Hating Halloween

Hating Halloween

-----

"Trick or treat!" called out the two costumed youngsters after the door opened, revealing a tall man, a man whose sad eyes belied his verbal response.

"Oh, well, look at you two. Happy Halloween. You look like a dragon, but what are you, Sweetheart?"

"I'm a ninja warrior," she proudly exclaimed.

"A girl ninja. I'm impressed. You two are the scariest Trick-or-Treaters I've seen all night. And who's this with you?"

"That's Mom," said the dragon while the obviously older ninja corrected him, "Uh-uh, Luke. It's the Wicked Witch of the West."

"Well, all three of you are very, very scary. I better give you some candy so you don't try to trick me or something."

"Oh, goodie," said the dragon as they both dug into the bowl.

"Now, Kiddos, take just a few so others can have some and what do you say?"

"Thank you!" "Thanks!"

The man appeared to force another smile as he wished them a good night. Right as he went to close the door, he heard the woman whisper, "It's nice to see a man doing trick-or-treat duties for a change."

He gave her a dead stare, his eyes boring into her until she became nervous, almost frightened. "I, uh, I guess I'll, uh, we'll be going then. Thank you for the candy," she said as she turned and fled down the sidewalk after the two children.

"You have no idea what you're talking about," he called out right before slamming the door.

'Jeez, what a jerk,' she thought to herself, glad she was escorting her two children and keeping them from men like that one.

Later that evening, after the kids were sound asleep, Lucas still in his dragon outfit, Sarah sipped on her one glass of wine for the week and thought back over the evening. It had been a success. Luke and Mia had gotten along well, were pleasant and appropriately thankful to the ones handing out the candy and obeyed her instructions about no running and how to safely cross the streets.

But there had been that one man. Though he was rather attractive, no, unbelievably handsome, something about him wasn't right. He was handing out candy, something which was usually done by the woman of the house, and he obviously wasn't a happy man. And the nasty glare he gave her when she made a casual little remark had frightened her, as had his last remark before he slammed the door. And then he turned off the light, which could only mean he was done with handing out candy for the night. 'Just what's his problem?' she wondered. 'Was he pissed that he had to do the candy schtick?'

After she packed the kids off to school the next day and before she settled down to her telecommuting job, she savored her second cup of coffee and again thought about the night before. 'Who is he?' she wondered until her curiosity got the better of her. After a five-minute search of the city records, she found the owners of the property were Matt and Rebecca Smith. 'I wonder why she wasn't there,' she pondered as her nosiness drove her to dig deeper.

Ten minutes later, she had her answer. A newspaper article from two years earlier mentioned a tragic accident out on Highway 7 that took the life of a local woman by the same name. The obituary in the paper confirmed Matt was the surviving spouse. 'Oh, fuck, no wonder he was pissed at what I said.'

But her idle time ran out and she needed to log on for work. For the rest of the day, she felt slightly distracted about what she had learned, but before she could do any further sleuthing, she had to pick up her kids, make dinner and be a mom. After the kids had fallen asleep, she went back and read the details. Rebecca was driving home when her car was T-boned by a drunk driver. She died almost immediately while he walked away without a scratch. A follow-up report confirmed he was doing ten to fifteen in the state penitentiary for his crime.

Sarah felt awful. She had made an assumption which was totally false and once she said something, it had to have been painful for Matt, the husband. 'I should apologize to him, if he'll even talk with me. But how?'

As she thought about him the next evening, she came up with an idea. She would take him some fresh-baked goods along with a written note of apology. 'He'll probably still be mad, but my cookies can smooth out anyone's hurt feelings.' On the following morning, she took three hours of comp leave, dusted off her favorite cookbook and began baking, something she loved. She enjoyed watching the various ingredients come together and create wonderful treats once they were removed from the oven. On that morning, she chose to bake some molasses cookies topped off with white, powdered sugar. Once they were cooling, she sampled one. Perfect!

'I'll run over after lunch and offer him my apology.'

-----

Matt was eating yet another leftover, god-awful TV dinner when his doorbell rang. 'Who the fuck can that be?' he muttered to himself as he pulled his long, lean frame out of the chair and walked to the door. Through the peephole, he barely saw the top of a woman's head.

"Yes?" he asked, before looking at her and realizing who she was. "Oh, you. What do you want?"

"I, uh, I am so embarrassed that I, uh..."

"Out with it, woman."

"Look, I'm nervous, so please give me a sec. I, uh, I want to apologize for the other night. I was out of line and I know I upset you."

"You didn't upset me. Nothing upsets me. My life sucks and if I yelled at you, well, you just happened to be my nearest target."

"Yeah, but you were polite until I said something about men and handing out treats and it obviously made you mad, so I've come to apologize and, and here's a small batch of cookies to show you that I'm, uh..."

"That you can bake? OK, you can bake. I don't need or want your cookies. What I want is to be left alone."

He could see her stiffen up and stare him in the eyes before she laid into him. "I know what happened. I know it must suck cause I'm alone, too..."

"Did he die? Was he killed by an asshole drunk who already had his license revoked? Was he the best, no, was he the only good thing in your life? 'Cause if he wasn't, then you have no idea what I've lived through."

"No, he didn't die, though there were times I've wished he was dead."

"Lady, don't ever say that to me again, you hear?"

"Matt, see, I know your name; don't you even pretend to tell me what to do. I am trying to be nice here and apologize for an insensitive remark the other night with some cookies and a dose of swallowed pride. If you don't want them, then I'll..."

Matt could tell she was a feisty woman and was pissed, to boot. Her cute lips had tightened into a thin line and red splotches dotted her cheeks. And there was a time when he would have enjoyed talking to her and maybe even talking her out of her clothes, but not right then.

"OK, I'll take them," he said as he held out his hand.

"No 'Thank you'? Even my kids know enough to thank someone for giving them something."

"Lady, uh..."

"Sarah. It's Sarah."

"OK. Sarah, I don't need you or anyone else lecturing me about manners, alright?"

"Fine. I hope you choke on them!" She turned heel and stomped down the sidewalk towards the street.

"You know," he called out to her, "Maybe it would solve both our problems."

Her only response was a one-fingered salute over her shoulder.

Matt slammed the door and went back to the kitchen where his unappetizing and cold food swam in a puddle of congealing grease. 'God, I can't eat this shit,' he muttered as he threw it into the trash. After waiting a few minutes until his anger eased, he grabbed one of the cookies.

'Holy shit! This is great.' First one, then a second and finally nearly ten cookies disappeared before he took a breath and put the rest away. For the rest of the day, he stewed about his interaction with this Sarah person, whatever her last name was. He knew he was being an asshole. Everyone knew he was. But not everyone had a clue what his life was like. In fact, nobody did.

Rebecca was the best thing to ever come into his life. After a stressful childhood filled with anger and abuse, he managed to pull himself up, work his way through college and get a decent job. Then she came into his office one day. A vision of beauty had been sent by a nearby costume shop to coordinate his firm's Halloween party and her job was to arrange for everyone to have a costume. After a few jokes and some teasing, she had his measurements and arranged by text with her business for him to go to the party dressed as Superman.

He told her he would go as Superman only if she went with him dressed as Superwoman. Her surprise at his invite was obvious, but she cocked her head slightly, looked him over, nodded her head knowingly and agreed to go. The rest, as they say, was history. A fast and wonderful romance filled with hot screwing alternating with tender lovemaking resulted in their marriage less than a year later. After three years of marriage, they agreed to try for children. They were frustrated that a pregnancy did not immediately happen, but were determined to keep trying. It was on the afternoon after her appointment with a fertility specialist that she was killed by the asshole drunk.

For two years, he was living in a fog of pain and rage. He received a few warnings from his boss at work, but nothing seemed to sink in. After his third warning, Mr. Stepps told him if he didn't get into counseling, he would be fired and there would be no more warnings. Either he shaped up or he shipped out.

His grief counselor Wendy was a tough taskmaster. She wouldn't listen to him moan and whine about the drunk asshole, life in general or work in particular. Instead, she gave him tasks to do. First, he had to attend and participate in a widows' group and have his attendance documented. Then he had to write in a journal every single day ('... and no AI, either, and I mean it!') about his feelings and anger. And most recently she had insisted he start participating in community activities, starting with handing out candy on Halloween. This was doubly hard because he and Rebecca had met dealing with a Halloween costume issue and ever since, Halloween had become her favorite holiday. It was on the night when he first handed out candy since her death when he met the dragon, the ninja warrior and the witch Sarah. 'Rhymes with "bitch",' he thought.

Although he hadn't had anything to drink, he slept poorly that night and felt like he was even hungover the next morning. 'Didn't even get to enjoy the buzz and here I feel like shit.' He called work and took a sick day, lounged around the house, drank tons of fluid and took Tylenol for his headache. After a noontime nap, he felt better and started to futz around on his computer when something occurred to him. Maybe he could learn something about her just like she had about him.

He had few clues to work with, but eventually he decided to look at the county property records for every house in the area and see if any had a Sarah as an owner. He knew she could be a renter, but having nothing else to go on, he plunged into the project. In the five-block area, he found two houses with a Sarah or a Sara listed as an owner. The Sara was apparently married and though it didn't prove she wasn't the woman he knew, it called it into question.

