Ray Rambler, 49 was excited as he coasted down his Subaru Outback out of his driveway. He's going to take out the stunningly pretty divorcee named Kate Halston to a hiking trip. His wife Abby had persuaded him to have a fling with Kate.
Abby was not as pretty as the much younger Kate, but she's a sophisticated and a highly intelligent woman who can be seductive and beautiful if she wanted to. However she had an ailment that caused her loss of sexual appetite. Ray's effort to stimulate her had been futile. The result was a sexual coma for Ray. Thanks Lord of Lords, after two years Abby finally felt pity on Ray because despite the lack of sex he's been a faithful husband for 22 years of their marriage. Ironically, their three children were now all grown–ups and they would have had better time to indulge in sex. And as Ray approaches middle life he actually needed sex most, as this is man's last hurrah, the last stage of his sexual urges.
Ray met Kate when she appeared one early morning at his doorstep two weeks ago. He couldn't forget the day when she rang his doorbell and woke him up. It was an awakening, a long-awaited rain on a dried parched land as she stood there at the doorstep, dressed in an elegant business suit, lovely as a beautiful dream, a smile like Mira Sorvino's, mesmerizing him, and drawing him with a powerful kind of irresistible force.
"Good morning sir, I'm Kate Halston, sorry to have bothered you. I live down Lafayette and my car stalled right across your house and I think it needs a battery jumpstart," she intoned.
Her car was a classic Trans Am. She was a corporate lawyer living just a few blocks away in the same village. The sexual attraction was instant. Ray had never met a woman like that before. Even his wife hadn't had that effect on him.
Ray jumpstarted her car and in return Kate gave him her card; to call her in case he needed her assistance. In that course of their meeting, Ray had learned that Kate was recently divorced, no child and had been only married for two years.
A week later, Ray bumped into Kate in a mall.
"Mr. Rambler, how very nice to see you," Kate said flashing her captivating smile, her brown eyes with specks of gold brimming with merriment.
"How about calling me Ray?" he said cracking a smile.
"Ok, Ray it is. I was going to buy a helmet and knee pads for my in line skates. I envy the young ones who do this in the park."
"Well, you're still young."
"Oh, not too young anymore. How old do you think I am?"
"Well, I'm really poor at guessing women's ages."
"Try, maybe you'll hit the bulls-eye," she prodded.
"Twenty...ah...seven?"
"Hey spot on, man. I'm really 27."
"Oh, my real guess was 25, I don't know why I blurted out 27."
She flashed again that captivating smile.
"My kids used to do this sport," Ray said.
"I now prefer it than jogging which I used to do. What're you buying?" Kate said.
"Oh, I'm just on my way to the scent section. If it were no trouble at all I'd like to ask your help to pick a scent that would suit an old guy like me. I've been using the same scent for a long while and now I'd like something different for a change."
"Sure. I love scents! They say women have keener nose than men when it comes to scent. What are you using by the way?"
"Well, Polo," he replied.
"That's a good one. All right, if you'll help me buy the best caps and helmet?"
"That's easy for me to do," Ray said.
Kate was tall, 5'7" in fact, and was dressed attractively in black mini skirt and blue lamé top. Men and women threw admiring glances at her. Ray was lean and fairly muscled at 6'1" sporting a trendy goatee and a tousled black hair that is graying a bit. He was dressed casually in a white on white plaid camp shirt over ribbed cotton T-shirt, cotton and linen grayish trousers and leather driving shoes.
Ray sampled on his wrist the Sienna from Crabtree and Evelyn, distinguished by warm woody notes, citrus and aromatic herbs. Kate sniffed it. "If a man walked by me wearing that, I'd follow him," Kate said. Ray's eyebrows perked up and instantly decided to purchase it.
Soon they were like old friends eating lunch in a nice cozy restaurant. They were a charming couple joyously chit-chatting.
Finally, Ray offered Kate the invitation for a hiking expedition in Cape Cunnapeak on a hillside overlooking the Bay of Grundy on Saturday.
