Strawberry Wine (12 page)

Ellen pulled Alli into a hug. Then, before dragging Alli off she chirped to Greg, “Sorry Greg, she’s the birthday girl. You have to share her with the masses.”

Greg nodded cordially and migrated over to the bar to grab a drink. He never could win in a battle of wills with Ellen. For the most part Alli and Greg’s respective sets of friends commingled seamlessly. It was only Ellen, and the equally confounding Jainey that didn’t ever seem to fully accept him. It was as if they found him lacking in some key quality they deemed a prerequisite to being Alli’s beau.

Greg shook his head to clear it. They were harmless enough, Alli’s friends. Greg spotted his usual group of cronies and ambled over after instructing the bartender to keep his glass full. He had overheard someone mention karaoke, and he wasn’t nearly drunk enough for that yet.

“Spill it.” Jainey said before Alli could even sit down. “Why were you crying?”

“Is it really that obvious?” Alli asked.

“I noticed the second you walked in.” Ellen admitted. “So what happened?”

Alli glanced over her shoulder conspiratorially before turning back to the girls and smiling in victory. “I found him.” Was all she said.

Two sets of eyes grew round as saucers in sudden realization. Ellen was the first to speak. “You found
him
? Mr. Taylor - I mean Jason?”

Alli nodded her head enthusiastically. “He owns a gallery downtown. Can you believe it? He’s been right here under my nose this whole time.”

“So why were you crying?” Jainey would have assumed finding Jason would make Alli happy. She remembered all too well the dreadful months Alli had spent looking for him the previous year. “Is he married or something?”

Alli had never even entertained the thought of Jason having married someone else. Suddenly she was gripped by panic. Oh God,
was
he married? She couldn’t remember seeing a ring on his finger during their brief encounter, but that didn’t mean anything. Maybe he takes it off when he paints.

“I don’t know! Oh my God you guys, what if he is? What am I going to do?”

Ellen put a hand on Alli’s shoulder. “Calm down. There’s no point in getting worked up over ‘what-ifs’. You’re not exactly single yourself.” Ellen glanced briefly over to Greg sitting across the room with his boys.

Alli’s face crumbled and Jainey started fanning at her frantically trying to prevent a total melt down. “Focus! Focus! People will notice if you start crying.”

“I’m a terrible person!” Alli wailed. “I haven’t given a single thought to Greg in all of this. I’ve spent the whole afternoon trying to figure out a way to get Jason to listen to me. To take me back.” Alli dropped her face into her hands. Her voice was muffled when she continued to speak. “I am a selfish bitch. I deserve to be miserable.”

Ellen, ever the practical one, tried to mollify Alli. “Greg will be fine. It’s better to get dumped and get over someone than to unwittingly stay with someone who would rather be with someone else.” She paused a minute to make sure she had worded that correctly.

Alli gave her a dejected look. “So you’re saying I’m not a selfish bitch if I dump Greg to get back with Jason, but I
have been
a selfish bitch the past two years I’ve been with Greg. Thanks.”

Ellen shrugged. “Well, the truth hurts.”

Jainey rolled her eyes and pushed in between the two of them. “Alli, we love you in spite of your less than perfect track record with guys.”

Alli gave Jainey a humorless smile. Jainey sighed heavily and nudged Alli. “Come on, buck up. It’s time to channel your inner actress and pretend you’re happy to be here. Karaoke is going to start in five minutes, and if you behave yourself I’ll let you pick your own songs this time.”

That got a legitimate smile out of Alli. “Sushi, Chinese green beans
and
karaoke? You guys love me so much it’s scary.” Alli hugged her girlfriends and vowed to live in the moment, if only for the length of the party.

Careful to give the main house a wide berth to avoid being seen by the Taylors, Alli made her way to the carriage house. The apartment looked dark, but she thought she could see a flicker of light in the window, as if from a t.v..

The stairs didn’t creak as she ascended. They were solidly built.

When she got to the landing by the door, she could hear the faint sound of a television program. Good. He was home.

Alli ignored the ornamental knocker and knocked directly on the door instead.

No one answered at first. She waited a minute, then knocked again. Just as she finished knocking, it occurred to her that he might not be alone.

Oh God! What if she’s in there with him. What are you even going to say? This was a mistake. You should just wait until you can catch him at the barn.

Alli turned to slink back down the stairs, just as the door opened.

“Alli?” Jason stood in the doorway wearing nothing but a pair of boxer-breifs. His hair was in complete disarray, sticking up at odd angles. He looked mildly surprised. “What are you doing here?”

It took Alli a moment to recover from the sight of him wearing so little. She was close enough to feel the heat emanating from his chest.

Abs like that should be illegal.
She thought, as her eyes wandered over his body. Before she could get too carried away with her ogling, she reminded herself why she had come.

“Is this not ok? I was just wondering if you wanted to watch a movie or something. I don’t like being alone in the house... Is this a bad time? Do you have company or something?” Alli thought he could see right through her weak excuse.

Jason was confused. Company? Why would he have company? “Company?” He ran his hand over his face and through his tussled hair, trying to relieve some of his sleepiness. “I don’t usually entertain in my underwear. Come in.” He opened the door wider and stepped aside to let her in.

Elated and relieved, Alli looked around the dim room. The door opened into a small area between the living room on the left and the kitchen on the right. Straight ahead was a dark hallway leading to the bed room and bathroom. It was small, but tidy. In fact, Alli was surprised by the degree of cleanliness considering Jason was a bachelor.

“Nice place. Clean.” She said, taking it all in.

Jason switched on a side table lamp and gestured for Alli to take a seat on the sofa.

“Make yourself at home. I’ll be right back, just lemme grab some pants.”

