Not long after I split from my wife of seventeen years, I was still in a place where I didn't feel quite ready to get back into the dating scene, but by the time of this story, I was getting closer to it and over the previous couple of weeks, I'd been thinking more and more about sex and wondering just where the hell I was going to get some. I was 45 years old and very keen to sow some of the wild oats I'd been hanging on to for all those years.
Maybe those thoughts made me more in tune with the females I encountered, or maybe I was just giving out horny vibes, but I began to notice that women were looking at me in a slightly different way.
One Saturday evening before Christmas I had gone into town to do a little shopping. The streets were packed and though getting what I needed was a little frustrating due to the crowds, I was enjoying strolling around checking out the talent.
I had made my last purchase and was just heading back to my flat, which is only a few minutes walk from the shops. My phone rang and I took the call as I walked. It was a friend catching up and while we were chatting, I half noticed a good looking black girl, maybe late twenties, struggling along towards me, carrying so many shopping bags she could barely move. As I got closer, she stopped and put down the largest of the bags, obviously finding it hard to keep going and needing a rest. As I passed by she happened to look up and caught my eye.
I smiled, as I always do and she smiled back a little weakly. I was still talking to my friend so I kept going, but something about her eyes made me slow down and just before I turned the corner, I looked back. She was bent down, still trying to hook all the bags back onto her arms and start up again. Now I like to think I'm a gentleman and that if I can, I will always help out a lady in difficulty and having passed her by I felt a little guilty. Also, I have to admit, there was a little flicker of interest there and I wondered whether maybe this might be an opportunity to get a date at the very least. I was conscious of the age gap, but I figured, at the very worst I could get a little practice at chatting a woman up.
I knew that she was more than likely married but you don't get anywhere if you don't ask and what could be a more natural way of striking up a conversation than offering to help?
I finished my call, turned back and walked up to her just as she managed to haul everything off the ground again. She was heading away from me and at first didn't notice as I pulled alongside her.
"Excuse me", I said and she turned towards me looking a little harassed and obviously really struggling under the weight.
She recognised me from a moment ago and smiled again. She really did have attractive eyes and I silently patted myself on the back for taking the initiative.
"Hi, you look like you're having a little trouble there. Can I help?"
The look of gratitude that came across her face was priceless and she gave me a big grin in return, as she lowered the bags again.
"Oh that's so nice of you," she said. "Would you mind?"
"Of course not. You look like you bought the entire store. Where are you heading? Maybe I can carry some of this for you."
"Thank you so much," she gasped as she let the bags and packages slide off her arms. "That's so gentlemanly of you. I just need to get to my car. It's just over there." She nodded across the road to a small car-park a couple of hundred yards away.
"No problem at all." I began to gather up the larger bags and pretty soon I could see just why she was struggling so much. Some of this stuff was really heavy.
"Wow," I joked, "what have you got in here? Lead weights."
"Presents for the kids" she rolled her eyes. So I was right about her being married, I thought, giving up on the dating idea and contenting myself that at least I would be doing my good deed for the day.
She chatted as we walked; telling me how tired she felt and kept repeating how grateful she was for my help and how nice this was of me.
As she was leading the way, with me straining behind under her load, I at least had the chance to admire her without seeming too obvious. She was about 5'7" and slim as far as I could see beneath her bulky winter coat. She was wearing heels and had a good sway to her walk. A few minutes of such a pleasant sight was recompense enough for a little heavy labour.
Shortly we came to her car and I gratefully put everything down while she opened up the back hatch. I helped her load the bags inside and we laughed a little other over how difficult it was to get it all fitted in and arranged so she could shut the hatch. I liked this woman; she had an easy way about her and was obviously confident in herself -- something I always find attractive. She had opened her coat up to load the car and I could see that she was indeed slim, but not too slim and had a good pair of legs emerging from a skirt that was short enough to be alluring but not so short as to lack class. Her sweater fitted her well and the curve of her breasts was clearly defined. My recompense was going up in value by the minute and I wondered how I might extend this encounter a little longer.
Finally she slammed the hatch down, turned to me and smiled. "That was really good of you", she said, "I don't know how I can thank you."
I am absolutely sure that she did not mean those words in any provocative way, but as we locked eyes, I know that I certainly felt a surge of excitement. The pause was only a split-second, but we held eye contact. I am sure that what I was thinking was completely obvious in my eyes but to my growing excitement, I got the impression that she was maybe thinking the same.
My mind raced. What I said next was going to be crucial and I mentally took a deep breath before opening my mouth.
"You could start with a kiss." I suggested, with a smile. I figured that either she would slap me, or look offended and make polite excuses, but what the hell, I had nothing to lose.
Her eyes widened and she gave a startled grin. "Well..." she started to say, but I stopped her by lifting my right hand and put my fingers on her cheek and ever so gently stroked my thumb across her lips. She looked even more startled, but made no attempt to move away or stop me and still she held eye contact. I knew then that I had her and any worries fled from my mind. Just keep the momentum going, I told myself.
I slid my hand further, brushing her cheek and sliding my fingers round the back of her neck entangled them gently into her hair.