When the Cat's Away… Ch. 01

"I don't know Jack," came my tentative reply. "After all, I don't really know you or Pete."

This time it was Jack's turn to smile.

"That's the whole idea Claudia. You don't really know anybody here, so we thought it would be nice to change that. Think about it. It's just a quick drink, nothing else, and then we'll be off back to our own families for the weekend. Have a think about it and let us know. No worries if you decide not to."

With that Jack left and I went back to my copying.

Before leaving for the night I glanced at my desk calendar again. Picking up a highlighter, this time green, I marked off Friday's date with a small smiley face.

Something to look forward to, I thought to myself as I headed off to the station.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The place was packed, not surprising for a Friday night after work. It was an old brewery converted into a sort of bar come eatery, but they did still make a little of their own beer—not of interest to me as I was more of a wino than a beer drinker. Upstairs was fairly barren, at least the bit you could see between the thronging mass of bodies. A large bar dominated proceedings, with the rest of the room dotted with a mix of tall tables and stools. A rustic, unvarnished, wooden floor set the tone for this industrial of venues. It was packed, and what's more, it was noisy. I could barely hear myself think, let alone hear what Pete was trying to say. It was his hand gestures which caught my eye, and I turned towards the slightly portly man.

"Follow me," he mouthed, pointing off towards the side of the room.

It took a couple of minutes to meander through the thronging crowd, finally reaching an open door in the side wall. A velvet curtain, just inside, hid a narrow set of stairs. Pete disappeared down, followed by Jack, leaving me watching them and wondering whether to follow or whether they were in fact just heading for the gents. I was still pondering the same when Jack held the curtain open and beckoned me forth.

The narrow staircase wandered downward, turning once, before opening into a basement area, brick walls and vaulted ceilings creating a more subdued atmosphere than the one upstairs. Light bulbs dangled down on cords, providing a subtle glow and a mixture of brightness and shade across the room. There was none of the hustle and bustle from before. Down here was much quieter. Tables were spaced out, some in cosy nooks and others more out in the open. I was still glancing around, it seemed that the place was about half full, when I noticed that I was once more alone. Hurriedly I scanned the room, looking for my companions. Finally, I caught sight of Pete disappearing into the shadows on the far side of the basement.

By the time I joined them there were already a couple of beers and a glass of wine on the table. "Strange," I thought to myself, not remembering having told them what I wanted. Was I really that easy to read? The table was tucked away into the shadows, a plush red horseshoe shaped seat running the length of the curved wall of the alcove where we sat. Pete and Jack were sat at one end, and I plonked myself down at the other. A sip of the chilled wine convinced me that I had made the right choice. I was so comfortable getting to know my two colleagues that I could have stayed all night.

We chatted, as the evening flew by. I had been wrong about these two. They were both family men and had no other intention other than to have a Friday evening drink. Pete went to get another round, my eyes following him towards the bar. It was then that I noticed, sat at a table across the basement, another woman staring straight back at us. I looked away, then back again. She was still staring in our direction. I wasn't sure in the shadows, but maybe she had just smiled. She looked like a businesswoman, just like most of the clientele. I peered closely into the shadows, trying to make out a little more. From what I could see, she was smartly dressed, and most likely in her early forties. She was of a larger build than myself and I guessed a little taller to boot. There was something though, something which grabbed my attention. For some reason I thought I had seen that face before. I just couldn't put my finger on where I had seen it.

Pete returned with two more beers and another glass of wine. I took a sip, then glanced across the room once more. Whoever this woman was, she was still looking in our direction. Over time I kept checking, every time with the same results. Eventually Jack noticed.

"Got your eye on somebody Claudia?" he teased. "Is he a good looker?"

"Uh, no . . . not at all," I snapped back, before looking off into the shadows once more.

"I think you have," continued Jack. "Who is it?"

"OK, yes I am watching somebody. Over there . . . in the shadows. There's a woman in a jacket and she's been looking in our direction for some time."

I watched as Jack also looked up, nodded his head and smiled back at me.

"Don't you know her?" he asked.

"I don't know, but she does look a little familiar," came my reply.

Jack laughed. By now I was confused. They knew something, and they weren't letting on. I decided not to push it though and we went back to our drinks. Both men had finished well ahead of me and were shaping up as if to leave.

