward the fence. Audrey and Justin held up the baby so the older couple could gawk at her.

Mary looked directly at the baby and made funny faces. The baby, at about three months old, was tired and distracted. She smiled when she looked up at Mary.

"I can't wait to be a grandmother." Mary exclaimed.

"Not so fast." Steve said, and everyone chuckled.

Justin pointed to his friend. "Steve, Mary, this is my friend Kyle. We went to college together. He came here for work from San Francisco and then used a couple of vacation days so that we could hang out."

Both Steve and Mary reached over the fence and shook hands with Kyle. "What business brings you to this part of the country?" Steve asked.

"I am an environmental engineer." Kyle answered, as he started to slyly check Mary out. "My company has a project on the Delaware River that is going to bring me back here for a few days, every couple of months," looking directly at Mary, while answering Steve's question.

Mary played along innocently, "You are so lucky to visit our area. There is so much history here. The nation started here!"

"Yes." Kyle replied. "I was lucky enough to tag along with Justin, Audrey and the baby today on a trip to the Liberty Bell and the Constitution Center."

"That's great." Mary responded. "Where are you guys taking him tomorrow?

"Ah." Justin answered. "Kyle's flight home was supposed to leave tomorrow morning, but was cancelled. He was rebooked for Wednesday morning. The problem is, Audrey works a double tomorrow, and I have to go into the office. I can't work remotely tomorrow."

"That's too bad." Mary said, as she seemed genuinely sad about Kyle's plight.

"Fortunately," Justin added, "Kyle has generously offered to build our raised garden beds for us. We stopped at the big box store and bought the wood and garden soil today."

"We'll see how far I get." Kyle said with a smile on his face, trying to get a rise out of Justin.

Justin shot back. "Ha. You were a big talker last night over drinks. You said this would be an easy project. Don't make me kick your ass!"

Justin, a long skinny 29 year old tech worker in Center City with an array of tattoos on his arms and chest was much smaller in frame than Kyle, but enjoyed needling him about his jock image. They were clearly good friends.

"Don't worry my friend. Just leave your raised garden to me." Kyle assured.

"Justin," Audrey piped up. "It is time to get the baby a bath and put her to bed. Can you get the bath water ready? Kyle can keep Mary and Steve entertained for a while."

"Sure babe," Justin responded. "Duty calls." he said, before following Audrey inside.

"So you went to Sonoma State with Justin?" Mary asked Kyle.

"I did. He was my first college roommate!" Kyle said.

"That's awesome!" Mary exclaimed. "How did you end up at Sonoma State?"

"I was recruited to play baseball, originally, but then dreams of becoming a viticulturist filled my head. I studied oenology before switching to engineering. I even had an internship, and then a summer job, in Napa Valley!"

Mary found it fascinating that this bright, good looking, young man and former college athlete had studied wine making and had worked in Napa Valley.

She looked down at her own glass of wine, which was now empty. She turned to Steve, who stood beside her on her left, and handed him her empty glass. "Steve, would you mind refilling my glass?"

"Not at all," Steve replied, taking Mary's glass, but not moving.

"What kinds of jobs did you do at the winery?" Mary asked, wondering what it must be like to work for a vintner.

"I had a couple jobs. One summer I worked on a project that enabled us to better track the fermentation process using new technologies. That taught me a lot. The next summer I worked to ensure quality control during the bottling process. I worked more closely with the owners that summer too, with what ever they needed."

"So did you have to stomp on grapes like in the old movies?" Steve joked.

Mary turned back around toward Steve, with a smile, but a bit more agitation in her voice. "Could you go get that refill for me now, please?"

"Of course sweetie," Steve assured, as he walked into the house with her glass.

Steve went in and filled Mary's glass. He knew he needed to make the Gambas al Ajillo, Patatas Bravas and a salad.

He brought the wine back outside for Mary. She and Kyle were now thick in a conversation about Napa Valley.

Steve found Mary's capacity to gab remarkable.

"My Mary, she was only in Napa Valley once, twenty years ago with her ex husband, but she's talking to this guy as if she's a regular visitor!"

