I honestly thought I would never see him again.
It was the Fourth of July weekend, and I had walked from my condo to the lakefront, carrying a small cooler and my canvas chair, hoping to stake out a good spot to watch the fireworks from. I found a spot well south of where most people tend to sit and set up my chair, using my cooler as a footstool. The drinks inside were for later.
I listened to the music being pumped out over loudspeakers that were attached to the light posts, and enjoyed the warm July evening. I was wearing a straight black skirt that ended just above my knees, a light pink racer-back tank top that showed off the contours of my back and emphasized the curves of my waist and hips, and my heeled sandals were black and well broken in. My red hair was loose and blowing with the slight breeze. I was comfortable, and content. The only thing that was really on my mind was my husband. He had gone out with the boys, as he did every holiday, and was probably not going to come home until morning. That had gotten to be a more frequent thing with him, ever since...
Did I say my husband was the only thing on my mind? I lied, Jason was on my mind too. In fact, he was on my mind quite a bit these days. It had been more than three weeks since I saw him last, since we... I had tried to get him out of my mind and just couldn't. It was funny, I didn't even know the guy. He was just someone I had sex with once, and yet, I felt a connection to him that I hadn't felt with anyone before, not even my husband. Jason left me his email address, of course, but I hadn't had the courage to write him. I often wondered if he thought about me too.
So there I was, sitting in my canvas chair, enjoying the evening alone, when a slightly familiar voice said at my shoulder, "Is this seat taken?"
I jumped up and spun around, almost knocking my chair over, and I was once again staring into those eyes that I couldn't quite describe. Trying desperately to think of something cool to say, I looked around and said, "Do you see anybody else sitting near me?" I groaned inwardly. Score two for awkwardness.
But he smiled anyway and replied, "Is that an invitation?"
I nodded, and sat back down in my chair. He sat next to me on the grass and put the backpack he'd been carrying at his feet. He unzipped the main pouch and dug in like he was searching for the Holy Grail. After a moment, he came back out with a bag of pretzels, a bag of chips and some dip, which we started munching on.
Nodding at my cooler, he said, "I hope there are drinks in there."
Trying again for cool, I smiled and said, "No, this is just my footstool. Sorry."
He chuckled and said, "Oh well. We'll just have to go to your place to quench our thirst after the show, then." I could hear the double meaning in his words, and I got a little turned on at the thought.
Not long after that the show started, and we watched in awe and silence. The fireworks show over the lake beats anything I've ever seen anywhere else, except the 2002 Olympics. About halfway into the show, I felt Jason take my hand, and I tingled with excitement and anticipation.
I stared at the fireworks as he leaned towards me and whispered in my ear, "Beautiful, isn't it?"
I nodded, and turned towards him. His face was very close to mine. I leaned towards him to kiss him, but he backed away slightly, a playful smile on his lips. I pulled back too, a little hurt, until I saw the sparkle in his eyes matching the smile on his lips. He shook his head slightly, and I got the message. Not until later. My heart began pounding in anticipation.
After the fireworks were over, I again invited him to my place. He seemed nervous about the invitation, same as last time, so I asked why.
"Because, like I said last time, you're married. And I-"
"I know, you're not single either," I said quietly. "What exactly is your relationship status, then?"