The Buffalo Marathon

Deep within me my last reserve broke and I let my orgasm flow through me. My mound pulsed in her hand, my hips grinding back and forth, my arms held her close. She held me in her left arm, and I felt like I couldn't stop cumming. "Please stop, Denise," I begged.

She drew her fingers away, and I collapsed into her, exhausted. "Oh god, I've never orgasmed like that in my life."

"Mmm, baby," she purred, kissing me softly.

I faded off to sleep, half wrapped in Denise's arms, and legs. When my iPhone alarm went off at 6:00am, we both opened our eyes. We looked at each and smiled.

She kissed me softly. "I have a 9 am class Amanda, and you have a half marathon to get psyched for. I have a confession, when I was texting Kristen from Starbucks, I was the one cancelling on her, I wanted to have dinner with you, and, well, see what happened."

I kissed her, "I'm glad you did, and I can't think think of a nicer way to wake up for the race. Did she understand?"

"She said enjoy and teased she was jealous. Do you mind if I borrow a t-shirt?"

"Not at all, take anyone out of the suitcase," I said.

She got out of bed, and I could see how she looked in the light, and thought god all the spinning made her body incredible. She slipped her panties and jeans on, grabbed one of my college t shirts, and pulled it on. "Good luck baby, text me after the race, I'll try and hang around the finish to cheer you on," and she leaned down and kissed me and left the room.

Carter

The Left Bank restaurant. Margaret was wearing a black, lacy dress, which fell to her mid-thigh. A candle burned on the table between us throughout dinner. It flickered as it caught a breath of air. At times, at certain angles, a reflection of the flame shone on her wine glass, or mine. She was so beautiful. She'd always been so beautiful, but, perhaps, even more so now that she was no longer mine.

"Are you ready for your race, Carter?" she asked, a forkful of rice rising to her lips.

I swirled my wine glass slightly, lifted it to my lips. "Oh, it'll be what it'll be. I think I'm headed for a suffer-fest tomorrow. That knee of mine, it's not right. I don't think it'll ever be right."

"I've told you before, you should give up running. It doesn't work for you."

"I know, I know. It just, it's so annoying! I love running. The idea that it's bad for me..."

"It's going to lead you to having surgery all your life!" she laughed.

"Yeah. I know. Sucks. I gotta get into swimming. I just can't seem to get motivated to build my free time around swim times at the YMCA and everything."

Margaret eyed me thoughtfully. A curious, intelligent woman. Thoughtful. Deep. "So... I know you Carter... I know that you'll pretty much kill yourself to finish that race... if you end up unable to walk, call me okay? I'll come get you. I'll rescue you," she said, laughing a bit.

"Well, I hope it won't come to that, but if it does, thank you Margaret, I'll keep that in mind."

She nodded, looking at me. Ahh, Maggie. Damn.

"So, when did it end, do you think?" I asked.

"Us?"

"Yeah. Us. Is there a moment that, well, when you look back, you knew that it was essentially over?"

"Well, I guess it was basically when I took the M & T job, and you didn't come with me."

I looked at her. Is that how you've been interpreting it all Maggie? I thought to myself. Because, the other way of looking at it, is that you didn't stay.

"Carter, was there a moment for you? Sometime over the last few months, when you knew it was over?"

"Oh, yeah, there was a moment. Maybe a few. The apartment, our apartment, the silence there, since you left," I smoothed my fingers across the table cloth, looked at the flame flicker in a current of air. My heart was aching. I'd thought that I had said goodbye to Maggie already, at least in my heart, and that this moment with her wasn't going to be so difficult, but, it was. My voice didn't seem to want to come. "Maggie, if there was ever anything that I did, that made it easy to leave, I'm so sorry."

Margaret reached her arm across to me, taking my hand. "No," she said. "It wasn't easy to leave. Carter, it wasn't."

We said goodbye outside the restaurant. It was almost 9:00pm, late May, the evening warm and the sun gone now. The hug was wrong somehow. It was too brief, too passive. I'd been imagining pulling her to me and holding her tightly for minutes upon minutes, but we pulled together for a moment, I smelled her hair, and then, suddenly, she was 10 feet up the sidewalk, waving her hand half-heartedly, then turning, her back to me, disappearing from my life.

I walked back to the Hyatt along mostly residential streets, my thoughts wandering and distant. Darkness fell over the city as I walked. At one point, about to wander across a quiet street, I stopped, and put my hand on a tall oak tree. I stood there, for a minute, two, three. I closed my eyes, breathing. It felt good, to touch something. Something alive. Something strong.

