What a night (closed for WingsFan71 and yuna1981)

[WingsFan71]

Rick stood and stared at himself in his bathroom mirror. He checked himself over and decided he was ready to go. His friends had been hounding him for some time to come out to the pub with them to sing karaoke and he had decided to accept. The pub was only a few short blocks away, so he had told them he would walk there and meet them after he went home and cleaned up.

Rick felt something bump his leg. He looked down to see his cat was looking for attention. He squatted down and scratched the scruffy orange cat behind the ears.

"Hey, Spike," he said, smiling. "I'm going out for a while, but the food and water bowls are full and I cleaned your box before I showered. Do you think you can handle the place by yourself tonight? Ted and Rita want me to join them at Murphy's for some beers."

The big tomcat purred contentedly and gave his usual meow in reply as he rubbed along Rick's calf. Rick stood back up and left the bathroom. He looked around his small three room apartment and made sure he hadn't forgotten anything.

"Okay, dishes are done. Floor's been swept. What else do I need to do?"

Rick was procrastinating, and he knew it. He'd been living alone for almost three years now. He had his routine down. But going out, even with friends, was hard for him still.

The separation and divorce from Julie had taken a big toll on him. He only socialized with people he worked with. Making friends hadn't been a problem for him, but he kept people at a distance. He had issues. But he was determined to deal with them on his own.

"I guess you'd like me to open the balcony door, eh Spike?" Rick opened the door to a screened balcony. The evening air was warm and comfortable. Spring had come early and Summer looked to come on just as fast. A jingling noise told him Spike was coming. The cat jumped up on the ledge and looked out over the quiet neigborhood. He seemed to Rick like a noble king watching over his kingdom. Rick couldn't help smiling at his feline companion.

"Okay, meathead, I'm out of here. No wild parties and don't burn the place down."

Spike looked up at Rick with his golden eyes. The look on the cat's face almost seemed sarcastic as he meowed loudly. It was like the cat was saying "Oh, very funny, smartass."

Rick laughed quietly and ruffled the cat's fur playfully. "I'll be back later, boss."

As he opened the door to leave the apartment, Rick's neighbor poked his head out of his apartment across the small stairway.

"Heading out?"

Rick felt a little perturbed at his neighbor always needing to know his comings and goings. But since he sometimes got to borrow movies from him he let it go.

"Yeah. Some friends from work invited me out to the pub. I figure it's about time to start getting out there and socialize."

"Okay, well have a good time. I'll keep an eye on your place for you."

Stan was an okay guy. He was mostly quiet except for when he was losing to his video games. And he could converse with Rick on many subjects they both held interests in. Rick felt sorry for Stan because he never seemed to have any company except for his family. But Rick knew he liked it that way and didn't say anything about it.

"Spike's got it covered, but thanks for the offer." Both men chuckled at the joke. A watchcat? Laughable.

Rick started down the stairs after locking his apartment door. "See you later, Stan."

"Later." Stan shut his door and locked it.

After letting himself out at the lower door, Rick locked it as well and started the short walk to Murphy's. He felt a small quiver in his stomach. He hadn't really wanted to go out but his coworkers Ted and Rita had been hounding him for so long. They meant well and they were good folks. Rick knew they were an item and didn't want to be a third wheel. But Rita had threatened to start calling him a shut-in and Ted swore to him that they really wanted him along. He needed to get out again. And they were determined to get him to come along at least once. So Rick had relented to their request. At least he'd get some beers out of the deal.

When Rick entered the small pub, he heard a familiar voice over the speakers. He looked to his right and there was Ted, singing his heart out to a cheesy love song and sounding like a large animal with its sensitive parts caught in a trap. Rita was sitting at a nearby table and laughing at her man's attempt to serenade her. Rick went over and tapped her shoulder. Rita turned and looked up at him. A big smile broke out on her face and she jumped up from her chair to give Rick a huge hug.

"Hey, sweetie!" she exclaimed. "We wondered when you were going to show up. Ted was going to come over and drag you out if you didn't turn up soon. Lucky for you his name came up next on the list."

Rick smiled shyly and sat next to Rita. "I told y'all I'd come. I just wanted to make sure I was cleaned up and looking decent."

Rita looked him up and down with a sad smile. "You look fine, hun. And I see you even shaved that beard from your face. But you really should try to wear something other than black all the time. It makes you look like a goth."

Rick looked down at his outfit. Black t-shirt and black jeans with black sneakers. He looked back at Rita and shrugged.

"Black goes with everything. And it's slimming. Besides, you know I can't coordinate colors when it comes to clothing. I just go with what fits and feels comfortable."

Rita rolled her eyes and shook her head. "I swear, you boys and your reasonings."

Ted's song ended and they turned to look at him. He smiled and waved at Rick and blew a kiss at Rita. He jumped down from the small stage and went to the board for the karaoke machine to make some changes. After he finished he joined the pair at the table. He and Rick shook hands as he sat down on the other side of Rita and draped an arm across her shoulders.

"Hey, buddy. How's it hangin'? I signed us up for a song. You better get some beer down you before it comes up."

"Oh, brother," Rick groaned. "What song?" Rick grabbed the pitcher of beer and poured some in the empty glass on the table. He tipped it up and started to gulp it down as Ted and Rita exchanged a mischievious look.

"Don't Stop Believing by Journey."

Rick choked slightly and stared at his friend.

"What? Oh, god, I hate that song."

Ted broke out in laughter and slapped the table. "I know. That's why I did it."

"Ted," Rita jokingly chided her boyfriend, "you're evil." But she started laughing too.

"You're a real bastard, Ted," Rick said before grinning and laughing as well. "Man, that song grates my nerves."

The three of them sat and chatted as quietly as they could in the slowly filling bar. People came in more and more as time went on. People took their turns in the rotation for singing. Some were ok. Some were horrible. But one or two people were pretty good. The patrons in the bar applauded each singer no matter the quality. Drinking seemed to be the equalizer in everyone's ears.

When it was time, Rita went up to do her song. Ted turned to Rick and clapped him on the shoulder.

"We're next, buddy. Get enough to drink yet?"

"Yeah. But I need to take a leak before I get up there and embarrass myself. I'll be right back."

"Okay. If you shake it more than once..."

"It qualifies as self-gratifiacation, I know." Rick laughed as he got up and started to weave his way through the crowd.

He had nearly made it to the restroom when a petite blond in a short red dress jumped up from her chair and ran right into him. Rick was startled and surprised by the contact. The girl was too and nearly fell down. He reached out instinctively to keep her from falling. His arms went around her and pulled her to him.

Her hands were on his chest as they looked at each other. Rick wasn't sure about how he looked, but the girl in his arms looked very suprised to have bumped into him. Her eyes were wide and her mouth was open in a silent O. Rick caught a whif of her perfume. It was the perfect mix of honey and jasmine that made his head spin as he breathed it in.

"Oh, I'm sorry," the woman said. Her cheeks were flushed from what Rick assumed was embarrassment.

"That's alright," he replied as he let her go. "No harm done. I nearly knocked you down. At least I kept that from happening."

As the beauty stepped back, her hand brushed Rick's forearm. The combination of her touch and the smell of her perfume caused Rick's flesh to tingle and gooseflesh to rise. She smiled up at him sweetly and began to walk away.

As Rick turned to go to the restroom, a big guy who had been sitting with the woman stood up and pointed at Rick.

"Hey, asshole! What's the big idea?" He was tall, with short brown hair and a nasty attitude.

"I didn't mean to bump into your lady. It was an honest mistake. I apologized." Rick didn't feel like getting into a brawl over a small mistake. He was just out to have a good time with some friends.

"Well watch it next time, dick! Want me to kick your ass?" Obviously, this guy was the type that looked for trouble. Or he wanted to show off for his date.

The blond appeared next to her date and grabbed his arm. When he looked down at her she was staring knives at him.

"Just stop it," she said. "He didn't mean to do it anymore than I did. Quit acting like a jerk or you can take me home."

The big man looked like a balloon that had all the air let out of it. He slumped his shoulders and apologized to her.

"Sorry, babe. I just don't like other guys putting their hands on you."

"Well knock it off. You're acting like a baby." She turned to Rick with an apology in her eyes.

Rick held his hand up to her. His gesture letting her know he was okay and wasn't going to make an issue of the situation. He turned again and proceeded to go to the restroom.

When he was finished, he went the long way around the bar to get back to his table. Ted was waiting for him.

"You okay, dude? That guy looked like he was gonna tear you apart."

Rick smiled and shook his head. "No harm, no foul. Guess he thought I was making a move on his gal when she ran into me." He took another drink from his glass.