Now Sarah was listed as a sole owner of a house two blocks away. He hopped into his car and drove by. It was a modest house; the gardens looked neat, though barren at that time of year, and the car sitting in the driveway looked like the one he had seen her walking towards the night before. 'Ah-hah, Sarah, now we're even.'

After he had finished the cookies two days later, he decided to return the plate. It was one of those cheap plastic ones which many people toss in the trash, but he decided to use the opportunity to talk to her once again. He chose to visit her during the day when her kids were most likely in school.

-----

The first time the doorbell rang, Sarah tried to ignore it. She wasn't terribly busy doing her computer work, but she didn't want to get distracted by some religious nut or salesperson. When it rang again several minutes later, she gave up and went to the door. She was stunned to see Matt through her peephole.

"Yes? What do you want now?"

"Uh, hi. I wanted to return the plate," he said as he held it out to her.

"And that's all?"

"Well, yeah."

"Do you have anything to say about what might have been on the plate?"

"They, uh, the cookies were good."

"And?"

"And what?"

"Here, give me the damn plate and you're welcome!"

"Oh, sorry. I, uh, thank you."

"OK, so you've returned the plate and thanked me for the cookies. Is there anything else?"

"Uh, no, I guess not."

"Very well. Good-bye," she said, closing the door in his face.

'Jeez, what a loser. Can't even say "thank you." Well, at least I won't have to deal with him anymore.'

-----

On his way home, Matt reviewed what had happened and realized he had totally screwed things up. When she opened the door, he was struck by her attractive face once again, but this time he glanced down to see a very sexy body. He suddenly felt like a tongue-tied teenager standing in front of the head cheerleader, unable to put together a coherent statement. And he didn't even thank her for the damn cookies. Things were going from bad to worse. At this rate, she would undoubtably hate his guts, something that bothered him. For over two years, he didn't give a shit what people thought about him and maintained a modicum of decorum at work just to keep his job. And suddenly, he did give a shit.

After thinking things over, he decided to write a brief apology/thank you note to her.

Dear Sarah,

I have to apologize for the way I behaved today, and more importantly, apologize for my lack of common decency. The cookies were very good and I do appreciate the effort that went into making them and I thank you for them.

My life has been awful lately and I seem to have lost some of my manners as a result. Please consider this an attempt at making things right by you.

Sincerely,

Matt

He dropped a stamp on the envelope and mailed it the next morning with the outgoing mail. He knew he had screwed up and figured he would never hear from her again, but the whole interaction stimulated in him a tiny desire to try and rejoin society. He renewed his gym membership and decided to play his guitar again, a hobby he was very fond of years before.

-----

'Well, it sounds sincere, but I'm not too sure. He may look sexy as hell, definitely a right swiper, but his personality leaves a lot to be desired,' mused Sarah upon reading his note. She, however, decided not to pay him any further attention and to get on with her life.

She was stunned to receive another note from him two weeks later.

Dear Sarah,

I have been thinking about our situation and was wondering if there is anything else I can do to make things right. I know I was a jerk and want to try and show you I can be a normal person, too.

If you are willing to try and see if we can't just be neighborly friends, please let me know.

Sincerely,

Matt

'What is this? Is this the beginning of him stalking me?' she mumbled as she read it. True, he wasn't doing any online activities, but this letter was getting close to the edge.

Sarah was not one to shirk away from challenges from unpleasant men, no matter how attractive they might be. In college, she nearly decked a guy who was every girl's wet dream because he kept groping her ass during a dance even after she told him not to. And her asshole husband was sent packing once she sensed his faithfulness was less than ideal. And now this Matt guy was beginning to irk her; no, make it, was continuing to irk her.

She stewed about this for a few days and decided to deal with things once and for all. Late one morning, while her kids were in school, she drove the few blocks to his house and rang the bell.

"Yes? Oh, Hi, Sarah. What brings you..."

"You know damn well why I'm here. You keep sending me shit and trying to be nice when I know deep down, you're a total asshole."

"Well, I'll ignore the name-calling and say only that I am trying to be nice..."

"Nice?! You call this nice? You're haranguing me, you're practically stalking me by sending me these little letters, trying to be oh-so-nice. What's your real reason, huh?"

"I'm just trying to be nice, to mend fences..."

Her mind snapped. Here was a man lying to her, definitely stalking her, making her miserable. She had had it with men! She wanted it to stop.

She slapped him.

Full across his left cheek, a solid, reverberating slap that stopped him mid-sentence. He looked at her before resuming. "As I was saying, I'm trying to mend fences..."

This time, when she went to slap him again, he caught her arm before contact. His glaring down at her was scary until his face softened and his eyes stared deep into hers. He pulled her across the threshold, slammed the door behind her and lowered his face to hers.

Before she could react, his lips were on hers, firm, domineering, in-control lips, lips which wouldn't take 'no' for an answer. And just as suddenly, she didn't want to say 'no.' God, his lips felt sooo good. The firm lips softened; his tongue teased her lips open until her tongue met his. This was no tonsil hockey, no, this was her exploration of him, of his lips and of his body, a body which she was suddenly hugging, rubbing and clutching. And he was doing the same to her.

'God, I want this. I need this,' raced through her mind before he broke the kiss and stared down at her with a questioning look. "You sure?"

She had barely whispered 'yes' when he picked her up and carried her across the living room, down a hallway and into a bedroom, a bedroom that was neat with a well-made bed and no clothes strewn on the floor.

Before she knew it, he dropped her onto the bed and unbuttoned his shirt, exposing a wonderful torso lightly covered with wiry hair. His slacks hit the floor, leaving only his boxers with a most enticing fullness.

Sarah was stunned, stunned at the turn of events, but more importantly stunned at her own behavior. She wanted this man. She wanted him desperately. Her pelvis was engorging and moisture was puddling less than three minutes after she slapped him. What was wrong with her? She should have left. She should have behaved. She should have scolded him. She should have said 'No'.

But instead, she reached over and drew her fingers down his barely covered cock. She could tell it was more than adequate for her needs, needs which demanded a good old-fashioned screwing. When she went to undo her blouse, he growled at her, pinned her hands to the bed, telling her not to move, reached under her skirt and yanked her panties off.

"You safe?" he groaned.

She nodded 'Yes' vigorously.

"Good." He spread her legs and crawled on top, while aiming himself at her. Usually when she had sex, she would help guide the man's cock into her, but Matt needed no help. He rubbed himself up and down her slit, gathering her copious moisture before sinking into her.

It felt good. No, it felt wonderful. The fullness, the stretching and the pressure were exactly what she needed, what she had missed for years. And when he started to withdraw, the slight pulling around her tunnel created new sensations of a wonderful nature. He sank into her again with more pressure, more stretching.

After a few more thrusts, she found herself well on the way to what had to be the fastest 'O' of her life. There was a moaning sound somewhere in the room and colorful lights shot across her vision as waves of intense pleasure rose from her pelvis to her brain. Her release was beyond belief; a full-body spasming, back arching, leg tightening and hands clutching event, like she had never experienced.

And he continued thrusting, harder, faster and even deeper, driving her to ever greater heights. Her reptilian brain kept responding to his thrusting by carrying her even higher than before, though somewhere deep in her mammalian consciousness, she knew she needed to stop; he needed to stop. At that moment, it was almost as if his brain waves read hers and he took a few more deep thrusts and groaned aloud, a groan which told her he too had come.

He collapsed on her, breathing heavily in her ear, his weight on her both comforting and reassuring. Her arms slipped from his back and collapsed at her side, her legs relaxed to the bed cover and her head rolled towards him as her gasping subsided. She felt like a one-hundred-percent totally fucked woman... and she loved the sensation.

-----

As the wild sensations of the past few minutes faded and normal consciousness and awareness reasserted themselves in his brain, Matt realized he had had the most profound and soul-shaking event of his life. His anger at being slapped by his hot neighbor suddenly led to them fucking with an intensity like he had never before experienced.

Suddenly, he snapped to, his higher function fully alert. Oh shit! This was (or was it?) an assault, or at least one could make the claim it was. He had forced himself on a woman. But wait. She had nodded 'Yes' to his question about her being sure and even said 'Yes' when he asked her if it was safe. No, she wanted it as much as he did and she certainly seemed to enjoy herself. This was no Meg Ryan cafeteria scene. No, it would be impossible for a woman to fake an orgasm like Sarah's, one that caused her pelvic muscles to clench around him, her fingernails to dig into his back and her cheeks to flush deep red.

Aware of her breathing in his ear, he turned towards her with a mix of fear and desire. Her eyes were wide open, unblinking and even feisty. Slowly, oh so slowly, he drew his lips towards her, one millimeter at a time. Her head tipped towards him and her eyes closed right before their lips touched. Slow nibbles, which some might even call loving, morphed into long, soft kisses, the kind of kisses shared between two intimate lovers.

But this hadn't been 'loving.' This was raw, carnal fucking between a man and a woman who, until then, had been at each other's throats. Then how could it feel so good? How could he feel so close to her? She had even slapped him, slapped him hard enough to hurt, she was so mad. And what did she think about all of this?

Slowly, he broke the kiss, backed away and slid down beside her, all the while staring at her eyes, eyes that seemed to bore deep into his soul.

"I, uh, I don't know what to say," he whispered.

"You and me both."

"Did we really just do it?"

"Ah, yes, we did, and I know my girl parts are happy girl parts right now."

