One week after our ill-fated chocolate syrup misadventure, we had gotten together once for lunch at her place. And by lunch, I don’t mean food. Not that she wasn’t a yummy treat, but we just rushed straight to clothes removal and naked romping, like any new couple in a bad romance. We had both found an addictive new weight-loss plan.

Irina was called out of town for a couple of days. She invited me over for lunch and asked if I wanted to drive her the six hours to Springfield and shack up for a couple of nights. I didn’t feel comfortable leaving Hazel by herself. I also didn’t want to fly her out to Los Angeles to be with her mom, so I had to pass, as tempting and exciting as I found the prospect.

She didn’t want to take Jake out of school for the two days either, but she didn’t have anyone who could watch him. Hazel was a sophomore, and while not yet 16, could probably manage on her own for a couple of nights. Jake was a year older. Irina had little choice.

“No family or friends? No one?”

“No. No one,” Irina said quietly, looking at the floor. “I mentioned my parents live in Iowa?”

“Yes, you mentioned that,” I responded, not remembering if she had told me that or not. “You haven’t been here for two months, so you don’t know anyone here.” I intended it as a question, but it sounded more like a statement.

“Only you.” She stepped in close to me and placed her cheek against my chest. “It’s an excellent opportunity and a good sale. Critical for me to maintain our extravagant lifestyle.” She lifted her face and gestured vaguely around the sparsely furnished and minimalist ranch house. Her typically irrepressible smile brightened her face for a moment and then vanished. “I’m sorry. Can you keep an eye on Jake while I’m gone? He’s a good kid, but I worry.”

“Of course, Irina,” I replied without thought, holding her against me for a moment before adding, “I’ll make sure we only visit the classy strip clubs.”

“That’s my Tom, thoughtful as always.” I could feel her smiling again against my chest. For some reason, I found it important to have her smiling. She pulled her head back and looked at me with indignation. “Hey, why don’t you take me to the classy strip clubs? I am a lesbian after all!”

“You told me Jake was gay. Who said anything about a female strip club?”

“Oh,” she stopped for a moment. “OH! Maybe I should rethink this whole arrangement.”

“I thought you wanted me to get with the whole gay agenda?”

“I was hoping we could start with the way you dress. Not sex clubs with my son!” She playfully punched me on the arm and sighed. “You’ll take perfect care of him, just like you take perfect care of me.” I couldn’t help but kiss her as my stomach did a flip-flop at those words.

“I was under the impression that I was corrupting you,” I finally said after we decided to give our lips and tongues a rest.

“You are, but only in the best way.” She looked up at me, and into my eyes, I could see tears forming in them.

“Irina, what’s wrong? Did I say something wrong?”

“Tom, I… I.” She stopped and composed herself. “I trust you.”

“My nefarious plan is working,” I said with a grin.

“I’m serious,” she said with a serious face. “I’ve had no reason to trust anyone for a long time, and I don’t enjoy feeling vulnerable like this.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t realize.”

“That’s because you’re a man.” She almost smiled and continued before I had a chance to become indignant. “I don’t mean I’m not enjoying this,” she started. “I love what I feel for you and I love being able to be myself with you and sharing all of me, but I’m not used to it. It’s frightening.” She continued looking into my eyes. “There. I said it.”

I could see the fear in her eyes. And hurt. I also saw hope and affection. I wondered how soon was too soon to tell her I loved her? “I hope I never do anything to make you question that trust. It would break my heart.”

“Me too,” she whispered. I felt a lump in my throat as we held each other, and then jumped as she exclaimed, “Oh shit! The grilled cheese!” Today she had decided we really would just eat lunch.

**********

Irina had left before dawn for her six-hour drive, and I checked in with her son, Jake, before school and saw him get off the bus in the afternoon with Hazel. Irina had left some prepared food for him, so I wasn’t worried about him not eating, but the second night, Friday, I invited him out to eat with us.

I’m pretty sure he didn’t want to come, but I’m not sure he felt he had a choice. It was nothing fancy, just a local Mexican place we liked, but he seemed to perk up and become more sociable as the dinner went on. Until I decided to inform our waiter that it was his birthday. It wasn’t, but they bring out a huge sombrero and sing feliz cumpleaños and I thought it might be fun. Plus, you get a little tin with flan and whipped cream.

They brought out the flan with the candle and put the sombrero on his head, much to his confusion. He was smiling and laughing and going along with it until I tried to take his picture. He almost dumped the flan when he whisked the sombrero off to hide his face.

“No, Mr. Sommer, you can’t,” Jake said, his face obscured by the big, black, sequined hat. “You just can’t.” The servers were startled, but continued the song while one of them moved the flan from the edge of the table and put out the candle.

“It’s okay,” I said to them. “No pictures of teenagers.” The servers nodded and smiled. “I’m sorry, Jake, I just thought your mom might appreciate a picture.”

He lowered the hat, and I saw fear on his face. “She probably would, but please don’t.”

Hazel looked at me and added, “Don’t even think about it.” I lifted my phone towards her, and she covered her face. “Dad, no.”

Laughing, I put the phone back in my pocket. “Okay, you guys win. No pictures for moms.” Hazel still glared while Jake looked relieved. He smiled at me, a curious, shy smile.

“You know it’s not my birthday,” he whispered as the servers dispersed with the sombrero after leaving three forks and the flan.

“I know.”

I went over the following day and mowed her front and back lawns. It was getting nippy out in late September, and within a few weeks it would be time for a last cut and making sure tender perennials were prepared for winter. It was amazing how fast I could finish without the distraction of her naked body to pull me away from the work. Not that I minded, but the work went by much faster.

Jake even came out and helped me and asked if I needed any water. I took a glass of water and enjoyed spending some time with him. He was a good young man, but like his mother, he seemed a little lonely. He had to get ready for his friend’s mom to come pick him up, and I waved goodbye as they drove off before closing up her garage and returning across the street to my house.

