The Office Party

Part 32

After work that Friday, Diana and I have a drink as usual, then head back to the house. In the fridge is a cheat salmon pâté and a chocolate mousse I made earlier in the week, so I only have the main course to do. This night, the first that Diana will spend at mine, I'm going to serve the meal I came up with off the top of my head all those weeks before in the pub, during the long and rambling conversation we had the first time we went out for a drink together. I haven't said anything to Diana and I don't really expect her to notice (though I'll be pleased if she does.) It's mainly because I just think it'll be a nice touch to cook that, rather than anything else.

She finds the white wine in the fridge and studies the label. I've been paying attention and making mental notes over the last few weeks, as she's introduced me to different wines, but I wonder what she'll think of my choice. 'That's for the starter, but we could open it now,' I say, leaning on the side and watching her as she pours us both a glass. 'There's a red over there for the main.' I point to the cupboard where Paula and I stash our booze.

'That will need to breathe for a little while, then.' She crosses the kitchen, digs out the bottle I indicate and uncorks it. She sniffs the cork and nods. 'That'll be nice, I think.' She grins at me. 'Now, let's try this white.' She comes back and picks up her glass, admires the pale colour of it, swirls, sniffs then sips. As usual, I watch with amused interest, and a little flutter of nervousness as to what she'll think of the first wine I've chosen all by myself for her. She sniffs and sips again, then nods. 'Very nice, quite floral. Tasty. What's the starter?'

'Salmon. In a sort of cheat pâté thing.' This will be the real test, whether the wine is actually suitable for the purpose.

She purses her lips. 'Might be a bit overbearing, but we'll see. Salmon's quite delicate.' She notices my raised eyebrow and steps towards me. 'Sorry, Fiona, I know it's your first attempt.' She stands close and runs the back of her hand down my arm. My work dress has very short sleeves, and her touch makes my skin tingle. I stand up straight, which brings our bodies even closer, and like the way our breasts press into each other lightly as our heads come together. I can smell the wine on her breath and close my eyes just as her lips touch mine.

We are used to how we kiss by now, Diana and I. We kiss a lot when we are together and alone. I like kissing, always have, and I know I'm a good kisser (past lovers have mentioned it), but it does please me that Diana likes to kiss so much too. Often, we will kiss for a long time just for the pleasure of kissing, and it makes me happy that I've finally found a lover who likes to do that too, who will kiss me without necessarily expecting it to lead anywhere, who just enjoys kissing me because she enjoys kissing.

Although, I suppose technically, Diana and I aren't lovers yet. I wonder if that will change this weekend. It feels like the time is close when we will become lovers. And while I don't mind waiting still, there are times these days when I find myself thinking about Diana and feel my body wracked with yearning for her. I want to give myself to her and feel her hands and lips and tongue all over me, take her deep inside me so she can touch and satisfy the achy longing I have for her.

Certainly, in that kiss in my kitchen, there is something new and exciting. Not just a flutter of lust – I've felt that in Diana's kiss many times before – but underneath that a deeper, more powerful current of yearning, a slightly dizzying feeling that if we did finally give in to each other fully at that moment, we would meld together, our souls twining around each other just as closely as our bodies.

Diana draws back a little and clears her throat quietly as she stares at me. Her voice is slightly shaky when she asks gently, 'When do we want to eat? Is there a particular timescale?' She runs her hand over my hair, down onto my neck.

I shake my head and like the feel of her hand on my skin, turning my head to press my cheek against her fingers. I sigh in pleasure. 'The starter's ready to go, whenever. I'm not going to do the chicken until we're ready for it.'