It had been so many months since she had exercised at the park. Deborah was finally beginning to feel like a person again.
The settlement from the airline for her late husband's plane crash came in, and she would probably never have to work again in her life. Deborah had been a good and faithful wife and lover. But she needed fresh air, or her life would be over.
On this crisp spring day, the park was teeming with activity. Kids, kites, moms, pets, and life in general. Here would be a good place to ease back into the world. Weary of the only conversation people wanted to have with her, their offers of condolences for her loss, she had picked a secluded spot. She selected a place by the lake with some ducks for an audience and a couple of young men a distance away, offering bait samples to the fish. She prayed that she didn't see anyone she knew.
Her depression caused her not to eat well for months; she had lost some weight and looked good but wasn't in shape; her tai chi activities had always kept her toned. It was time to get back to living.
She started with some stretching exercises, damn that hurt! It got better the longer she held it. Her gyrations caught the attention of the young men fishing. They were polite in their gaze; they didn't want to ruin it and make her leave. She enjoyed the energy it gave her; she put on a good show for them. They gained a new appreciation for the flexibility of an older woman. When she thought they had had enough and she was feeling the pain, she took up her meditation stance, neglected for so long.
This was cool and all, but the fish weren't biting, and they had to get back to their dorm. As they left, they waved, and she acknowledged with a tip of her head, not missing a single pose.
She continued to try to regain her skills; it would be a long road. Her earbuds were jamming to some stretching music, so she never heard the approaching machine or the screaming.
The next thing she knew, one of her earbuds and sunglasses were gone; she had been scooped up into some guy's arms and was blazing across the open field at twenty miles an hour on some powered off-road skateboard! He slowed the thing down and executed a graceful running dismount with her in his arms. He was very athletic. When he put her down, she wasn't sure if she should punch him or kiss him. She snatched her other bud out and stood there, with her hands on her hips, giving him a split second to start explaining before she blurted out, "WHAT THE FUCK?!"
After our surfer dude got cussed out, he shot right back at her. He had the good sense and people skills to not address her, "Hey lady," or, "ma'am."
He said, "Hey, girl! I come over the blind hill, and you're standing in the middle of the trail! You could have died! I saved your life!
"You owe me dinner. I'll see you at the sushi bar at seven tonight."
Proud of himself, he didn't give her a chance to say no. With a wink and a devilish smile, he took off in a cloud of Texas dust, his surfer-style, longish hair blowing behind him. His shirtless, ripped abs glistened with sweat under the sun while he caught some rays darkening his supple skin.
She was still in shock, dumbfounded by what had just taken place. A bit shaken, she looked around for her lost possessions. She plopped down in the grass, her hands shaking at the unexpected excitement. Her ladylike demeanor told her she should be mad at him, but she just couldn't. This little forty-five-second interlude was the most exciting thing to happen to her in months. She didn't even know his name but couldn't forget that face or body.
She gathered herself and went home with plenty of time to decide if she was actually going to the sushi bar. She knew the place well; it had been one of their favorite quick dinner date spots.
Dropping a trail of clothes on her way to the shower, she made it hair-wash day. She took extra time to enjoy the hot water and suds. Her skin was warm, maybe from too much sun for her first time out in a while. A little extra lotion would take care of that.
She couldn't stop thinking about him. Like they had spent the afternoon together, but it was only a few brief seconds. Then, she would shake it off, telling herself she would not go. She was just old enough to be his mother! Then, she would convince herself that it was OK. As she dried herself in front of the full-length mirror, she was comfortable looking at her own body. She had nothing to be ashamed of. One would have to look hard to tell that she had an adult child. Her breasts, while not perky, stood well on their own and were firm with an excellent swing and nipples that would announce themselves with little more than a gentle breeze.
She worked on her hair, naked, and enjoyed the view. This was the most sexual she had felt in a long time. She gazed upon herself and thought about the men she had known and some of the adventures she had enjoyed. It had been a long time. She felt sorry for the first man to attempt to take her after this long hiatus; she hoped she wouldn't scare him too severely, appear too needy, or injure him.
She tried on ten outfits! She was way more excited than she should have been for this, whatever you want to call it. It was not even an official date! One outfit looked like a banker's pantsuit, another resembled a tramp, and the leopard print screamed desperate cougar!
Finally, a nice form-fitting sundress that did a beautiful job accentuating her top without a bra, and just long enough that she could confidently operate commando; the slit up the side let everyone appreciate her great legs. Some heels, not too tall and not too spiked, but just right. A couple of hats and then opted for no hat! Parfums! What a dilemma! She didn't want to smell like his mom, but she didn't want to smell like a 14-year-old boy covering his body odor with drug store body spray. A little citrus would go well with her yellow dress. She had worn black for so long that it almost felt weird to have on a color. A schmeer of lipstick, and she was nearly ready.
Houston, having gotten more Chicago and less Texas, made her start carrying a weapon. This dress was not very conducive to packing a firearm, so she decided this would be an excellent opportunity to try her garter-mounted dagger. She had been training with the fighting knife. Mounted high on the thigh and just outside the crease of the hip, it allowed total discretion and perfect accessibility. With her ID and a credit card tucked away, car keys in hand, she hoped to get there first.
She entered the restaurant, and in the moment it took her eyes to adjust, he had her by the arm; he leaned in close and whispered, "Benvenuta," with a thick, natural Mediterranean accent. That one word was the only Latin she could remember from school and her vacation to Italy- 'welcome' (in the feminine). He led her back to the moderately lit table he had occupied for thirty minutes, wondering if she would show.
He wanted a table with enough light to assess one another, like art pieces at a gallery, but not so bright as to ruin the moment. His manners didn't just come from watching old movies; he had obviously been formally educated at a reputable finishing school. He seated her and pushed her chair in before seating himself, but he didn't waste the opportunity to get a glimpse down her top. He moved around the table at a leisurely stride, allowing her to look him over. She thought he was a bit casual for a first meeting, then remembered that this was their second one. He looked very comfortable in a tropical, white-linen, button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled to the elbow. Also, white linen pants secured with a drawstring, rolled at the cuffs. His ensemble was finished off with woven leather shoes that looked like an artisan in a remote village custom-made them for him. He had a straw hat hanging on the post of his chair. The two of them screamed hot summer evening.
Not knowing what direction the evening would take, neither wanted to load up with a heavy meal. A few refreshing hors d'oeuvres, a drink, and some safe small talk.
She did learn that he was born Italian and perfectly mastered his American accent, which he had demonstrated in the park. She was more intrigued by his natural, exotic speech.
She thanked him for a nice time and attempted to wrap up the date to see his reaction. As they approached the register, he did not try to stop her from paying. He thanked her for dinner as the bounty for not killing her. Then he announced that since they had completed their second date, he already had their third date planned out.
As Nicholas escorted Deborah to the passenger side of his typically Italian cliché Alfa Romeo, it was running. Inside was cool, and the door opened as they approached. He took her hand and lowered her into the sports car in a most elegant manner. He thought he caught a glimpse inside the slit of her dress, but he could not be sure. She inquired what the evening might hold; all he would say was to promise a memorable time. They continued to chat about travel and cuisine, all still very safe subjects.