**********

Irina returned late the following night, and the next morning, I received a text: Out of coffee, let’s go get some. Can you be out in 10?

I had already been working for a few hours and had downed my prerequisite tumblers of cold brew, but I couldn’t pass up a chance to get together with her. I had nothing pressing to do at work, and fabricated some excuse about Hazel and school, and set myself for out of office. That would buy me an hour.

Twelve minutes later I was walking out the door where she was waiting in front of her house. She made a point of looking at her watch. “Don’t I recall someone saying they appreciated punctuality?” She looked at me expectantly.

“I assumed you’d appreciate it if I put some pants on.” She giggled, and I realized the absurdity of that statement. Chuckling with her, I concluded, “I could have saved two minutes and given you a little show.”

“We’ll work on it, sexy yoga man. Besides, I’m rather desperate to get my coffee. I guess Jake had some and I can’t find any.”

“I have coffee; it’s all cold brew, but I could heat some water and do a French press.” The house was a wreck, and as delightful as it would have been having her over... the house was a wreck. Fortunately, she declined.

“I need ground, and it might be good for us to chat for a while before rubbing squishy bits again.”

“Excuse me? My bit is not squishy.”

She reached down unexpectedly and felt around my crotch. “Mmm, sorry, pretty squishy.”

I laughed as I scanned the street for any nosy neighbors. “Not for long.”

“Good boy. C’mon, I’m sexier with my coffee.”

“Hmmm, I’m not sure about that,” I remarked, adjusting the growing bulge in my shorts. “You seem your usual sexy self this morning.”

“You just bring out the worst in me, Tom.”

She took my hand in hers, and we started walking up the street to “Human Beans”, a local mom and pop coffee and tea place in the neighborhood. It was only five minutes to get there, and we covered all the mundane highlights of her trip, and Jake’s apparent lack of a social life.

We arrived, walked in, and stood behind a young woman placing her order. There was only one other person, a man around my age, sitting by the window, gazing at his laptop screen. I was a little envious. As a security researcher for a major bank, I required a hardware connection to do my job, which I could not do in a coffee shop.

The young woman played with her blond ponytail while she waited for her payment to go through. Her dark roots indicated she was past time for getting it redone. I couldn’t help but notice her sleek, shoulderless red dress, and its extremely high hemline with black patterned stockings down to a pair of strappy high-heeled shoes. She looked like something out of a lingerie catalog.

Irina noticed me noticing her and arched her eyebrow, barely suppressing a giggle. She held up two fingers and made the ‘I’m watching you’ gesture as I shifted uncomfortably. She laughed. We were up next.

Irina must have been a regular here, rattling off, “Coffee, large, no room, for here, and 2 pounds of drip-ground Colombian.”

The woman behind the counter smiled. “The usual and 2 pounds. I’ll have that ready when you leave.” She looked over at me, “And your friend?” I hadn’t given it much thought, so I just ordered a small coffee with room. She disappeared behind the coffee apparatus and, after some frothing noises and alchemical measurements, handed the lingerie model her order of a covered cup of something with whipped cream.

I tried not to watch her walking away, but then I noticed Irina following her intently with her eyes. She glanced at me with a smile and shrugged. We both watched as the young woman crossed the street and entered a shop called “Allure”.

We looked at each other. “Is that...” she paused. “A sex shop?”

“Intimate apparel and marital aids,” I agreed, reading the text in the window. I think it used to be called something else.

“Oh? So you’re a regular there?” She was just so damn cute when she was teasing me.

“I’ve only been once, a few years ago.” Luckily, our coffee appeared at that moment, but it would take more than that to throw her off the trail. She scooped up both mugs and walked to the back of the seating area.

She sat down and looked at me. “And?”

“And I still need cream for my coffee.” I grabbed my mug and went back to the front to pour some half and half in it. When I returned, she was feigning indifference as I picked up where she had left off. “And I bought a toy. Or two.” Her face lit up. I’m not sure why, but I was feeling a little embarrassed by that admission.

“And? What were they? What kinds of toys tickle Mr. Hot Yoga Man’s fancy?”

“I believe the store is under new ownership; that girl wasn’t working there when I was there before.”

“Because you’d have remembered her when you were shopping there for... what was it again?” She was clearly having too much fun with this. “Or were you just there to flirt with the hot girls in lingerie?” I thought her face must hurt with how much she was smiling. “What do you remember?”

“A fleshlight. And maybe a dildo.”

The smile faded from her face. “A flashlight? Sounds strange.”

And here I thought the dildo would be the thing she’d latch onto. “Fleshlight,” I emphasized the word flesh. “It’s like a soft, rubbery cylinder that, you know,” I simulated a stroking motion. “It’s like a flashlight with a pussy inside it.”

She mulled that over in her head. “It’s not really very sexy when you explain it like that.”

“I’ll have to work on that.”

“You do that.” She leaned back in her chair, started to say something, then stopped. She sipped her coffee and then leaned forward. “I think I need a toy. Or two.”

“Looks like they’re open. We can go when we’re done if you like.”

“I’d love that.” She giggled again, and I knew something was coming. “Take me toy shopping, Daddy.” Irina never disappointed.

We chatted about her ex, or rather, around her ex. Irina was young and starting college when she had Jake, and they married only for him to become more distant until he died unexpectedly, leaving her with a tidy sum of money. She finished school intending to continue on to art therapy, but got a job selling artificial turf and athletic surfaces. She had recently moved here from Iowa with little warning because being in her sales region was a condition of employment.

I filled her in on the highlights of my previous marriage. She ended up moving to Los Angeles to run a yoga studio, and her plans didn’t include me or Hazel, which is why I had custody. Hazel had been planned, but her mom seemed more interested in getting her pre-pregnancy body back than in caring for a baby.

