Monica lay in bed staring at the ceiling. The mere idea of moving made everything in her body hurt. New Year's Eve when you were 30 wasn't quite the same as when you were 23, but she had a great time nevertheless. Her best friend from college, Nikki, threw a huge bash in the house she just bought with her fiancé, Kevin. They would be getting married later in the year, so they wanted to have one major blowout before the wedding.

The party itself was great. There was karaoke, drinking, swimming, drinking, games, and, of course, drinking. All of their closest friends from college (and their significant others), a few people from Nikki and Kevin's jobs, and Monica. Of all her friends, Monica was the only one who wasn't currently attached. She thought Nikki was probably hoping that she would hook up with someone at the party, but it didn't happen.

It wasn't that Monica wasn't interested in a relationship. If she'd met someone that she liked, she absolutely would have spent some time with him, but no one there sparked anything for her. Monica was someone who was perfectly fine living her solitary life. She had no children to take care of, a great career as a school counselor, a home with affordable rent, and all of the amenities she could ask for. She had her hobbies (reading, puzzles, jewelry making) that kept her busy when she wasn't working, and she had an active social life with her friends.

With time, though, her friends were starting to drift off to live their own lives. She and Nikki were like sisters since college, but Nikki was getting married soon. They would still spend time together, but it would be different. Before long, Nikki and Kevin would probably want to start a family. Monica loved the idea of being like an aunt to Nikki's children, but she also knew that Nikki's marriage would mark a significant change in their relationship.

And now it was a new year. That special time when everyone decides to make changes (or resolutions, as people like to say) that they will stick with for a while before giving up on them. Monica didn't judge; she'd given up on many a resolution in the past. She couldn't count how many times in the past she'd resolved to get in better shape. It wasn't that she was overweight, but she had a couple of problem areas that she thought could be fixed. Of course, by the time December 31st came around, that resolution would have to be renewed.

So now, as she lay in bed, unable to move for the hangover that threatened to take her, her mind went to those things she might like to change this year. "Get in shape" was always on the list, so that was a gimme. But what else was there in her life that she thought could be different?

"I could try writing a little more," she said to her cat, Moogie. "They say journaling is very therapeutic."

OK, what else? "Maybe I'll take a baking class. I always wanted to be able to make cakes like they do on the baking championships on Food Network."

Well, that will be the end of getting in shape, but go for it. Anything else?

"I'd like to learn how to play the piano. I remember Grandma and Grandpa had a piano for a long time, and I always wanted to play it, but we weren't allowed."

When Monica was in elementary and middle school, she learned to play the violin. She wasn't great or horrible, but she had no passion for it, so by the time she got to high school, she gave it up. She believed that if someone gave her a violin and some simple sheet music today, she'd be ok, but not amazing. Even so, it was something she enjoyed, and she thought learning piano would make a great addition to her repertoire of hobbies.

"OK, four resolutions. Now I'm gonna sleep for the rest of the day and hope I don't puke." She closed her eyes and, with Moogie curled up on the pillow next to her, she was out in no time.

When Monica woke up, the first thing she did was to feed Moogie and then make herself something to eat. Then she went online to try to make a start on some of those resolutions. She went online and found that the local community college offered classes in baking and cake decorating. She was especially interested in the cookie and cupcake courses (she'd always enjoyed Cupcake Wars and the Christmas Cookie Challenge). She signed up for a couple that would work with her schedule.

Then she went on Amazon to find a keyboard. She couldn't buy a full piano, not in this apartment, but a keyboard would be a good substitute. She was fortunate enough to find an 88-key piano keyboard that came with a stand and a month of access to an app meant to teach piano. It also wouldn't break the bank, so she placed her order.

Her new "piano" arrived within days. Right away, Monica took it out and started tapping out the notes of some songs she remembered from her violin days. She was pleased to know that she still had that memory. Then she went online to find some simple piano music and realized that she wasn't as good as she thought. She recognized the notes and knew where they were on the keyboard, but she couldn't get her left and right hands to work together. So she signed up for her month of the free app.

The app was great and very easy to follow. Within a few days, she was able to get her hands working together better. She now recognized the notes for both the treble and bass clefs (though it was difficult for her not to look at a "C" on the bass clef and not see an "A"), and she was able to play a few very basic songs. She gave herself an hour every day just to practice on the piano and work through the app. By the end of January, she'd gotten through all of the beginner lessons and started moving on to the intermediate lessons.