The Marathon

Carter was pretty sure it was her. What'd she say her name was? Amy? Amanda? She was wearing a white runner's cap, her pony tail poking out of the loop at the back. God. He loved that look. The crowd of bodies was just thinning out as he came up from behind her and settled into an easy pace beside her. "Hey," he said. "Aren't you my spin class buddy?"

Amanda looked at him, her face, softened into a smile, from the grimace she'd been wearing before. "Yeah, hey, it's Carter!" she laughed. "How are you?"

"I'm good," he said. "So far anyway. You look good, strong. Are you feeling it today? Have your legs?"

"I think so. Feeling good right now anyway. You going to keep me company for a while?"

"What sort of pace were you planning for yourself today?" he asked.

"About 10:00 minutes a mile," she answered, lifting her arm to brush some sweat from her chin with the back of her hand. "I'm planning to do that most of the race, then kick it up later if I feel strong for the last 5 miles or so."

They were about 6 miles in, running along a spit of land that jutted out from shore into Lake Erie, creating the basin that the marina used. Other runners were passing them steadily, those who would eventually finish a low 3hour race. The sun shone down on Lake Erie, the water sparkling steadily. "Well, I'm planning on roughly 8:30 / mile," Carter said. "I'm hoping to break 3hrs 50 minutes."

"Well, you should get a move on then," she said. "If I see you at the finish line, we'll have a granola bar and a Gatorade together."

Carter nodded, looking at her, smiling. "Hey, I have to admit, I'm pretty sure your name begins with A - but I'm blanking otherwise... is it Amanda?"

"You got it."

"Awesome. Okay. Well... look, have an awesome race. I'll linger around the finish line. I really hope I see you."

"Take care dude," she laughed.

Carter picked up his pace, eased into his 8:30 per mile rhythm, and felt strong, for a long time. His feet lifted and fell, pushing miles away behind him. Cool morning oxygen entered his lungs, and when he glanced at his Garmin, things seemed good. He almost believed he was going to survive this race, that his knee was going to give him a break, until roughly the moment he caught sight of the tombstones.

Linwood Street hits the cemetery at about the 16 mile mark. And from that moment on, Carter was suffering. He felt the pain high in his thigh, almost at his hip, and knew that it was only a matter of time before it travelled down, and took control of his knee. And once it was there, he was likely done.

He survived Delaware Park, survived the loop around the zoo, but by mile 22, he was nearly hobbling. The Garmin on his wrist, measuring his progress, was meaningless to him now. All that he could think of was the pain, and whether or not he was going to be able to finish.

"Hi there stranger."

Carter looked to his right, and saw Amanda sidling in beside him. He half-smiled, half-grimaced, and she reached out and put her hand on his back. "Carter, jesus, you're a wreck."

He shrugged, almost speechless. He was lost in the pain in his knee, and somewhat still drifting through the breakup with Maggie.

"You going to make it?"

"Well, to be honest, I don't know. I'm not usually a quitter, but, this is pretty bad."

"Do you have 4 more miles in you?" she asked.

He looked at her. She was young, strong, her body was rippling with health and energy. And she'd slowed down to almost a walking pace beside him. "Hey, Amanda, I'm holding you up. I'll be okay. You should be kicking up your pace now and finishing hard. You look really good."

"I'm okay here," she said. "I'll run with you a bit." She glanced at her own watch. "How about I get you to mile 24, and then you're on your own for the last 2.5 miles."

"Amanda..."

"Hey, it's okay. I want to."

Carter almost stopped, took her in his arms, and started crying. Instead, as he fought back that urge, he reached across and took her hand in his for a second, squeezing it. "Thanks Amanda," he whispered.

They walked / hobbled forward, her presence beside him helping him survive. Waves of runners were passing them now, fighting through their own personal pains and limits and aches. Some breathed heavily and noisily, some almost silent. Some people's legs sprang like coils off the cement, some runner's feet landed with a thud and seemed to lift off again with sorrow and regret. Richmond Avenue, a leafy residential street with bike lanes. People on their lawns, cheering. A guy was standing on one lawn playing an acoustic guitar and singing, his 5 or 6 year old son strumming on a ukulele.

"Amanda, it's mile 24. Get going."

"I'll wait for you at the finish," she said.

He nodded. "Okay."

Amanda squeezed his wrist in her fingers and nodded slightly, picking up her pace, well-rested now. She raced away, overtaking other runners, and the last he saw her was as she made a left at a roundabout, and faded from view.

