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in front of my building waiting for Nathan, my friend and coworker. Even though I literally live two blocks from work and can be there in five minutes, six if I walk slow, Nathan picks me up most mornings and brings me home most evenings so we can chat about whatever. He was my trainer all those years ago, looked out for me, taught me secrets, gave me clients, and has been a loyal, true friend all along, even during and after the disaster that was Lisa.

It's nice to have a friend, trust me.

Plus he knows about WWE!

So I'm standing there about 6:45 am waiting for Nathan. It's a cool Spring morning, and I was mentally preparing for another 11 hour day when I got lost in thought about why my life had stalled at 30. Dating was a hassle, I worked more than I was off, and I was conflicted about living alone because I liked the silence and solace but hated being alone. I had my sister who loves me as much as I love her, but there were limits to what she could do for me, and trust me, this isn't one of those stories. Not by far.

Nathan arrived, I composed myself, and then we were at work.

Through the day I was busy, focused and distracted, but a couple of times I would stop to think and breathe, recall my lack of life, and sigh. Right. Probably anyone else would tell me how great I had it or some trash about how lucky I was. Forget it. I didn't necessarily feel lucky. I was checking price labels on a section of tools, mostly hammers and pry bars, when Natalie stood beside me and sighed "Hey." Natalie is 29 years old, 5' 10", has long brown hair, pretty blue eyes, and is both fit and beautiful. Another female I have no shot with, at least Natalie and I are friends... I think. Recently promoted to Assistant Manager when I was made Manager, she is quite literally an awesome person and an incredible employee. She helped me check price labels as we talked about Taylor Swift, Star Trek, WWE, Epic Seven and then Natalie said "So I was thinking, since you don't drive, how about I take you to lunch." I sighed and Natalie touched my arm, kept her hand there, and apologized "I'm sorry Danny. I know you drive. I meant since you don't have a car I could..."

Natlie muttered "Fuck" and just walked away.

Uh... so yes to lunch...?

I got intercepted by a customer, helped him, took a phone call, and then did a price override for a cashier. By then I saw Natalie stop to stare at me while standing near a computer. We clock in and out at any computer. You may not care, but it's relevant. She sighed, mouthed "Sorry" then clocked out and left for lunch.

Ok, well, I guess that's a no to us going to lunch?

I was making change for one of the cashiers when Nathan came along to buy a soda and asked "Oh, I thought you went to lunch with Natalie?" I exhaled but said nothing as Nathan waited for me, put his hand on my shoulder, then did what he always does. He talked to me like a friend, like a dad, and like a Boy Scout Leader, all rolled into one. He was just Nathan. He said "You can choose to live in the shadow of Lisa and what she did to you, or you can remember that you were and are your own person." Mystical guidance as usual, but I mulled it over as the afternoon rolled on. BTW, I did have a chicken salad sandwich and a Pepsi that someone ran to the store and got me.

In case you were wondering.

At about 5:30 pm, just before closing, Natalie came down the stairs from the offices, forced a smile on her face, glanced away, then came close and said "Look...." I asked "How about dinner?" Natalie blushed, stood there wide eyed with her mouth open, and stayed like that for at least two, maybe three minutes. No movement, no sound, just stood there as if stunned or frozen. Nathan whispered something in her ear, she turned to stare at him, then looked at me as if seeing me for the first time and said "Yes." Then, oddly, she just walked away and left the store. For Lord's sake, I had no idea where my game or mojo was, but it didn't seem all this difficult back in high school. Nathan put his hand on my shoulder and said "When it comes to this store, our customers, and your job, I have not seen anyone so confident in a long time."

That was it, nothing else.

As usual he went back to his computer and left me to try to decipher his wisdom.

At 5 minutes to 6 pm my sister Dana appeared and said "I'm your ride." Nathan shrugged and said "Works for me. I have to go to trivia night." Dana browsed while we closed up, then we talked about our day from the store to our parking lot, on the elevator up to our floor, and into my apartment. Per usual, as if I weren't the older brother, Dana spent a few moments cleaning my already clean apartment then said "I'm worried about you D." I sighed and said "I'm fine."