Steve briefly tuned into their conversation.

"I lived in a small second floor apartment in Rutherford."

"I loved Rutherford. There was this place along a side street that I remember..."

As Steve handed Mary her glass, she said, "Thank you." without moving her eyes from Kyle.

Steve checked out Mary and noticed her tight tank top, nice cleavage and erect nipples. Her chest was turning a shade of red.

Steve went back inside to make the tapas.

Mary went on telling Kyle about her trip to Napa many years ago.

"I am trying to remember where it was. It was so rustic. Maybe on Foothill Blvd in Calistoga."

They talked about wine for a while. She name dropped all her favorite Napa wineries.

Steve had already cut the potatoes into small, bite size pieces. He put six tablespoons of was olive oil in the dutch oven and turned the heat to medium. He then finely chopped four cloves of garlic, put a skillet on the oven and turned the heat to low medium. A minute later he added olive oil and began heating that as well. He walked to the back door to check on things. Mary and Kyle were still engaged in conversation.

"I think the place you are thinking of is on Howell Mountain Road in Angwin. It's still there and really popular. You can't get near that place on weekends."

"I think you are right! That's where we were."

Steve went back into the kitchen and took the shrimp out of the fridge. He then dumped the potatoes into the heated olive oil and stirred them around a bit to ensure they were well coated with oil. After seasoning the potatoes, he added the garlic to the skillet.

Steve checked the backdoor again.

"I actually grew up in Dana Point, in Orange County. Surfing was my passion growing up. I made my bones at Salt Creek."

"You're a surfer too?"

"Yeah. I was part of the dawn patrol. I had no patience for ankle busters, and was always looking for my next bitchin' barrel."

Steve thought it best that he continue cooking dinner. He opened the second bottle of Triton to let it breathe. He refilled his own glass of wine and took a good sip, while stuffing a sizable chunk of cabrales in his mouth.

He decided that he and Mary had been through a lot over the last week. It was a Monday night. He would cook the shrimp and call Mary to come in. These two dishes together, with the Iberian Ham he just took out of the fridge, along with a sliced baguette, would make a fine tapas dinner.

Before moving further, he checked the skillet and dutch oven, and saw the oil was getting hot, starting to lightly smoke. He adjusted the heat, added salt and pepper to the potatoes and stirred them again.

He checked the back door again to see if Mary was wrapping up her conversation with Kyle. Maybe she could help him finish cooking, or get the dinner plates and utensils out.

Mary and Kyle were standing directly across the fence from each other, still deep in conversation.

"I knew then, that I had to make a decision about whether I would pursue a career in baseball, engineering, or oenology."

"What difficult choices you faced as such a young man!"

Steve walked back into the kitchen.

"Ok, I'm going to throw these shrimp on the skillet and tell Mary that our dinner is ready" Steve said to himself as he emptied the bag of shrimp into a bowl.

"Oh crap!" Steve exclaimed.

He turned the heat to low on both the skillet and dutch oven. The shrimp would have to be shelled and deveined. Dinner would take at least ten minutes longer to prepare. Steve got to work on the shrimp.

Meanwhile, things were heating up outside between Mary and Kyle.

"So what about you? Did you ever face a life defining decision like that?" Kyle asked Mary, realizing he was talking a lot.

"Oh, when you're my age, you've faced a few." Mary said as she let out a laugh.

"But as a young woman, I really wanted a career in modeling. As a matter of fact, my first trip to California was to LA. I had a photo shoot out there for a lingerie designer.

"I really enjoyed myself. I had dreams of moving to LA and living this elegant lifestyle. But then my dad, may he rest in peace, had a talk with me about getting serious and finding a steady job. I ended up finding one as an administrative assistant to the VP of a large company. I had that job for twenty five years! I developed friendships that will last the rest of my life."

"That is a good story, Mary. I hope you don't mind me saying so, but it doesn't surprise me you were a lingerie model. You're a gorgeous woman. I'm from Southern California, so I ought to know." Kyle said, with a soft, dimpled, smile, that oozed sensuality and desire, as he moved closer to the fence.

