As she finished unpacking the last of the cardboard boxes, Carmen examined her new apartment. It was much smaller than she was used to, having just left the cluttered luxury of the place Matt and her had slowly turned into their home over five years.

The idea of exploring a life of total independence seemed scary at first, but now Carmen felt a strong urge to get out into the world again. Carmen looked at herself in the stand-up mirror. Her wavy brown hair had become quite long, falling down her back. Though she felt she looked a bit older, around her eyes especially, Carmen still felt confident in herself.

Carmen remembered when someone had told her she looked like an old movie star, and with her dark eyes and pouty lips she could almost see a resemblance. Going to the gym and living a healthy lifestyle for the last several years had paid off in terms of her body. She was in the best shape of her life, her already athletic build especially lean and with light muscle tone.

Carmen and Matt’s relationship had been comfortable and fulfilling for several years. However, once they decided to move into their large penthouse apartment together, Carmen started noticing warning signs. Matt grew distant and self-involved. The intimate time that they spent together and their sexual bond dwindled away.

She recalled feeling a sad twinge of nostalgia the initial weeks of their relationship. She saw in his eyes a dark intensity that made her both scared and excited. This intensity was the thing that pulled Carmen towards him. He spoke in a reserved way and opened up to her even more rarely. But when he did open up to her, the intense emotion came torrentially like the spring storm that flooded the city on their third weekend together.

It was one of the first really hot nights of the summer. Carmen waited for Matt on a park bench, watching the people walk by. Thunder cracked and a heavy downpour began. Carmen did not run for cover; she hardly even noticed the rain. She was thinking about Matt. Streams of water ran down her shoulder length hair and onto her t-shirt, soaking it through and making it stick to her skin. Matt rode towards her on his bicycle, through the dark fog of the rain.

Matt was tall, with dark brown hair. He had a strange handsomeness that did not immediately jump out. For most women, it took time to understand the intricacies of Matt’s face, but Carmen had felt an almost immediate spark. He pulled up in front of her.

“What are you doing out here, Carmen? Aren’t you cold? You’re soaking wet.”

Carmen looked up at Matt. He was also soaking wet. His thick hair stuck to his forehead.

“You told me to wait here for you. So here I am, waiting.”

Matt looked down at his bike and then stared seriously into Carmen’s eyes.

“Well, hop on the front. Let’s get out of this rain.”

Carmen sat on the handlebars, with her back and shoulders resting on Matt as he started cycling slowly down the path. Carmen could feel Matt’s breath on her neck as they drove through the heavy downpour.

He brought them to the middle of the park where there was a tall fence, and behind it, a swimming pool. The air clung to their soaking bodies. Matt left his bicycle lying in the grass and climbed over the fence first.

He climbed to the top with ease and then slung himself over, dropping convincingly to the ground.

Carmen climbed over, and dropped over to the other side. The rain was still coming down hard. Matt walked quickly to the pool and started taking off his shirt. Carmen looked on, feeling a sense of wonder. Matt took off his pants and dove into the water. Carmen felt a magnetic attraction to him. After several seconds under water he surfaced. Carmen didn’t doubt for a second that she would go in. She took off her t-shirt and jeans and jumped into the water after him.

As soon as she hit the water she knew something amazing was going to happen. She surfaced and the rain came crashing down even harder. Carmen and Matt looked at each other for a moment, and then Matt swam towards Carmen. Carmen pulled Matt towards her and backed up against the side of the pool.

They started kissing intensely while Carmen pulled Matt closer, so his body was between her legs. She ran her fingers through his hair and bit his lip. It felt amazing to have his body close to hers. He started kissing her neck and then down to her chest. He worked his way up back the other side of her neck while holding the back of her neck with his hand. Even with the rain, it was still stunningly hot out. At any second, someone might come and find them entwined together. Carmen reached down and started touching Matt through his grey boxer briefs.

She felt Matt become hard as he thrust himself closer to her. They kissed strongly while Carmen reached into Matt’s underwear and pulled his dick out. Matt kissed her nipples and bit at them lightly. He pulled off Carmen’s underwear and started touching her. He moved closer still and Carmen could feel his erect penis massaging her clitoris before he finally went inside her. They stayed closer together without moving for several moments, and then started moving in harmony, Carmen’s back and ass being pushed up against the side of the pool.

Carmen and Matt climbed out of the pool and lay on the wet concrete. Matt lay on his back and Carmen climbed on top of him, straddling him. She started riding him slowly as he thrust himself inside of her.

The rain had stopped and the air was sticky and hot. Carmen could feel the sweat starting to bead down her chest and forehead as she kept thrusting herself on top of Matt. Carmen put her hands on Matt’s chest to support herself as she felt a deep intensity rising inside of her. She looked down at Matt. His eyes were closed as he grabbed her ass to pull her more vigorously on top of him. They started to fuck more erratically and Carmen started touching herself as she felt her orgasm coming. They came together in the heavy summer rain, and Carmen, not caring who might hear her, moaned loudly. Matt moaned too, and Carmen came harder than she ever had before.

They lay together, side by side, as the rain slowly subsided to make way for the clammy evening air. This would be the start of a long and winding relationship for Carmen, one that would end in sadness and heartbreak. Now Carmen stood there, weeks after their split, sitting on her new hardwood floor, surrounded by a thousand boxes and memories. She was ready to strike out into the world and learn to be alone again.