Telling it like it is

Missie wiped down the sink and rolled her eyes at the half-eaten box of message hearts that Mark extended towards her. She'd come to the conclusion that the man must buy out everything that is left in the stores on February fifteenth at the discount price, cause a week later he's still eating sweets that are red and pink.

"I take it you really like Valentine's day candy?" Missie asked, drying the barware in the racks and shelving them.

"What makes you think I didn't just have a lot of Valentine's?" He winked and play-punched at her harm.

Missie was getting the bar ready for the night crowd. She'd worked less while she'd been dating Mike, but lately she found herself picking up extra shifts just so she had an out. She knew that she didn't have a really good reason to feel this way, and she recognized that she always did this. She panicked when guys got serious. She tried to calm herself down and get over it. She'd taken Gina's advice to keep things interesting, and she'd even went as far as to meet his parents. She really liked Mike, he was a cool guy. They had fun, and the sex was good, when they had it.

He was just ready for something she wasn't. Mike was making it clear that he was crazy about her, and while Missie did like him, she just wasn't where he was.

"So tell me Mark, how do I let this guy down easy?" Missie asked.

Mark winced and sucked a breath in through his teeth. "You may be asking the wrong guy." She thought he was walking away but he just slid around the bar and sat on a stool across from where she was drying glasses. "I am not known for my great break-up etiquette."

Missie laughed. That was definitely true. Mark's reputation preceded him. "I know." Missie said, "I just don't want to make things awkward, but I wasn't looking for a relationship. I really wasn't. He's a lot more into me then I am into him too, and that is just a recipe for disaster."

Mark nodded and popped some more candy into his mouth. "I think," he mumbled around the sugar, "you're just going to have to be honest and tell it like it is." He swallowed and then pointed at her. "You're also going to have to get used to the idea that he's going to be offended, or hurt one, and except the fact that he isn't going to want to see you for a while."

Missie sighed. She had always prided herself on remaining friends with the guys she hooked up with, but Mark was right. This would be different because she'd let it become a relationship and Mike was going to feel rejected.

"Don't do it all at one though." Mark said. Missie frowned and tilted her head.

"I mean, create some distance first. Maybe blow him off once or twice before you tell him, that way he will either already be frustrated with you, or at least not feel like it came out of left field." he shrugged and got up from the stool. Missie laughed, that was true Mark advice.

"I need to check on the kitchen before the dinner crowd. You'll be fine though, Missie. You've never been a liar. Just lay it out there." He nodded towards her before walking away. Missie stood there still drying and shelving glasses and thought about what Mark said. maybe she was naive to think there was such a thing as an easy break-up. She let herself get comfortable with Mike, but the comfort felt suffocating. It shouldn't feel that way. Not to mention, he was talking about introducing her to his extended family and that simply wasn't something that Missie was ready for. Maybe she was being self-centered, but she just wasn't ready. She needed space.

Maybe she'd leave out the part about feeling suffocated. No need to deliver any extra blows if she didn't have to.

Valentine's Day

Gina adjusted the straps of her dress and pulled her heavy coat from the closet. It was chilly out tonight, and she'd need the extra warmth since there wasn't much to her dress. When she'd asked Josh what to wear he'd simply said, "something nice." Apparently guys didn't understand that girls wanted a little more direction than that.

She was a little surprised he'd pick a nive place for Valentine's Day. She sort of expected he'd want to stay home or just do something simple. She wasn't too high maintenace with that sort of thing and he knew it. She sort of expected him to take advantage of that fact.

She heard him knocking at the door and took one last glance in the mirror. She was satisfied. She'd worn a sexy lingerie set beneath the dress for later, and thinking about it made her shiver. She headed towards the door. She hadn't seen him all weekend and she was missing him. She grabbed her clutch from the arm of the sofa and got the door. Josh was waiting with a few roses wrapped in paper and wearing black slacks, a burgandy dress shirt and a jacket. He looked sharp.

"Well hello," Gina purred, taking the roses as he held them out. Josh stepped inside and lowered to kiss her. Gina let herself ink into the kiss. her heart was beating in her throat. She loved this man so much. He held her close even after he pulled his mouth away.

"You look beautiful." He said. Gina smiled and laughed.

"You look pretty good yourself!" She took the roses into the kitchen and found the only vase she owned beneath the sink. It was a little big but it would work. She filled it with water and then plaecd the flowers in it before turning back to Josh. He was standing with his hands in his pockets looking like someone from a movie. She found herself wishing they didn't have dinner plans. She walked over and placed her hands against his chest and lifted her face for another kiss. Josh quickly obliged, cradling her face with his hands.

Gina let herself lean into him, pressing her hips against him. Josh graned and they both laughed. "Let's go," Josh said, "or I'll skip straight to dessert and mess up your pretty hair." Gina laughed and let him lead her out of the apartment where she locked up and followed him to his car.

They'd driven all the way through town when gina realized they were heading back towards his apartment. She cut her eyes towards him but didn't say anything. Perhaps the place was just a little farther out.

Josh was smiling when he turned into the complex. Gina laughed and shook her head.

"I got dressed up to hang out at your house?" she teased as he parked the car nearby his unit. Josh reached over and stroked her cheek.

"What can I say, I just enjoy seeing you all dressed up." He leaned in to kiss her and she reached unbukle her setabelt. He pulled her closer and she wrapped her arms aroun him. She actually felt a little relived that they were going to be here tonight, she loved spending time with him alone.

Josh let her go and jumped out of the car, rushing around to get her door. The two of them went up the stairs and he opened the door, ushering her in ahead of him.

Right away Gina smelled the garlic and tomato sauce. There candles across the island and the table was set with a bouquet of roses as the centerpiece. The apartment was neat and tidy, more so that it usually is. She smiled.

"Josh," She whispered, "It's so nice!" She threw her arms around his neck. He swept her up and kissed her. Gina let herself sink into him. She felt herself getting soft where he was hard, and his hands were tangled in her hair. The pins were loosening and she didn't care. She brought her nails down to scrape at his neck, pulling him closer.

"Josh," She whispered. He groaned and swept her up into his arms. It was only slightly awkward, but she kept kissing him and clung to him as he carried her to the bedroom and dropped her onto the bed. Gina reached for his jacket, pulling it away while he managed his tie. Instead of unbuttoning his shirt, Gina pulled on the hem and pulled it over his head.

Josh found the zipper on the back of her dress and slid the whole thing away and dropped it on the floor. Gina had unbuckled and unzipped his pants, he stood long enough to shuck them along with his socks before crawling over her. She wore red demi bra with a blace lace running along the edge of the cups. Her matching hipster panties rode low on her hips, just showing the small tattoo on her lower hip. Her initial, 'G' in a cursive script with a purple flower woven through it.

Josh traced it with his thumb and dipped his head to kiss her there. He began to slowly kiss his way up her torso to seek out her lips. Gina kissed him back fiercely, pulling him hard against her. Her knees bent naturally and she hooked her legs around his, squirming to align her hips to his.

Josh pulled away and brushed the hair away from her face, "I love you." He was hanging above her, looking down at her with more love than Gina has ever experienced in a relationship. She felt the tears welling in her throat, but she didn't want him thinking she was crazy.

"I love you too," she said, then pulled him back down against her. They managed to shed the last layer between them and Gina found the little box on his bedside table filled with the square foil packets. Josh slid his hand between them and brushed his fingers against her mound. She flinched and sighed. So senstive, she just wanted him inside of her.

She put the packet in his hand and reached to touch herself while he sheathed his erection. She spread her moisture upward, circling her clit. Josh braced over her and  she reached for him to guide her to her entrance. She was so wet, he slid inside her with no resistance, filling her and eliciting a long moan. He felt so good inside of her.

He began to thrust into her. She arapped her legs around his waist and dug her fingers into his shoulders. He drove into her again and again pushing her closer and closer to the breaking point. She was on the edge of orgasm she Josh shifted his hips, changing the angle of his thrusts and pounding into her faster.

"Oh god, Josh." Gina cried out, he drove into her again and again until she felt her body tense. She screamed out with her release when Josh groaned and stilled inside of her. She was panting for breath when he rolled away to dispose of the used condom. He came back to lay beside her and she curled into his side.

They both sighed and laughed while they caught their breath. After a few minutes josh turned her face towards him and kissed her hard.

"So I made lasagna for dinner." Josh said. They both laughed and Gina decided there was definitely time for round two before they ate.

Meeting the Parents

After their talk Missie put to practice some of the things that she and Gina had talked about and sure enough, she had her excitement back. over the past couple of weeks she and Mike had spent a weekend in the mountains with a jacuzzi tub and she had never had such amazing sex. Then they'd gone hiking one weekend, managing to find a place off the trail for a little oral delight. Last weekend they'd spent the day with Gina and Josh riding to a little farmer's market, and keeping their hands off of each other made the sex more urgent when they got home.

All in all, the excitement was back and Missie was glad. She really liked Mike. That fact was evident because she'd actually agreed to meet his family tonight. His Mom and Dad had been in town overnight on their way to visit his grandparents in Georgia. They'd invited her to dinner and much to her surprise she'd agreed. So now she was tossing her closet trying to decide what was appropriate to wear for such a meeting. She heard the front door. She was expecting Gina to stop by on her way home.

"I'm back here!" she called out from the depths of the closet. Gina walked into the room and dropped her purse on the bed before collapsing.

"It feels like there should be wine involved." She said. Missie stuck her head around the closet door to see her friend sprawled across the comforter.

"There should be, get on that." She tossed a flat at Gina's thigh and the red-head jumped up.

"Ow," she laughed and tossed the shoe back. "Point taken, I got it." As Gina went into the kitchen to fetch the alcohol Missie pulled out two dresses with conservative necklines and a pair of black slacks and three sweaters. She laid them all out on the bed and grabbed a few necklaces.

Gina walked back in the door extending a glass of red. Missie took it and waved a hand across the bed. "What do you think?" She asked. She sipped her wine while Gina looked over the options. She immediately tossed one of the dresses and one of the sweaters to the side dismissing them. Missie didn't bother to ask why. She didn't want to know. She couldn't manage thinking any harder about something like this.

