The Sex Education of M.E. (25 page)

By noon, I couldn’t take the unknown and I drove over to Merek’s house, my heart hammering in my chest. Jacob answered the door.

“Hey.” His surprised voice turned to a smile.

“Hey. How are you?”

“I’m good. Everything’s good. My dad’s upstairs.” My shoulders sagged in relief.

“Is he…is he okay?”

“Yeah, he’s always fine, he says.” Jacob shrugged. I imagined this was common reassurance from father to son, so he wouldn’t worry about the dangerous jobs.

“He’s making me go to school,” he said, hitching up the strap of his backpack. The local high schools already started, but my college courses didn’t begin for another week. “But you can come in and wait, if you’d like. He’s in the shower.”

“Well, I just…”

“I know he’ll want to see you,” Jake smirked, like a teenager would. He held the door open wider for me, and I stepped inside the cool front hall. “Cassie isn’t home,” Jake offered, then walked out the front door. This seemed like odd information to share with me. Standing in the entry way, I didn’t know what to do with myself. Should I make myself at home, as the saying goes? I didn’t want to startle Merek. I figured the kitchen might be a good waiting spot, or maybe his family room, where he could see me from his descent down the stairs. After a few minutes of awkward pacing, I decided waiting wasn’t an option. The road less travelled was instead.

I climbed the stairs slowly, but my heart beat rapidly increased. Reaching the top landing, I heard the steady sound of a shower in the direction of Merek’s room. I entered hesitantly, calling out his name, but my voice squeaked quietly. My hands shook as I knocked on the bathroom door.

“Merek,” I said, still too low.

“I can’t hear you, come in here.” My head whipped upward. He couldn’t have meant me. He must have thought I was one of his kids.

“Merek,” I called out, as I gently pressed forward the door. He hadn’t answered me and my breath caught. A plopping noise came from the tub, as if he rinsed out his hair.

“Merek,” I said louder and the curtain slid open. That breath I held, I swallowed it whole and choked. Before me stood a god of a man with streams of water gracing his body in all manner of direction.

Can’t breathe
, my brain shouted.

Need to touch
, my hands twitched.

“Emme,” he struggled, wiping water from his face.

“I…” My thumb pointed over my shoulder, but it was the only motion I made. I couldn’t speak. I couldn’t draw air. I could only stare at toned muscles teeming with rivulets of water. I was so thirsty, so, so thirsty.

He leaned forward. The spray still hitting his back. His hands reached forward and gripped the front of my shirt. Instantly, my chest was soaked and my mouth crushed. He was already taller than me, but standing in the tub made him even taller. He bent his knees to scoop up my behind and drag me upward. I balanced on the edge of the tub, not breaking the connection of our lips and tongue.

“Oh God, are you a vision?” he muttered.

“My God, you are,” I mumbled, still keeping his lips under mine. My arms wrapped around his neck. The front of me soaked through from his wet body pressing against me. I kicked off my flip flops while his hands maneuvered my damp shirt over my head. He tugged me into the shower and slid the curtain closed.

“I was so worried about you,” I said, brushing back tendrils of his hair which stood out all wet and wild.

“You were?”

“Yes.” I nodded vigorously before his mouth crushed mine briefly. “You could have been injured. Or worst. And then you’d be lost to me, and I couldn’t live without…” His mouth stopped my ramblings.

“I’m fine,” he muttered over and over. “I’m okay.”

I nodded, continuing to rub my hands over his body, affirming his presence.

“How worried were you?” His tone teased while his hands deftly unbuttoned my shorts and he pushed them toward the tub.

“Very, very,” I eagerly replied, before taking his mouth back with mine.

“You’re very, very wet,” he teased.

“Yes, I am,” I answered breathlessly. “Yes, I am.”

He laughed knowingly.

“You’re kind of a horny woman, Emme.”

My hold released and I stared up at him.

“Is that bad?” I asked, sheepishly.

“Are you crazy?” he laughed, placing his hands on either side of my face, and taking my lips once again.

Within minutes, the remainder of my soaked clothes were removed and his hands roved over my body. Our palms rediscovered one another and I didn’t shy away from the slow drag of his fingers over my curves. Those fingers found the place longing for him and my own wrapped tightly around him. Solid, velvet steel rested in my palm, ready to take me, and yet, he dragged out the foreplay, until I nearly fell over.

“Let’s step out.” He reached for the faucet and turned off the water. We stood in his bathroom only briefly facing each other before he spun me in the direction of the large mirror over his sink.

“See that,” he said, pointing my attention to the naked reflection in the glass. “That is a beautiful woman.”

I smiled despite myself and his mouth nipped the juncture of my shoulder and neck. Sucking on me, my knees buckled and I gripped the sink counter. His hands remapped my body until his fingers found a home and I came so quickly I screamed.

“I’m so tired,” he said, “but I don’t want to move. I want to watch you like this.” Understanding his meaning, I leaned forward, letting the length of him drag over my backside. I wasn’t as tall as him, and I lifted a knee to the counter to level with his height. He slipped into me instantly, and we groaned in unison at the long-awaited connection.

“Mother of all things holy,” he moaned as he hammered in and out of me. The position allowed him to hit something deep inside me, but when his fingers returned to the achy nub of pleasure, I thought I’d take too long to crash again.

“No, I’m okay,” I said brushing away his hand, and wanting him to take his own pleasure from me.

