The story begins in the year 1995, late spring.
This is the story of my relationship with a very special lady. A relationship that ended far too soon, but left wonderful memories...
*
It was just around the time when I thought I had hit rock bottom. I was just past forty, divorced going on four years. A divorce that left me crippled emotionally as well as finacially. I was so broke I couldn't even afford to own a car, despite my having a good job. If you're divorced and paying child support, I guess you understand. No problem about the paying mind you, and paying above and beyond what's expected for that matter, but it still makes life a struggle financially for everyone.
My love life had simply ceased to exist. Any confidence I may have had at some point was long gone. I hadn't even had a date for a couple of years and had pretty much given up any hope along those lines, until Becky came along.
I worked in the city for a very large concern, and had worked there for almost twenty years. After getting a few rapid promotions, I had settled into what was likely to be my last position, as I had no real hope for any further advancement.
I had gotten involved in an overtime project that involved a lot of physical work. That was fine by me as I certainly needed the exercise, having gotten a little pudgy since the divorce. I could also use the extra money and besides, what would I be doing at home anyway? Drinking, watching television or masturbating most likely.
The project had attracted mostly guys, the physical aspect apparently not appealing to the women of the company, with one exception. I had seen her around the building but since she worked on a different floor we had never actually met until now.
There are some women that seem to fit into the category of "one of the guys", and Becky was one of them. Becky was outgoing and gregarious, and more than willing to swap good natured ribbing and insults with the men on the project. Becky was certainly no wallflower, and was able to bring almost anyone out of their shells with her engaging manner. Even me.
She seemed to take a special interest in me, for whatever reason, and teased and kidded around with me whenever the opportunity presented itself. Becky had discovered that once you got behind the walls I tended to put up around me, there was somebody really fun and smart and interesting. Becky's words there, not mine.
I was really bummed out about the overtime project coming to an end, which meant I would not be seeing Becky any more. On the final day, we were talking during a break in the work, and out of the blue Becky suggested we have lunch someday.
Good thing she did too, since I was so lame I never would have come up with it. When I said I was low in the self esteem department, it was no exaggeration. I was always shy around new people as it was, but since the divorce I had lost the confidence I had managed to build up and had become the wallflower I had been in my youth. Becky would simply not allow that and always managed to bring me out of my shell.
The building we worked in was so far detached from the rest of society that everybody ate lunch in the cafeteria, time and distance not allowing any outside adventures except on special occassions.
So on a Wednesday afternoon I found myself sitting in a corner of the cafeteria with a can of soda and a bag of chips watching the door for Becky. I was actually excited about this lunch, which would be a mundane part of most people's days. This was an event for me, almost like a date.
When Becky came into the room I waved to get her attention. She spotted me and came over with her lunch bag swinging wildly at her side, smiling and exchanging commments with those she passed on the way. She was dressed in a light gray sweater and charcoal gray slacks, much different than the flannel shirts and sweatshirts Becky had worn during our project.
The lunch went very well, as Becky got me talking and involved in the conversation from the start. I was a tough one to get talking but once I started you couldn't shut me up. Becky's words again.
As we spoke, I was able to look at Becky more closely. I had guessed her to be my age and I was right, at 41 a year younger than me. She was divorced and had two children, almost adults now actually (me too). Becky had one of each, and I was lucky to not have any girls. I couldn't imagine what that would be like, knowing what guys are always thinking about.
Physically, you could say that Becky was an imposing figure. At six foot two, I was only about three inches taller than her. I had never seen her in clothes that allowed a good view of her body, but she was very broad shouldered and judging by the way she had handled the physical work we had done, she was certainly no dainty debutante.
I would guess that according to the standards of the time, Becky weighed about fifteen or twenty pounds more than the insurance charts said was what you were supposed to weigh. Since I fit into that category as well, I thought she was perfect.
Becky had these incredible green eyes and wavy red hair that she wore pulled back most of the time. She had a smattering of freckles around her nose that added to her healthy, strapping farm girl look. As she spoke I wondered if she had more freckles and I longed to explore for them.
As the lunch period drew to a close and we were packing up our things, I managed to stammer and stutter enough to ask her if we could do this again. She looked at me like I was from another planet.
"Well of course we will David" Becky said with a perplexed look. "Friday okay with you?"
Was it all right? Yes, I would make it a point to fit it in my schedule.
**
Our lunches became semi-regular affairs and were the high points of my life. We shared stories, kid-related misadventures and the like, and I grew more and more fond of her. Becky was impossible not to like, I thought, and very easy to love.
After a few of these lunches, I made up my mind to ask Becky for a date during our next meeting. I rehearsed what I was going to say the entire morning, listening in my mind to various scenarios and possible rebuttals to rejection or hesitation on Becky's part. I know how goofy this all sounds, but this meant the world to me.
I realized that there was a good chance that she would say no. Our employer had a very dim view of inter-office dating and although they couldn't legally do much about it, rumor had it that it was the kiss of death for your career. While I was fairly untouchable, Becky had not been there for nearly as long and probably still had a chance for advancement.
So with that in mind I sat in the corner, what had become our corner, and waited for Becky. She bounced in right on time and joined me with her typical enthusiastic greeting.
There was something different about Becky today, and it took me awhile to figure out what it was. Then it struck me. Becky was wearing a light blue short sleeved blouse, and I realized that I had never seen her arms before, or any part of her for that matter. She had always worn long sleeved tops and slacks.