I wasn't, but no one cared, so yeah.

There was a knock on my door and Dana stared at me, blinked, then I shrugged. She opened the door to Natalie who took my breath away. Not just because she was at my door, but because she looked beautiful in a pretty light blue dress that hugged her fit frame, started at her knees, and made her even more beautiful. I sighed "Wow" and Dana laughed "Wow? Did I miss something? What's with the wow?" Natalie blushed as she hugged Dana, then anxiously hugged me before blushing and asking "Yeah, what's with the wow?" I blurted "You're fucking gorgeous" then my face felt hot and I closed my eyes.

I went over to stare out the window, the view from the 7th floor is a good one, but glanced and saw Natalie and Dana pressed together, both blushing and whispering, while stealing glances at me. After I heard Natalie tell Dana that a resident in the lobby let her in, I summoned the courage... and words... to say "I was... I was going to call you." Natalie huffed "When? Tomorrow? I would have starved waiting for you and dinner. Please get changed so we can go eat." I looked at Dana who narrowed her eyes and said "Now's good." I exhaled, walked towards my bedroom, which does not have a door on it, then stopped close to Natalie and sighed "You really do look amazing. I'm sorry."

Natalie held me, she was warm and it felt good to be in her arms. She whispered to me "I know what you've been through. Just breathe Danny. Relax, breathe and trust me." We eased back and it felt like we were about to kiss. The only girl I have kissed in the last 12 years was Lisa. I was confused, conflicted, and then Natalie stepped back and sighed "I have a lot of work to do." Dana held me and said "He's worth it." I hugged my sister then went to get changed. Did I mention that there's no doors in these apartments other than the front door?

Absolutely not a plot device.

It was both exciting and weird to turn around with my shirt off and undoing my belt to see both Natalie and Dana boldly staring at me, watching me undress. Should I remind you that Dana is my sister and Natalie was a coworker until about an hour ago? Plus Dana is my sister! I asked "Really?" Dana shrugged "What? We're related and it was mostly curiosity." I laughed but Natalie was still staring and blushing, so I dug deep for some balls and asked "Why don't you just come in here and talk to me while I change?" Dana gasped "Well, I'm out" and literally seconds later she was gone and my door slammed.

The only door I have, the front one.

Natalie smirked and asked "Is it you don't think I will come in there while you undress, or that in some way you hope that I do?" We stared at each other for a long time until Natalie took her small purse off her shoulder, set her phone down on my table, then walked right up to me. With her hands on my face, she said "Breathe Danny. I wasn't sure but now I am. We both want this. Relax and let it happen." We kissed. A soft, slow, romantic kiss, then Natalie exhaled and asked "Do we want to be open or closed about it?"

I reached over to hold her hand and asked "Are we dating or going out?" Natalie stared into my eyes then said... asked really... "Both?" I nodded, we hugged, held each other, then she sighed "Okay. I'm seriously hungry, we both have to be at the stupid 6:30 am meeting, so if you want to make out at all, stop dragging this out and get changed." I laughed "Make out?" Natalie shrugged as she sat on my bed, looked slowly around the small bedroom, then laughed "Yeah, probably." Clearly she intended to sit there while I took off my pants, so I exhaled slowly, then said "She devastated me Nat. You know this, you were there." Natalie said "Look Danny, I wasn't mooning around with a girl crush wishing you would ask me out. It happened naturally as we worked together, but I want you to know something. As sad, hurt and depressed as you've been lately, when we all went bowling a couple weeks ago... that's when I knew." I smiled as I took off my pants and hung them up. Natalie was blushing as she touched my arm, stared openly at the bulge in my underwear, then flirted "Okay, I'm good." I have no idea where the boldness or courage came from, but I slipped my fingers in the waistband of my underwear while staring into her eyes as if daring her.

