Standing in front of the oversized frosted glass doors, Lori was ready to step into her new reality and begin her corporate conquest. Looking at her faint reflection in the glass, she began to let her mind race, getting lost in visions of her first successful presentation, her first promotion, moving into the big office with the desk as big as the current CEO’s ego and the grandiose view of her new kingdom (also known as the parking lot).

A hurried man rushing past and bumping into her shoulder brought an abrupt end to her delusions of grandeur. Gathering herself and taking a deep breath, she straightened up and took the first step of the rest of her life.

--

Michelle sat in her office looking at nothing in particular. Her eyes were in the direction of a gumball machine on top of her shelf, but all she could see were the images running through her mind. She was doing well by most standards. Twenty-four years with the company and now a Senior Vice President. High enough in middle management to be safe from the axe, but far enough from the top to not have any real responsibility. She was a pro at the art of looking busy. Yet, something was missing.

Everything had been done right. The MBA was hanging on the wall. She had waited to have children until established in her career and now had a beautiful daughter and a lovely son. The biggest issue with her neighborhood was the few stragglers who left their trash bins on the street an extra day in-stead of bringing them back up to the garage. Yet, she wasn’t satisfied.

“What is wrong with me?” She mumbled to herself as she twirled a pen through her fingers.

A knock on the door reeled her back to reality. Gathering herself and shuffling papers as if something was being done she called out, “Come in.”

Without looking up Michelle could already feel the overflowing enthusiasm, joy, and nervousness that was Lori entering the room. A slightly amused smile found her face as she stood to greet her new employee.

“Hello, I’m Michelle. You must be Lori. We spoke on the phone a few times and went back and forth through emails. It’s nice to finally put a face to a name.”

Lori had rehearsed her introduction for almost two days straight in her new, still largely unpacked apartment. She was all set to stand up straight and strong, give a firm handshake but not a death grip and confidently introduce herself. It had gone perfectly the night before and today wouldn’t be any different.

“Nice to meet you too!”

Lori said it so loudly it caused a few heads to pop up over the top of the cubicles and look into Michelle’s office to see what was happening. Michelle couldn’t help herself but to chuckle out loud. She was caught off guard not only by how loud Lori had been but also by the genuine feeling of joy that had momentarily washed over her.

“Where has this been for the last twenty years of my career?” The voice in her mind had returned from its short break.

Lori quickly shook off the strong feelings of embarrassment and continued in a more reasonable tone, “As you can see, I’m really happy to finally be starting, and I can’t wait to be part of the team. Also, I know I said it in an email, but thanks again for the neighborhood suggestions. It really helped to be able to knock out my apartment search before I got started with the job.”

“No problem at all. I know how hard it is to relocate, and I’m glad you were able to do it without too much hassle. Also, the neighborhood you chose is filled with plenty of young professionals, bars, and all the shops you could want. I’m sure you’ll love it.”

The truth was Michelle had never really spent any time in Lori’s new neighborhood. Why would she? She was married with two teenagers. Her kids did not want to see her in Urban Outfitters or wearing Victoria Secret Pink. What Michelle was good at was using Google — and by “good,” she meant she was damn good. Yet, the conversation continued and as the minutes went by they both fell into a natural groove with one another. The venue moved from Michelle’s office to a local restaurant for lunch where it came to light that they both liked cooking and loved the farmers’ markets. They both enjoyed nature and a good run to clear the head.

Where Lori had been bubbling over with anticipation to start the day and started to level out, Michelle found herself building in anticipation as the conversation continued. It wasn’t until she leaned forward with her hands just under the table, hanging on Lori’s every word, and ended up bumping the table and knocking over her glass of water after Lori’s last statement that she realized she really was…happy.

Michelle took her napkin and dabbed gently at the small water spot just above her knee, “I’m sorry. Apparently I should add coordination and grace to my ‘opportunities for growth’ on my performance review. I will be right back, let me make sure I’m put together before we head back to the office.”

