Her 50Th

What if...

I felt like a stalker as I sat in the car, parked across the street from her house, waiting for her visitor to leave. I'd arrived in town late in the morning and took the extra time to scope out my surroundings. It'd taken many hours to get to where I was, and it was rather unlike me to undertake such a journey on the spur of the moment. However, there'd been a sense of determination the closer I got that what I was doing was the right thing, and that she'd appreciate it in the end. I only hoped I wasn't mistaken.

She had initially contacted me. I received a private message from her, saying how she really enjoyed my writing. I wrote back to her with thanks and a little personal note, as I do every piece of feedback I get, and instead of that being that, I got a response in return. This prompted another answer from me, and another from her. Before long, we were good friends. We had no idea what the other looked like, but we knew we liked who we were. I wasn't gilding the lily when it came to personal facts, and I could tell she was being truthful with me, too. It was that openness that endeared ourselves to one another, and suddenly, we'd fallen in love. It was a strange kind of love, because we both knew there was a long physical distance between us, and that it'd be unlikely that distance would be traversed, although we fantasized about it more than once. Nevertheless, we meant more to one another than we ever dreamed possible.

Finally, we actually did manage to get a glimpse of what we each looked like, and we liked that as much as we liked each other's minds. We felt we did it the way all relationships should actually be done: learn who the other person is first,

then

worry about appearance.

As it was, I'd checked in at her work (Yes, I knew her workplace: further stalker shit, eh?) and found out that she had the day off. Therefore, I took the car farthest up in the driveway to be hers, and the one behind it, a visitor, wishing her well on her day.

I'd made a few plans along the way, asking some questions when I got into the area, and making the arrangements when I learned which suited my plan.

And now I sat and waited. I'd changed into a coat and tie at a gas station, and bought a single red rose, feeling that a bouquet would be too garish. I didn't know from wine, so I didn't bother attempting to get anything in that vein.

As I watched the house, it dawned on me that I hadn't bothered to get myself a place to stay the night. I had to get back on the road before noon the next day, but I felt like a dumbass when I realized I'd have to attempt to get a room after whatever happened, happened.

Finally, I saw a tall, young, good-looking guy emerge from the front door of the small house. From the vague descriptions I'd received in some of our correspondences, I assumed this was her son.

Suddenly, my heart felt like it was attached to a jackhammer. I felt sweat bead on my forehead and my mouth get dry as I saw the young man get into his car and drive away. Muscling my way through the onslaught of nerves, I grabbed my flower and got out of the car.

'Fuck,' I thought. 'What if she's freaked out by this? What if I've just made an incredible journey only to find out she's going to be weirded out by the fact I'm here? Have I just screwed up whatever we might have with this unannounced appearance on her doorstep?'

Thousands of second guesses flowed through my mind in a split second as I stood there, trying to find the guts to walk the distance to the house and discover just what her reaction would be. After maybe a minute -- which seemed like hours -- I threw caution to the wind, quelled the indecision that raged through me and started walking.

In only a handful of seconds, I stood before her door, my heart pounding even harder. I hoped I'd be able to find my voice as I reached up a knuckle and knocked, my brain so befuddled that I missed the fact there was a doorbell.

It seemed an interminable wait once I lowered my hand, but I heard movement inside, and I saw the knob turn, and then the door began to open.

Oh my god. There she was. I'd only seen a face shot before. This was her in full, in the flesh. She wore comfortable clothes, jeans and a shirt. Her feet were bare, her dark hair tied back out of the way. She'd just been taking it easy, as she deserved. She looked every bit as good as I'd imagined. I wanted to sweep her up and kiss her madly, but I was sure that

would

freak her out. At the moment, by the blank expression her face held, I could tell she had no inkling who I was.

Finally, I got over my initial astonishment that I was actually in her presence and held the rose out in both hands.

"Happy Birthday, Laurie." I think I managed a smile as I said it.

She looked like she'd been slapped. Who the hell was this stranger, and how the hell did he know it was her birthday? I could see it etched clearly on her face. Then I saw the wheels click into place, and wonder and incredulity replaced it all.

