Portmanteau: More Than a Feeling: Part 1I'm On Fire. Journeys and choices.

Based on a post by Wendy Trilby, in 4 parts. Listen to the Podcast at Steamy Stories.

Author’s note: This is an installment in the anthology series entitled ‘Portmanteau.’ Each vignette of Portmanteau is a multi-part series. A collection of three stand-alone erotic short stories, all loosely associated with each other.

Colin arrived in Boston, set up his on-the-go office in the Ritz Carlton, and then headed to Tufts University to give a guest lecture. He had dinner plans with Mayla for later that night and found himself distracted in anticipation of their first-ever meeting in person.

He finished reading her latest pages on the flight and was astounded by her ability to craft erotica. Unbridled and feral, her writing was the opposite of Monique Labelle's meandering, sad attempt at erogenous drivel. Mayla's work held pure passion, and pure passion sold books.

Colin was on a lecture hall stage, being interviewed by a professor about publishing, how to write your first novel and the future of the print medium. When asked his thoughts on publishing erotic work, Colin replied, "Good question, Mayla." The interviewing Professor stopped and asked him who Mayla was.

Catching himself, Colin apologized and rephrased the statement to say, "Good question, Professor Matalin."

In the darkness of the lecture hall, Mayla reacted at hearing her name uttered as a Freudian slip. She blushed and looked around as if all eyes were on her.

The lecture ended, and Colin was saying a few goodbyes when he spotted an attractive, tall woman walking into view. She wore a long, cool black dress with a sleeveless top showing off well-toned arms. Her youthful glow made it difficult to guess her age.

"Mayla!"

"Hello, Colin."

"You came to my lecture. I'm delighted," the handsome publisher said.

"I thought I could learn something, and I did. You missed your calling as a teacher."

"It's such a pleasure to meet you in person. Zoom meetings can only tell so much. You're so much more”

"Taller," she said, finishing his sentence.

"Well, yes. I knew you had been a model, so no surprise there."

"You're not one of those guys with issues with tall girls?"

"Never," Colin stated, "Are we still on for dinner, or do you have plans?"

"Looking forward to it," she replied, bringing a smile to Colin's face.

Dinner was in a small Italian place in Boston's North End. Plates of pappardelle and an empty bottle of chianti set the relaxed tone.

"I've never seen someone as fit as you eat an entire plate of pasta," Colin remarked.

"In my runway days, never, but now the waif look is long behind me. My ex wanted me to stay sickly thin. It was strange, but so was he."

"Divorced?"

"Never married. We were together for 15 years. I was doing catalog and runway work in Los Angeles, and he promised me more. It came at a price. And it got weird."

"Weird?" Colin asked.

"Very weird. He became obsessed with my left nipple."

"We can change the subject," Colin offered.

"No, it's in the past," she replied.

"Ok, I don't mean to be forward, but you can't simply introduce something about a left nipple and then walk away from the conversation."

"My left nipple never gets hard. Never erect, never pert, never sassy, none of the nipple adjectives," Mayla said without fear of embarrassment.

"And your right one does?"

"Yes, running, massage, touch, sex, that nipple knows when and how to do its job. Damned good soldier. Lefty here, total slacker, almost cost me a career."