"So, you, uh...?"

"Oh, God, yes, did I ever."

"It was, uh, totally spontaneous and I hope you don't think I in any way forced this..."

"I said 'Yes,' didn't I? And I said it was safe. Those aren't the things a victim would do now, are they?"

"Well, you didn't technically say you were safe, you nodded..."

"Po-tay-to, po-tah-to. I consented and really, I shouldn't have."

"But you enjoyed it, right?"

"The orgasm, yes, but honestly, this was so wrong in so many ways," she replied as she wriggled away from him and pulled down her skirt. "I should go."

"No, you don't have to, I mean..."

"Yes, I do."

-----

She grabbed her panties, stuffed them in a pocket and fled from the bedroom, leaving the naked Matt behind her. As she reached the front door, she heard, "Sarah, just wait..." before the door slammed behind her. Once in her car, she broke down in tears, tears which blurred her vision, making it difficult for her to drive the few blocks to her home.

At her home, she collapsed on the sofa, sobbing her eyes out. What she had done was so wrong on so many levels. She allowed herself to be taken. She screwed, or rather, he screwed her, an unknown man. Sure, she couldn't get pregnant, but what about diseases? And now he would believe she was just a cheap lay, an easy fuck, but she had never acted like that before. Usually, she insisted on getting to know a man, dating him and getting a feel for him before going to bed with him. This had truly been an impediment in the modern world of online dating and hookup apps where she had turned down more men than she cared to think about because they wanted too much, too fast.

And here, within three minutes of her slapping Matt as hard as she could, she was allowing herself to be dragged, or carried, that is, back to his bedroom and to be screwed. But she had wanted him. When he leaned over while still holding her right arm and looked into her eyes, a switch flipped, a bomb went off, something snapped and she wanted him to kiss her. And he did! Then she wanted it all. And she got it all. But, and this was a big but, the woman he screwed, the woman who agreed to it all, wasn't 'Sarah.' No, it was someone she did not know, someone she did not recognize.

'But it sure felt good,' she chuckled to herself as she dried her eyes and got ready to pick up the kids from their preschool.

That night, after the two had gone to bed, Sarah found herself still thinking about what had happened that afternoon. She assumed he would want a repeat, he was a man, after all. But how could she look at herself in the mirror if she did it again? Once was a freak episode, but two would be a pattern. No, she couldn't let it happen again.

-----

After Sarah had fled his house, Matt lay stunned on his bed for nearly an hour, thinking about and reliving the events of the afternoon. Out of nowhere, she had slapped him and when she went to do it again, his catching her arm seemed to trigger something in him. He had stared deeply into her eyes and before he knew it, he found himself closing in for a kiss. It led quickly and ultimately to them screwing on his bed.

He thought bitterly, 'The best sex in two years, though to be honest, the only sex in two years.' Matt was no stranger to sexual activities. Prior to meeting his wife, he had more than his share of willing girls and women, some who were quite frisky and bold, to put it politely. And his years with Rebecca were filled with many fun and occasionally kinky romps in the sack. However, in his entire life, he had never had such a sudden, lust-driven interaction with another. It had been raw sex and basic screwing with some hate-fucking thrown in. They didn't have those tender moments of post-coital bliss, soft kisses and sweet hugs, but somehow, he knew he wanted to experience her again, if she would have him, that is.

He threw together a sandwich for dinner, had two shots of his favorite bourbon before bedtime, yet he couldn't fall asleep as images from the afternoon kept racing through his mind. By the next morning, he had managed to get only a few hours of sleep, but as he had to go to work, he dragged himself into the shower. When the hot water hit him, searing pain shot across his back. He jumped out of the shower and looked over his shoulder in the mirror. There he saw fresh parallel pink scratches, obviously from her fingernails, yet he had not felt them at the time.

'She mustuv really been into it, too,' he mused as he stepped back into the shower and gently lathered up. Once he was cleaned up and presentable, he drove off to work.

Several hours later, his secretary came into his office and closed the door.

"Matt, what's going on with you today?"

"What do you mean?"

"You... you're different, somehow."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. I can't ever remember seeing you like this. It's almost like you're normal."

"Gee, thanks," he muttered.

"See? That's what I'm talking about. You're almost never polite."

"Oh, I am, too."

"No, you aren't and quite frankly, you're a pain in the ass to work for, most of the time, at least, but today, well, you're not. So, what's going on? What happened?"

"I'm, uh, I don't know what to say," he mumbled.

"Oh, I've got it. That's it! You got laid."

"Angie, that is not a permissible topic in the workplace, so you can just zip it."

"But it's true, isn't it? Yeah, I can tell. Well, congrats, I hope it was with someone special."

"I won't dignify that with a response."

"And you just proved it. By not denying it, you've admitted it's true," she laughed as she turned to the door. "Oooh, I've got the goods on you now. Maybe for a raise, I won't tell everyone here the good news."

As she exited the door, Matt laughed as he threw a pen which barely missed her. "Yup, that proved it beyond a shadow of a doubt," she said as she closed the door completely to avoid any more projectiles thrown her way.

And something occurred to him as he went to pick up the pen: It was the first time he had laughed in two years.

-----

Several days later, Sarah received a small envelope in the mail. 'Who mails anything anymore?' she asked herself as she opened the envelope. It was from him, just like those notes that led her to his door and ultimately to his bedroom.

Dear Sarah,

I would very much like to see you again. Could I interest you in a cup of coffee over at the JavaGuava hut? Please call or text me.

Below his scrawled signature was a phone number, the one she had already found during her online search of him. With her mind racing, she went back to her meal prep. When her kids were at preschool, as they were that afternoon, she sometimes found herself talking out loud about major issues or questions in her life.

"I can't believe he wrote me."

"Yes, you can. He's a guy and guys are horny. Guys just want sex."

"But there was no sex, no seduction, no foreplay until you slapped him. It happened so fast that, that, oh well..."

"It was good, though."

"God, it was great."

"You want more, don't you?"

"Who wouldn't? But can you start something based on a raunchy quickie?"

"Maybe he'd be a good FWB."

"You know you don't like that idea. You normally take weeks of dating and getting to know someone before you'll let 'em near you."

"But the 'O' was something else. Why not have some more like it?"

"Because you know you couldn't look yourself in the mirror if you did it again. And it would be totally hypocritical when you talk to the kids about consent and safe sex when they're older."

"But that 'O' was fantastic, Girl. What you wouldn't give to have another one like it."

The 'conversation' between the little angel on one side and the little devil on the other went on intermittently for the next week or so. She couldn't make up her mind. She wanted him, no, she wanted his cock, but she wanted to maintain a certain degree of appropriateness and decorum. As it turned out, the argument was settled almost without her cognitive input.

-----

When Matt rang her doorbell, he had no clue how he would be received. He had sent the note and waited for her response, but as the days ticked by, he had to have an answer. He knew she might slam the door in his face, but he was willing to take the chance. All he wanted to do was ask her to her face about a cup of coffee. She would either say 'Yes' or, more likely, slam the door in his face. He wanted to know her answer. He needed to know her answer.

When she opened the door, he was struck by her innate beauty. She was no anorexic model nor was she a stacked movie model. No, she was a wonderful woman in the prime of her life, a mother in her thirties, a woman in charge of her life. Tiny creases next to her eyes and perhaps a few extra pounds on her hips were the only clues to her years, but the rest was perfect: deep blue eyes flashing with life, tiny dimples, full brunette hair tied back with some kind of a clip-like thing and wonderful breasts which strained her top, exposing some very attractive skin on her chest.

"Yes?" she asked, no, she challenged.

"I, uh, I sent a card and was wondering if you received it and if you had an answer for me."

"Oh, yes, the card. I, uh, I haven't decided yet."

"It's just for a cup of coffee, you know, so we can get to know each other."

"Don't you think we already know a lot about each other?"

"No and yes. No, I don't know very much about you at all, but yes, I know we had the most, uh, the most, uh, the wildest time together."

"And you want it again?"

"No, I mean, well, eventually, yeah, sure, but all I want now is a chance to get to know you better."

"You expect me to believe that? You came over here wanting to get laid."

"No! Honest! I just want to get a cup of coffee," he almost hissed in frustration.

-----

It was so sudden she could hardly believe it. A switch flipped. A bomb went off. As before, something snapped and she wanted him, craved him, desperately needed him like she had never needed anything or anyone before.

She reached out to him, grabbed his belt and pulled him into the living room before slamming the door shut behind him and pushing him up against it. It was as if she had no control over her own body and actions as she came up to him and tipped her head up for a kiss.

The kiss was firm. The kiss was soft. The tongues darted. The tongues explored. A second kiss followed the first, then a third.

When they broke apart briefly, he looked down at her. "Wait, uh, coffee, we need to talk..."

Her response was quick and brutal. She grabbed his shirt and unbuttoned the top few buttons before struggling with one half-way down his chest. She grabbed the rest of the shirt and ripped it open, buttons flying across the hardwood floor, before she wrestled with the belt and yanked down his slacks and underwear in one fell swoop. A glimmer of sanity and caution flitted around in her brain before she quashed any doubts and pushed him, hobbled by his pants, to the sofa.

When he made an attempt to pull up his pants, she swore, "Don't you fuckin' dare touch those pants!" Her apron went flying, followed quickly by her blouse, bra, pants and panties. She looked down at him and once she saw his rising cock, she knew he wanted her just as she wanted him.