"No way! Allan?" Her voice was deep and musical. It was just perfect. I'd been half afraid she'd have a voice that'd set my teeth on edge - not that it'd have mattered - but the rich alto fell pleasantly on my ears.

Holding the rose in one hand, I spread my hands in a placating gesture. "Mea culpa."

Elation bubbled out of Laurie. She practically leaped at me, her arms snapping around my neck and hugging me tight. "I can't believe you're here! This is the best birthday present anybody could have got me!"

"It's a pretty good present for me, too," I admitted. "It isn't every day somebody who means as much to me as you do turns fifty."

She lifted her head and looked me in the eyes, her look suddenly serious, though there was a playful glint in her eye. "Oh sure, ruin it by reminding me."

I gazed back into those pretty blue eyes of hers and replied, "Does it look like it matters in the least to me? Twenty, fifty, I don't care. The number could be a hundred and I'd still feel the same about you."

"A hundred? Boy, you sure know how to rack up the points there, bud," she said. Still, that glint told me she was so tickled by my being there that I could say just about anything and it wouldn't matter.

"Y'know, I really want to kiss you, but I don't know what the neighbors would think," Laurie continued. "Not that I really

care

what the neighbors think, but still, it'd probably be good to come inside."

It was obvious she was reluctant to let me go. She hated the idea of removing herself from me as much as I did. Still, if a kiss was going to rile the neighbors, my carrying her, clinging to me like a koala bear, would probably elicit a similar reaction. Then again, if there were any nosy neighbors watching what was going on, they probably already had plenty of gossip to keep them going.

Finally, Laurie let me go long enough to get us both in the house. When she turned, I got a terrific view of her gLaurieous backside and I watched it eagerly all the way in. With the door closed, we stood for a tense moment, staring at each other, until like two opposite magnetic poles, we slammed together in a passionate kiss.

My body responded immediately. Laurie was everything my fantasies had made her out to be, and that realization was incredible. I desperately wanted to take this further right away, but I had plans, and while I don't often make plans, when I do, I like to follow them if at all possible. Besides, some semblance of control was probably a good thing. At least that's what I kept telling myself. Then again, we were both adults, well beyond the age of consent, so why did it really matter what we did?

Eventually, we both came up for air. I'm sure our faces were mirror images of incredulity and delight. I could hardly get enough of admiring this person I'd fantasized over for so long, having to fill in so many gaps myself. For several seconds, we just looked at one another, our minds each trying to come up with something witty or profound, but still so dumbfounded at our present situation, that they simply remained blank.

Then, that inexorable pull drew us back together. This kiss was a little less frenzied, but no less passionate. It was impossible to tell to tell how long we stood there like that, locked in that embrace, but neither felt an urgent need to let go.

After a while, though, let go we did. We stood there, panting for a minute or so before either of us found a voice.

"Uh... hi," Laurie finally got out.

"Hi," I replied, but didn't continue.

There was a pause. Then suddenly, we both burst out laughing at the absurdity of that little exchange, given what had already transpired. When the laughter started to die down, I reached out and pulled her in close to me again, this time a bit more gently. Laurie snuggled up against my body and stayed there for a moment before saying, "I'm not dreaming, am I?"

I responded, "If you are, so am I, because I'm dreaming that I just got done kissing you for like, the last five minutes, and now I have you in my arms, warm and close."

"In that case, I hope I'm in a coma, 'cause I don't want it to stop."

I stepped back a little bit, holding Laurie out so I could see her face. "You better not be in a coma. I've got plans for you tonight."

Laurie grinned. "What kind of plans?"

"Well, a nice dinner, for sure. After that, it's kind of up in the air. I said I planned. I didn't say I planned real well."

Laurie chuckled, then looked me up and down. "Judging by what you have on, I'm sort of underdressed for what you've got planned, huh?"

I admitted, "To me, you look fabulous. Then again, I think I'd probably think that regardless what you were wearing. The place I had in mind is a little upscale for jeans. At least, that's how I want to treat it, if you don't mind." I figured I'd better drop the bomb and get it over with: "I can't stay long, so I want to make it as special as I can."

Laurie stepped in close and hugged me. "It's

that

already. I can't believe this." She then backed away, asking, "Do you have reservations? What time?"

