I never realized how much fun grocery shopping could be until I was divorced.
While I was married, I either did the grocery shopping with my wife, or I had to take my kids along while she worked. I never really had the time, or the inclination, to look around. I was there to pick up the week's groceries.
As I said, though, all that changed after I split up with my wife.
Working in the construction trades, I had the advantage of getting off of work at a relatively early hour on Fridays, which gave me plenty of time to get home, shower, stop off for a beer or three, and then go shopping. If I was too tired, put in some O.T., or just didn't feel like going on Friday, I went out early Saturday morning.
At first, I looked at it the same way that I did all my life, a chore that needed to be done. However, not long after I had established myself in my new apartment, I started looking at it in a new point of view.
It was a beautiful, warm, bright June day, and, wearing my normal summer garb of a Hawaiian shirt, shorts, and flip-flops, I decided to head out to do my shopping, stopping off for an adult beverage first.
When I got to my favorite local bar, my favorite bartender was working, much to my surprise. Normally, Tracey didn't start until 7:00, but she was already there at 5:00.
After telling me that she was filling in for the daytime bartender, and then giving me grief about my shirt, something she always did, she brought me a beer.
"What brings you here so early?" she asked.
"Just heading out to get my grocery shopping out of the way," I told her.
"Ahh," she replied.
"Are you going to Major's?" she asked, referring to a large local chain.
"No, I usually go to Super. They're generally cheaper," I answered.
"Yeah, but the scenery is much better at Major's" she said, smiling at me.
She went on to explain that if I waited another couple of hours, I would catch the after-work rush, which according to her, consisted mainly of single women.
"Oh, really?' I asked, intrigued.
"Yep," she answered, again smiling. "That's when I usually go."
The ongoing joke between Tracey and me was that, while she was very hot, she was, as far as I was concerned, out-of-bounds, being the bar owner's girlfriend.
What I would always tell her was that, not only didn't I want to be banned from my favorite local for doing the owner's girl, considering that I was fifteen years older than she was, she'd probably kill me if we ever hooked up.
"That's true," she would tell me, "but at least you'd go out with a smile on your face."
"Of that," I would reply, "I have absolutely NO doubt!"
"Kurt," she said, grabbing my hands with hers, "you've got to believe me on this one. If you wait until, say, 6:30 to do your shopping, you won't be disappointed. Friday night and Saturday morning are the absolute best times to go!"
"If I'm wrong, I'll buy you your first beer the next time I see you," she added.
Well, that sounded like an offer too good to pass up, so I agreed.
So, two hours, and three beers, later I left the bar and went to Major's to do my weekly grocery shopping.
To my amazement, Tracey proved herself right as soon as I stepped out of my truck.
There were a number of women, all attractive, all by themselves, and all just arriving to do their shopping.
Walking in directly in front of me was a woman that looked to be in her mid-40's, with long, curly, dark hair tied back in a pony-tail, dressed in a business suit. I enjoyed watching her walk in front of me, her every curve moving with each step.
This was not a thin, Barbie Doll of a woman, this was a soft, curvy, REAL woman walking in front of me. She had what looked like a large pair of breasts, a nice, full ass, and big, soft lips on her body.
After we walked in and got our carts, we both went straight to the produce section. I started gathering some veggies for a pasta dish that I was making the next night, and soon she was standing next to me.
She started asking me about the peppers that I was picking out, and then we began walking and talking together as we made our way through the store. While we walked the aisles together, I checked out her body further, and was quite pleased with what I saw.
The suit that she was wearing was fitted enough to show off her breasts, while still being conservative, and the skirt looked like it gripped her well-formed ass perfectly.
I kept reminding myself to thank Tracey the next time I saw her! My first time out, and I was having a great time!
As we finished our shopping, we wound up in check-out lanes next to each other. I finished up just ahead of her, so I waited a little, and then walked out with her.
"I don't normally do this, hell, I've NEVER done this before, but would you like to get together some time, for dinner or a drink? I'd love to get to know more about you!" I told her.
"I'd like that," she replied, smiling at me. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a business card, wrote down her cell number, and handed it to me.
Over the next couple of weeks, Catarina and I saw each other three times, ranging from having a drink to having dinner, drinks, and seeing a local band. I found out that she had her masters in Business Finance, and that she was an Executive V.P. at a major bank in the city.