"I saw the whole thing," Ted remarked. "She sure put him in his place while you were in the can. I thought she was gonna walk out and leave him here. You know, he was trying to stare you down the entire time you were coming back here."

Rick shrugged and poured himself another glass. He'd taken the long route specifically to avoid causing more problems. Maybe coming out had been a mistake. First time out with friends and he was finding trouble.

Rita's song finished and she joined the guys at their table. She kissed Ted and sat down.

"Your turn boys. Have fun."

"Come on, buddy. Our time to shine." Ted playfully punched Rick on the shoulder as he headed toward the stage.

Rick sighed and followed his friend. From the corner of his eye he could see the bruiser looking at him with an angry eye. The girl with him tugged his sleeve and said something with anger on her face. His face drooped and he turned away from Rick.

Rick joined Ted on the stage and grabbed a microphone. The music began and they got ready to sing as the words came up on the karaoke machine's screen.

 

[yuna1981]

It was going to be another one of those nights, Delia could tell already. Jeff was in an awful mood, which was the normal state of mind for him these days really. They used to have a lot of fun together in the beginning, but ever since Jeff had lost his job, he had become harder and harder to be around. Delia didn't blame him, to some degree. In this economy, it was difficult for a lot of people, and who could be cheerful in the face of such stress? However, she'd been thinking lately that Jeff had been taking it a bit too far, so far as to start taking his bad moods out on her.

Looking in the mirror, she opened her lips slightly and applied a garnet red lipstick to her lips, matching the garnet-colored dress that she donned just minutes before. Pressing her lips together to blend it, she smiled at her reflection in the mirror. The smiling red lips stood out boldly against pale skin, and her white blond hair was short, spiky, and just on the edge of punk. Normally she didn't wear such bright colors, but she found herself reaching for bright ones in the face of Jeff's dark moods, to cheer herself up. She also reached for her perfume decanter, and spritzed a little on her neck and pulse points on her wrist. Smoothing her dress over her frame, picking off an imaginary piece of lint with garnet colored fingernails, she left her room and ventured downstairs to wait for Jeff.

He was picking her up for their date tonight, a karaoke night at a nearby bar. This was at her insistence, she dearly loved karaoke and used to have aspirations to be a pop star as a teenager. Jeff never participated, but he used to be a fun and supportive audience member. Emphasis on used to. Delia sighed. She was getting to that point where waiting for the old Jeff to come back was getting hard to do. Wanting to be supportive, Delia tried her best to smooth things over with him all the time, but she was very, very close to her wit's end. Very close.

Hearing a sudden knock at the the door that broke her train of thought, she rose out of her chair and went to the door to open it. There Jeff stood, checking his smart phone and waiting for her.

"Come in for a sec while I just grab my purse, k?" Delia said.

"Sure," Jeff answered, and stepped in, still fiddling with his phone. Delia ran to get her stuff, and then approached Jeff, purse in hand. Jeff looked up and snarled suddenly. "What are you wearing? You look like a whore!"

Delia was shocked. "Are you kidding Jeff? Please tell me you are kidding."

"And your lips, the bright red lipstick... what the hell message are you trying to send?" Jeff narrowed his eyes and glared at her.

Feeling hot tears spring to her eyes, instead of anger, Delia felt hurt. And defeat. "Just wanted to wear something bright, Jeff. We're going to a bar for god's sake, not the opera. And this dress isn't even tight, or revealing. Certainly not what I'd wear if I were whoring myself out, though I really appreciate your compliments." sarcasm dripped from Delia's voice.

Jeff backed down. "Sorry... I just, reacted. Let's not fight. Do you want to go?" And he grabbed her arm and kissed her cheek. Delia shut her eyes and tried not to move away. She wanted to go, have a good time, stop this constant fighting.

"Yeah, let's go." And they walked out to Jeff's car and drove to the bar.

Unfortunately the night was unfolding no better than its start. Jeff was not easy to talk to, and he kept hovering over her like a prison guard, making Delia feel on edge. She knew that Jeff's comment was linked to his increasing jealousy, one of those behaviors that emerged post job loss. She normally tried to be forgiving of it because she knew their fighting and her increasing distance from his made it worse. It was like a looping cycle of bad that she didn't know how to make better.

"I'm going to go up and sign up for a song," she said, and jumped out of her chair.

Suddenly she bumped into someone, with such force that she nearly topped over. She felt a pair of strong arms grab her, and she looked up in shock to see a man, dressed all in black, holding her up and stopping her from falling.

Apologizing to each other, everything was fine until Jeff stood up and almost picked a fight, in a jealous rage. Luckily Delia and the man she had bumped into were able to diffuse it, but this encounter only made their night worse, and Delia and Jeff continued to argue at their table. She didn't get to sign up for her song.

After concluding their heated argument, they sat together in silence. Then Delia noticed that the man she had bumped into was getting up on stage with his friend to sing a song. Sipping on her beer, she smiled amusedly and settled back to watch. Jeff got up to get another drink from the bar.

The familiar intro to the Journey song made Delia laugh. Classic karaoke song. It was so funny to see it performed as a duet with two males. The man and his friend weren't particular vocally talented, but they were having fun, and as the song progressed, she could see that the man she bumped into was really loosening up and starting to perform. She wished she knew his name. She wished that Jeff would get up and do something like this. She wished a lot of things.

"Don't stop believing. Hold on to that feeling." As they broke into the chorus, the man caught Delia's eye, and they smiled at each other. Delia felt a sudden little thrill. The man had an amazing, sunny smile, and it wrinkled his eyes in friendly laugh lines that made him seem approachable, despite his dress all in black. The black clothes didn't make him seem dark, strangely enough, but calm, smooth... the complete opposite of the roller-coaster she'd been riding with Jeff over the past few weeks. The closing of the song approached, and everyone in the bar hooted and hollered and applauded wildly as the pair took a bow.

"Damn it, Delia," she heard Jeff snarl behind her. "You really are whoring yourself out tonight. You want to go fuck that guy? Let's see if you want to after I kick his ass." Jeff strode angrily to the stage. Delia knew he was drunk and getting out of control. She tried to grab his arm and stop him, but he shrugged her off. She ran after him, grabbing his shirt, and begging him to cool off.

"What the hell, Jeff? Stop it! You're drunk!" Practically crying, Delia did everything she could, but Jeff was an irrational raging bull and she was helpless to stop him.

The man and his friend stepped off the stage, and Jeff suddenly grabbed his shirt. Facing off with each other, they looked like they were about to enter into a fight, and Delia's stomach dropped as she tugged on Jeff. The man caught Delia's eye briefly, and the calmness and confidence in his eyes comforted her a little, as if everything was going to be okay.

 

[WingsFan71]

Rick and Ted began to sing. While the song wasn’t exactly his favorite, he knew why Ted had picked it. Ted wanted Rick to loosen up and have fun. He’d been one of the few people who had understood the dark clouds Rick had been walking under for the past few years. The betrayal he’d gone through with his ex had torn Rick up pretty bad. He’d been fighting depression and loneliness on his own. Rick was proud that way. He talked to his cat more than most people. Ted and Rita were probably the only ones outside of Rick’s neighbor who knew how bad his demons were.

Rick knew the lyrics well enough that he didn’t have to concentrate on the screen. So he was scanning the crowd to see how well they were being received. For a brief moment, he locked eyes with the woman he’d bumped into. She was smiling at him. He felt something warm travel up his spine. It was a nice feeling. He returned her smile and continued singing. In the back of his mind he thought it was a shame she had to be out with such a creep like her date seemed to be. In a better circumstance he would have offered to buy her a drink and maybe find out more about her. Like what her name was for starters.

Rick shrugged the thought off mentally and returned his concentration to the song. But he kept looking at her in his peripheral vision. She was watching him intently, even though her date seemed to be getting more agitated by the second.

As the song finished, the crowd in the bar applauded Rick and Ted’s efforts. Rita was even standing at their table and holding her cell phone up. Rita didn’t smoke, so she didn’t have a lighter. The guys put the microphones back in the stands and bowed to the crowd.

As they were leaving the stage, the muscle head came barging through the crowd, the woman with him was pulling on his shirt and trying without success to stop him. He grabbed Rick’s shirt and got in his face.

“What the hell, Jeff? Stop it! You’re drunk!” Rick could see she was nearly crying. He felt sorry for her. He looked her in the eyes and tried to pass her a calming thought. Then he looked into the eyes of the jerk who was stepping over the line. He didn’t flinch away. He had to defuse this situation before it got out of control. His mind rapidly tried to figure out a plan.

