Second Date

"WHAT?!" Natalie screeched, "What do you mean you aren't going?"

"I'm just too exhausted for the bar scene tonight," Carly replied sheepishly, "Steve and I are going to stay in and watch movies until we pass out."

"Ugh, seriously," Natalie replied impatiently, "I'm all dressed and ready. I wish you'd have called sooner."

"I know, I'm sorry kiddo," Carly said, "I'm sure you and Lisa will have a perfectly good time without me."

"That's the bitch of it," Natalie complained, "Lisa bailed too."

"Oh, no. That sucks."

"Yeah it does," Natalie agreed, "Oh well, guess I'll just start washing this war paint off and put the stilettos away for another night."

"Aw...," Carly began, "Wait a minute! Why don't you call Andrew?"

"NO!" As if bailing on her weren't enough, was Carly seriously suggesting she call that weird guy she and Steve set her up with last weekend?

"Wait, Nat, hear me out," Carly argued, "I know there weren't any fireworks or anything but that doesn't mean you can't hang out. You did like talking to him at least, didn't you?"

It was true that Natalie and Andrew hadn't exactly hit it off romantically, but she had enjoyed talking to him. He seemed to be a pretty good listener and could comment on music, movies and most current events with knowledge and ease. The ability to converse intelligently was not easy to find, as evidenced perfectly by the blank stare on her most recent date's face when she'd asked him his opinion on the crisis in the Middle East, and whether he'd read Twilight.

"Yeah, he was fun to talk to," Natalie agreed, "But he'll think I'm hitting on him if I call randomly and ask if he wants to hang out."

"No he won't," Carly promised, "He was bugging Steve to hang out tonight, so I know he's looking for something to do."

"I don't know..."

"I'll send him a text giving him the heads up that you'll be calling," Carly insisted, "You guys will have fun. And he always offers to drive, so you don't have to worry about staying sober!"

That girl knows me entirely too well, Natalie thought. Carly knew Natalie was far too responsible to ever let herself get crazy drunk without a reliable, sober ride home.

"Well...ok," Natalie agreed with less-than-subtle reluctance, "Just as long as you promise me this isn't some last ditch effort to set us up again."

"I promise," Carly said, "You two made it pretty obvious last time that there's no chemistry between you. Besides, all I'm really trying to do here is get myself out of the doghouse."

With that, Natalie agreed to contact Andrew and ask if he was interested in meeting up for drinks. What did she have to lose? She was already dressed to the nines in a sheer black top with silver sequins along the low-cut neckline, over a white cotton tank. Tight, dark-washed jeans accentuated her round ass, and black peep-toe stilettos further lengthened her naturally long legs. She'd spent an ungodly amount of time on her hair and makeup, and was pleased with the results she faced in the mirror. She'd used charcoal shades of eyeshadow and lots of eyeliner to create a smoky effect around her dark brown eyes, and toned things down with a simple nude lip gloss. Believing correctly that her intense eyes and sparkly shirt were accessory enough for the evening, Natalie chose a simple onyx ring to complete the ensemble.

Natalie decided texting Andrew would be less intimidating than calling. She had his number programmed in her cell phone from the previous weekend and used it to send him a casual message, "Hey Andrew, it's Carly's friend, Natalie. Just seeing if you were interested in going out for some drinks tonight."

Before she had time to feel regret or embarrassment, (or wonder if Carly had remembered to send the feel-out message), Natalie's phone rang. Shit. It was Andrew, of course. Why did some people refuse to understand that a text message means you either can't or don't want to talk?

"Hello?" Natalie answered nonchalantly.

"Hey, Natalie," a cool, male voice responded, "It's Andrew, I just got your text."

"Hi, Andrew," Natalie replied.

"So, your friends bailed on you tonight, too, huh?"

Cute. Very cute. Natalie immediately promised herself that the minute he started acting cocky, she'd come up with a raging headache, or a critically-ill cousin and bolt.

"Yeah, they did," she responded with a forced giggle, "Carly mentioned you were looking to head out tonight, too."

"Sure am. Seems like a shame to waste a perfectly good Friday night."

"Want to meet at Artie's Tavern at nine?"

"Sounds good," Andrew agreed, "But can we make it closer to ten? I still have to hop in the shower, and I'm coming from the other side of town."

