What Can't Erica Do

Author’s Notes: This is my first attempt at writing in general. Please leave any constructive criticism in the comments. I am planning on having some futa chapters and maybe some much further down the road, but the chapters will be clearly marked.

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"Will it ever get easier?" Sitting at the end of the sticky bar, I tried to distract myself by counting the bubbles in my warm beer. It had been a hard week, but not for the reason most would think.

A loud laugh from the other end of the bar snapped me out of my stupor. The loud crack and wince on the smaller man's face after the slap on the back told me he instantly regretted delivering his joke with such grace. The sight brought a small grin to my face as I brought my attention back to my beer.

The grin, quickly replaced by a frown, caught the attention of Jim, the barkeep.

"Let me get you a new one, on the house. You have been staring at that one for the last 3 hours and it must taste like dog piss by now."

"Are you going for the stereotypical barkeep style, cus you are nailing it" I said through a smirk.

A little on the taller side, Jim always dressed in white button ups with a black vest and slacks and words of sage advice tucked safely in his pocket, ready at a moment’s notice. On second thought, he probably kept it up his ass since he usually talked out his ass.

"Not my intention, but I appreciate the compliment" he laughed. Armed with my cold beer, I swiveled around so I could lean against the bar, giving my back a break.Scanning the other patrons, it struck me how everyone in the bar, besides the smaller man with new back problems and his stocky companion seemed to be there with what I could only assume was their romantic partner.

"Figures. I can't even go to a bar to help me forget" I whispered to no one in particular. Remembering the reason I was here reignited the ache I felt in my heart, which was slowly creeping through the rest of my body. Taking a long swig of my beer, I almost missed the soft sounds of someone sitting down next to me. Not feeling up to socializing with someone new, I kept my attention on the rest of the bar.

"Some things are not meant to be forgotten" came the second sweetest voice I had heard in a long time. Sticking to my antisocial disposition, I merely chuckled my agreement while resisting the urge to investigate the source of the beautiful voice.

Bitterly, I added "But it would make life a hell of a lot easier if they would be forgotten." This earned me the most beautiful chuckle from my unseen companion.

"I guess that is what is for. Speaking of which, barkeep, can I get a double Maker's Mark over rocks?"

Classy I thought, I guess it won't hurt to socialize a little, since it sounds like she is trying to forget something as well. Stealing a quick glance in her direction, I just about fell out of my chair from the sight sitting next to me.

Being the gentleman I am, I first intended to only look at her face. But any hopes of remaining a gentleman quickly evaporated when I caught a glimpse of the most beautiful woman sitting next to me. Starting from the top, her long brunette hair was tied in a loose bun with two locks of hair falling on either side of her face. Her face, with a light hint of makeup, wouldn't have been out of place on an angel. Slender with high cheek bones and heartbreak red lips, I struggled valiantly to hold in a tear from the sheer awe of her beauty.

Her long neck led to a full length, high cut burgundy dress with slits cut in the side along her legs. The skintight fabric did little to hide her impressive bust and shapely legs. The slight bulges on either side of her hips suggested a full ass that I knew would stop my heart if I ever saw it with nothing covering it. Being sleeveless, the dress displayed her porcelain perfect shoulders and toned arms.

Quickly remembering my gentleman tendencies, I used every ounce of willpower to turn back to the other patrons.

"So whiskey, sounds like someone really wants to forget something" I say nonchalantly hoping to start continue the conversation with this beautiful creature.

That chuckle again, sending a strong throb to my already stiff erection. "No, it's just to help me relax. It seems that I already forget that men are dogs all of the time anyways."

"Hey dogs can be cute, that’s why you keep us around" I joked, trying to illicit another one of those chuckles.

Instead, I was rewarded with a full-blown choir of angels singing. Or it could have just been her laughter.

"Cute only goes so far, I need a personality to go with it."

"Doth lady demandeth too much" I flash a smile toward her to ensure my joking intent was received. More laughter, I can get used to this. Deciding this was way more interesting than the others in the bar, I sit up and swivel so I am facing her. Damn, is she sexy.

Extending my hand out I say "My name is John. But you can call me Tramp." Instantly getting the reference, she accepts my hand and says "Erica, but Lady is acceptable too."

"So I already revealed that I drink to remember that men are dogs. What are you drinking to forget?"

The question you have been dreading for the last eight months, two weeks, and three days. So early in the conversation too, guess this conversation will be over soon.

If Erica noticed my immediate gloomy mood, she didn't let on. "My wife passed away about eight and half months ago. We were married for 4 years and she was taken from me in a pile up on the interstate."

Dropping my head I continued "I met her in high school and married her as soon as I graduated with my associates degree."

The sudden tight embrace both shocked me and took my breath away. Well the embrace shocked me, her breasts mashed up against my ribcage took my breath away both figuratively and literally.

"I am so sorry to hear that, I can't even imagine what you are going through."

"Its been rough, I still love her and probably will always love her." After ending the embrace, I slowly told Erica about our life together, all of our goals and inspirations in life.

Occasionally, a tear would fall, but all in all, I felt like I held it together pretty well. I noticed that throughout my monologue, her hand, with perfectly manicured nails, would rest on mine, giving me a slight comfort, urging me on. After finishing, we sat in silence for a few moments. "Sorry to lay all that on you, I don't usually do that. I guess you have something about you that makes you easy to talk to."

"Hush, I know how important it is to talk about these things, no matter how painful it is. I am happy that I could help. And I think that just promoted you from dog to cat" she said in an obvious attempt to cheer me up.

And it worked. Through thunderous laughter I rasped "Please don't tell me you think cats are better than dogs."

"No, they are pretty equal in my book, but I couldn't think of another animal" she said matter of factly.

With the lighter mood, we began talking about our current lives. I learned she was two years younger than I was. She was a Social Media Manager at a local grocery store, compared to me owning a construction company. We talked about our hobbies, our favorite food, colors, music. We talked for what seemed like 5 minutes, but in reality, it was more like 3 hours. The best part was the almost constant laughter from the back and forth banter we both excelled at.

It was Jim who ended the conversation because he was closing down for the night.

"It was really nice talking to you Erica, I really needed that. It’s been so long since I had decent interaction with anyone but Jim."

"I really enjoyed it too" she said biting her lower lip. "It might be a little forward of me, but I would like to do it again sometime. If you are alright with that" she quickly added.

Smirking, I looked over her exquisite body. "You know what, for you, I would be willing to endure another 3 hours of 20 questions." One last chuckle for the road. "Good, give me your phone so I can enter my number."