Natalie was breathing deeply, slowly, and shocked me to my bones when she said "If that's what you think of me, then do it and see what happens." Wow. Talk about getting blindsided with a concrete block. I just stumbled into the bathroom and washed my face. When I was done, Natalie was in the main room, the living/dining room staring out the window. I got dressed, put my sneakers on, then sighed "I'm sorry Natalie. I really am." Natalie turned to face me with tears in her eyes and said "No one deserves what you suffered through Danny. What you put up with. What she did to you." I waited as Natalie said "But there's no way I deserve what you just did and the only reason I didn't leave and probably quit my job as well is I think you and I can be something." I exhaled as Natalie said "You owe me a serious apology, more than just words, and I meant it when I said I'm hungry." I held my arms open but Natalie stood there leaning against my window and glaring at me.

I really hurt her and I was an asshole for doing it, no bs.

I turned to go into my small kitchen, sipped from a Pepsi, then came back out and said "Natalie, I really am sorry. The only woman I have ever kissed or slept with is Lisa and she destroyed me more than just that horrible, awful day. That's no excuse for ignoring you for months, for not telling you that I'm into you, or for what I just did. I really am sorry." Natalie came closer and asked "Into me? I never knew." I sighed and she laughed "Oh my God you cannot be serious? You never said nothing because you didn't think you had a chance?" I said "It's not funny Natalie. I see you as amazing and beautiful and so far out of my league I may not even be in it."

Oddly, all conversation ceased until we got down to her SUV. Natalie held my hand in the elevator and smiled when I opened her door for her. We went to OLIVE GARDEN and I smiled because I love OG but Lisa hated it. Dinner was great, Natalie was flirty, and when we left and stood at her car, she said "So this is our first crossroad. In my mind, if we go back to your apartment, we will most likely make out, it won't take much work for you to get what we both want, but then there's always the stigma that we did everything in one day."

I laughed because that sounded amazing but Natalie asked "Then what?"

I have no idea where the thoughts or words came from, but I said "Nat, I haven't even thought of another woman since Lisa did what she did. For some reason this morning waiting for Nathan, I thought about how unhappy I am and how much my life sucks. I didn't think I could ever be happy again." Natalie gasped "Wow. This is how you talk me into sex and spending the night? Putting yourself down?" I was stunned and said "No. I had a point." Natalie crossed her arms and said "You might want to make it." I said "My point was I really, truly had no idea that you liked me or that I had a chance, but I have looked at you for weeks, maybe months and thought, hoped, wondered... if only." Natalie relaxed and asked "And?" I sighed and said "There aren't enough words to tell you what I want from you Natalie, but how about this? After everything Lisa did to me, everything she took from me, I would do anything it takes to be with you. I am going to say the wrong thing, try too hard, make mistakes, but Lisa is proof that when I love, I go all in, even if someone else doesn't."

Natalie sighed, kissed me softly, then said "Those were good words."

Then the clouds parted and I found my voice.

I looked at Natalie and said "The best part of this day was spending some of it with you. Tomorrow I am going to Mike and Sonya and telling them about you and..." Natalie interrupted me "We will" and I smiled and said "We will tell Mike and Sonya about us. Something about how you care about me but refuse to put up with my crap tells me I would be an idiot to lose you." Natalie said "I agree" and I laughed "About which part?" She smiled, "All of it." I said "I would like to kiss you goodnight when you drop me off, get through tomorrow, take you to dinner tomorrow night, then see what happens. You deserve twice that at least." Natalie's eyes were pure electricity as she said "No" and got into her SUV.

I got in, she smiled at me, and repeated "No."

We drove in silence to my building, Natalie asked me as she parked "Do I need a sticker or pass or something?" I stared at her then said "I can take a picture of your license plate and send it to the office. They have some kind of app or something. To be honest I don't fully understand it." Natalie turned off the vehicle and said "You get one oops and then I sleep dressed. Two and I go home. Think before you talk."