I basically raised her, and with the time at home, started taking online classes in cybersecurity and IT networking, and eventually got a series of jobs until I landed my current one with the bank, where I had been for a little under five years.

Thirty minutes had passed, and our coffee was gone, so we stood to leave, collecting her ‘Columbian, ground’ on our way at the door. She buried her nose in the large paper bag with the crimped top. “Mmm, heaven.”

We crossed the street and walked into Allure, and were greeted with hot pink and black, as the blond-haired woman waved from where she was adjusting some outfits on display. “Let me know if I can help you find anything.” I thought Irina was going to say something, but she just looked at me, and I knew she was waiting for me to take the lead.

We looked at some of the lingerie, but she didn’t appear interested in any of it, despite my opinion to the contrary.

“No? You don’t want to entice me with these crotchless panties?” I dangled the red satin panties in front of her. “They would look great against your skin.”

“So would me being naked. Doesn’t that entice you?” She fixed me with a stare.

“Of course,” I agreed, pulling her closer. “I just thought you might appreciate dressing up for me, but frankly, I’m more than happy with you just being naked. I’ve never fully gotten the appeal of lingerie. Seems like an unnecessary step.”

Irina leaned in, using her eyes to indicate the blonde woman. “Is that unnecessary?”

“I suppose not, but she definitely caught our attention.”

“No one has ever asked me if I’d like to wear lingerie for them. I can see some appeal.”

The blonde-haired woman looked up to see us looking at her. “Finding everything?”

We both nodded. “Everything is well displayed,” Irina responded. I had to look away.

While I was still lingering near the lingerie, she had moved on. I suddenly heard her call out, “Is this the one?” and the blond-haired woman and I both swiveled our heads to see her holding up a box with a fleshlight in it. Naturally, Irina was beaming.

“Yes, but a different model,” I said as I walked over, taking it from her hands and setting it back down. “Anything catch your fancy?” I asked as I directed her attention to the more traditionally vulva-intended products. “Vibrators? Dildos? Whatever this is?”

“That’s the Satisfyer 2,” the seemingly omnipresent blond haired woman piped up. “It’s one of the more popular models.”

“How does it work?” Irina seemed fascinated by the sleek curves but otherwise non-intuitive appearance.

“It uses pulses of air and vibration for clitoral stimulation.” The blond-haired girl pointed at one end and didn’t miss a beat. “With 11 pressure wave intensities and 10 vibration patterns, it’s completely waterproof and body-safe.” I wondered how often she had practiced that particular phrase.

Irina looked at me. “She sounds like you.”

“It’s good to be well-informed.” I shrugged.

“That sounds delightful... for... when you’re not around,” she beamed. “I want that.”

“Would you like me to hold that at the counter while you continue shopping?” The blond-haired woman had me by the balls, and she knew it. How do you hem and haw about sex toys when you’re with the person you want to have use them?

“Sure,” I answered cheerily. “I’m sure we can find everything else just fine.”

“I’m right here if you need me.”

And I didn’t doubt it for a second.

“She’s right there if you need her.” Irina had that devilish smirk on her face. “Right there.” The young woman didn’t seem to hear her as she busied herself behind the counter, and we continued exploring. “Tell me about this dildo you got. Who did you use it on?” The expression on my face must have been priceless because Irina practically doubled over laughing.

“I used it on myself, or rather, in myself.” I felt as if I must be blushing.

“Hmmm, Kinky Mr. Sexy Yoga Man.” She followed me over as I showed her a short, smooth silicone dildo with a suction base. She considered it for a moment and then said in a low voice, “I’ve never done any, you know, butt stuff. I tried a plug, but never actually taken it up the chute.”

“May I confess something?” I had her full attention. “I’ve never given it to anyone up the chute.” She arched her eyebrows and looked pleasantly surprised. I quickly added, “I mean, I’m told I did, but I was really drunk and don’t remember, so...” I stopped mid-sentence.

“If you don’t remember, does it count?” She arched her eyebrow at me. “Maybe you’re still a virgin, Mr. Experienced.”

“Good point, maybe I am.”

“I’ll have to see about getting you drunk; you might be full of surprises.”

“I don’t think you’d need to get me drunk for that.” I pretended to fan myself with my hand. “Is it getting hot in here?”

“No, but it’s getting hot in here.” And she pointed down to her crotch.

“Whatever am I going to do with you, Miss Florikos? Such the naughty girl,” I whispered, placing my hands on her arms.

“Whatever you want, Mr. Sommer,” she whispered back, and drew me in for a kiss. It was easy to get lost in her kiss until a well-timed cough reminded me we were still in a store. The blond-haired girl made a point of deliberately not noticing us. While our faces were close, Irina whispered again, “Have you ever taken it up the chute?” She laughed, eyes beaming brightly at me.

“Other than Mr. Jiggly, no.” I gestured toward the silicone dildo.

“Up the chute,” she whispered loudly at me. Giggling like a little girl. “OK, shoo.” She made a pushing motion. “Go over there, or outside. I have to have a meeting with my new best friend.” She caught the blond-haired girl’s attention, and I noticed her name badge said ‘Aubrey’ and ‘Manager’ as I walked past her.

“You and Aubrey, please have mercy on my wallet.”

“Shoo, outside! I’ll summon you when I’m ready.” She said something to Aubrey, and they both started laughing.

I chuckled to myself and stepped outside, pulling my phone from my pocket. I checked my messages; nothing was there. I thought for a moment, and then called my boss, Eric. Part of me wanted to just get his voicemail so I could say I tried and then forget the whole idea, but Eric answered.

“First American, Eric speaking.” He was a no-nonsense guy.

“Eric, Tom here. Um, I kind of need to take the rest of the day off. Something’s come up, and...”

He cut me off abruptly. “Is Hazel all right?” That was unexpected.

“She’s fine. It’s just that...”

