The casual observer would have seen a couple, dressed in the usual attire of those taking their lunch break from, perhaps, a nearby office. Maybe, even that onlooker would have wondered whether or not it was an office romance. 

Fortunately, that person could not have been aware of the swirling emotions that were creating a small whirlpool in my head. On the one hand, I knew her so well and, competing with that, was the realisation it had been a little over twenty years since the last very memorable time we had been together.

The two of us had lived quite close to each other in a neighbourhood consisting of mainly older families and thus I guess we naturally got to know one another especially as neither of us had elder siblings. We only met in the holidays since we both attended boarding schools. However, such schools have long summer holidays and in our case, they were the best part of twelve weeks long.

It was during those times that we used to disappear for hours at a time exploring the local area and found a small lake with gently sloping banks. There, we used to slip out of clothes and, as we were both good swimmers, enjoyed many an hour there. We didn't even know the phrase 'skinny dipping', then. We simply didn't want to get into trouble for arriving back in wet attire. As time went by, without being aware of it, we became a little circumspect in being nude and were more covert in where we undressed, dashing into the water without looking at one another.

Time passed and just after our sixteenth birthdays (we had been born a few months apart in the same year), I overheard my parents mention that Mary's parents were moving because of her father's work over a hundred miles away. As it was nearing the end of the holidays, they weren't surprised when I said I was off. Speedily, I made my way to Mary's home and, fortunately, she was home but her parents had gone to the solicitors to formalise the house sale.

We were both lost for words and ended up simply linking hands and strolled off along a nearby lane before, by mutual unspoken agreement, heading into a nearby wood which was another favourite haunt. To access them, we had to cross a stile and I clambered over first, turning to offer a steadying hand. She seemed to lose her footing and ended up close to my chest, the closest we'd ever been in recent years. In what seemed a completely natural movement, our lips met and we started exploring with our tongues. You can imagine my emotions - excitement, arousal and a little trepidation as this was the first time I'd ever kissed with this intensity.

There was some clashing of teeth, coupled with some chuckles from deep within us. I tried to move apart a little as the hardness of my erection was both exciting me but embarrassing. To my surprise (and delight) her hands slid down my back, reaching my hips and pulled me closer. With that encouragement, my hands went down her back also but slipped under her top so I could caress the softness of the skin beneath. Through the thin material of our shirts, I could feel the hardness of her nipples.

We had to come up for some air, our breathing and heart rates had skyrocketed. We were both somewhat abashed by what had happened but that didn't stop us holding hands again, walking deeper into the woods to a little glade, well known to us. Here, I stopped, turned to her and uttered the first words of our meeting: "Let's lie down." To my relief, she did and lifted her arms to welcome me. I have no idea how long we spent there as we ventured across our bodies, clothing being abandoned in no order, simply as the wish and desire took us. We didn't 'go all the way' as it was called then but we did learn how to arouse another's senses to the point of climax. Hers covered my fingers and hands with warm colourless fluid and mine covered her fingers and my stomach and chest with the white evidence I already was familiar with. But it felt so much better when aided by an enthusiastic partner. It was not until some years later that I realised she'd placed her hand over mine, putting pressure on the middle finger so it slipped inside her and my continued movements led her on to that, what seemed to my untutored mind, explosive climax.

We lay, panting, hearts pounding and, I think, rather overwhelmed by the intensity of the crescendo we'd achieved. Eventually, I broke the silence by saying something like: "And now you're moving away."  For a moment, there was silence and I thought I'd upset her with flippancy but then laughter welled up inside and she shook with it.

The moment of tension had passed and we got down to the practicalities of tidying ourselves up. Fortunately, the small lake I mentioned earlier was not far away so we ambled down, now completely unphased by our nakedness and washed ourselves clean. Even at that early age, we did that separately because I'm sure she was as aware as I that being close would have set us off again.

Besides walking back with her, that was the last time I'd seen Mary.  

All that has taken far longer to write than for the sequences to flash through my mind and I became aware that Mary had stopped talking and was observing me closely. I started stammering my apologies and lack of attentiveness when she smiled, leaned in close and whispered: " I know precisely what you were thinking about. So was I!" That last was said with a slight breathiness which caused my hormones to stir along with the increasing rigidity between my legs.

I had to shift in my seat to alleviate the by now rather contorted erection. Ever the observant, she grinned and simply said: "Come on."

Taking my hand, she barely allowed me time to pause and speedily pay for our meals - thankfully, the swipe card limit on the bar's machine hadn't been passed and I certainly didn't wait for the proffered receipt. 

Once outside and away from prying eyes, Mary finally stopped, turned and with a hand on each side of my head, pulled me into what I can only describe as a repeat of that first sensual kiss but both of us now had the experience to add a welcome finesse.

Before my wander down memory lane, we'd already learned that we were both single again, she with one daughter and I with a daughter and a son. So her next inquiry could be delivered safely in the knowledge of no other prior commitments: "Your place or mine?"

I wasn't sure of her home address but mine was fairly close and my car just around the corner. Hand in hand we must, I think have almost skipped along the pavement despite being somewhat mature for such antics! Once in the car, I couldn't resist a repeat of our kiss, coupled with a rediscovery of those delightfully prominent nipples which were now making their presence obvious.

Pushing my hand away, she indicated that I should drive. Ever the obedient, I did, using any shortcut I could. Soon we arrived, parking down the side of my house and it took but a moment for us to be inside and finally be able to embrace, kiss and explore with complete abandon. Rather clumsily, I managed to guide us into a downstairs bedroom where, still kissing, we sank into a tangled mass onto the bed.

Simultaneously, we came up for air and a more tender atmosphere surrounded us as, I think, we each contemplated the eccentricities of fate which had brought us together again, allied with the pleasure and joy it was delivering to us.

Words were not needed as we speedily divested ourselves of our clothes and we could drink in each other's body. I delighted in drawing circles around her eyes, stroking her cheek and touching her lips before seeking out a sensitive nipple and gently squeezing. This engendered a sound which resembled a purr of pleasure and anticipation.

She responded by dragging her nails gently down my chest, over my stomach and to the destination of gripping my oh-so-hard erection in a hard grip. My response of a grunt and push of my hips obviously was the right response as her hand glided back and forth along the length as I interrogated each of nipples with my mouth.

With our arousal levels rapidly rising, I eased her onto her back, moved between her spread-eagled legs and, I have to confess, rather selfishly not even thinking about a condom, slid effortlessly inside.

Her immediate reaction was to buck her hips up, welcome me further in, grip my buttocks and pull me tightly to her. Neither of us needed any guidance as we sought our own and the other's pleasure, accompanied by incoherent words and grunts. Mary was, fortunately for me, the first to indicate her imminent orgasm. By that time, I was supporting myself on my arms and could see her mouth forming an 'O' as her eyes flicked open in seeming surprise as her vaginal muscles clenched my cock, her body shaking from head to foot. Needless to say, I speedily followed suit, driving down with a few deeper thrusts while the spurts of semen flooded her insides.

Breathless, hearts pounding and sprinkled with perspiration, we lay, stickily together, as for my part, I couldn't quite comprehend the ferocity mixed with tenderness as to what we'd just done. 

Regaining my power of speech, I started to apologise for not using a condom. She responded by touching my lips to hush me and we lay close together for what seemed like hours but was only some fifteen minutes or so. All the while stroking and touching each other with, I'm sure, a mutual sense of awe and amazement. Maybe she was also wondering if this could be the start of something more.

I certainly, certainly hoped so!