What really shocked me was when she told me that she was in her mid-50's, and a grandmother.
"Wow!" I thought to myself. "I never would have guessed either of those!"
I drove her home after our third date, and walked her to her door. The 'third date' scenario was going through my head as she pulled her keys out of her purse and she leaned in to kiss me.
We had kissed briefly at the end of our first date, and a little more passionately after the second, but I wasn't sure what to expect this time.
She sighed as I held her tight while we kissed at her door. I enjoyed the feel of her full, soft lips on mine, and when I softly kissed her neck, my hands sliding down her back, she moaned, and her hands gripped my arms tightly.
"Ok, we've got to stop," she breathed, pushing me back gently.
Reluctantly, I stepped back as she turned and unlocked her door. As she stepped inside her house, she stopped and turned to me.
"Would you like to come for dinner tomorrow night?" she asked, smiling, and with glazed eyes.
"I'd love to," I told her.
The next night, I showed up at Catarina's at six, and as she opened her door I heard the sounds of kids playing.
She greeted me as I walked in, and I gave her a quick kiss as I handed her two bottles of wine that I brought. I noticed right away that she was wearing a very sexy floral perfume.
"You look beautiful," I told her. She was dressed in a loose fitting, flowery summer dress that buttoned down the front and a pair of ballet slippers.
The dress was unbuttoned at the top just enough to entice, showing off just a hint of her deep cleavage and the fine lace of her bra, and at the bottom to show off a firm pair of legs.
As I quickly glanced around at her tri-level house, a young boy came running up the stairs from the lower level.
"Hi! Who are you?" he asked.
"My name is Kurt," I answered. "What's your name?"
"I'm Jimmy," he exclaimed. "This is my sister, Suzie," he then informed me, pointing to the little girl who came running up next to him.
"Are you a friend of my Gramma?" Suzie asked softly.
"Yes, I am," I replied.
Catarina then sent them back downstairs, telling them that dinner would be ready in a few minutes.
As Jimmy and Suzie ran back downstairs, Catarina took my hand and led me into her kitchen.
"I'm sorry," she said, as she stirred a pot of pasta sauce. "My daughter called an hour ago and asked if I could watch the kids while they go to the hospital."
"Is everything alright?" I asked.
"Yes. My son-in-law's father was in a car accident, and he's in the ER right now. I couldn't tell them no."
"That's completely understandable," I replied. "Do you want to reschedule tonight?"
"Not unless you do," she said. "The kids will be going to sleep in a couple hours, and then we'll be alone."
"That works for me," I said, smiling. "Do you need any help?"
After a very amusing dinner with her grandkids, we all sat down to watch a movie, during which the kids fell asleep.
I helped Catarina put them to bed upstairs, and she suggested that I go back downstairs and open up the wine.
"I'll be there in a minute," she said softly, kissing me on the cheek.
A few minutes later, as I sat in her loveseat with the glasses of wine ready, flipping through the guide on the TV, I heard her walk around behind me, and quickly sit next to me.
"Anything good on?" she asked.
"Not really," I said, handing her a glass.
"Let me see what I can find," she said, taking the remote from me and sliding next to me.
"This is good," she commented, holding up her wine glass.
"I'm glad you like it," I replied. "I admit, I don't know much about wine, but I do know what I like."
As she flipped through the movie channels, she continued drinking, and soon we had finished the first bottle.
"Should I open the other bottle?" I asked.
"Of course!" she replied.
I went back upstairs to her kitchen and opened the other bottle, and brought it down stairs.
"How's this?" she asked, nodding toward a romantic "chick-flick" she found.
"Whatever you want to watch," I told her as I poured the wine. "I'm here for the company."
"Mmmm. Nice answer," she said.
"I noticed all of the decorations, and things on the shelves," I told her. "Are you Russian?"
"Yes," she replied. "My father was proud of his Russian heritage, and I inherited all of this when my parents passed. All of this came from Russia with him. He managed to defect from the U.S.S.R., and brought my mother with him, settling in Chicago."
"He was so proud of his heritage, he even named his first-born daughter after Catherine The Great," she said softly.
"Oh, really?' I asked, my eyebrows raised.
"Yeah, I don't think he knew about the legend," she laughed.
"I like sex, a lot, but a horse would be too much, even for me," she continued softly, sliding closer to me.
"That's good," I laughed. "There's no way I could compete with a horse!"
