Library Check Out

by BrettJ © 2013

For the first time in years, I am going back to revisit some characters from my early work on LIT. Those who are new to my work my want to read the stories "Library Loving" and "Reward for a Job Well Done" to get a full understanding of this story, although I think it stands on its own. As always, thanks for your support. ~~BrettJ

Arleigh Madison tried to keep from crying as everyone wished her good luck on her new job and said her good-byes. She had been at the library for almost ten years and it was her home. Still, there was no sense in denying that it was time to move on. There were some lovely memories here and there were some sad ones as well

Martina Warner walked her to her new car, one of the many perks of Arleigh's new job. She looked at her friend and felt so many pangs of regret. Arleigh was moving on to better and brighter things, yet Martina thought of her younger friend as family. "You're sure?" She asked before giving the perky blonde a big hug.

"Positive," Arleigh sighed. "If I don't move on now, I never will. One failed relationship and one shitty, brief failed marriage. It's an omen, sweetie. The money is good at the new job, almost triple what I make here, I'll have my own staff over which I get full hiring approval and essentially, I'm already trained for it, doing research."

Martina nodded and started tearing up. It was hard for her to believe that she had hired Arleigh over 10 years ago. She still didn't look a day over 23.

"Oh stop with the waterworks, I'm only an hour's drive away," Arleigh told her friend as she leaned against her new Jaguar. "It isn't like I'm moving to Moosejaw or something."

"Arleigh Madison in Moosejaw," Martina said, breaking into a fit of giggles. "You wouldn't survive 3 months – or Moosejaw wouldn't, it'd be hard to guess which."

The job offer had come at a good time. Brant and Associates had sent a headhunter after her, one thing she still owed her ex-boyfriend. She had thought Gerry would be a "forever" and all indications were heading that way. Then, eighteen months ago, his company shut down local operations and moved everything to Chicago. Gerry had to go, he would be giving up too much seniority and Kevin, his son, needed the security. He had begged his blonde girlfriend to come with him and offered marriage. She wanted to say yes, but she had too many friends and all her family were in Canada. To this day, Arleigh was second-guessing herself.

Six months later, on the rebound, she married Jeff O'Neill, a friend of a friend. It was a mistake. Because her friend was such a nice guy, she believed that Jeff would be as well. He had been, at first. But once they got married, it all changed. Arleigh was married to a man that didn't want to go out or do anything. Arleigh's friend was still apologizing to her, but it wasn't Dana's fault. Her friend usually did have lousy taste in men, why hadn't Arleigh remembered that? She was able to be free of Jeff in less than 4 months and that's when the job offer came through. Gerry had always done right by her and there were still some pangs.

Martina had just returned to work and she was about to drive away when Danny Williams ran out and caught up with her. Everyone now called him "Danno" because of his shared name with the "Hawaii 5-0" character. Even working in a library, the phrase "Book 'em, Danno" worked as a pun.

"Glad you didn't get away yet Miss Madison, I didn't want to leave without seeing you," he smiled. He had started at the library around the same time as she did, a younger man who had seemed somuch younger than she back then. There was only 3 years between them and it no longer seemed so much of an issue. "If I don't do this now, I never will – can I please take you out to dinner?"

That came out of left field because she knew that he had once dated Martina, although that was long since over. Martina was dating a much older man and Arleigh had no idea what Danny had done since their amicable split.

"Danny, why do you suddenly want to have dinner with me?" Arleigh asked as she got out of the car. Her skirt rode up a bit and he took notice. "You've only ever had friendly chit-chat with me."

"Because you've always made me nervous as hell," Danny admitted openly. "You were always with Gerry and then with Mr. O'Neill. I was with Martina and briefly single, but you weren't. Then when you got divorced, I was seeing someone. I've had a thing for you since I was 16 and you used to volunteer at the library. I used to come in on Saturdays, just to see you. I decided it was now or never – if I didn't say something today, I never would. I almost got here too late, traffic was murder." Danny only worked part-time at the library now; he was in law school and interning at a prestigious firm. He appeared to have a bright future. He had also grown to be a very handsome young man. His dark, Italian features had only improved with age. Arleigh was sure that this successful young charmer wouldn't be single for too long. Should she give it a whirl? They weren't complete strangers, after all.