Ted eyed the situation warily. He hadn’t intended this to happen. All he had wanted was to get his friend out of his place and enjoy a night of relaxation. Things didn’t look good. Rick seemed way too calm for what was happening. He looked to Ted like the eye of a hurricane.

“Uhh, Rick?” Ted was trying to keep an eye on his friend and see if a bouncer was nearby at the same time.

“It’s okay, Ted,” Rick said calmly. “Jeff here obviously has an issue he’d like to discuss with me. I’m not going to hurt him. I gave you my word that I wouldn’t do that anymore.” Rick locked eyes with Ted and silently willed his buddy to play along with what he was saying. If he could talk his way out of this it would be far better than trying to go toe to toe with a drunken lout that had a head of steam built up.

Ted got the message loud and clear. He backed up slowly and raised his hands as if he were trying to keep Rick under control instead of the guy starting the trouble.

“Okay, buddy. As long as you can control that temper of yours.”

The man named Jeff suddenly looked puzzled. He relaxed his grip but didn’t let go of Rick’s shirt. His head turned back and forth between the two friends. Rick could tell he was still pissed off, but their exchange had made him stop to think for a second.

“What are you talking about?” Jeff asked, drunkenly. He was swaying slightly and slurring his words a little. “What do you mean anymore? Who’s he gonna hurt? Me? I can take this prick easy.” He puffed up a bit and smiled stupidly.

Ted stepped closer to Jeff and spoke to him calmly. “You might want to let him go, friend. He’s been going through a lot of stuff lately and he can go off like that.” For emphasis, Ted snapped his fingers and looked at Rick like he was afraid of him. “He’s no pushover. You should see him at our class. One day he got so mad at our sensei that he broke the guy’s arm in two places. Even busted his nose.”

Jeff quickly looked back at Rick. His eyes were wide and he had the look of a man who suddenly realizes he has a tiger by its tail. Rick just stood there calmly and stared back into Jeff’s eyes. Inside, he was praying Ted’s words would fool this guy into backing down. He couldn’t do martial arts any more than he could stand on his head and juggle, but Jeff couldn’t know that.

The woman with Jeff had stopped pulling on him. She no longer looked like she was going to cry. She just looked pissed and tired of Jeff’s antics.

“That’s it!” she cried. “I’m tired of your bullshit! We’re done! You can forget about calling me ever again. You’re just a bully and a child. I’m taking a cab home. I never want to see you again.”

Her words were like a whip across Jeff’s shoulders. He flinched and let go of Rick’s shirt. At that moment, the bouncer finally appeared and grabbed Jeff by the shoulder.

“That’s it for you, fella,” he said gruffly. He turned Jeff around and started shoving him to the door. Jeff didn’t even fight him. He just walked with his head down and let himself be led out. As he was about to leave he stopped and shouted one last barb at the woman.

“Fucking fine with me! I was tired of your shit anyway!” With that, he shoved the door open and stormed out of the bar.

Rick had been watching the events with relief. He was glad that he hadn’t had to fight the big man and he was even more glad that he was gone. He started to shake lightly and he grabbed Ted’s arm for support.

“I need to sit down, buddy,” he gasped. “And thanks for going along with what I said.”

“No problem, pal. You know the old saying: If you can’t dazzle them with brilliance…”

Rick smiled and finished the saying. “Baffle them with bullshit.”

The two friends walked back to their table and joined Rita. She’d been watching with fear throughout the entire event and had even started to call the police when Jeff had been removed from the bar. She was shutting her phone and returning it to her purse when the men came back and sat down. The bar had grown silent during the confrontation, but people were returning to their discussions and seemed to have forgotten the whole thing.

Rick was taking a drink from his glass when he felt a hand on his shoulder. The scent of honey and jasmine filled his nose again. He turned in his seat to see the blond beauty staring down at him. She seemed embarrassed and afraid to speak.

“Hello, again,” Rick said with a sad smile. “I’m sorry if I ruined your date. I guess you’re going to be leaving now?” In his chest, Rick could feel his heart begin to pound heavily. Her hand was soft and warm where it rested on his shoulder. He hoped she would at least talk to him one more time before she walked out of his life. He hadn’t felt like this in a long time and he didn’t want it to end just yet.

“Nonsense!” Rita interjected. “She’s going to sit right here with us and have a drink.” She got up and grabbed a nearby empty chair and sat it at the table next to Rick. Rita was always trying to set Rick up on dates. He politely refused each time, but tonight luck was on her side. She was going to make sure Rick had a good time even if he never got to see this girl again.

“Thank you,” the blond said as she sat down. “I’m so sorry about Jeff. He’s just grown moodier and moodier lately. I guess it was going to happen sooner or later. I just wish he hadn’t done what he did to you. I feel so bad about it.” She turned to look at Rick. His eyes held such a deep look of sympathy in them that she nearly melted.

“No harm done,” Rick smiled as he held out his hand. “I’m Rick, by the way. And these are my friends Ted and Rita.” They both smiled and nodded to her.

“I’m Delia,” the woman said as she took Rick’s hand. Her hand was warm and holding it made Rick feel slightly dizzy again. What was it about her that made him this way? He didn’t mind it one bit, but it was a little puzzling.

“It’s nice to finally know your name, Delia,” Rick said smiling broadly. “I could have done without the circumstances, of course, but I’ve been through worse.”

Delia looked at Rick with a serious expression. “I hope you weren’t really going to fight Jeff.”

Ted laughed and patted Rick heavily on the shoulder. “Rick wasn’t going to fight anyone if he didn’t have to. He’s just too good-natured to do that. Far as I know he’s never been in a fight. We just pulled a little mind game with him to throw him off.”

Rick smiled a sheepish smile and looked at his friend. He raised his glass in a toast and drank it down.

Rita motioned to the bartender and he quickly sent over a fresh glass for Delia. Rick poured Delia a drink and handed it to her. Their fingers touched as she took it. They stared at each other for a few seconds, prolonging the contact.

Man, he thought. I really like this girl and I just met her. I hope she at least stays for a while or even gives me her number. I’d like to get to know her.

 

[yuna1981]

The tension from the near-fight slowly melted away, as Delia sipped her beer and chatted with Rick, Ted, and Rita. They exchanged stories about funny happenings at their respective workplaces, bickered over best and worst karaoke songs of all time, and, as the night progressed and they all got tipsier, started on a more personal conversation thread.

Delia, feeling utterly freed from the cloud hanging over her head that had been Jeff, was extra playful tonight, and with the drinks going to her head, commenced this conversation that, in retrospect, she probably wouldn't have with people she just met. But Ted, Rita, and especially Rick, were so sweet, she felt like she had known them forever.

It started off innocently. "So, Ted, Rita... you have to tell me how you guys met!" Delia asked, chirping, "I'm dying to know!"

Ted and Rita looked at each other and laughed. Rita answered quickly, "At work. We work together. With Rick as well."

"And..." Delia prodded.

"Well," Ted broke in, "we were interested in each other right away, I think, but we didn't realize it until much later, when it sort of, occurred to us all at once."

"Yeah," Rick chimed in, snickering. "All at once, you could say that."

Rita gave Rick a dirty look, and sighed. "Oh I'll just say it. We were working late together at the office one night, and it was then that we realized that we were attracted to each other, and... we slept together."

"Oh, ok," Delia said, "that's kind of romantic actually, consummating a burning passion that had been simmering.."

"Um," Ted said, blushing. "Like, then and there, right in the office."

"I know," Rick said, laughing. "I found you guys there the next morning, passed out on the office table. Luckily I came in earlier than everyone else and could wake you up and make you put on your clothes before anyone else saw you!"

Delia found herself turned on a bit by this story, especially the way that Ted and Rita exchanged knowing glances, clearly recalling and mentally reliving that night. Rick was continually laughing, but as Delia caught his eye, they found themselves staring at each other, and she felt her cheeks flush under his gaze. Suddenly an image flashed in her mind, of laying on an office table, legs spread, Rick on top of her. She looked away, breaking the gaze, in embarrassment, though she couldn't help but smile to herself a little.

 

[WingsFan71]

Rick was feeling better about coming out with Ted and Rita. Sure, there had been a couple of bumps in the road, but now he was sitting here with two of his closest friends and a beautiful woman who seemed to be growing very attracted to him. He started to feel better about himself as well. Lighter, more like himself. He admitted to himself that he had been cooped up in his little apartment dwelling on the past for too long.