As she excused herself from the table and walked to the restroom, she kept thinking about what had just happened. Not only what had happened, but why did it happen? Why was she so comfortable and willing to talk? Normally she kept it as concise as possible, especially in business settings and even more with new hires. Why did she feel such joy, and why had she felt it immediately? As she walked back to the table and caught the eye of Lori it finally hit her: she was seeing herself.

Lori was her twenty-four years ago before “reality” had set in. Before she had done the responsible things like getting married, having children, saying the right things to the right people at the right time. She had mastered the art of suppression and never showed her anger, disappointment, or frustration publicly. Michelle realized she had once walked through frosted glass doors on her first day with the same nervous enthusiasm that Lori had today but allowed all of that enthusiasm to be pressed out of her over time. She had once had the bright eyes and lovely smile that was being flashed at her from across the table, and she wanted them back. It was a long-awaited epiphany.

As she sat down she plainly asked, “Would you like me to show you around a little more? Maybe this weekend? I know that you’re still moving in and unpacking so I don’t want to hold that up but I think it could be fun. I know I’m a little bit older but…”

Before she could finish Lori jumped in, “Of course! That would be awesome, and who said anything about old? If the situation gets serious I’ve got plenty of five-hour energy shots left over from finals a few months ago. You’ll be fine. We can meet near my place on Saturday afternoon!”

Lori’s enthusiastic response caused Michelle to let out a long sigh that she had been holding in. She had been literally holding her breath hoping for a “Yes” from Lori. Inside of her mind, she was chastising herself, “You said you wanted to go back to the beginning of your career, not revert back to middle school. Get yourself together.”

As the week went on it was clear to see that Lori was a special talent. The world of commercial construction and heavy equipment wasn’t the easiest to understand. Michelle was a rare case of a woman who had survived and moved up in the company throughout the years, but had seen many throw in the towel or get crushed by the reality of the job. The gap between the theoretical knowledge of college and the reality of actually working in the field was vast. It also didn’t help that as a woman, your name was automatically assumed to be “Sweetheart.”

Never in Michelle’s career had she seen someone catch on as fast as Lori. She had an unspoken confidence to herself that only few possess. She didn’t rely on her outfits, although she had mastered the art of tailoring discount clothes to make them look like high fashion. Nor did she rely on physical assets, although it was clear from day one her taut, toned figure, well-crafted smile (those middle school braces really paid off), and the bouncy brown hair that framed her face had no competition in the department.

 She had a personality that was impossible to hate and an easy-going but firm demeanor that was commanding yet endearing at the same time. Her willingness to learn and ask questions made her an instant hit with Michelle. It wasn’t just Michelle who took a liking to her. The whole office seems to perk up when Lori came around. After taking a few jokes about her screaming outburst on the first day Lori eased into being a member of the team, just as if she had been there forever.

The lunch epiphany had really been a kick in the ass for Michelle. She found herself much more energetic, sleeping better, and smiling more than she had in years. Even though the office was framed by floor-to-ceiling windows, the combination of Lori’s infusion of energy and Michelle’s refocused, positive leadership brightened the whole department.

With all this newfound positive energy, the week had flown by and everyone was talking about their weekend plans. Lori stopped by her desk on her way out.

“Hey, Michelle!” she said just loud enough so Michelle could fully grasp the excitement but just low enough that the office wouldn’t eavesdrop on the conversation. “Don’t forget about my tour this weekend. Rollie’s. 5 p.m.”

Michelle caught herself staring for a moment, “Oh? Oh Yeah! I’ll be there. I’ve got the address right here.”

The second Lori exited the office, Michelle went into an almost panic mode, mentally going through every shade of lipstick, eye shadow, and any other make-up she had. She also went through her whole wardrobe in her mind and then tried to meld the two and visualize how all the different combinations might look. Needless to say, her brain almost exploded and that small voice came back, “Michelle. Get yourself together!”

