When Warren Met Gwen, part three

Warren lay in bed that night reflecting on his and Gwen’s courtship to this point.

She had reached out to him first.

At the recommendation of one of his work friends, Warren had set up a profile on a dating website.

He’d kept his post very basic. “Single 40-something male seeks woman of similar age and status for companionship and perhaps something more. Must enjoy music of all varieties. Must be fun-loving. Good sense of humour preferred. Residence within a 100km radius is an asset.” (He wanted to meet someone, but he had to be practical. The price of gas wasn’t getting any cheaper.)

Gwen was the first person to respond.

“Hi there! Saw your ad. I’m willing to test the waters if you are. Send me a message if you’d like to talk more or perhaps meet up sometime. Take care. Oh! And nice pic. Very handsome. Hope that’s not a stock photo from the internet.”

So she had made the first move. Ballsy. He was intrigued and pleased from the start. He was also mildly intimidated. He waited an hour or so before replying.

“Hi there yourself! Thanks for reaching out. Yes, that is definitely me. Tell me more about yourself. I’ll share first: I’ve been single for the past 8 months, having broken up with my girlfriend of 5 years. No kids. I work here in town in the industrial park. I’ve worked there for over 20 years. In ten years, I can think about retirement. Not much of a swimmer, but like you, I’m also interested in testing the waters. Willing to dip my toes in at the very least.”

And so it went from there.

They exchanged several messages over the course of the next week before finally arranging to meet in person.

And it turned out that she was even more bold face-to-face than she had been behind a screen. “Are you a moaner or screamer?” God!

He recognized the shock value of her words. But he questioned her intentions. Was it just an act? He couldn’t put his finger on it. She was attractive and alluring, no question. Who was she trying to impress the most - herself or him?

She made him feel excited, but also bashful. He was accustomed to being the pursuer. Now he felt pursued. And he liked it. But he had to adjust in his sails to make sure that he didn’t just allow this to be a purely physical relationship. Sure, he could play that role too, but that wasn’t his exclusive motivation in setting up a dating profile. He genuinely wanted to meet someone and see where it might lead… and if it might lead… inside and outside the boudoir.

Plus he had some lingering doubts. He’d been unlucky in love before and was hesitant to jump right in. He found her to be very pretty with a lovely smile that lit up a room. Although she wasn’t very tall, her personality and general demeanour made her presence known… and felt. Just touching her hand made him tingly inside, even aroused - to the point where he wondered if he’d be able to keep up let alone satisfy her sexually. “How many performance enhancers would I have to take to please her in one mere session?” had crossed his mind and was almost had said out loud when they were out for a walk.

She moved him, stirring up familiar feelings he either hadn’t noticed or hadn’t experienced in awhile. She drew him to her. He wanted to know more about her and to just be around her. He wanted to take a chance and dive in, but he also wanted the safety of the shore. And maybe some kind of life preserver to keep him afloat.

In essence, he wanted to be certain. Or at least, less uncertain.

When swimming in unfamiliar waters, one has to exercise caution.

Their walk that evening in the fresh air seemed to have done them both some good - it eased some of the pressure of maintaining provocative conversation and lessened some of the sexual tension. It allowed them to move around, hold hands, and make a plan for a subsequent date the following night.

Before they parted ways, she kissed him on the cheek and spoke softly in his ear. “See you again soon, Warren,” as she ran her hand down his left arm, gently brushing his fingers before turning to leave. She spoke her words almost like a sigh with just a hint of a moan as she said his name. It gave him warm chills. Oh, she was clever. She knew how to make an entrance as well as an exit.

“Always leave them wanting more”.

***

You can read the first two instalments of Warren and Gwen’s story here:

https://vocal.media/fiction/when-warren-met-gwen

https://vocal.media/fiction/when-warren-met-gwen-part-two

The next chapter can be found here:

https://vocal.media/fiction/when-warren-met-gwen-part-four