She came up the walk from the parking lot in her stately way every morning at about the same time, on her way to work downtown. She was fifty-seven; a bit stout, but not ill-adjusted to it; and she was a secretary, as he was. Her path took her by his door, that's all, and he watched her go by.
The man chatted with her most days-- the weather, something-- and she couldn't help noticing the gleam in his regard. Incredible as it seemed, something in his eye said he was actually interested! She thought back over the times he'd spoken, once the thought occurred to her. He really did seem to want something, sexually.
"I'll show him!" she thought. "Next time if he does it, I'll cut it off quick." That lecher! Gabby was a married woman!
The next day, he was there, casually smoking and smiling on her. "It's true, look at him!" she frowned.
On the other hand, it had been some years since any man had shown much interest. "I'm kinda dumpy and frowsty," she reflected. "And he's hardly even fifty, I bet. Just a puppy." She smiled back and took his
good morning
soul deep, savoring it. "He does want me, though," she exulted, and despite her resolve, she smiled more welcomingly.
She was certainly mature enough to handle this sort of thing-- out of practice, maybe, but she knew how to shut them down.
"D'you have a moment to have some coffee with me this morning?"
"What?" He'd spoken, but she'd been thinking.
"Please, if you have a moment. I have coffee and we could talk a little."
"I have to go to work, there's no time!" she said. "But thank you."
"Come a little earlier. We can make the time if we like. I'm Jeremy Hawkins, but they call me Jay."
"Gabby Laforce; Gabrielle."
"How do you do? We've spoken most mornings, but it's nice to have your name."
"I may come earlier. We can take ten minutes for coffee."
What am I doing?
she wondered.
"Splendid!" He was very casual. "I'd like that. Tomorrow, then, Gabby?"
"All right. Tomorrow; we'll try it."
"Wonderful." They bid each other farewell and she was conscious of his eyes on her from behind as she walked off. He was watching, all right. Her hips swayed nicely in the long skirts she always wore. "Over-upholstered a little," he told himself, "but not bad."
"That wasn't how it was supposed to go," she chided herself. She'd have to let him know tomorrow that she was married. "I'm too old to be playing games, leading men on." Gabby was firm with herself.
But she allowed him fifteen minutes the following day, coming quite soon to her parking spot. And there he was! He was coming down to meet her. "What a flattering thing," she remarked to herself.
"Gabby! Do you have a minute for me today?"
"I-- I'm married, Jay," she said, rather more abruptly than she'd intended.
"Well, I'd imagined that you might have been," he said cozily. "But don't you ever
have a moment?"
That was a double meaning! Gabby eyed him. He had a puckish expression; he had meant the double meaning, almost certainly, she thought. "Listen, Jay--"
"I'm married, too, you know; no shame in that. Come on inside."
"For coffee?"
"To talk a little in the mornings, and for coffee."
"Just so you realize I'm a married woman," she said, but it didn't sound forceful, even to her own ears. She took his arm when he offered it, allowing herself to be helped from the car. He laid his hand, a big warm one, on hers, so she held his arm all the way to the church door, where he let her precede him. She could smell coffee. The office door was open. The warm lamplight spilled into the corridor with the coffee smell.
She turned to face him, and he stepped in a little too close.
They moved to his office, where a red gingham tablecloth had been spread and small gnocchi-sized little cinnamon donuts sat on a little yellow platter. Delft-blue china held milk and sugar; a basil plant in a black crack-glazed pot radiated its rich green leaves over the whole. Primary colors, white and black, and all the crockery nicely fat and round: a charming table.
He played host and explained how he'd made the fritters with a fry-bread recipe. He had to remind her, gently, that her hour had come around. It had been, in fact, a lovely little stolen time together. She requested a return for the next day, and he beamed his satisfaction to have pleased her.
Twenty minutes early, she pulled in and felt gratified to see him again, waiting and puffing his pipe. "Good morning, Jay!"