Chapter 1: Introduction
Susan slipped out of her silk robe and let it pool at her feet. The red dress hanging in her open closet looked like sinful blood in the sunlight streaming through the floor-to-ceiling living room windows. She eyed it with a daring grin.
Perfect.
She winced as she bent to retrieve her robe. The absentmindedly popped two Advil. The worsening spasm in her lower back from sitting all day in front of her office computer had become too much to ignore.
Still, there was comfort in knowing she had the night to look forward to.
With a satisfied nod, she slipped the red dress over her head. It hugged her voluptuous figure perfectly, and she knew her generous cleavage would be well-displayed. She curled her long blonde hair to give it more bounce and put on makeup. A swipe of red lipstick completed her seductive look.
Susan checked her watch, knowing she had just enough time to get everything prepared before Jonathan and Johannes arrived.
She tugged her skirt down unconsciously, aware of the curve of her backside and the cleavage her lacy bra barely contained. As she moved around her apartment, arranging an assortment of cheeses and crackers on the coffee table, she couldn't help but feel the familiar tingle that came with the prospect of spending the evening with her two favorite men.
Jonathan would arrive first—he always did. She slipped into the kitchen, pouring herself a glass of wine and opening a beer for him. Jonathan was an easygoing friend, charming every woman he met, including Susan.
Not that she thought of him that way, but she'd be lying if she hadn't occasionally savored the way he looked at her, with a hint of admiration and desire. Jonathan was her friend first, and she loved him for his kind, laid-back nature.
The sound of knocking broke her reverie. She carried the bottle of beer and wine glass to the door, swinging it open with a bright smile. "Jonathan!"
He tilted his head forward, gesturing toward the bottle of beer.
"And I thought I was the last one to arrive."
His eyes wandered from the cool beverage to the curves barely contained by Susan's red dress. Jonathan's gaze lingered more than usual, and she resisted the urge to tug the hem down. She knew she looked good tonight.
"Oh, you're just in time. Come in, have a drink," she replied, noting the spark between them.
Susan excused herself and went to the kitchen to get a glass for her wine.
Jonathan watched her swaying hips as she walked down the hall. Damn, she's gorgeous, he thought, trying to refocus his attention on their easy banter. But there was no denying that Susan had an undeniable allure that made many men, himself included, often found themselves staring.
As they caught up on each other's lives, Susan couldn't help but let her gaze stray towards the living room windows, waiting for Johannes to arrive. She and Johannes had been together for years, and she cared for him deeply, though his struggles with alcohol posed a frequent challenge.
Still, their love life was worth the trouble. Most of the time.
Susan glanced at the clock. Only ten more minutes until Johannes was due to arrive. She explained, "Let me grab one more thing, and we can move to the living room."
Jonathan leaned back on her plush chair, giving her room to move. The fantasy novel he had been reading lay splayed across his lap, and he unconsciously picked it back up, ran his fingers over the worn cover, and quietly continued reading.
Nevertheless, he couldn't ignore the nagging reminder that Johannes should have arrived by now.
Susan hovered at the edge of the kitchen, listening intently for the familiar sound of Johannes' car pulling up in front her building. With a huff, she decided she may as well give him a quick call. She pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to temper the frustration that was beginning to creep into her voice.
She tapped her fingers impatiently on the kitchen counter while she waited for the call to connect. She got his voicemail instead.
Susan sighed, glancing at the time again. The frustration in her voice was harder to conceal now, but she mustered some semblance of calm to leave a message.
"Hey, it's me. I hope everything's all right. I just wanted to check in and see when you think you'll make it over. I'll be here waiting with Jonathan. Just call or text me as soon as you can."
There was no need to add a tinge of irritation to her words.
Johannes would know she was anxious—he knew her almost as well as she knew herself.
As she re-entered the living room and pocketed her phone, Susan saw Jonathan's eyes trace her every movement. She couldn't be certain whether he sensed the tension in her demeanor or if it was the wine that had brought a rosy glow to her cheeks.
Jonathan set his novel aside and fixed her with a concerned gaze. "Is everything all right?
You sound a little flustered," Jonathan asked, the concern evident in his voice.
Susan bristled involuntarily and made a show of her practiced smile. "Everything's fine, Jon. Just checking on Johannes," she replied, feigning nonchalance as she took a stabilizing sip of wine.
Jonathan didn't look completely convinced, but he nodded and picked up his bottle of beer, taking a long pull. The two lapsed into an awkward silence, the tension hanging heavier than the scent of incense scattered throughout her apartment.
Susan glanced at Jonathan, disarmed by the genuine concern tightening the muscles around his eyes.
It was moments like this that pushed away every irrational thought telling her that there was more than friendship between them. After all, Jonathan had his struggles too; although hers turned out to be boyfriends addicted to the wrong things, his were an endless sea of anxiety and depression, complicated further by secret romantic interests he'd never been able to act on.
"I really will be okay," she reiterated softly, her voice like a gentle breeze against Jonathan's face.
"Johannes tends to be a little, uh, unreliable at times. I'm sure he just got tied up with something or other. He does that sometimes."
Jonathan nodded, smiling in return. "We're here for him—and for you, of course. Let's not let anything ruin our evening together."
His reassuring words soothed her worries. They continued chatting amicably, sipping on their drinks, and waiting for Jonathan's best friend to show up.
While chit-chatting, Jonathan and Susan reveled in their shared history and the easy camaraderie that came from years of friendship.
However, the longer they waited, the more palpable the sense of confusion, and a hint of something else, lingered in the air between them.
Susan crossed one shapely leg over the other, her short red dress riding up her thigh slightly. Jonathan couldn't help but appreciate the expanse of bare skin, and the underlying awareness of latent desire between them was hard to ignore.
His eyes drifted from Susan's shapely thighs back to her stunning face. He felt there was so much he wanted to say at that moment, but he stopped himself, searching for more words.
Susan, unaware of the riot of emotions brewing in Jonathan's heart, continued to engage in lighthearted conversation, as if to fill the void of growing silence in the room. Every now and then, she glanced at her phone, silently hoping to see Johannes' name flashing on the screen but to no avail.
As time languidly stretched out before them, Jonathan's gaze wavered between admiring Susan and the endless scroll of his cellphone.
His heart was hesitant, paralyzing him between the past and an unspoken future. The passion he held for his friend threatened to erupt from the carefully constructed fortress of camaraderie they'd built.
Susan, in turn, entranced by Jonathan's attentiveness, felt her heartbeat quicken involuntarily.
The room felt smaller, warmer, only suffused by the intimate connection igniting between them. She took a long sip of her wine, finally finding the courage to speak.
"Jonathan, can I ask you something?" she began hesitantly, searching his stormy hazel eyes for a sign of encouragement.
"Of course, Susan. Anything," he ushered, resting his hand atop hers, feeling the familiarity in her soft touch.
"Do you ever feel that our friendship is... different? That maybe it has transformed into something more?
Something unspoken?" she murmured delicately, letting the question linger in the air between them.
Jonathan hesitated for a moment, analyzing her penetrating gaze and the weight of her question. He even started to think about the rush of exhilaration he felt whenever he was near her.
He replied, "I value our friendship deeply. But I won't lie to you, Susan. There have been moments where my feelings have shifted, leaving me questioning what more could be instore for us."
Susan felt a shiver run down her spine.