"How were you wearing your hair?" Gina asked. Missie looked in the mirror. She'd curled it that morning but most of it had fallen out. Whether she re-curled or straightened it would take the same amount of time, unless she decided to wear it up somehow.

"That's also open for discussion." She took another sip of her wine then asked, "What are you thinking?" Gina tossed aside the other dress and hesitated over the sweaters. In the end she picked the purple sweater with the pants and one of the bulkier necklaces. The sweater had a thick cowl neck so Gina suggested she wear her hair up with a few light curls around the face and found a pair of dangle earrings in Missie's jewelry box that matched the necklace perfectly.

"Thank you friend." Missie air kissed Gina's cheek before settling in front of the bathroom mirror to fix her hair and make-up. Gina sat on the edge of the bed while Missie got ready. She pined her hair back and turned the curling iron on to heat while she fixed her make-up.

"What time are you supposed to meet them?" Gina asked.

"Seven thirty." She answered. "How is Josh?" Missie saw Josh every once in a while in the complex, but usually she only saw him if Gina brought him around.

"He's good, but I wanna talk about you. I can't believe you're meeting his parents. You're so anti-family." Gina swirled her wine.

"I'm not anti-family!" Missie exclaimed. "I just like to keep things casual when I can." She took the curling iron to the strands around her face.

"And you can't keep things casual with Mike?" Gina asked.

Missie sighed. She couldn't. She'd realized early on that Mike was a relationship guy, and he would be in this for the long haul. That was why she'd agreed to meet his parents. It was like a test. If she made it through this without freaking out, maybe she could be a relationship girl.

She didn't answer the question instead she asked about Josh's parents. Gina had met them two weeks ago. She'd been Josh's date for a wedding and his parents were also guests. She's liked them, especially his mom. Gina told her more about the meeting and what they'd talked about. Missie listened as she talked but her mind wandered.

She hadn't met a guys parents in a long time. When she'd been dating Mitch she'd spent a lot of time with his family. That happens when you're talking about marriage and babies. Of course that had been a long time ago, and she hadn't met anyone's parents since. Well, Tommy's, but that doesn't really count. They were Gina's family and she actually met them all at the same time.

She finished getting ready and Gina cleared out to go see Josh. Missie locked up and drove across town to the restaurant where she was supposed to meet Mike and his parents. She spotted Mike's car in the lot and checked her hair in the rear view. She hurried inside and scanned the restaurant. She spotted mike but he had his back to her. She walked toward the table and took in his parents.

They seemed nice. Mike obviously looked like his dad. The older man had gray hair cut similar to Mike's and wore a pair of no-rim glasses. He didn't have the appearance of an older man trying too hard, but it was clear that he took care of himself, much like his mother. She had light brown hair that hung to her shoulders. It was a stylish cut and her clothes were very flattering. She wore very small hoops in her ears and a simple necklace that hung just shy of her neckline. The button-up blouse was a soft no-wrinkle material that hung very nicely on her slender frame.

She smiled as she approached and his mother's gaze alerted Mike to her approach. He stood and gave her a hug before introducing her to his parents. "Mom, Dad, this is Missie." They both stood and Mr. Brannon shook her hand. Mrs. Brannon walked around to give her a hug. She was unsure how to reacted so she lightly hugged her back.

"It's so nice to meet you both." Missie said. Mike pulled out her chair and she sat down. They'd already ordered a bottle of Pinot Noir. She preferred Cabernet, but it was still a nice choice. Mike poured her a glass and drew her into their conversation.

"Missie actually works as a Property Manager for a local complex so I bet she's heard of some of those break-ins." Mike was talking to his dad who nodded and looked to her.

"Do you know if your tenants have had any issues with car break-ins?" he asked her. There had been a recent string of break-ins at a few complexes and she had even printed out a memo to the tenants reminding them not to keep valuables in their cars and be sure to lock their doors and windows.

"So far we've been lucky and no one has had any issues, but we've been keeping an eye out." The conversation was friendly and his mother was very complementary, especially of her jewelry. She told her about the small boutique downtown, the owner actually made some of her own jewelry. Mrs. Brannon mentioned she'd have to check it out before they left in the morning.

Dinner was nice, both of the men ordered steak and Mrs. Brannon had a salad. Missie opted for her favorite salmon though. They finished dinner and laughed over the rest of the wine. It was actually an enjoyable night. Mr. Brannon worked in accounting for a large company and Mrs. Brannon was in real estate. They had some fun stories and she could see where Mike got his sense of humor.

Mike picked up the tab and the four of them made their way to the parking lot. Mrs. Brannon hugged her again and Mr. Brannon shook her hand.

"It was really nice to meet you both." Missie said, "It was a very nice night." They nodded and as Mike took her hand Ms. Brannon added, "Hopefully we'll see you again soon."

Something that felt as familiar as panic settled in her chest and she smiled, nodding. She wasn't sure she was ready for regular visits, no matter how nice his parents were. Mike told his parents he'd be right back, that he was just going to walk Missie to her car and they walked to the other side of the parking lot.

At her car he gave her a hug. "Thanks for coming, they really seemed to like you." Again the panic flared in her chest.

"They were very nice, I had a good time." She forced a smile and took a deep breath,

"Well," he hugged her one more time, "I'll catch up with you tomorrow night?" he asked. Missie smiled and gave him a sound kiss.

"You bet." She said. Mike smiled and waited for her to get into her car and start the ignition before heading back towards his car and his waiting parents. Missie pulled out of the parking lot and turned towards home and forced herself to think about something else to avoid the unsettling feeling she had.

Feeling the Routine

 Missie took her coffee to her desk and thought about her morning. Mike had come over again last night. It was the third night this week. It was also the third time this week he'd spent the night and they hadn't had sex. Not that she didn't enjoy him being around, but it just felt like they were settling into a routine, and she didn't feel like they'd been together long enough for that yet.

She logged into her e-mail and opened a chat window to message Gina.

How's your morning going so far? Hitting the enter button she logged into twitter while she waited for a response. Scrolling through the tweets she found a few links and clicked through for the latest local news and celeb gossip. A few minutes later she hear the chime of a response.

So far, so good. Lisa is on edge this morning and I'd just assume stay out of the way. Wanna grab lunch this afternoon?

Sure. Missie responded. She could use Gina's advice. She wanted to suggest something fun for her and Mike to do, but she was coming up empty handed.

The rest of the morning was uneventful. She logged a few maintenance requests and gathered a bank deposit, but this early in the month she didn't have too much to do. Late rent notices wouldn't go out until next week and they didn't have any move-ins or move-outs for two weeks. She used to work for a bigger complex, and they were strict on how she spent her down time, even when there was nothing to be done. She liked being here. She was left alone expect when Mr. Houseton came for property visits and he really wasn't that bad.

She locked up about twelve o'clock and flipped the sign in the door, adjusting the plastic clock to say she'd be back around one. She drove the quick five minutes to Mina's diner. She'd been in the mood for a good burger so when Gina asked where they should go Missie had a quick response. She pulled into the parking lot and bounced inside where Gina had already commandeered a corner booth.

"Hey Girl! How's it going?' Missie put her purse in the booth and gave Gina a hug before sliding in.

"Going good, how about you?" Gina smiled. Missie sipped the Diet Coke Gina had ordered for her.

"Alright." The two girls ordered their burgers and then settled in to chat about their weekend. They hadn't seen each other since New Year's. They had a good time. It was a low-key night and they watched the ball drop on TV. Everyone hung around about a half hour after that then dispersed.

"So, did you and Mike bring in the New Year properly?" Gina had a shit eating grin on her face. Missie laughed and waved a hand.

"Please, we were too tired." It was true. She'd been exhausted, but she'd kinda hoped that Mike would try to coax her awake instead of simply agreeing with her and sliding beneath the sheets.

Gina gushed over her weekend with Josh. "We didn't leave the apartment for two days." She blushed. "It was wonderful." Missie smiled. She was happy for Gina. She'd been in a funk for a while now, and reconnecting with Josh had been really great for her.

"So, I think that Mike and I need to do something fun and different, but I can't figure out what." Missie was fidgeting with the hem of her shirt beneath the table. Gina gave her a quizzical look.

"Like what? Bowling? A getaway?" Missie laughed.

"No," She started, "Well, I don't know. I just want something to get rid of the routine." Gina nodded. Missie cringed. She half-expected Gina to jump to tell her that they weren't routine, but she didn't.

"Well," Gina pursed her lips, "Maybe ya'll could take a day trip to the mountains? I would be different, set the tone for an romantic evening. It wouldn't be expensive either."

Missie nodded. It wasn't a bad idea. The two chatted until their food came and actually talked about planning a double date to a winery sometime soon. When Missie left Gina to head back to the office she was feeling a little better. She actually felt good enough to try a little banter.

She pulled out her phone and started to type.

Hey Baby, hope you're not working to hard. I have some plans for you tonight...

It's a Brand New Year

 "So it finally happened? I need details." Missie poured two glasses of wine and handed one to Gina as she ushered her into the living room.

"It was great." Gina grinned. "He's as good as I remembered but he seems sweeter this time." Missie smiled at her friend. Gina could not stop smiling. Where she would normally dish every detail and essentially critique a new guys performance in bed, she was holding back. That meant she really liked him. Missie was so happy for her, and couldn't help but think back to this time last year. Both girls had scurried around the week after Christmas trying to find incredible outfits for New Year's Eve. They each paid a $15 cover charge to the hottest club in town and shared a cab home. It had been a blast, but it was certainly a contrast to the plans for this year.

"So Stacey is bringing a few people and I told them to be here around eight-thirty. If you and Josh want to come a little early that's fine. Mike will likely be here around seven." Missie took a sip of her wine and turned down the music that was playing on the stereo.

Gina smiled, "Ok. I'm excited, this should be a nice night."

They chatted and caught up on the holidays. Gina had gone to visit her mom about an hour away and Missie had spent the day with her family at her grandfather's house. Neither of the girls tried to do anything with the boys for Christmas, but New Years was going to be nice and relaxing.

