"What time are we leaving?" Rory asked Logan as they got back to the apartment, hanging up her purse and coat.
"Not for a few hours. They said they'd be at the Pony bar all evening," he replied, glancing at his phone for the time.
"Will there be actual ponies?" she asked playfully, placing her arms around his neck.
"No, but it's a decent place. Good snacks, beer," he added, holding onto her hips.
"Aw, I got my hopes up already," she pouted her lip, as she steered Logan towards the bedroom.
"I can try to make it up to you," he offered, more than willingly.
"I guess it'll have to do," she laughed, adding a brief, teasing, kiss with just a little tongue.
He kissed back more hungrily, while his hands already roamed her waist, back and hips. She let his tongue slip into her mouth, feeling powerless, the knot in her gut having already begun to unravel, as the already hectic swarm of butterflies in her stomach took over her mind as well.
He removed Rory's t-shirt with one smooth move, his strong and warm hands caressing her delicate skin. He unhooked her bra swiftly, tossing it over his shoulder, allowing his lips to wander across the curve of her breast, licking and gently biting on her nipple, making her gasp. Her hands kept wanting to roam his chest, pulling his shirt upwards, distracting him. He pulled back, losing contact momentarily, almost making her object, to remove his shirt, throwing it on the floor. As he returned, he pushed her down on the bed, kissing her once more, deeply, before placing her hands by her wrists over her head, looking her deep in the eye with a playful smirk. She knew that assertive look.
His hands roamed down her chest and sides, kissing and licking her, grazing her nipples once more ever so slightly with his teeth, and feeling her body arch at the sensation. He unzipped her jeans, pulling them off along with her socks. He could already sense her wetness as he caressed her thighs, moving ever so closely by her center. She wanted to assist him by taking off her panties, but he objected, pushing her hands back over her head and holding onto them with his one free hand, leaning his hips and arousal firmly against her, before landing another fierce kiss on her lips prior to returning to her panties.
He carefully removed her panties, pushing her legs up and apart to lean them over his broad shoulders. She looked incredible from this angle. His mouth soon tasted her, his tongue knowing exactly what needed to be done, teasing her just enough to make her squirm and whimper. He sucked on her clit, making her gasp. She removed her hands from above her head, where he'd placed them mischievously, running her fingers through his hair, down his neck as far as she could reach.
"Ace...," he began at a scolding tone, adding a smirk, taking her hands by their wrists again.
It was their powerplay, they'd done before and just for the fun of it. She complied, biting her lip, moving her hands back over her head to hold onto the headboard.
"That's better," he said smugly, returning his lips to her center. He continued to run his tongue up and down her slit, making her gasp each time he reached her nub.
"Logan, please," she begged.
He looked up, smiling smugly while his fingers took over the teasing. "Please, what?" he smirked.
"I want to feel you inside of me," Rory said, her face already flushed.
"Like this?" he inserted a finger.
She gasped at the sensation, even though it wasn't nearly what she meant.
"I want your cock," she said in a low, bold tone.
"Do you now?" he continued to tease, beginning to unbuckle his pants and pushing them off. His underwear was soon on the floor along with the rest of his clothes, his fully erect hot member throbbing against her thigh.
Logan lifted her legs up and together, showing another great angle, as he slid his fingers along her slit a few more times, leaving her moaning and arching her back.
"Say it again," he urged.
"I want your cock inside of me," Rory said, looking straight at him. The college-girl Rory would've been embarrassed to say something like that out loud, but here, today, this was new. She was brave, gorgeous and knew exactly what she wanted - she was his kryptonite.
As those words fell from her lips, making him lose all control, he entered her. She moaned at the impact, louder than before, the sensation clearing her mind from distractions. All she could feel and understand right then and there was how right he felt. He pulled out after a few mind blowing thrusts running his tip over her entrance and nub once more, before filling her again and again. Her moans grew louder as he thrust, feeling a slight vibration radiating outwards from her core. She shook, as he hit the right spot, his thumb gently massaging her nub at the same time. Instead of stopping he continued his deep and deliberate thrusts, achieving her second climax along with his own. He collapsed, panting, onto his back next to her flushed body for a few minutes. It was only then he recalled they'd completely fallen back to old habits without thinking or asking something vital, that people on the verge of a real relationship should talk about.
