Autumn (Chapter 3) (Patreon)

The attraction between Mike and Autumn was strong and magnetic, but there was also a sense of fear that kept them wary. Mike still had his ex fresh in his mind and her memory weighed on his conscience. He had already gotten what he wanted in some ways. He had proven to himself that Autumn was available and interested, but when it came to moving forward, he felt somehow scared and blocked. It was easier for him to dream about her at night and picture her magnificent body naked from the comfort of his solitude than to actually make it a reality.

Autumn was wary because she had been burned and lied to by men in the past. She liked Mike but she wasn’t entirely sure if she could trust his intentions. He was so good looking that she found herself questioning whether or not he was a player, or if he was capable of being a one woman man.

They did not see each other the following day, nor did they call or text. It wasn’t until a few days later that Mike received a message from her, asking if she could come over. He jolted to attention and quickly cleaned up and organized his tiny, sparsely furnished apartment before trudging down the stairs. He opened the door to his building and she was standing there on the moonlit steps. He could tell instantly that she had been crying.

“Hey. Are you okay?”

She looked at him wide eyed and with a serious expression on her face. “Can I come in?”

“Umm, yeah of course.” He opened the door wider then stopped. “Do you want to have a cigarette first?”

“No, I’ve been chain smoking all afternoon, I really need to quit.”

“Okay.” He nodded and she stepped inside. She was dressed in black yoga pants and a matching zip up jacket that looked like it was purchased 15 pounds ago. “There’s stairs, are you going to be able to…”

“I can manage.”

There were two flights of stairs to get to Mike’s second floor apartment and Autumn went up the steps one by one, slowly and carefully. By the time she reached the top he noticed that she was slightly winded from the excursion.

“Is that hard?”

“It’s (pant) not too bad.”

He opened his door and they went in. “Sit down, get off your feet and make yourself at home.”

She collapsed on his small Ikea sofa and looked up at him with sorrow.

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s my Dad,” she said. “He’s been having heart problems and I just found out he’s in the hospital.”

He sat down in a chair directly across from her. “Oh, I’m sorry.”

She scrunched her nose and sniffled, then wiped some of the smudged makeup from her eyes. “I’m just scared.”

“He’s down in Oregon?”

“Yeah, I wish I could be there. I’m just having trouble picturing him…that way, you know?”

Mike nodded with an understanding that she found comforting. “Yeah. My dad had a heart attack a few years back. Had to have open heart surgery.”

“Really?” She scooted herself forward a little, unzipped her jacket and took it off. Beneath, she wore a black spaghetti strap top that also seemed to be a bit too small. “Is he okay now?”

“Oh yeah, he’s good, better than he was before.” He stroked his chin and gazed at her. Even in her distressed state she looked amazingly beautiful. Her breasts had certainly grown over the past few years and the tightness of her shirt squeezed against the softness of her sides, causing little rolls of fat to form just above her armpits. “It’s hard seeing your parents get older.”

“Yeah I’m not used to it. I don’t think I’m ready for it.”

Mike was having trouble keeping his eyes from drawing down to her legs. Her thighs were so much thicker and shapelier than his ex’s, and found them to be wildly and refreshingly attractive. “It’ll be okay.”

“Thanks,” she said softly. “Sorry to come over like this, I’m a bit of a mess.”

“It’s okay, I’m glad you came.” He was getting the feeling that the health problems of her dad were a little less serious than she was making them out to be and perhaps her show of affliction was more of a test, or just an excuse to see him. Not that he thought she wasn’t being truthful, it was just that the vibes she was sending him seemed a little more flirtatious than sorrowful.

“I guess I just needed to talk about it with someone,” she said.

“I’m glad you chose me.”

“Me too. It’s weird seeing your parents get older.”

“Yeah, it’s hard.” He stood up. “Um, can I get you anything?”

“No, just...” She closed her eyes as if she was on the brink of tears.