"So how are things with Mike going?" Gina asked. Missie smiled and nodded. She liked Mike. The more they hung out the less she was sure that they would really be together for the long haul, but she really did like him, and felt no need to end things for no good reason.

"I like him. I figure he'll be around for a little while."

"Just a little while?" Gina asked.

"I don't know." Missie waved a dismissive hand at the topic and took a sip of wine. "Let's go rummage through my closet I need to figure out what I'm wearing."

Gina smiled and followed her into the bedroom. They tossed through the closet until Missie found an outfit she was satisfied with. Gina had something in the back of her mind, but she was just so glad to bring Josh to hang out with her friends.

They finished their wine and then decided to head out for some dinner before it got too late. The holidays had taken a toll on both their wallets so they hit up a pizza joint for slices and beer to talk more about their newly acquired men.

This year was getting off to a much different start than last year, and both girls were very pleased with the changes.

Long Awaited Part Two

"I like you too, Josh." Then she laughed, "And while I appreciate your effort not to rush things, are you about done making a point?"

Josh laughed and pulled her close for a kiss. Gina sighed and relaxed into his arms. This was what she wanted. They stood in the doorway kissing for a while, until their hands just couldn't get enough of each other through all their clothes.

Gina stepped away and took his hand, leading him to her room. She tossed her jacket aside and slid her hands beneath the lapels of Josh's coat to pull it away as well.

He pulled her closer than their coats had allowed and slid his hands down to play with the hem of her dress, pulling it farther up her legs. Gina could feel the throbbing between her legs and wrapped her arms tighter. She wanted to be closer, to feel his skin.

She reached for the top two buttons of his shirt, then pulled the hem over his head without bothering with the rest. As she kissed him she ran her hands across his chest covering his nipples with the pads of her thumbs. His hands cupped her ass and he pulled her closer. Without anymore pretense they finished shedding their clothes and tumbled onto the bed.

Josh explored her breasts and stomach with his mouth. He took his time kissing and licking until Gina was squirming beneath him. It had been too long, and she wanted him so badly. He brought his face to hers and smiled, kissing her hard.

Gina pulled him close, loving the feel of her chest pressed tightly against his. Josh's hands trailed down her sides and he slid his fingers between them to part her folds. He found her clit and circled it with his thumb, spreading her moisture as he did.

Gina sighed and pressed herself closer. Josh continued to kiss her neck and chest as he worked his fingers over her folds, sliding one finger inside of her to press against that sweet spot. Gina clung to his shoulders, her finger nails leaving their marks.

She could feel the tension building in her center and her thighs started to shake. She whimpered and Josh began to move his fingers more frantically, as her orgasm came over her. She cried out and he kept working to draw out her pleasure as he fumbled for a condom. When her body shook with little after shocks he took his hand away from her mound and quickly sheathed himself before sliding inside of her.

"Oh god," Gina moaned. "That feels so good." Josh chuckled and thrust deeper inside of her. Gina gripped the comforter at her side and closed her eyes while he built a steady pace. She raised one hand above her to brace against the headboard when he tossed her legs over his shoulders and began to thrust at a new angle. She could feel a new orgasm blooming as he continued to thrust against her g-spot. With one hand against the headboard and the other clutching onto Josh's leg she moaned his name as she came again. Her orgasm lasted longer than she expected as Josh kept thrusting away until she felt him tense up with his own release.

"Gina." He breathed her name as her lowered her legs to claim her mouth for another hard kiss. When he broke away and slid out of her they were both breathless. Josh hopped up to toss the condom and came back to cuddle her against his chest.

Lowering his mouth to her ear he whispered, "I missed you." Gina smiled and tucked in closer against him.

"I missed you, too."

Long Awaited Part One

 Gina was anxious. She had another date with Josh. This would be the third date they've been on and he'd yet to make a move. When Gina would have he expertly avoided it. They were having a great time, and he was being a total gentleman, paying for meals, getting her doors. She could still feel the chemistry there, but for some reason he wasn't trying to get physical.

Gina checked her hair and touched up her lip gloss when she heard Josh's door. She waited for the knock to go answer. He was so gorgeous. He'd gotten a haircut and she could smell his aftershave. He wore a black button down with jeans. She smiled and gave him a hug hello. He dropped a kiss on her forehead, both confusing and pleasing her at this point.

"You look gorgeous." He said with a smile. Gina grinned and shrugged.

"I do what I can." She teased. Locking up she followed him out to his car and he opened her door, making sure she didn't catch her coat in the door. Once he got behind the wheel and pulled out onto the road he smiled at her.

"I have a suprise." He teased. She smiled. He hadn't told her where they were going for dinner so she wondered what he'd come up with.

"You do?" She asked. He nodded and she laughed. "Well, what is it?" She asked.

"If I told you it wouldn't be a surprise." She laughed and rolled her eyes.

"Ok, just don't feed me caviar." They laughed and talked about their holiday plans while he took them about 45 minutes into the mountains. Gina was fighting the urge to ask again where he was taking them when they came out on a small town main street. There were a few christmas lights and a tree across from the stores and lone restaurant that lined the sidewalk.

"Where are we?" Gina asked. "This is so cute!"

Josh smiled and pulled along the sidewalk to park. "A friend told me about it. I thought it would be a fun change." Gina smiled and waited as Josh walked around to open her door and help her out of the car. They walked into a small restaurant with grapevines painted on the walls. There was a sign to seat yourself and Josh led them to a booth along the side wall.

They sat and Gina smiled at the quaint decorations. The waitress brought menus and Josh ordered a bottle of the house wine. She quirked an eyebrown at him. "A bottle?" She asked.

Yeah, we'll have plenty of time to sober up before I have to drive." Before she coud ask what he meant he'd already began disceting the menu, asking her what she thought she might want. They had a little bit of everything, but it was obvious that they concentrated on italian dishes.

Gina ordered pasta and Josh ordered a steak. they chatted and talked about their week and when they food came they were half-way through the bottle of red that Josh had ordered. The food was delicious and when the bottle was empty Gina was stuffed.

"This was really good," Gina said, "You'll have to tell your friend thank you for the suggestion." he nodded and checked his watch.

"You want dessert?" Josh asked, "We have time."

"Time?" Gina asked. "We're doing something else?" Josh just smiled.

"Dessert?" He asked again. Gina laughed and shook her head. He asked for the check and took care of it before excusing himself to the restroom. While he was gone Gina pulled out a mirror and her lipgloss to touch up.

"Ok," he said when he came back, "Bundle up!" Gina laughed and let him help her into her coat and slid her gloves on. They went back out into the cold and Josh wrapped an arm around her. They walked about a block and then rounded a corner. There was no flashing sign but Gina could see what it was as they got closer.

There was an old movie theater tucked in behind a furniture store. The small Easel out front boasted "It's a Wonderful Life". Gina gasped and squeezed Josh tighter.

"We're going to an old movie!" she squealed. Josh just laughed and held her closer as they got tickets and went into the small little foyer area.

"Want a drink?" He asked. Gina shook her head, unable to stop smiling. This had always been one of her favorite Christmas movies. They went into the little theater and fund a couple of seats in the center and settled in for the classic black and white movie.

Gina was entralled with the quaint theater and of course the movie. Josh kept an arm around her and held her hand but he didn't try to do anything more. Though she did catch him staring once and thought he might try something then.

When the movie was over they went back out into the cold and walked back to his car.

"Thank you so much, Josh. This was really great."

"Your welcome." He pulled her close and again kissed her forehead. They got back into the car and drove the 45 minutes back to her house. they listened to Christmas music and chatted about what they both had left to do to get ready for Christmas.

When they got back to her place Josh got out to walk her to her door. When she got the door unlocked Josh smiled.

"I had a great time." he gave her a hug and went to pull away. Gina wasn't going to have it though. THis had been the best date she'd probably ever been on. She pulled him back and angled her mouth over his for a quick kiss. Instantly afraid he wouldn't respond she kept it light. She didn't have to wrory though. Josh tightened his arms around her and deepened the kiss.

Gina moaned and pulled him closer. The wind kicked up and had them both gasping in shock. Gina laughed and pulled Josh though the open door and shut it behind him.

"I should probably go." He said, even with his arms still around her. Gina just smiled.

"I wish you wouldn't."

Josh sighed and dropped his forehead against hers. Rubbing his hands on her back.

"What's wrong?" Gina asked, "Do you not want this? Are you seeing someone else?"

"No!" Josh said, "I mean, yes I want this. No, I'm not seeing anyone else." He pulled her a little closer, smiling.

"So what's wrong then?" Gina asked.

Josh sighed. "In college we were all about sex, and while it was totally great. I mean, really great,' he laughed, "I want more this time. I really like you Gina." His expression was filled with apprhension and Gina smiled.

"I like you too, Josh." Then she laughed, "And while I appreciate your effort not to rush things, are you about done making a point?"

Phone Call

Gina kicked her shoes off as she walked in the door. Her apartment on the other side of town wasn't the comfy cozy apartment that Missie's was. It was more utilitarian. Her decor was modern. Lots of clean lines and empty surfaces. She should really try to spruce it up, but she was so rarely home anymore.

She'd had a couple glasses of wine at Missie's and retold some of her Josh stories from college. It was just crazy that HE was the hottie that Missie had been talking about a few weeks earlier! It worked out that Missie had Mike now. Gina would have probably died if Missie had moved in on Josh before she knew that he was Gina's college hottie. Luckily it wouldn't be an issue.

Gina tossed her bag on the table and hooked her keys by the door. She was headed for the bathroom when her phone buzzed with a text message. She grabbed it as she headed down the hall.

Hey, can you talk right now?

It was Josh. Not wanting to be the girl who waits with her phone in her hand, she went to the restroom and changed into some comfy lounge pants before texting him back.

Yeah, just got home.

Then she sat on her bed and waited. It took about two minutes for the phone to ring. "Hello?" She answered as casually as possible.

"Hey, It's Josh." She smiled.

"How are you settling in?" She asked. They chatted for a few minutes about his job and the area, she recommended places to avoid and a few restaurants.