"Oh, sure," Natalie said quickly, "But if you'd rather, we can go somewhere closer to both of us---"

"No," he interrupted, "Artie's is good, and I can pick you up if you want. Carly said you live off of Reed so it'll be on the way for me."

"Oh, um...ok," Natalie fumbled. She certainly wasn't used to men this agreeable. Or generous.

"Ok, great," Andrew replied, either clueless to her bewilderment or choosing to ignore it, "Text me your address and I'll pick you up at quarter till ten."

Natalie agreed, thanked him, and ended the call. She had precisely an hour to kill and was already regretting letting Carly talk her into this. He obviously thinks this is a date, she thought, If he tries to pay, I'm fucked.

The hour dragged by, until Natalie watched from her window as an older-model silver Volvo pulled up in front of her house. To her delight, he messaged her with "Hey, I'm here," instead of coming to the door. That would have been entirely too date-like.

Natalie grabbed a red leather clutch and filled it with her credit card, photo ID, lip gloss and cellphone before heading out the door. She opened the door to Andrew's car and immediately noticed the last ditch effort he'd made to clear a spot for her by tossing all the crumpled papers, fast-food bags and half-consumed bottles of water into the backseat. His stereo was playing some screamer rock song she'd never heard at a fairly loud volume.

"Hey," Andrew said, "Sorry I'm late."

"It's ok," she replied, "Thanks for picking me up."

"Do you like The Channings?"Andrew asked, pointing to the radio.

"I don't think I've ever heard them,"

"Well, I don't know what kind of music you like, but I think they're great."

"I like all kinds, honestly," Natalie said, "Whatever grabs my attention and feeds the mood of the moment."

"And what exactly is your mood right now?" Andrew asked.

"You really wanna know?"

"Yeah," he boasted, "Tell me what kind of mood you're in, and I'll find a Channings song you'll like. Guaranteed."

"In that case," Natalie flirted back despite herself, "I'm in the mood to get wasted and have some fun!"

"Hell yeah, that's what I'm talkin' about," Andrew applauded, "And I have just the track for you."

Andrew fiddled with the dials on his after-market CD player for a few seconds before a fast-paced, thumping rhythm filled the car, adding excitement and energy to the ride.

"This is good shit," Natalie hollered over the imposing bass.

When they arrived at Artie's, the place was already hopping. The majority of the lot was filled, and she could see through the front windows that people were already lined up at the bar.

Andrew got out, and waited for Natalie by the trunk of his car. Why am I annoyed that he didn't open the door for me, she thought, This isn't supposed to be a date, remember?

Together, they waited in the small line to have their ID's checked and armbands issued. Once inside, Andrew commented on the live entertainment.

"This guy is great," he yelled above the noise, leaning into Natalie's ear, "Have you heard him before?"

"I don't think so," she replied, "I love this song, though."

Andrew made a run for drinks, which Natalie let slide only because she didn't feel like standing in line. While she waited, she scanned the room for an unoccupied pub table. The best she could scrounge up were two empty bar stools along the back wall of the room.

Andrew turned from the bar carrying a Budweiser bottle and a mixed drink. Natalie waved him over to the corner she'd found and waited for him to navigate his way through the ever-thickening crowd. When he handed her the drink, she asked him what it was.

"Alabama Slammer," he answered triumphantly, "A shot this fruity goes against my politics, but you said you want to get wasted, right?"

Natalie sucked a deep breath in and laughed, "Cheers!"

The sheer volume of the bar mixed with the high quality live entertainment eliminated the need for constant conversation. Nevertheless, the pair exchanged occasional sentences between songs. They discussed school and work -- Natalie worked full-time as a server at a high end restaurant while she studied communications part-time; Andrew was a cell phone salesman.

"You mean you're that annoying guy at the kiosk in the mall wearing a bright pink tie who insists on accosting me on my walk from Macy's to Victoria's Secret!?" Natalie teased.

"Close," Andrew corrected, "My kiosk is between Spencer's and The Pretzel Shoppe. And I wouldn't be caught dead in pink."

They laughed and Andrew offered to pick up another round of drinks. After the third round, he switched to water and Natalie insisted on buying her own. Despite his declaration of Designated Driver status, Natalie insisted he allow her to treat him to a shot -- to thank him for saving her from a Saturday night spent home alone. Unable to agree on tequila or whiskey, Andrew flipped a coin and won. Armed with two shots of Jameson, Natalie could feel the familiar fuzziness slipping in around her as she made her way back to the table. She was being extra careful not to spill the drinks -- or reveal herself as a drunken klutz.

