Writer’s Note: This is loosely based off of an experience I had years ago with a woman who affectionately described herself as “90% lesbian.” Unlike this story, she was single and we never did anything with each other.

I knew something was up at work when my boss began starving me for work.
My usual, day-to-day duties were what they were, but the project team meetings were becoming more rare and task assignments either small or given to others. We were winning contracts and banking revenue – at first, I was confused, but then began growing more concerned. Then the day finally arrived in early May as my boss asked me to join him for an impromptu meeting in his office and the head of HR was waiting there with him.
I was being let go. The official reason was performance issues – I wasn’t doing much around the office (conveniently overlooking the fact that he wasn’t giving me any work to perform), but the real reason was they wanted to save some money and merge my duties with another coworker. I was angry as I left, but a little relieved, too. I had been unhappy with the work and the company for over a year, so it felt good to be free of its demands, but not having much savings would mean making unemployment funds stretch until I landed a new job. I resigned myself to probably having a lean and uneventful summer and returning to my starving grad student dietary schedule and budget.
May was a crappy time to be out of work – people were beginning their vacations or traveling all over to pick up their kids from college. It meant that anyone important enough to look at my resume probably wouldn’t be in the office for a week or two. I was let go on a Tuesday, so I gave myself the rest of the week to bounce back and forth between mild depression or celebrating within limited means, but I was applying for unemployment, posting my resume, and poring over the job sites by the beginning of the following week.
A few weeks later, I was trading calls and emails with HR staff and recruiters, registering for my weekly unemployment benefits, but no interviews had popped up yet. I scaled back expenses by closing out my gym membership, but compensated by regular home workouts and powerwalks, and using the most of my apartment complex’s pool to swim laps and get some sun. My routine was a ritualistic search on the major websites, sending out resumes and filling out applications, and having phone interviews in the morning. Afternoons were spent doing chores, running errands, and working out. I settled into going to the pool on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but Saturdays and/or Sundays if nothing was going on with friends.
After a few weeks, I was seeing a pattern with the crowd at the pool. It was a mix of either telecommuters taking a break from work, stay-at-home moms who needed their kids to burn off some energy, and retirees. My routine encouraged a growing familiarity with my fellow pool attendees, through polite nods and sometimes casual conversation if something popped up. There was one single woman who always had flawless hair and nails who I tried to break the ice with, but she had far more interested in work emails and business news on her phone…and probably more gainfully employed men. A pleasant woman in her early fifties seemed to be taking a flirtatious interest in me, and while she looked good for her age, it was hard to overlook her wedding band. She enjoyed sporting a leaves-nothing-to-the-imagination two piece that frequently tested my sense of morality about sleeping with a married woman, but I successfully avoided caving to temptation…much to the chagrin of my sex-starved libido.
As June rolled in, I noticed a new single mom showing up at the pool with her very young (maybe six or seven year old) son. She appeared to be about my age, cute with a short bob haircut, and carried a very distracting “mom bod.” Her breasts were absolutely perfect, her waist and hips just the right ratio of curvy, and the tattoo on her right ankle of a set of stars worked. I thought I saw a bit of another tattoo on her right shoulder, but her one piece covered up enough to make me wonder what it was. One ear had several piercings going all the way up and around, and when she wasn’t texting on her phone or keeping an eye on her son, she was reading classic sci fi novels. One week, she was burning through Stranger in a Strange Land, the next something by Asimov. I was taking a stab at the Dune novels.
I tended to set up camp in one particular corner where the sun wasn’t hitting as hard and offered a nice view of the pool and side of the apartment building. I loved the corner until on the third floor of the northeast corner, the woman living there set up her Peloton in the corner windows and she loved wearing a skimpy sport bra and barely-there shorts. She also had a habit of talking on the phone while wrapped up in her towel afterward and it nearly fell off of her a few times. There was a guy on the tenth floor and who had no problem walking around naked and clearly enjoyed showing off his shortcomings by frequently walking past his windows. As time went on, I noticed that the mom was occasionally looking my way, and one day started settling down a seat or two away from me. By this time, summer heat was on full tilt and she had moved onto Margaret Atwood novels.
One day as I fought my way through God Emperor of Dune…
“I could never get through the first one.”
I looked up and she was looking right at me. Mirrored aviator sunglasses hid her eyes but not her confident, warm smile.
I looked at my book, “Not a Frank Herbert fan?”
She shook her head. “Too much to follow and process. I get to where they’re leaving for the desert planet and give up. I watch the movie sometimes, but it never makes any sense to me.”
I laughed a little. “That’s what happens when you hand over a sci fi epic to David Lynch. I never liked his movies and he practically disowned it.”
“I like some of his stuff, but I don’t mind weird. Kind of like my life. You know he was supposed to direct Return of the Jedi?”
I didn’t know that. “You’re kidding.”
She shook her head, “He met with Lucas, but Lynch didn’t feel he was a good fit.”
“I think I learned my thing for the day.”
She looked over to see what her son was doing. “Bobbie, stay in the kids pool. Thank you.” She smirked and looked back to me. “He wants to play with the big kids in the main pool, but I’m nervous as Hell – he hasn’t had swim lessons. Any kids?”