"Maybe you could show me sometime?" Josh asked, when she told him her favorite Italian place.

"That would be nice." Gina smiled into the phone. She flashed back to one night they'd ordered Italian take-out and brought it back to his apartment. They'd barely touched their food when they pounced on each other. That had been a fun night. she coughed to cover up her nostalgic sigh.

He laughed, and she didn't want to ask why, so she kept going. "Maybe once you get settled we can check it out."

"How about Sunday?" He asked.

"Sunday would be fine with me." she grinned and bit her lip.

"Ok, I'll let you go then. I'll call you that afternoon to get directions."

"Alright."

They said goodnight and hung up the phone. Gina dropped the phone on the bedspread. She couldn't wait until Sunday.

Gina

"Damn it Missie," Gina muttered under her breath. She was supposed to pick her up for lunch ten minutes ago and she was still sitting in the parking lot. She was apparently talking with a tenant. Sighing she stepped out of the car, hoping to speed up this process. She'd had a string of shitty dates that put her in one hell of a bad mood.

Two weeks ago she'd let this guy take her home only to find out that he just wanted to cuddle. Apparently he was saving himself for his future wife, and while Gina wasn't going to bitch about that, she would bitch that he got her to his house under false pretenses. What happened to the days when girls were teases and guys always put out? It had been way too long since she'd had sex, and even longer since she'd had anything other than mediocre hook-ups. She was frustrated, and something was going to have to give, or her bitchy mood might become permanent.

She reached for the handle to the door to the outside office and almost got knocked down by someone coming out. Her hands flew in front of her face and she reached out to keep from stumbling. Her hand landed against a solid chest, and she could smell the musky aftershave. She managed to suppress a small moan as she looked up.

No. Fucking. Way.

"Gina?" The gorgeous brown hair blue-eyed reminder of college was smiling at her, making her go all soft... and wet.

"Hey Josh. What are you doing here?" Before he could answer Missie bounded out the door with her keys in hand.

"Hey." She looked from Gina to Josh. "Do you two know each other?" She quirked an eyebrow and Gina nodded. "Yes." Josh said. After another beat Gina looked away from Josh and turned to Gina.

"We went to college together." Josh was still grinning and Gina was trying not to remember all the naughty things he'd done to her back then, but her nipples perked up anyway. Damn libido. This was what happened to the sex-starved.

"Oh," Missie was still fumbling with the key in the lock. "Well maybe you should join us for lunch, Josh. We were going to grab Mexican." Gina felt the air rush out of her lungs as Josh agreed. She walked woodenly to the driver's side and unlocked the doors. The three piled in and Missie chatted about the restaurant they were going to. Her tone was somewhat frantic and without even looking Gina knew that Missie realized she'd made a mistake inviting him.

Of course it wasn't really a mistake, but Gina just wasn't sure how to navigate this particular situation. Josh had been two years ahead of her in school. Her Sophomore year she pledged his fraternity's sister sorority. They had a super hot and heavy fling spring semester of his Senior year, but then he graduated and they went their separate ways. No hard feelings, just drifted apart. she thought he was living in Florida somewhere, but that had been years ago.

"So I take it you've moved into the complex?" Gina glanced at Josh in the rearview when Missie took a breath.

"Yeah, work promotion. It looks like I'll be here for a few years." She nodded and turned her attention back to the road. Gina explained to Missie that they'd both been Greek and Josh shared a silly story from her pledge week when she'd asked him to sign her stomach for a scavenger hunt.

They laughed and Gina felt herself relaxing some. At the restaurant they settled in and ordered before Josh excused himself to the restroom. As soon as he was out of earshot Missie exhaled.

"Girl, I'm sorry. I didn't know that your fraternity hottie's name was Josh or I might have figured it out before I invited him to lunch."

Gina waved a hand, no point worrying now. Besides, if Josh was single her sexual drought could be over.

"Don't worry about it. It just caught me off guard. Josh was always a fun guy. It's cool that he's living here now." Missie sipped her diet coke and smiled.

"What?" Gina asked.

"So he was good in bed, huh?" Both girls erupted in laughter just before Josh reached the table. He slid in close to Gina.

"What's so funny?" he asked, smiling right at Gina. She smiled back not answering.

"Gina was just telling me about the way you guys used to climb the bell towers in college." Gina shouldered bounced with silent laughter and Josh's eyes gleamed. Missie was trying to make some conversation based on things she knew about Gina. Of course what she didn't know was that Josh used to take her up the towers for uninterrupted sex.

Josh started to laugh, "She was, huh?" Gina was shaking her head as the laughter took over and she started giggling uncontrollably. Josh started laughing too, and realizing that she wasn't in on the joke Missie just rolled her eyes and sipped her soda.

Their food came and they ate. When they got back to the complex Josh got Gina's number and Missie ordered her to come by her apartment after work for a drink and some serious girl talk. As she headed back to the office Gina could feel the butterflies in her stomach. Today was the day her luck had changed.

Couple Territory

Missie's phone rang and she saw Mike's picture on the screen. Smiling she answered.

"Hey you." Opening the office mail and sorting it without thought. She smiled as he quickly complained about his boss's rampage from that morning. He rattled off some smart comments that had her laughing so hard she had to sit the mail on the desk. They chatted for about ten minutes and one of the tenants walked into the office.

"I have to run, talk to you later?" She asked.

"How about tonight? Want to come over and I'll cook for us?" She smiled and agreed before taking care of the tenant's rent payment and filling out a maintenance request.


Later she pulled up her chat screen and fired off a message to Gina. Having a good day? She had to wait for a response. Yeah, I'm fine. I have things today but we should do lunch tomorrow.

Missie agreed and logged out to deliver the announcements about a scheduled parking lot re-pave. She'd love to just stick notices in all the POs but because so many of their tenants don't ever check their mail she actually had to take them and stick one beneath every door.

She was our riding around in the golf cart, grateful for the nice weather. She'd had to do this in the rain before and it sucked. She got to the unit that would be Joshua Greene's by this time next week and left the flyer. He'd get here just in time to find out what a pain it was to have to park in the grocery lot next door and walk over.

Funny that she met Mike when she did. It was probably good. It really wasn't a good idea to get tied up with tenants. That could get awkward if it did end badly somehow. She finished dropping off flyers and went back to her office. She more or less wasted the rest of the workday social networking and online shopping.

After work she ran home to change into jeans and a casual tee shirt before jetting off to Mike's. She grabbed a lightweight jacket on her way out since the nights were starting to get chilly. She thought about Gina and hoped that everything was ok. It would be good for them to have lunch tomorrow. Hopefully she would talk to her about whatever was going on.

She got to Mike's and hopped up the front steps, knocking once before he swung the door open and motioned her inside. He shut and locked the door behind her before pulling her in for a quick kiss.

"Mmm," she hummed, slowly pulling away. "Hello yourself." She grinned as she stepped away. "Do I smell pizza?" She peeked into the small kitchen and saw two small boxes on the table.

"Guilty." He laughed and placed a hand on her back as they walked into the kitchen. "I figured it'd be easier clean-up and we could watch a movie or something."

Missie shrugged and grabbed a paper plate. "I love pizza. I'm not going to complain." She grabbed a few slices and a breadstick while Mike poured their drinks. They settled on the couch and ate in companionable silence watching an old drama. When Missie finished she sat her plate on the edge of the coffee table and leaned back into the sofa cushions. Mike set hi plate aside and curled Missie up next to him on the couch.

She was watching the movie. She was even following along, but next thing she knew, she was waking up in bed next to Mike. She was in her bra panties and t-shirt. He'd taken off her jeans, and she was tucked into his side. Once the initial confusion went away she decided she liked waking up this way.

She snuggled in closer and pressed her cheek against his chest. Missie realized that she was getting dangerously close to couple territory. They'd spent a lot of time together over the past couple of weeks. And now he tucked her into his bed instead of waking her? he probably set a super early alarm so she'd be able to go home and get ready for work.

Missie debated getting up and going home now. She could always say that she was afraid that if she went back to sleep she'd have trouble getting up in the morning. She fought against her flight response and stayed tucked in next to Mike. He was sleeping so soundly. He probably wouldn't register if she did get up and leave.

Instead she snuggled in and let her self drift off to sleep again. Thinking about how much warmer she was with a man beside her.

Down Time

Missie groaned as she hurried out of bed and into the shower. Her apartment got so chilly this time of year. She hit the small space heater in the bathroom and turned the shower on. She rushed through her shower, knowing that if she lingered she'd be late.

She dried her hair and quickly did her make-up. She loved this time of year because she got to wear her summer dresses with tights and boots. It was usually only a few weeks for maybe a month that she could do that. Before long she'd be in sweater dresses or long pants and sweaters.

She opted to swing through her favorite coffee spot instead of fixing her own at the house. She was out of breakfast bars so she'd grab a muffin. Twenty minutes later she was tucked behind her desk nursing her coffee while she surfed her dailies online. She ran through the maintenance requests from the weekend before diving into her muffin.

The weekend had been a whirlwind. She'd gone home with Mike on Friday and spent most of Saturday in bed with him. She'd had yesterday to herself to catch up on her sleep and get some laundry done. Gina had gone to visit her parents yesterday and they'd agreed to have lunch and catch up today. She started a pot of coffee brewing when she realized that one cup wouldn't be enough to get her through the morning.

She flipped the switch and listened to it gurgle. The pool was behind the offices, and of course it was empty. She needed to follow up with Marcus. He'd been supposed to clean and cover it last week, but it was still open. The phone began ringing and she padded over to the lobby phone.

"Poplar Lane Apartments, this is Missy." She answered. The door rattled as a tenant dropped their rent in the drop box.

"Hi Missy. This is Joshua Greene. I'm moving in next week?" Missy smiled. How could she forget Mr. Hottie.

"Hi Joshua, what can I do for you?"

"Well, I'm scheduled to get in on November 14th but the furniture warehouse screwed up and scheduled the move date for the 13th. Is there anyway someone can let them in to deliver the pieces?"