Mike stepped forward and sat down beside her on the couch. “It’s okay, come here.”

He put his arm around her shoulder, pulled her close and she nestled her head against his chest. The comfort of his embrace felt so natural and loving that she thought she could dissolve in his arms if she let herself. She slowly lifted her head up and stared directly into his eyes with her nose just inches away from his.

Mike’s heart rate accelerated. He didn’t hesitate a moment longer. He did what he had always wanted, yet failed to do since he met her. He leaned in and kissed her full lips, softly, gently and passionately.

It was like a huge weight was instantly lifted from their shoulders as she melted into him and kissed him back. His hand shifted from her shoulder down to her waist and he pulled her tight to his body. She felt heavier than he expected, but she felt wonderful.

“I just wish everything wasn’t so hard,” she cooed after their lips parted. “Work, family, love…it just…” She hesitated for a moment, turned away, then looked at him with a hint of a smile. “It makes me wish I could just be a housecat.”

“A housecat?”

“Well…yeah.”

“You mean like, never have to worry about anything, not have to work, just lay around and sleep and have someone else feed you?”

She sniffled again, then let out a cute giggle in spite of herself. “Sounds pretty great right?”

“It does actually.”

She looked down for a moment, suddenly feeling silly for breaking down and expressing her vulnerabilities like that. “I’m sorry, I’m okay really.”

He placed his hand on her knee. “You got nothing to be sorry about.”

“Thanks.”

They talked for a while longer until there was a moment of awkward silence, as neither of them were quite certain of what to do next. “I know it’s a long way down those stairs, but are you ready for a cigarette now?”

She let out a breathy sigh and looked at him lovingly. “Sure.”

Mike sprang to his feet and helped her up with both hands.

He lingered behind as she went down the stairs. She really did have quite a spectacular ass. It was big, as round as it was wide and it jiggled and bounced with every sexy feminie move she made. He had noticed that she left her jacket back up on his couch, but he didn’t say anything as the way she looked from the back in those tights and that revealing top was almost too good to be real. Her body was incredible, and if she had left her jacket off on purpose, he couldn’t blame her for wanting to show off, if that was her intention. She wasn’t fat and he wouldn’t even call her chubby, but she certainly had an abundance of curves in all the places that made Mike’s head spin and his stomach flutter.

Once outside she took a cigarette out of her purse and he lit it for her. He then lit his own and gracefully hoisted himself up onto the concrete ledge that separated the sidewalk from a little garden strip of the apartment building across the street. He watched as she attempted to do the same.

With her hands on the top of the ledge she tried to lift herself into a sitting position. She kicked her boots against the short wall just inches above the ground as she struggled to get up next to him. She failed and lowered back to the ground with a gasp.

“Oh God, (huff) you made that look (pant) so easy.”

He reached out his hand. “Here I’ll hold that for you.”

She gave him her cigarette and tried again. “Come (gasp) on.” Her sexy little boots came back down to the sidewalk as her second try resulted in the same way as the first. She was a little out of breath, and looked frustrated and confused. “Shit, (huff) what the hell!”

It was clear, and also incredibly hot for Mike to see Autumn coming to the realization that she was no longer quite as light and athletic as she once was. No doubt that once her ankle was healed completely she’d be anxious to get back in the gym so she could shed the extra 15 or so pounds she’d gained over the past several months. Somehow that thought saddened him.

He jumped down. “Let me help you.” He placed the cigarettes carefully behind his ears, bent over then cradled his hands together and she stepped on his open palms and finally climbed up.

“Fewww! God I’m so…”

He jumped back up next to her and gave her back her smoke. “You’re so what?”

“Nothing.” She looked at him and sighed. “Thanks for your help.”

“My pleasure.”

She smiled then took a short drag and blew smoke into the clear night sky.  “I’m glad you moved here.”

“Me too.” It was a little chilly. He took off his coat and draped it over her exposed shoulders.