“None that I know of.”
She laughed at that. “Love it. Typical guy answer.” She seemed to be studying me. “I’ve seen you here a lot, you work from home or something?”
“Sort of,” I said a little hesitant to admit my current job status…but what the Hell… “Actually, I was laid off a few weeks ago.”
“Laid off?”
“I was fired. My boss didn’t like me and I was ready to leave anyway, he just beat me to it before I could land a new job.”
“That sucks…shouldn’t you be job hunting?” She looked over her sunglasses at me, making eye contact. She had amazing green eyes.
I stuck an old hotel room card key I brought back from Vegas in my book to keep my place and stashed my book away. “I have a routine down. Mornings are for job hunting and interviews, but use the afternoons for chores, errands and outdoor time. I’m trading off actual workout Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays with time at the pool on Tuesdays and Thursdays.”
She nodded. “Nice, good routine to keep yourself out of trouble.”
“It’s easy to stay out of trouble when you’re broke.”
She shrugged and sighed. Her breasts beautifully heaved at the same time. “God I know.”
“What’s your story?”
Her eyebrows raised over her sunglasses. “Me? I also kind of between jobs. I was a line chef at Morton’s, but had a…disagreement with the shift manager and he canned me.”
I was curious. “Disagreement?”
I think she blushed a little. “He wanted our relationship to be more than professional.”
“Not your type?”
“Seriously not my type and I heard enough rumors about his STDs to just say no.”
I took that in for a moment. “You couldn’t report him or something?”
She shrugged. “Harassment in the restaurant biz is tricky. If you’re working for a locally-owned place, you’re pretty much at the mercy of the owners, and the managers are usually in tight with them or they are the managers. If you’re working for a chain, there are ways to report it, but you have to have an ironclad case, and you might risk getting blacklisted since restaurants are heavy on networking. I told him to go fuck himself and walked out.”
I tried getting a look at her hands. No wedding ring. “So, not looking for a job?”
“Well, I should be, but it feels good to have some time with just me and kiddo there. My partner wants me to start looking.”
I crooked my head in a perfect confused puppy look.
“My girlfriend. We’ve been living together for two years. She’s a program manager and makes good money, but in this area, you still need two incomes.” She noticed me glance over at her son. “I had him six years ago. A high school friend who’s like a brother is the father.”
“How did that work out?”
She smiled. “It was a little weird, and it took a couple tries, but we succeeded. The agreement is I have full custody and he gets to visit, there for holidays and birthdays. He didn’t want a full-time family…” She paused. “Not with me anyway.” She focused again and held her hand out. “Ugh, what’s wrong with me? I’m Raine.”
I shook her hand. “Jack. Nice to meet you.”
“Same. Where are you living?”
“Fifth floor. You?”
“Third. We moved in a few months ago. Gina – my partner – sold her house because the market is so hot, and we’re waiting for prices to drop and move into a better house.” She crooked her head as if she were checking me out again. I could practically feel her eyes going back and forth behind those sunglasses. “You on your own?”
“Pretty much. I was seeing someone, but we broke up about a month before I was canned from my job.”
“Bad break up?”
I nodded, “Pretty bad. We weren’t together long, but I thought she was the one.”
“What did she think?”
I paused. “She felt that her ex was a better prospect.”
She sat up, “Damn, that’s fucked up! Not dating?”
I smiled, “I was getting back on the dating sites, but I can’t afford it. A good night out used to be a steak dinner and bottle of wine, now it’s McDonald’s.”
“That sucks.” She looked over at Bobbie. “C’mon, kiddo, five more minutes!” Then back to me. “Gotta wrangle him and get him down for a nap. See you later!”

Over the next two weeks, Raine and I took to hanging out together at the pool. We compared notes on books, movies, and a few things we liked to cook; and generally got to know each other a little better. I couldn’t help thinking that something was up about her interest. She still seemed to be checking me out, almost like a straight woman would. I chalked it up to my imagination given her situation, but still couldn’t shake the feeling.
One afternoon…
Raine sat up, looking a little alarmed. “Oh, fuck me…”
“What?” I asked.
A gravelly, heavy southern accented voice crackled from across the pool, “RAAAAINEEEEEE!”
Raine looked at me with a mix of embarrassment and alarm. “I’m so sorry for what you’re about to meet.”
A frumpish woman, looking like she was on the wrong side of forty hopped over, waving frantically at Raine and dressed like she was competing for Ms. Mobile Home Park, U.S.A. She sat down at the end of Raine’s pool chair without any grace or invitation.
“Girl!” The woman bellowed in a voice that made heads turn from the other side of the water (probably as quiet as she ever got). “Where the fuck have you been, mother fucker? I’ve been lookin’ all over for you!”
“Jack,” Raine said trying to prove my existence to the woman, “This is Tracy Lee. Trace, this is Jack.”
Tracey Lee eyed me over like something to eat. “Oh! He’s a cute fucker! Betcha tryin’ to see if you can eat her out?”
I was speechless.
“Trace…” Raine said with a sigh, “How are you?”
“Girl!” Tracy Lee said not missing a beat. “Restaurant ain’t been the same. Jenny fuckin’ quit and Dick is going for your old spot.”
