me over the edge; I cried out and my whole body started to quiver with
intense, dizzying ecstasy. And he was right there with me, grunting and groaning,
his muscles trembling, as the wildest of pleasures tore through his frame. He
held me for a long moment, and when our eyes met again, his were soft.
“Remember
this feeling Mel,” he said. “And then look me in the eye and tell me it doesn’t
feel right.” He pulled out from inside me, and placed me almost gingerly on the
ground. Then he smoothed down my skirt, and brushed my hair behind my ear.
“Just think about this, what this feels like, and then come by my place
tomorrow night and tell me what you’ve decided,” he said, pulling up his pants.
Then
he gave me a long wistful look and left.
***
After
Bradley left, I realized I needed a good friend to talk things over with, so I
called Jen. She lived a few blocks away, and half an hour after hanging up with
her, she was on my doorstep with a bottle of wine.
“Okay,
spill it, girl,” she said settling onto my couch.
I
told her everything, minus the weird time traveling stuff with the paintings.
She
gave me an exaggeratedly confused look and said, “So let me get this straight.
He’s brilliant, he can practically read your mind, he’s amazing in bed, and he
wants to take you away for a week. What exactly is the problem again?”
“I
just started this job,” I said, taking a small sip of my wine. “I can’t just pick
up and leave for a week before I’ve barely even gotten started.”
“Sure
you can,” Jen said. “It’s just a week. Tell them you have a family matter that
needs attending to. Five work days, Mel.”
I
shook my head. “But it’s reckless,” I said. “Or at least totally
irresponsible.”
Jen
let out a small laugh. “Get over yourself, Miss Workaholic. Reckless? Really?
It’s not like the place is going to fall apart with you gone for a few days.
Just do it. You just dealt with the Stephen thing. Now it’s time to make a
clean break and clear your head.” Then she smiled wickedly at me and said, “Not
to mention undergo a sexual reawakening.”
I
smiled at her and gave her a big hug. “Thanks, Jen. You’re the best.”
“Don’t
you know it,” she said, and we both laughed.
***
The
next day, I woke up feeling impulsive and flamboyant. I went into the back of
my closet and pulled out a pair of mauve snakeskin print pants and a black
velvet blazer that I had purchased on a whim, but had never worn. I’d told
myself that they represented the old me, the wild me that I’d buried long ago,
but I could never quite get myself to throw them out. I completed the outfit
with a pair of mauve and black funky Mary Janes I’d purchased from Fluevogs.
The
moment Sarah saw me, her jaw dropped. “What happened to corporate Mel?” she
asked, giving me a strange look. Then she frowned exaggeratedly and said,
“Looks like I’ve got some new competition in the outrageous department.”
I
laughed and said, “You better believe it.”
The
first thing I did was make an appointment to see my boss. When I strode into
his office later that morning, he did a double take, but then immediately
resumed a neutral expression. I told him I needed some time off immediately to
attend to a family matter. He gave me a serious look, pressed his lips together
in thought, but then his face lightened up as he told me there were no urgent
deadlines coming up this week, so, strangely enough, I couldn’t have picked a
better time to take a leave.
I
left his office feeling both relieved and thrilled. I was actually going to do
this. I was going to take off with Bradley. That afternoon I found myself on a
cobblestoned street in Soho, clicking along
intense, dizzying ecstasy. And he was right there with me, grunting and groaning,
his muscles trembling, as the wildest of pleasures tore through his frame. He
held me for a long moment, and when our eyes met again, his were soft.
“Remember
this feeling Mel,” he said. “And then look me in the eye and tell me it doesn’t
feel right.” He pulled out from inside me, and placed me almost gingerly on the
ground. Then he smoothed down my skirt, and brushed my hair behind my ear.
“Just think about this, what this feels like, and then come by my place
tomorrow night and tell me what you’ve decided,” he said, pulling up his pants.
Then
he gave me a long wistful look and left.
***
After
Bradley left, I realized I needed a good friend to talk things over with, so I
called Jen. She lived a few blocks away, and half an hour after hanging up with
her, she was on my doorstep with a bottle of wine.
“Okay,
spill it, girl,” she said settling onto my couch.
I
told her everything, minus the weird time traveling stuff with the paintings.
She
gave me an exaggeratedly confused look and said, “So let me get this straight.
He’s brilliant, he can practically read your mind, he’s amazing in bed, and he
wants to take you away for a week. What exactly is the problem again?”
“I
just started this job,” I said, taking a small sip of my wine. “I can’t just pick
up and leave for a week before I’ve barely even gotten started.”
“Sure
you can,” Jen said. “It’s just a week. Tell them you have a family matter that
needs attending to. Five work days, Mel.”
I
shook my head. “But it’s reckless,” I said. “Or at least totally
irresponsible.”
Jen
let out a small laugh. “Get over yourself, Miss Workaholic. Reckless? Really?
It’s not like the place is going to fall apart with you gone for a few days.
Just do it. You just dealt with the Stephen thing. Now it’s time to make a
clean break and clear your head.” Then she smiled wickedly at me and said, “Not
to mention undergo a sexual reawakening.”
I
smiled at her and gave her a big hug. “Thanks, Jen. You’re the best.”
“Don’t
you know it,” she said, and we both laughed.
***
The
next day, I woke up feeling impulsive and flamboyant. I went into the back of
my closet and pulled out a pair of mauve snakeskin print pants and a black
velvet blazer that I had purchased on a whim, but had never worn. I’d told
myself that they represented the old me, the wild me that I’d buried long ago,
but I could never quite get myself to throw them out. I completed the outfit
with a pair of mauve and black funky Mary Janes I’d purchased from Fluevogs.
The
moment Sarah saw me, her jaw dropped. “What happened to corporate Mel?” she
asked, giving me a strange look. Then she frowned exaggeratedly and said,
“Looks like I’ve got some new competition in the outrageous department.”
I
laughed and said, “You better believe it.”
The
first thing I did was make an appointment to see my boss. When I strode into
his office later that morning, he did a double take, but then immediately
resumed a neutral expression. I told him I needed some time off immediately to
attend to a family matter. He gave me a serious look, pressed his lips together
in thought, but then his face lightened up as he told me there were no urgent
deadlines coming up this week, so, strangely enough, I couldn’t have picked a
better time to take a leave.
I
left his office feeling both relieved and thrilled. I was actually going to do
this. I was going to take off with Bradley. That afternoon I found myself on a
cobblestoned street in Soho, clicking along
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