He cut me off again. “You don’t need to explain anything.” He always spoke very crisply. “I can’t remember the last time you called off in the middle of the day. Whatever it is, I hope it works out, and I’m sure you’ll be on tomorrow.”

“Oh, definitely.”

“For God’s sake, man, don’t lose PTO again this year; if anyone deserves it, it’s you,” and with that, he hung up. He was absolutely right; I was very bad about taking time away from work.

Until now. I could see that changing in the near future.

That took far less time than I thought it would, and I peeked back into the store, but Irina and her new best friend were busy looking at things and chatting animatedly. I had no idea what she was on about, but I admired her spirit and her ass.

I checked my watch and realized I’d need to get back soon. There didn’t appear to be time for another coffee, but then I had an idea. I walked over to the nearby Walgreens and found what I was hoping we’d need. Bag in hand, I was returning to the toy store when my phone dinged. Irina was ‘summoning’ me back inside.

Patting myself on the back for my efficiency and foresight, I walked back into the store to see them both watching for my return. Aubrey said something, and Irina nodded. They both giggled. Great. Still, if the woman you’re hooking up with becomes friends with the manager of an adult toy store, well, things could be worse.

Aubrey rang up the Satisfyer 2, and Irina guarded her bag as if it were the crown jewels. I tried to catch a quick peek, but all I saw was ‘LoveHunny’ before she whisked it away and covered the top. She made a ‘tsking’ sound and waggled a finger, “No fair, Mr. Sommer, a girl has to keep her secrets.” Aubrey just smiled as she totaled the order and took my card. “Oh, wait, we forgot this.” Irina tried to slip something from the end of the checkout area past me, but I saw it. ‘Analease’.

Aubrey dropped it in the bag. “My treat.” She handed me my card and offered the bag, and after I took it, she smiled again and said, “Have fun, you two.” Irina winked at her. And with that, we were out of the store and headed home. I talked about anything other than what she had just purchased, as Irina took a deep sniff of her bag of coffee.

“So, I might have just taken the rest of the day off.”

She was silent for a moment. “Do you have plans?” She glanced at me. “I’m not keeping you from anything, am I?”

“No, no, I wasn’t sure how your day looked, but I figured if you had the time, we could, um...” I didn’t know why I was feeling awkward as the two of us were carrying bags full of sex toys home.

She stopped. “Tom.” Her voice was profoundly serious. “It’s very presumptuous of you to assume I would just spend the rest of the day with you.”

I did not know if she was being serious, or just being a first-class brat again. I scanned her face for a hint of a smile, but there was none.

“Um, I...”

And then she started laughing. “Jesus Christ, Tom, this ass isn’t going to fuck itself.” She started walking again, more briskly this time. “Hurry up, Mr. Sexy Yoga Man.” I hurried.

I could almost swear she was fumbling with the keys to the house as she still tried to conceal the contents of her bag. Once inside, we had barely closed the door when she was in my arms and her tongue was in my mouth. We kissed and stroked each other’s hair, and then I felt my belt being undone. I reached down and unsnapped her capris. Unzipped, my shorts fell, my cell phone making a muffled thud as it hit the ground. I pulled up her shirt, and we had to stop kissing for a moment for me to get it off her. She quickly pulled mine up and off, and we resumed our hungry kisses while she reached down to push my boxers lower as I crimped the back of her bra to get the hooks to unclasp. Once free, I pulled the straps off and, between kisses, saw it drop to the floor with our shirts and my shorts.

I supported her back and pushed her away slightly so my mouth could latch onto one of her breasts. Her breasts were a marvel, both large and perky at the same time, with dark areolas and nipples that turned slightly upward. I augmented my ravishment of them with grunting sounds, and she giggled and said it tickled when I did that.

I was trying to get her pants down, but the form-hugging capris were not cooperating. She assisted in shimmying them down to her knees, and then while I still had my mouth clamped on one of her breasts, my tongue massaging her nipple, I used my foot to finish their descent to the floor. “Another smooth move from the yoga guy,” she said in a breathy voice, but I just kept on enjoying her breasts.

Soon we were naked and enjoying each other’s bodies with our hands as our mouths remained locked in their dance of tongues, and I felt her wetness as her legs parted a little more to welcome my fingers. I was a little familiar with her pussy by now, and deftly navigated her folds to insert my middle finger in her warm and fragrant snatch. Her G-spot was exactly where I remembered it, and I started stroking it right away, finger inserted all the way in.

“Mmm,” she murmured at my digital stimulation, and my other hand moved to cup her breast, my thumb stroking her nipple. “Mmm,” she repeated, and I could feel her breathing quicken a little in my mouth as we continued kissing. My mouth soon parted hers, and I started kissing her neck, moving to the space below her ear, and then to the base of the neck, where I liked to bite lightly and massage her with my lips and teeth. “I have a surprise,” she half whispered, half breathed. “Mmm.” My thumb started circling her clit, and she melted into this newest sensation.

I loved how responsive she was, and delighted in the fact that I could do this to her. If we did get around to me fucking her in the ass, I wanted to make sure she at least came once. “You, my dear, are yourself one big surprise.” Those words, spoken against her neck, made her shiver, and she grabbed my ass with one hand, pulling me closer to her.

“Yes, a surprise...” She had to stop a moment to catch her breath as I heard her suppressing a moan. I varied the motion with my thumb and stroked her G-spot more deeply. She quivered a little under me, her neck suddenly more sensitive and squirming at my light pinching of her nipples. “A big...” She suddenly sucked in her breath and held still for a moment, her body frozen, and then she relaxed as she suddenly exhaled in a high whine. The muscles in her quim contracted, and moisture quickly flooded my hand. It wasn’t a huge earthquake, but a series of tremors that left her breathing hard and then giggling.

“Oh, Tom, how do you do that?”