“Ugh, he can’t – he’s no experience. Why’d Jenny quit?”
“Sucked Gary’s cock and got caught.”
I nearly spat out water I was drinking as Raine looked at me. “Gary is the manager I told you about.”
Tracey Lee turned back to me. As she smiled, I noticed that her pupils were pinpricks and whatever teeth she had left were a very unnatural shade of yellow. “You just hanging out with us dykes?”
“Something like that.”
Tracy Lee smiled and leaned toward me a little. “You know, I don’t just eat pussy…”
Raine shook her head, “Forget it, Trace. He’s out of work.”
“Yeah fuck, whatever.”
They chit chatted for a few minutes and then she took off.
Raine rolled her eyes and read my face like a book. “The restaurant biz attracts some interesting ones.”
I nodded. “What the Hell – ”
“Trace was a dish washer, busser and server at Morton’s. She’s a mess and redneck. Name anything illegal and she’s drank, shot or snorted it.” Raine almost looked embarrassed. “She likes me because I’m a lesbian, wants to get in my pants bad, too.”
“You didn’t just tell her no?”
Raine looked at me over her sunglasses, “I told her that MULTIPLE TIMES. She doesn’t care.”
I smiled, “Sounds like you’d need a full wetsuit for protection.”
Raine shuddered, “Ugh…she texted me a picture of her cooch once…no way in Hell I’d go down there.”
I shook my head, “Your work definitely attracts more interesting people than mine!”
With that, Raine sighed and stretched out on her pool chair. I couldn’t help but notice her curves – her breasts heaving just right, and the lines her stomach and hips made. I wasn’t sure, but I’d swear her one piece was more revealing than the previous ones she’s worn at the pool. I saw the slightest curl of a smile at the corner of her mouth, and she turned toward me, almost as if she wanted me to see more of her cleavage.
“Mind if I ask you something?” She asked.
“Fire away.”
“You haven’t dated anyone since your break up, right?”
“Not really, no.” I said, shifting a little in my own chair.
Raine paused for a moment, “So, when’s the last time you got laid?”
Whether or not she planned that question for while I was taking a sip of water, but my half choking, half spitting it out couldn’t have been more well timed.
“Sorry,” she said, not really stifling a laugh, “Too soon to ask?”
I finished wiping my face. “It’s been a while. My ex and I broke up a week or two after the last time we had at it.”
“Shit, we need to find you a girl. I lose it if I don’t have at least one orgasm a week.”
“Yeah well, I need a job more than getting laid.”
“Any bites?”
I shrugged, “A couple of recruiters said they’re handing my resume over to some execs for consideration, but no interviews yet. The job market is kind of slow with summer.”
“Yeah, Gina’s getting on me to start looking. I promised her next week I’ll get on it.” Raine said as she stretched her arms over her head again, making her breasts stand out even more. “It’d be nice to have some money to play with again.”
“Seriously, I’m getting really tired of PB and J’s for dinner.”
Raine perked her head up, “When’s the last time you had a home cooked meal?”
I thought for a moment. “I don’t remember.”
Raine thought for a moment. “What are you up to Saturday night?”
“Well,” I replied, “Since I’m pretty much caught up on laundry and cleaning, probably staying in and watching a movie.”
“I’ve a better idea. Come over to my place and I’ll cook you something.”
“Yeah?” I said.
Raine nodded, “Yeah. Trace usually drops off some stuff from Morton’s that’s to be thrown out, so come by and I’ll treat you.”
I thought about it. “Okay, sounds good. Do I need – ?”
“Just a bottle of wine and an appetite.”

I missed out on going to the pool over the next two days because I landed some interviews, and Saturday was spent running a few errands without spending too much of my unemployment check. As evening came around, I knocked on Raine’s door. I heard some clanging and then her footsteps marching up to the door.
“Well, hey there!” She said with a big smile, wearing a pair of torn jeans and a plain white t-shirt that was slightly too big for her, but didn’t hide her perfectly shaped breasts, and without a bra. Except for a small toe ring, she was bare footed. “C’mon in! Dinner is almost ready.”
As I walked in, I looked around. The place smelled amazing from whatever Raine was cooking and was neatened up, but still suffered from a kid in residence. Toys were haphazardly sitting in piles in the corner or falling out of toy bins, an odd piece of clothing or two draped the back of the couch. It was clean but lived in. A few pictures showed her, Bobbie, who I assumed was Gina. She wasn’t quite what I was expecting – at least, not based on stereotypes. Nothing about her said “lesbian.”
“Yup,” Raine said over my shoulder from the kitchen, “That’s Gina. You’ve never seen her before, have you?”
“Funny thing, I have.”
Raine looked back, “What?”
“She and I left for work at the same time, so I sometimes saw her in the elevator or parking garage.”
“Small world,” Raine said. “Open up that bottle of wine, we’re about ready here.”
As I opened the bottle, I noticed that there were only two place settings at the table, and I realized that there wasn’t a six year old buzzing around. “Aren’t Gina or Bobbie here?”
Raine pulled something out of the oven. “Bobbie is staying with his grandparents and Gina’s out of town. She’s at some conference that runs until tomorrow morning, then she flies back.”
