I ran into Wes at the supermarket, of all places. My mom had asked me to pick up a few things for a new recipe she wanted to try, and I was heading toward the spices when I spotted him in the produce section. Wearing a huge smile, I rushed over to his side.
His face lit up when he saw me. "Lena! It's so good to see you!" He gave me a hug, and I didn't hesitate to wrap my arms around him.
"It's great to see you, too!" I'd been good friends with Wes's son, Cody, in high school, and after Cody and I graduated last summer, we briefly dated. By the time August arrived, we realized we were better suited as friends, and neither of us wanted to be in a long-distance relationship when starting college. After our short-lived romance ended, I found I missed Wes more than Cody. He was so sweet and attentive to me, in a way my own father never had been.
Now, I was back home for the summer after finishing my freshman year, and I knew from social media that Cody was staying with his new girlfriend in Colorado. I wondered if Wes felt lonely, seeing as how he'd never remarried after his divorce from Cody's mom. For all I knew, he'd begun dating someone.
"How have you been?" Wes asked as I reluctantly withdrew from him. "How was your freshman year?"
"It was really good! I finished up with a 3.8 GPA."
"That is fantastic!" He gave my shoulder an affectionate squeeze. "I always knew you were brilliant."
I couldn't help but beam at his words. While we continued chatting, I noticed there was a little more gray in his dark blond hair, which he normally wore in a low ponytail. With a tall, wiry frame, he was tan from spending so much time outdoors. I'd always thought Wes was hot in a modern-day hippie kind of way, but I loved his eyes the most. They were deep blue and always full of warmth whenever he looked at me.
"So what have you been up to?" I asked while allowing my gaze to travel over him. "You look great, by the way." My voice dropped, sounding almost seductive. I knew I was being less than subtle, but I couldn't seem to help myself.
Wes only laughed. If he sensed I was flirting, he chose to ignore it. "You're very kind, honey, and an excellent liar, I might add."
"No lie! You're gorgeous!" I blurted out.
He actually ducked his head, as if to hide his pleased grin. "I'm glad someone thinks so! And I've been okay. Truth be told, it's strange having the house all to myself." When he met my eyes again, I found that his expression had grown a little wistful. "I guess you know Cody's in Colorado," he said. "And don't get me wrong—I'm thrilled he's happy with his girlfriend, but I guess it's really brought home just how much things have changed."
So he was lonely, I realized. I felt a sympathetic pang in my chest then, for if anyone deserved to be happy, it was Wes. "Well, I'd love to spend some time catching up with you," I said, offering him my most alluring smile.
Wes appeared simultaneously surprised and delighted. "I've love that, too, Lena. Next time you're out my way, I hope you'll stop by."
He lived outside of town, in what Cody had always referred to as "the sticks," complaining it was boring as hell. But I loved the peaceful seclusion of Wes's property, which was surrounded by woods. As he and I now said goodbye, I knew I'd be finding myself out in "the sticks" very soon.
Did I have a bit of a crush on Wes? Yes. Was it dangerous to be alone with him while I was harboring that crush? Maybe. Was that going to stop me from showing up at his door? No fucking way.
*****
I waited until Friday evening. After dinner, I dressed in a sleeveless white turtleneck and a coral-colored skirt, which wasn't tight but had a dangerously short hemline. I chose not to wear a bra beneath my top. My breasts weren't so large that it would be outrageous for me to go braless, but they were big enough to draw attention without one. And attention from Wes was exactly what I wanted. My only undergarment was a lacy white thong. A pair of strappy sandals completed the outfit.
My dark hair fell in waves down my back, and my makeup was light and subtle. As I inspected my reflection one last time, I had to fight back a surge of nervousness. Though I knew I was attractive, I feared it wouldn't be enough. What if Wes wasn't interested? Or worse, what if he thought I was ridiculous?
Taking a deep breath, I banished all doubt from my mind. Then I went to tell my parents I was going to a party at a friend's house. Mom raised an eyebrow at my provocative outfit but refrained from commenting on it. My father, meanwhile, kept his stare fixed on the television as he said, "Be quiet when you get home. I don't want you waking me up."
There was still plenty of daylight left as I drove out to Wes's house, and the summer's heat had dissipated somewhat. At a red light, a guy in a pickup honked the horn and hollered out the window at me, trying to get my attention, but I ignored him. There was only one man who interested me right now.
Fifteen minutes later, I stood on Wes's front porch, willing my racing pulse to slow. After I rang the doorbell, I glanced around his neatly-kept yard. Birdsong carried through the air, and when I took a breath, I smelled some kind of fragrant flower.
Wes soon answered the door, his smile joyful as he said, "Lena, come in!" The moment I stepped into the house, he drew me into a hug.