"I know it's a little late to ask this, and don't get me wrong, but I got to ask - you're on some type of birth control right?" he asked, feeling both ridiculous and late asking this now.
"Yes, Logan," she replied a little annoyedly. He is serious asking this now? The trust between them had come so automatically, without the need for that discussion really. He was clean, she was clean and protected, and it went without saying that they would've said something if there had been any doubt.
"It's not like it would be a great tragedy on my side if you weren't, just... You know. We're kind of fresh," he said apologetically, wanting to make sure she wouldn't get the wrong idea, turning to his side and positioning himself on his elbow.
"Logan!" she exclaimed at his statement. "We're fresh alright," she laughed, still breathing heavily. "But thank you for that," she added with a sigh as she sat up and crossed her legs. It was good to know, but was he seriously ready and willing to make a baby with her? "But you know I wouldn't do something like that, unless we'd discussed it first," she added, a little defensively. It came even to her as a bit of a surprise how comfortable she felt in her nude around him. There was no false shame or need to hide herself. And he sensed that too.
"I know, but I realize it was not very responsible for me to assume either," he apologized.
"I think we're past that type of obscurity, Logan," she sighed. Her hand moved to his neck, pulling him close for a sensual kiss. They parted with smiles on their faces - this was indeed progress. They had trust.
For their Friday night outing to catch up with some of Logan's local friends, Rory wore her jeans and her simple burgundy cardigan, almost unconsciously matching with Logan's casual V-neck sweater and jeans combo, under their jackets, as the evening had turned colder than the previous nights. Tonight Rory had gone with her heels, wanting to feel a little bit more special and Logan had assured, they wouldn't need to walk too much that evening.
"Hey," Logan greeted the group of four sitting at the corner table, already half way through with their second round of drinks, by the amount of empty glasses still on the table, and plate of appetizers. The place was packed on a Friday evening, bursts of laughter, talk and the noise of the bar mixing with German indie rock playing in the background.
"Hey man, long time no see," one of them rose to shake his hand.
"This is Rory, everyone," he introduced her, unable to add another noun to that sentence - a close friend, an old friend, girlfriend, lover, long lost love?
"Hi everyone!" she waved a little awkwardly.
"So this is Karl," Logan said, introducing the guy who had shaken his hand just now, patting him on the back. "Over there is Anna, Samuel and Naomi," he added, gesturing towards the person in question.
"Grab a chair," Anna said, as the rest scooted over to make room for one more. She looked like the youngest of the group, her petite build and silverish very short pixie hair definitely making her stand out.
"So Rory, what brings you to Hamburg?" Karl asked. He was a husky black-bearded guy in his 40s by the looks of it.
"I came for a conference and decided to stick around for a few more days," Rory explained.
"You're from the US too, right?" Naomi asked. She had shoulder-length curly black hair and wore dark framed glasses, her build being a little more voluptuous.
"I am, New York or well Connecticut. Logan and I went to college together," she said carefully, unsure, whether Logan actually wanted to share the details of his background, recalling how they hadn't gone into too much detail on their background other than their general fields.
After a few rounds of introductory questions and a broad understanding of everyone's background, they moved on to their recent book discoveries, Rory falling well into the conversation. It had been a while since she'd bonded with a new crowd like that. This was something that people did in their college days, now, being a little older, it seemed so many people had their defences up or having already their kids and families - lives all set, not really enabling getting to know new people just for the fun of it.
As the waiter returned to check on the table, Logan ordered some beers and a few plates of snacks to the table, ordering for Rory. She let him, knowing Logan knew her taste pretty well. The drinks poured down their throats easily as conversation carried, everyone involved enjoying themselves. It was fun, casual and no longer awkward.