"Sure, hang on one second ok?" She put him on hold and refilled her coffee cup before running into her office.

"Ok, Joshua. You there?" She grabbed her day planner.

"Here." He said. She scribbled a note on the box for the 13th.

"You just need to type a memo saying that you don't hold the agency liable for anything that happens during the moving of the furniture, have it notarized and drop it in the mail. I'll have someone there to make sure the apartment is unlocked.

"Thanks Missie, you're a doll." She smiled. He was a charmer. She gave him the mailing address and he assured her that the release would be there by the end of the week.

Missie drained her coffee and sent Gina a text. Where are we going? Surfing her favorite stores online to check for sales she made a mental note to find her water bill tonight. It should be due sometime this week. Her phone buzzed with a text.

Angelo's. I'm taking the afternoon and I need wine. Missie laughed and shot back. You didn't get enough alcohol this weekend?

There was only a time in the response, 12:15. that was fine with Missie. She loved Angelo's pizza and she'd have left overs enough for at least two meals.

It was twenty after when she pulled into the lot at Angelo's but Gina was still in her car so she couldn't have been there too long. Missie pulled in next to her and grabbed her purse. Gina emerged from her car less put-together than Missie had ever seen her. She wore blue jeans tucked into cowboy boots, her hair was up in a messy pony and she wore a short tailed graphic tee that had "that's what she said" written across the front of it.

Missie stopped short and pulled her sunglasses off of her face, trying to pick her jaw up. Gina's huge aviator's covered most of her face but her glossed lips pursed before she said, "Just leave it alone today." She walked ahead of Missie into Angelo's and Missie just shook her head as she followed behind.

There would be an explanation later. Missie settled in across from Gina and ordered a diet coke, while Missie got a water and a glass of the house red. The two talked about nothing. Gina didn't ask about Mike so Missie didn't bring him up. Gina talked about her parents and Missie talked about the bar. Gina ordered another glass and they finished their meal. While they were waiting for the check Gina sighed.

"You know Missie. I'm just tired. I'm tired of waiting for something to happen." Missie sighed, settling back into the booth. Whatever happened to Gina must've thrown her for one hell of a loop because this wasn't anything like her friend.

"What can I do?" She asked. Gina shook her head and gave a forced smile.

"Nothing. I'm going to go home, get in my pjs, watch lifetime and eat ice cream, and when I wake up tomorrow I'll be fine." Missie just nodded and swiped the check when the waitress sat it on the table. Gina gave her a look but she just shook her head.

"Don't argue. I got this." They both laughed and Gina didn't argue. Missie picked up lunch and the girls went their separate ways, Gina to her pjs and Missie back to work. Missie wished there was something more she could do for Gina, but she was a private girl, and Missie was going to give her some space. She'd come around when she was ready to talk about it.

Halloween Edition

Missie worked a deal with Mark. He was covering the bar until ten o'clock and she'd take the mid-day management shift for him tomorrow. It wasn't a bad deal. It allowed her to grab dinner with her friends, then they'd come to the bar for the Halloween party, then she'd be able to sleep in some tomorrow, and she didn't have to stay up late.

Really, she was proud of working all that out. She rushed into her apartment. She'd gone out to but a new pair of tights because hers had gotten a run. She ran back into the bedroom and quickly got into her costume. She was meeting Gina and everyone else at the bowling alley in like forty-five minutes so she didn't have long to get ready. She turned on the curling iron and hit the faucet in the tub. She needed to shave and fix her hair and make-up before jumping into the Little Red Riding Hood Costume she and Gina had concocted. They'd decided that their group was going to stick with a fairy tale theme.

Gina was dressing as Dorothy, McKenna was Belle and her new fiance was going as the Beast. Stacey had talked about a lot of things, but last Missie heard she was going to be Rapunzel. Tommy and Kendra may show up. Mike was coming too. He knew Missie was going as Little Red Riding Hood, and he knew the fairy tale plan, but she hadn't actually asked him to go as the Big Bad Wolf. The plan was to drink beer, eat pizza and bowl a few games then Missie was going into work. The gang would likely come out there for the rest of the night. There was a local band playing.

She was changing into her costume when she heard Gina's car pull up. She pulled the red silky chemise over her head and went to open the front door. Gina had her hair in two braids and the store bought costume fit like a glove. She looked amazing. Instead of tights she'd opted for white thigh-highs with wide lace bands across the tops. Her red heels were four inches high. She breezed past Missie into the door.

"If you wear that no way you'll be going home alone tonight." She laughed, walking down the hallway to the bed room." Missie followed and laughed with her.

"Just wait." She finished putting on the piece of her costume. The nude tights, the cheap black underbust corset, ankle boots, and of course the red hooded cape. She swiped on another coat of red lipstick and turned for Gina's inspection.

"Girl, that is hot!" Missie grinned and grabbed her purse. The two girls bounced out the door and headed for the bowling alley. Most everyone was there when they got there. Stacey brought a few people from work, but they hadn't dressed up. She had gone with a Rapunzel costume though. She looked good. everyone did. Tommy and Kendra weren't going to meet them at the alley, and Missie was ok with that. She kept glancing towards the door to see if Mike had arrived, but he still wasn't there. She changed out of her boots and laced up the bowling shoes. She sat up and felt someone's hot breath beside her ear.

"You look good enough to eat." Missie grinned as Mike growled in her ear. He kissed her neck, it tickled. She turned around. He wore dark jeans, a white tee and he'd used some face paint to exaggerate his eyebrows and he'd let his scruff grow out over the past few days. Basically he looked like sex. She stood and turned to give him a kiss.

Mike hummed. "Nice." He murmured. "So are we bowling or what?" he winked. they broke off into teams and bowled three games. Collectively they had four pitchers of beer and three pizzas. It was about a quarter after nine and Missie started to switch her shoes.

"Gotta go?" Mike asked. He settled in beside her.  She nodded.

"I need to be on the clock by ten." She bent down to slide her feet back into her boots and Mike's eyes studied her cleavage. She caught him looking and raised an eyebrow. He just shrugged, making her laugh.

"Let me give you a ride then. Everyone else will be there later." Missie smiled and nodded. They settled up and went out to Mike's car. It was about nine-forty when they pulled up outside McHale's. Missie unlatched her seat belt and Mike reached over to pull her into his lap.

Laughing she went willingly into the kiss. she felt like a teenager, sneaking kisses. She placed a hand on his shoulder and pushed back. "I need to get in there. You're hanging around right?" Mike hummed and kissed along her collarbone.

"Of course." He let her wiggle out of the car and followed her inside. He grabbed a stool at the end of the bar while Missie got organized and clocked in. Their friends came pouring in and Mike joined them at a corner table. She mixed drinks and kept up with orders, but she was watching Mike watch her all night. She hadn't actually seen him since the night she spent at his place.

The bar slowed down for a few minutes and she called one of the waitresses to keep an eye out for her so she could run to the restroom. She made eye contact with Mike and she saw him excuse himself as she walked by.

Half-way to the bathroom there was a small closet used for paper storage. She ducked in and left the door cracked. Mike was ten seconds behind her. She pulled the door shut and turned the lock, pulling him into a kiss. His hands found her ass and hauled her up against him. She clawed at his chest through the cotton tee, trying to get closer. He lifted her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist. he pinned her against the door as he devoured her with his mouth.

She felt the bulge in his pants pressed up against her tights-clad pussy. "Condom?" She asked. Mike groaned and released her. He reached into his back pocket and she unfastened his belt. He reached around to his fly and she shimmied her tights down around her thighs. She turned her back to him and bent at the waist, flattening her forearms against the door in front of her.

She heard the crinkle of the foil packet and then felt Mike's hands gripping her hips. His cock nudged at her pussy and he thrust into her wet hot channel. Missie groaned, biting down on her lower lip. They'd be looking for her soon. She pressed back against him and he pumped in and out of her frantically. She reached and took one of his hands from her hip pulling it around to her clit.

He worked her tight little nub while he pounded in and out of her. She braced herself against the door again and concentrated on keeping her moans low. He worked in and out of her and bent down to bite her ear lobe. She jerked back against him and her climax hit her. Her muscles clamped down on his cock and she felt him tense up behind her. She could feel as he twitched and spasmed inside of her.

He fell over onto her back and laughed. "Wow." He groaned.

Missie laughed and handed him a few paper towels to clean himself up and wrap the condom. She pulled her tights back up and took the wad of paper towels from Mike. He kissed her hard against the door.

She sighed and pulled away, slipping down the hall into the bathroom. She tossed the condom and paper towels and cleaned up before heading back out to the bar.

She passed Mike on her way out and smiled. He shook his head and ran a hand through his hair. Missie couldn't wait to get him home tonight.

The Sex Date

Missie was walking out of the bathroom when she heard her cell phone vibrating against the hard surface of her desk. She grabbed it and checked the message.

Can't wait to see you tonight.

Smiling Missie sat the phone down and logged onto her computer, shooting Gina an e-mail. I'm wearing the black dress tonight.

She'd had a lot of fun with Mike at the movie last week. She wasn't normally a cuddly girl, but he'd made it easy for her to relax. He had a sense of humor that put her ease and didn't let her take anything too seriously. His understated sarcasm kept her laughing and his smile was simply contagious. She was really enjoying him. Gina's joke last week about the sex date wasn't far off, but she couldn't get out of working Saturday night. Mike called her yesterday afternoon to see if she wanted to come to his house for dinner tonight.

When he'd taken her home on Wednesday she fought the urge to invite him in. They'd stood outside her apartment door and made-out like teenagers. He'd backed her against the door before they broke apart, and had he stood there for 30 more seconds before saying goodbye, she'd have asked him in then.

She was glad to have the time to prepare though. It was insane the anxiety that she felt, knowing that she'd sleep with him tonight. She'd woken up an hour early this morning so she could shave, exfoliate and moisturize. Not that he would know the difference for the most part, but it made her feel better.

She responded to Mike's text with a quick, Me too. Her e-mail blinked with a message from Gina. I expect details at lunch tomorrow? Missie agreed and went back to logging maintenance tickets. The rest of the day sped by with only a few tenants coming in to log work tickets or make payment arrangements for next week. It was crazy to think they were so close to the end of October. Halloween was this weekend.