I grinned and Natalie said "You're a mess." She took a bag out of the back of her SUV and I smiled but didn't say anything. As she took my hand and locked her vehicle, Natalie laughed, "Good choice." I remembered about the parking and took a photo of her plate. It took both of us to figure out the app, but the "APPROVED" told us she wouldn't get towed. I hope. Inside my small apartment Natalie asked "So yeah, we're going to get intimate way sooner than either of us expected because there are literally no doors. What the heck?"

I told you.

I said "Well, I guess the thought process is anyone moving into a one bedroom is probably by themselves?" Natalie sighed "Not to be a girl, but this will only work for so long. You know you're gonna have to move at some point." I grinned but stayed quiet and Natalie laughed "Wow, my warning actually worked." I laughed, "Trust me, I want to see you naked." Natalie sighed and I swallowed as she said "That was borderline. You have got to think Danny. What is wrong with you?" I should have bitten my tongue but I blurted "The only woman I have ever dated or slept with, the woman I asked to marry me, put me out like trash in front of my friends and family then set out to destroy me afterwards to make sure I was clear it was over."

Natalie seemed sad as she exhaled slowly, then just went into the bathroom and took off her pretty dress. I was enjoying her near perfect body and the skimpy, lacy white lingerie as she glanced occasionally at me in the mirror while washing off her makeup and touching at her hair. Natalie sighed then said "I forgive you and I'm sorry. Let's take a shower then lay down and see what happens." I apologized as well then asked "Wouldn't it make more sense to take a shower after?" Natalie used her hands to motion me closer, held me, kissed me softly, then said "Relax and breathe Danny. Now think. What all have you touched and handled at work today? Same for me. I think our first time should be special and we can take seven showers if you want. Stop going so fast and relax. Relax, breathe and think. I'm worth at least that." I nodded then said "You are worth everything to me Natalie."

She sighed, we kissed warmly, then she said "I don't play games or waste words. You know that about me at work and maybe as a friend, but it applies even more so with us and this. I like sex, I am not ashamed to do it or have it, and I really, really like attention. You do the math while you get undressed." As Natalie unclasped and took off her bra, I caught my breath because her breasts were firm, full, round and large, did not sag a bit, and her nipples were seriously erect and perky. She watched with a smile as I undressed, and stared intently as I slipped my underwear down to reveal how hard and excited I was. Natalie's eyes crossed, rolled back, then she inhaled "Wow. Definitely wow." I said "I hope I don't waste my oops Nat, but your body is amazing and even hotter than Lisa's." Natalie gasped and pulled me into an intense, furious kiss before panting "Fuck no, you just earned an extra oops." She made a show of taking her panties off, holding them up between us at eye level, then letting them fall to the floor. My God. I inhaled deeply as she was clean shaven with wet, excited lips. I looked towards the bed and Natalie inhaled slowly, bit her lip, then asked "You promise lots of making out after our shower?"

I grabbed her, she jumped to wrap her legs around me, and I carried her to the bed where she scrambled to lay on the pillows with her legs spread and a big smile.

FUCK YOU LISA, but this might be the best day ever.

I had intended to kiss Natalie, give her some of the attention she asked for, but she grabbed me, pulled at me, and when I was positioned to enter her, she flirted "Take me." I pushed slowly into her tight, wet pussy and she was inferno level hot. My cock throbbed immediately as I began to stroke slow and deep inside Natalie's furnace. My God it felt incredible to be inside her and I asked "Holy fuck, how are you single?" She flirted "Well I'm not anymore." We tried to kiss, but in real life it's not easy to kiss while fucking. Every iota of me, every fiber of my being wanted to fuck Natalie for being so hot, sexy and perfect, but I held it together and stroked slow and deep into her warm body.

Natalie worked her hips, used her hands and fingers to keep me at the peak of arousal, and panted things like "Yeah" and "Oh my God yes." We were at the 9 minute mark... and yes I looked at the clock... when Natalie's body started to tremble, vibrate, and shake. She was getting close so I gasped "Cum for me baby." Her eyes focused on me, her pussy tightened around my cock, and then Natalie had a thrashing, screaming orgasm that shook both of us, the bed, and maybe the building. I rode her through her long, intense orgasm, and realized I was stroking faster, harder, and thrusting as deeply as I could. Natalie had control of herself now as she wrapped her legs up around me and blew my mind when she said "You have no idea how much sex we're going to have." I lost it in a blinding, numbing explosion that seemed to light the room and maybe the sky. Fireworks exploded in my brain as I gave Natalie everything I had and probably owed her some later.