"Do you need to go, or do you want another?" I asked more in hope than expectation. For the first time since Steffen had left, I was enjoying myself.

"I'm sorry Claudia," came Jack's reply. "We need to be getting back home. I did say that it was just a quick drink. We could do it again next week if you want."

I smiled in appreciation of the offer.

"And by the way, her name's Natalia Walsh. She's the wife of our big boss. Guess he must be working late . . . again!" he continued.

There was a little chuckle as he admired his sarcasm.

"How are you getting home? Train?"

"Yes," I replied.

"So, do you want to walk to the station with us?"

I glanced down at my glass. It was still half full and too good to simply down in one.

"I'll just finish this," I replied. "There's a train every half an hour so I'll be fine. Thank you both for cheering me up though. I really have enjoyed tonight."

"Well," replied Jack "you enjoy the rest of your evening."

I smiled as they said goodbye and watched them disappear into the shadows and towards the stairs once more. My eyes scanned the room, back towards that table. She was gone. The cynic in me was now working overtime. So, Jack and Pete had just left and so had this Natalia. Maybe these two were not quite as innocent as they seemed. I went back to my wine, my mind now reflecting on just how difficult it was to read people. It was then that I felt a pair of eyes burning down on me. You know, that sixth sense when you know that somebody is there, even without looking. I glanced up.

"Thought you might want another one," came a rather confident, assertive voice. "And by the way, it's not good to drink alone. Do you mind if I join you?"

Two wine glasses appeared on the table, one of which was gently pushed in my direction.

My mind was awash. So, she hadn't gone off with Pete and Jack was the first thought which sprung to mind. This was quickly followed by an amazement at her assumption that she could just rock up and join me. Finally, I started to wonder . . . to wonder . . . why . . . just why did she want to join me?

Oh, what the fuck. I'd really enjoyed this evening so what harm could it do.

"Please do," I replied, smiling at the older woman.

I didn't know it at the time, but those two words would just be the start of a most rewarding friendship.

We sat, chatting, drinking, for what seemed an eternity, but was probably more like an hour or so. For all we were different . . . different ages . . . different backgrounds . . . different lifestyles . . . we had so much in common. It seemed we were both married to loving husbands, husbands who spent as much time away as they did with us. It was just that we had different ways of coping with it. Where I would return into my shell, it seemed that Natalia would enjoy, and make the most of, her freedom.

She was such enjoyable company, and when she suggested grabbing a bite at the hotel just around the corner I couldn't resist saying yes.

She led the way and I followed. Oh, if only I had known that this was another sign of what was to come.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

It had been more of a bar than a restaurant, but Natalia was right, the food had been good—a selection of tapas had been demolished, washed down with more than a little champagne. I couldn't have wanted for a nicer end to the evening but finally I guessed I had better get a train back home. Natalia was on her way from picking up the bill—it was really nice of her given that we hardly knew each other—and I stood up to say goodbye. I took one step forward, wobbled slightly, and practically fell into her arms.

Catching me, Natalia laughed.

"Looks like someone's just a little tipsy."

I stood myself back up, trying to recover my composure.

"No, I just stumbled, that's all. Now, where was I? Oh, I know, I've got a train to catch. Thank you so much for an enjoyable evening Natalia. I'm so glad you joined me earlier."

I took another step and stopped. Maybe she was right. Maybe I had taken one too many. Immediately my mind was pondering. Just how was I going to get back home now?

"Me thinks not, Claudia," came the reply, an arm now around my shoulder. "You're never going to make it to the station tonight."

"I'll grab a taxi," came my instant reply.

There was a pause before Natalia responded.

"I couldn't let you. What if something happened, and I had let you go off on your own?"

Another pause before she continued.

"Look, I've got a room upstairs. Why don't you stay there and take a train back in the morning?"

I was about to object, when she took me by the hand. Turning to face her, I glanced deep into Natalia's eyes. There was just something there, I couldn't put my finger on what, but there was definitely something.

"So, what do you say?"

"I guess so," came my hesitant reply. "But I wouldn't want to be any trouble Natalia?"