She flew through the last 2.5 miles, and finished just a touch under 4 hrs 30 minutes. Someone draped a medal around her neck, someone took the Velcro strap with the timing chip from her ankle, and someone put a plastic water bottle in her hand. She walked forward, shaking her legs, feeling alive, exuberant, feeling as though she had another 5 miles in her. She looked at other runners meeting friends, family members, being congratulated. She saw a few lying flat on their backs on the ground, catching their breath.

Not feeling hungry enough to bother going to the food tents, Amanda wandered back towards the finish line, and waited there. When she finally caught sight of Carter, a throb of sympathy and sorrow and hope washed through her body. He was limping, almost dragging his left foot behind him. His arms swung softly at his sides. He was looking forward, almost unseeingly, towards the finish line. When she started calling his name he didn't hear her. There was still so much noise, so many other voices, the loud music, the race announcer calling out times. He dragged himself over the finish line, and all of a sudden she was there, standing in front of him. Beaming... sadly... at him.

"You made it," she said.

He leaned into her, took her in his arms, and pulled her tightly into his chest. She looped her arms around his neck and held on. "You made it," she whispered again, almost crying.

Carter and Amanda

As Amanda half-carried Carter back to the Hyatt, they ran into Denise, who gave Amanda hug and a kiss on the cheek, as Carter stood by, balancing himself on his stronger right leg. A few more blocks to go, both women put their arms around Carter's lower back, let him drape his arms over their shoulders, and helped him hop along on his good leg. "I have to admit," he joked, "as embarrassing as this is, getting carried home by two gorgeous women isn't a bad way to go."

At the hotel Amanda gasped and burst out from under Carter's arm, running towards a lithe, 50 something woman, waiting just inside the lobby. "Mom!" Amanda gushed, giving the woman a huge and enthusiastic hug. "Hey!" the woman answered, hugging her tight, and then pushing back a bit. "How'd it go?"

"4hrs, 25 minutes" Amanda said. She looked over at Carter, standing with Denise. "I would have been faster," she teased, "but I decided to accompany this guy for a while, and he slowed me up."

Carter hobbled over and offered his hand to Amanda's mom. "Hi," he said. "I'm Carter."

"Beth," the woman answered, shaking his hand. She was about 5'6 tall, with blond hair that fell down past her shoulders. She was wearing tight white jeans, and a black, long sleeved top. "So what did you do to yourself, Carter?" she asked, looking down at his legs for a moment, before meeting his eyes again, and smiling.

"Oh, I.T. band for one thing. And it may have ripped some of my muscles and bones out of place as well. Your daughter was kind enough to hang out with me for a few miles." He looked over at her, standing nearby, beaming at the two of them. "I really owe her actually."

"Do you two know each other?" beth asked.

"No," Amanda answered. "Actually, mom, this is Denise. The three of us met yesterday morning at a spin class at the YMCA here. Denise was the instructor, and Carter and I both dropped in to the class to pass the time when it was raining. We got to talking, and then Carter and I saw each other out on the course today."

Beth and Denise shook hands, and said a smiling "hello", and then, as an awkward silence opened up, Carter turned to Amanda. "I'm going to go lie in a bath I think," he said. "Amanda, in all seriousness, thanks so much for running with me today. You got me through the race, and I really appreciate it."

Amanda answered by giving him a hug. "Hey, mom, you should go see if you can do anything for him."

Beth looked at Carter, but was obviously a bit taken back by her daughter's offer. "Oh, honey, I don't know."

Carter waved his hand as though to say don't worry about it. "Hey, I'm good," he said. "A bath will help, and then I'll pass out for a while, and drive home to Boston tomorrow. I'll survive."

"You're staying another night?" Amanda asked.

"Yeah. I, well, long story, but I have an ex here in Buffalo. I wasn't sure how things were going to go, so I booked through to Monday."

"I'm here until tomorrow too," Amanda said. "Maybe mom and I can come check on you later."

"Well, maybe. I'm in 4003 if you want to call at some point. But honestly, you folks should go enjoy your day. And if I don't see you, Amanda, thanks again."

Carter hobbled off towards the elevators. Denise smiled at Beth. "Are you a doctor?"

"No, physio."

"Ahh," Denise glanced over at Carter as he pushed the button for the lift. "Well, he looks like he needs one of each actually," she said, laughing slightly, and then she caught herself. "Sorry, that's mean. He's obviously in a lot of pain."

