Fifty years - and it seemed like only yesterday - which is bullshit but a colorful way to commence a tale. My old home town did not look the same and I did not step down off a train - but I digress. I was back for a 50th year highschool reunion - small town, midwest, the city and the state don't matter. In my past were three wives, many homes, multiple jobs, lots of lovers - all the baggage, fond memories and regrets that most of us accumulate. I was unattached, unencumbered but not uninterested in starting something - if only for a day or two. There were no specific old flames on my mind - the only old flame from that place was wife number one who had born me two children and probably still a some animosity and was not likely to be there. In other words - any intimate relationship would be new - for either party. I cruised through town - drove by the old home place and finally parked my car on the city square. The old bandstand in the center of the city park was still there. I noted that my former favorite hang-out - the Rexall Drugstore was still there although no longer affiliated with Rexall - I think that chain folded or was absorbed into another chain. It was still a drugstore and it still had a soda fountain and sitting there and drinking a coke was a woman who looked vaguely familiar. I walked toward her, she turned with a quizzical look on her face and said, "Jerry?"
"And you would be"
"Elaine. It used to be Elaine Jenkins but now it's Elaine Forrester."
"And where is Mister Forrester."
"Long gone," she said.
A bit of background here. Elaine and I had been classmates although we had never dated. She mainly went with an older guy named Gary. Our one big connection had been as co-stars in our highschool senior play - a typical highschool production with one aspect that is forever burned into my memory, several kisses between Elaine and me in act three. She was in her late 60s, as was I, this was our 50th year highschool reunion. Her hair had grayed, as had mine and she'd put on a few middle-aged pounds which, if anything, made her more attractive. She had been very skinny in highschool - me too. We talked for a while, briefly exchanging life histories and it all seemed very comfortable. We discovered that we both had rooms at the only motel in town - interesting. We parted, knowing that we would see each other again that evening at an alumni reception-dance at the American Legion Hall.
I got there at the appointed hour and was pleased to see so many former classmates. We had been a small class - 42 in all and time had taken it's toll but there looked to be 30 to 40 people there - old grads and some spouses. I made the rounds. re-newing acquaintances, swapping life stories, getting up-to-date. After an hour or so a rented dee-jay started spinning records for dancing. Old stuff from the 50s and some newer stuff too. Inevitably I started dancing with Elaine - I don't believe we had ever danced during our school days and was pleased at how good she felt in my arms and how good she smelled. As the evening wore on we both danced with other people but came back to each other. As dance led to dance we danced closer together and I soon developed a woody. I pulled her even closer to me, slowly moving my hand from the small of her back down to the top of her butt. She didn't resist - in fact she moved closer, responding openly to my gentle pressure on her behind, grinding her lower body into mine. I knew that she knew I was hardening.
"Are you having a good time?" I asked.
"I'm having a wonderful time. How about you?"
"Can't you tell?"
She laughed and smiled and moving her lips close to my ear she said,
"Remember act three?"
"Burned forever in my memory. I always wondered what would happen in act four."
"Would you like to find out?"
"Is the pope a Catholic?", I said and taking her hand, we walked off the dance floor. At the door I said "I'll meet you back at the motel."