"Look, we need to..."

"No. You need to lean back," she said as she straddled him and pushed his torso back to the sofa cushions, "And let this happen, 'cause it's gonna happen." Two quick swipes of his cock across her entrance were followed by her sinking down on him, feeling him fill her, feeling him under her clit as she settled on him. As she wanted and needed pressure on her clit, she kept him impaled in her and thrust herself forward and backward, pinching her clit between their pubic bones, almost to the point of pain. With each forward thrust, her clit sent more pleasure signals to her brain. With each backward slide, those signals were amplified even more. And to top it off, he began to stroke and lightly pinch her nipples, compounding the stimulation.

And somewhere in her still-conscious brain, a tiny message trickled through: This is wrong, totally wrong. But her body craved it, demanded it, required it. Before she knew it, a phenomenal orgasm ripped through her, much like their last time, but this time with her in charge. She heard swearing bounce off the walls, calls to Jesus rang out and behind her tightly closed eyes, waves of amorphous, green shapes surged in circles.

Even the best of orgasms can't last forever and as hers began to fade, she realized yet again she had had the most amazing journey with this enigmatic man. She collapsed against him while breathing heavily in his ear. His gentle strokes on her back were comforting, even reassuring. As she recovered, she felt him still in her, still full, still stretching.

"Did you, uh, you know?" she asked as she pulled back to look him in the eye.

He smiled almost apologetically as he shook his head.

"Then it's your turn."

-----

It had been so sudden, so wild and even a little painful as she ground herself on him that he had not climaxed. When she told him it was his turn, he knew he wanted to be in control, to drive himself into her and withdraw, in and out, in and out until he came. Although she still seemed to be recovering, his body, overpowering any hesitation on his brain's part, demanded release.

He sat up and easily lifted her from his lap, nudged her to his side and dropped her to her knees in front of the sofa. He quickly slid behind her only to see the most amazing sight imaginable. A sexy, curvy woman, face down on the sofa, shapely ass up in the air and an open, wet, swollen and inviting ground zero below. He aimed himself into her, sliding easily to the hilt until her ass cheeks brushed up against his thighs. It was heavenly.

Retreating was equally heavenly as her tunnel and lips gripped him, not wanting to let him go. Then another plunge. And another retreat. He glanced down only to see a woman's head turned to the side with a furrowed brow, tightly closed eyes, lips apart, back with red splotches and fingers clutching the cushions before he closed his own eyes to concentrate on his pleasure rocketing throughout his body.

Plunge, counter thrust and gasp. Retreat, relax and moan. The three-part dance as old as the species picked up in intensity as he drove himself ever harder, ever deeper into her. Another peek at her revealed deepening flushing across her back as his ears heard her crying out again as she seemingly fell off into another orgasm.

Only a superhuman effort could have kept him from coming, and Matt was no superhuman. Powerful surges ripped through him from cock to brain and back as he plunged several more times before collapsing on her, pressing down on her damp torso while listening to her raspy breathing.

He lay recovering for several minutes, catching his breath while feeling his intense heartbeats gradually ebb. Slowly, he seemed to regain his strength and his awareness. He sensed he might be too heavy for her, but as he began to pull away, he heard her hiss, "Don't you dare, not until I tell you."

-----

He felt sooo good pressing down on her that she threatened him when he began to stir. It was a sensation she needed after experiencing two back-to-back orgasms; his body compressing hers like he owned it, controlled it. She reached her hand out until it found his, she wove her fingers into his and gave them a tender squeeze. In their two times together, it was the first time they had any tenderness expressed between them. Everything else had been animalistic mating and raw screwing. But this gentle move felt right.

But what felt even better was the soft kiss he laid on her cheek. This was no heavy kiss leading to intercourse, no, this was a tender expression of... what? It certainly couldn't be love. There was no way they loved each other. Maybe it was simply an expression of acknowledgement or even thanks. But whatever the meaning, it was sweet and welcome.

When he stirred a second time, she relaxed her grip on his hand and let him rise up behind her before she rolled over to look up at him. God, he looked good. His lean, muscular torso above his smoking-hot abs covered with a dart of hair down to his pubes was a sight to behold. But his face, with its slightly asymmetrical cheeks, deep brow over dark blue eyes and full lips, was the icing on the cake. He was definitely a ten on a scale of one to ten. Maybe even a ten-point-five!

As she gazed at him, she became aware he was doing the same to her, something that caused her a stab of embarrassment. He was checking out her mom-bod, a body which had a few too many pounds and stretch marks from her pregnancies. She went to cover herself with her hands, but he was smiling!

He cleared his throat before whispering, "You have no idea how beautiful you are."

-----

He gently pulled her hands from her pelvis and breasts, playfully and lightly pinning them to the sofa. "I mean it. 'Beautiful' hardly does justice."

He leaned over her and slowly dropped his lips to hers. She responded to his kiss with a warm, soft and promising kiss of her own. 'Yes,' he thought, 'Maybe she does like me.'

"We, uh, we should probably get dressed."

"Well, someone ripped the buttons off my shirt."

"I'll take care of them," she answered as she hopped up and quickly left the room, her cute tush drawing his eyes, but not nearly as much as her breasts did when she walked back into the living room holding a small, cloth bag. "Here, help me find the buttons."

After they had found them, she pulled out a needle and some thread and began the simple task of reattaching the buttons to the shirt. "Glad the cloth didn't rip."

"Me, too. Where'd you learn to sew?"

"My mom insisted everyone should know the basics about sewing and mending clothes. We were pretty poor and couldn't just buy a new outfit if there was a rip or something. Uh, what are you staring at?"

"You. It's so sexy, you sitting there fixing the shirt while you've got nothing on yourself."

"You guys just like to look at boobs."

"True, we do, or at least I do, but yours are extra special."

"These saggy things? You're nuts."

"They are not saggy. They're beautiful."

"Shoulduv seen them BC."

"BC?"

"Before Children."

"Well, I like 'em just like they are now."

After several more minutes of idle talk, she presented him with the repaired shirt.

"I guess I better get dressed and go."

"Yeah, me, too. Kids' preschool doesn't last all day."

When Matt went to the door, he turned to her and pulled her into his arms. "You know, I came here to ask you for a cup of coffee. You never answered."

"OK, if you insist," she giggled.

"Tomorrow?"

"No can do. I've got 'Mom' duty at the preschool tomorrow. Thursday?"

"Great. Say ten-ish at the JavaGuava Hut?"

"Sounds good. See you then."

He leaned over and gave her a warm, goodbye kiss before letting himself out the door.

-----

Sarah went back to the sofa and plopped down as her legs seemed to completely lose their strength. She was sitting where she had crawled on him, still smelling the remaining smells of their screwing while reliving the thirty or so minutes he was in her living room. She got up and quickly vacuumed the floor and sprayed some room deodorant to mask the smell of their escapade.

After she picked up the kids, she drove by a local pizza parlor to their infinite delight. One cheese pizza for them and one small veggie pizza for her were more than enough for dinner. At home, they devoured their food and the kids even drank a full glass of milk without complaint.

That night in bed, her mind kept racing as she thought about their screwing earlier in the day. Yes, it was screwing, just like the first time, but there had been a hint of tenderness when she wrapped her fingers in his and when he invited her out for coffee. 'Maybe, just maybe, we can finally get to know each other.'

Two days later, she arrived at the coffee house ten minutes early, preferring to choose where she would sit and to get a jump on her coffee. She was half way through her coffee when she saw him pace back and forth a few times before he opened the door to the shop.

'Maybe he's as nervous as I am.'

He greeted her with a tight smile and asked if he could get her anything before he went up to order his drink. Once he sat down across from her, he sighed.

"Well, I made it."

"Was there a problem?"

"Yeah, kinda. I almost stood you up."

"Why?"

"I dunno. I'm nervous about this, about us. I mean, we, uh, we've done a lot..."

"A lot? Is that what you call it?" she giggled.

"You know what I mean. Anyway, I don't know you at all. We've hardly spoken and we could be totally incompatible. Probably are, if you look at things from a statistical perspective."

"I'd say we aren't totally incompatible."

"You know what I mean."

"Yeah, I'm teasing you a little. So, is this where we do the elevator talk?"

"Elevator talk? What's that?"

"It's where you have to tell someone the important points inside of a few minutes, the time it takes the elevator to get to the top floor."

"I'll need more than that, but yeah, this is where we talk."

"Why don't you go first?"

-----

Matt took in a deep breath. He knew this would be painful, but at least he had plenty of practice with his therapist and the widows' group. He began by describing how he had met his wife, their wonderful life together and their desire to have kids. Then came the visit to the fertility clinic, followed by her getting killed by that drunk 'asshole.' The following two years had been brutal and his handing out candy on Halloween was the first time he had been able to even think about the holiday without coming completely unglued. As he spoke, large silent tears slid down his face, tears which he wiped away with the napkin that came with his coffee.

After clearing his throat, a small smile creased his lips. "And then this cheeky woman with two kids had the audacity to congratulate me on doing the job that usually falls to the woman of the household," he said with a teasing grin.

"Oh, God, Matt, I had no idea. If I could go back in time, I would have never said it, I swear."

"Then we wouldn't have done, uh, what we have and we wouldn't be here right now."