Delia kept looking at him with a strange glint in her eye. Had Ted and Rita's story given her ideas? He felt a lump in his throat that wasn't uncomfortable but somewhat pleasurable. He wanted to reach out and hold Delia's hand, maybe even kiss her. But he didn't want to come off pushy. He would treat her with respect, like a woman deserved. If it played out in his favor, all for the better. But he knew there was something he had to do right now.

"If you kind folks will excuse me, nature calls. I'll be right back." He met Delia's eyes. "Don't run away, okay?"

Delia smiled back. "I'll be right here."

"While Big Casino is answering the call," Ted said, grabbing the pitcher, "I'm going to get us a refill. Ladies." With a deep bow, he sauntered off to the bar.

Rita waved at her beau and turned to Delia.

"You like him, don't you?" She looked past Delia to indicate Rick as he entered the men's room.

"Rick? Yes, he's very sweet. I wish I could have met him instead of Jeff. He seems so calm and relaxed. Almost confident without being an ass." Delia looked at the door as it shut.

"Well let me tell you something about him first. That poor guy has been picking himself up piece by piece for three years now. If you had met him back then you would have a totally different opinion. Oh, he's always been a sweetheart. He'd give you the shirt off his back." Rita smiled sadly.

"What do you mean?" Delia looked surprised. "What happened to him?"

"What usually happens to a man." Rita's expression darkened as the memories returned to her. "A woman."

"Oh?" Delia leaned in closer to Rita. "Was it that bad?"

Rita nodded and folded her arms. "His ex-wife really did a number on him. Four years of marriage washed right down the drain because her old boyfriend got out of prison. He was already dealing with the death of his mother and then she tells him it's over. Just took the light right out of his eyes. And he was working two jobs just so she and her three kids could live comfortably. The worst part was he really loved those kids like they were his own."

Delia felt tears form in her eyes.

"Oh my god," she gasped. "How did he get through all that?" She felt so bad for Rick at that moment.

"Ted stuck by him and kept his head out of the gutter. I helped as best I could." She shuddered slightly like she was shaking something bad off of her shoulders.

"But he's been getting better day by day. We got him a cat so he wouldn't be totally alone at home. Those two make quite the pair."

Delia smiled slightly at the thought. "I'm glad he's doing better. I never would have guessed by the way he's been acting tonight."

"Oh, he's smitten with you, girl," Rita said with a mischievous grin. "Take it from someone who knows him well."

"He is?" Delia felt her face flush again. "I'm flattered to know that."

Once again, Rita leaned in close to her. "Yeah, but trust me, he's not going to make the first move. He's too respectful to do that. He might ask for your number, but if you want it to go further than that it's going to be up to you. I know you just got rid of Mr. Charming, but you should go for it."

Delia sat for a moment and thought about what Rita had just told her. She chewed on her bottom lip and stared into her glass. What did she have to lose? Rick really did seem nice. And his friends had tried so hard to help him through his bad times. People didn't do that unless the person they were trying to help was worth the effort.

"It's awfully quiet here," Ted said as he sat down with a fresh pitcher and filled everyone's glass. "Should I be worried?" He smiled and kissed Rita deeply.

"No," Rita replied, nudging Delia to indicate Rick was returning as well. "Just a little girl talk."

"Uh oh," Ted said with a mock look of fear. "We're all in trouble, now." He laughed and hugged Rita warmly.

"Hey guys," Rick sat and looked at his tablemates, "what did I miss?"

Delia looked at Rick and couldn't help returning the warm smile he had on his face. She felt a warm flutter in her stomach every time he looked at her that way.

"Just learning more about you. You have some very good friends."

"Yes," Rick replied as he held his glass up to toast his friends. "Yes, I do." They all clinked their glasses and laughed together.

The night progressed happily for Delia. She shared some of her life stories with her new friends and heard some very funny tales of Rick and Ted's friendship.

At closing time, they all started to walk out together to the parking lot. Delia was wondering what she was going to do about Rick. Should she try to kiss him? Would he like that? He was just so sweet to her. And she didn't want to forget tonight.

Suddenly, a familiar voice called out in the night.

"So. I guess you really were out to whore yourself after all." Jeff had been waiting outside all this time. "I should have known." He'd appeared to sober up a bit and he was itching for a fight.

Rick gently pulled Delia behind him and faced Jeff.

"Listen, pal. I'm not looking for a fight."

"Yeah? Well I am!"

Once again, Jeff advanced and grabbed Rick's shirt. This time he was going to kick this asshole up and down the street.

Ted tried to lead the women towards his car. If he could just get them in there Rita could call the cops while he helped his friend.

Before anyone could move very far, Rick cupped his hands and clapped them over Jeff's ears. The big man bellowed in pain and staggered back. His eardrums hadn't ruptured, but the force of the blows had set his ears to ringing horribly.

Rick jumped back, lowered his head and football tackled Jeff to the ground. The two men rolled on the ground and exchanged a few blows. When Rick could get up, he dodged away from Jeff again and circled behind him. Jeff's ears were still ringing so bad he couldn't move quick enough to track Rick's movements.

Rick got an arm around Jeff's neck and locked it in with the other. He wasn't choking his opponent but he was closing off his carotid arteries. A sleeper hold. In a few seconds, Jeff was unconscious. Rick stood up, shaking, and walked unsteadily towards Jeff's car. He sat heavily on the ground and gasped for air.

This time, Rita had completed her call to the police. They came, took statements from the few people still at the bar, and hauled Jeff off to let him sleep off his drunk.

Ted and Rita watched as Delia knelt beside Rick and checked over his wounds. His knuckles were scratched and he was bleeding from a small cut on his lip. Jeff had gotten him with an elbow while they were rolling around.

"I'll be damned, man," Ted said in disbelief. "I didn't know you could fight."

"Neither did I," Rick chuckled. "I just had a moment of inspiration. Besides, he called Delia a whore. That made me mad." He looked at Delia and smiled. He winced lightly as his lip stung from the action.

"Inspiration?" Rita asked.

"Yeah. When I clapped his ears. I saw it in that Sherlock Holmes movie." Rick laughed and held his side. "Ow. I'm gonna have a bruise or two in the morning. The sleeper hold, too."

Ted groaned and doubled over laughing. He walked over and helped his friend to his feet.

"Leave it to you to get an idea from a movie." He shook Rick gently and the two friends laughed together.

"See? I told you watching all those dvds would pay off some day."

Rita just shook her head and stood by Delia. Both women looked at each other and started to laugh as well.

"I swear. Boys." Rita and Delia put their arms around each other and hugged like old friends. "Come on. Let's get these two home before they get into more trouble."

Delia couldn't help smiling. She was worried about Rick, but he seemed to be alright for now.

"Just get me home so I can sleep this off," Ted said when he could talk again. "Thank god tomorrow's Sunday and we don't have to go to work hungover."

"Oh you're not done tonight, fella," Rita said grinning. "I'm going to make sure you work some of that beer off before you sleep."

"Mmmm. I like that idea," Ted replied as we wiggled his eyebrows. "But we have to get these two back to their respective abodes first."

"Not so fast," Rick said. "Delia, I'm not trying to be forward, but I think you should stay at my place tonight."

Ted, Rita and Delia all turned to look at Rick in shock.

"What do you mean?" Delia replied. She felt a shiver run up her entire body.

"I mean that Jeff might come looking for you if they let him out in the morning. It might not happen. But if it does, I'd feel better if you were someplace he didn't know about. You can take my bed. I have a nice, big and comfy recliner I can sleep in. I've dozed off in it plenty of times and it won't be a problem. I just want you to be safe." He looked at his friends in a silent plea for them to back him up.

Rita sidled up to Delia and whispered in her ear. "Remember what I told you. He's not going to make a first move. And if you want I can come get you at any time and take you home. Just give me your number."

Delia hugged Rita and murmured, "I don't think I'll need you to do that." The two women smiled at each other knowingly. She turned to Rick, smiled and nodded. "Alright, I accept. And thank you. Both for standing up for me and giving me a place to stay tonight."

Rick didn't say another word. He just smiled and opened the door for Delia to get into Ted's car.

When Rick and Delia entered his apartment building, they could hear gunfire and explosions coming from up the stairs. Rick chuckled and held a finger to his bloodied lips. He mouthed silently. "My neighbor, Stan. Quietly."

Delia nodded and they went up to Rick's door. As he was unlocking the door they heard the noises stop suddenly. Stan's door opened and he stuck his head into the stairwell. Stan was an older man. Thinning black hair topped a long face with slightly drooping jowls. He was wearing a dark green robe with dark blue sweatpants. Tired eyes widened in surprise as he saw Rick's condition.