Mary blushed, and felt a tingling sensation run through her body as she took in his words. This hot, chiseled, confident young man was clearly flirting with her, and she was enjoying his attention.

"You're very sweet. Thank you for the compliment, Kyle. So tell me something. A dashing young man like you must have a girlfriend, or fiancee? Where is she tonight?"

Kyle did not hesitate.

"Hmmm. I am unattached, by choice, Mary. I'm not ready to make a commitment yet. I have a great job that sends me all over the world. My firm has me working on projects in London, Tokyo, Addis Ababa, Cape Town, Melbourne, Miami and now, here. I'm always on the move. One day, I am sure my priorities will change. Right now, I am enjoying the people I meet along the way."

"That's a mature answer Kyle." Mary said, clearly impressed.

"So I have another question for you," Mary followed up, in a slower, more intimate tone. "You said your real passion was baseball. You were All-Conference, and were offered a minor league contract. Why didn't you choose baseball?"

Steve listened to Mary's question and drew a deep breath.

"I would have signed that contract, Mary, but I knew I had to make a grown up decision. As much as I wanted to, I just knew that I couldn't hit a good curve ball."

"I get that. Smart man." Mary replied.

Mary moved closer in toward the fence, closing the distance between Kyle and herself by half. This brought them almost face to face.

Mary looked Kyle directly in the eyes and batted her eye lashes.

"So Kyle," her voice at a near whisper, "what about a fastball? Over the middle of the plate?"

Kyle blushed, smiled widely, gave Mary a wink, and replied with the confidence of a cocky jock.

"Oh, I'd hit that! Long and hard!"

Mary bit her bottom lip. A sly grin came over her face. She took a deep breath and said softly, "I'd better go in. I'm sure my dinner is almost ready."

She held out her hand and shook hands with Kyle.

"It was so nice to meet you. I hope we get to chat again."

"Same here. I look forward to it." Kyle responded, giving Mary a knowing smile.

They both then turned and walked into their respective houses.

Kyle stopped in the kitchen, opened the fridge and pulled out a bottle of beer. After twisting the top off, he went through the dining room, into the living room, where Justin and Audrey sat, with the TV on. They both had just opened beers, as they had just finished getting the baby to sleep.

"Hey lover boy," Justin said teasingly to Kyle. "We ordered a pepperoni pizza. I was going to ask what you wanted on it, but saw you were preoccupied, trying to get into our neighbors shorts!"

"Hey, that woman is fucking hot." an excited Kyle told Justin and Audrey.

"I wanted to just reach across the fence and grab her sweet tits!" He said in a boastful, testosterone fueled manner, while Justin laughed.

"Hold on there cowboy." Audrey said as she let out a laugh.

"Mary is so nice. They both really made us feel welcome in our new community. We're like, the only people from outside the region who've ever moved to this neighborhood. Before Justin and I decided to hire the babysitter, who starts next week, she told me everything she'd heard about the local child care centers and their reputations."

"Yeah. Well anyway." Kyle said. "Don't worry about it. I realized while I was out there that I don't need to be causing problems for you guys with your neighbors. Shit, her husband was just inside making dinner!"

Justin spoke up at that point, "Well I'm not sure if that would be a problem for him or not. Audrey, tell Kyle your new nickname for her!"

"You have to excuse my husband, Kyle. Our neighbor Mary is his 'older woman crush' he tells me. I've been here trying to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight, feeling as large as a house, while Justin's always carrying on about how hot the neighbor lady is!"

"Very funny Audrey." Justin mildly protested. "Tell him the story."

"OK." Audrey started, with Kyle and Justin giving her their undivided attention. "Last Tuesday, I got home from work at 4:30 in the afternoon and went upstairs to change.

"I happened to look out the window. I saw a car that I haven't seen before pull up a few doors down the street, near the corner. Mary was in the passenger seat. She leaned over and gave the driver, some guy, a quick kiss on the lips, before, kind of stumbling out of the car. Her hair was a little messed up, her clothes untucked, like she got dressed in a hurry, or something. And she was carrying a brown paper lunch bag."

