Things with Emma were easy. I didn’t have to tip-toe around her like I had learned to do with Scarlet and her family. I could pretend that my life was simple, easy, and the raging conflict at home – and inside of me – was someone else’s problem. Sure, I was still playing the character of the “upstanding gentleman” to follow Scarlet’s rules, but slowly my real personality began to slip. The real me began to shine through.

And Emma seemed to like the real me. A lot.

Just as friends, of course. We were a little flirty – it would be weird if two single, attractive 20-somethings didn’t have a little edge to their friendship – but nothing untoward. Nothing that the Church community would disprove of, certainly not after I’d come to realize what they were really like.

Grabbing lunch after church became a regular thing, just the two of us. After a few weeks Emma and I started gossiping about the other members of Church, first and foremost her Aunt Maryanne.

“The stories I could tell you about her! She’s not really family, just a close friend of my mothers. To each their own, but I think its possible she has taken a run at every man that comes through that Chapel.” Emma said with a look of mild embarrassment.

“Oh yea? Every man? Wow… I would never have guessed that…” I replied, my mind racing as I thought about how practiced Maryanne must be with the fake sprinkler accident.

Interrupting my thoughts, Emma placed a hand on my arm and said with concern “Did she get you too? Don’t say it Jonathan, did the sprinkler system trick work on you?” Her face turning from mock concern to a shit eating grin.

“What can I say, your aunt is … quite the, uh, host.” I responded with a rueful smile.

Emma nearly choked on her lunch with laughter, flagging down the waiter to order some ‘celebratory Mimosas’ for the both of us. “Oh honey, did you at least get to fuck her? She’s pretty famous for not letting anyone go ‘Down Town’. That horny old broad loves the control of making men jerk off onto her when they are dying for more.”

Now it was my turn to respond with mock offense “Dear madam, I am a gentleman. I do not share such crass details of my love life.”

“Oh my god, you totally jizzed on my aunt! You horn ball.” Emma laughed again, enjoying my embarrassment as I tried to hide my face in my drink.

“Actually no. In all honesty, it was a wild experience and fun in a ‘once in a life time’ sort of way, but the whole thing made me feel uncomfortable and used. I didn’t end up, ahem, reaching completion and just left. No disrespect to your aunt, of course.” I said with real embarrassment coloring my cheeks.

Emma thought for a moment, and then with one hand holding her drink said “You know, I’m not sure I’ve ever met a man that would turn down a hot lady playing with his cock because his heart wasn’t in it. I have to say… I’m kinda impressed.” Emma let the thought linger for a moment, and then took a sip of her Mimosa.

“But all the ladies at the Church are like my aunt. Worse, really. At least Maryanne is a little more open about herself. A little, she still cosplays as a classy, chase Southern Belle. The hypocrite.” Emma said with a snort of derision.

“Yeah, I kinda gathered that after Maryanne was so, ahem, ….skilled in the art?” I awkwardly said, still wanting to dance around the details with Emma. It felt weird talking about past sexual experiences with her, even though she was just a friend.

“Skilled in the art. You’re precious.” Emma said with a genuine smile. “What about Kathrine, did you get a chance to be ‘hosted’ by her?” She asked.

“Blonde lady with long legs, always in a shorter dress and sits near the front of the congregation? Only spoken to her a handful of times, nothing more. Why?” I responded.

“Yup, that’s Kathrine. Maryanne tells me she is well known for fucking the husbands that have a wondering eye. But to keep it ‘pure’ she only does anal. And the bigger the dick, the better she likes it. There was someone new to church several years ago that apparently had a massive hog and Kathrine almost ran away with him.” Emma said, swirling her drink as she told the story.

“Jesus, this place is unreal” I said.

“Then there was Jenifer, she actually did leave the church. Got super into a breeding fetish thinking that at her age, and the men’s ages, it wasn’t a realistic concern and just a fun fantasy. A little spicy danger to amplify the thrill. She ended up taking home the 23-year-old nephew of another family and he pounded her nearly into a coma. Few months later and she’s pregnant with twins. No one really knows what happened to her. Or the nephew. “

“Wow.”

“Yuuuppp. Of course I’m hearing this all 2^nd hand from Maryanne, so who knows how much is true.”

“Is anyone at the Church not as horny as a teenager?!” I asked. “Present company excluded, of course” I added with an awkward laugh.

“Heh, you know Church. We’re all supposed to be sitting there thinking about spirituality and god, but really we’re thinking about how nobody has touched your vagina in years and what you’d do to feel one slide – “ Emma caught herself, stopping mid-sentence. Her face flushed red as – for the first time – she seemed authentically embarrassed. “Sorry, TMI. Our minds wander, is all I meant.”

“This is a safe space” I said, keeping the light hearted humor going to ward off any awkwardness. “Its been a long time for me too. It happens, even to attractive women such as yourself.” I added with a smile.

“Well misery does love company. We can drown our sorrows with another mimosa” Emma said with a smile, waving to the waiter. 

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“Cast thy burden upon the Lord” The priest’s voice boomed through the chapel on another sweltering Sunday service. Emma and I sat together in the pews, enjoying a few minutes of conversation and company before service started. Her big, bright smile always a welcome sight on my Sunday mornings.

“Do you think Maryanne is going to cast his burden onto her tits later today?” Emma whispered into my ear as we both sat together in a back pew. We both were instantly struck by a fit of giggles. I could feel her body shaking with laughter as she tried not to make a scene. My eyes started to tear up from laughing at her sudden non-sequitur at the most inappropriate time possible. This was not the first time Emma had tried to get us in trouble during service.

“Its so hot, the burden might come out as a puff of steam.” I choked out in a near silent whisper between laughing fits.