Michelle had already made sure her son and daughter’s Saturday activities were covered and taken care of immediately after lunch with Lori on Monday. When she told her husband, he didn’t have an issue…so long as his tee time wasn’t affected. She hadn’t been out on her own in a long time. Even though it was an absolute joy to go to dinner with her family, go to the mall with her daughter (who amazingly, hadn’t totally rejected her yet), or cheer for her son with the other parents at baseball games, this was different.

As she stepped out of the shower that afternoon and dried herself off she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. Standing up and letting the towel fall, she took a quick inventory: a toned figure with just a wee bit extra under her arms and on her hips, but still toned nonetheless; breasts that still sat proudly, and a proverbial jungle between her legs.

The sight of the long, curly hairs brought her back down to earth from the momentary high she had while admiring herself in the mirror. Sighing and thinking to herself, “I guess I haven’t paid much attention there in a while. Then again, why should I pay attention? I’ve been working, my husband has been working, and when we aren’t working our main jobs we work our second jobs as chauffeurs for the kids. My lingerie selection and intimate grooming choices aren’t critical when you’re baking in the sun at a baseball tournament and beat tired once you finally get to bed.”

Shaking her head and fighting off the growing doubt about fitting in with Lori that night, she stood up, grabbed her hand towel and face towel, her vanity chair, and got her razor. She let the face towel soak in hot water as she took a seat on the edge of the chair. Wringing out the towel just enough to let it cool down to a bearable temperature she placed it softly between her legs, getting the hair ready for the warming cream. She gently lathered the cream and began taking short strokes with the razor, making sure not to pull any hair but to cleanly shave all of it bit by bit. Upon the last stroke, she neatly dabbed herself with the wet towel to pick up any remaining cream, dabbed herself dry with the hand towel and finished by rubbing coconut oil over the smooth skin. Looking in the mirror again she now felt new, as if this was a start over. Michelle felt powerful and in control and sexy for the first time in a long time.

Riding the wave of her newfound confidence she put the rest of her ensemble together. A simple out-fit of floral printed shorts, a fitted graphic t-shirt, and cute flats. Catching one last look at herself before heading out the garage door she smiled a smile she hadn’t smiled in a long while. The kind of grin that comes across your face when you know you’ve got something you lost back.

After what seemed like an eternity the ten-minute cab ride ended with Michelle stepping out in front of Rollie’s. She hadn’t been to the “fun part”, of town in a long time and remembered this being an old laundromat.

“Wow. They’ll turn anything into a bar won’t they?” She muttered out loud to nobody in particular.

Scanning the building, she picked up on Lori sitting out on the patio sipping a beer. The view put Michelle into momentary arrest. Lori had let her hair down, literally, and looked gorgeous in her light blue romper. Picking up her head from her phone and seeing Michelle, Lori waved her over to join.

“About time slowpoke! I thought you bailed on me.”

“Sorry. I’m still kind of new to the whole Lyft thing and ended up missing the first driver. But I’m here now!”

Michelle looked around and tried to gather herself. It was a little bit of sensory overload with a bunch of young people drinking beers she had never heard of, playing life-size games of checkers, Jenga, and chess, and generally looking a lot “cooler” than she was. For her, it almost felt like high school again. Sensing her distraction, Lori offered, “It can be a little much the first time. Don’t worry, they’re not all as cool as they seem to be. To be honest, half of them couldn’t afford a second round of drinks with the rent being so high and their student loans. You’re fine.”

Not wanting to talk past the point, Lori asked, “What will you be drinking? I noticed you trying to stare at the beer menu and make sense of it so I’ll help you out. Just drink wine and take shots!”

Michelle couldn’t help herself and bust out laughing, “Now you’re talking my language. Since when did beer get so complicated? I don’t know about the shots. I retired from power hours almost twenty-five years ago!”