"Holy crap," he breathed. "Rough night at the bar?"

"Yep," Rick replied. "But you should see the other guy. This is Delia. She's going to crash here tonight. Just to be safe. Delia, meet Stan. He's harmless."

Delia and Stan nodded to each other as Rick opened his door and ushered her in. He waved to Stan as he closed the door.

"I need to get out more," they heard Stan say as he closed his door.

Delia giggled as she walked across the main room of the apartment. "Is he always like that?" she asked quietly.

"Yeah. But he means well. He's a good neighbor. We talk a lot." Rick sighed heavily and sagged into his recliner. Delia could tell he hurt a bit more than he let on.

"Do you have a first aid kit? I want to put something on those cuts."

"Sure do. In the bathroom. There's a cabinet next to the sink. Top shelf."

Delia went into the bathroom and found the kit. When she returned, Rick was stroking a large orange cat with golden eyes. She stood there a moment and watched the two of them.

Rick spoke very quietly and smiled at his companion. The cat purred loudly and rolled over on his back so his tummy could be scratched.

"I heard you had a cat. What's his name?" She walked over and let the ball of fur sniff her hand. He immediately sat up and rubbed his head under her fingers, begging for a scratch.

"This is Spike. He's my friend, confidant and best mooch." Rick smiled and looked into Delia's eyes. He felt a surge of electrictiy glide through his body. It wasn't the cat he was wanting to be touching at the moment.

Delia set the kit down and went back to the bathroom for a clean washcloth. Her hands shook as she held it under the warm water. She wrung out the cloth and turned off the water. She gazed into the mirror at herself. "What are you going to do?" she asked herself silently. She was so nervous. Shaking herself, she smiled and walked back to where Rick was sitting.

"Here," she said. "Let me get that blood off of you." She started by dabbing lightly at Rick's lip. He winced a little and she cringed. "Sorry."

"It's ok," he smiled that smile again. "Hurts less and less every second." Why did he have to look at her like that? It was like he could see right into her soul. A soul that longed to be touched with the same gentleness that his smile showed to her.

Delia held up his hand and started to clean it off. Rick sat there silently and let her nurse his wounds.

When she was satisfied both of his hands were clean, she put ointment on the bruised and scraped knuckles and wrapped them with gauze. When she had put the kit away she came back out to see Rick fiddling with his stereo. Soft music came from the speakers. A man's smooth voice began to sing. Rick nodded his head. His eyes were closed and he was smiling as his body swayed to the song.

"Sinatra," he said. "He always helps me relax." Rick stepped closer to Delia. She could feel her pulse beat in her chest. "I hope you don't mind. I can turn it off if you prefer."

Delia shook her head. The music really was soothing.

"I want to thank you again. You're very sweet to do this." She felt herself moving closer to him yet she wasn't aware of her own feet.

Rick held up his hands. "It's the least I could do for a lady kind enough to bandage me up."

Delia raised her hand and touched his lips.

"Shh. No more talking. And I am not sleeping in that bed alone tonight." With that, she leaned into Rick and kissed his lips. Their bodies molded together. His arms closed around her and his hands grasped her buttocks as he pulled her into him. Their mouths sealed together and their tongues danced in rhythm to the cool jazz that oozed from the speakers.

"My god!" Rick thought. "I had almost forgotten how good a woman can feel." His heart was hammering so hard he could hear the blood in his ears. She was pressed so tightly to him he could feel her hardened nipples through the dress and his shirt. His member had started to harden the moment she touched his lips. Now it was full and aching to be freed.

He could feel her fingers running through his long brown hair. Every sensation was delicious to the point of nearly being painful.

 

[yuna1981]

It had been a long time since Delia had felt this way. Sure, she and Jeff had sex frequently, but after the initial dating period wore off, the romance had diminished, leaving behind only wild, fierce, animalistic sex, which Delia definitely got off on...

Yet, starting this way, so sensually, with the sound of Sinatra crooning in the background, was so novel to Delia that she felt her sexual responses intensifying quickly. Rick's mouth felt so good, and she could swear that she felt him responding to every single move that she made. Their bodies rubbing together incited Delia to crave more, and she pressed against him as closely as she could, enjoying the feeling of his growing erection pushing on her.

Rita had warned Delia that she would have to make the first move, but luckily Rick hadn't needed too much convincing to share a bed. Delia leaned into the kiss, reveling in the texture and feel of Rick's mouth and tongue. He gripped her buttocks tightly, squeezing them, and ran his hands wildly up and down her body, as she curled her hands in his hair and touched his face on either side with her hands.

Suddenly, she felt a warm furry body tickling her ankles. She laughed against Rick's mouth, and he pulled away just a hair in surprise. Nodding her head toward the orange little creature that was begging for more attention, Rick joined her in laughter, and then, lifting her up off of her feet and into his arms, he carried her into his bedroom.

 

[WingsFan71]

His aches and pains forgotten, Rick kissed Delia and sat her down on the edge of his bed. He sat beside her and put an arm around her to hold her close. He closed his eyes for a moment and inhaled her scent again.

Delia rested her head on his shoulder and ran a hand across his chest. She could feel his heart beating fast in his chest.

"Delia, I need to say something to you." His mouth was suddenly dry and he had to pause to lick his split lip. The slight taste of blood still left a coppery tang on his tongue.

"What is it?" she asked. Delia leaned away and looked him in the eye.

"I haven't been with a woman for a long time," he said. Delia saw his Adam's apple move as he swallowed hard, trying to find the words.

"I know." She smiled at him sweetly. "Rita told me some of the details. Nothing specific, but I know you've been through an ordeal. You don't have to tell me any more than I know now. You've been through enough pain." Her hand caressed his cheek again.

Rick grasped her wrist and pressed his lips to her palm. He smiled that sad smile again and returned her gaze. They came together again and their mouths spoke the silent words that were inside their minds.

Delia's hands started to lift Rick's shirt. He broke their kiss long enough to help her. She tossed the dirtied shirt into a corner, which brought about a meow of protest. Spike had been in his bed bathing when the shirt landed on him.

They both looked as the perturbed feline stalked sullenly out of the room, his tail held high with wounded pride. Delia's hand covered her mouth as she giggled and turned to Rick.

"Guess I should have aimed better."

"He's alright," Rick stood and closed the door. "Sorry, buddy. I'm handling this all by myself." He turned, grinning to see Delia standing before him. Her hand came to his shoulder and she looked at it closely.

"There are some scrapes back there," she said. "Want me to take care of them?"

He cupped her face in his palms and kissed her tenderly on the forehead. He trailed soft kisses down her nose to her mouth where they became more urgent and hungry. His hands moved slowly down her neck, causing her to shiver with delight as his fingers slid the straps of her dress from her shoulders. The garment fell from her body and pooled around her shoes.

"Later," he smiled.

 

[yuna1981]

Delia smiled too, and unbuttoned Rick's pants and unzipped his fly. Pulling them off, she rubbed his hardening cock through his black boxers with her palm, as she kissed him deeply, her tongue exploring his mouth with wonder and abandon.

Then breaking the kiss, Delia looked into Rick's eyes and murmured, "You were so amazing tonight, defending me, protecting me. Now I want to do something for you." And she got down on her knees on the floor, kneeling before Rick sitting on the edge of the bed. Pulling down his boxers as well, his cock sprang out at her, and she rubbed it tenderly on her cheek.

Looking up at Rick with big limpid eyes, continuing to rub her face all over his erect shaft, she planted soft kisses all over it, and whispered, "I want to worship your cock." Licking the tip gently, she took the head of his cock in her mouth, and then slowly started a moist descent down his stick, pressing her lips and tongue around him, until she had swallowed the whole of his cock inside her mouth.

 

[WingsFan71]

Rick's eyes nearly rolled back into his head. The sensations Delia was causing set his blood on fire. He wanted this to last forever.

He watched her work his shaft into her small, soft mouth. Her hands alternated between lightly scratching the insides of his thighs and gently tugging on his scrotum, delaying the climax he would most certainly have had early on. Had it really been so long since he'd felt a woman's touch there? Especially anything like this? The last year or so with his ex had been intimacy-free. She hadn't even let him hold her hand, let alone anything resembling sex.

Delia's eyes looked into his. There was a sexy gleam of mischief there. But there was also a look of query as if she was mentally asking him if he was alright. He could only nod and smile. Words were impossible at this point.

It was taking everything he had to stay in a sitting position. The exquisite torture of her oral talent was wearing him down. He knew if she kept this up much longer he was going to explode in her mouth.

"Oh god," he whispered, "I'm gonna go off if you keep doing that."