I looked around the room for a clock, then stated, "A little over an hour." It was later than I though. I wished I hadn't felt like I needed to waste so much of the day waiting. All I did was eat into the time I could have potentially spent with Laurie, after all the distance I'd come, and how little time I really had.

The little wheels were going in Laurie's brain again as she thought, I assumed, about what she was going to wear. "I think I've got just the outfit. Do you want to come in so we can talk while I change?" I was a little surprised that she invited me to be there while she got out of the clothes she was wearing and into the ones she figured on for dinner. She admitted to me quite a while back that she was a pretty private person, but she'd told me things over the internet connection that she confessed she'd never told another soul, so I had a feeling I was something of an exception to a lot of things where she was concerned.

Now, I was faced with a dilemma. Did I want to go with Laurie while she changed clothes? Absolutely. Did I think I was going to be able to behave myself if I saw her removing clothing in my presence? Of that, I was uncertain. Still, I wasn't a teenager any more, and should be capable of keeping my hands to myself when the need arose.

Nevertheless, I felt like I had to confirm. "Are you sure?"

Laurie realized what she was doing and hesitated. She then made a decision. "Yes, please. I trust you and I love you, not necessarily in that order, but yes, I'm inviting you into my bedroom. I've got you for now, and I want to get to spend as much time with you as possible. If that means having you see my bedroom, so be it. If that means you getting to see my scantily-clad body, then I'll deal with that, too."

Well, let's face it, I'd wanted to see Laurie in her underwear (or less) for some time, so now that there was little doubt to the sincerity of her invitation, I was ready and eager to follow wherever she led. "Lay on, MacDuff," I said, indicating I was ready to go, wherever and whenever she was.

Laurie grinned, apparently taking my Shakespearean quote and adding a bit of double entendre to it. Not that I minded in the least. Given some of our prior communications, I'm sure that kind of activity was in the back of her mind. It sure was in mine...

Following her to the bedroom, Laurie started stripping off clothes. I felt like a fifteen year old kid, standing there while her body was revealed to me. In only her bra and panties, Laurie turned to me and asked, "I don't suppose there's time for me to grab a quick shower?"

I laughed, "I'm trying to behave myself, now. Don't push it. Please." I could feel the strain against the front of my trousers just being in her presence while she was dressed so.

Laurie noticed my distress and gave my crotch a hungry once-over with her eyes, then returned her gaze to my face. "How about my hair? Is there time to do something about

it

?"

I chuckled at how embarrassed I felt at that moment. It wasn't real obvious how Laurie actually felt about the whole situation, but my adolescent discomfort seemed to afford her some degree of boldness. She trotted over to me (causing her lovely, full breasts to bob enticingly within that oh-so-lucky brassiere), placed a kiss on my cheek, then stated, "It won't take long," then went to a mirror and started fiddling with her hair.

For a while, it looked to me like she was just tangling it, but after a few minutes, she had it the way she wanted it, left the mirror, rummaged around in a drawer, where she grabbed a couple new lacy things, then proceeded to remove the underthings she'd been wearing, replacing them with the new ones.

It was with lightning speed that I saw a glimpse of round, bare breast, covered back over again with the new bra, then I caught an eyeful of her luscious ass, finally adorned with a single string up the middle.

With this new lingerie in place, Laurie then turned to me and did a quick runway turn. "Whattya think? A little sexier than what I had on, huh? It'll sure make me feel sexier while we're out."

In response I started a mantra: "I'm being a good boy. I'm being a good boy..."

We both laughed after a beat, then Laurie headed for the closet, where she brought out her version of the "little black dress."

"What do you think of this?" she asked, holding it up for my approval.

After a moment, I managed, "If it looks this good on the hanger, it's going to look fantastic with the proper filling." I could hardly wait to see her in it.

To her credit, Laurie started to blush a little at that comment. It appeared she'd been basking in her control of the situation, but my little comment had sort of turned her short-lived confidence on its ear. In my mind, her brief sheepishness made her just that much more attractive. Amazing how a flash of vulnerability can make a woman look a bit better to a man, isn't it?