“Just lucky, I guess.” She sighed and cuddled into me, her hand reaching down to touch my already stiffened cock. “You said something about a surprise? As if any surprise could be better than simply having you in my life?” She squeezed my cock hard.

“Stop... you’re already going to take me up the butt, you don’t have to be charming.” She sighed again. “It’s silly.”

“What’s silly?”

“My surprise. It’s silly.” She started slowly stroking my cock, and I closed my eyes, my face nuzzling into her hair.

“What’s in the bag?”

“That satisfy her thing. You bought it.”

“Irina?”

She sighed again. “It’s silly. I shouldn’t have gotten it.” She removed her hand from my now throbbing prick and placed both hands on my chest, looking up at me. “Don’t be mad.”

“I’m not mad.” I put my arms around her. “Maybe mad about you, Miss Florakis, but not mad at you.”

“Damnit, there you go again.”

“Sorry.” I wondered where this was going, and if maybe we didn’t need to cool it a little, maybe it was too much too soon? I felt like I was inadvertently pressuring her, like maybe she felt I had expectations she wasn’t ready to meet. “It’s okay, we don’t have to do anything you don’t want to. You set the pace, and I’ll be right here with you.”

“You mean that, don’t you?” Her eyes were searching mine, one of her fingers twisting my chest hair around itself. “You really mean it?”

“Why wouldn’t I?”

“Fuck!” She seemed determined, almost fierce. “There is no fucking way you’re getting out of fucking me in the ass today.” Then she smiled. That mischievous, radiant smile that undid me every time. “Where do you want me?”

“Are you sure, Irina?” I was still a little uncertain, and I wanted to know she was sure. “It’s okay if you change your mind, even at the last minute.” I felt like an idiot saying this, but it was important to me that she understood that consent was something I would always look for, despite what was going on at any given moment.

“I appreciate that, Tom.” She turned serious again and disengaged her hands from me, and stepped back. “I believe you. Thank you.”

“Now, tell me about this surprise. Please?”

She looked at her feet, then looked around, finally looking back at me. “Well...” She paused, looking around again. “It’s silly.”

“Shall I just look in the bag? Will that make it easier?”

“No!” She rushed over to her bag from the toy store and clutched it against her chest. “OK, since I’m an anal virgin, and you’re an anal virgin, I thought it would be fun if we took each other’s virginity. You know, butt-wise." She stopped, an expression of hopeful expectation on her face, and pulled a box out of the bag. The box was the LoveHunny one I had gotten a glimpse of. On it was a picture of an L-shaped thing, with the word ‘desire’ at the top, and underneath, in crisp white lettering: vibrating strapless strap-on dildo.

“Oh.” I’m sure I appeared dumbfounded. “Oh...” And the full totality of what she was suggesting sank in. She was watching my face, waiting for my reaction. I couldn’t help but smile. “Wow,” was the most articulate thing I could come up with. I went over and gave her a big hug. “Seems only fair.”

“I know, right?” She was still holding the box and looking at the back of it. “Aubrey said it shouldn’t be too big, and that we should charge it before using it.”

“As long as it’s not bigger than Mr. Jiggly, I’m fine with it.” I continued our hug for a moment longer. “It looks like it will be fun.” I pulled my head back and added, “I’m not really into pain.”

She looked like she was having doubts again, so I moved forward. “I picked up something else we might need.” I went to the Walgreens bag and opened it, producing a 7-ounce enema bulb and a squeeze tube of KY Jelly. She laughed.

“Aubrey has us covered.” She pulled the remaining items out of the bag, which were two larger enema bulbs. “She says the gay guys swear by these,” and shrugged. “Who knew?”

We unpackaged everything, and I plugged in the strapless dildo. I pulled out the Satisfyer also, and set that to charging, and also the tube of Analease.

“I was afraid you might guess my surprise,” she confessed. “I wasn’t sure how much you saw.”

“No, you surprised me alright.” I pulled her in for a kiss. “Surprised, excited, and a little nervous.”

“Yeah?” She looked pleased. “I’m excited and nervous, too.” She paused. “I know I can stop at any time, but I trust you for some reason. You make me feel safe and...” she searched for a word, “considered.” I just kissed her again.

And that was how we both ended up in the bathroom. She kicked me out so she could go first, so I read the Satisfyer instructions. I was nervous and slightly scared. There was something terribly intimate about what we were going to do, and while I was also eager, I couldn’t help but think about the various things that could go wrong, or if she’d get grossed out by any of it.

We ran some water in the tub and got our assholes clean. I hoped I could make it sexier, but I was more concerned with doing a good job than having it seem like foreplay. We both squatted in the tub, one at a time, and after I filled one of the bulbs with warm water and screwed on the basic nozzle. I had her bend over, and I took some of the KY and squirted a glob on my finger. I inserted my finger gently into her exposed asshole, and then replaced it with the nozzle of the enema and started squeezing the bulb slowly. Her face lit up as the warm water filled her cavity.

“Oh Tom, she purred, "I love the way you fill me.” The bulb was almost empty when her delight turned to concern. “Oh,” she said with growing consternation, and I helped her from the tub to the toilet. We repeated this twice until the water ran clear. She had never had an enema, so this was a brand new experience for her, and she seemed to enjoy it.

I had done this several times, although not in a while, so I guided her in administering mine and got turned on by her small hands holding my ass and poking the lube in with her finger. As she eased the nozzle in (of course, she had to add: “open wide”) and squeezed the bulb, I could feel fluid seeping from my semi-erect cock. I could take the whole bulb before I had to get on the toilet, and after a couple rounds of this, I imagined my ass must be fresh as a daisy. A hairy, puckered daisy.

I sent her to retrieve her plug, figuring it might help to loosen her up a little. “It’ll give you a chance to prepare for when I enter you.”

“Yeah, about that...” She hesitated. “I’ve only used it once. I’m not sure I did it right.”