"Hey, I have a suggestion," Anna began after a little while. "I know it's a little juvenile, but I played this adaption of truth or dare with a group of co-workers last week, and it turned out hilarious," she added.
"Sure why not," Samuel the skinny bald guy added, slamming his glass to the table a tad too loudly.
"What does this adaption involve exactly?" Logan asked curiously.
"Just leaving out the very juvenile stuff like forcing someone to make out with someone else and all the gross stuff, so it's just like a sophisticated version of it. Pranks, funny and embarrassing things - all allowed," she replied, finishing her drink.
"Sure, why the hell not," Rory replied, speaking a bit louder than she had planned, feeling a little tipsy. Logan glanced at her, making a mental note to order her a glass of water for a change. It was not that he minded seeing her this relaxed, enjoying herself, but he simply didn't want her to be too hung over the next day, hoping to spend some quality time with her.
"I can go first," Anna offered.
"Truth or dare?" Naomi asked her.
"Truth," she replied.
"Oh, I have one," Samuel began, adding, "What pictures or videos of you are there you wish didn't exist?"
"Oh, I know, probably my 7th grade class photos - braces, pigtails and school uniform that was too big for me," she described.
"Okay, your turn Karl - truth or dare?" Anna asked.
"Dare," Karl replied, taking a sip of beer.
"I got one," Rory announced, " Speak with a German accent," she added.
Karl laughed briefly, trying to gather himself. "Vat have we here, a bier?" he said. "Sorry, I suck at this, I can speak one or the other not combined," he added.
"Do we accept that or do we choose another one?" Rory asked the women.
"Ah, let him slide, he tried," Naomi sighed, ordering another drink for herself.
"Logan, your turn," Anna noted.
"Truth," he said, calmly, clearly the most sober person at the table.
"Have you ever walked in on your parents doing it?" Naomi asked, laughingly.
"That's an easy one - no," he replied. He wasn't going to mention that he had in fact walked in on his father cheating on his mom one time in his office, clearly not something he wanted to brag about.
"Rory, you're up," Naomi said.
"Truth," Rory replied.
"Describe the strangest dream you've ever had and did you like it?" Anna asked.
Rory gave it a moment's thought. She knew what it was, the dream in question was her alternative reality that had never happened. She hesitated for a moment, glancing over to Logan unsure if she should say it or think of something else.
"Come on, it can't be that bad," Samuel insisted.
"Okay. I dreamt I was living in California, it was very hot and I was pregnant with twins. Also I kept hearing the rollercoaster in the background," she said, not daring to look Logan straight in the eye wondering whether he'd link it to him. "I guess I liked it, it felt very odd though, like I could feel the weight of the belly on me," she added.
"Intriguing," Anna commented, curiously.
"Dare for me," Samuel already said, stopping Anna from inquiring further.
"Belly-dance like your life depended on it for 1 minute," Karl goofed.
"Seriously?" Samuel asked in disbelief, feeling like he wasn't drunk enough for this.
"Oh, and don't forget to pull up that shirt of yours," Karl added laughingly.
Samuel drank up his drink, rolled up his t-shirt and twisted it into a bun just below his chest. As he began to wiggle his hips around he caught a few angry glimpses from the waiters, adding loudly "I'll be done in 1 minute, I apologize," in his British accent. The other guest laughed at his performance, while he was clearly a little embarrassed himself, trying to hide it to the best of his abilities.
"Naomi, your turn," Anna said.
"Definitely truth," she replied.
"Naomi, who's the sexies person at this table?" Karl asked, while the rest of the group were already pretty sure she was very close to that.
"Hmm… I'd have to go with Rory, I always had a thing for brunettes," she added.
"Aw, thank you," Rory replied, endearingly.
"Dare," Anna said, not waiting for anyone to ask the question.
"Let someone from this group DM someone from your Instagram account," Naomi suggested.
"Okay, but I want the person to be Rory," she replied.
"That's too easy," Naomi complained.
"We'll let it slide on the condition that we tell Rory what to write, but she will pick whom to send it to," Karl added.
