About five years ago, my wife and I decided to get a divorce. We married young, and were also married to our careers. We had no children, because neither one of us would be home long enough to be a good parent. Our sex life was pretty good, when we happened to be together to have sex. We divorced the best of friends.
I thought it would be a good idea to do a Bob Seger and "Turn the Page." Since I had relatives on both coasts, a move to the Midwest was my choice. No more long coast-coast trips. I bought a house an hour's drive south of a major city. As long as I owned a dependable car, and could get to an airport, I could work from just about anywhere in the country.
One day, a couple of weeks after I moved in, the doorbell rang. Standing at the front door was a very pretty Postal Worker carrying a package. She said, "Hi, my name is Marty. Whenever possible, we have to hand deliver packages." I thanked her, caught a hint of Lavender, and watched her slim figure, complete with bouncing ponytail, get in her vehicle and drive to my neighbor's mailbox. We were close in age, but I thought I was about 5 years older.
Over the next month, Marty delivered a couple of packages, and found the time to make small talk with me. One afternoon, I was working from home, sitting on my patio reading a spread sheet, and drinking a glass of wine, when my doorbell rang.
Marty was standing on my front porch with a package. When I opened the door, she said, "Tony, I tried to deliver this yesterday, but you weren't home, I was afraid it might get wet, so I didn't leave it." I responded, "That's fine and if I'm not around, which happens frequently, that's what you should do. She then said, "I notice all the mail is addressed to you, is there a Mrs.?" I told her that I was divorced and unattached, but married to my job.
Hearing this she quickly said, " My girl friends and I go to the Midway Cafe on Wednesday nights. The beer is cold, sometimes there's live music, and there are significantly less guys trolling the place looking for a piece of ass!" I already liked her bubbly personality, now I was enjoying her candor.
"You know," I said, "I just may see you there."
The following Wednesday around 9:00, I walked into the Midway Cafe. Almost every animal that once lived in the county was stuffed and on display. The only thing missing was Patrick Swayze! When Marty saw me, she shrieked and came running up to me. She gave me a big hug, a sisterly kiss on the cheek, and took me by the hand to her table.
Introductions were made, rounds of beer were purchased, and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. Marty's crew were all single; one friend never got married, one friend was divorced, and one friend was a military widow. Marty got up couple of times and unsteadily walked to go to the bathroom. When she came back the last time, she asked me, with slurred words, to take her home.
I parked at her apartment complex and walked her to her door. I could smell the clean fresh Lavender shampoo she used on her hair. She looked at me and said, "Would you like to come in?" As much as I wanted to, I said, "Marty, if we're going to bring our friendship to the next level, we are going to do this right. I'm a bit of a Foodie and I know my way around a kitchen. You will be wined and dined by candle light. I've never taken advantage of a girl in my life - I'm not going to start with you."
She hugged and thanked me for being a gentleman. I watched her, in her tight jeans, enter the apartment. I waited until I heard the door close and the lock set, then I went home and seriously thought about jerking off.
It was almost three weeks before my schedule would allow us to have that supper I promised.
Marty showed up wearing a t-shirt, skinny jeans, heels and her signature pony tail. "My goodness", she said, "This house smells like an Italian Restaurant!"
I poured us a glass of wine that paired well with the supper I prepared, and showed her around the house. We sat in the living room sipped our wine and made small talk; mostly about how much she liked the completely open kitchen, dining room and living room concept of my house.
I asked her to light the candles and refill our wine glasses, while I opened another bottle of wine and plated supper.