At first, Monica was feeling great about how well she was progressing. She decided that she wanted to keep working with the app, and she started the intermediate lessons. She worked through them more slowly; they were much more difficult. She squeaked through intermediate 1 and 2 and tried starting intermediate 3. After a few tries, she went back and repeated intermediate 1 and 2, thinking it would help her with 3, but when she started intermediate 3, she once again felt stuck.

"You know what, Moogie? I think this is as far as the app can take me. I think I need lessons." Moogie looked at her in brief acknowledgement of her name and then slunk away. As much as she loved Moogie, sometimes she was just a typical cat.

"I'll take that as agreement." Monica turned to her old friend, Google, to try to find a private piano teacher. She found a website that listed local piano tutors with reviews. She scrolled through and found one that had five stars with nearly 80 reviews. His name was Nate, and he had a degree in piano performance. The reviews all talked about how attentive he was to his students and how patient he was with them. Still, he was a strange man, and he would be coming to her home. She had to do a little more vetting before she could open her door to him. She went through his contact page and asked if she could arrange a meeting at Starbucks. A few hours later, she heard back from him, and they had an arrangement to meet that weekend.

Saturday came along quickly and Monica found herself in Starbucks sipping on her white mocha. "Excuse me," she heard a voice from behind her. "Are you Monica?"

She stood up and smiled. "I am. Nate?"

"Yes, it's nice to meet you."

"You as well. I'm sorry we had to do it this way, but you can never be too careful."

"No, I totally understand. I usually have to meet with a parent or someone before people let me in their homes, so I get it."

Monica (and every other woman in the room, it seemed) couldn't help but notice how good-looking Nate was. His dirty-blonde hair was cut short and combed up on his head. He had stubble growing on his face, giving him a kind of rugged look, but his smile was gentle and kind. His deep brown eyes shared the kindness that was seen in his smile. And physically, well, he was pretty perfect. He wasn't overly muscular, but the tight shirt he wore made it clear that he worked out. Monica didn't know about piano lessons yet, but she was sure ready to let him tickle her ivories.

"So," Nate started. "You want to learn piano?"

"Yeah. I know I'm probably older than your other students."

"Eh, age doesn't mean anything. I actually like the idea of working with an adult for a change."

"Oh, and why is that?"

"You know, kids are great, but they don't usually tend to pick up the lessons quickly. I mean, you have exceptions, but for the most part, it takes a little more explaining. And half of them are there because their parents are making them take lessons. At least with you, I know you want to be there."

"I know it's silly, but..."

"It's not silly at all! It's never too late to learn a new skill!"

The conversation went on like this for a while. Nate was happy to hear that Monica already had some skills on the piano, so he figured that one lesson a week would be enough. They settled on Saturday afternoons to accommodate Monica's work schedule. When they parted ways, Monica watched as Nate walked to his car. As she watched him walk, all she could think was, "OMG, he is super-hot! I can't believe that's my piano teacher!" She went home knowing that she'd made a good choice. He was fun to look at, but he was also very sweet. She looked forward to her first lesson the following week.

When Nate showed up at her apartment that Saturday, he looked as gorgeous as on the day she met him in Starbucks. He was wearing a pair of tight jeans that showed off every curve of his legs. When she let him in, she couldn't help but notice that he had a nice, firm ass. She longed to reach out and grab it, but she thought sexual harassment might put a damper on their first lesson.

"Have a seat," she told him, pointing him towards the couch. She'd set her keyboard up on a stand in front of it, thinking that he should probably be sitting next to her rather than having her in a chair with him standing over her. "Would you like anything to drink?"

It was a warm March day, and after he'd taken off his light jacket, Monica saw that he was wearing a simple blue V-neck t-shirt. This was tight too, and even though he wasn't ripped, she could see that his muscles stood out. "Just water will be good, thanks."

Monica brought them both glasses of water and sat down. He smelled good; it was a nice fresh smell, like a cool breeze on a spring day. Sitting next to him this way made her feel warm all over. She took a deep breath to get control over what she was feeling in that moment. "Okay, where do you want to start?"