She finished and locked up, heading home to change. She hit the door running to fix her hair and slip into the dress that Gina had picked out. She was going to his house so she picked sequined flats over the heels and wore her hair loose around her shoulders. She grabbed a jacket out of her closet.

She was supposed to be at Mike's between six and six-thirty. She only kind of knew where she was going so she figured she's shoot for the early end. On the ride over she listened to Meredith Brooks to get her pumped up.

When she pulled into the driveway she had to calm herself. It wasn't like he was going to jump her when she walked in the door. She touched up her lip gloss and fluffed her hair before getting out of the car. By the time she'd walked from the side driveway to the front door, Mike was waiting.

"Well hello," he flashed a grin and waved her in. She took a quick glance around the living room, not surprised that everything seemed to have a place. Like most single guys he didn't have an abundance of furniture but all the necessities. She could see the breakfast nook with a small table and four chairs.

"Nice place." She smiled and waved a hand around. He nodded and placed a hand on her back, leading her towards the kitchen.

"Thank you." He said, pulling a bar stool out for her. "So I'm not much of a cook, but I swear by Stouffer's." Missie laughed and smiled when she saw the Lasagna cooling on the stove.

"I love Lasagna!" Missie exclaimed. She was very excited that he'd fixed something besides burgers or steak. Most guys had a limited repertoire of dishes they could cook, but she certainly didn't mind the frozen dinners when they were this good.

Mike offered to take her jacket and purse and put them in the hall closet while she fixed a plate. A few minutes later they both sat at the kitchen table eating and exchanging stories about family recipes and holiday dinners. When they'd both eaten a significant amount of lasagna Missie sighed, relaxing against her chair.

"That was great, Mike. Thank you." He smiled and took their plates to the sink. covering what was left of the food and sticking it in the fridge he asked her, "So would you like to watch a movie?"

Missie smiled. She wasn't much for pretense, but she kind of liked dating a guy who was willing to take the lead for once. "Whatever you want." She said.

Mike nodded and dried his hands on the towel hanging by the sink. He grinned as he walked back around the bar towards Missie."Whatever I want?" he asked. Missie grinned but didn't answer. When Mike stopped in front of her she was eye level with his crotch, and she didn't think she was imagining the significant bulge there.

He held out a hand pulling her to her feet. "I think I'd like a repeat of last week's goodnight kiss, for starters." Missie murmured her agreement as his mouth covered hers. He placed a hand on her back anchoring her to him.

He took his time with the kiss. Enough time for Missie to let go of the butterflies and simply revel in the feel of his mouth on hers. She wound her fingers in his hair at the base of his skull, and he ran his hands over her, pulling her closer.

He changed the angle of the kiss, his tongue sliding across hers before nipping at her bottom lip. She let out a little moan as he trailed kisses down her neck, and back up to nip at her earlobe. Missie pulled at his shirt. Her heart was racing and the anticipation was building low in her belly.

Mike brought his mouth to her ear and whispered, "I really want to take you into my bedroom now." Missie sighed and nodded. He led her down the short hallway to his room and then pulled her back into his arms. He started with her mouth, but then trailed lower to kiss the hollow of her neck, and lower still to the swells of her breasts.

Missie reached for the side zipper of her dress and let it slide down her arms to puddle on the floor. Mike murmured his satisfaction and kissed along the line of her bra then down to her belly button. He held her in place with both hands on her ass and flicked his tongue out to lick a line along the waistband of her satin thong.

Missie shivered and placed her hands on his shoulders to keep her balance. Mike slid the panties down her legs and traced a finger over her lips before dropping a kiss on her mound. Missie's breath caught at the light touch and Mike looked up from where he knelt in front of her to smile.

"You like that." More of a statement than a question, he brushed his knuckles across her and watched her expression. Her lips parted on a sigh and she nodded. He placed his hands on her hips and encouraged to walk backwards a few steps until her thighs bumped up against the bed. He followed and began to place kisses low on her belly, his tongue darting out to moisten her skin.

Her hands were pressed flat on the bed behind her for support and she closed her eyes. His kisses trailed lower and he slid a finger across her clit. She was so wet. A second finger joined the first working around the little nub, and then he covered her with his mouth.

Missie let out a little mewl of pleasure and fisted her hands in the comforter. His mouth worked over her clit, licking and kissing, while his fingers found their way inside of her. Missie felt her knees buckle, but Mike hand was gripping her thigh, and lifting it over his shoulder.

With her knee hooked over his shoulder she fell back onto her elbows. She felt every pass of his tongue send a shock wave through her body. Her back arched and her nipples ached. he worked his fingers inside of her even as his tongue brought her closer to the edge. She didn't want to drop all of her weight on him, but she was growing weak with the pleasure.

It was as though he could feel her stress and, without ever separating his tongue from her clit, he lifted her ass up onto the edge of the bed. The new position allowed his to open her wider to him and he began to furiously suck at her nub and press his fingers in and out at a frenzied pace.

Missie cried out when her orgasm washed over her. She arched her back, pressing herself against him. He continued to suckle and kiss until she had ridden out the last ripples of pleasure and then he crawled up onto the bed next to her.

He kissed her, and slipping an arm around her he he removed her bra, the last barrier between her flesh and him. He began to massage her breasts as he kissed her. He was still fully clothes and Missie wanted to feel his skin against her.

Sliding her hands beneath his shirt she pulled it over his head and reached for the button of his trousers. She unbuttoned and unzipped then he helped slide them off, hooking his socks as well. He had an impressive cock. She reached down to wrap her hand around it and he moaned, "mmm".

Missie smiled and fused her mouth to his while he stroked and toyed with his twitching erection. His hands were all over her, massaging her breasts and her scalp, the pressure of his touch letting her know that he wanted more.

She began to slowly work her way down his torso, trailing wet kisses across his chest and stomach. When she reached her destination she was up on her knees with her ass in the air. She lowered her mouth over him, taking his length as far as it would go. Closing her lips around him she began to move slowly along his shaft sucking until she reached the tip, releasing him with a kiss.

She repeated the motion several times before Mike worked his fingers into her hair and eased her away.

"I really want to be inside of you." The words sent a jolt straight to her center and she hummed in agreement. Mike reached for a foil packet in the nightstand and quickly covered himself then rolled Missie onto her back. Leaning down to kiss her hard on the mouth he came back up onto his knees, bringing her feet to rest on his shoulders.

Missie felt him nudging her opening, and he pushed into her slowly, filling her. She shuddered at the sensation and moaned. Mike gave her a crooked grin before pulling back out to thrust into her again, a little harder. Mike slid his knees closer to her and held her knee against his chest. He began to work himself in and out of her, and she could feel the pressure with each stroke, bringing her a little closer.

She clutched at the pillows as Mike continued to move inside of her. One hand anchoring her leg against him, the other sliding over her body, and coming to rest just above her mound. He pressed down with his hand as he entered her and it changed the pressure. Missie gasped and her hips bucked towards him.

Encouraged, Mike began to thrust harder and faster, pressing against her just enough to elicit those moans and gasps of pleasure. She could tell he was close and she arched her back to get closer to him. He slid his hand lower to press against her clit with his thumb, and she whimpered as another orgasm overtook her. She bucked against him and her pussy milked his cock.

Mike tensed and groaned with his release. They rode out the waves of climax together and Mike rolled down beside her. He tossed the condom in the trash can beside the bed, and then wrapped an arm around Missie, curling her back into his chest. They lay like that, catching their breath and Missie dozed for a few minutes before rising to use the restroom and get dressed.

"Stay," Mike said. "I'll get you up in the morning in time to go home and get ready for work." Missie shook her head. She didn't want to ruin the first sex date with morning after breath and awkwardness.

"Not tonight, I really should go. Next time?" She kissed him, and he rested a hand on her hip, pulling her back against him when she would've stepped away. She smiled up at him. "Thank you for dinner."

"Thank you for coming," he laughed, "and for coming." She laughed and swatted at his arm. He pulled her back for another long kiss. She broke away and he began to kiss her neck. She was such a sucker for neck kisses. Before too long he had her back out of her clothes and back in bed.

Girl's Night

Missie's phone rang and it was Gina. "Hey girl, where are you?" Missie pulled the door closed behind her using her key to lock the deadbolt.

"I'm just leaving work. I need to go home and change then I'm heading that way. Who all is coming?" Gina had called her earlier about an impromptu girl's night. She was going to call Stacey and McKenna to meet them at the Tavern.

"Stacey is definitely in. McKenna is going go call me when she gets out of class." Missie tossed her purse in the passenger seat and started her car, rolling down the windows.

"K, well let me go, I should be there in forty-five minutes." Missie put the car in reverse pulling from the lot.

"K, girl. See you then." Gina disconnected and Missie tossed the phone in the console, pulling out into the highway. She loved this weather. She tuned the radio and breezed through traffic towards her apartment. She passed the office building where Stacey and Mike worked and smiled.

Mike had sent her an e-mail yesterday saying that he wondered if she might have a free night this week. Missie actually appreciated that he wasn't calling her everyday. She'd responded that Wednesday would be the best night for her. She didn't want to be out late Thursday again this week. She'd been crazy tired last weekend.

At her apartment she ran in and changed from her work clothes to blue jeans and a slinky black top. It was starting to get a little cool at night so she grabbed her jacket. She fished her sequined black flat from the back of the closet and went to brush her teeth and touch up her make-up.

She hurried back out to drive over to the Tavern where she was meeting everyone. When she got there Gina and McKenna were sitting at the corner table.

"Hey!" Missie exclaimed as McKeena jumped up for a hug. "I was hoping you'd be here!" McKenna used to work with Stacey, but she'd gone back to school last year and worked third shift as a night auditor for a local hotel. It was a rare occasion that she got to hang out with the girls.

"What's new with you?" She asked as she sat down. McKenna grinned and nodded to the waitress that had walked up to take Missie's drink order. She got a glass of cab and grabbed a menu. "So?" Missie asked again.