"Danny, why do you want to do this?" Arleigh asked him. "You're a good looking young man and there are a lot of beautiful women out there. You seemed to do okay," Arleigh smiled.

The attractive blonde didn't know that every time she looked at him or flashed that smile, it made him melt. He wasn't a speaker, yet he supposed if he was going to be a lawyer, he had better start. He made his case.

"I do okay, Miss Madison, but why shouldn't a man aspire to more? If we don't shoot for the stars, we never reach the moon. I could let this go, but then you'd be off to your new job and life and I'd regret it for the rest of my life. I've had some my regrets in my life, I don't want this to be one of them," he said plainly.

Arleigh stared at him in simple awe. He was going to be one hell of a lawyer and with a few simple, yet well-chosen words; he had made her feel like her ex never had. "That was amazing," she sighed and came over to him. She rested her hands on his shoulders. "You made me feel like the sexiest woman alive."

"You should always feel like the sexiest woman live," he told her. "To me, you are. Does this mean you're saying yes?

Arleigh didn't start her new job for two more weeks and she was already packed up. All but some of her clothes and daily necessities were on their way to her new house. "It means I'm saying yes, where are we going?" Arleigh knew his family owned a restaurant, yet he surprised her by naming the most expensive place in the city. She forgot that he had recently come into a trust fund worth a fair sum.

"Sweetie, I can't let you ..."

Danny made a bold move by putting his finger to her lips. "You aren't letting me, Miss Madison, I want to. You're the best; I want you to have the best."

Arleigh smiled and nodded, then gave him a gentle kiss on the lips. "A night out with a handsome man sounds like a wonderful idea, there's just one condition," Arleigh smiled. His heart started doing flip-flops again. "You have to stop calling me Miss Madison, I'm not your boss anymore and I'm only 3 years older than you are. If I'm going out with you, you need to call meArleigh," she told him.

"Force of habit, but okay – Arleigh," he laughed. "I'll pick you up at your place at ..."

Arleigh shook her head. "Uh-uh, I'll pick you up. The company bought me a new Jaguar; I want to have fun driving it."

"I gotcha. I feel that way about my new Mercedes," he pointed to a car in the far corner of the parking lot. Seeing her astonished face, Danny chuckled. "My trust fund was a LOT of money. Pick me up at 8, here's the address." It was in a grouping of condos that cost what Arleigh made in 3 years at the library. "Be prepared to be spoiled rotten, I've been dreaming about this night for years."

The nervous blonde practically broke speed limits getting back to her furnished hotel room. She grabbed a quick shower, checked her messages and tried to figure out what to wear. A lot of her clothes were on their way to her new home. She remembered a very slinky black cocktail dress she had worn to meet her new bosses and it was still in the dry cleaning bag. Deciding to up the va-va-voom factor, she chose sexy lingerie, added stockings and brought out the Louis Vutton stilettos she had bought for herself to celebrate her new job. If Danny had thought she was beautiful before, she hoped that this Arleigh would knock his socks off. It seemed odd to be nervous about going on a date with a kid she had known for ten years, but she was.

She knew why. The confident, smiling young man that had asked her out did not seem like the same kid she had always known. It was as if someone had taken that lovely young man and kicked him up a notch. He was still handsome and gentle and kind, but now he was – sexy? Yes, there was an air about Danny that hadn't been there before. In the last several months, he had matured and now Arleigh was curious to see what lay beneath the new veneer.

Arleigh went downstairs after doing 3 checks in the mirror. She was nervous, which she found amusing. The Jag started with a purr, she loved her new car but – he had a MERCEDES. Danny Williams had a fucking MERCEDES. Arleigh wasn't the type of girl to be impressed by money, but that would do it. She pulled up to his building, it had a doorman. She was about to ask for Danny when he came out and oh my, oh MY!

He came out in a suit that looked so perfect for him that she knew it likely cost a month's pay of her new salary. Arleigh couldn't be sure because she couldn't read the tag, but she was certain that the suit was an Armani.

"Wow," they both said at the same time and laughed.

"How do you like your new Jaguar?" He asked as she started the engine. "She sounds nice."

"She is, but for the first 3 days I had her, I was afraid to bring her to work in case someone dinged her," Arleigh laughed as she drove. "The new job has an underground parking lot and we're all insured up to ten thousand."