"I hope you don't mind me stopping by," I murmured while nestling against him. Breathing in, I smelled clean laundry, and beneath that, his personal scent, which only made me hungry for more.
"Of course not. I always love seeing you!" Gently grasping my upper arms, he held me a little ways from him so he could take another look at me. "But what are you doing all the way out here? You look like you have big plans for the evening." As he spoke, his stare settled on my breasts for a brief moment, but he was quick to meet my eyes again. He was such a good man, I told myself, always appropriate around me. I only hoped I could convince him to be far less so as the night went on.
"My big plans involve you and me spending the evening together," I told him with my most charming smile. "There's no one else I'd rather be with."
I could tell how much my words meant to him by the way his gaze softened. He played the role of the perfect host, asking if I'd had dinner yet. When I replied that I had, he offered me a drink. "Iced tea would be great," I said.
As Wes poured a glass for me in the kitchen, I caught him sneaking a glance at my legs. He wore a t-shirt and shorts, and his feet were bare. When he leaned to grab a beer from the fridge, I seized the opportunity to check out his ass. Nice and firm, just like I remembered.
"Want to sit out on the porch?" he asked. "It's a nice night."
"Sounds great." I followed him to the back porch, where a wooden swing stirred ever so slightly in the breeze. I'd always loved sitting out here with Cody. As I now took a seat on the swing beside his father, I knew the early evening shadows would soon grow deeper. Wes draped an arm over the back of the swing, his hand just inches from my bare shoulder. I had to be careful that my skirt didn't ride too far up my thighs. Probably too early to be flashing my panties, I told myself. Then I had to suppress a giggle when I imagined what Wes's reaction might be to that.
Leaning back in the swing, I planted my feet against the porch floor, just as Wes did, so we gently swayed back and forth. "You have such a gorgeous place," I told him. "It's so serene and quiet."
"A little too quiet these days." He stared into the distance, his expression hard to read. "Gives me lots of time to think."
I didn't ask him what all he thought about. Instead, I patted his knee, which made him smile. Despite him being almost thirty years my senior, and our lives being so different, I found it easy to carry on a conversation with him. When he spoke about Cody, I noticed his jaw tighten almost imperceptibly.
"Sometimes I wonder if he's getting too serious with this girl," Wes told me in a low voice, as if confiding a secret. "He just met her a few months ago, and now he's staying at her place for almost the whole summer?" He shook his head. "I have to remind myself he's a man now and can make his own choices. But I still worry." Looking over at me, he said, "How about you, Lena? Are you seeing anyone?"
"Nope." I took another swallow of my tea before setting my glass on a nearby table beside Wes's empty beer bottle. "I mean, I dated some at college, but it was certainly nothing serious." I didn't know if it could be described as actually dating. It was more like occasionally hooking up with a guy I considered only a friend. A friend with benefits? Maybe that was more accurate. Still, every time we fucked, I felt a vague disappointment afterward, even when I managed to come. I'd also slept with a couple of other guys during freshman year, but those were strictly one-night stands.
"Well, you're only nineteen. Plenty of time for you to get serious about someone later on." Wes's gaze again dropped to my breasts for just a second before he looked out at the woods. Glancing down, I saw that my nipples were hard beneath my top. If it wasn't obvious before that I didn't have on a bra, it definitely was now! As dusk edged toward night, the air grew cooler. Not only had my nipples hardened, but goosebumps now broke out on my arms, and I couldn't hide my shiver.
Wes immediately noticed. Slipping his arm around me, he said, "Are you cold, honey? Want to go inside?"
"No, no, I love it out here!" As I snuggled up against him, my body responded to his closeness. While my bare arms might have been cold, I felt a delicious heat between my thighs. "You know, you're nice and warm," I said, flashing a smile. "How about I sit on your lap, and you can warm me up, too?"
Wes raised his eyebrows, obviously caught off guard by my suggestion. But after a moment, he returned my smile. "Slide on over and make yourself comfortable."
I rushed to do as Wes said before he thought better of it. He had to know we were moving into dangerous territory, I told myself. Maybe he knew the moment I showed up at his house wearing a top that strained against my tits and a skirt that revealed most of my thighs. Yet he seemed willing to pretend this was all completely innocent.
Settling down on his lap, I faced outward and spread my legs so his right leg was between them. Then I leaned back, with my head resting against his shoulder. Already, I was breathing faster. He wrapped his arms around me in a kind of bear hug, then gave me a squeeze.
"How's that? Getting warmer now?" Wes asked.
I was undoubtedly getting warmer between my thighs! "Absolutely," I murmured. "It feels nice to have you hold me."
He was quiet for several long seconds before kissing my hair. "It feels nice to hold you."
It was almost dark, but enough light remained for him to easily see my exposed thighs when I spread them even wider. My skirt rose higher still until my panties were almost visible. I now heard Wes breathing a little faster as well.