 

[yuna1981]

"Go off, then." she took her mouth off of his cock to say, smiling tenderly. "It will be better in the next round if you do. Plus, I want to taste your cum."

And she wrapped her mouth around his dick again, pumping it expertly in and out of her lips, moaning as she felt him get harder, and harder, and harder. As she worked she could hear Rick emit little groans and breaths, which made her more and more excited.

"Mmmmm," she moaned around his cock, sending the vibrations from her voice through his shaft. Right now the thing she wanted most in the world was to feel Rick cumming in her mouth, and she was determined not to cease her licking and sucking until she did. That would be her reward. Sucking Rick's cock was such a pleasure, she could feel herself getting wetter.

 

[WingsFan71]

Rick couldn't speak. He couldn't even think. The sensations were just too much. He could feel himself swelling even more in her mouth.

When she hummed, the vibrations went to his spine. His back arched and he lost all control. His seed boiled out of him and shot into her mouth. He could feel her swallowing around him and it only increased the experience. It was like she was draining him right to the center of his being.

Rick's vision was filled with exploding light. The only sounds he could hear were Delia's moans of pleasure and the blood that pounded through his heart. It was no wonder that some called an orgasm the little death. But if he was going to die, this was the best way to go.

When he could move again, Rick looked down at Delia's smiling face. His breath was short, but he could speak again.

"Oh my god," he panted. "That was amazing." All he could do at that moment was sit there and smile.

Delia's smile turned up on the side and she raised an eyebrow.

"So I guess you liked that, eh?"

Rick couldn't help but laugh and fall back on his bed. It felt good to laugh like that again.

"Damn right," he said. "How could I not?"

Delia stood and looked down on him, hands on her hips. She was a vision. She hadn't worn a bra so her breasts were exposed, nipples hard and begging to be sucked. She wore a lacy red thong that covered her mound. Rick's mouth began to water as he imagined what it might be like to taste her.

He sat up and pulled her to him. She bent down and they kissed for a long moment. He broke the kiss only so he could lick and kiss her chest.

Delia ran her fingers through his hair and let her head fall back as she revelled in the feeling of his mouth on her sensitive areas.

His hands ran up her spine to press his face into her harder. He suckled each nipple like a hungry child, alternating between licking, sucking and nibbling each of them like there was no tomorrow.

When he began kissing down her stomach, his hands slipped the thong over her hips and pulled it down to her feet. She stepped out of it and felt her breath catch in her throat.

Rick kicked off his shoes and stood up. He turned Delia and lay her down on the bed, removing her shoes and then climbing atop her. He trailed soft, wet kisses down her legs as he slowly made his way to her wetness.

He took his time, teasing the outer lips first with light kisses that turned into long slow licks. He spread the lips and began licking her swollen clit.

 

[yuna1981]

Delia felt Rick arch his back, and she turned her eyes upward to watch his expression as he came, spurting his thick cum in her mouth as she drank it, enjoying the feel and taste. He looked so fucking hot as his face twisted in ecstasy, and Delia was intensely aware of her body reacting in response, her clit hardening, her lips swelling, moistening.

When he lay her on the bed, she opened her legs hungrily, anticipating the feel of his mouth on her mound. The trail of kisses that he left on her legs was wet, and the cool air of the bedroom met her skin, raising goosebumps like the wake of a boat slicing through water.

As he teased her lips, licked her, and then spread her lips and tongued her clit, Delia chortled. "Mmmm, Rick," she half-laughed, "you really know what you are doing!"

Suddenly he drove his tongue into her pussy deeply, like a little dick. "Uhhhh huh," he answered in a muffled tone, his mouth full of her.

 

[WingsFan71]

Rick snaked his tongue into her warm canal and savored the taste of her juices. He could feel the muscles inside her clenching at his invasion, which only spurred him on more.

Moving back up to tease and torment her clit with his lips, he slid two fingers inside her and found her g-spot. He massaged it slowly, bringing her to the edge. When he felt she was there, he stopped and began twisting his hand.

He repeated this process several times, bringing her to the precipice, and then letting her come back down a bit. But each time it took less and less effort.

Her hands were in his hair, pushing his face into her to give him encouragement to bring her off. But he took his time. He loved the little gasps and moans she made as he pleasured her.

Delia knew he was taking his time, but this was bordering on torture. She wanted him to make her cum so badly. It was making her lose her mind.

"Please make me cum," she whispered. "God I need to cum."

Rick paused and smiled up at her devilishly. "Alright," he purred. "Get ready to ride the rocket."

With that, he clamped his lips down on her button, sucked hard and began to rub her g-spot with more intensity. The effect was explosive. Waves of pleasure rolled over her body as she threw her head back and wailed her orgasm to the universe. Her juices flowed like warm honey that Rick lapped up and drank like a man dying of thirst. Some escaped and trickled down to her puckered anus. Rick's tongue quickly went to work cleaning her up and she felt aftershocks run through her whenever his tongue touched her there.

Delia lay limp on the bed as Rick began a slow climb up the length of her body, his talented mouth and tongue kissing and licking all the way up to her waiting breasts. He lavished them with more attention as she basked in the afterglow of her climax.

He held himself over her and stared at the beauty of her smile. Her eyes were closed and a look of contentment was on her face. When she opened her eyes he was there almost nose to nose. He smiled and winked at her before he kissed her again deeply and rolled to her side.

 

[yuna1981]

As Delia came, she enjoyed the feeling of Rick lapping up her juices immensely. Other men had avoided that, even complained that her pussy got too wet. She loved the feeling of being licked all through her orgasm. It lengthened that feeling of ecstatic release, and her almost plaintive wailing reflected that; she nearly ran out of air from her lungs before the orgasm subsided.

It was one of the most intense orgasms she had ever had, and her body felt almost like a limp rag doll, all her energy had been expelled with the twinges of her cumming pussy. Yet Rick's attentions on her skin brought her slowly back to life, animating her, and when he kissed her and rolled her on her side, she was ready for more action.

Hugging her body close to his, he reached around her front, cupping and massaging her breasts with one hand, as his other snaked around, back down to her still sopping wet mound, slick with her juices and his saliva. He slid his fingers back into her, and she moaned happily, "Oh Rick, it feels so good!"

 

[WingsFan71]

Rick toyed with her nipples and teased them while his other hand went for his real goal.

As his fingers found her clit, he began nibbling softly at the flesh of her throat.

"Give me a few minutes to recharge the batteries and we'll continue," he whispered. "You sucked the energy out of me."

Delia moaned softly and smiled. Her eyes closed so she could concentrate on the sensations he was giving her. Her hands slid over his to guide him to the spots she liked to be touched most. She could feel him hardening already against her back and it was wonderful. How long had it been since a man truly paid this much attention to her desires? This was delicious.

Rick allowed her to direct his movements. When he applied too much pressure to her sensitive clit she pulled him away. Reading her intent, he backed off and was rewarded with a low moan that almost sounded like a purr in her throat.

Delia felt another orgasm building. Not an earth-shattering one, but a pleasant, slow tide that she rolled with and groaned slightly. Her entire body felt suffused with a warm glow that made her flesh tingle in a fantastic way.

When it was over, she pulled his hands away and turned to face him. She reached up and touched his face with her fingertips. Their eyes met and they lay like that for a moment, just staring into each others' eyes.

Rick's hand lay on her hip, softly stroking it. She trailed her fingers down his cheek, his neck, his shoulder and down to his hand. She brought it up to her mouth and kissed the bandage covering his knuckles. He in turn kissed her small, delicate hand.

"You're an amazing woman, Delia," he sighed. His smile was warm but still tinged with sadness. She could see he was still haunted by memories. Painful ones.

Her lips met his in a long, lingering kiss.

"Stop talking so much," she said. "I can't erase the things that have happened to you in the past. But for tonight, I want you to lock those things away in the back of your mind. Just be here. With me. Forget the world outside. For now, the universe consists of you and me."

As she said these things, she rose and gently pushed him onto his back. She straddled him and guided his girth into her warm, wet center. She slowly began to ride him.

Rick grasped her breasts and kneaded them as she rode him. His fingers pinched and twisted her nipples.

They each watched the expressions on the other's face. Delia's mouth came open and she breathed heavily as he went deep inside her. Rick's face was a combination of wonder and hunger. Her muscles contracted around him, making him moan with pleasure.

Delia bit her lower lip as she closed her eyes and let her head fall back. He felt so good inside. She could feel the veins rubbing against the inner walls of her sex. When she shifted just right the tip of his cock brushed her g-spot, causing little sparks of light to dance in her vision. It didn't take long for her to cum again.