“You stuck the pointy end in, right?”

“It’s a good thing I like you, Tom Sommer.” She gave me an appraising look. “Of course I stuck the pointy end in; it was pretty gross.”

“The enema will help with that.” The plug wasn’t big; made of a hard, rubbery stuff with a T-style base. “Let’s get this into you.” I put some of the lube on the end, and a little on my finger. I knelt down and had her bend at the waist. She didn’t react when I inserted the finger, but she definitely felt some way about the plug. She took a sudden intake of breath, and then made some “aahhing” sounds, and then it was in, nestled and snug.

We wiped up the water in the bathroom and washed our hands. I went to retrieve “Peggy”, as that’s what I named her.

“Peggy? Why Peggy?”

“It’s based on ‘pegging’, which is what you’re about to do to me.”

“Oh, such an education you’re giving me,” she teased. “I hope there isn’t a quiz.”

“Nope, it’s all labs.”

“Does this mean I’m going first?” She looked on as I was examining Peggy, making sure I understood the controls on its underside. There were two sets, one for the bulb which was inserted into the vagina, and the other for the dildo.

“I thought you might like to go first,” I affirmed. “That way you have time to get comfortable with it, in case you have second thoughts.”

“You mean in case I chicken out?”

“There’s no shame in that, Irina. I’d never want you to do something you don’t want to.”

“Is that thing ready yet? I’ve got an ass to fuck.”

“How do you want this set? I’m going to set my end, the dildo, to medium, and we can see how it goes.” I experimented with the buttons.

“Set mine to high.” I glanced up at her. “You only live once,” she said with a shrug.

“As you wish.” I showed her the controls, and she observed they might be awkward to work with while she was wearing it. “We’ll learn as we go,” I offered, and with that, I made sure it was running and helped her insert her end.

“Oh!” she exclaimed. “My... that’s... a bit intense.”

“Too much?” I started to pull it out.

She smacked my hand. “Leave it. Turn around. On your knees.”

I knelt in front of the couch. I grabbed some extra cushions to lean against, and after applying a generous amount of the Analease, I readied myself for penetration. It was different when I controlled the pressure, speed, and timing of insertion, and I wondered how she would do it and how it would feel. I had always been the active person in our prior encounters, and it was strange to have someone else in control.

She was making little sounds in reaction to the bulb vibrating in her pussy. “Damn,” she remarked, “is it going to come out?”

“You might have to squeeze it to hold it in. Did Aubrey give you any tips?”

“No.”

“You can always use your hand to make sure it doesn’t come out.”

I waited a second, only hearing her breathing and the buzz of the dildo, when I felt the cold lube press against my asshole. Her hand gripped me by the hip, and the hard dildo pushed lightly into me. It met with resistance despite my efforts to relax, and she started pushing a little harder, and a little harder still, and finally it was sliding past my puckered opening and eased into my ass. I let out a little moan, and breathed in and out, surprised at how easily it went in. The insertible length was only about 5 inches, and it seemed like she was nearly there.

“You’re doing great, baby.” She didn’t like it when I called her that, but she hadn’t come up with an alternative yet. The vibrations filling my ass were definitely having an effect on me, and I reached my hand down to touch my rapidly growing erection, pre-cum already oozing from the head. “That feels great, you’re doing great.”

“Oh my God, this thing is incredible.” She was starting to breathe a bit harder. “What do you want me to do?”

“Fuck me, pound me in the ass.” It felt weird to say it, but I found myself hoping she’d really get into it.

“Yes, Daddy.” It must have been all the way in, because it started to slide out, and then she thrust it back in a bit faster, which caught me off guard. Still, it was pleasurable with the vibrations, and I started to move my ass to encourage her.

It didn’t take long for her to establish an easy rhythm, and she gripped my hips with both hands, but let go with one to check that the strapless was still in place. She slowed down and her hands pushed on my back, leaning on me as I heard her moan, and realized she was cumming.

I placed one hand over hers and looked back, saying, “That’s it my beautiful darling, cum for me.”

The pressure on my back eased, and then the vibrations changed as she tried to work the controls on the underside. They went through various patterns and intensities until she arrived at what she wanted. My end was higher now, which was fine, and she settled into a rhythm with quick sharp thrusts. She had stopped, and now started back up again, gripping my hips for leverage and thrusting hard.

“Is that good, Daddy?” She was breathing hard again, unaccustomed to that kind of sustained motion.

“You fuck me so good, Mommy.”

“So well. I fuck you so well,” she corrected, as she deepened her strokes.

While I was admiring her enthusiasm, and wishing I could see her face, I had another idea. I was reluctant to break the moment, but I thought she might like this, so I had her stop. I turned over and sat on the couch, with my ass hanging off the cushion and my knees drawn up to my chest, and pulled her towards me so that once she kneeled, she was ready to penetrate me again. With one hand steadying the vibe in her pussy, and the other now gripping my shoulder, she entered me again, more quickly this time.

She definitely enjoyed this new position much more, and I loved watching her face and all the changes going through it as she settled again into a rhythm like what she was doing previously. In time, she was able to remove her hand steadying the bulb in her pussy and placed her hands on my chest. My fingers found hers and we twined them together as she gripped them tightly and smiled at me, as my cock bounced above my belly.

Precum was leaving glistening trails on my belly, and she seemed fascinated by the sticky, slick sheen. Despite the lower intensity of the vibe she had settled on for herself, I could feel and hear her approaching another climax, and I reached down to finger her clit which accelerated her ascent.

This time she lost any self-control as she started shaking, and her breaths came out in high-pitched shrieks as the vibe popped out of her pussy and she pitched forward, still holding my one hand in a tight grip and grabbing my shoulder with the other. It was over in a moment, and I continued to finger her until she let go of my shoulder and placed her hand over her face, laughing. “Holy shit, that was great. Remind me to thank Aubrey.”