"We should wait on Stacey." McKenna grinned and lifted her glass of rum and coke to her lips. Missie noted the sparkly new diamond on her finger.

"McKenna!" She exclaimed. "You're engaged?"

"What?" Stacey walked up behind Missie, hands outstretched. "Shut up!" Kenna laughed and jumped up to hug Stacey.

"When? Tell us everything!" Missie said.

The four sat around drinking and giggling as McKenna recounted the past month and her boyfriend Josh's proposal the previous week. The girls gushed and congratulated until their food came. While they were eating Stacey piped up.

"So Missie, I heard you had a date Sunday?" McKenna raised her eyebrows and question and Gina leaned back smiling. Missie had lunch with her yesterday and filled her in. She hadn't had a chance to tell her about tomorrow yet though.

"I did. It was nice. I'm going to see a movie with him tomorrow night actually." The girls wanted to dish on details but Missie didn't give up too much. She was always hesitant to get excited about a new guy. When you didn't have expectations then you couldn't be let down, but you could be pleasantly surprised.

They'd finished dinner and ordered a couple of deserts to share when Gina's phone rang. She checked the ID and frowned. "Let me get this." She excused herself and walked toward the door to talk. Stacey shrugged and leaned back over the table.

"So McKenna, you gonna let me throw your bachelorette party?" She winked and Mckenna laughed. Stacey had thrown quite a few bachelorette parties over the years and they were known for being crazy nights.

"I wouldn't have it any other way." McKenna said. Missie laughed shaking her head. She glanced toward Gina who was ending her phone call and heading back to the table.

"Anything wrong?" McKenna asked when Gina sat down. Gina lifted a hand and shook her head.

"Nah, just a family thing." Missie nodded, knowing she'd get more details later. When they finished desert Stacey asked if anyone wanted to grab another drink but the other three girls declined. McKenna had class the next day and Gina had expressed her displeasure with Missie's outfit for her first date and summarily announced that she was going to her house to help her pick out something 'better' for her second date.

The four went their different ways and promises were made to get together again soon.

"See you at your place." Gina called as she slid behind the wheel of her Honda Civic. Missie nodded and got into her own car. She thought about McKenna's engagement and shook her head. She and Josh had started dating a year ago, but the time had flown by. It seemed like it was just a few months ago that she'd been gushing over their first date.

When Missie pulled into the parking lot at her complex she sighed. Could Mike be the last guy she dated? it was a strange thought.

She hopped out and met Gina on the sidewalk. "So who called earlier?" Missie asked.

"Kendra." Gina responded with confused look.

"What did she want?" Tommy's girlfriend came around every now and then but she didn't exactly buddy up to Gina.

"She thinks Tommy is cheating on her, and asked if I knew anything." Missie stopped short and looked at her friend.

"What did you tell her?" She asked. Worried that Kendra would somehow find out what had happened between her and Tommy.

"That as far as I knew he hadn't been cheating on her. Which is true, because they were broken up when you two hooked up." Gina shrugged and stopped by Missie's door.

Missie shook her head and unlocked the deadbolt. "I still don't like that she's thinking that." Gina waved a hand and started down the hall.

"Don't stress it. You didn't do anything wrong. Let's find you a sexy outfit."

Missie laughed, locking the door as Gina headed down the hall. "Subtle Sexy!" She called down the hallway and got a snide laugh in response.

She rolled her eyes as she followed down the hall. Gina would have her dressed up in satin for a movie if she didn't stop her. She tossed her purse on the bed and saw the silver heels that Gina had already pulled out of the closet.

"Heels? Really?" Missie whined.

"Gotta show off that ass." Gina cackled. The next thing to land on the bed was a black mini dress.

"Oh you've gotta be kidding." she moaned. "I am not wearing that to a movie!"

"I know." Gina laughed and tossed a cotton dress toward her that hit just below the knees with 3/4 length sleeves. "That's for the movie. The other is for Saturday. I figure that will be your sex date." She winked and bent down for the cowboy boots to go with the cotton dress.

Missie laughed. She didn't deny the Saturday night theory, she'd already considered it. She grabbed the cotton dress, hanging it on the back of the bedroom door. "Just help me chose some jewelry, you bitch."

Gina laughed and went to the jewelry box. Missie fell back on the bed and sighed. Hopefully she'd make it to a third date with this one.

Date Night

"So what are you going to wear?" Gina plopped down on Missie's bed, eliciting a groan. Not that she was still sleeping, but she'd been satisfied just laying in bed with her high thread-count sheets wrapped around her.


"I don't know. I just woke up." Missie rolled over to face her way-too-perky friend. Rather than drive Gina home after work, Missie had suggested she just crash at her place and she'd take her home tomorrow, well, today.

Missie reluctantly sat up in the bed, adjusting her nightgown so as not to flash Gina. She glanced at the alarm clock.

"Gina, it's only nine. Why are we up?" Missie groaned as she worked free of the covers and walked into the bathroom.

"About that," Gina raised her voice so that Missie could hear through the door. "I forgot I was supposed to go antiquing with my grandmother today. I promised like a month ago and forgot to write it down."

Missie groaned and called back through the door, "What time?" She washed her hands then walked back into the bedroom where Gina still sat on the bed.

"Like ten, but I told her I'd get to to bring her to her house since she's nearby, so we've got some time." Missie just nodded and went about changing clothes and brushing her teeth.

"Really though," Gina said as she went to the closet, "What are you going to wear tonight?" Missie shrugged with a mouthful of toothpaste. She'd thought about it last night as she was falling asleep, but she was so tired she didn't get very far in her thought process.

Gina began to pull outfits from the closet making Missie laugh. "If I need to get you to your grandmother's we don't have time for this."

"These are just my suggestions, so that when you're getting ready later you don't have to hate that I'm not here. " Gina smiled over her shoulder and tossed another summer dress on the bed.

"You don't think it'll be too cool for some of these? I mean it's starting to get chilly at night." Missie picked up a sleeveless dress that hit mid-thigh. She laughed and held it up before adding, "And I don't want him to think he's getting any tonight."


Gina waved a had at her and tossed a few pairs of heels on the bed. Missie knew her friend was only trying to help, but the chances that she would pick any of these outfits for a first date was slim to none.


Twenty minutes later Missie was driving Gina across town to her grandmother’s. Gina messed with the radio and stopped when Journey came pouring out of the speakers. The girls sang along and Gina danced in the passenger seat to ‘Don’t Stop Believing’. The song went off and Gina laughed.

“By the way,” she fished her phone from her purse and used a manicured finger to find something. She turned down the radio and pressed the button.

“I don’t want anybody else…” Missie laughed, thinking she’d downloaded the ring tone, then heard the catcalls in the background and realized it was a recording from Thursday night.

“Gina! You recorded me!” She squealed and poked her friend in the arm. “You better erase that!” She threatened.

Gina cackled and stuffed the phone back in her purse, “It’s your new ring tone, my friend!” The two laughed as Missie pulled the car into Ms. Peterson’s driveway.

“Go help your grandmother. I’ll steal your phone later.” Gina winked and threw her purse over her shoulder.

“Call me tomorrow!” Gina scrambled out of the car. Missie waited until she disappeared into the garage and back out into the road. She drove home contemplating what to wear on her first date with the guy who asked her out after she’d performed The Divinyls. She laughed, remembering the whole ordeal, and imagining what someone who didn’t know her would have thought to watch the performance.

Missie went by the pharmacy and picked up a few things she needed, grabbing a new nail polish and some body wash. It was after ten, and it made her laugh that she felt the need to hurry home because of her seven o’clock date.

She left the pharmacy swung though the Starbucks for a mocha before going home to undergo the pre-date ritual. What a process. She’d have to shave and use her ‘smell-good’ soap. She’d take the time to dry and straighten her hair, then there was the make-up, and it was a fine line between looking like a hooker and looking like she hadn’t tried to look beautiful, she just did.

She needed to paint her nails, and then there was still the what-to-wear dilemma. She sighed. It would likely take most of the afternoon and she would still feel like she missed something.

Back at her apartment Missie put away all the clothes that Gina had pulled out. She pulled out a pair of black slacks and a rich purple tank top with a sequin design down the side. She grabbed a black blazer and cuffed the sleeves to show the teal lining. After hanging the clothes and picking out some jewelry she headed into the living room to paint her nails. She could do that while she watched the ballgame.

Her team was losing in the third quarter and her nails were just beginning to dry when the phone rang.

“Hello?” She answered.

“Hey, Missie. It’s Mike.” Missie smiled and leaned back against the sofa. She’d been perched on the edge ready to scream at the television, but this conversation was preferable to watching the massacre happening on that field.

“Hey Mike. What’s up?” She asked, studying the smudge on her pinkie.

“Not much. Just making sure everything is still good for tonight?” Missie glanced at the clock, already four o’clock?

“Yep,” She hopped off the sofa. “See you at seven, right?”

“Six.” Missie stopped with his response. “Six?” She asked. “Oh, I thought we said seven.”

“Oh, well, seven is ok. Maybe I got mixed up.” Did he? She wondered, or did she. She was pretty sure that he’d said seven. Whatever.

“No, that’s fine. I can do six.” She’d just have to start moving. She had to get ready then make her apartment presentable. She walked him through getting back to her apartment and then went to hop in the shower.

She was ready by five forty-five and for once she was grateful that a guy showed up early. She wasn’t very good at waiting.

“Hey,” she answered the door, “come on in. Just let me grab my purse.” Mike smiled, following behind her.

“You look really nice.” He said, giving her a hug. Missie smiled at the compliment.

“Thanks.” She left him to study her living room while she grabbed her purse and checked herself in the mirror one last time. When she came back down the hall he was studying some of her framed snapshots around the TV console. He was wearing blue jeans and a button up top. His hair was freshly but and she could just smell his cologne.

Dating was nice. When she hung out with her guys friends they were usually scraggly and frumpy, never smelling of soap and cologne. It was easy to forget how nice it was to be around a man who smelled so good.

“Ready?” She asked. He turned around a flashed her a smile.