"Oh, no," she almost laughed back at me. "In fact, I couldn't think of anything I'd like more than to have you tonight. And, by the way, I much prefer Naty between friends."

I looked up at her again, wondering if she had just said that, and guessing she must be almost as tipsy as I was.

Moments later the lift doors slid closed. A glowing number seventeen was the only indication of where we were going. A jolt, as the lift started on its journey upwards, took me by surprise, causing me to nudge into Naty once more. She wrapped her long arm around my shoulder, holding me securely into her larger frame. I looked up at her. Once again, she was smiling down at me.

"Thanks," I said "it took me a bit by surprise."

What happened next was an even bigger surprise.

"You mean, a surprise like this?" came Naty's teasing voice as she bent forward and kissed me on the lips.

A quick peck and then she moved away once more, her eyes constantly fixed on mine, her smile never wavering as she waited for my response. My mind was awash with feeling, mixed feeling, fight or flee, run of hide, repulse or embrace.

"Yes, that was a surprise too," came my delayed reaction, accompanied by the merest smile back at my companion.

I really didn't know what I wanted to happen next. Another woman had just kissed me, quite out of the blue. My conscious was telling me it was so wrong on two fronts—there was the fact that she was a woman and the fact that I was married, but then again so was she. My mind though was already wondering why she had done it, and would she do it again?

I didn't have long to wait. By the time the bell pinged to indicate our destination we were both clenched in a deep embrace. I was slightly disappointed as the doors slid open, and Naty broke away and headed off into the corridor. I followed, like an excited schoolchild, clambering out of the lift as the doors started to close in on me. We headed along the corridor, past room after room, before Naty unlocked the final door on the left. With the door barely open, she practically pulled me inside. I glanced around the room, actually more of a suite than a room, the slam of the door closing a reminder that I was on my own with this woman. My heart was pounding as Naty spun around to face me. The childish excitement of that embrace in the lift had suddenly become a stark reality. Kissing in the lift was one thing, but now we were alone in her room. Almost subliminally I took a step backwards as she threw off her jacket and approached me. From the response, I guessed that Naty must have noticed.

"I'm sorry Claudia," came an apologetic voice "I thought it was what you wanted."

"It was," came my reply, the use of the past tense suddenly dawning on me. "I mean, it is . . . it's . . . it's just that . . ."

Naty laughed, cutting me off in mid flow.

"It's just that you've never done this before, have you? You've never been with another woman."

I shook my head gently.

"And let me guess," continued Naty, taking another step forward. "Your mind is telling you to get out of here before she does this again."

With her words still echoing through my ears, I felt the gentle warmth of her lips down on mine. For an instant I practically froze, as I tried to convince myself that there was nothing wrong with what we were doing. It was that two-pronged argument which ran through my mind—I'm married and she's a woman. Over and over those words appeared and disappeared in my conscience. Over and over, but the more I felt her lips gently caressing mine, the more the argument faded into the background. It didn't take long for us to be once again back in that passionate embrace from moments earlier. Right or wrong didn't seem to matter anymore, as my heart started to rule my mind.

There was a tingle in my lips, as she continued to kiss me, a tingle I hadn't felt for such a long time. For all Steffen was a fantastic lover, he was much more of a wham, bam, thank you ma'am sort of lover.

This was different, so different.

I could feel her tongue probing at my lips, seeking the slightest opening through which to slither. I wasn't exactly making it difficult and gasped when our tongues finally met, picking up a passionate dance as they snaked around each other. Hands eased my jacket over my shoulders and down my arms. I released my embrace and let it fall to the floor, before once again wrapping my arms around Naty's shoulders, holding her in close. The buttons on my blouse were next to go as she worked her way down from top to bottom, pulling the fabric out of my skirt as the last one popped open.

Still I concentrated on that kiss, never wanting to let it end, never wanting the tingle to stop.

The zip eased downwards on the back of my skirt and within moments the whole thing was half way down my legs, revealing an ivory pair of satin knickers. I shook my legs, allowing the skirt to end up around my ankles. Carefully I stepped backwards, out of our embrace and out of my skirt, at the same time allowing my open blouse to fall down my arms. Here I was, dressed just in a matching bra and knickers, my heart pounding with the nervous anticipation of what was to come.