“I want two,” he muttered, forcing his hand back to my center.

“I can’t,” I grunted as he filled me.

“You will.” He teased, he toyed, and I gave in. The orgasm washed away my fears of his safety and our status. He joined me, filling me as he pulsed deep inside, matching the rhythm of my heart.

We tumbled to my bed, replete from the bathroom acrobatics. I couldn’t believe her flexibility at times. I couldn’t believe she still wanted me. Opening the curtain, I thought I was dreaming. Her standing there all wide eyed, like she can be. How I wished I could read her mind. The wheels were always spinning inside her. But I instantly realized she’d come to me, and she stood in my bathroom full of concern for me, while I remained naked and wet, which was exactly how I wanted her to be.

She didn’t deny me, and I was so thankful to have her in my arms, and in my shower. Making love to Emme was the last thing on my mind when I went to work the day before. In fact, the thing on my mind was the slow burn sparking between us. We’d done things backward like she said. We started with the fire, but needed to step back from the blaze. Only from the moment I met her, there had been a spark. These days of walking and talking and breakfast dates were only increasing the flame, but I wasn’t getting a sense of direction from her.

She was reserved while she teased. She’d make comments and retract them so quickly I didn’t know what she meant. But here she lay in my arms, on my bed, in my home.

“Oh my God, where’s Jacob?” I blurted, completely forgetting for a short time that I had children.

“He left for school. He told me to wait for you and he let me in,” she said, twisting back her damp hair.

“What about Cassie?” I swallowed hard, recalling the fight Cassie and I had before I went to work last night.

“Jacob said she’s out.”

The mundane conversation seemed so real, so natural, like she was my wife and I was getting a rundown of my children. The thought threw me off and I fell back on my pillow, staring up at the ceiling.

“You okay?” she whispered, bracing herself on her side, propping her head up with a hand.

“Yeah.”

“Want to tell me about the fire?”

“It was your typical blaze that got out of control. More departments were called in and we were one of them. I…” I stopped. Explaining the ins and outs of my job seemed surreal, too. She was naked in my bed, and she asked about my day. The concept was so refreshing. I’d never had this before. I rolled my head to face her.

“What’s happening here?” I asked, narrowing my eyes at her.

“I’m asking you about your day, and…”

“No. I mean us. What just happened? You here now. What is going on?”

“Well, I… I was worried and I came over to see if you were home. Then I saw you in the shower and one thing led to another.” She smiled, but it slowly disappeared from her face as her eyes lowered and her fingers played with the coarse hairs on my chest.

“One thing led to another?” I stated, shifting to my side to face her. “I like you, that’s what happened.” I brushed back a wet strand of her hair.

“I like you, too.”

I waited for her line, but it didn’t happen.

“Is this allowed?” I asked, smiling slowly.

“I hope so,” she whispered, those blue eyes opened wide.

“Friends?” I nodded.

“With benefits?” she added, twisting her lips before they broke into a smile.

“How about the benefit is being your friend,” I said.

“What about the rest?” Her eyes dipped to the hair she tickled on my chest.

“Maybe we could not define it for now. No labels. Just let it be.”

She nodded slowly, her face falling in question, but I leaned forward and kissed her. Our mouths meshed, and her body twisted against mine.

“You seem insatiable,” I said, pulling back from her as her body started to squirm against mine.

“Do you need to invest in those drugs? You know the ones “to put you in the mood” or for erectile…”
I cut her off with my mouth before pulling back. “I don’t think I’ll have any issue being in the mood for you. And as for the other thing, I’ll show you how well it functions.”

My body covered hers instantly, and her thighs opened wide, allowing me to prove myself to her. Yes, we were definitely more than friends with benefits.

“Where’s Dad?” I heard Jacob ask Cassie while I prepared dinner for the three of us. Grilled steak was on the menu for this evening. I’d been outside but came back in the house to grab some tongs.

“He’s outside, why?” Cassie answered.

“Don’t you think it’s strange he’s having more sex than me?” My path to the utensil drawer stilled and I held my breath.

“He should be having more sex than you, Jake. He’s an adult. Plus, we already know he’s had tons of girlfriends.” Cassie’s voice hushed and I strained to listen.

“Not girlfriends. Just friends.” I could picture Jake in my head using air quotes to emphasis the friends of my past.

“Well, either way, you’re only seventeen,” she stated, sounding like the mother hen she could be toward Jake, despite her rebellious behavior toward me. Cassie definitely took on a second-in-command attitude with Jake, ranking her motherly position after my mother, who was the best example either of my kids had.

“Yeah, well, when will I have it like him?”

“Never, I hope,” she snorted. “Old love is so…eww.” I turned away from the drawer and crept closer to the kitchen entrance to the dining room.
What the hell was old love? And who was in love anyway?

“I mean, when will I know when I’ve found the right girl? You know, the one I give it up to?” I paused, holding my breath in anticipation of Cassie’s answer.

“You just know, Jake. It’s just a feeling that it’s the right person to share the experience. But you should definitely wait.” I smiled to myself at the motherly wisdom.

“Why wait if it feels right, right now?” he asked. I twisted to lean against the door jamb, my arms folded as I listened.

“Who does it feel right with, Jake?” Cassie asked and when he didn’t answer, she responded, “That’s what I thought.”

“But it will happen, right? I mean, I’ll recognize the feeling?” he questioned so innocently.