They raised their shot glasses as Natalie, feeling giddy, introduced Andrew to her favorite toast: "Here's to you, here's to me, may we never disagree. But if we ever disagree... fuck you, here's to me!"

After Andrew suffered his shot and stopped laughing hysterically, he noticed Natalie was a little unsteady on her feet.

"Are you ok?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm feeling great," Natalie grinned, her sense of personal space a little impaired as she leaned in closer, "Don't worry, I won't get much drunker than this. I promise I won't let myself get sloppy."

"Hey, as long as you don't puke in my car," Andrew laughed, "You can have all the fun you want to. I'll make sure you get home safe."

Getting wasted in the company of a near stranger went completely against Natalie's politics. No doubt she was a partier, but never stupid enough to take the chance of getting herself into dangerous situations with unfamiliar men. Yet here she was, getting drunker by the minute with someone she'd only met once. Someone who'd driven her here and had been buying her drinks all night long. Where are the warning bells, damnit?! Despite appearances, Natalie decided this situation was a little different and inherently safer since Andrew was Steve's childhood friend. Somehow, Natalie believed if this guy were bad news, word would have trickled down via Carly at some point.

"Well, in that case," Natalie agreed, "I'll have one more drink before we leave."

Natalie made it back to the table with a respectable degree of agility just as the acoustic musician began the first chords of one of her favorite songs.

"I love this song!" Natalie squealed, louder and closer to Andrew's face than necessary.

"Me too," he chuckled, holding onto her waist to keep her from falling backwards.

In response to his inadvertent touch (and all of the liquor pulsing through her veins), Natalie turned her back to Andrew and began swaying her hips to the music. Before she realized what was happening, Andrew's large, warm hands found their way to her waist once again. This time they landed a little lower, encasing her hips as he gently pulled her against him. Encouraged by his budding erection, Natalie upped the ante by grinding her ass against his crotch.

Natalie's nipples stiffened in response to the wet heat of Andrew's breath along against the crook of her neck. She felt his hips begin to move in unison with hers as they braced themselves against the wall. Just as she began feeling a completely different sort of intoxication, Natalie was jarred into reality by the end of the song, leaving her in a puddle of sexual frustration and self-consciousness.

"Shit, I didn't realize it was that late," Andrew said, blushing.

"I didn't either," Natalie added, "I didn't even hear them say 'last call'."

"Well," Andrew sighed, "I guess I'll go close my tab before they kick us out."

Great, Natalie thought to herself, running her fingers through her hair nervously as she watched him walk toward the bar, I've made him uncomfortable by acting like a cat in heat.

As the two walked toward the front of the bar and down the front stairs, Andrew kept a hand on the small of her back.

When they reached his car, the only one in the back of the parking lot at this point, Andrew made no move to start the car.

"I hate going home alone after the bar," Natalie muttered as she leaned her head back, the world spinning around her, "Such a waste of a good buzz."

Andrew turned to face her, "I can think of better ways to use it," he said bluntly, as he placed his hand on her knee, running it boldly up her thigh.

Natalie slowly turned her spinning head to face Andrew. The moment their eyes met, he moved in eagerly for a kiss.

The tiniest moan escaped Natalie's throat in weak protest. Excitement overthrew reservation as Andrew used his tongue to part her lips and explore her mouth. His breath tasted and smelled deliciously of beer, strangely one of her favorite masculine scents, and his lips were full and soft. Andrew brought his hand to the side of her face as he continued kissing her, while the other hand mercilessly kneaded the wet spot of denim between her thighs.

Natalie willed herself to pull away first, knowing this freight train wasn't about to stop. Sooner or later, the rest of the parking lot would surely take notice.

"My house," were the only words she managed.

Silently -- but obediently -- Andrew started up the car and pulled out of the lot. The next song on The Channings album was a complex, melodious piece with whining electric guitar rifts and slow, cadenced percussion. Once again, it fit Natalie's mood perfectly -- drunk and suddenly horny.

Natalie leaned over to Andrew and kissed his neck as she raked her nails up and down the inside of his thigh. Fumbling with his zipper until it was all the way down, she used her tongue and breath around Andrew's ear in an earnest attempt to drive him wild.

Steering with one hand, Andrew used the other to help spring his generous erection free of its denim restraint. Natalie bent to his lap and began intently sucking his cock, eliciting low groans and sharp breaths from her tortured driver.