We lay there kissing, she rubbed my back and sides, and then I asked her the dumbest possible question "Was this part of the plan when you asked me to lunch?" Natalie laughed "Why is it if a guy is a dog he's cool and all that, but if a girl wants or initiates sex, she's a slut?" I said "I don't see it that way. For all her faults, Lisa will tell you, I treated her like a Queen."

Natalie sighed "I like that you talk about other women while you're inside me. It doesn't give me any kind of mental issues."

We kissed some more then Natalie separated us, led me to the shower, and we washed up while kissing and making small talk. Drying off, I was about to get a t-shirt out of my drawer when she lay naked on my bed and asked "Why bother?" I smiled as Natalie was purposely spreading her legs and clearly offering me sex, so I said "Just remember we have to be at the store by 6:30 am." Natalie smiled "If we go to sleep by midnight I might not kill you in the morning. That gives us 2 hours to rack up some sex."

Lisa who?

The morning was interesting as my alarm went off at 5:34 am and hers went off at 5:37. No bs, it was odd but interesting. Natalie sighed as she snuggled her warm body against me "If we straight out fuck with no messing around then take a super fast shower, I'll send one of the cashiers to get us coffee and breakfast while we're at the meeting." I smiled and asked "Would you consider marriage?" Natalie pulled me between her legs and said "I'm already planning on it." The sex was quick, carnal and explosive, the shower brief, and Natalie dressed faster than any woman I knew. Wow seemed to be the perfect modifier for her. We were exiting the building when for some reason my brain filled with doubt, trust concerns, and confidence issues. After a great night together and amazing sex I was worried for no reason that Natalie would break up with me, dump me, end things somehow.

I was quietly overthinking during the short walk to her SUV, silent the 2 block drive to work, then into the store where Natalie held me in the office and asked "What is going on in that head of yours?" I exhaled and lied "Nothing. It's nothing." Natalie stared at me for a moment then said "Focus babe. In our relationship we're equal, but here you're in charge. Snap out of it and act like it." We kissed then she said "Real quick, my apartment is a mess, so we're going to your place again tonight. Good?" I nodded then asked "Why does it feel like you're going to break up with me?" Natalie seemed surprised, blinked several times, visibly composed herself, then asked "Are you willing to trust me? Have I been open and honest with you so far?" I nodded and she said "Dig deep, relax, trust me, I got you. Now let's go have this meeting." I was talking to the staff when I noticed Natalie off to the side talking to Mike and Sonya as well as their brother Carl. The three of them are the majority owners.

A few minutes later Sonya said to everyone at the meeting "Just to clarify our relationship policy... there isn't one. Danny and Natalie are dating, so keep cute and clever comments to yourself and focus on the customers." I sighed as Mike nodded to me and then we discussed the current sale flier. I was at a loss most of the day, I didn't get why Natalie didn't seem to understand my concerns. My fears. I was distracted and half out of it, even when Natalie found two opportunities to push me into an office and kiss me. We were leaving for lunch when she said "Man, you just cannot stand not knowing what's going on, can you?" I sighed "Try getting fucked over like I did and see how trusting you are?" Natalie stopped walking right in the middle of the street and I sighed "Did I just lose an oops?" She huffed "I should take away all three. Fuck you Danny, I deserve better." I said "You do and I have every intention to treat you like the most important person in my life Nat. I just do not understand when I'm opening my heart to you that you seem so... indifferent."

