Jeff and Kathy met at a convention in Orlando when they were seated next to each other at the opening luncheon. They soon discovered they had much in common. Both were married --Jeff for 11 years; Kathy for seven. They worked in similar jobs, and shared a love for running. By the time lunch was over, they had made plans to skip an uninteresting seminar on the second day in favor of an afternoon run.
The following day was very hot, but they ran anyway, taking a five-mile loop through a nearby park. They stopped about a half-mile from their hotel, planning to walk the rest of the way to cool down. Kathy made it only a few feet, however, before gasping in pain. She collapsed on the grass along the path and grabbed her left calf. Jeff knew instantly what had happened. Kathy wasn't used to the heat, and had developed a painful charley horse.
Jeff knelt beside her and began rubbing the baseball-sized lump on her calf.
"Just try to relax your leg," he said, knowing from experience that the intense pain made the muscles tense, prolonging the agony.
Kathy took a deep breath and closed her eyes. He immediately felt her body relax, and the hard lump on her calf began to soften under his hands.
"You've done this before," he said.
Kathy opened her eyes as she felt the pain start to subside.
"So have you," she said. "That feels better already."
Jeff kept rubbing her leg, but was suddenly conscious of the fact that he was kneeling at the feet of a very attractive woman. Kathy's running, along with regular workouts in a gym, had kept her in excellent shape, and the jog-bra and shorts she wore left little to the imagination. Her leg was damp with sweat, and Jeff's hands slid easily over it as he massaged her calf.
At almost the same moment, Kathy also became aware of her position, which was far from ladylike. At 42, Jeff was older than her by nearly 10 years, but he looked far younger than his age. She found herself watching the muscles in his arms flex as he worked out the cramp in her calf.
Uncomfortable with her feelings, and her reaction to Jeff's touch, Kathy tried to stand up. But as she did so her leg tensed and the cramp returned. She relaxed and allowed Jeff to work.
Jeff was beginning to have a hard time concentrating, especially when he realized that Kathy's loose fitting shorts allowed him a clear view of her crotch. He was grateful that he was wearing a jockstrap that hid his growing erection. After several minutes, Kathy managed to stand up, but her calf was still painful and she leaned on Jeff for support as they walked back to their hotel.
After seeing Kathy to her room, which was just down the hall from his own, Jeff went to hotel's fitness center. He couldn't get her out of his head, and hoped that a little work on the Nautilus machine would help him to think more clearly. Thirty-minutes later, pleasantly sore but still thinking of Kathy, he headed back his room. He wondered if the attraction he felt for her was mutual.
Jeff had no way of knowing that Kathy had been soaking her sore leg in a warm bathtub and wondering the same thing. She considered herself to be happily married, but she was suddenly conscious of how long it had been since she had anything approaching passionate sex -- the kind of sex she once had with her husband.
Jeff's route back to his room took him past Kathy's door. He stopped when he reached it, and after a brief internal debate, knocked softly. Kathy had just drained the bathtub and was about to turn on the shower. She put on her robe and went to the door. When she looked through the peephole and saw it was Jeff, she opened it immediately.
"How are you feeling?" he asked.
"My leg is stiff, but it's a lot better," she replied. "But where have you been? You look like you ran another five miles."
"It's too hot for that," Jeff said. "I was working out a little in the fitness center. I thought I'd better check in on you on my way back."
Kathy was impressed by his concern, and by the definition of the muscles in his arms after his workout.
"Would you like to come in?" she said.
"I should probably go take a shower," Jeff said.
"Don't worry," Kathy said. "I haven't taken mine yet either. I've been sitting in the bathtub since I got back trying to get my calf muscle to relax."
Jeff followed Kathy into her room. Her short robe revealed most of her legs, and he admired them as she walked.
"Would you like me to work on your leg some more?" Jeff asked. He flushed as he realized how transparent the words seemed.
Kathy didn't notice. She was thinking instead of the way his hands had felt earlier.
"That would be great," she answered, sitting down on the edge of the bed.