Without a word, Laurie started getting into the dress. It only took moments, and when she turned her back to me, with the back open and the zipper all the way to the bottom, I picked up the cue immediately. A quick zip and she was in. She didn't turn to me for approval after that, though, instead she headed for the closet again, bent over and came back out with a pair of shoes, which she sat on the bed to put on, then over to the dresser where she took out a set of earrings and a necklace, Once she had herself properly done up, she stood and gave another little runway turn.

"Whattya think? Do I pass muster?"

I was stunned. I mean, holy shit! What a knockout! Fifty? You've got to be kidding!

Finally, I croaked out, "Outstanding," which brought a pleased smile to her face.

"Thank you," she came back, blushing again.

"You're very welcome. I calls 'em as I sees 'em, babe."

Laurie took a few steps toward me, glancing right and left at her legs. "You don't think I need hose or something?"

I held out my hands to her, which she took with a smile. "I think you're going to make the twenty year olds envious."

A glance at the clock said it was time to go. I had a vague idea how long it was going be to get to the restaurant, but as this wasn't familiar territory, I wasn't exactly sure. Better to be early than late.

During my excursion that afternoon, trying to get my bearings and figure out just what it was that I'd done to myself, I discovered a historical trolley tour that I thought would be really fun and interesting -- for me if not for Laurie, but I was pretty sure she'd have suffered through for my sake -- but unfortunately, those tours ended before we were getting out. I guess I should have taken advantage while I was out and about, but my mind was elsewhere at the time. My thoughts had been almost exclusively on the knockout woman I had with me now, so I hadn't really taken the opportunity to avail myself of much of anything else.

Holding my elbow out to her, I said, "Shall we go?"

Laurie placed her hand in the offered spot, and we exited the house. "So much for conversing while I changed, eh?" she said as I opened the car door for her.

My god, it was so sexy watching her just get into the car! I don't know who was having more fun with my being here, but I guess it didn't really matter. "Well, you were busy, and I was speechless," I said just before I closed the door and went to the driver's side.

Starting the car, I told her, "I hope you like where I've chosen. I know nothing about this area but what I've been able to gather from the web and from my little bit of exploration once I got here. It's supposed to be a surprise, but if I get lost, I'll have to ask for your help getting there."

Laurie laughed. "It's a deal. I promise to be surprised when we get there, either way. We could be headed for the golden arches and it'd be perfect, as far as I'm concerned."

Fortunately, I remembered the route to where I'd placed the reservation. It was in a historical building, right in the town where Laurie lived. I'd gotten a glance at the menu for the evening, and it sounded fantastic. Locally supplied ingredients, and with the ocean just a couple hours away, the seafood could hardly be fresher.

Laurie looked out the window at where I'd pulled up, saying, "Oh, wow. I've only been here a couple times -- and I've lived here all my life. The food's fantastic, but it's lonely not getting to share the experience."

I was proud of myself that I'd chosen well. Reaching for her hand, I told her, "It'll be an honor and delight to get to share this with you." Isn't it funny how such Hollywood lines come to us at certain times?

"We're a little early, would you like to take a short walk?" I wanted as many people as possible to see me with this fabulous woman. I also wanted to show her off. It was her birthday, she should get some admiration from those around her. Heck, she should be admired, regardless what day it was.

"Sure," Laurie answered. With the look she gave me, I wondered if she wasn't thinking the same things I was. It was my turn to feel a little sheepish.

I helped Laurie from the car -- a sight as titillating this time as it had been previously -- then gave her my elbow once again.

I love it when cities appreciate their past and take pains to preserve it. Many of the buildings were on the National Register of Historic Places, so they were painstakingly kept in as close to original condition as possible. It was delightful walking along the sidewalk, knowing that many of the structures had been around for over a hundred years. We got many a look as we meandered -- there were a lot of people out for a Wednesday night -- and I think Laurie appreciated it as much as they did.

Finally, it was time to head back to the restaurant, so we turned around and started the walk back. Although I was sure Laurie was full of questions, and had been since she'd found me on her doorstep, she'd managed to keep them to herself for quite a while, though I knew she was bursting to ask. Our entire walk was done mostly in silence, each of us just enjoying the comforting, unexpected fact of the other's presence.