Crossing the line...

I'm wondering if any of you have ever crossed the line between friendship and fantasy. This seems to be a common theme in a lot of erotic stories, and I wonder is it because people *want* to do it and are afraid to, or because people actually do and then feel compelled to "confess" it in a story?

Over the years, I've gone down that road a few times, and never with disastrous consequences. Oftentimes, it's been a kind of goodbye fling, with one of us leaving and we just said goodbye a little more intimately than we had planned. And it's not always sex - sometimes it was just a serious make-out session, as though we had to get something out of our systems before we parted ways.

I can't think of any situations in which our friendships ended as a result, either. I've been really fortunate in that regard - my friends are my friends. For example, there was Ian - we were really good friends our first 2 years of college. He dated one of my friends, we hung out a lot, had classes together, and partied together. At the end of our sophomore year, he was transferring to another school. And so, the night before graduation at our huge end-of-year annual bash, we hooked up. (And the sex, from what I recall, was pretty darn amazing, although the location left a little to be desired.) Several years ago, we found each other on the 'net, and started talking again - it was as though we had just been separated for a summer, rather than the 6 or so years it had been.

The reason I'm thinking about all this is because a friend of mine recently stepped pretty close to that line with a friend of his. She's much more comfortable with that situation than he is, but he also tends to analyze things to death and does waaaay too much thinking for his own good. But it's a tough spot for both of them to be in, as they do work together as well. Not closely, but still... I think he's afraid she's going to come on to him at the office, or somehow people will find out. Knowing both of them, though, that's highly unlikely to happen. Unless, of course, he decides he needs to analyze it with someone else, and that person can't keep a lid on it. (You all know how office grapevines are, I'm sure.)

What is it about that invisible line that is so seductive? People love to flirt with that line, tapping a toe closer and closer, and then they seem surprised when they trip over it. Sure, you never want to lose a friend on account of one night of curiousity, but I do have to say that sometimes your friendship can be so much better once that curiosity is sated. The air is cleared, the tension is gone, and you can go back to being the good friends you were before.

I'm not advocating crossing the line - I'm just saying, if you're going to flirt with the idea, you need to be prepared for what happens when you do cross it. because sooner or later, you will. You're all adults - you know how this works! It's all fun and games until someone gets their feelings hurt.

Speaking of feelings, though ----- I really don't recommend flirting with that line unless you're absolutely sure that neither of you has a romantic interest in the other, or you're absolutely sure that you both have a romantic interest in each other. Because if the feeling scale is lopsided, someone WILL get hurt. But if it's just about curiosity or really good sex or whatever, and neither of you has high expectations about anything beyond that one tentative encounter, then go for it.

And yes, kids, I am all for having fuck friends when you can. There's just something about knowing you can have a good time with a good friend and not wake up in the morning with regret hanging over your head like a cloud. Life's too short for regrets, my friends.