As the conversation began to flow, one glass of wine turned into two, and two into three. They totally forgot that the main point was a tour of the area. The waitress interrupted their conversation by bringing over two double shots of tequila unannounced.

“Uhhh did we order these?” quipped Michelle.

“No, but umm, they came from the guy in the red hat over there.” The waitress pointed in the direction of the bar to a guy waving at them. As he came over towards the table both Lori and Michelle raised their sunglasses to see who this random guy was. Finally making his way to the table, he recognized that he wasn’t being recognized, “You guys don’t remember? We were all in Physics together last year at State. 9 AM? Every Tuesday and Thursday? Saturday bar crawls…”

The blank stares he received were all the confirmation he needed, “Ohhhh. I…I’m sorry. I guess I got you mixed up with someone else. Uhhh, enjoy your drinks…I guess.”

When he was just out of earshot, the girls couldn’t hold it in anymore and doubled over laughing.

“My day, no, my night, no, my month is made!” Michelle said.

“He took you for a college student that just graduated. You’ve still got it! Then again, it was bound to happen with those shorts. Who knew you were hiding all of that? Whoever tailors your suits is a magician to keep that under wraps.” Lori could barely keep her head off the table from laughing so hard.

“Yea, yea, ok. I guess we should make use of these shots.” Michelle couldn’t help but blush a little deeper at Lori’s comments. She couldn’t remember the last time she had received interest or compliments like this. Taking one of the shot glasses and handing it to Lori, she made a toast, “To never getting boring and always keeping it sexy!”

The ugly faces that come from the burning sensation in their throats, followed by the eyes watering, were all worth it as they finished their drinks. Taking a look at her watch, Michelle realized they’d now been at the bar for three hours, just drinking and talking, “Oh my. If we’re going to see any more of you…” Michelle’s hand flew over her mouth realizing what she had just said.

Lori gently took her hand from her mouth and smiled, “It’s cool. I’m sure you meant to say ‘the area’ or something like that. And I’m right there with you, we should probably start walking if we’re going to do anything before it gets dark.”

“You’re right.” Michelle’s face was still bright red. A mix of the alcohol, the sun on the patio, and her own internal feelings beginning to show themselves. She was kind enough to cover the bill for the both of them, but got a major dose of reality when she stumbled upon standing up. Lori was able to catch her by her arm before she hit the ground and discreetly helped her stand up as to not cause a commotion.

“So it looks like the walking is going to have to come another day,” Lori whispered in her ear. “You probably need to get out of the sun and you need some water as well. My place is half a block away. Why don’t we head there and help you recover a little? There’s no way I’m sending you back home drunk.”

Michelle simply nodded her head and took the careful few steps from the bar to the elevator at Lori’s complex. Upon arriving at the apartment, she sat down on the couch with her hands in her head. Lori took her shoes off for her and put her purse on the table by the door. She brought her a glass of water and took a seat next to her, rubbing her back slowly. “Jumped a little too far into the deep end did you?”

Michelle raised her head just enough to make eye contact, “Yea. I guess so,” before placing her head back in her hands.

Picking her head back up and instinctively letting it rest on Lori’s shoulder, she said, “I haven’t had this much fun in a long time.” In the back of her mind, Michelle knew she was crossing a professional line into a personal one, but even without the liquid courage, she was determined to let her feelings flow freely instead of doing the “right” thing.

As Lori began running her fingers through Michelle’s hair and gently massaging her scalp, she said, “You’re telling me that all that attention you get at Costco while pushing around gallons of olive oil and forty-eight packs of Gatorade doesn’t do it for you?” Michelle just rolled her eyes before re-adjusting herself and wrapping her arms around Lori as she closed her eyes.

A finger appeared under her chin and raised her lips which were soon met with a soft kiss. Not sure if she was dreaming she fluttered her eyes to see the soft gaze of Lori looking back at her. Those eyes getting closer, and closer, and then another kiss. Michelle leaned back slightly, realizing this was real, and awash with all kinds of emotions. She opened her mouth to protest or ask for more or say some-thing, but before she could do anything she felt the tip of a tongue on hers.