Beth looked over at Carter as well, feeling a brief mixture of attraction for the fit, dark-haired guy with the nice smile, and some kind of motherly sympathy for the pain he was obviously in. "Well," she said, turning her thoughts back to her daughter. "I was going to suggest lunch, or brunch. Is that a good idea?"

Amanda smiled. "Can Denise come? I bet she knows the hottest brunch place in Buffalo."

Denise nodded. "I do. And I have my car, I can chauffeur as well."

Beth nodded, and after Amanda had showered and changed, they spent a long lunch at Betty's, eating unbelievably filling vegetarian food in a gorgeous little cottage of a restaurant, not too far from the hotel. At one point Amanda felt what had to be Denise's left toes brushing over the top of her foot under the table, and she smiled, loving the touch, feeling a wave of lust ripple up through her body. After brunch they drove to the Liberty Hound for early afternoon drinks, and by the time they got back to the hotel, Amanda was exhausted, and ready for a dreamy afternoon nap.

Ideally with Denise's legs and arms wrapped through hers.

"What room did Carter say he was in?" Amanda asked, as they stood in the hotel elevator, and Amanda's fingered hovered in front of the numbers for the floors.

"Wasn't it 4003?" Denise answered.

Amanda nodded, smiling. "Yes, 4003." She pushed the button for the 4th floor, and then turned to beth. "Mom, I feel so bad for him...,"

"And he's so cute," Denise whispered.

"He is so cute," Amanda nodded. "Mom, can you go check in on him for me?"

"Why do I have to go check in on him?" Beth answered, blushing, a light giggle in her voice.

"You're the physio, and he needs one!" Amanda answered.

"And... lest we forget... he is just SO cute!" Denise laughed.

"Denise, speaking of cute, do you think if I change real quick you have time to take me to back to your house and show me the new puppy you have?" Amanda asked.

Denise smiled, thinking fast, "Yes, definitely, that would be fun"

"Mom I promise I won't be too long, but don't wait up for me"

Beth got off, alone, on the 4th floor. The door closed and Denise smiled at Amanda. "Do I suddenly have a new puppy?" she asked, smiling.

Amanda leaned close, and kissed Denise on the lips.

"Congratulations on the run baby," Denise whispered, her hand sliding down to Amanda's ass.

*

When he heard the knock, Carter was sprawled on one of the two Queen sized beds in his room. He'd showered, and was wearing jeans and a wine coloured dress shirt, untucked, several of the top buttons undone. He hadn't risked moving about for at least an hour, his thoughts full of Margaret, spinning their goodbye around in his head over and over again. He was surprised to find Beth at his door, and it took him a few moments to remember her name, but when he did he invited her in, and for lack of a better place to sit, she ended up on one of the beds, and Carter on the other, facing each other across the gap.

"This is a little embarrassing," Beth laughed nervously, brushing a lock of her blond hair from her forehead. "I think I got conned a bit, being sent to visit you."

"Conned?" Carter said, looking at her, and, despite his preoccupation with his breakup, he felt his heart melt a little, watching this beautiful, athletic, older woman, acting so nervous and hesitant beside him.

"Do you think Amanda and Denise are more than just friends?" she asked him, looking into his eyes.

"Oh, well. I don't know. I'm pretty certain that the first time they ever met was yesterday at the spin class we were all at. If something flared up between them, it happened fast."

"I think something flared up," Beth said, her voice soft. "Amanda is like that. I guess it's okay, but I hope Denise is careful with her... Amanda is so young."

"How old is Amanda? 23 or 24?"

"23."

Carter nodded. "Well, she's probably seen far more than you and I did when we were 23. Kids these days are growing up fast."

Beth sighed. "I know! Too fast!" She laughed a bit, which made Carter smile. "Anyway - I was supposed to come here to see how you were doing, so, how are you doing?"

"My leg? Well, it's a disaster," Carter smiled, distractedly rubbing his left hand against his left thigh, massaging his knuckles into his muscles, then sliding his hand onto his knee and massaging his fingers into his knee as well. "But in other news, I officially broke up with my partner last night, so I have a broken heart as well. Everything is just pretty peachy at the moment."

Beth's face melted into sympathy, and without really thinking about what she was doing, she crossed to Carter's bed and sat beside him on his left, her arms going around him, giving this virtual stranger a warm hug. Carter's left arm went around Beth's lower back, holding her awkwardly, though, as the seconds passed, her warm, petite body, the smell of her hair, sunk deeply into him, and his muscles loosened, and the hug he was giving her became real, and true, and warm.