A New Beginning

"Well if it isn't our own Jess Mariano, all pimped up and chirpy!"

Jess threw Chris a stare, but without much conviction. He was, after all, quite chirpy. "Hey! If I'm going to put up with you for a month here, you might as well keep your thoughts to yourself."

"And tell me – what fun would that be?"

Jess smiled. He was quite happy to have Chris in their New York office for a while. It felt like home. "OK, let's strike a deal here. Tease me as much as you want, but not in front of her. I want to at least keep a bit of my hard earned respectability. You wouldn't want to undo all my hard work, would you?"

Chris nodded, conceding. "Done deal. But I swear I will tease you like hell when she's not around."

The doorbell buzzed and Jess threw Chris a much more convincing stare. "Well, that's the midnight bell, Mockarella. Go back to your pumpkin."

Chris jumped like a kid approaching Christmas presents, but stood still as soon as Jess opened the door and kissed his girlfriend.

"Martina, this is Chris, one of my partners."

Jess waited to see Chris' reaction when he extended his hand but was greeted by a warm hug and a kiss on the cheek instead. He loved the way Martina introduced herself to people in her Argentinian way. He imagined what would Luke's face look like if she did.

"It's so nice to meet you, Chris! Jess has told me everything about you."

Chris, dumbfounded by the kiss, was slow in replying. "Well, yeah! You too. I hope what you hear is good."

Martina threw Jess a mock shy look. "I cannot tell him everything, right?"

"Hey! What did you tell her, Mariano?"

Jess laughed and Martina grabbed both by the arm. "Just that you are like a brother to him. Come on! Let's go grab a beer."

"Let me tell you, Mariano: you have good taste."

Jess smiled and looked at the end of the bar, where Martina was greeting some colleagues from her dance company. "Yeah, she's great. I really like her."

"I can see you do. Man, you're so smitten that I feel generous and won't mock you for a couple days."

"Make it a week, Chris, and I will even introduce you to her friends."

"Careful, Mariano, or I will move in."

Jess looked at Chris, who was chatting with one of Martina's friends, and decided that he was distracted enough. He guided Martina to a dark, hidden booth. She sat beside him and put her hand around his neck, drawing him for a kiss, but he was feeling bold and threw a hand between her legs before catching her moan with his lips.

"Jess, stop. It feels too good."

Jess moved his hand just a bare inch away, enough to grab her thigh hard, his clasped fingers barely brushing her groin. "I can't see why that would be a problem."

"Someone can see us. Your friend's there."

But there was no conviction in her words, so he slowly traced his hand back to her core, stroking it softly. He felt her hand move hesitantly up his leg and just hover lightly around his crotch, a bare caress to gauge his erection.

"I want you now, Jess."

Jess kissed her hard and then got up, not giving a damn about the visible bulge in his pants. He beckoned Martina up, delicately holding her hand and guiding her to the toilet. He locked the door and pushed Martina against the wall. His hands traced her body while he got on his knees and pushed down her tights enough so as to suck her center with abandon, holding to her hips with a strong grip. He felt her grab his hair and heard her moan; in response he put a finger inside her, and she was so wet and it felt so right to be wanted so badly and want as much in return that he threw foreplay out the window. He got up, took a condom out of his wallet and rolled it up quickly. He looked Martina in the eye and recognized what he saw there— fire, lust, trepidation. She gave him a wicked smile and he grinned back. He turned her against the wall and entered her with a slow thrust from behind, but it quickly escalated from there and soon enough they were both panting and moaning to a hectic rhythm. Right before coming Jess thought that life was probably supposed to be like that – easy, straightforward– and that it would be nice for a change to not have to hold back. And he didn't. He thrusted hard and Martina came with him, and he knew he didn't have to worry anymore, as he had found someone who wouldn't want him to hold back either.

"Chris, are you staying?"

His friend smiled. "Yeah, well. I think that Lucy chick likes me."

"Well, we're heading off. You have your keys, right?"

"Yep. But with a bit of luck I won't need them."

"And even if you do, that's fine. I'll stay with Martina tonight."

And with a wink Jess left Chris at the bar and joined Martina out in the crisp New York night. They strolled for a while, relaxed.

"So, are you working tomorrow?"

"Yeah, I definitely need to stop by the office in the morning because I have a meeting with an author. But I'm free until the morning, and I was really hoping to spend those hours with you. And some of those within you."

He saw Marina blush and held her tight.

"Alright. It's just there's this performance I would like to check out tomorrow evening and was wondering if you would like to come with me. I know how you like to mock that sort of thing."

"Tomorrow I can't, I'm having dinner with my uncle." Jess saw a shadow of disappointment in her face and doubted for a moment. "You know what? Why don't you join us after the performance? My uncle loves to hate performances, I guess it runs in the family. You can tell us all about it and we will mock it together. I'd like you to meet him. He's a great guy."

Jess saw the disappointment vanish from her face and was surprised to recognize that he actually did – he really wanted her to meet Luke.

"Alright, then. Now, humor me until we get home – how exactly do you plan to get within me tonight?"

He told her, and took pleasure in the fact that, for the first time in ages, he would be able to act his fantasies out.