Lori swung her leg over Michelle, straddling her. The kisses became more passionate. Her hands reaching under the t-shirt and felt the warmth of Michelle’s skin. Michelle couldn’t help but feel elated as she gave in to herself and finally let her feelings win.

Reaching behind and unclasping her bra, Lori pulled the bottom of the shirt along with the bra over Michelle’s head. Before her arms could come down Lori dove in, cupping her beautiful breasts as if they were water from a faucet. Kissing and licking every millimeter of the fleshy orbs, places that hadn’t felt that kind of attention in over twenty years. As she moved her face from left to right and up and down, hard nipples continually brushed across her cheeks.

Taking Michelle’s nipple into her mouth and sucking it firmly, applying further pressure as she pulled her lips back, stretching the nipple. A faint moan escaped Michelle’s mouth.

“Finally!” Lori said as she switched the other nipple, “I thought you weren’t liking it or something.”

As Lori gave her nipple a playful bite, Michelle couldn’t help but coo again. She took Lori’s hand and guided it past the waistband of her shorts and into her panties, letting her feel the wetness of her freshly shaven pussy.

“Is that enough proof for you?”

Lori simply smiled and nodded as Michelle raised her hips and together they pushed down the shorts and panties, tossing them to the side.

Sliding down to her knees and placing her hands on Michelle’s butt, pulling her to the edge of the couch. Michelle’s feet rested on her shoulders as her knees relaxed and fell to the side.

A bead of wetness began its journey from Michelle’s pussy down her thigh. The white cream of arousal framing her lips. Leaning in, Lori took a long slow lick from the bottom of her pussy to her clit, letting the tip of her tongue travel just inside of Michelle’s lips. Savoring her taste and diving in for more, her lips and tongue took their time, devouring, savoring, delighting in the warm, sticky wetness of Michelle’s pussy.

Lori pressed a single finger inside of Michelle. As Michelle’s eyes rolled back in her head she saw a flash of her wedding day. She smelled the scent of the candle that was burning by the table the night she and her husband first made love. She saw images of the successes children had achieved so far. She saw herself walking into her new office after her first promotion.

Michelle began doing exactly what she didn’t want to do. She began thinking and allowing reason to creep back in.

How could she do this knowing her husband loved her? What would her children think if they found out? How would she be able to continue her career development at work? The combination of thoughts, reason, and Lori’s perfect touches were too much.

Finally, she made a decision.

“Fuck it.”

Michelle pressed her hips down onto Lori’s finger, encouraging her to add another. Mixing the slow and sensual pace of her lips and tongue with the ever-increasing force and passion of the fingers, Lori began to feel Michelle tense. Michelle wasn’t a screamer, but her breathing kept getting shorter and shorter until she grabbed the back of Lori’s head and began to convulse. Her thighs squeezing Lori’s face as the waves of pleasure crashed over her.

Collapsing on the couch after releasing the vice grip on Lori’s face, Michelle was hit with everything from the day. The sun, the fun, the drinks, the passion, the freedom, and the amazing orgasm she had just had. Lori climbed onto the couch and snuggled with her and in no time Michelle was fast asleep.

A few hours later Lori was awoken by the buzzing of a phone. Looking at the clock it showed 1:30 a.m. Looking back at the sleeping beauty Michelle with her legs hanging over the edge of the couch, Lori thought with a smile, “Work is going to be interesting from now on.”

Realizing the phone was in Michelle’s purse, she picked it up and saw ten missed calls and sixteen missed messages. All of them from Michelle’s husband. The last one read, “WHERE ARE YOU! YOU SAID YOU WOULD BE BACK BY 10!”

Lori smirked, swiped on the message, opened the camera and snapped a photo of his sleeping wife with her still glistening pussy, typed “She’s fine…” and hit send.