Emma responded by clamping a hand over her mouth and nudging me with her shoulder, her whole body vibrating as she tried not to laugh out loud. At the same time, she grabbed my leg, squeezing in mock anger.

We both slowly composed ourselves, brief spells of giggles reverberating through us for the next few minutes as we tried to go back to pretending to pay attention to the sermon. After a moment I noticed that Emma had never taken her hand off my leg. Her delicate fingers gently gripping my thigh above the knee. We were sitting awfully close to each other, having leaned in to whisper in order for no one around us to hear.

I felt a comfort of companionship I hadn’t felt in the better part of a year. She was just a friend, but I would be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy having her hand on my leg; her body close to my own. I could feel the warmth from her and the smell of her perfume. It would be trivial to reach my arm around her shoulder and pull her in even closer, but I was too afraid to act.

A deep stirring in my genitals began, unbidden but not unwelcome, as I wrestled with this thought. I could not deny my body from reacting to her touch and affection. A part of me knew it was wrong, but I quickly decided I didn’t care as my cock stiffened; lengthening down the leg of my pants, inches from Emma’s hand. As the heat in my genitals built, I begged the universe for more while at the same time wishing my arousal would extinguish and not force me to reconcile with what was happening.

I did my best to ignore it, and instead focused on the sermon and the joy of the simple friendship I shared with Emma. Platonic. Asexual. She probably just enjoyed talking and laughing together the same as me, and would be horrified by any attempts to move to something more romantic.

Suddenly, I felt Emma’s hand slowly move up my leg and gently caress my penis. Her hand froze, and I looked towards her to see her head down and looking at my leg. Her disgust and surprise seemed palpable and after a few seconds she removed her hand and scooted down the pew slightly, opening a gap between us. Her hands were folded neatly in her lap, and her eyes were locked on the Pastor. Her posture was stiff and it was clear she was upset.

A deep sense of shame and embarrassment washed over me. Mercifully I felt my penis go flaccid from the devastation of what had happened, a small kindness. After the service ended, Emma quickly left our pew and was one of the first out the door and into the parking lot. It was clear she had no interest in talking to me, and I didn’t chase her. I walked to my car, head hung low cursing myself. Cursing my cock. Cursing Scarlet for putting me in this place and under such strain.

The drive home was long, and I sat in silence going over in my head what had happened in my life to lead me here.

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The next Sunday I arrived at the Church early, hoping to avoid Emma who had taken to waiting for me in the parking lot before service. The sadness from last weeks rejection still hurt. Losing a friend and – though difficult to admit to myself – a growing degree of romantic interest, was crushing. My life at home continued to be miserable, with only excessive exercise, cold showers, and long hours of loneliness filling my free time.

I walked towards the front door of the Chapel, the excitement and fun of the previous weeks gone without my friend.

“Jonathan” I heard Emma call.

My heart twisted seeing her. I wanted to talk, but also wanted to crawl into a hole and never see her again. I wanted to hide from the hurt her rejection caused me, and the hurt my arousal had caused her.

I walked over to where she was standing by her car, trying to think of what I could say. But no words came to me so I opted for silence instead. I looked up from my shoes and into her eyes and was surprised to see a nervousness in them. Her face was an expression of hesitation, not of anger or sadness.

Without preamble, Emma took one determined step forward into my personal space, lifted up onto her toes, and pulled me with both hands into a kiss. My initial shock was quickly replaced by an overwhelming feeling of joy and comfort, as I pulled Emma into my arms for an embrace. Our bodies fell into one another as the kiss stretched on.

After we enjoyed our first kiss for as long as possible, Emma lowered herself back down and took a small step back. The nervous uncertainty from before replaced with a smile.

“I should have done that yesterday. I’m sorry.” She said.

“I’m sorry about what happened in Church. I didn’t mean to offend, its just… I have really enjoyed getting to know you Emma.“ I said.

“Me too, Jonathan. It just caught me by surprise. And I’m just… anxious when it comes to that… stuff. Being a friend is easy, being more has been difficult for me.” She said, embarrassment in her voice.

“We can just be friends. I could use a friend, and I like spending time with you.” I said, genuinely not wanting to lose Emma’s companionship, and knowing it would let me avoid the complication insofar as Scarlet and her rules.

“You’re fucking married dude!” A voice said in my head. “Scarlet! Your wife. Did you just kiss another woman?! Does this fall within the rules?” And then, after a pause another, softer, voice “Do I care?”

“No.” Emma said emphatically, snapping me back to the conversation. “I do not want to be just friends. I just hope you can tolerate being patient with me, is all. A handsome guy like you, I know you’ve had plenty of opportunity with the church ladies already…” She left the question unasked, but we both knew what she meant.

“I have the patience of a monk. You have no idea. Like I said:  this is a safe space” I gestured with my arms to encompass the two of us, still standing inappropriately close as more cars pulled in for Sunday service. “I’m happy to follow your lead.”

Emma gave me a hug of relief, the tension of uncertainty draining from her. She buried her head into my chest as she wrapped her arms around my waist. “You really popped a fat chub during Sunday service last week.” She said with a small laugh without letting go. “Sorry I teased you like that.” She added more seriously.

“Oh, is that what you think? No no no. You didn’t do that! Oh silly Emma, that was the sermon! Yes indeed, the words of God really stir my passions. When he gets to Leviticus I nearly cum straight in my pants” I said, trying my best to keep a straight face as she pinched my side while laughing.

I put my arm around her shoulder, and Emma put her arm around my waist, as we walked into Church together. The voice in my head screaming about Scarlet and her rules was barely more than the squeak of a mouse, as the happiness of Emma’s company filled me.

“I can worry about that when the time comes.” I thought. “If the time comes.”