It was my turn next and, with not such dexterous hands, I managed to remove my lover's blouse and skirt. We embraced once more, her arms around my shoulders as she pulled me in close. I could feel the warmth of her soft skin up against mine as our tongues once again wound their magic around each other. I didn't even flinch when the back of my bra popped open, followed by a pair of hands down inside my knickers, gently kneading at my pert ass cheeks. Naty eased the fabric down over my ass, first at the back and then the front, my flame red bush now peeping out from within. It was my turn to help, as I practically jumped out of my last bastions of modesty. As I watched, Naty removed her own.

I stood and gawped, taking in the sight in front of me. She was everything I wasn't; tall to my short, curvaceous to my petite, melons to my apples and clean shaven to my fiery bush. We couldn't have been much different. I was broken out of my trance-like state as I felt her hand grasp mine, a gentle squeeze as she held me tight. A final kiss and then Naty led the way to the bedroom, never releasing her grip on my hand as we walked through into the second room. My heart was beating faster than ever as we approached the large bed. Naty sat herself down on top of the white duvet, practically dragging me with her. In my tipsy state, I fell into a heap on my side, unable to do anything but stare up at my would-be lover and laugh.

"So, you think this is a laughing matter?" came a stern reply.

The question took me by surprise, but not as much as the slap on my backside which followed.

"Ow," I squealed, "what was that for?"

Another slap followed, evoking the same reaction. Tipsy or not, I wasn't going to let Naty get away with this. I dragged myself up the bed to where Naty was now lying. I couldn't help noticing how beautiful she looked as she smiled across at me, her lips forming a teasing pout back at me. A blown kiss was all it took. We fell into each other, arms wrapped around our bodies, holding on tightly as we renewed that embrace. I could feel her large melons squeezed up against my chest, dwarfing my tiny breasts in a mound of soft flesh, her hard nipples pressing up against mine.

I wasn't sure why I felt like this, but in that instant Naty was all I wanted. I shivered as our tongues met once more, feeling the tingle start again, taking my mind away from my pounding heart. I'd never thought of myself being that way inclined, but I needed to know what it would be like, to feel the passion of another woman. It wasn't the drink talking, of that I was sure. It was my heart, my soul, my curiosity telling me what I wanted . . . what I needed.

Slowly I ran my hand down my lover's back, tracing gentle lines with my nails until I reached her plump ass cheeks. I couldn't help myself and just had to squeeze at the firm flesh—soft, smooth skin with the give of a ripe peach—as I took turns to knead each cheek. I had to know, was her shaven mound just as smooth? It was one of those things which had intrigued me for a long time—was it worth the effort? Slowly, painstakingly, I slid my arm over her hip, squeezing it in between our bodies. Downwards I went, across her abdomen, expectations growing as I neared my target. It was Naty's turn to gasp, deep into my mouth, as I finally ran my fingers over the silkiness of shaven mound.

"Mmmm, it was," I thought to myself as my fingers slid ever lower. "One day, maybe just one day . . ."

I broke away from the kiss, and looked across at my lover, staring deep into her pale blue eyes. The message was clear, those eyes simply asking, "what are you waiting for?" My mind flicked back to that morning in the shower, and how Steffen simply took what he wanted. Now it was my turn, and boy was I going to enjoy this.

"Roll over," I whispered, my mouth up against her ear, my lips nibbling softly on her lobes as I spoke.

Slowly Naty rolled over onto her back, spreading her legs wide as she went. I pulled myself up against her side, my front squeezed up against her with one leg draped across her outstretched knee. I ran a hand down her naked snatch, my fingertips stroking over the smooth puffiness of those outer lips. There was a gasp at the tenderness of my touch. I could feel the heat down below and guessed she wanted me up inside. I had other plans though.

It was those melons which I went to work on. One by one I latched onto the large nubs, suckling hard before pulling off with an almost audible plop, and a more than audible moan from Naty. A little nibble followed, before returning to my suckling. I inched up her body, placing my mouth on hers, my fingers now taking up the torment of her breasts, rolling the hard nubs, squeezing and pulling at them as I continued to kiss my lover. I could feel the gasp from those moans pass through my mouth each time I squeezed on those sensitive nipples.