“Oh.”
“Yeah,” Raine said putting the final touches on whatever was on the counter. “First chance I’ve had to sleep in since the beginning of the year. Now, sit down.”
Raine stepped into the dining room with two plates filled with filet mignons, red skin mashed garlic potatoes and string beans. She sat down across from me, raised a glass which I returned the gesture by clinking mine with hers, and dug in. The steak was amazing and I hungrily ate away. I really couldn’t remember the last time I ate a meal like this and it was definitely a welcome change. After a few minutes, I realized Raine wasn’t eating. She was watching me.
“Sorry,” she said, “Maybe it’s the cook in me, but I like watching people eat what I prepared. Especially when they enjoy it.”
“This,” I said between bites, “This is good. So good.”
“Yeah, Trace came through on this one. Those filets were a steal.”
“I’ll bet!” I said.
Raine rolled her eyes, “No really. She may have stolen them before they went bad. It happens. But at this rate, the evidence will be gone fast enough.”
We took our time eating, drinking and talking. We downed the bottle I brought and got through about half of one she had handy, and after a hasty clean up, sat on the couch and chit chatted. We turned on the TV and flipped through the channels until settling on Young Frankenstein, which we apparently both loved. Relaxed and laughing at familiar jokes, I barely noticed Raine sitting closer to me, even going out of her way to sit closer. I tried not to read too much into it and focus on the movie.
By the time Gene Wilder was asking Marty Feldman about whose brain was in the monster, I was starting to fade, catching myself almost falling asleep. Between the food and wine, my buzz had sapped my energy and could barely stay awake. At some point, I must’ve passed out, suddenly realizing I was dreaming and woke up…to Raine cuddled up against me with her hand so low on my waist that if it were any lower, she’d be giving me a handjob. I started to shift and sit up, but her hand on my chest told me to stay where I was.
“Uh…” I started to say.
Raine let out a slow, relaxed sighed. “I can’t even remember the last time I snuggled up with a man.”
“Wait, what?” I asked.
She looked up at me and I swear her eyes looked even bigger. At the angle I was sitting, it was also hard not to look down her loose t-shirt at her amazing cleavage. Her perfume was floral while not overwhelming, but very distracting. Without missing a beat, Raine stretched her head up and pressed her lips against mine in a kiss that was pure attraction. My first instinct was to pull away, but it felt so good that I didn’t even hesitate when she opened her mouth and slid her tongue into mine. Eyes closed, tongues wrapped around each other, I found myself holding her in my arms in a deep embrace. The kind you have when you know someone wants you, or you inside them.
Countless moments later, we parted lips. The look on my face must’ve spoken volumes.
Raine rolled her eyes a bit. “Okay,” she said, “I should explain.”
“Please…” I replied, thoroughly confused.
“I kind of like men…too.”
“Wait, what?” I asked. “What about Gina?”
“Gina,” She paused for a moment. “Gina is a dyed in the wool lesbian. She said so on our first date.”
“Then, what about you?”
“I…think I’m best described as ‘homoflexible.’”
I crooked my head like a confused puppy.
She rolled her eyes. “Think of it as being ‘mostly lesbian.’ I love Gina, really love fucking her, but sometimes…I want a man.”
I was still a bit confused. “That isn’t being bi?”
She shrugged and rested her head on my chest. “Yes…no…I don’t know. Once in a while I want the feel, smell and be touched by a man.”
“Does Gina know this?”
“Yes…sort of. She knows I’ve been with men, and except for having Bobbie, I’ve been monogamous with her. Honest, I’ve never done this before. I don’t even know what she’d say about it.”
I felt my buzz starting to wear off. “Maybe…we should call it a night. Cheating is still cheating no matter who’s involved.”
“Fuck.” Raine sat up. She seemed more frustrated than upset. “No, you’re right.”
With that, I got up, made sure I had everything I came with, and Raine walked me to the front door.
“Sorry about this.” Raine said, then wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled me in for another deep kiss.
We stood there long enough to arguably be making out, coiled tongues wrapping and unwrapping, lips parting and pressing, the feel of her breasts against me, my hands on the small of her back. We leaned against the door and I placed one hand on her perfectly round ass. Why did it have to feel so good?
Raine pulled away and stood there, still as if frozen with a hungry look in her eye. She dropped down to her knees and grabbed at my jeans, opening them up so fast and rough that I wondered if she was going to rip them. She unceremoniously yanked my jeans and then briefs down, stopping as she gently and lovingly took my semi-hard cock in her hand. She held and looked at it, almost like studying something new. She smiled as it grew and hardened in her hand.
Slowly, she leaned in and opened her mouth, taking in just tip inside her lips. She rolled it around and I could feel her teeth and flat of her tongue push against it. Raine steadily slid it in, as if she wanted to savor every moment, one hand guiding it in, the other gently caressing my balls. The rasp of her tongue against my cock made it even harder, and I closed my eyes and leaned back as she began sliding in and out of her mouth. She developed a rhythm – not too fast and not too slow, and not taking all of it in. Then stopping and taking the whole thing into her mouth until I heard the unmistakable sound of a near gag reflex. I occasionally opened my eyes to watch her suck on me, sometimes looking up at me to make eye contact with those big, welcoming eyes. I was beyond turned on, almost forgetting what we were doing and not stopping. For who knows how long we stayed there, her alternating between sucking me and licking it with all of her tongue. My cock was wet beyond words.