"Okay," Anna said, handing her phone over to Rory.
"So what shall I write?" Rory asked.
"How about - 'You think you're hot'," Samuel suggested.
"Isn't that against the rules?" Logan wondered, testing how far they'd be willing to take this.
"It's borderline," Anna replied, "it's fine," she added.
Rory scrolled down her recent messages, picking one at random and typing the message. It was only when the message was sent she noticed Anna's message to Logan dated a year ago, saying "Are you home?" suggesting something between the two. It was vague enough to be completely innocent and Rory realized she had no reason to get upset about this, he'd been a free man after all, whatever it had been. But she couldn't help but to look at Anna a little differently now, feeling a bang of jealousy. "Here, it's done," she said, handing the phone back to Anna, trying not to think about it.
"Karl, truth or dare?" Anna asked.
"Show your orgasm face," Samuel suggested, trying to get back at him.
"Are you sure you guys ready to see this?" he asked, laughingly. "Look away, those who don't want to see it," he added jokingly. The group laughed until their stomachs ached at the squirmy face he made, after such an announcement.
"Logan?" Naomi asked.
"Truth," Logan replied.
"Why did your last relationship break down?" Naomi asked.
Logan contemplated for a moment. The last committed relationship hadn't been Anna or Rory, but another girl from London, Samantha. They'd lasted six months, but the truth was he never really loved her, not the way he had loved Rory. "I guess we were a little out of sync, I didn't love her the way she wanted me to," he sighed.
Rory hadn't really explored his in-between love life, it was not something she particularly wanted to discuss, but in a way she understood that those relationships, in some, had shaped the person he was today. Perhaps she needed to know about them to fully understand him?
"Ugh, the mood just got serious. Sorry, Logan," Naomi replied.
"Truth," Rory said, not waiting for the question.
"Have you ever broken the law?" Karl asked.
"Technically no as it was expunged," she replied, not really having thought it through.
"And here I was thinking you were a good girl," Naomi stated surprisedly, flirting with her just a bit.
"Now this is just making us too curious, care to elaborate?" Karl continued.
Rory looked to Logan briefly, wondering whether she should say anything. Logan shrugged, "Up to you." It was not like he needed to be included in that story.
"So I sort of took a joyride with a boat that wasn't mine to take. I had had a really bad day," she said, apologetically.
"Wow, that I did not expect," Naomi said, finishing up yet another drink.
"Did you get like an actual sentence for that?" Karl inquired.
"Community service," she replied. "On my defence, I was young and stupid," she added, feeling the need to explain herself, finishing her drink.
A round of three silly dares and a truthful answer from Anna on her guilty pleasure it was once again Logan's turn.
"Dare," he said, to Rory's surprise.
"Get down on one knee and propose to someone in this table, but do it so like you're really making an effort," Anna suggested, adding, "as a joke of course."
Logan was not happy with this dare, and was almost beginning to object but realized then he'd really have to go into detail explaining the whole issue. Then again he knew very well that the only person he'd want to do this to was Rory, and doing it to anyone else might just give an entirely wrong impression, like he'd never consider asking her again.
"Rory," he began as he went down on one knee, "I've loved you for a long time and I have no doubt in my mind that you're the person I want to spend my life with, so please, will you marry me?" Logan said almost beggingly. His gut felt hollow because of the flashback it created. While he meant what he said, he knew that his alcohol infused brain could've easily just screwed up everything they'd built in the past few days. He hoped from the bottom of his heart that Rory would just take it as a joke, regretting the thought a second later. It would've been a really bad joke, considering their history.
"So Rory, what do you say? Was that good enough of a proposal?" Naomi asked, unaware of the serious contemplations going on in Logan's and Rory's minds.
Rory's face had gone pale. She was disturbed by the gesture, joke, serious or something in between, the pain that had rushed back to her was just too real, too brutal, even despite the haze of her drunken state. "Sure," she said, unenthusiastically, just wanting to get everyone off her back. "I just need to go to the bathroom," she said, raising from her seat and stumbling towards the bathrooms.