Rick sat up and wrapped his arms around her. Delia wrapped her legs around him and they kissed as they grinded against each other. Their mouths opened hungrily and their tongues slid over and around each other.

"You feel so good, baby," she whimpered. "God you fill me up."

"You're so hot and wet," he panted. "Damn!"

Rick lifted her off and turned her around. He grasped her hips and mounted her from behind. He started out slow, at first, exhilirating at the sensations of their coupling. But it wasn't long before his thrusts became more frantic. Delia reached between her legs and began rubbling her clit.

"Yes, baby!" she cried. "Harder! Faster! I want you to fill me up with your seed. I want to feel you shoot it off inside me!"

Rick was unable to speak. His mind was riding a razor's edge. All he could do was grunt and thrust into her. Their bodies make smacking sounds as they collided.

Delia stopped rubbing herself and pushed back against him with both her arms. His balls were slapping her clit anyway and it was driving her crazy too.

Rick felt something snap in his brain. With a final thrust he cried out Delia's name and white hot lava seemed to erupt from his loins and flood her insides.

Delia could feel him spurting out his essence into her. Her orgasm shot through her body like she had touched a live wire. She couldn't make a sound as her entire body seemed to lock into one position. They rode out the waves of ecstacy together and collapsed to the bed in a tangle of arms and legs.

 

[yuna1981]

"Delia!" she heard Rick cry, and the feeling of him spurting inside her pushed her over the edge again. With each spurt he pushed a little into her, and with each of her spasms she pushed back against him, a physical orgasmic point and counterpoint.

A strangled cry finally erupted from her lips as her body began to unlock from its spastic tension, and when they both collapsed onto the bed, she felt a little sadness as Rick's cock slid out of her body. As if something that belonged there was now missing. In another second, the cum that had sprayed deep inside her started to slide out, leaking out of her slimy folds and onto Rick's bed. But Delia couldn't move, she was completely consumed from the sex.

All that filled the room now were fast breaths, panting, sending hot expelled air into the small room. Cutting through the thick smell of sex surrounding them. Delia managed to roll to her side, propping her head on her hand, to see Rick splayed on the bed. When she looked at him, he turned his head to look at her. Then they shared a practically stupid, satisfied grin, and Rick slid up behind her, folded her into his arms, and said, "That was better than I remember sex being. I should do that more often."

Delia laughed, and rubbed his arm. "Indeed you should. I'll be a willing volunteer." She thought of his sad look during intercourse, and his little joke was an opaque reference to this painful past. Nudging as close to him as possible, fitting their bodies together in parallel as they spooned, she wondered what had gone so wrong in his past to create that wounded look in his eyes.

 

[WingsFan71]

Rick awoke later to the sounds of birds chirping outside his window. Dim light came in the window as pre-dawn approached. He opened his eyes and Delia was there, her back nestled to his chest. At some point in the night, a blanket had been pulled over their bodies.

He gently raised himself up and looked down upon her sleeping profile. A small smile was on her face as she dreamt her dreams. He chuckled softly and eased himself out of bed so as not to disturb her. Grabbing a pair of sleep pants and a t-shirt that were hanging on the bedpost, he padded softly out of the room and went to his small kitchenette.

After preparing some hot tea, he went out to his balcony and sat on a chair. Spike soon joined him and jumped up to his lap. He stroked the cat's fur and sipped his tea as he watched the sun begin to rise.

Delia soon joined him on the balcony. She was wrapped in a sheet. Rick handed her a cup and she sipped the steaming brew as she sat in a chair next to him. She didn't speak, but he knew the questions that were on her mind. Steeling himself, he took a deep breath and looked out at the sunrise.

"Her name was Julie. I knew her when I was in high school. We never dated then, we just socialized and were friendly to one another.

"I'd been divorced from my first wife for a few years. It was a bad marriage and I got out of it as soon as I could. But I'd already had two children with her, so I wasn't looking for anything serious. I figured, at the time, that there weren't many women that would want to have anything to do with a man who had fathered children and then left their mother. I love my kids and I see them often. I just couldn't get along with their mother any longer."

Rick stared into his cup for a few moments. Something painful was being brought to the surface and Delia could see tears welling in his eyes. She wanted to reach out to him but she didn't for fear that he wouldn't continue. She just sat patiently and let him come to it on his own.

"I ran into Julie one afternoon when I had taken my daughters swimming. She was there with her kids. We sat together and caught up on each other's lives. She had been divorced as well. Longer than I had.

"She had recently had a falling out with a boyfriend. She had learned that he was dealing drugs and when he refused to stop, she had turned him in to the police. He was in jail and she was getting on with her life. So we were in the same boat.

"We started hanging out, just visiting as friends and enjoying the company of another person. But it soon became more than that. It wasn't long before we were living together and talking marriage.

"Things were great. I had a wife, children and a good job."

A tear rolled down his cheek. He sniffed softly and stared at Delia. She reached over and touched his hand.

"What happened? I know that she hurt you, but Rita didn't say how? Or do you not want to talk anymore?"

Rick shook his head. "No. I need to get this out."

"Okay," she said. "Take your time."

"Well, my mom started getting sick. It was cancer. I was pulled in several directions. I was working full-time, trying to help take care of my mom and raise a family all at the same time. I didn't know it at the time, but her ex had been released from jail. And they were still in contact.

"My mom died and I lost my job due to layoff. But I found a couple of part-time jobs pretty quick so we didn't have money problems. But I wasn't home as often because of it.

"It didn't take long to realize things between Julie and I weren't so good. She pulled away and became distant from me. I thought it was because of money so I just tried harder to pull more shifts. I tried talking to her too, but she just wouldn't do it.

"Eventually I learned the truth. She was seeing her ex when I was working my evening job. It hurt, but I wanted to keep my family together. I was willing to get past it and fix things between us. But she had other plans."

Rick stroked his cat and looked out to the brightening sky. He seemed calm and relexed, but Delia felt he was covering things up. She didn't know what to say, so she just waited for him to continue.

"It was on our four-year anniversary when I moved in here. Ironic, don't you think?" He had a grim expression on his face. "After all I did to try to make her happy, I lose out to a drug dealing ex-con. I guess that's my luck."

He downed the last of his tea and leaned forward, elbows on his knees. He drooped his head and stared at the wooden floor of the balcony.

"If Ted and Rita hadn't kept a close eye on me, I don't know what I would have done. They never let me shut them out and kept me from closing myself off to the world."

He sat back in his chair and took a deep breath. He shook himself slightly and turned to look at Delia. She met his gaze with a look of compassion. He reached out and took her hand.

"Well, now you know my story."

 

[yuna1981]

"Indeed," Delia said, a little awkwardly. This was an intense story, and she was overwhelmed by it. Though it fully explained Rick's comportment, the persistent sadness that colored his every word and action.

She pulled the sheet around her tighter, trying to shield herself from the empathetic pangs of pain. The last few weeks with Jeff had been bad, but not like this.

"Rick, I'm so, so sorry that this happened to you. I can't even imagine what it must have been like." She stopped, and paused to think, then continued. "But you have to know, you deserve so much better than that. You're a good person. A great person. What you've done for me already." Getting up from her chair, she kissed his cheeks, wet with tears, as if to symbolically wipe them away.

Leaning her forehead on his, so their skin touched just in the middle, she paused for a second, feeling the weight of emotion, and then, to lighten the mood, she joked, "Now to win the prize of awesome fantastic amazing person, you'll have to make me some coffee. None of this tea crap for me." And she smacked his forehead with her lips in a loud smooch, and left the balcony, back to the kitchenette.

 

[WingsFan71]

He sat there for a few moments and stared out into the distance. Her words had touched him in a deep place. He had heard similar words before, but the pain of his situation had caused him to rebuff the kindness and his bitterness had held him back. But now, he felt something warm and genuine from this woman he had met less than twelve hours ago.

He felt a smile creep over his face and he looked in the door to see Delia searching through his cupboards. The sheet from his bed had never looked so good as it did now, wrapped around her femininity. Once again, he chuckled and stood up, stretching and yawning quietly.

Entering the apartment, he walked over to Delia and playfully swatted her behind.

"I'll make us a pot of coffee. You just relax and let me work my magic."

Rick began drifting around the small area, humming and measuring coffee for his antiquated percolator. The contraption was old, but it still made fantastic brew. He filled it with water and set it on the burner of his stove.

While it was heating up, he retrieved the two chairs from the balcony and set them at the small table he used for eating. He then pulled two bowls down from the cabinet and handed Delia his few selections of cereal for her to choose which she wished to eat.