She stood up as I pulled up my briefs and started pulling up my jeans, but she took me by the hand and led me back to the couch. I half-heartedly tugged back toward the door, but not nearly enough to stop her from taking me back into the room. As we walked up to the couch, I heard her unzip her jeans and effortlessly drop them to the floor and step out of them. The couch was one of those enormous, plushy ones that we sank into, laying on our sides, caressing one another, legs intertwined. Her breasts heaved against me and my hard cock pressed on her stomach and crotch. We took turns necking and kissing, sometimes nibbling or licking on an ear. My hands ran up and down her back and ass, going underneath her t-shirt.
As I kissed down her neck, she pulled her t-shirt off revealing her breasts, and they were even more wonderful than I imagined. Without missing a beat, I worked my way down from her neck to her breasts, kissing and licking until reaching her nipples. Taking them in my mouth, flicking them with my tongue, teasingly and gently biting them to see if she liked it (and judging from the pleased moans I heard, she did). I felt them with one hand while I slipped the other inside her panties. I felt down her ass enough to feel a little bit of wetness on her panties. Almost on cue, she leaned back a little, giving me enough room to move my hand around to the front and feel her perfectly smooth and extremely wet pussy. It was warm and the lips felt intoxicatingly slippery between my fingers, her clit swollen. She let out a gently gasp as my fingers ran across it, her hand instinctively moving on top of mine, but not stopping me either.

I rose up and pulled her panties off as she spread her legs and shifted a little to make herself more comfortable. She rubbed herself a little as I worked up her inner thigh then left it alone as I dove in. I made playful licks at first, getting a taste of her and enjoying the short, sharp chirps and moans she made. Then, I made long, deliberate, deep lick around, across and over her pussy. I loved the feel of her pussy’s lips parting as my tongue passed between them, and the deep moan that followed as I went over her clit. I went to work, trading off between licking her pussy and delving my tongue as far inside her as I could, and giving her clit some careful tracing with the tip of my tongue. Her hands cupped my head and she ran her fingers through my hair as I ate her, my own hands caressing her breasts, nipples between my fingers. I kept licking her, trying every combination I knew to keep her aroused until her moans got louder. I knew she was close as her back arched up and down and she grabbed my head and hair. Her hips gyrated, trying to rub herself against my tongue even harder as I licked. Suddenly she froze and let out a near primal scream, unable to move and gripping my head in place in an unsaid command to stay right where I was.

Moments passed as jolts rocked up and down her body. Slowly, her grip on my head loosened and she relaxed as the wave subsided. As I rose up, I began to wipe my mouth on her inner thighs, but she grabbed me and pulled me up. Rained shoved her tongue in my mouth, hungrily exploring it. I could feel her smile and then we parted.
“I love tasting myself on someone.” She hummed and licked around my lips to get it all.
My cock was so hard and I was so around, that pre-cum had soaked the front of my briefs. Raine leaned over to a side table and opened a drawer, promptly giving me a condom wrapper. I stood up and she peeled my briefs off as I tore open the wrapper and pulled the condom out. Raine gently touched the tip of my cock, rubbing the pre-cum around the tip and between her fingers, almost as if she were fascinated by it. She watched as I drew on the condom, making sure it went all the way down. She laid back on the couch, legs spread and hips rotated in an eager position. With my hand, I guided my cock to her waiting pussy, tracing its lips with the tip before starting to slide it in.
We both moaned as I entered her, her legs clamping around my hips as I got all the way in. Her pussy was warm, wet and felt all too much perfect around my cock. As I moved in and out of her, she drew her legs in to push me harder and deeper inside her. My cock was raging with the orgasm growing, and watching her breast heave back and forth as I pressed in and out of her made it even more intense. Soon, I was pounding into her, every thrust both an all too brief instant and eternity of insane pleasure. I growled as she gasped and moaned, I leaned down against her to feel her bare breasts on my chest as I rammed into her and sped up, feeling myself ready to let go. Her legs were like a vice against my lower back and ass as I was inside her. Finally, I felt the unmistakable urge and braced myself against her as I came, firing off inside her with an intensity I hadn’t felt in what seemed like ages. I came and came hard. She moaned and yelped as she felt me go off inside her. Then, slowly and gently, her legs unlocked and I relaxed, resting half on her and beside her, taking my time to pull out, but eventually doing so.
We laid there silently, catching out breath, enjoying the afterglow. I’d gently kiss her chest and neck as she stroked my hair.
After what seemed like forever, we finally got up, smiling and embarrassed at the same time. We awkwardly cleaned up and got dressed.
Raine led me to the door and gave me one more deep kiss as she unlocked it.
“Don’t let this be the last time I see or hear from you,” she whispered. I walked out and heard the door slowly close behind me.