"No, I guess you're right."

"So, maybe it was for the good, you think?"

"Maybe."

"Well, enough about me. What about you? All I know is you've got the two little ones and you wish your husband, or ex or whatever, was dead sometimes.

-----

"I, uh, my situation was painful at the time and still is an issue, but nothing like what you've been through. College boyfriend turned lover turned husband. Also, good jobs and eventually two great kids: Mia and Lucas. Thought everything was going well until he didn't show up from work one evening. I had no idea what the problem was and he wouldn't answer his phone. We had previously agreed to have phone-finder apps and he must have forgotten about his. Once I looked, his phone was at a cheesy motel out of town. I waited at home, confronted him, he lied and, well, we divorced. He took off and sends me support every month, but has basically shut the kids out of his life. And it's been so painful for them."

"What a prick. He doesn't know what he's missing. Oh, what I wouldn't give to have kids."

"And Rebecca."

"And Rebecca."

"So, now that we know a little about each other, what's next?" she asked.

With a wink, Matt whispered, "We could always have a repeat of the other day."

"You just think I'm an easy lay," she giggled. "But I'm not. If we are going to see each other anymore, I expect to be wooed, wined and dined and don't think I put out on the first date, either."

"You know, in an odd way, I kinda agree. I would like to get to know you a lot better, if our times the other day and here are any indication."

"Sounds reasonable. So....?"

"So, what?"

"Aren't you going to do the manly thing and invite me?"

"Sure. Ah, Sarah, would you like to get together again sometime?"

"Yes, that'd be nice. Just give me a call."

-----

Sarah was on a little high all the way home. Matt broke down in tears, pulled through and talked like a normal human being towards the end. And what a shitty hand he had been dealt. No wonder he was the way he was when she tried to congratulate him on handing out candy. But once the ice had been broken (and what a way to break the ice, huh?), he seemed almost normal.

They arranged for a dinner date the following week. Sarah found a pleasant young high school student to babysit and promised she wouldn't be out too late. That afternoon, she showered, tidied up downstairs, did up her hair and even dabbed a tiny bit of perfume on her neck and between her breasts.

'I'm sure he won't be going there, but it never hurts to be prepared.'

When her kids saw her all dressed up, Lucas and Mia were both curious. "Mommy, you look so nice," said Mia.

"Yeah, Mommy, where are you goin'?"

"Bonnie is coming over for a few hours while I go out to eat."

"Why can't we go eat, too?"

"This is a special dinner with a, uh, a friend of mine. Bonnie is bringing pizza for you."

"Yay! Pizza!"

"Now, I want you to be extra nice to her. Maybe you can play some or even watch a Disney movie, but only one! Then you will have to go to bed. If I'm not home by then, I will see you in the morning, OK?"

Bonnie brought the pizza and while the kids were wolfing it down, Sarah gave her the rundown and instructions. When the doorbell rang, Sarah kissed the two kids goodbye while avoiding their greasy hands, and slipped out the front door.

-----

Matt thought he had died and gone to heaven. Sarah was stunning in a dress that teased with a low bodice and a now-you-see-it, now-you-don't slit up one thigh. When he escorted her to his freshly washed car, he practically choked when the slit opened and exposed her thigh nearly to the top.

'I have seen that thigh. I have been between those two thighs. Why is it so sexy now?' he mused as he went around to his side of the car.

"Ready for a nice dinner?"

"It had better be nice. I turned down a cheese pizza for this," she laughed.

"Oooo-ah. That's going to be hard to beat, but hopefully Giorgio's is up to the task."

"Giorgio's? Matt, that is, well, way too fancy and expensive."

"I've never been there, but I think you are worth it. Let's just have a good time and don't think about the cost, OK?"

"You don't have to convince me."

At the restaurant, the valet took the keys and they were escorted to a secluded table lit by a single candle. Tiffany, their server, was delightful. She explained the menu, catered to their needs without intruding and gave them plenty of time to finish each course. Their conversation was light and friendly, they joked and teased, and by the end of the evening, Matt realized Sarah was a phenomenal human being.

After dinner, he drove her home and at the door, he gave her a quick, chaste kiss. Yes, the evening had been a success and as he drove home, he found himself looking forward to their next outing. Once he walked through the front door of his house, however, he looked at his favorite picture of Rebecca and he immediately felt a stab of guilt; guilt at being with another woman, guilt for enjoying his time with the other woman and guilt about forgetting her for nearly two hours while he was with Sarah.

-----

Sarah was on cloud nine after the dinner. Once she paid the babysitter, she rested on the sofa, the same one she and Matt had screwed on recently, and thought about Matt. He was unbelievably handsome and, more importantly, very, very polite, funny and charming. Yes, he was the kind of guy she could get very interested in. She had known they were sexually compatible, at least with their 'hate fucking,' as she called it. But now other pieces of him and his personality were falling into place. And that place was deep in her chest, deep in her heart.

Her ex had never given her the same feelings as Matt did. Sure, her ex had been charming, but in retrospect, there was something a little off about him and that something became more and more apparent as their marriage went on. When he began to verbally put her down and even eventually verbally abuse her, she realized she had made a huge mistake. That mistake had given her the two best gifts a woman could ask for and if she had to live the rest of her life without a man, she would be forever grateful for their existence. But she was infinitely glad to be rid of the jerk.

But wouldn't a good man make things even better, she asked herself. Mia and Lucas would thrive with a decent man in their lives, she was sure of it. As she got ready for bed, she had a nice, warm feeling in her chest for the first time in ages.

For the next two days, she found it hard to concentrate. Eventually, her work buddy Kristie called her on it.

"Hey, Sarah, you don't seem to be yourself lately. You OK?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"You didn't pick up on that line item in the Peterson contract and that's something you usually do."

"Uh, well, I guess I'm not perfect," she responded with a nervous laugh.

"None of us are, but that was something you'd usually pick up on."

"Well, I guess I missed it."

"Is there anything going on in your life, you know, that we can help you with?"

"No, not really."

"What does that mean?"

"Well, you can't help me with it, but there is something, I guess."

"Out with it."

"I've met someone and..."

"Trish! You owe me five bucks," shouted Kristie to someone in the office out of view on the Zoom screen before turning her attention back to Sarah. "I thought it might be the case but Trish didn't, so we made a bet. I'm glad I'm right for me, but more importantly, for you."

"It's nothing big yet, but I kinda like him and, well, it's too early to get excited."

"But you are!"

"Yeah, I kinda am."

The next day, Matt called her and they made arrangements for another quick date with her kids being watched again by Bonnie. They had a quick bite to eat at an upscale deli and saw a movie at the MoviePlex. It was boring, but she was thrilled when Matt held her hand and gently, almost absentmindedly, stroked the back of her hand with his thumb. The evening ended with a warm kiss in his car, something which both pleased her and frustrated her.

Two days later, he texted.

had a good time

me 2

up 4 another

Y

where

call me

Within thirty seconds, her phone rang.

"Hello."

"Hey, you wanted to talk."

"Uh, yeah. What were you thinking of?"

"I dunno, that's why I asked you."

"Ah, well, this is kinda embarrassing. I, uh, I wondered if you believe in the third date rule."

"Third date rule?"

"Yeah, the holdover from last century that you had to wait until the third date to get intimate."

There was a pause before he responded, "Ah, are you trying to tell me something?"

"Matt, I like you. I like you a lot. We've had a somewhat unusual beginning to our relationship, but since then, we've gotten along pretty good, don't you think? And I, uh, I'd like to do more than a kiss at the end of the date."

"What about your kids?"

"Maybe I could ask my good friend Amber to have them over for the night. I know I've had her son over when she wanted some quality time with her husband."

"OK. Why don't you work on that and once you know when, let me know. I'll figure something out."

"Nothing to figure. I'll have you over for dinner and dessert."

"OK, so I'm gonna show up and we'll see where things end up."

"You OK with that?"

"Yeah, of course."

"You men are all alike. Promise them sex and they become putty in your hands," she giggled before hanging up the phone.

-----

Matt couldn't believe Sarah was so forward with her request, no, with her demand for the evening. Yes, they were going to have sex, that much was obvious. Though they had screwed those two times, this promised to be, at least he hoped it would be, more like making love, a coming together, whatever you wanted to call it. Just not screwing and not fucking.

On the appointed evening, he dressed casually with a light sport coat, no tie and decent slacks. Tucked in his pocket was a spare toothbrush and because they had sex previously without protection, he decided against buying any condoms.

She was 'sex on wheels' when she opened the door to him. Her slinky dress draped across her alluring curves and her breasts swelled over her plunging bodice. Her makeup accentuated her gorgeous eyes and prominent cheekbones and her hair was tied up, exposing her thin, sexy neck.

"Come in."

"Thank you. You look very nice this evening."

"Thank you. You have no idea how much work a woman puts in to look nice and attractive."

"You would look attractive in a gunny sack."

"That makes me feel good, but I'm still going to get all dolled up now and then. Come on in. The wine is airing and dinner will be in ten minutes."

The wine was slightly tart but tasty and the meal was delicious. When he helped her clear the table, he sidled up next to her at the sink. "Uh, you mentioned dessert?"

"In a few minutes," she smiled.

Once the table was cleared and the dishes placed in the dishwasher, she turned to him. "You were asking about dessert?"