"I like the Mercedes too, although I'm thinking about a classic Vette or a nice Mustang," he smiled as they continued talking. She looked over at him and he chuckled and said again "Like I said, a LOT of money. My grandfather invested very, very well. If I were frugal, I'd never have to work again, but frugal is no fun. Frugal doesn't get you a dinner with a beautiful blonde goddess."

Arleigh almost wanted to melt. Had he gone to charm school or was his new career exposing him to classy and refined people? She knew that Martina had been good for him and she had a good template to work with, but this Danny was suave and accomplished beyond anything she could have imagined. A girl could very easily fall for a man like this. She didn't dare allow that, it was just too soon after Jeff.

The restaurant was everything its reputation said it would be. Beautiful, music low enough that a person could talk without having to yell, nicely lit, attentive service and they were given a private booth by the Maitre D'. "Do you like wine?" Danny asked. When she nodded yes, Danny asked to see the wine list and made some recommendations. His choices surprised the sommelier. "I went to France last summer and studied wines," Danny told her. "I learned to appreciate quality. Sometimes, it isn't all about the label. It's about the vintage, the crop that year and the flavor."

"Okay Danny, you know wines, you're charming, debonair, on your way to becoming a lawyer, still working at the library for fun, you're handsome, is there anything you can't do?" Arleigh asked as she leaned closer. He seemed to take notice of her sexy black dress, score one for her.

"Yep, can't dance a step," Danny chuckled as their wine arrived. He tasted it and pronounced it fine.

"You can learn how to do that, take lessons," Arleigh smiled. The wine was ambrosia; he poured her a full glass.

"Nope, my mother and sister have pronounced me hopeless," he told her. "Even Martina couldn't teach me and lord knows, she tried."

It was the first time he had mentioned his breakup with his older girlfriend and Arleigh wondered if she should go there. Her friend wouldn't discuss it either.

Arleigh had to know. "What happened between you and Martina?" She asked him, hoping he wouldn't think she was intruding. "She's one of my best friends and she won't talk about it."

Danny sighed. He and Martina had always respected each other's boundaries and he wasn't sure if he should change things now. What the hell? Their breakup had been long enough and there were no longer any hurt feelings between them.

"I asked her if she wanted to move in together," Danny admitted. "We were spending so much time together, I thought it made perfect sense. Wisely, she turned me down."

"Did she give you a reason why?"

Danny nodded. "She did. She more or less said that we were close friends who were sharing some good times together, but nothing permanent would come of it. I would eventually head in one direction and she, another. She was 100% right about that. We were two people that had a nice relationship for a while and moved on. She's happy and so am I," Danny smiled. "I'm single now and for the first time in a long while, so is my dream girl."

Arleigh actually blushed at his comment. "I'm your dream girl? That's so sweet."

Danny put his hand on top of hers. "Ever since I can remember. You never noticed me mooning over you because you were never single. Now that you are single, I'm making my move."

"And very wonderful moves they are," Arleigh grinned and allowed herself to be swept away by his flattery. "This kind of attention could turn a girl's head."

"So let it turn," Danny said as he poured her a bit more of the wine. "It's the prettiest head I've ever seen and the body that it's attached to isn't too bad, either."

Arleigh felt her entire body tingling. She could have kicked herself for not noticing Danny before, she sure as hell was noticing him now. She knew that he had grown into the suave, debonair man she was having dinner with. Maybe it just had not been their time. Perhaps their time was now.

"Any recommendations?" Arleigh asked him about the food.

"I recommend that you and I do this for the next several weeks," Danny joked. He wasn't letting up for a second and despite herself, Arleigh was thrilled. "If you mean the food, everything here is good, but when your family owns a restaurant, you become a bit of a foodie. If I let my relatives feed me the way that they want to, I'd weigh 400 pounds."

Arleigh laughed and now it was she who put her hand on top of his. "If you were and had moves this smooth, I'd still probably go out with you." She saw his smile and she felt that this time, she had made the score. They ordered their meal and it was indeed wonderful, flavors that complimented each other, sizable portions and good coffee that went nicely with their meal. They thought they were too stuffed for dessert and their server told them the menu anyway. A white chocolate citrus cheesecake tempted them both, so they decided to share. It was nearing midnight when they finished and the cool night air was refreshing as they stepped outside to walk to Arleigh's car.

"Please, don't let it be just this one date," Danny said to her. "Don't make me beg, this is the best night I've ever had. I want more with you, I want to know you on a more personal level."