Rather than sit, Alli followed him down the short hall to his bedroom. She leaned against the door jam as he opened a dresser drawer. He grabbed a neatly folded pair of sweats and shook them out.

Alli took in his room. It was small and sparse. His clothes from yesterday lay in a crumpled pile near the closet, along with a damp bath towel. The bed was made with military precision, and the nightstand boasted only a small lamp and a tattered Kerouac novel.

“I’m impressed. You even make your bed.”

Jason half smiled, but his retort died in his throat as he watched Alli casually drape herself across his bed.

Jason couldn’t be sure he wasn’t dreaming. After a long, arduous night of playing caretaker to a girl that refused to admit to what she had taken, he was rather backlogged on his sleep.

Crystal had spent the majority of the night vomiting profusely and adamantly denying she had mixed pills with her alcohol. Jason had been too worried about her drowning in her own vomit to just leave. Instead, he had helped her clean herself up, and then waited for her roommate to come home - which wasn’t until eleven the next morning. Doug owed him big for that one.

After finally making it home, and into a hot shower, he had collapsed on the couch and fallen into a deep sleep. A deep sleep featuring Alli, and his bed. So his confusion over suddenly being presented with that reality was understandable.

Alli noticed the change in him immediately. Her stomach fluttered in anticipation of what that look could mean. Kicking off her shoes, she rose to a kneeling position and moved to the foot of his bed, closer to him. “Come here.”

“I thought you wanted to watch a movie.” Jason moved to stand in front of her, questioning.

Alli wrapped her arms around his neck and said, “I said, ‘watch a movie
or something
’.” Then she pulled him down to meet her lips.

Jason was bowled over by this change in Alli. It was not like her to be so aggressive. He didn’t understand it, but he couldn’t help but respond to it. He dropped his sweats and took hold of her hips with both hands. Kissing her back fervently, he held her firmly against him, letting her feel the hardness of his immediate arousal.

Alli was swimming in a whirl of sensations. She arched her back and pressed herself harder against the heat of Jason’s body. His hand came up to cup a breast, causing her nipples to tighten, and a wave of pleasure to wash through her to her core. He grew impatient with the barrier of material. In one smooth motion, he broke the kiss and raised her tank top over her arms, tossing it away. Returning to her lips, he delved deeply into the velvet warmth of her mouth before trailing kisses over her cheek and down her neck. His fingers pulled her bra strap over her shoulder to make way for his lips. His scratchy days growth of beard occasionally rasped against her sensitive skin, causing shivers to run down her spine.

Jason worked to free her bra clasp as she cradled his face and pulled him back to her mouth for another deep kiss. She gave him her tongue to gently suck, while his hands worked their magic caressing her now naked torso.

Alli was unprepared for the jolt of pleasure that came when he lowered his head and took her sensitive nipple into his mouth. She arched her back and gasped, tightly twining her fingers in his hair.

A groan escaped him as he lowered them to a horizontal position on the bed. As his kisses continued to wreak havoc on her senses, he unbuttoned her shorts and slid them down her legs. Her body was tingling all over. Her pulse racing.

She caught the band of his boxer-breifs and tugged at them. He lifted off of his hips and shimmied out of them. Then, hooking his finger through the side of her panties, he drew them down the length of her legs in one fluid motion.

He was unprepared for her to take a hold of his shaft. He jumped at the touch, then moaned and pushed gently against her hand. “Oh, Alli, careful love.” he sighed into her ear.

Alli marveled at the silken texture of his manhood. He was so hot, like holding solid fire. She ran her hand up the length of him, causing him to jump again.

Alli was becoming restless. She had a yearning within her that his caresses only intensified. She felt hollow, wanting. Jason moved his hand between her legs and cupped her most sensitive area. Her warmth and wetness helped him to slide his finger into her with ease. She gasped at the shocking quake that rocked her at his touch. “Oh God. Jason, pl-please.” she stuttered. “I want you inside of me.”

Her soft exclamation almost sent him over the edge. He reached into his side table drawer and pulled out a small foil packet. She watched as he unwrapped the condom and slid it down his shaft. For just a moment it gave her pause. It seemed so big. How was it going to fit?

He moved above her, positioning himself at her opening. Suddenly it was very important that he know he was her first lover. She wanted him to know that she had chosen him above all others. Her pulse was thrumming heavily where he was touching her with the tip of his erection. “I’ve never...” She whispered. “I’ve never done this before.”

Jason hesitated. “What was that, love?”

“I’ve never done this before.” Alli said again.

Jason became still as a statue. “You’re a virgin?”

Alli nodded.

Jason remained perfectly still, trying to process this new information through his fog of lust. Finally he let out a long breath and moved to lie beside her.

“What’s wrong?” She asked, raising up on her elbows to better see his face.

Jason smiled reassuringly. “Nothing’s wrong, Alli.” He reached over and looped a lock of her hair behind her ear. “I just didn’t expect...” Jason sighed. “That’s a big deal Alli. Your first time. It only happens once.”

Alli’s heart dropped into her stomach. “You don’t want me.”

Jason was flabbergasted by her assumption. “Quite the opposite, Alli - I assure you. It’s everything I can do to keep from taking you right now.”

“Then what’s stopping you?” She leaned over to kiss him.

Mustering strength he didn’t know he possessed, he remained still, and didn’t return the kiss.

Putting a hand to her cheek to ease what she was sure to view as a rejection, Jason pulled away and looked into her eyes. “No, Alli, love. Not like this. It should be special. You should be sure you’re doing it for the right reasons.”

“What do you mean?”

“Why did you really come over here tonight, Alli?”

“I told you. I didn’t want to be alone...” She looked down, unable to maintain eye contact. “I wanted to be with you.”

Jason heaved a mental sigh. Would he ever understand the inner workings of the female mind? Particularly
this
female?