"Well, yeah."

"I have two desserts for us tonight. There is a wonderful cake sliced open with wedges of coffee ice cream and a glass of sherry."

"Sounds nice. What's the other dessert?"

"You are looking at it." She took three steps to him, wrapped him in her arms and tipped her head up for a kiss. The one kiss didn't seem to satisfy her, so they repeated it several times until she broke away, smiled and began to tease his shirt open. Once she had access to his chest, she gently rubbed his nipples before sliding her hand down to his belt.

"Would you like to come back to the bedroom?"

"Yeah, I'd like that, I'd like that a lot."

As she led him by the hand down the hallway to the master bedroom, Matt figured he was in for a wonderful treat. Unlike before, this was an evening of gentle exploration, light touches, warm kisses and sweet licks. After they removed the last of their clothes, she leaned over him and gave him the blowjob of a lifetime. She rubbed, she kissed, she licked, she sucked. And while she didn't do any deep throat action, the combination of everything she performed was more than enough to get Matt well on the road to a mind-blowing orgasm.

But then she stopped, looked up at him with a teasing smile and asked if she was doing everything right. Once he reassured her, she started up, but again stopped as he was nearing the edge. Over and over, she teased until he was in agony, begging for release. And once she took pity on him and allowed him to come, he thought he might pass out. Only after he slowly recovered did he promise her paybacks were hell.

Matt loved giving oral sex to a woman. He loved the taste, the smell and the sounds of her arousal. Most of all, he loved giving a woman the freedom to lose herself in her own pleasure. After marching up her thighs with warm, promising kisses, he gently spread her lips and let his tongue slide between them and up to her firm clit. When he slid his tongue over it, he heard the satisfied gasp of a woman on the way to her own little world of pleasure.

While he didn't tease her as much as she had teased him, he did bring her close twice before allowing her to climax, a climax which nearly threw him clear of her. As she came down, he kept his tongue firmly but still gently on her clit, looking for a sign to continue or not. When she let her legs splay open and released her grip on his head, he knew to back off.

She pulled him up to her and nearly devoured him with kisses. "I want to know what school you learned that at, 'cause I'm going to donate them serious money."

"I just listen and follow what your body tells me to do, that's all."

"Well, it was world-class. Phew. I may not be able to walk for a week."

"Then I will get to have my way with you," he chuckled.

After they lay there for several more minutes, she gently rubbed his chest, paying more attention to his nipples. It created a close and warm feeling and he responded by running his fingers through her hair, pulling the elegant clip free and letting her hair tumble down.

"This feels nice," she murmured.

"Um-hmm."

"Not like before."

"Uh-uh."

After a slight pause, she chuckled. "Are you a one-and-done kind of guy?"

"I think if you ran your hand a little lower, you'd get your answer."

"Oooh, you're not. Goodie. Mmm, I think I'd like to be on top. OK?"

"Sure. Your house, your rules."

"Does that mean if we do this at your house, you have your rules?"

"Maybe. You'll have to come over and see."

"If I'm invited..."

"I think we can safely say you are invited. Now, you wanted to get on top?"

Matt was surprised the woman who had engaged with him in two rounds of wild screwing and had gone down on him earlier that evening seemed to be almost bashful. She hemmed and hawed a little and even giggled some before she rose above him and let herself slide down on him. God, it felt good. She was tight and wet, and she was in charge. He let her set the pace and kept busy by rubbing her back and butt and even playing with her nipples. As she tensed up, her motions became tighter and more focused on rubbing herself on him; faster and faster, harder and harder.

When Matt looked up at her, he was struck by her feminine power. She was in charge, she was taking care of business and she seemed to be in a world of her own. He saw a mottling across her chest, her swaying breasts and her scrunched-up face as she concentrated on her pleasure. It was a wonderful sight, one that dissolved in front of him as she screeched out while driving herself onto him even harder than before.

Once she stopped her gyrations, she collapsed onto him, dropping tiny thank-you kisses up and down his neck. Matt had not come, but he was satisfied; satisfied she had climaxed and satisfied at their closeness.

Eventually, she stirred and whispered, "Did you, uh, you know?"

"Uh-uh."

"That's not fair."

"Look, Hon, I'm perfectly happy that you're perfectly happy."

"Well,' she giggled, "I won't be happy until you're happy, so you're in charge."

"Twist my arm," he chuckled, "Uh, more of the same but with more in and out, maybe."

"Coming right up... get it? Coming right up."

"Bad joke for which you will be punished."

"Promises, promises. Oh, don't look so shocked! Sometimes a little role play is fun. Anyway, you requested the old in and out, so buckle your seatbelt."

Matt was amazed at how quickly she began thrusting and he could have sworn she was purposely squeezing him with her pelvic muscles, a squeezing that created a most rapid response on his part. And try as he might, he lost it quickly once she took control.

After a few minutes of tender kissing and light rubbing, she hopped out of bed, went to the kitchen and brought back their dessert and two spoons. "Here's dessert number two." After they finished, they each went to the bathroom, ignored their teeth brushing and snuggled together under the duvet cover and soon were asleep.

-----

Sarah woke up with the strangest of sensations: a warmth over her back and a hand draped lazily over her boob. It took her a second or two to recall what had happened the night before and to figure out what the odd sensations were. Matt was curled up behind her with his rhythmic, soft breathing tickling her neck. She felt so warm and so comforted, feelings she had not had since well before her marriage dissolved.

She smiled to herself, pulled his hand tightly to her breast and lightly dozed while memories of the night before and new, erotic dreams mixed together in her minimally conscious mind. At one point in her dreamlike state, she was feeling a man approach her from the rear and start doggy-style sex, but... but it was almost real! As she roused, she realized she was feeling a man from behind. Matt's cock had become erect and was throbbing between her cheeks, but it was clear he was still asleep. His breathing accelerated a little before becoming slightly irregular. She chuckled softly to herself. She had been awakened by his morning wood, yet he remained asleep.

'Shouldn't let a good hard-on go to waste,' she mused before she thrust her pelvis back towards him and squeezed his hand on her breast. After a couple of rhythmic thrusts which only increased her desire, she became aware of him awakening suddenly.

"Uh, oh, morning. Uh, sorry about that."

"Sorry about what? Feels good."

"The, uh, grabbing you and, you know, my hard-on between your cheeks."

"But I kinda like it," she said as she wiggled her ass into his erection. "In fact, I like it a lot. Here, this feel any better?" She scooted up in the bed slightly and bent more at the waist, allowing his erect cock better access to her.

"Mmm, feels good, actually."

"Can you slip it into me?"

"I'll try. Uh, pull your top leg forward a little more. Yeah. Now, uh, there. God, you're dripping."

"Yeah, been half awake and half dreaming for a while now. Made me horny. Go ahead, push a little."

She felt him inch into her and as the head slipped past the opening, an opening made tight by her leg position, she felt a jolt of pleasure race through her pelvis. And that was before his cock slid across her G-spot.

"Oh, my God," she gasped.

"What? You OK?"

"OK? No, I'm not OK. I'm feeling fabulous. Keep doing it, please."

Matt obliged by thrusting in and out slowly, an action which tickled her G-spot every time. Sarah knew there isn't actually a G-spot, but the area in the front of her canal was surrounded by the deepest portions of her clitoris. And what he was doing was stimulating her clitoris in the most wonderful way. But that was too much anatomy to think about, so she merely let her mind concentrate on the wonderful sensation arising from... from her G-spot.

Though she sometimes had to stimulate herself with it, Sarah liked standard doggy style sex, but she had never taken a man from behind while lying on her side. This, this was way, way better and his hand playing with her nipple only added to the pleasure. She found herself racing towards an orgasm far faster than usual as she met his thrusts with little counterthrusts of her own.

When she came, waves of pleasure raced from her pelvis to her brain and back, odd colors pulsated behind her closed eyes and she heard odd cries bounce around the room, cries to Jesus and cries of 'Don't stop.'

As she came down from her high, she became aware of his thrusts softening and fading as well. His heavy breathing on her neck subsided and he even tried to slip his hand from her breast, but she held it firm to her.

"Nope, that hand is mine. I'm keeping it," she giggled.

"A new toy, huh?"

"Yup. Now if I could only manufacture it, I'd make millions."

After a few warm kisses on her neck and shoulder, Matt whispered, "Probably the most erotic waking up a man could ask for."

"You didn't ask. I demanded."

"I know, but you know what I mean."

"Yeah. Uh, coffee?"

"Sure."

"You know where the bathroom is. I'll bring it back in ten minutes."

Sarah purposefully did not get dressed. She felt wonderful, she felt beautiful, she felt one-hundred-percent feminine and wanted him to see her.

She was pleased to see him stare at her when she returned carrying a small tray with two coffees, sugar and cream.

"Cat got your tongue?"

"My God, Sarah, you are, you're beautiful, just beautiful."

"Oh, you're simply glad I'm bringing coffee."

"I won't deny that I'm happy about it, but you have no idea how wonderful you look."

"Now you're embarrassing me."

"But it's true. Honest."

"How about the coffee? Want some?"

"Yes, please."

They lay there propped up on their pillows while sipping the mud, but not talking much. However, Sarah's mind was racing a hundred miles an hour. She was with a super sexy guy, he seemed smitten by her and, and he was good in the sack. The new position, at least for her, was wonderful, and he followed her instructions with no hesitation or complaint. Yeah, he had certainly earned some brownie points with her that morning as well as the night before.