"Can I ask first if you have any goals for learning the piano?"

"I don't know really. I guess I'd like to be able to play something for my family by Christmas."

He gave a laugh. "Alright, that's doable. Why don't you show me what you know?"

Monica opened the app to some of the sheet music it contained and played through a song.

"Not bad...what are you struggling with the most?"

"Chords. I get some of them, but others I'm just having a terrible time with."

"Okay, then let's work on chords. I'll have you playing like a pro by Christmas."

Monica gave a smile, and the lesson commenced. Nate helped her through the chords she was having problems with and gave her some simple sheet music. By the time the lesson ended, she was able to play through a song just using the sheet music, and was able to get started on another one.

"You're a fast learner!" Nate said.

"Thank you."

Nate stood to leave. "Just keep practicing and I'll see you in a week."

"You got it." Monica paid Nate and when he left, she couldn't help but watch him go. He looks good going. Wouldn't mind seeing him cumming. She felt herself grow flush at the thought. She let it go and sat back down in front of the piano, working on the song he gave her. She was determined to surprise him by being able to play it through when Nate came back the next Saturday.

Their lessons continued, and Monica improved greatly. She was right to believe that she would learn more from a person than from an app. By June, she was able to play not one, but three Christmas songs. But she was enjoying Nate's company so much that she discussed more lessons. He seemed to enjoy her company, too, so he agreed.

It had gotten to the point where they spent a lot of time just talking rather than playing the piano. Monica learned that Nate had dreams of being a music teacher at an elementary school, and she found that extremely attractive. It showed that beneath that handsome exterior, there was also a good heart. Monica found herself wanting to simply spend time with Nate, not just taking lessons, but just being together.

During one particularly hot July lesson, Monica was having a very hard time with a song. The transition between chords kept tripping her up, and she was getting frustrated.

"Monica," Nate said, calmly. "Just relax. You'll get it. Look, we'll take it slowly."

He placed his hands over hers. Their bodies were very close to one another, and she found his scent intoxicating. She breathed in, trying to make it appear that she was steeling her resolve; she was actually inhaling the aroma of his presence. As soon as Nate's hands touched hers, Monica felt electricity through her body. They started playing the song together, and with Nate's hands guiding her, she made the transition between the chords smoothly. She was so happy with herself; she turned to face Nate to celebrate. He was giving her a look as he'd never given her. He was staring deeply, his brown eyes boring into her. She felt warmth between her legs at that stare, and, slowly, Nate leaned in and kissed her deeply. She parted her lips as his tongue worked its way into her mouth. He tasted like he'd just brushed his teeth, his mouth was so fresh and clean.

Monica's hands found their way from the keys on the keyboard to Nate's back, as she worked to untuck his t-shirt from his tight jeans. Once the shirt was loose, she began to move her hands over his smooth back. His skin felt soft and silky beneath her palms, and she was aroused just at the touch of his skin against her hands. It was so exciting that she didn't notice Nate's hands found their way to her bra strap, and she was a little taken aback when she felt her breasts fall freely from the garment.

They found themselves no longer sitting side-by-side, but face-to-face, their mouths passionately pressed against one another. Nate's mouth moved from her mouth to her ears where, after teasing her earlobe with his tongue, he whispered, deeply, "I want you so fucking bad. I've wanted you since the day I met you."

Monica shuddered at the warmth of his breath in her ear, and she said to him, "Let's go to the bedroom." She stood and led him to the small bedroom. Her bed dominated the space, but there was still room to move around. They began kissing one another again as they each stripped off the other's clothes. Nate's chest pressed against her, hard, and she wanted to wrap her legs around him and take him into her. But he seemed to want to take his time, and he gently pushed her down on the bed.

"Lie down," he said to her, and she followed his directions, lying with her legs hanging over the edge of the bed. He took her leg into his hand, slowly kissing her, beginning at her ankles. He worked his way up her leg, planting gentle kisses and licking every inch he could. When he began kissing her thigh, Monica felt her pussy pulse with excitement. Nate must have seen what was happening because before she knew it, his mouth was over her clit, licking and sucking while his fingers teased her hole.