“Absolutely.” He opened the door for her and waited for her to lock-up. In his car he let her control the radio b noticed that she’d left the volume low and used the opportunity to ask her about her job at the apartment complex.

She told him how she’d fallen into her two job routine and shared some crazy tenant stories. He laughed and encouraged her to keep talking when she started to feel like she was dominating the conversation. It was comfortable and they were downtown before she realized it.

Inside the restaurant he continued to navigate the conversation making her feel comfortable. He told her about his first week at this job and some funny stories about some of Stacey’s friends who had become regulars when they all got together. It seemed he’d already found his spot as caretaker amongst that little group.

It made Missie happy that he was a pretty responsible guy. Usually getting picked up in bars meant meeting guys who didn’t know what self-control meant, and assumed that being a bartender meant she liked to get drunk on a regular basis.

They stayed at the restaurant until nine thirty, and Missie didn’t want to go home, except that tomorrow was Monday and morning would come early. The drive home was just as pleasant as the rest of the evening. Back at her complex Mike parked and walked her to her door.

“I had a really good time.” He said. Missie smiled and nodded, “Me too.”

She debated on inviting him in. Just for a drink, but worried he might think she was offering more. Maybe she was. She didn’t have time to work it through though.

“Can I give you a call tomorrow?” He asked.

“That would be great.” Missie said. Mike smiled and gave her a hug. When he pulled away he stopped to drop a kiss on her cheek, just catching the edge of her lips. Missie smiled and he took a step back.

“I’ll let you get inside and lock the door.” She nodded. She loved the protective air, and she really could get used to all the manners he practiced. Once inside she smiled and waved again as Mike disappeared down the stairs.

She locked the door, smiling. She sent a text to Gina. ‘Lunch tomorrow :)’ She tossed the phone on the bed and started getting ready to turn in. Washing her face and changing into PJs, she went and got a glass of water and shut off the lights.

Back in her room she had two text messages. Gina saying, ‘can’t wait!’ and Mike. She smiled as she read the message.

‘I wanted to tell you again I had a great time tonight. Sweet Dreams, and I will call you tomorrow. Can’t wait to see you again.”

The Weekend Edition

"Agh!" Missie slapped the off button on her alarm clock. Why couldn't she ever remember to turn that damn thing off on Friday night. She'd basically worked from 8am to 3am yesterday, and now her alarm was waking her up at seven o'clock on a Saturday morning. She managed to reset it for noon then laid back down to sleep. Her phone was flashing on her bedside table. She really didn't want to check it, afterall, she shouldn't be awake yet. The responsible side of her was chanting, 'but it could be important'.

She laid there for five minutes before snatching the phone and checking the message. It was a text from Gina. "Need to talk about Thursday night. Call when you can." Missie groaned rolling over. When she'd woken up Friday Tommy was still passed out in her bed. She showered and fixed coffee and he was still asleep. Knowing that he didn't have to be at work until ten o'clock or so, she set her alarm for nine and scribbled a note for him. She'd been surprised not to hear from him, but it was ok. She didn't want him making a big deal out of having sex. She'd been horny and he was sad. It didn't have to mean anything. Maybe Gina got lucky Thursday and wanted to dish. That was probably it. Missie rolled over and went back to sleep. She'd call Gina later, after she'd recharged.

Missie woke up at nearly twelve-thirty. She had 4 hours til she had to clock in for the night. She rolled out of bed, brushing her teeth and snagging a diet coke from the fridge. She logged into her facebook while she dialed Gina. She'd been tagged in a few phone shots from Thursday night. One of the dudes had actually put, "She's touching herself" in the caption box. She rolled her eyes and scrolled back through the news feed.

"About time you drag your ass out of bed." Gina answered, laughing.

"Yeah? Well good morning to you too, friend." Missie spotted some pictures her cousin uploaded from her sorority party and clicked through. "What's going on?"

"You tell me, ho. I hear you had a good time Thursday night."

Missie sighed, "He told you about that, huh?"

"Well yeah. The question is, why didn't you tell me? I didn't know you were still jonesing over Tommy?"

"Is that what he said?" Missie exclaimed. "He came onto me, and it was just sex! I'm not jonesing over anyone."

Gina cackled and Missie knew she'd gotten herself caught in something. "I knew something happened."

Missie dropped her head, inwardly groaning, "Tommy didn't tell you anything did he?"

"Not a damn word. But I knew he was crashing at your place and I figured two young single bodies would find a way into the sack." She laughed. Missie did too. She should've known Tommy wouldn't have told Gina.

"It was just a one time thing, Gina. What happened with you and that guy you were hugged up with?" Missie deflected. Gina began to ramble on about her new friend. She'd caught a ride back with Stacey so they hadn't hooked up, but hey had a date tonight and they may come by the bar.

"That would be cool," Missie said. "I hate to rush off the phone but I need to shower and run some errands before work.

"No problem, girl. I'll talk to you later!" They hung up and Missie threw a load of clothes in the washer before getting into the shower. She got ready in 30 minutes and tossed her make-up bag in her purse.

She hated putting her make-up on so early in the day. She'd run her errands then put on her face before going into work. She had a shirt to exchange and needed to pick up a few bottles of wine for birthday gifts. She'd long ago learned that alcohol made a great present, and was relatively inexpensive.  She ran into a few extra stores to browse while she was out, but she didn't buy anything extra. Next week was payday, she might go back then and see if the cute little dress she'd liked was still on sale.

Once she got to McHale's she quickly fixed her make-up and hurried inside. She wasn't late, but she tried to be a little early to make sure the bar was set up the way she wanted before the dinner crowd came in.

She rushed in and got to work. The regulars came and went. It was getting close to eleven which was when things normally picked up. She saw Gina sweep in and make a beeline for the bar. She was alone.

"Hey!" Missie greeted her.

"Hey. Listen, I'm going to get sick and borrow your car later. I'll come back and pick you up at closing." Gina glanced back towards the door where her date was walking in. "I'll explain later."

Missie just laughed, "Ok." She handed a beer to the guy two stools down, "Three-fifty." She said. the guy handed her a five and winked.

"Keep the change, sugar." Missie smiled and Gina bit her lip. Once the older man walked away they giggled.

"Good crowd." Gina commented. Her date had slid in beside her.

"Hey, Missie right?" He stuck out his hand and Missie shook it, smiling.

"That's me. Sorry, I don't remember you're name."

"John." He smiled and put an arm around Gina's shoulders. she saw the displeasure on her friends face just before Gina excused herself to the restroom, leaving John at the bar with Missie. Luckily a couple of college kids walked up just then.

"Excuse me, John." She slid down to get their drink orders and wondered what about this guy had Gina so turned off, but she knew she'd find out before the night was over.

Missie stayed busy and about twenty minutes and two trips to the bathroom later Gina made a semi-production of asking for Missie's car keys so she could go to her mother's nearby because she was getting sick. John was clearly disappointed, saying he call her tomorrow, and he walked her to the car. Missie was surprised when he came back into the bar five minutes later.

"I hate that she is so sick. I hope she feels better before tomorrow." John watched while she mixed a round of shots.

"What's tomorrow?" Missie asked.

"My nephew's birthday party. I wanted her to come meet my brother and his wife." Missie stopped just short whipping around and asking 'What?!'. Instead she just nodded and swapped shots for a debit card.

"You wanna start a tab?" She asked the girl buying the round. She nodded and Missie went about jotting the order down and paperclipping it to the card and sliding it under the cash drawer. John stuck around trying to make small talk, but luckily they were pretty busy and she was able to avoid anymore true conversation. He left around midnight and Missie was buzzing. She tried to help the waitresses out some, as the tables were busier than her bar tonight.

Around one the crowd thinned some, but a group of about ten men came in, loud and obnoxious. It was easy to tell they'd probably be the ones to close the place down. she thought she recognized a few of them as friends of Stacey's. They sat in the big corner booth and flirted with their waitress, a new girl named Shelly. Missie tried to feel bad for her, but tonight would be as good a night as any to really learn the ropes.

She unloaded a rack of glasses that had come from the back and she when turned back around, she was surprised to see Mike.

"Hey, Missie." He smiled. He really was a good looking guy.

"Hey, how are you doing?" She asked.

"Pretty good. I was going to call you tomorrow," He nodded toward the back booth, "but on the way over one of the guys told me you worked here, so I figure I'm in luck." He winked.

Usually Missie hated guys who winked, but she figured she'd make an exception. "Why is that?" She teased.

"Cause now I get to ask you out in person." Smiling, she held up a finger for him to hold that thought and stepped down to wait on the couple that just walked up. Mike settled himself on a stool to wait while she fixed their drinks.

She was taking their money when she saw Tommy in the corner. Tucked beside him in the booth was Kendra. He saw Missie and casually lifted a hand in acknowledgment. Kendra saw her too and waved, smiling.

Missie smiled back and lifted a hand. She was glad he hadn't told her about the other night, and clearly if Kendra was smiling he hadn't. She went back down to where Mike sat at the end of the bar.

"About this date you're going to ask me on?" She grinned. Mike laughed and suggested they grab sushi Sunday night. Missie agreed and scribbled her address on a napkin for him. He stayed and flirted for a few minutes, but the bar started to fill up again and he joined his friends in the corner, promising to say bye before he left.

Missie finished the rest of the shift without any issue and Gina showed back up five minutes til closing. She passed Tommy and Kendra and stopped to speak to them on her way to the bar. Missie turned as her friend sauntered up to take a stool.

"Well, that didn't last long." She remarked, nodding her head back towards the couple. Missie just shrugged. The crowd of guys with Mike began making their way towards the door waving as they left. Mike trailed behind and gave her a little wave.

"Seven o'clock?" He pointed at her.

"Seven." She agreed and waved to him. When they'd cleared out Gina was leaning against the bar laughing.

"You'll have to fill me in on that one." She smiled. Missie tossed the bar towel over her shoulder and leaned against the back counter.

"Only after you tell me about Mr. Family Man." Both of the girls erupted into laughter and filled each other in on the evening while Missie cleaned up and closed down.