Note: This story was dynamically reformatted for online reading convenience.
 
 The following is writing for adults.  My stories attempt to follow the
mental process that people with hidden desires go through.  I base many of
my ideas and events on real-life, true occurrences of myself or people I've
known.  I would enjoy getting responses from readers letting me know their
thoughts.

   My e-mail is wombat_33@yahoo.com.

   Suburban Fantasies by Tempting Fate

   CHAPTER 3

   "Hey Lori."

   "Hi Nick.  How's Jen?"

   "Oh pretty good.  Off running some kind of errand at the moment.  How
are you guys doing?"

   Lori stood looking at her mail for a moment, not sure of the next thing
to say to keep the conversation going, but not wanting to appear rude by
simply walking away.  Silences often made her uncomfortable.

   "So how are the kids?" she finally asked.

   "Sold 'em.  They were just getting to be too much trouble." Nick grinned
at her.  "They're doing pretty good.  Happy to be back in school after the
break, at least their mother's happy.  That I know."

   Lori gave a little chuckle and felt her uneasiness disappear.  She felt
Nick had done that on purpose and appreciated the little gesture.

   "Well I better get back to work," he told her.

   "See ya"

   "Oh, Lori, wait.  I have that case of microbrew Brad wanted to try
should I bring it by?"

   "Uhhhhh," was her confused reply.

   "Oh, damn," said Nick.  "I'm sure Brad was gonna tell you about it," he
said with raised eyebrows and a smile.

   "Uh, boys and their beer," she replied with mock exasperation.  "Sure
bring it by."

   A few minutes after going inside there was a knock on Lori's door.  Nick
was holding a case of the beer Brad had apparently been so eager to try. 
The local microbrews had quite a reputation, even nationally in some
instances, and were apparently far superior to the beers from their
previous locale.

   "Where should I put it?" Nick inquired.

   "Ummm.  There's probably room in the pantry.  I'd suggest the garage,
but somehow it always ends up in the pantry anyways," Lori said with a
smile.

   Nick followed Lori into the kitchen.  As he did his eyes appreciated her
frame, starting at her hair, down and pausing at her ass and then on down
her slender legs.  No conscious thought went through his mind, just a guy
doing what guys do.

   The door to the pantry squeaked as Lori opened it for Nick.

   "Will it fit there next to the Mountain Dew?"

   "Oh, I think we can squeeze it in if we push hard enough," Nick replied
looking Lori in the eye.  He moved down and deposited the case on the
floor.

   Lori wondered if his comment was intended to have a sexual innuendo and
glanced at Nick's ass and legs and considered how hard he might be able to
push it in.  She mentally closed her eyes and scolded herself for being a
pervert.

   "There you go."

   "Thanks," she replied, "Did Brad pay you for it?"

   "Yep, he gave me some money ahead of time."

   "Was it enough."

   "Eh, it was close enough.  No big deal."

   Nice of him, Lori thought.  "Well at least take a beer as payment."

   "If I do that I might not be able to work this afternoon," Nick replied
seriously, "Sooooo, sure!" His face lit up somewhat comically at the word
"Sure", which made Lori laugh.

   "Well help yourself and get some ice if you want to cool it down a
little."

   Nick grabbed a bottle and headed over towards the refrigerator as Lori
rearranged some of the canned goods that looked messy in the pantry. 
Finished she turned around towards the sink and was instantly mortified.

   Nick was standing by the sink.  A bottle of beer in his right hand, a
grin on his face, and Lori's pair of white cotton panties from that morning
dangling from the forefinger of his left.

   "Oh God." She felt herself going red, lowered her head and moved to take
her garment.

   "Miss the hamper?" he teased.

   Lori didn't know what to say.  "I'm so embarrassed, I'm sorry.  They
must have dropped when I was carrying dirty clothes through to the
laundry.." She knew that excuse sounded silly.

   "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to embarrass you." Nick was smiling.

   Lori hurried off to the laundry room with the offending undergarment.

   When she came back she was not sure what to say, and felt an
uncomfortable silence coming on.

   Nick quickly moved to change the subject, "So are you going to give one
of these beers a try?  They're pretty good."

   Lori was thankful for the change of subject, "I'm not much of a beer
drinker.  I prefer wine I guess."

   "Man I feel like an alcoholic drinking alone," Nick replied, again with
a teasing smile on his face.  "Grab a glass of wine so I don't have to feel
all bad about myself."

   Lori hesitated and decided one glass of blush would be ok and would help
ease her still acute embarrassment.

   Well into her second glass of wine Lori sat at the kitchen table with
Nick.  He was still slowly sipping his bottle of lukewarm brew and every
time he took a sip Lori was watching his lips.  The way he pursed them as
he drank and especially the way his tongue slipped out afterwards and
licked his upper lip and the bottom of his goatee's mustache briefly. 
Beards turned Lori on.  Especially after a glass and a half of wine.

   Nick was pleasant to talk to and Lori felt very comfortable.  His
reserved manner hid a joking, self-deprecating personality that she had
never noticed in the larger groups of neighbors when they previously
talked. She subconsciously had begun to open up and start making joking
comments of her own.  Lori tended to be a little bit of a "touchy" person
once she got to know someone, and already felt comfortable reaching across
the corner of her kitchen table and touching Nick's arm when she spoke. 
This touch wasn't sexual in nature, but was simply Lori's way of intimacy
with friends.

   Lori asked Nick if he'd like another beer and after he declined
commented on how nice it was for Nick to buy it and bring it over.

   "Good thing I found space for it in the pantry.  Would have been
terrible if I'd had to take it home," he said in mock seriousness while
looking at the table.

   Lori let her eyes go directly to Nick's face while he wasn't looking at
her.  "Yeah, good thing you were able to do that.  I'm not sure Brad could
have shoved it in nearly so well," she commented, as she reached across and
placed her hand on his arm, with a little more emphasis on the word "shove"
than she intended.

   Nick's eyes quickly shifted back to Lori's without moving his head.  His
hand moved quickly yet smoothly and grasped her touching hand about the
wrist.  "Oh, really?" he asked, maintaining direct eye contact, the corner
of his mouth raised in a grin.  Lori felt trapped in his gaze and felt her
heart rise in her throat.  She was aware of the beating in her veins and
felt a lightness of breath.

   It was only a brief moment, but Nick held her gaze in silence.  Just
long enough that Lori knew there was more to Nick than the quiet, joking
neighbor with whom she was starting to become acquainted.

   "Well I do what I can," Nick finally broke the brief silence that had
lasted for ages in Lori's mind.  He grasped her wrist slightly tighter as
he spoke and then released her as he finished.  His words broke the spell
and Lori was able to look down.  She removed her hand from his arm but felt
Nick's continued gaze on her face until he finally looked away and took a
last drink draining his beer.

   They continued speaking about the kids and neighborhood for a few more
minutes, but Lori's mind was now on Nick.  Wondering what he would feel
like pushing hard into her.  Wondering about those lips and that tongue
that had held her interest transfixed.  Lori shifted he weight in her chair
and laughed at a joke Nick made.  She felt the slipperiness between the
lips of her labia and had an urge to touch herself.

   Lori knew that she had her next fantasy subject.