-----

Matt couldn't believe how wonderful the evening with her had been. And the morning romp was fun, too. What had started with them practically 'hate fucking' had evolved into a wonderful and tender time together both the night before and again in the morning.

A thought drifted through his mind: maybe this could be something big, something long-term. Only time would tell. The only negative he could see in the entire thing was that she was not Rebecca, which still caused him some residual sadness.

"You OK?"

"Uh, yeah, I guess."

"You looked kinda sad there for a second."

"Uh, don't get me wrong. This has been wonderful, really, it has."

"And?"

"I, uh, I still miss her and I know it's not fair to you to be talking about her at a time like this."

"Matt, Honey, you will never forget her. You will always have a little bit of sadness when you think about her and that's OK, I understand. I hope with time it will get easier for you, no, I'm sure it will."

"Thank you for understanding. Changing subjects: when are you kicking me out of here?"

"I promised Amber I'd pick the kiddos up around noon. That means we still have a few hours," she giggled.

"Wow, you've become a little tiger, know it?"

"Hey, you showed me a really good time and I don't want it to end."

"I know, but a guy can only do so much, you know."

"What? Your tongue worn out also?" she laughed.

"No, but honestly, I think I'd best be heading out. If you drag me into bed or keep me in bed, that is, we might lose track of time and, well..."

"Yeah, you're right. Don't want to ruin any goodwill with Amber."

"You know, we can have some afternoon delights over at my place when your kids are in preschool."

"Trust me, I've already thought about that. Here, give me one of those super sexy kisses one more time."

On his way home, Matt felt slightly guilty. True, he was a little concerned about overstaying his time, but the real reason was the gnawing pain and even guilt he had felt that morning. Pain at losing Rebecca and guilt about being with another woman. 'I've got to get over this,' he scolded himself.

After that fateful night, the two got together at least once a week for what she teasingly called 'nooners,' though they frequently happened a little earlier in the day. They experimented with different positions, teased each other by edging until the victim would plead for relief and even did some mild role-playing, something he had never tried previously.

It was during one of these sessions that she broached the subject of meeting her kids. "Honey, I think it would be good if you met Luke and Mia. They're good kids and if we are going to get closer, well, you know."

"Sure. Think they'll remember me from Halloween?"

"Probably not. I'll tell them you are my friend and I invited you for a picnic. That way they can meet you outside and play on the equipment and we'll keep things low-key."

"Yeah, having a formal 'How do you do?' at your place might be too much."

"Let's plan on Saturday at City Park. I'll text you the deets."

"Sounds good."

"You know what sounds even better?"

"No. What?"

"Your tongue on my pearl. Now get busy, Mister," she laughed as she pulled him to her.

-----

Sarah was nervous about the picnic. Ever since her husband had left, the kids had no father figure around them, even at school. Her parents lived far away and had visited only a few times, not enough to bond with the little ones. And now she was going to introduce them to a new man.

On Friday evening, she told them about the picnic for the next day. They were excited and demanded time on the swings and the kiddie merry-go-round.

"Sure, we can do all of that."

"Goodie!" "Yippie!"

"We're gonna meet someone there, a friend of mine."

"Who, Mommy?"

"A man. His name is Matt."

"Is he nice?"

"Yes, he's very nice."

"Will he push me on the swing?" asked Luke.

"I'm sure he will if you ask nice."

"Does he like dolls?" asked Mia.

"I don't know, but you can ask him when he gets there. Maybe bring one doll."

After a few more innocent questions, their interest about him faded and they eventually headed off to bed.

Saturday dawned bright and sunny. After a generous breakfast of waffles and bacon, she got them ready for the park. With sun cream, food, low-sugar sodas and some snacks, she got them buckled in the car and drove to City Park. They arrived as planned about thirty minutes before Matt was to arrive. "I don't want to make a big deal out of this," she had told him as she explained her rationale.

Luke was running in circles and jumping on and off the merry-go-round while Mia was trying to swing by herself when Matt casually walked up.

"Oh, Hi, Matt. Kids, this is the man I told you about. Matt, this is Luke..."

"Hi, Luke. High five?"

After an enthusiastic high-five from the boy, she turned and went on, "And this is Mia."

"Hey, Mia. High five, low five or fist bump?"

"All three!"

"OK, then. High, low and bump, in that order, OK?"

And just like that, the kids seemed to accept him into their little world. He pushed Luke on the swing -- "Higher, Mr. Matt, higher," and pushed them both on the merry-go-round. When they asked to go on the teeter-totter with him, he told them he was too big. They initially said he didn't want to play, but once he positioned himself opposite from them, they rose up higher and higher and couldn't come down.

"See, I weigh more than both of you so we can't go up and down."

"Get Mommy to join us. Maybe that will do it."

Once they were convinced even adding Sarah to their end would not work, they gave up and went back to their own activities. Once lunch was served and the paper plates were tossed, Luke fell asleep curled up next to Matt and even Mia snoozed with her head on Sarah's lap.

After the kids woke up, all four took a walk across the park to a small petting zoo. With cries of glee, the two kids ran around petting the pygmy goats and a large, tame peacock. Matt excused himself shortly afterwards, almost too quickly, thought Sarah as she bundled the kids into the car.

That evening she texted Matt telling him the kids seemed to like playing with him and she was looking forward to their own Wednesday 'playdate.'

As the months passed, the kids seemed to accept Matt into their lives, though the two adults were careful not to show any physical signs of affection in front of the two little ones. As a group, they frequently went on short trips and did outdoor activities, though there were times when he would visit for dinner and they would drag him off, demanding he read them stories from their favorite books. It pleased Sarah immensely that they seemed so comfortable with him and she was beginning to think Matt might pop the question soon.

She had fallen in love with him and was over-the-moon when he first told her he was 'falling for her' and when he said 'I love you' for the first time a month later, she about fainted with happiness.

It was on an October morning after one of their overnight romps when Matt asked a question about an issue which had never come up.

"Hey, Honey, uh, you know I always wanted children. If we were to, uh, you know, get married..."

"I'll say yes, I promise!"

"Yeah, I know you will and I want to, also. Anyway, would you be willing to maybe stop your birth control and have another one or two, you know, with me?"

It suddenly dawned on Sarah that she had never discussed her medical situation with him. With their first wild screwing months before, she had told him she was safe and he seemed to have assumed she was on some form of birth control. The truth was far more complex and far more devastating.

"Uh, Matt, I, uh, I'm not on the pill."

"You're not? IUD?"

"No, no IUD either. You see, I can't have any more children."

"Why?"

"Didn't I tell you? I thought I did, but I guess I didn't. You see, things got pretty scary with Luke. I started bleeding heavily and nearly bled to death. They stopped the bleeding after some transfusions and they cauterized the inside of my uterus, but I intermittently bled some more. They ultimately recommended I have my uterus out."

"I haven't seen any scars."

"They took it out from below. Left the ovaries."

"So, no more children?"

"Not unless I, unless we adopt."

She watched as he seemed to deflate, to shrivel in front of her. He went from a man to a shadow of a man in the matter of a few seconds. "Oh, Matt, Honey, I'm so sorry I didn't tell you. I must not have even thought about it. It's such a fundamental part of who I am that I didn't, Oh God, I've been such an ass. I should have told you. I should have told you, knowing how important having kids was to you and Rebecca."

"But you didn't."

"No, and for that I'm deeply sorry. I fucked up, royally fucked up. Can you forgive me?"

"This, uh, this changes a lot, you know. I, uh, I think I'd best be going. I need to think things over."

"You've every right to hate me, but I didn't do it on purpose. Honest. I didn't even think about it. My world is so full of kids and since I know I can't have any more, well, it never crossed my mind. Please don't..."

"Don't be upset? Sarah, you've told me something that alters the way I look at you and me and us together. I just... I'm sorry, but I don't know what to think right now. I, uh, I'll give you a call, OK?"

"Of course, OK. And Matt, please understand I know I screwed up and I'm terribly, terribly sorry."

"Yeah. OK, I'll talk to you later."

"Are we still on with the kids Friday? They are getting excited."

"Yeah, that doesn't make it any easier for me, Halloween, that is."

"I know. I was hoping their enthusiasm would help you a little."

"Let me think about it. Please let me think about this and don't call, OK? Bye, Sarah."

She launched herself weeping into his arms, arms that did not hug and squeeze like she was used to, until he gently pried them from her and slipped out the door.

After they came home from Amber's house, the kids seemed to sense something was wrong, but they didn't ask questions and she didn't offer any explanation.

After not hearing from him for several days, she texted Matt.

hi

She was encouraged when he responded. hi

visit on friday still on?

sure

six?

sure

see u then love u

There was a very long pause before she could see the dots indicating he was responding, but then the dots disappeared. After a few minutes of waiting and right as she went to turn her phone off and tears started welling up in her eyes, the dots reappeared. I u 2

-----

Matt was devastated by the news. He kept kicking himself for not asking questions of Sarah sooner. They started their sexual life together in a most unusual manner and once he had been assured she was safe, he never thought about fertility again. But as he fell in love with her, that old desire to have children with a woman he loved reared its head again. And he wanted children with Sarah. Sure, he knew she had two already, but one more, maybe two, would surely be reasonable. She was a great and loving mom and even though he adored her kids, something in his soul wanted more.