"Fuck, you taste good," he moaned. Monica was trying to speak; she wanted to say something to him about how good it felt and what he was doing to her, but her body was experiencing such waves of pleasure that the words wouldn't come. She felt his finger slip inside of her so easily that she knew she must be soaking wet. He began pumping his fingers in her faster as he licked and sucked her pink button, and Monica could take no more. An explosion racked her body, and she was whipped into spasmodic ecstasy.

Nate seemed satisfied with himself, but they were nowhere near done. He lay down next to Monica, and they kissed again, her hands working their way down to his crotch. She held his hardness and began stroking, slowly at first, but then with more vigor. Nate gave a small moan of pleasure, and Monica felt herself grow excited again. She kissed and licked his body, lower and lower until she reached the shaft of his hard cock. She looked up into his face, and when he looked back, it was almost like he was begging her for it. She started teasing the base of his hardness, teasing his balls with her fingers. Slowly, she worked her way up, working her tongue over his penis the whole way. When she got to the head, she teased it a little bit too, first flicking her tongue over the tip and circling the head. Then she took his whole length into her mouth.

She worked her mouth all over his dick, sucking hard, making sure not to hurt him with her teeth, but also using her teeth to gently graze his length. She could hear the moans of bliss coming from Nate, and it spurred her to even greater heights. She kept going, faster and then slowing down for a moment, then speeding up again, moving her head in a circle as she continued to work over his throbbing manhood. Twice, she felt Nate buck against her, but she didn't want to stop. Her tongue continued to work its way over every part of his cock. She felt sure he would burst soon, and she wanted to let him, but she felt him sit up and stop her.

"Fuck, you are so good," he said, his voice sounding almost like a growl. Knowing what he wanted, Monica straddled him, letting him fill her entirely. She bucked against his hard body while his mouth and tongue went to her nipples, like a man starving. His tongue flicked the tip of her areola, and she could feel it moving all around, getting harder and harder under the pressure from his mouth. He moved to her other breast and offered the same treatment while kneading the other tit like a baker kneading dough.

She rode him harder and harder, enjoying the feeling of his shaft deep inside her. Just when she thought she would explode, Nate pulled Monica to him and kissed her hard, rolling her onto her back. Then he turned her onto her stomach and, without another word, pushed his hardness back into her. Monica raised her hips so she could meet his every thrust, and as soon as she did, she felt his thumb moving around her asshole. A sudden wetness was around the thumb, and she felt the tip enter her. He worked both of her holes hard and fast, bringing Monica to the point of no return. An orgasm unlike any she'd ever felt rocked her entire body, and she had to sink her face into the pillow to mute the sound of her ecstasy.

Nate turned her over, a satisfied grin on his face. She looked into his eyes, a dark intensity filling her. "I want to make you cum," she said, her voice husky and breathy. Nate stood at the foot of the bed, and Monica worked her way down to him, not even taking her time, putting his entire dick in her mouth. She worked over his length, sucking it as deep as she could go, and working the rest of it with her hand. Her other hand cupped his balls, caressing them gently, but with a kind of fervor. More than anything at that moment, she wanted to see him, hear him, and taste him cum. She sucked harder, listening to him moan passionately until he finally yelled, "I'm gonna cum!" She didn't stop, letting him fill her mouth with his essence. Nate gave one final hard buck against her, and then relaxed.

They lay on the bed together, their naked bodies glistening with the sweat of their exercise. Monica hadn't felt this peaceful in a very long time. She looked at Nate, a naughty gleam in her eye. "I can't believe we just did that."

"That was probably the best piano lesson I've ever given," he answered. They looked at each other and started laughing. Then they were quiet for a few more minutes before he said, "I guess I should get going."

He stood to get dressed, and Monica lay on her side, watching him. "You know, you could stay."

"As tempting as that is, I have another lesson in an hour."

She feigned a jealous look. "Ah, a more beautiful woman beckons."

"Alas, yes. Ten-year-old Jeannie awaits."

They shared another laugh as Nate finished dressing. Monica slipped into her robe and walked with him to the door. "Well, that was a great lesson. What do you say, same time next week?" she asked, fixing him with a seductive stare.

He pushed her to the wall and kissed her. She wanted to give herself to him right there, but instead, he looked at her and said, "How about we have another lesson tomorrow night instead?"

She smiled, opening the door so he could leave. "I'll make sure to practice." They exchanged one final grin before Nate walked to his car.