The next week felt awkward. I landed a couple of interviews so I was finally seeing some payback from my job hunting. I missed the pool that week thanks to schedule conflicts with my interviews, so I didn’t run into Raine there. She and I traded a few innocent “how u doing?” texts, but I kept the conversations neutral. In truth, I wasn’t sure what to think or do. I kept thinking about that evening, how good it felt, how fun it was, but wasn’t happy about the cheating part. I didn’t even confide in any of my friends because I didn’t want that hanging over my head with anyone.
Finally, that Thursday, I had some time again and went down to the pool. Raine was there with Bobbie and waved at me to come over. She was finishing putting sunscreen on Bobbie as I sat down, and then he ran off to play.
“Well, hi there stranger!” Raine said with a smile.
“Hey.”
“I was starting to think you were ghosting me.”
I shook my head. “No, been busy. Got a few interviews in.”
She smiled. Damn she had a great smile. “Nice! Anything good?”
“One place seems okay, the other I couldn’t run out fast enough.”
“Why’s that?” she asked.
“The office was a train wreck. All the furniture looked like they had dumpster dived for it, the coffee maker in the conference sat on top of some old milk crates, and I was the only one not wearing torn jeans and an old t-shirt.”
“Damn,” she said. “So now what?”
“Keep looking and see if they call back.”
Raine looked over to check on Bobbie while I got settled and checked my phone for emails. It felt like painfully long moments of silences between us.
“Okay,” Raine said, “No bullshit. Were you avoiding me?”
“A little,” I replied, and saw the disappointment on her face. “Look, I’ve never cheated with someone before.”
“I know, me neither. It just felt so good and I couldn’t resist.”
I looked her in the eye. “Will you tell Gina?”
Raine shook her head. “She’d kill me. Her first girlfriend cheated on her, and me doing that with a man…it’d be a nasty fight.”
“So, what now?”
Raine shrugged. “I’d be lyin’ if I said I didn’t like it, but maybe just the one time is it.”
“Yeah, okay.”
At that point, the lifeguard blew his whistle heralding break time and all the kids got out of the pool. Now empty, I took the opportunity to dive in. The heat and humidity was everything to be expected from mid-summer, and the water was just right for cooling off. I dipped in and lounged in the open pool, then saw Raine hop in, too. She stuck close to the edge to keep an eye on Bobbie and I sidled up next to her without getting too close. She turned to face the pool, arms resting on the edge. We chatted a little about the weather and current events. I noticed that she moved a little closer to me as she dipped one hand and then the other in the water to rub cool water up and down her arms. Then she let her hands stay in the water, slowly swirling her arms around for a bit as we talked. Without warning she smoothly reached over and playfully patted my crotch and winked at me over her sunglasses.
“Sorry,” she said. “I couldn’t resist.”
I smiled knowing I shouldn’t.
“Well, what the ever fuck is goin’ on here?” a crackling voice boomed over us.
Tracy Lee stood over us with a painfully smug smile on her face. I could feel my face turning red and didn’t dare make eye contact with Raine.
“Heeeeey, Trace.” Raine said. “How are you?”
“Girl I’m fine. What the fuck is with you two?”
I could see Raine had painted on her best shit eating grin possible. “Nothin’…just talking.”
“Uh huh,” Tracy said, not sounding convinced.
“What’s new with you, Trace?” I asked.
She promptly sat down on a chair that already had someone’s towel on it. “Fuck, I’m lookin’ for work. Gary fired my ass.”
Raine smirked. “Why?”
Trace rolled her eyes. “He caught me stealing food. Asshole.”
“Sorry to hear it,” I said.
“Whatever. I’ll get another job. What’s going on here?”
“What?” Raine said, and even I didn’t buy her innocent act.
Trace gestured at us, “You two look chummier than last time I saw you. What’s goin’ on?”
“Not a thing, Trace.” Raine said in a flat voice. “Nothing to tell here.”
She seemed to study us for a moment. Her eyes didn’t betray anything, but the slight curl of a smile in the corner of her mouth told me otherwise.
“Yeah, whatever.” She said pulling out a cigarette.
“Hey!” the lifeguard yelled from across the pool. “NO SMOKING!”
“Fuck!” Trace replied and got up. She paused and looked at us, “I’ll see you two later.” And with that, trudged off.
Raine sighed and got out of the water as the lifeguard blew his whistle again. Bobbie whizzed past us to jump in.
“Are we in trouble?” I asked.
Raine’s head was in her hand. “Maybe. Trace knows Gina through me. She’d blab just to drum up drama for fun.”
“Shit,” I said.

The weekend came and went without too much trouble. I didn’t see Raine, but figured keeping things low profile was best until Raine and I knew which way the wind was blowing with Tracy Lee. As the week began, I got word that neither places I interviewed at were interested in either talking more or hiring, so I was back at the computer job hunting. By lunchtime I was fed up with sending out resumes and stepped out for a walk to get some fresh air. There were dark clouds and a few rumbles of thunder, so the pool wasn’t an option. I figured it’d be good to get away from the apartment building anyway.
The building was just a few blocks down from a shopping center with the local grocery store and usual fast food and convenience stores surrounding it. I treated myself to something cold at Starbucks and sat outside waiting for the rain to come. My phone buzzed – Raine texted me.
