"You're uneasy," the woman said. "You've been uneasy all evening."
They sat in a quiet corner of the restaurant finishing their dinner. The woman was neatly dressed in a tailored blue suit a shade lighter than the man's suit. She was impeccably groomed, nearly fifty but still attractive, with short dark hair streaked with gray, fine skin, full lips painted a dark red color, and large dark eyes made even larger by mascara and eyeglasses. Her face was roundish, with high cheekbones and perfect porcelain skin. She wore small white pearls in her ears and a two-strand pearl necklace; a carved ivory bracelet circled her left wrist. Her wrists and hands were slender, with remarkably long feminine fingers. She was considerably older than the young man, nearly twenty years older; they were both attorneys. The young man was twenty-eight, with a lean athletic body, his hair neatly cut, his face still tan from a recent holiday. In addition to his dark blue suit, he wore a white shirt and a solid pale blue tie. He seemed diffident, even uncomfortable in the aura of energy projected by the woman. His name was Michael; the woman was Andrea, and she was a senior partner in the law firm where he was employed.
Now Michael looked at Andrea, his eyes studying her face. He had to admit the attraction he felt for her, an attraction he had been aware of ever since his first sight of Andrea nearly four months ago. He found older sophisticated women like Andrea particularly attractive, and Andrea seemed to have sensed it. Whenever their eyes met, he had the feeling she understood him completely. Everything about her excited him. Get hold of yourself, he thought. Any liaison with her might be dangerous; she had a great deal of power over his career. He was uncertain how to treat her, and he felt thoroughly intimidated. This dinner engagement hadn't been his idea; it was Andrea who had suggested it.
"I guess I'm not used to you," Michael said, not knowing what else to say in response to her statement that he was uneasy.
"But we've worked together."
"Yes, but this is the first time... this is the first time we've been alone together."
Andrea chuckled. "You don't need to be afraid of me, Michael. I invited you to dinner because I wanted to get to know you better. Will you promise not to be uneasy about me?"
Michael met Andrea's eyes. "All right, I promise."
"Just relax. Forget about the office. Just think about this as a date. I know I'm much older than you, but my intuition tells me you don't mind that. Am I right?"
"Yes."
"Good. Now tell me more about yourself. You said you were not in a relationship at the moment. Have you known many women?"
"Not very many."
"You're good-looking and you ought to be successful with women. Are you shy?"
He shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe sometimes I am."
"Tell me about your last relationship. What was her name?"
"Gloria."
"How old was she?"
"Forty, I think."
Andrea smiled. "Interesting. Are they always older."
He blushed. "Recently, yes."
"How nice. You don't need to be embarrassed, you know. I prefer younger men, men your age, and I'm not embarrassed about it. Sometimes young men and older women fulfill certain needs for each other. Isn't that true?"
"Yes."
"And what was Gloria like? Did she have a profession?"
He told Andrea about Gloria. Whenever he hesitated, Andrea prompted him, coaxed him to talk. He and Gloria had lived together two years. She was a high school physical education teacher, an athlete, strong-willed, sexually dominant. Andrea probed and questioned, getting him to reveal nearly everything about his relationship with Gloria. There was never a hint of judgment. When he explained how he and Gloria had split because she did not like his long hours as an attorney, Andrea nodded as if she understood everything.
"And how was the sex?" Andrea said. "Was it good?"
Michael blushed. "Yes, I think so."
"Are you that doubtful?"
"Well..."
"All right, I won't press you. Not now, anyway. But you can be frank with me, Michael. You know you can. I don't like to date anyone at the office, but you're an exception. You're delicious."
"Thanks."
"I come on strong, don't I? But that's my nature, I guess."
"I don't mind."
Avoiding Andrea's eyes, Michael felt a deep uncertainty. Should he accept if she wanted to go to bed with him? He had been warned at the beginning that social involvements with female partners could be risky.
* * *
Andrea noted his hesitation. She wanted him. She'd had her eyes on him for months, watching him work, watching him move, watching his lovely little ass and his lean body. She had suspected from the first time she'd met him that he might fancy older women. It was something in his eyes, the way he moved, his diffidence. He seemed to be hungry for something. Was he aware of it? Probably not. She wished she could see him naked right now.