She never brought up the surgery in part, he figured, because it might remind her of her awful relationship with her ex. But he had assumed she was on the pill and that was on him. 'Never assume,' he chastised himself bitterly, 'Makes an ass of u and me.'

When she texted him about their prior plans for an evening together with the kids, he knew he should go. In spite of everything, he was in love with Sarah and adored her kids. When she texted that she loved him, he started to respond but ended up staring at his phone, mind racing and thinking about all of the issues facing him, facing them. Before he knew it, a few minutes had passed. But dammit, he still loved her, so his fingers hit the keys.

They had planned an evening of watching a Disney movie while eating popcorn and drinking some low-cal sodas. When Sarah opened her door, the sight of her was too much. He reached for her and had his arms around her in an instant. She returned the hug warmly until she heard Mia's voice behind her.

"Mommy, are you hugging Mr. Matt?"

"Uh, yes, Sweetheart, I am."

"Does that mean you like him?"

"Yes, it does. Don't you like him?"

"I do."

"Good. Well, who's up for a movie?"

After a few minutes, the movie began and the two kids shushed the adults before turning back to the screen. It was a classic movie, one with a few subtle sexy double entendres which only an adult would pick up on. And with every one, she would give his hand a little squeeze.

After the movie was over, she shooed them off to get ready for bed. When they came back in, Mia asked him, "Mr. Matt, are you going to do anything for Halloween?"

The question hit him hard. Very hard. It was a reminder of the sorrow and pain he relived every Halloween, the pain of losing Rebecca, of losing the chance for children with her, and now the added realization he would never have children with Sarah either. With his mind spinning, he looked at Mia and said, "I'm not sure."

"You could be a dragon!" shouted Luke.

"Or a monster," added Mia.

"Kids, Matt might have other things to do, so let's not be telling him what to do. OK?"

"Hey, guys, I think I'm going to leave in a few minutes. I'll think about it. Now, do your bedtime thing with your mom."

As Sarah led the kids off to bed, Matt did the stupidest thing imaginable, at least that's what he realized after it was too late. He left without saying anything to her.

-----

Sarah was stunned to see Matt had left suddenly, but she quickly figured out why. It was the whole Halloween thing and what it reminded him of. And, of course, there was her part in things by not having told him about her situation early on. And now she was in love with him and he had said he loved her, but this one-two punch might have been too much. She decided to take a hands-off approach for the next few days and let him make the next step.

The next three days were awful. The next three nights were the worst imaginable. He never contacted her, texted or called. It was like he had fallen off the face of the earth. But she knew he had his demons to work out and knew it best to let him call the shots. That didn't keep her from crying herself to sleep every night, however.

On Halloween morning, she had had enough. She needed to know if he was going to be involved with their Halloween festivities or not and to plan accordingly. She pulled out her trusty ol' phone and pulled up the texting app.

hi we are T or Ting 2nite want to come

Can't. Have to hand out candy

?

grief counselor instructions

can we come by

Y please

She was elated. At least he was willing to see them, to see her, even on this worst of days for him. She decided to dress up but refused to be a witch. 'Something or someone nice,' she told herself, 'But what can I do on such short notice?'

With her mind racing, she went to her closet and dug through some old clothes. After a few minutes, she came up with an idea. 'That should work.'

Later in the afternoon, she got the kids dressed up. Mia was going to be a ballerina wearing a swimsuit and a tutu made of fluffy crepe paper. Luke, wearing rubber galoshes, jeans and a checkered shirt, called himself a cowboy. She told them to wait a few minutes until she got her costume on.

When she came downstairs wearing the world's slinkiest black evening gown, her kids stared at her until Mia broke the silence.

"Mommy, what are you?"

"I am a rich lady going out on the town with my two wonderful children. Like it?"

"Mommy," said Luke, "You look so pretty."

"Thank you. Now, we can't go running around the neighborhood because I have these high heels on. Let's get started now and take our time."

They went from house to house and the kids behaved wonderfully. She was so proud of them. They always thanked the person handing out the candy, usually a woman, she noted while thinking with a chuckle back a year ago to her comment that ultimately brought Matt and her together. 'Too bad he's not with us,' she thought sadly.

His house was in the middle of the last street they were going to trick-or-treat on. As they approached, she almost stopped to lead them home. But something, something told her to push on. 'Maybe he'll see me in this gown and, who knows?'

With trepidation, she walked with Luke and Mia to the door. The porch had a ghost that moaned as they walked up the stairs, probably triggered by a pressure pad or a hidden motion sensor. Right as Mia went to ring the doorbell, a huge spider as big as she was dropped from the ceiling, causing her and Luke to scream in fright.

"It's OK, kids, it's just a fake spider. Go ahead, ring the bell."

As the door opened, they shouted 'Trick or Treat' in unison to the man standing there. It was Matt, that much was clear, but what amazed her was his outfit. He was wearing a full black tuxedo with an orange cummerbund, a top hat, a black eye-mask and shiny shoes.

"Yes? Can I help you?"

"Trick or treat!" they sang out again.

"That means if I don't give you treats, you will do evil and nasty things to me and my house. Is that right?"

The two little ones, looking confused, turned to their mother.

"Yes, kiddos, that's what it means. If he doesn't give you candy, what would you do?"

"Go home?"

"No. We would come back some night and, and do something fun like put a fake pile of doggie poo on his sidewalk, or something."

"Mommy, that would be so cool!"

"OK, Mister," she said, looking at Matt with his sly grin, "What will it be? Candy for my kids or doggie poo?"

"Candy. But I have something else, a different treat. Do come in."

"Mommy told us never to go in someone's house when we are trick-or-treating."

"You are right, Mia, but I think you might change your mind," he said as he slid off his mask and doffed the hat.

"Mr. Matt!" "It's you!" the two exclaimed, rushing to him and hugging his legs while he rubbed their heads and looked at Sarah.

"Come on in, all of you."

The kids' laughter faded as they watched their mother accept a long, warm hug from Matt. "You are stunning," he whispered in her ear.

"Ah, kids, Sarah, have a seat. I want to ask you a question."

"What, Mr. Matt?" "Yeah, what?"

"Well, you saw me give your mommy a hug. That means I like her. I like her a lot."

"Uh-huh."

"Well, I've been thinking, I would like to give her and you two hugs more often."

Sarah's heart began to race. 'Where is this going?' she asked herself.

"And if I lived with you, we could all get hugs every day."

"Yeah!" "Do it, Mr. Matt."

"Well, you know, I have to ask permission from this beautiful lady here." He cleared his throat before turning his full attention to Sarah and kneeling before her.

"Sarah, I love you and want you to be my wife. Would you please marry me and give me at the same time the two best kids ever put on this earth?"

"You wanna marry Mommy?"

"Yes, I do, but she has to agree first, Mia."

He turned back to Sarah with an expectant look on his face, only to see tears flowing freely down her face before her head started to nod slowly. "Yes," she sniffed, "I will marry you."

"Mommy, don't cry."

"Mommy cries sometimes when she's very happy and I'm very happy right now. And Matt has made me a very happy person."

"And you have made me a very happy man," he said as he scooted forward and took her in his arms.

While the kids played together and swapped candies in the living room, Matt and Sarah celebrated quietly with a glass of wine in the kitchen. A gnawing question in her mind finally needed answering.

"Hon, don't get me wrong because I am super happy to be marrying you, but, but I thought I had lost you, you know, with what I said, or didn't say. What changed?"

"Nothing changed, really. I've loved you and wanted to be with you for quite some while. I just needed to process things, to think 'em over. I even had a chat with Rebecca out at Memorial Gardens."

"How'd that go?"

"It was nice. I got to say things out loud to her, to get it off my chest that I was moving on. She told me it was about time."

"She did, huh?"

"Well, you know, it was my mind really telling me, but I'd like to think it was her."

"And the kid issue?"

"I realized I adore Mia and Luke and they are the best imaginable. If I can be a part of their lives, then I will be their dad. I don't have to have kids of my own to satisfy that desire.

"You know," he went on, "I was so fucked up for so long and due to the work of my therapist and the widows' group, I've come a long way. Then you, well, you pushed me over the finish line..."

"More like I dragged you, after I slapped you silly," she laughed.

"Yeah, you're right. Anyway, I figure I'll always miss Rebecca a little, but the rest of my life is before me and I want to tackle it with you and the two little ones because I love all three of you."

"I know I love you and I'm sure they're happy with you as well." A few warm kisses put an exclamation point to her comment.

They went back into the living room and talked and played with Mia and Luke for over an hour until the kids began showing signs of total fatigue.

"I need to get them home," she whispered.

"Stay here. They can crash in the guest room."

"And what about me?"

"I might have a place for you in the master bedroom."

"OK, but no hanky-panky. We can't have them coming in on us, you know."

"You know they'll sleep like the dead, but I promise no hanky-panky," he said with a sly grin as he held two crossed fingers in front of him.

"Hey, I see what you're doing and the answer is still 'No'," she laughed, "But if you play your cards right, maybe I can have a lollipop for my Halloween treat."

-----

Trionyx -- Halloween 2026

Comments and votes are appreciated.

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Another story of another single mother celebrating Halloween can be found at Princess Cindy