I slept well that Saturday night. My body was spent and my heart was content. Eva and I had had an amazing time, sexually and emotionally, including both of us admitting we were falling in love with each other. And I found out she was a pretty good cook. I couldn't wait to surprise her one night by showing my own kitchen skills.
I got up at 9 to jump in to shave and shower. We had plans for the day to go into Manhattan. Eva didn't know what I was planning, which had her curious but pleased, As strong a woman as she was, she kind of liked for me to surprise her a little. She was very feminine like that, in a traditional role. But in most things, she was a confirmed feminist. No one was ever going to treat her like a second class citizen, and I liked that. A strong woman didn't threaten me at all.
I got downstairs before 10, plenty of time to talk to my family and have something to eat. And I was famished that morning. As I sat with my family to a big plate of eggs and bacon with a toasted bagel, I got a bit of the third degree, mostly from my mom and Camilla.
"So, what are you and Eva doing today?" mom asked as she sipped her coffee.
"K I S S I N G I bet!" Camila said in her brattiest best. I reached over and ruffled her hair and she giggled.
"I'm not going to deny that. She's a very good kisser. You'll learn it's fun one day. Just not too soon. I'm taking her into the city and I'll give her a choice. Either we can go to the Sunday matinee performance of the philharmonic at Lincoln Center or we can go to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Jewish Museum or the Guggenheim. The museums are all close to each other so any are fine."
"I knew taking you to those places when you were younger would pay off some day. Do you even know if she likes any of those things?" Mom asked.
"No, I'm assuming. I know, that's dangerous. But I have a feeling."
"I know what feeling you're having" my sister said obnoxiously. "You're in LOVE!"
My dad interjected "Camilla, behave. Your brothers not in love. It's too soon."
I was quiet as a tomb, not even eating. As I've said, I'm a lousy liar.
Everyone noticed my silence. Dad said to mom "Carol, do me a favor, take Camilla into the family room? I want to talk to Jon before he goes."
Camilla was as surprised as my parents and she and mom went into the other room, staring at me as they went.
"Jon, do you love her already? Is it mutual?"
"Yes, dad, I do and she does as well. We talked about it last night. We both feel it."
"It's kind of fast. She's a darling girl, your mom and your sister raved about her after she came for dinner. I just don't want you getting hurt, misunderstanding your feelings. If you're sure, then I'm happy for you. I remember what my first love was like. It's a powerful feeling." He lowered his voice "I'm not going to ask anything specific. Just tell me, are you using protection?"
"Yes dad, I promise. You're not going to be a 45 year old grandfather. Neither of us wants that. But we both know what we're feeling. She's amazing. I can't think of another word for her."
Dad patted me on the shoulder. "Well, I'm happy for you. Even your sister is probably happy for you. She really does look up to you, you know."
"I know. She breaks my chops and I give her a hard time, but I love the little brat." I smiled when I said it; dad knew we were actually close considering our age difference.
"Well, you'd better finish your breakfast. And Jon? 11 tonight. School tomorrow."
"I know, dad. And dad? Thanks." He smiled and told mom and Camilla they could come back. I finished my breakfast, put my dish in the sink and went to finish getting ready. I was wearing grey slacks and a red pullover sweater over a white button down shirt with the collar out and black shoes. I had told Eva to dress up a bit and I did the same.
While I put on a little cologne Camilla stopped by and said "Jon?"
"Yes, sis?"
"I'm happy for you. I like Eva. And I love you."
That touched me. She really was a sweetheart. I held out my arms and my sister hugged me as I kissed the top of her head. "I love you too, sis. Hey, you know you can always come to me if you need your big brother, right?"
She nodded her head and said "And you can come to me if you need your little sister." We both chuckled
"Ok, I have to get going. Maybe next weekend you can come with us to a movie. How's that sound?"
"Really?"
"Really. If we can work it out."
She kissed my cheek and gave me another hug, then went on her way. I knew Eva wouldn't mind taking my sister with us once in a while. Maybe even her brothers, though I doubted 15 year old boys wanted to tag along with us.
I got to Eva's right before 11 and she was waiting for me outside. I couldn't see what she was wearing under her coat, but it definitely was a dress or skirt. Her legs were in black hose and she had on a short, chunk heel, something she could walk in around the city. And her legs looked great in black nylon. I started to get out of my car to come around and open the door but she waved for me to stay inside. She got in and we kissed, a nice kiss but brief. "Hi, honey. I missed you."
"Since last night? That's so sweet. I missed you too. I thought about you a lot."
"I thought about you too, until I fell asleep. You drained me pretty well" I said with a smile as I drove towards Manhattan.
"You took pretty good care of me as well. But I'm not sore any more. Thank you again for making that such a wonderful experience. I was kind of scared what my first time would be like. But it turns out with the right man, it can be beautiful."
"And you think I'M sweet. You're delicious. I just wish I could have spent the night holding you."
"I wish. The perfect end to a night together. I love you, Jon." Eva said it as if she was worried that I might not say it back. No chance.
"I love you too, honey. It's so obvious my family knows." She raised her eyebrow and I told her what happened at and after breakfast that morning, including how my sister reacted when I got ready. "She's crazy about you. I hope you don't mind if we take her to the movies next weekend."
"No problem at all. I never had a little sister to spoil. I don't mind at all. Just as long as it's once in a while. I do have my own needs." She shuffled closer to me (the days before seatbelts were mandatory) and my right arm went around her. "So where are we going?"
"I was going to give you a choice. We could go to the Philharmonic at Lincoln Center or we can go to the Guggenheim, the Metropolitan Museum of Art or the Jewish museum. Take your pick. Or do you have a choice or something else?"
"You like those classic things, art museums and symphonies? I never suspected. I love all of them. Music or art... how about the Guggenheim? I've never been there." It was decided.
We played a Simon and Garfunkle tape on my 8-track (!) and we both sang along. I have a fair voice, nothing special but Eva had a beautiful, soft voice, perfect for the mellow sounds of the two Queens legends. It was fun singing along, singing together. We had fun in almost everything we did together.
I parked, luckily on the street near the museum and being students in the NYC school system, we paid a deeply discounted admission. We walked along the curved halls of one of the most iconic landmark buildings in the city with collections of paintings and halls of statues and sculptures, talking about what we read on the plaques describing the works and the artists. Eva's coat was open and I saw she wore a plaid red and black short skirt with a black sweater that hugged her body in a way her school clothes never did. I said to her, as we walked through a hall connecting the exhibits "You should dress like this more often. You have great style. Sexy and smart. Make everyone's eyes pop out of their heads."