Out of the Friend Zone

Out of the Friend Zone

I looked at the clock and could hardly believe it was already time for Oliver to get here. Where had the time gone? I was still trying to decide what top to put on with my skirt, finally pulling on a green v-necked summer sweater that showed a fair amount of cleavage thanks to my new push-up bra. I didn’t usually like to walk around advertising the goods, but I wanted to look sexy for Oliver tonight. He was my work friend, but I had been waiting and hoping for him to show some romantic interest in me since he had transferred from the Boston office of Quantum Software Solutions eight long months ago.

He was the company’s pinch hitter, sent to Houston to help shore up Quantum’s biggest account. He had done that, and wooed several other large clients in the months since he had arrived. If my job was in the software development section at work I might have felt threatened, but since I was in accounting I had been happy to welcome him to our office with no ruffled feathers.

I had used that to my advantage and we had become very friendly, occasionally even eating lunch together. He always made a point to say hello when he passed my office door, and I made sure to do the same—I had spent a fair amount of time ensuring that he noticed me.

A few of the developers had decided to blackball him, but I thought that was mostly jealousy. I didn’t have any feelings of animosity towards him so it was easy to slip into the role of office buddy, especially when there was very little competition for the title.

Of course, that didn’t hold true for the single females in the office because, let’s face it, Oliver was a catch. He was tall and broad, and had a shade of dark blonde hair that I thought was very dashing. He was a tiny bit nerdy, but it was sexy in an “I’m more intelligent than anyone you’ve ever met” way. Not that he was a gloater. I just happened to think that smart guys were the hottest. I’d take brains over looks any day, but luckily in him I didn’t have to choose. I thought he looked hot as hell, and now that he’d finally asked me to dinner, which may or may not be a date, my stomach was in knots. Spending all that time in the “friend zone” while my insides were churning with lust had been difficult, but realizing that he possibly wanted to be more than friends was both exhilarating and jitter-inducing.
What if tonight fizzled?

I tamped down those thoughts as my door chimes rang. There was no way I was going to let my nerves rule tonight. I checked the peephole to make sure it was Oliver before I threw open the door with a smile.

“Wow Vivienne, you look amazing.”  His eyes widened as he took in my outfit and I was thankful I had chosen to go the extra mile. He held a bouquet of daisies in front of him. “These are for you.”

My heart started a strange tattoo. This was the first time I had ever gotten flowers. “They’re beautiful. Thank you.” Flowers meant it was a date, right?

 I stepped back to usher him inside and as he walked past me I caught a whiff of his cologne. Oh man, he smelled
good.
I put my hand out to take the flowers, but he took it and carried it to his mouth for a kiss. My insides did a strange flip at the touch of his lips and my lady parts started tingling. I wasn’t sure what that meant for the rest of the night, but things were starting out pretty darned good.

“Let me get these into some water. Would you like a drink?”

He looked over at me with a grin. “I would love a drink. The restaurant isn’t going anywhere and I’d be happy to have you all to myself for a little while longer.”

I might swoon. I suddenly wished we could just stay here for the evening. “Great. I’ve got some drinks. In the kitchen,” I quickly added. Well duh, I wasn’t going to offer him a sip from the bathroom faucet. I turned and walked towards said kitchen before I could say anything else. I could feel Oliver following me, a good thing because I was too chicken to turn around and look. I felt like a teenager again—not cool since I had been kind of dorky in high school.

I grabbed a stoneware pitcher from my counter and stuck the flowers inside. “Would you like a glass of wine?”

“Sounds great.” I jumped when I realized he was standing only a few inches behind me.

“R-r-red or white?”

“Whichever you prefer. You have a lovely house; it’s very homey. I meant to tell you that the last time I was here.”

“Thanks. It’s small, but I like it.” I had invited everyone over after the lame company “team building” day last month, and I never got a moment alone with him, even though only half of the office showed up. By the time I had my second Margarita, and with it the courage to seek him out, he was gone.

I opened the refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of Chardonnay because I needed something cold to snap me out of this sensual spell that Oliver had me under. I vowed to myself that I wasn’t going to use alcohol to boost my confidence tonight; I didn’t think I needed it, anyway. He had been here barely a minute and I was ready to strip off my clothes and…well, I didn’t know what I’d do next, but now that we were out of the confines of work there was no reigning in my hormones. As I reached into the drawer to get my wine opener he was suddenly beside me.

“May I?” He was holding out his hand so I gave him the opener and the wine. I reached up into the cabinet to pull out wine glasses while he quickly and skillfully removed the cork from the bottle.

“Very smooth. I usually manage to get some broken cork bits inside.”  

“I worked as a waiter in a wine bar during college,” he told me as he poured our glasses. I was suddenly thankful that I had received a membership to the “Wine of the Month” club from my sister last Christmas; at least I was pretty sure that anything I chose was going to be good.

I blurted out the first thing that came to mind. “I worked as a phone sex operator.”

His eyebrows shot up as he gaped at me. “Really?”

“Yep.” I affected a slightly breathy voice. “I’m Heather. Have you been a naughty boy?” I hadn’t had all that much actual sex in those days, but my boss had given me some magazines and books to study and I had been a good student. I could do phone sex in my sleep.

“That is
so
hot.”

I sent him a smile and took a sip of my wine. I couldn’t believe I had told him about my college job; I never told
anyone
about that. My parents still believed I had worked in the office of a furniture store. It had been easier all around to let
everyone
believe that, even my closest friends. I hadn’t wanted people getting the wrong idea about me, and really, it would be the wrong idea. Face to face with a man I was attracted to left me practically tongue-tied. Luckily, Oliver and I had gotten friendly at work, where I had plenty of things to focus on besides his sexiness. Now, without any pressing business except getting to know each other better, I was having too much time to think.

