Infatuation

"Well, I guess we can conclude today's session with that," Jimmy said with a lighthearted tone while lightly clapping as if he wanted to celebrate somehow, but he, too, doesn't know why.

The rest of the members gathered around in front of a local restaurant a few meters away from the cemetery we just visited earlier. I can still feel my head and my eyes throbbing even though I had already stopped crying a few minutes ago. They all listened to me attentively and told me the best and proper things a person should say to a grieving man like me, especially Nicole and Jimmy. I'm not gonna lie, I had a great time with them; they really do know how to handle cases like me while being empathic and not condescending. They know when to crack jokes and when to just hug it all out to ease the sadness just for a little bit.

I'm not afraid to say that I needed this sort of community, and I guess this is what I was looking for when I went to Jimmy's place that other day. At least this day made me forget about my mother even for just a tiny bit.

We ate some pasta after our graveyard escapades, which sounds super fucking weird, but I actually enjoyed it, so whatever, right? Nicole also requested to have us walk to our destination instead of going there via a cab, which, I have to admit, is a genius decision because it made our lunch a lot more satisfying.

Nonetheless, the group is not a magical place that could erase bad vibes with just a few words, and they're not really trying to paint their forum in that sort of light. Thus, while we were eating, they could still feel the shitty depressing feel oozing out of my body, which really bummed me out because I don't want to ruin their day because of my stupid sad facade, but they handled my mood really well and still made me feel like I belong to their circle even if I am not in my best place.

It's really such a fantastic feeling.

"So, what do you think? Do you wanna be a part of us?" Nicole whispered to me while we're both looking at Jimmy and his forum members from a distance.

"I really wouldn't mind," I said with a chuckle while looking at Nicole's face as it shone a pearl-like brilliance.

Nicole then nodded at me as a tear suddenly well up in her eyes with nothing but delight plastered all over her beautiful countenance. "Good. That's great. I am very happy for you." Nicole then smiled at me while still nodding as I noticed her suddenly opening her arms wide, conveying her desire to give me a hug.

I chuckled before swallowing my saliva when I saw that. I then timidly approached Nicole as I slowly and modestly wrapped my arms around her petite body. In return, she tightened her grasp around my fuming chest as she purred subtly with her head lying on my firm chest. It made me more than just flustered because I was really, really nervous that she would notice how much my heartbeat rose once my arms contacted her soft, sublime skin.

As my heart continued to pound within my already melting body, Nicole tightened her hold around my body again, which made me feel the luscious curves of her chest touching my stomach, giving me a short glimpse of the highlights of her linen bra. I gulped even further with many thoughts rushing through my head, making me fumble my speech like I'm some kind of stuttering fool. My sweat then slowly dripped from my scalp down towards my neck, rolling so fast that I could swear there must be some kind of pond lying on top of my head, and the water within it started spilling out of control because I suddenly began to shake as if a growing seismic flow started to rush all over me due to my restless heart.

I didn't know what to do, but I'm not stupid enough not to enjoy this moment. Thus, as I slowly closed my faltering eyelids, I also tightened my grip around Nicole's tender body, making me feel like I am wrapping my hands around a fairy that accidentally entered my reach and giving me nothing but an unfathomable feeling of belongingness that no woman on earth had ever given me before, not even my mother. As I slowly moved my arms around her back, I shuddered ever so slightly as I felt the blood rush all over the places where I didn't want them to go, making both my heads flush into a laughably red hue.

This...

This feels very nice.

Suddenly, I heard the sound of the other forum members snickering among each other, throwing random mockeries at us and teasing our sweet little moment. I didn't want to embarrass Nicole because of this small bit of kindness that she had just given me, so I swiftly tried to pull my body away from her. However, instead of escaping the shackles that are Nicole's hands, I realized that the blonde lady before me started to tighten her grip around my body even further, making my ribs hurt for a little bit.

"Oh, come on, you guys!" Nicole said with a chuckle as she responded to her fellow member's teasing. "We're just friends! Stop assuming stuff!" Nicole said playfully with her tongue sticking out; I couldn't quite see her face because her hair is hiding her side profile, so I'm not quite sure how adorable she looks right now.

I then chuckled at them, trying to reply back to the people who are teasing us too when I suddenly saw Nicole's head moving up towards me to shoot her gaze at my troubled expression.

"We are... friends, right?" Nicole said to me with the broadest smile that I had ever seen from her so far while her eyes looked like they were about to pop out of her eye sockets because she's pretty much opening her eyes so outspread that I could swear she must be thinking of letting her eyes fly off towards my dumbfounded face.

"Of-of course, we are!" I said with a nervous chuckle as I observed the red veins around her pupils gradually accumulating all over her unblinking eyes.

Her grasp around my body loosened a little bit more, but she's still hugging me nonetheless. I also noticed that her smile had also returned to its usual bright and reassuring beam.

"Hey, Nicole, can I talk to our friend here for a bit?" Jimmy said to us as he approached us while fixing his collar.

"Of course, Brother James!" Nicole then gradually let go of my body, but I could feel a bit of reluctance coming from her smiling face as if this interference was not something that she expected. She then walked away from us and joined her fellow forum members.

Jimmy then slowly raised his hands before grabbing my right shoulder, tapping it lightly. "Why don't I drive you back home? I know that this sounds like a weird request coming from me now, but I just feel obligated to do it since I'm the one who persuaded you to come." There's no animosity coming from Jimmy's expression as he spoke those words with a pleading smile. "We can even talk about your membership to us here in our forum if you're interested." He continued with a twinge of enigma seeping out of the corners of his gentle smile as if he's begging me to have a drive with him.

I looked at him with an eyebrow raised as my head slowly turned towards Nicole. The blonde lady noticed that I was gazing at her, so she slowly waved her hands at me subtly while the rest of the forum members were too busy conversing about something with one another. I then noticed that Nicole's face flushed a bit before she turned her head away from me.

I chuckled after seeing such an adorable sight before facing Jimmy again. "I'm sorry, Jimmy. I think I'll pass today." I then moved my gaze back at Nicole again with an infatuated grin. "I have something going on later."

"I see." Jimmy then looked at me with a piercing gaze, and for once, I saw him looking at me without a smile. "So, that's your decision."

"What?" I looked at him, confused, for I haven't heard what he had just uttered.

"No, no, nothing!" He then swiftly took his arms away from me as he tried to do his usual smile, but it doesn't quite look the same. He then started to rummage something from inside of his coat. "Here, why don't you take this?" He said while handing me two movie tickets.

"What's this?" I said with doubt, but I still took the tickets anyway.

"Use it and take her with you," Jimmy said with a sigh as she tapped my shoulder twice once more. He then approached the other forum members and told them that he will be taking his leave. He nodded at me as a way to bid his farewell as he walked away from us.

I then approached Nicole to tell her about the movie tickets. Of course, I didn't say that it came from Jimmy.

"Oh my god!" Nicole uttered with an excited giggle. "I've always wanted to watch this movie!"

I bit my lower lip in excitement after seeing how excited my offer made her. As she swiftly took a ticket away from me, I started imagining to myself the many ways I would tear her clothes out of her thin and weak female body.