Arleigh felt completely at ease with her next move. She grabbed his tie and pulled him close, really planting one on him. "You don't have to beg, Danny," she said after their kiss ended. "A girl would have to be crazy to let you get away and I'm not crazy. We don't have to play silly games either, we've known each other a long time. Why don't we go back to your place and see if your dream girl can't make a few of your dreams come true?"

For the first time that evening, Danny had been struck speechless. Both of them were now stone-cold sober, so they got behind the wheel. Arleigh wasn't normally the kind of girl to be this forward and yet she had meant what she said. Why go through silly courtship rituals when she knew she found him attractive and stimulating? Was she going to meet anyone better? Not likely because if a girl added up all of Danny's plusses, he came out with a very impressive score.

They walked arm in arm into his building and rode up in the elevator. Arleigh had a long-standing fantasy about sex in an elevator, but it wouldn't be appropriate at this time. She figured that PDA wouldn't be right either, although once in his apartment, all bets were off. Danny was fumbling with his keys and it was cute to watch. He managed to get the door open and the young couple entered the apartment. Arleigh wasn't going to play any games, she pushed him back against the wall and planted a kiss on him that made the previous one look positively tame.

"I like the way this evening is going," Danny grinned after she moved away from him. "You sure know how to kiss, Arleigh."

"I know how to do a lot of things, good looking," Arleigh chuckled. "Once we're in that bedroom, I plan to show you. Do you have to be at work early tomorrow?" He shook his head. "Good, because once I'm through with you, your brain won't be working," she laughed.

Arleigh walked on ahead of him and she could feel his dark eyes burning into her body. She made sure to give him a nice view and she was glad to be a vivacious, sexy blonde with a great ass and long hair. It all seemed to be working in her favor. She looked around Danny's bedroom and noticed it was immaculate. He had a nice, spacious apartment and everything seemed to be in its place. The furniture was good quality and it was inviting. She stretched on the bed and gave her new man a nice view of her legs. He smiled when he noticed the stocking tops. "I see that you like the view," Arleigh said to him.

"There isn't a sane man who wouldn't like that view," Danny smiled as he sat down beside her. This time, he was smart enough to take the initiative. He pulled Arleigh close and kissed her hard. She seemed to melt into him and Danny's heart was full. At long last, he was living the dream. He and Arleigh kissed and kissed and kissed. Neither of them seemed to want to break the kiss, they only stopped to breathe and kissed again. The two lovers tumbled back on the bed, still kissing. Arleigh looked at the younger man and wondered how she could have been so oblivious for so long? Now she was glad that her new job wasn't taking her too far away. She would have good reason to commute because her man lived here. It was only their first night together and yet, Arleigh was that certain they were meant to be a couple.

One of the reasons for that was Danny's warm, sensual nature. He wasn't rushing any moves. He was still kissing her, slowly and sensually. His hands weren't even moving on her body. Okay, that needed to change. Arleigh moved his hands to the delicate slope of her breasts. "Touch me all over," Arleigh said in dulcet tones. "I'm yours."

Danny wanted to slap himself to prove that he had really heard her say that, but his hands were otherwise occupied. He touched her slowly, taking time to appreciate the subtle nuances of Arleigh's beautiful body. He loved how her eyes sparkled and the way her blonde hair gleamed in the light. Arleigh sighed and luxuriated in the feeling of his strong and gentle hands. She managed to slip the dress off over her head and felt herself grin as she heard him gasp. Sexy lingerie always worked with men. His touches continued and Arleigh allowed herself to be swept away by the tides of pleasure.

Danny couldn't believe his dream had at last come true. Was he going to suddenly awake and discover it was all some wonderful dream? Or did he have a fairy godmother that had granted him his heart's desire? He loved Arleigh's sexy lingerie. It looked so good on her tanned skin, she looked both wild and desirable. Danny loved the fact that Arleigh was such a feminine girl. He continued to kiss her body and followed her little verbal cues. She was giving him enough of them and she was beginning to twist a bit on the bed. Her heels and stockings were so sexy, but what about Arleigh wasn't sexy? Danny got to her pussy, parted the labia and started kissing and licking. She was as sweet as honeysuckle and she was getting so wet. Her nails dug into his scalp as he ate her out. Danny was more than happy to stay put for a while.