Raine: WHERE ARE U?
Me: OUT FOR A WALK – GETTING SOME AIR.
Raine: CAN I SEE U RIGHT NOW?
I shrugged, seeing that I’d probably get back just in time to avoid getting wet.
Getting back to my apartment, I texted Raine to let her know I was home. Five minutes later it was pouring outside and there was a knock at the door. Raine was standing there in a barely hanging on her summer dress.
As she walked in and the door shut, she turned around. “Don’t think.” And immediately wrapped her arms around me, pulled me in tight and kissed me. At first, I resisted but couldn’t stop. I was immediately hard from the embrace and Raine made no act of hiding her own arousal from feeling it against her. She reached down into my shorts and grabbed my cock, rubbing and holding it like it was the only thing that mattered. I was kissing down her neck, nuzzling her breasts and pulling her dress up to run my hand across her ass. She wasn’t wearing panties.
“Stay right here,” I said and ran into the bedroom, grabbed a condom from the night stand and bolted back to the living area. She stood against the back of the couch, watching me drop my shorts and briefs and sliding the condom on. As I made sure it was on right, she spun around, pulled her dress up and leaned over the couch, presenting herself to me.
I got right up behind her and slid myself into her pussy, already wet and hot from anticipation. As soon as my hips pressed into her I held there, enjoying the feel of her around me. I grabbed her hips and started pounding myself into her. Raine braced herself against the back of the couch as I rammed my hips back and forth, moaning each time I went inside her. I could hear the groan of the wood in the furniture and it move slowly across the floor from us.
Raine stood up and reached one arm up and behind to grab my head and bring it forward so we could kiss as I fucked her. Tongues lashing around one another as the strap of her dress fell off her other shoulder, freeing her one breast while the other barely hung onto the dress. I reached forward and grabbed them in my hands. Feeling and groping them, their perfect curves, the feel of her skin, her erect nipples between my fingers.

I accidently pulled out of her, and made to get back in, but she stopped me. She straightened up, lettering her dress fall to the ground. I yanked off my t-shirt as she got down on her knees and elbows on the floor. I got down behind her, letting my hot and wet cock rub on her ass before sliding it back inside her pussy. Grabbing her hips again, I rammed myself even harder into her, as if I needed to get me cock deeper each time, but it never being enough. Raine gasped and yelled as we had at it, her eyes closed, mouth panting, her ass a wonderful fit against my crotch. I could feel her wetness all over my pubic hair, along with the unmistakable slap of me against her with every thrust. I couldn’t remember a time when my cock was so hard and eager to come, and soon enough, I grabbed onto hard as I furiously came inside her. Raine yelled as she felt me going off while her own orgasm swept through her.
Sweaty, panting and spent, we collapsed on the floor, entwined in one another as I felt my cock eventually soften inside her. Unknown moments passed as we recovered, stroking one another without saying a word. Sometimes kissing, sometimes just listening to each other breathe. Eventually I pulled myself out, and found my way to the bathroom to clean up. Raine still laid on the floor and sat up and cuddled against me when I sat down next to her. Her breast against me almost made me get hard again. More wordless moments passed, then Raine sighed – half from satisfaction, half from resolve.

“Gina knows.” She said, not looking at me.
Shit. “How?”
“Trace.” She said. “Redneck cunt couldn’t wait to tell her something was up.”
“So…now what?”
“I don’t know,” Raine replied, “We fought all night. She went to work this morning and I wanted once more with you.”
I sat there, taking it all in. “I don’t know what to do.”
Raine shook her head. “Me neither.”
We sat there for a while, not saying much. Eventually, Raine got up, pulled on her dress and left.

Two painfully slow weeks passed as I jumped back into job hunting and deliberately avoided Raine. She hadn’t bothered to text and somehow, neither one of us ran into the other. I was on and off about the pool, and when I did go, I spent most of the time looking around to make sure Tracy Lee wasn’t prowling around or Gina coming after me with a baseball bat.
My job hunting was looking better, I had scored about four interviews during that time, with two of the companies letting me know that they wanted second interviews. I was feeling better about the prospects of earning again and felt a little jaded that while I was getting plenty of cheers from friends and family, I couldn’t share the news with Raine. I hoped she was all right and not in more trouble, but I didn’t dare contact her for fear of getting her into more trouble with her better half.
As mid-summer turned to the dog days of summer, I had a job offer in hand and agreed to begin work just before Labor Day. It felt good to be getting up with a purpose again and while I’d miss the free time, I was more looking forward to having money back in the bank. Some friends threw together a celebration dinner, so I was cleaned up on a Saturday evening and heading out when I ran right into Raine and Gina on my way through the lobby.
I froze in place, not sure what to say. Raine looked mortified and Gina glared at me.
I excused myself and went on my way, not looking back.
The dinner was fun and we all drank a little too much. I checked my phone a few times just to make sure I wasn’t missing any messages, but it was silent. Once things died down, I opted to Uber home since I hadn’t driven and was drunk anyway. As I hopped out of the car, I felt my phone buzz. I looked up and could see the lights on in Raine and Gina’s unit, and Raine’s distinct shape standing in the window. Her text message said “GINA WANTS TO TALK. CALL ME TOMORROW.”