Kate knew that he's very much married but only married men come on to her. She'd been playing the field with a vengeance as she'd just been out of a failed marriage. Ray had been the best candidate to have a fling on as far as she's concerned.
"Oh that'll be great. I'd surely like to come with you. We'll bring a picnic basket, wine, oh I can prepare for that," Kate enthused. Ray liked her expression and for the first time in years he felt like a teen-ager driving the hot rod.
Ray finally pulled up his Subaru in front of her house. Looking very outdoorsy in his rugged outfit, he stood happily at Kate's doorway ringing her doorbell. Kate opened the door and immediately threw him a welcoming hug and a buzz on the cheek. Kate was wearing a clingy white top and low-riding soft denim skirt that bared a snippet of tummy skin.
"Come on in. I was packing up the food that I prepared," she said.
"Mmmmm I could smell it," he said. She hooked her arm happily on his and led him to the kitchen counter.
His eyes roved around the interior of her house. The décor looked trendy with walls and ceiling painted in off white and blue. Everything was in the shades of blue. There's a Kendall sofa and a thrown rug under a coffee table. Metal sculptured lamps on each table illuminated the room, but the light just pooled around the furniture creating a stunning effect. Another table held a large screen TV and sound system, and a Robbie Williams CD 'Swing When You're Winning' was emanating softly from the audio player. A couple of abstract paintings hung on the wall done by Diana Ong.
She had cut up the French baguette into mini sandwiches size, wrapped each with wax paper then tied with a string so the fillings won't spill out. Then she put them in the basket along with other goodies, and napkins. The drinks were to be put inside a blue thermo bag to keep it chilled.
"What are you staring at? I'm beginning to feel self-conscious," she said trying to concentrate on what she was doing.
"You're remarkably beautiful, so zesty, so full of life," Ray said huskily as he held her by the shoulders. He knew that the touch made her tingle all over for he noticed how her nipples awoke from slumber and stood like bullets against her clingy top. She was obviously wearing no bra.
When she turned, Ray dropped a soft kiss on her forehead breathing her perfume and touching lightly her silky black semi pony-tailed hair. Kate drew close to him and his arms wrapped around her. She longed for a man's hug and there had been nights that she played herself thinking of Ray. Ray gazed at her slightly made-up face, porcelain skin and sensual lips close to his. He had to curb his desire. They've got the whole day to themselves. She fiddled his collar shirt and he resisted slipping his hands over her nicely-shaped rump and pulling her hips to his. They held their gazes for awhile, the heat of passion brewing in their eyes, and hadn't Ray loosened his hold on her, the heat of their lustful desires could have ignited on the spot.
With a glimmering smile, Kate resumed packing their provisions for the trip. When she's done she shrugged into a Replay denim jacket and sat down on the sofa to change her clogs to Nike sneakers after wearing white ankle socks.
The sun was throwing its early morning rays and the cool crisp air and spruce scented spring air whiffed through their nostrils. The day was predicted to be sunny and cloudless as the summer season was ushering in.
The Subaru cruised easily out of the village and into the highway. The car radio was blasting with The Rolling Stone's 'Route 66' and Lily was bopping up and down along with the tune. Her short skirt drawn up to alarming level and long slightly-tanned legs pulled his attention once in a while.
After about 12 miles of easy driving, it pulled off the highway and travel through the charming village of Randy Oak, and then Lechersville, past lovely, historic homes and gorgeous towering trees. And then through Bunnington, taking a road near the Seamen's Memorial that leads to the Bay of Grundy where Cape Cunnapeak was.
"Ray, have you been involved with a woman outside of your marriage?"
"No," he said.
"You're a rare breed."
"Have you been seeing anyone lately?" Ray asked.
"Two guys have asked me out but not one of them fell into my liking. It's nice to be single again, and man, I want to play the part well. When I get 30 maybe I'll settle back again and have babies," she laughed.