While she did this, he produced a banana, some berries and a peach he had recently purchased from the store and began slicing them up with a practiced hand.

When all was ready, he set two fresh cups of coffee down on the table and he sat down with Delia to eat.

 

[yuna1981]

"Look at this!" Delia exclaimed delightedly, reaching for the cornflakes and pouring them into her bowl.

As they sat down to eat, she glanced at Rick sitting across from her at the little table. His hair was a little wild, and his eyes were still sleepy. After a few bites, she couldn't help herself, she started laughing.

"What?" Rick asked confusedly.

"It's just, your," Delia snickered, but then stopped short when she realized that her short blonde hair was probably just as messy, and that she probably looked ridiculous wrapped up in a huge bed sheet sitting at the table.

Furthermore, she had just broken up with her boyfriend, quite awkwardly, and then ended up having sex with a man she just met. What was she thinking? She shook her head at herself, confused. It was still to early to make any sense of her actions, so she stopped trying.

"Well?" Rick looked at her pointedly, and she broke into laughter again.

"You'd better tell me why you are laughing!" Rick lectured her sternly, which made her laugh harder.

"What if I don't?" she managed to eke out between giggles.

"Then I'll force it out of you," Rick intoned in a mock-threat.

"You'll have to catch me first!" And with that, she sprinted back to the bedroom. Rick managed to grab only the sheet, which stayed in his hands, and so he saw a flash of her naked body hurrying away, before he rose up to follow her.

 

[WingsFan71]

Rick stood there with the sheet in his hand. He couldn't help the laughter that erupted from his throat. He dropped the sheet and undressed as he walked to his bedroom.

He found Delia sprawled on his bed. She smiled wickedly and beckoned him to her with a crooked finger. He leaned against the door frame, a crooked smile on his face.

"You know," he laughed, "we got pretty dirty last night. Don't you think we should get cleaned up before we get dirty again." With that, he walked to the bed and picked Delia up in his arms.

Delia smiled and kissed him as he carried her to his bathroom.

Rick turned on the shower and helped Delia step into the tub. As she was letting the warm water flow over her skin, he began washing her hair. She sighed happily and luxuriated in the sensation of his hands massaging the fragrant shampoo into her hair. She leaned back against him and ran her hands over his thighs, occasionally brushing against his cock to tease it to life.

She turned around to rinse her hair and Rick picked up the bottle of body wash. He squeezed a small amount into his bare hands and worked them together before rubbing them all over her body. When he started washing her mound she opened her eyes and looked at him.

"What's wrong?" he asked. "You didn't have a problem teasing me when I washed your hair."

"Oh there's no problem," she breathed heavily. "But you're driving me crazy doing that."

"That's the idea, sexy. Besides, when you're all cleaned off it's my turn to get clean."

"Mmmm, yessss," she hissed as he rubbed her clit with his soapy fingers. She had to brace herself against the walls because her knees were threatening to buckle.

Rick turned up the pressure as the water cascaded down over her body. He loved watching her quiver from what he was doing. When the soap was rinsed off, he slipped a finger inside and worked her g-spot until she came. He pulled his finger out and licked the sticky fluid from it.

"Mm-hmm," he grunted. "I need to taste that some more." With that, he knelt in front of her and began licking her pussy.

Delia put a foot on the side of the tub and ran her fingers through his wet hair. She couldn't get enough of his talented tongue as it danced in and out of her slit and teased her hard clit.

"Oh god, yesssssssss." She came again and flooded his mouth with her nectar.

Rick grinned as he stood back up and crushed her to him in his arms. She could taste herself on his mouth as they kissed. Her fingernails dug into his shoulders and she wrapped a leg around him to press more of herself against him.

Delia looked up at his face. Some of the pain was gone from his eyes. She felt another flutter run through her. What was happening here? She felt confused and comfortable at the same time. Everything was so strange. But exciting, too.

"Well," she said, "I'm clean. But you need washing off too, mister. Kneel back down so I can wash your hair."

"Of course," he chuckled. Rick knelt down and kissed her belly.

"Now, now," she scolded. "I can't concentrate on what I'm doing if you're going to keep that up."

Rick pouted up at her playfully, his head tilted to one side. Then he broke out in laughter and nodded.

"Okay, darlin. I'll behave," his voiced lowered to a low growl, "for now."

 

[yuna1981]

"Just 'till I get this shampoo out of your hair," Delia scolded, smiling.

It felt good to laugh like this, it had been so long since she felt this light. However, that feeling of lightness, its novelty, reminded her of why she had been so miserable, and that the breakup with Jeff was still fresh in her mind. Though this interlude with Rick had been fun, there were still issues to think about. For example, getting her apartment key back from Jeff. Or maybe just, changing her lock. Despite the warmth of the water, she shuddered a bit.

Rick noticed her face dropping and her body shuddering, and as the warm water beat down on their bodies, he pulled her close to him and held her. Intuitively, he could tell what she was thinking about, and knew that this wasn't the time to talk, but just to draw her near and give her the silent promise that he would protect her. She nestled in to his embrace, taking comfort in his strength and resoluteness, and for several moments they just stood, holding each other, focusing on the moment, the present, and just being together, outside of the stresses and hurts of the past and future.

 

[WingsFan71]

Rick knew that Delia was in pain. His heart felt heavy for her. He also felt some guilt at the situation. He hadn't meant for them to fall in bed together. He had only wanted to give her a shelter from the storm that she had been through the night before. But when she had kissed him that first time his body had reacted. He didn't regret what had happened, just the circumstances surrounding it. Afraid of saying the wrong thing, he kept his mouth shut and just held her.

After minutes that seemed like hours had passed, Delia looked up at him, stretched and kissed him softly on the lips.

"Thank you," she said quietly. "I needed that."

"Anytime. But if I don't wash up quick the water's going to go cold."

They shared a quiet laugh and Delia let him slide past her so he could get under the water and cleanse his body. She helped him wash his back and gave him a playful smack on the behind which caused him to jump slightly in surprise. He turned to look at her and smiled.

They dried off and went back to Rick's bedroom. He quickly straightened the bedsheets and they laid down together, each wrapped in a towel. Rick lay on his back and Delia curled up beside him, her head resting on his shoulder. Neither of them spoke for some time. The peacefulness of the new day seemed too precious to disturb.

A quiet jingle alerted them to the presence of a furry intruder. Spike jumped up on the bed and began to butt his head against Rick's leg.

"I think he's jealous," Delia murmured.

"Either that, or his bowl is empty," Rick replied. "Wait here while I fill his bowl?"

"Hey! I'm hungry too," Delia pouted. They had forgotten their breakfasts in the kitchen so she got up and followed the two companions.

"Right. Somehow we forgot about that," he smirked over his shoulder.

After feeding his cat and making sure the little troublemaker's water was filled, Rick joined Delia at the small table and they ate. They made small talk over their meal and Rick cleaned up the dishes after they had finished. Delia sat and watched him, unsure of what she was going to do next.

Rick felt conflicted. He knew that he had to see her home soon, but he didn't know what to expect after that. Would he ever see her again? She had just ended a bad relationship and couldn't possibly be ready to start seeing someone else this soon.

Was he ready to start letting another woman into his life? He knew that he wanted to see her again but was the timing right? It obviously wasn't for her. Was it? He turned to look at her.

"Delia, I know that your life is in a state of flux right now. Last night didn't go like I thought it would. It was better than I could ever have hoped. But I'm no fool. You're going to need time to figure out what your plans are for yourself. I respect that and I'm not going to put any pressure on you to decide right now. I haven't got the right. All I'll say is that I'd like to see you again. When you're ready."

He walked over to where she sat. She stood and he held her in his arms again. Her face was buried in his chest. He could feel her tears on his bare skin and he gently kissed the top of her head.

 

[yuna1981]

She felt his warm lips on her forehead, and she sighed.

"You're so sweet. Truly." After a second, she sighed again and pulled away from him. "It's morning. I should go." She didn't know what to say to his revelation -- she was really confused and conflicted.

"Okay," Rick said gently. Delia wiped her eyes, and then, walking around the apartment to gather her things, she got ready to leave.

"Are you going straight back to your place?" Rick asked. "Shouldn't I go with you? What if Jeff is there?"

"I'll be fine," Delia replied, "you've done enough already. I'm going to call a locksmith right away though, to get the lock on my apartment changed."

"Good idea." Rick agreed. He looked like he wanted to say more, but stopped himself.

And then she was gone, leaving behind a breeze of honey and jasmine in her wake.