“I think we both need to thank her.”

Meanwhile, the dildo, still lodged in my ass, slid out and landed on the floor with a thud, still buzzing. She picked it up and handed it to me and after a couple of tries I was able to turn it off. Other than some foamy lube, the dildo end was clean.

“How does that plug feel in your ass now?”

“I wish I had known what it would be like earlier. It’s fine once you get used to it, although it makes me feel like I want to push it out.” She reached behind her and checked. “It’s still there.”

“Are you ready for me?” I got up and stood over her, my cock bobbing at face level.

She crawled on her knees to the couch and lay her chest on it, resting her head on her arms and looked up at me. “Do I look ready?”

“A bit too ready.” I laughed as I grabbed the tube of Analease and kneeled behind her. My cock was throbbing by now and my excitement had been building so much that my hands were shaking a little. I was having trouble remaining steady as I prepared her for the next step. “I’m a little bigger around than that thing, but I’ll go slow. Remember, you are in control.”

“Are you in yet?” she said past her shoulder looking back at me. Laughing, she added, “Yes Tom, I’m good, I’ll let you know.” She turned her face forward and took some deep breaths, trying to relax.

I popped the plug out, and it was nice and clean. I dabbed a little more lube on it, and then inserted it again, nice and slow, and then popped it out again. She seemed about as ready as she would ever be.

I applied a generous dollop of the lube to my cock, already slick with pre-cum, and positioned it against her shaved anus. It was taking all of my self-control to not just shove it in, I was so excited. I pressed it at her opening, and pushed gently, and then with more force, and slowly it started to push aside her puckered hole, and I watched my head begin to disappear inside her.

She let out an “OW” and started breathing faster, and I pulled out. She reached her hand back, feeling for me. “No, no, keep going, it’s alright, keep going.”

I applied a little more lube and started over. This time I knew how much pressure to use and figured once in I’d just continue with a slow steady motion. As I watched my head disappear a second time, I was struck by how truly tight she was. Her asshole gripped my cock like nothing I had ever experienced, and then the head was clear of the opening, and I enjoyed the pressure around my shaft as inch after inch disappeared between her ample butt cheeks.

She was in some initial discomfort, but once the head was clear, she seemed to relax. “Ooh Tom, that feels nice.”

“I’m sure it’s better from where I’m at.” I found myself completely inside her, and then pulled out until the back of the head butted against her inner wall. There wasn’t a lot of stimulation on my frenulum, but the tight pressure on the shaft was giving me new experiences of pleasure. I pushed in again and then out, and soon I was pumping her ass in a smooth, steady motion. She seemed to enjoy the backward stroke.

I wanted my head to be right in the opening, right at the tightest area, and after she had settled in and relaxed again, I pulled out a little farther than before and saw the flared crest of my cock emerge. She started at that a little, but it didn’t seem to bother her that much, and after lingering a moment at the opening, slowly pushed it in again. She seemed to have gotten used to it because she didn’t make a sound or react, and I found myself pulling farther out more often.

The tightness was incredible, but I didn’t want to cum ‘too’ fast, so I continued my long, slow strokes. I noticed her one hand was now between her legs, and she seemed to be breathing harder and moaning again.

“Irina, this is incredible, your ass…” I stopped because the sensations were distracting, and because I couldn’t find the right word. I didn’t want to sound trite or cliché.

“My ass? Go on.” She laughed in a light, breathy way. I reached down with my hand to her pussy, and she was briskly fingering herself. “You just concentrate on my ass, mister.” She let out a little moan.

I had to stop myself from speeding up so I could last a little longer. “Irina, your ass…”

She stopped me. “Maria,” she said in a strained voice. “Call me Maria.”

“Maria,” I responded. I didn’t understand, but I didn’t always have to. “Maria, your ass is so beautiful, it feels so good.” She moaned and wiggled her hips. I slapped her ass for emphasis and pulled on her hip tighter, driving my cock harder into her. “I love fucking your ass, Maria.”

“Fuck my ass, Tom,” she ordered, “I’m going to cum.” Her voice was strained, and she was swivelling her ass to the rhythm of my stroke.

“That’s it bae…” I stopped and restarted, “That’s it, Maria, cum for me.” I sped up a little, her tight muscle stroking my shaft from head to base, and spread my fingers to get more grip on her ass. “Your ass is so hot, you’re going to make me cum too.”

She thrust her ass onto me as she arched her back, burying her face in a sofa cushion. I could hear her yelling something, it sounded like my name, as her ass tightened up. My cock was gripped like a vise and then released and then gripped again. I realized she was cumming and her sphincter must be contracting too. She cried out into the cushion again, and it sounded like she was in pain.

That was it for me. I could feel my sphincter tightening as I braced my hands on her ass. “Irina… Maria, I’m cumming.” I half grunted the words, “In your beautiful ass… Maria, I love your ass,” and then I was erupting in her ass as I let out a series of grunts. I thrust my head shallowly near her opening as the tight muscle milked load after load of cum from me.

I slid back in again, enjoying the closeness with her a moment longer, catching my breath as the blood pulsing in my ears begin to subside. Soon, I pulled out and sat back on my heels, my hands stroking her cheeks. A little trickle of cum dripped out from her still recovering asshole. She really had a lovely ass, and I sat there for a long moment caressing it and basking in my afterglow.

“How was it?” she murmured, shifting herself so she was on her back, looking at me.

“I wasn’t vocal enough for you?”

“Oh, no, you were quite vocal. I liked it.”

“I’ve never been much of one for dirty talk, but somehow I got inspired.”

“I loved it. It really helped me cum hearing your voice.”

“It wasn’t lame?” I got on my knees and crawled up next to her. “I always think I sound trite.”

“You had me at my beautiful ass,” she said, as she took my chin in her hand so she could kiss me. “I could listen to that all day.”

“You have the most beautiful ass in the world, Maria.”