Natalie took my hand, we got into her SUV, then as we drove to get some lunch, she said "I have a second key fob at home. I'm grabbing it and giving it to you tonight after work. I can only apologize for my mouth Danny. You asked a couple of times why I was single, now you know. My mouth. I'm sorry." Natalie was distracted again, and she stood by the passenger door of her SUV, so I unlocked it, we got in, and I drove. She glanced at me a couple of times, sighed, exhaled, stared out the windshield, and was mostly quiet except when she asked "How about Taco Bell?"

I sighed and asked "What are you thinking?"

Natalie laughed "You wouldn't believe me unless you have a seriously open mind." We parked at Taco Bell and went in, stood in line, and Natalie was basically holding me the entire time. I sighed and Natalie held me as she said "I think we should go all in. This relationship, us living together, everything. I guess the real question is, if we both want this, why not?" I kissed Natalie softly then said "Yes." she sighed, then was distracted again so I asked "What Nat? What else?" I stared at Natalie who blushed then said "If I seriously thought you could get out of your head and forget Lisa, I might relax and let loose, but the truth is I worry you might feel a certain type of way when you find out just how much I like sex." I grinned and Natalie said "So that thought right there? Triple it. I really like sex."

We got our food and sat down to eat when she asked "No jokes or comments?" I said "The thought that a woman could like sex and not use it as control is out there. I guess you're like a unicorn. I didn't think girls like you existed." Natalie laughed "There's a bonus. I don't get bent very easily and I am very affectionate. You'll see." I asked "Can I have my oops back? I'm pretty sure I'm gonna need it." Natalie leaned closer for a kiss and said "I never took it away. It's not your fault how she treated you and when you finally do say or do something I don't like, I will tell you, we can discuss it, you'll see it my way, and that will be that." I laughed "Okay then" and Natalie said "I like to think I'm fair. Just see and do things my way and all will be good." I sighed, we finished lunch, kissed a few times, then went back to work.

At 6pm we drove to Natalie's apartment and I just stared at the mess.

She wasn't joking.

I sighed, closed my eyes, ignored common sense, then said "Babe, I'm giving you all my oops right now because if you think you're going to be this messy when we live together, you're wrong." Natalie shrugged and said "I've been busy." Wow. She didn't get bent at all. Yup, wow was the perfect modifier for Natalie. After she searched a couple different drawers, she found and handed me a keyfob to her SUV then said "We should have thought of this earlier. Can you talk to your leasing office and do something about parking? I think for the most part we can stay at your place because trying to separate you and Dana would be bad for my health." I laughed then said "Actually she would just follow us wherever we moved." Natalie stopped packing her bag and stared at me. She blinked a couple of times then said "Call her. Put it on speaker and call her please?" I was pretty sure what the conversation was going to be and was NOT dumb enough to ask things like ‘too soon' or ‘too early'. Besides, based on what I knew about Natalie and how I felt about her, I had zero concerns about moving in together.

Dana answered, skipped the usual pleasantries, and boldly said "Damn Danny, she's got some seriously sexy lingerie. You definitely scored with Natty." I closed my eyes and shook my head as Natalie blushed and said "Uh, thank you." Dana said "No problem. What's up?" Natalie said "We're discussing moving plans and arrangements and I was thinking. What if we looked for a three bedroom and you came with us?" Dana said "My question is what would the third bedroom be for?" I knew, somehow I knew, so I both said and asked "An office?" Natalie nodded, came closer to hold me, then said "I know you're probably thinking it's too soon but..." Dana said "I'm not. The two of you have been wanting this for a while but he was too depressed to ask you out and you were too nice to tell him how you felt. I could tell when we all went bowling that you were into him and he's been bringing you up way more than a friend would." Natalie sighed then asked "Can I text you my number?" Dana said "I think I have it from that night we all went to see the TAYLOR SWIFT concert movie."

Natalie's phone sounded, she pulled it out of her back pocket, smiled, then said "Come see us when we get there so we can talk." Dana laughed "Before or after the bedroom stuff?" I grinned and Natalie kissed me softly then said "After. Definitely after."

Yeah.

A nice ending to a romantic story. More if readers want, but this was a happy ending where you can imagine what comes next.

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