This is a continuation of the ongoing saga of yours truly, Zach, and Natasha.
Zach and Natasha informed me via our first group text chat that Zach had to go out of town for work, while Natasha had to stay for work, which is how I finally got Natasha’s number. I was mostly non-commital, wishing him safe travels and all that, and to let me know if he needed anything. I added in a “or you Natasha” after a moment of thought, which seems to have been well-received.
So, Thursday night, after a long and grueling day of responding to email threads that don’t matter, attending Zoom/skype meetings that I can barely keep my eyes open for, and being yelled at for things that aren’t my fault, I was surprised when Natasha texted me outside of the group and asked if I wanted to hang out, grill a steak or something.
I agreed and was over in about thirty minutes, bottle of whiskey and two rib-eyes in hand, since I was taught never to visit someone without bringing a gift. Of course, I was also taught not to eat beef, so there is that… Anyway, she greeted me with a hug and then we headed to the backyard, where she already had the grill fired up. We began to cook almost immediately.
At first, it felt awkward. Frankly, I’ve never really hung out alone with a friend’s girlfriend before, at least that I can think of. Of course, Zach and Natasha’s relationship is clearly not 100% normal, and no, we haven’t really talked about their agreements and boundaries. I’m not worried about it, and frankly it isn’t a total shock, given where we live. So, we just had some whiskey and hung out, chatting, eating, and talking.
And, that is about it. Nothing happened, except at the end I gave her a kiss on the cheek. She kind of looked at me like she maybe wanted more, and might have been okay with more, but no, nothing happened.
Unfortunately, Zach’s trip got extended and he had to stay through the weekend. I was busy for a bit of Saturday with work, but Natasha and I did get together in the evening, this time at my house.
Prior to that, Zach and I actually did talk about, you know, boundaries and things. He made a few things clear. He and Natasha do not identify as swingers and I’m the first one they have ever involved in their romantic/sexual lives, though they had previously discussed opening things up a little prior to meeting me. As far as other boundaries goes, the kissing thing is mostly a joke that kind of took on a life of its own. He said that he is really not worried, as I’m one of the few guys he has met who actually acts like a mature, level-headed adult, so he trusts me to be respectful and free of drama, even if this thing–whatever it is–has to end at some point. Which, I suspect it will.
Anyway, Sunday night. By the time Natasha got here, I had dinner mostly prepared, pilaf with lamb and a few sides. I got us some bourbon and we hung out in the kitchen for a while. She said that I had a nice spot, and a big one for a bachelor. I said that when I bought it, I wasn’t a bachelor and pretended to busy myself with cooking when she responded to that.
We talked about work for a while, which we never really have before. She said that I’m weird in that I’m really friendly and sociable, however, I have managed to avoid talking about myself in all the weeks the three of us have known each other. I said that it just feels awkward… and then I admitted, underneath it all, I’m kind of shy and awkward. Eventually she dragged some details out of me, and seemed impressed by my job, which I won’t say what it is, but it is honestly kind of cool. For her part, she is a marketing consultant for a few companies around here, which she’s honestly a perfect fit for. Before that, she has been an event planner among many other things.
At one point, she was surprised that I’m a private pilot and asked why I’d never mentioned it. I said something like, it has never come up, and it seems really conceited to try and shoehorn it into a conversation. But, yes, I am a private pilot and would be happy to take her and/or Zach up pretty much anytime. She suggested doing some aerial photos for some of her clients, but I don’t have a commercial license yet, and if you can get it done with a drone, I’m happy to do it for free lol.
We talked about Zach. He’s a cool dude and the only one of us who is actually from here. I asked how they met, and it was apparently in the same area I met them, hiking lol. Not a total shock since it’s a very busy and well-known spot, but still, a funny coincidence. And it isn’t even like Zach and I are that similar. She asked about that, what I think about Zach–I said that he’s a real cool guy and if the shoe were on the other foot and it was she who was away for business, we’d probably be doing the exact same thing right now.
We chatted about dating, or at least, she did. Apparently she went through a bunch of losers before meeting Zach, and they have been together for nearly a year now. For me, I’ve had a handful of dates in the past few months, but before that I was extremely single for a while. I wish I could say that I was working on myself, but TBH I mostly worked really hard and to be honest, drank more than I should have, to avoid being alone in silence with my thoughts :D I saw where she was going with it, so eventually I admitted, before everything with her and Zach, it had honestly been a very long time since I had ever been with anyone.
To clarify–that includes kissing, literally just sleeping together let alone sex, even holding hands or hugging. I didn’t say that as a pity play, in fact I couldn’t help but laugh. It seems surreal and ridiculous to allow that to happen in life, I guess I was just taking things day by day or week by week for a very long time. It honestly seemed to put Natasha off, to the point where she asked if I’m okay, to which I obviously, reflexively said yes.
By that point we were mostly finished eating and sitting across from each other at my table. She got up and made her way over to me and sat down sort of perpendicular on me, and stayed there for a long, long time. It’s probably the most peaceful and wanted I’ve felt since I can remember. We kissed once, actually on the lips, and it felt more platonic than anything else, if that makes sense. She offered to spend the night, said she’d brought a bag and all that, and I honestly seriously wanted to, but it just didn’t feel… okay, if that makes sense. She said it was alright, but made me promise to let her and/or Zach know if I ever did need company, or anything else.
I might have gotten a few touches/squeezes in at that point. It just felt right, and not overly awkward. Besides, she got me back with a few pokes and tickles. Everything about Natasha is welcoming and gentle and just nice. Honestly, at that point, if she had asked to spend the night again, I might just have said yes. Instead, she eventually got up. We hugged for a while, she thanked me for dinner, I thanked her for her company, and she left.
One thing I should mention is, after she left, I found myself looking at the bourbon bottle, Angel’s Envy, if you’re curious, one of my favorites. By then, it was normally the point where I’d start knocking them back, with or without mixers, and find myself in the most perverse corners of YouTube and even that morally repugnant “Reddit” site. Instead, I put the bottle away, cleaned up the kitchen, went for a walk to clear my head, showered, and went straight to sleep, pausing only to text Zach and Natasha, see you two again, soon.
The next day, I worked out and did some reading, plus some work to get ahead for the next week. Texted the group again, we will be getting a covfefe and brunch next weekend. Overall, it has been the most wholesome weekend I’ve had in years, and it proves, once and for all, that a straight man and a straight woman can, indeed, be “just friends” :P
Source: reddit.com/r/gonewildstories/comments/yqs8n8/hung_out_with_natasha_alone_the_first_time_mf