“Liar,” she said with a smile. “But I appreciate you all the same.” She sighed, and we lay quietly together for a moment. She looked at me with a sober expression. “Tom, I’m sorry about the Maria thing. You’ll never understand what that meant to me, but you can’t ever do it again. Forget you ever heard it.” I could see her eyes getting moist.

“I don’t understand…”

“No, and you never will.” She looked as if she might cry. “It’s important to me, please?” She swallowed and collected herself. “Promise you’ll forget that name and only use Irina from now on.”

“I assume a pinky promise won’t cut it?”

“No, this is a whole arm promise.”

“In that case, I promise.”

“Thank you,” she whispered, looking into my eyes. “And I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have…” Her eyes flitted back and forth, looking at mine, and then she kissed me gently. “Thank you.”

“So you enjoyed your first experience?” I absentmindedly reached out and started tracing my finger around one of her nipples.

“With you, I enjoy every experience.”

“Wait until we’re building IKEA furniture together. You’ll change your tune pretty quick.”

She laughed and booped me on the nose. “Even IKEA furniture, sir. I look forward to it.” She rested her hand on my chest. “Was it what you expected it would be like?”

“No, and yet more than I expected. I hope it didn’t hurt too much.” I added, “Thank you.”

“There was a little pain in the beginning, but it was fine after that. Having you in me got me so horny, I had to, you know.” She simulated rubbing herself.

“I’ll always encourage you to have as much pleasure as you want, and then a little more.”

“I don’t know,” she said after a moment. “I might have to try it again just to make sure.” That impish smile radiated across her entire face. “I hope you don’t mind.”

“Right now? What time is it?” My phone was somewhere with my shorts wherever those were.

She checked her watch. “12:38, still a couple of hours until the kids get home.”

“I’m not sure we should do it again today; I think my butthole needs a rest. I’m sure yours does too.”

She laughed. “Yeah, you’re right.” She looked at me and sighed again. “I suppose we should clean up. I hope we didn’t get any lube or cum on the sofa.”

We both slowly got up and looked around. It looked like she might have dripped some cum on the carpet, but that would be easily cleaned. I picked up the tube of Analease, and spotted her plug, almost under the sofa. She had the strapless vibrator in hand and we made our way to the bathroom. She washed the toys while I sat on the toilet. There was only what I think was lube I managed to squeeze out. I used a washcloth to clean myself, especially my penis, in case I needed it again.

She wanted to use the toilet too, but was still shy about me being there with her. I exited and pulled the door mostly shut so we could still talk. I didn’t see a need to get dressed yet, so I wandered over to her fireplace to look at things on the mantle. I hadn’t yet had a chance to investigate her place, and I looked forward to learning more about her. There were some candles with ornate ceramic holders, sea shells, and a statue of a Greek or Roman Goddess.

Her house was spare, without the clutter and multitude of knick-knacks and objects covering every surface of my place. I admired minimalism, but found it hard to throw things away. “I admire your minimalism,” I called out.

“Give it time, Tom. I haven’t been here that long.”

“I was hoping you were going to be a good influence on me.”

I could hear her laugh echoing in the small bathroom. “Say’s the man who let me give it to him up the chute.”

“See? You are a good influence.” I moved on to the sparsely populated curio cabinet next to the fireplace.

“Tom, do you want to help me figure out how that satisfy her thing works?”

“I’m sure you could figure it out, but I’d be happy to help you.”

“Maybe I’ll wear that plug while we’re at it.”

“You know, Miss Florakis, it’s not only your ass that’s perfect, it’s all of you.”

“It’s no fair saying all of that without me there to kiss you. Hold on.”

I scanned some figurines and folk art pieces and saw a partially hidden trophy of a female figure holding a floor hockey stick. I pulled it closer to read the plaque. Maria Capito, Most Valuable Player, 2009. Apple Lake High School.

Maria…

I pushed the trophy back, partially hidden by a ceramic bunny. I was able to turn away and was in the kitchen when she emerged, all freshened up for me as I unplugged the Satisfyer and held it up to show her. She held up the plug and the tube of lube.

“Did you ever play sports when you were in school? I was a pretty decent track and field guy.” I was hoping the question seemed random enough and not pointed.

She followed me to the glass doors and gave me a kiss. “I’m surprised you’d ask that question. Field and floor hockey. I have the thighs for it.” She took my hand and placed it on her inner thigh.

“Your thighs are one of your best assets.”

“Next to my beautiful ass-ett?” She laughed as she put her hand behind my neck and stood on tiptoe to kiss me again.

I opened the glass sliding door, and we stepped outside. I sat on the chaise and held out my hand for the plug, which she turned over, along with the lube. I squirted some on it and motioned for her to turn around. She bent over and I inserted it into her beautiful asset.

“You need to find someone to mow this grass; it’s getting long.” I tugged on her to sit in front of me with her back against my chest.

“I’ve got this neighbor guy who mows it. He’s kinda hot.”

“I hope he doesn’t take advantage of you.”

She turned her head to look at me. “I’m not sure who’s taking advantage of who.” She turned back and leaned against me, bringing both legs up on the chaise.

Pulling her even closer so I had easy access with my hands reaching around to her front, I had her spread her legs. “I had a chance to glance at the instructions,” I said as I held the device so we could both see it. “This button sets the pressure settings. It uses pulses of air.” I pressed it against her thigh so we could see how it worked and turned it on. She jumped.

After cycling through all the settings, we settled on one she thought was interesting. I had her take it in her hand, and guided it, placing the cup end over her clit.

She flinched and sighed, relaxing into the sensation. “Sometimes I can’t believe you are real.”

“I’m as real as you are,” I whispered in her ear.

I was so smitten with Irina. Nonetheless, I couldn’t help it. Despite what she had asked, what I had promised, I was going to solve the mystery of Maria Capito.