I woke up with a mild headache, but not too worse for wear, all things considered. After cleaning up and getting some breakfast in me, I texted Raine, letting her know I was available for whatever was going on. An hour later my phone buzzed with a text message back from her – “WE”RE COMING THERE TO SEE YOU.”
I was a neat type by nature, so between that and the extra time on my hands, the place was more or less presentable by the time they showed up. Raine’s eyes were red and she wore the same t-shirt and ripped jeans from our first time together. Gina was in shorts and a t-shirt, her hair drawn into a tight ponytail, and the look on her face was fierce and determined. I invited them in and offered something to drink. Both took water and sat on the couch. I sat across from them in a loveseat and quietly waited for someone to break the ice. Gina stepped up to the plate.
“I just have one question for you,” she said. “Why?”
I was about to say something, but she cut me off.
“Raine told me why she did it, but I want to know why you did.”
I opened my mouth to start talking, and again, was cut off.
“I don’t want any bullshit either.”
I sat there quietly for a moment.
“Well?” Gina demanded.
That pissed me off. “Do you want to discuss this, or just keep talking over me?”
Gina looked as if she was going to say something, then nodded her head in acquiescence.
“Okay,” I said. “I thought Raine was very attractive from the moment we first saw each other, and there’s no harm in looking. Even when she told me about you and your relationship, I didn’t think this would happen.”
Gina smirked. “You’re going to try and tell me this was an accident?”
“No,” I replied, “It wasn’t an accident. We acted on each other – it was wrong, we even told each other it was wrong, but we did it anyway. There’s no excuse for that.”
Gina glared at me. I leaned forward.
“Raine is a good woman. I’ve seen her care for Bobbie and she’s a natural with being a mother. She’s also a great partner – she’s always spoke good of you, even when I can tell she was missing you while away for work. When she and I…first did anything together, all she could think about was that she was hurting you and the relationship. That doesn’t excuse what we did or our enjoying it, but she was torn apart about it during and after.”
Gina’s glare seemed to soften.
“In truth, I’ve struggled with what happened. Even to the point of avoiding her to let those feelings die down or avoid anything else that could’ve happened. I’ve never ever done anything like this before, and I’m not sure why I did this time – maybe it was just urges overwhelming common sense. All I know is this – you two have been together two years. You don’t just have a relationship, you have a life and a family. Your connection defines everything. That you two are struggling with this together, and not packing and moving into separate homes tells me that you believe in each other. You still want things to work between you. That’s a lot to ruin over a simple mistake, even if it is a big one.”
Gina’s eyes were tearing up.
I shrugged. “I’m just a typical guy who still thinks with his penis more than I should. If I were a man, I would’ve told Raine no from and left the apartment the moment anything started. I didn’t, and that hurt everyone. That’s on me. I don’t expect you to forgive me, you hardly know me. But don’t destroy your relationship with Raine. She loves you, wants you to be happy, and is just as torn up about this as you are. There are no excuses here, but if you can – ”
“Stop,” Gina said, tears rolling down her cheeks. She wipe them away and turned to Raine. “I want us to work, and I need to trust you to do that.”
Raine was crying and holding her hand as tightly as she could. “Please, let’s get past this. Move on. I love you and I’m sorry.”
I watched them embrace, holding each other while crying it out. As they recovered, I brought over a box of tissues and tried my best to not ruin their moment. Soon enough, they settled down.
Gina smiled at me, “That…that was pretty good.”
“Thanks…”
Gina’s look turned a little serious. “Still not happy with you, but I think you get it.”
I nodded. “Fair enough.”
Gina continued holding Raine’s hand as they stood up, but she extended her hand out to me. “She and I need to work through this, but we will get past it. I don’t think you’re a bad guy, just be better.”
I shook her hand. “Yeah, I’ll try.”
Gina smiled a little, “I hear you’re starting a new job. That should keep you out of trouble.”
“That’s the idea.”
“Okay.” Gina said and made for the door. Raine touched me on my shoulder, meekly smiled, and left with her.

A month later, the new job was definitely keeping me busy. Except for casual and random encounters, I hadn’t seen much of Raine or Gina, and figured that was for the best. I hadn’t bothered with the dating sites, I just didn’t feel like complicating my life at the moment. In truth, I didn’t feel particularly worthy of another person’s love or trust, and work kept my mind off those things anyway.
It was early October and the first chilling evenings of Fall arrived. As I was contemplating what to do that weekend, my phone buzzed. Raine texted me.
Raine: HEY, HOW R U?
Me: GOOD. YOU?
Raine: I’M OK…G AND I ARE DOING BETTER.
Me: GOOD.
Raine: WHAT ARE U UP TO SATURDAY NIGHT?
Me: NO PLANS.
Raine: GOOD. G AND I ARE DOING A PARTY – I WANT YOU TO MEET SOMEONE.
Me: YOU SURE?
Raine: YES. G AND I TALKED ABOUT IT. U WILL LIKE HER – SHE SOMETIMES DIGS MEN LIKE ME.
I sighed. Well, let’s see how this goes.