Before she had a chance to finish the task at hand, Natalie felt the car come to a stop. She removed herself from Andrew's shaft and fumbled in her purse for her keys. Zipped-up and semi-composed, Andrew quickly got out and made his way around to her side of the car. Oh, NOW you want to open the door for me, she thought sarcastically.

Finally inside, Andrew and Natalie groped and clawed at each other's clothes as they fumbled their way through the dark, empty house to her bedroom. Andrew clumsily helped her out of the remainder of her garments with an odd sort of tender impatience. Natalie did her best to remove his black and gray dress shirt without sending buttons flying all over the room.

The naked pair fell onto Natalie's bed, ready for it all to be over in a matter of seconds. Andrew was the one who took the time to slow things down to a deliberate, enjoyable pace. He used his hands to slide Natalie's arms above her head and hold them in place as he nibbled her earlobe and kissed her neck. Leaning into her this way, Andrew could feel the swell of Natalie's soft breasts and the stiffening of her nipples against his chest.

Releasing his hold on her hands, Andrew smoothed his palms over her arms, breasts, soft abdomen and hips. Redirecting his mouth and hands, he settled into the smallish, round globes he had been sneaking glances at all night. He pressed his face between them, using his thumbs to tease and twist Natalie's nipples. Andrew continued his mission down her firm thighs and back up, spreading them to reveal the soft, wet opening between.

Andrew ignored his urge to "dive right in", teasing instead with kisses along her inner thigh before using his thumbs to spread her smooth, swollen pussy lips. He took in full view of her pink center and the taut, red bud above her entrance. At the first flick of his tongue, Natalie let out an involuntary moan and thrust her hips slightly upward to meet his mouth. Andrew alternated the speed, location and shape of his tongue until her movements and sounds made it obvious which combination drove her crazy.

"Oh, GOD, Andrew..." Natalie whined, "You're gonna make me come..."

Andrew slid his arms under her hips to hold them in place while using his whole mouth to suck gently on her clit as his tongue flicked her into a frenzy. The mixture of sensations sent Natalie far over the edge. She dug her fingertips into Andrew's shoulders before grabbing his head at the apex of her orgasm, thrusting his face farther into her slick pussy.

Natalie pulled Andrew's head from her lap as she struggled to stop quivering. She saw a concerned look on Andrew's face as she pulled him in closer for a kiss.

"What's wrong?" Natalie asked cautiously.

"Nothing," Andrew struggled, "This is amazing... I just--, I don't--, I mean... I didn't bring..."

"A condom!" Natalie cried a little too enthusiastically, "In the nightstand!"

Andrew no more than retrieved the condom from the drawer before Natalie snatched it away from him. He smiled to himself as he watched the sweetly stubborn, intoxicated girl fumble with the wrapper, decidedly intent on applying it herself. Once the ring was free of its wrapper, Natalie pushed Andrew onto the bed and climbed on top of him, straddling his thighs. When she finished unrolling the condom on his cock, Natalie positioned her entrance over his throbbing tip. Andrew reached for her hips but before he could use his grip to thrust himself inside her, Natalie scolded him like an insolent child.

"Ah, ah ah!" she chided, "You're at my mercy now."

"Please..." Andrew begged.

Natalie lowered herself slowly onto just the head of his dick, flexing the muscles in her vagina to tease him with a pulsing sensation. She raised and lowered herself only on this outermost end of him, enjoying watching him squirm and beg for more. When she could no longer stand the anticipation, she impaled herself on his diamond hard shaft. This surprise sensation produced a sharp, appreciative growl from Andrew's throat.

"Ah... fuck," Andrew moaned, "That feels amazing."

Natalie continued to grind firmly against Andrew's pelvis, keeping the length of him inside her. In an alternate move, she leaned forward to give his mouth easy access to her tits as she worked her ass up and down, faster and faster.

"Girl, if you don't slow down," Andrew cautioned, "This show's gonna be over."

Heeding his warning, Natalie climbed off and laid on her back next to him. Andrew hovered over her flushed, fair-skinned body and used his strong arms to part her legs once again. The alcohol pulsing through his veins didn't hold a candle to the intoxicating effect this woman had on him. Using his hand to guide his cock to the opening of her engorged pussy, Andrew ensured that she was ready before using a solid thrust to gain entrance.