Justin jumped in, "And then I got home at 6:00, and saw her and Steve getting into his car to go out. She was looking so sweet and her hair was perfect!"

Audrey continued, "Yes. Justin came in and told me he had just seen them. I told him my story. Since then we've been calling her 'hot wife Mary'!"

"Hot wife huh?" Kyle said. "That's kind of hot."

Audrey got up and walked toward the kitchen to get herself another bottle of beer.

"Please don't fuck our neighbor and potentially cause us problems with them. For all we know she is sneaking around behind Steve's back. Besides Kyle, you know lots of women, single women."

As she left the living room, Kyle and Justin looked at each other. Justin gave him a wink and they quietly clinked their bottles together, in a silent toast.

Back at Steve and Mary's, Mary was able to give Steve a last minute assist with dinner. She set the dining room table for two, placed a candle in the middle and used her lighter to light it. She dimmed the lights as Steve brought out the small plates. He set them on the table, then went back into the kitchen to pour two fresh glasses of wine.

He brought them out and they sat down to dinner.

"This looks so good." Mary told Steve.

They toasted to love again.

"So you and Kyle certainly hit it off." Steve blurted out, trying to get Mary talking about what just happened.

"He is a very impressive young man." Mary said resolutely.

"No doubt." Steve responded sarcastically.

"Oh Steve. Get your head out of the gutter. Yes. He is an Adonis. But that doesn't mean I'm just going to throw myself at him."

"OK." Steve responded as he sensed Mary was annoyed with him. "After dinner, let's turn on the streaming service and watch another episode of the series we've been watching."

"Good idea!" Mary responded.

When the show ended, Mary saw that Steve looked tired.

"I'd like to watch a bit of the game before going to sleep." Steve said as he reached for the remote.

"Steve, I have an idea. Why don't you go upstairs and watch the game in bed? I'll pour you a glass of bourbon over ice and bring it up to you. Then I'll come back downstairs and clean up the kitchen. I might like to read a bit before coming up to bed."

"You know, that's a good idea. I need to leave early for work tomorrow and I'll definitely fall asleep watching the game. Thank you baby."

They exchanged a warm, sultry kiss, before Steve went upstairs to get ready for bed.

As soon as Steve went upstairs, Mary went out to the kitchen and took a bottle of bourbon from the bar and two ice cubes from the freezer. Unlike Steve who carefully pours liquor into a shot glass, Mary liked to free pour, freely. She poured the bourbon until the bar glass was almost full, and took it up to Steve.

Steve had just climbed into bed and turned on the TV when he saw Mary walk into the room with his drink. As she put it down next to him, he noticed Mary's generous pour, and joked.

"If I didn't know better, I'd think you are trying to take advantage of me!"

Mary looked at Steve and smiled. She kissed him on the forehead and went back downstairs.

Once downstairs, Mary walked into the kitchen and spent twenty minutes cleaning up and loading the dishwasher. She fidgeted a while longer before stopping in the bathroom and brushing her hair.

When she came out, she went back upstairs to check on Steve. He was sound asleep and already snoring.

Mary headed back downstairs and poured herself a glass of wine with the remainder of the second bottle of Triton. She sat down on a barstool in the kitchen. She thought about last week again.

She found it remarkable that her poorly executed plan to keep her visit with Tommy secret, set off a chain reaction in which Steve gave her freedom to have sex with anyone of her choosing, while pledging his fidelity and devotion.

She thought about how Steve told her how turned on he gets by the thought of her sneaking off for a secret rendezvous. Mary though, felt embarrassed that she was caught so easily by Steve, shortly after having such a secret rendezvous.

"Seriously, I brought home the leftover hoagie! What kind of rookie move was that?"

She decided at that moment, when she next had a secret liaison with a man, she would let Steve know, but at the time of her choosing, not a minute earlier.

With her glass of wine empty, Mary stood up and walked to the back door. Opting not to turn on the outside light, she opened the door, and walked out into the dark night.