“So where…” I said at the same time Oliver started speaking.

“I hope you...” We smiled and Oliver continued. “Ladies first.”

“No, that’s okay, what were you saying?

 “I hope you like French. I realize I should have asked first but there is a place that just opened up near my apartment and I’ve been hearing good things about it.”

“That sounds great.” I was lost for something else to add so I held my drink up in a toast. “To French food.”

“To women with beautiful French names.” He said it while staring into my eyes and I felt myself melt. We clinked our glasses together and we each took sips without breaking eye contact. Oh boy. My heart rate accelerated and I wanted to chug down my wine and lay a kiss on him. I thought back on my phone sex training.
Keep him talking.
It was the most important rule of job.

“So did you find the glitch in Fairelake’s invoicing system?”
Dammit!
I didn’t want to talk about work. I wanted him to think of anything
but
work.

“Sure did. Just like I thought, it was user error, not my code.”

I nodded. User error was the case eighty percent of the time, but I needed to get him talking about himself. I wanted to know all that I could about Oliver while I had him one on one for the evening.

 “So I can tell by your shoes that you can make the ladies happy.”
No
. No, I did not just say that. He looked down at his feet in confusion and then back at me. I think he got my meaning by seeing the fiery blush on my face.

“Um. Okay.” Why did I have a working mouth? The awkward silence left in the wake of our exchange was growing into a Grand Canyon sized gorge before he put me out of my misery.

 “Vivienne, are you trying to seduce me?” I opened and closed my mouth several times before I answered.

“I don’t think so.”
I don’t think so?
Why didn’t I say
no
?

He lifted a corner of his mouth up in a semi-smirk. “Too bad, because it was working.” 

I couldn’t believe that he wasn’t offended. Wait. He said it was working.
Omigod.
 I took a huge gulp of my wine and set the glass down on the counter.  

He raised his brows as I stepped forward, closing the distance between us. It was now or never, so I took a breath and leaned in to kiss him. His eyes widened as our lips made contact, and I immediately closed my own eyes because I was afraid I’d lose my nerve if kept looking at him.

The second I opened my mouth his tongue snaked inside. I may have moaned, I’m not sure, but I am sure I pressed myself up against his chest. He was warm and solid, and
the man can kiss
. He wrapped his arms around me and my hands reached forward and looped around his neck.

I was so busy trying to devour Oliver’s lips with my mouth that I barely registered the fact that his hands had moved down from my waist and were now touching the bare skin of my thighs.
Thank goodness I had chosen to wear a skirt tonight.
I moved my own hands from his neck down his back, pulling him even closer to me, while he walked me backwards. He didn’t stop until my butt was pressed against the kitchen table, and he grabbed me by the upper thighs and lifted me so that I was sitting on it. His strength was incredibly arousing. I immediately opened my legs so that he could stand between them.

He separated his mouth from mine and moved to my neck. My whole body broke out in goosebumps as his lips and tongue forged a path from my collar bone up to my ear.

“You are so beautiful, Vivienne. I could look at you all night long and never get tired of it.”
He was good.
It felt as if my dreams were coming true.

I gathered up every drop of courage I could muster and decided to harness my inner Heather.
She
would be able to tell a sexy man exactly what she wanted. I could feel the bulge of his cock pressing against me and it gave me the last push I needed. “Oliver, I want you. Now.” He pulled back a little at my declaration and looked me in the eyes.

“Really? We haven’t even eaten yet.” He sounded like he could hardly believe what I had just said.

“Really. I’m about to explode.” I punctuated my words by wrapping my legs around his waist and pulling him closer. I further proved my point by moaning as soon as I felt him grind into my panty clad happy place. I was shocked at my own bravery.

“Only if you’re sure.” He said the words between kisses.

“I’m sure,” I answered him while his fingers moved from underneath my thighs to between them. A shiver convulsed my entire body. His fingertips felt electric and they were more charged with each inch closer her got to ground zero. I wasted no time in moving my own hands to the button of his pants, it seemed only fair to repay the wonderful feelings he was giving me.

I relieved the pressure on his package when I pulled his zipper down and his boxer clad peen seemed to spring out. Holy mackerel. I was finally about to enter the big leagues, and I was nearly as nervous as I had been my first time.

I got a momentary brain stutter as I looked between us. His hands had moved over to my skimpy white lace panties and were tracing the outline of my pussy. I didn’t feel any of my usual modesty and when his fingers slipped under the fabric I couldn’t do anything more than let my head drop forward and give in to the feelings that he was evoking in me.

His finger brushed my clit and as he moved up and down my slit I could feel how much more lubricated I became with each pass. I placed my own hand against the fabric of his boxers and I felt him stiffen in response to my light pressure. His eyes were blazing with something I had never seen before. The only thing I could think of was that he looked animalistic. It was the biggest turn on of my entire life.

“Oliver, I can’t wait anymore.
Please.
” I barely registered the fact that he had pulled my panties down my legs until he was stepping back to get them over my heels. I reached forward to pull the shoes off but he saw what I was doing and stopped me.

“No, leave them on. They’re sexy.” I didn’t need to be told twice, and I let him maneuver the fabric over my shoes. I had always thought it was kind of cheesy when I saw some chick in a porn movie having sex wearing only her high heels, but if Oliver thought it was sexy, I would never think that again.