The Barnes & Noble on Union Square is always one of my favorite stops when in the city. Yes, it's a chain -- but it's in a magnificent five story structure with large south facing windows looking out over one of the more exciting and vibrant public spaces in New York -- at least in my opinion. The ceilings are incredibly high and the open floor plan and light filled space make it feel both private and urbane.
But, for some reason, more often than not the UP escalators don't seem to be working, as they were not on my most recent visit. So as I climbed the ridged stainless steel treads two at a time, trying to turn escalator climbing into an aerobic exercise, I was slowed, suddenly, by the lovely swaying hips and denim clad ass of a magnificent female, ascending at a slower, and more reasonable, single riser pace. I slowed myself, gladly, and enjoyed the view as we neared the 4th floor.
From the rear she appeared to be in her twenties, with long flowing thick tresses of dark brown hair and a gorgeous bubble butt that tapered tightly above into a minute waist and below into a long pair of slender thighs. The short jacket she was wearing had to have been designed to keep her upper half warm while allowing the assets of her lower extremities to be on parade for the public to enjoy. And that is what I did. But it was her high heeled light brown leather boots that really caught my attention and brought the whole image into perspective. This was a body worth slowing down for.
It was during the last few steps, as she leveled out and began to walk toward the stacks, that it hit me: I'd seen this ass before. And a jolt of adrenaline coursed through my body as her identity dawned on me, or so I thought. Was this Cassie? The tight movement of her ass as she walked; the thick long hair; the slender taut thighs - it had to be her.
Cassie, short for Cassandra, was the youngest child of three and the only daughter of my old friend, Martin. While I had seen a lot less of Marty since my divorce and move to Hartford three years ago, we still kept in touch and saw one another on rare occasions. Back in the old days, though, our two families had been inseparable; so close that his kids called me "Uncle Teddy". Marty and his family had lived a few blocks from us in Tarrytown, and we had watched one another's children grow up from a very early age. I had seen Cassie gradually changing from a little tomboy, trying to keep up with her brothers and my son, to a striking teen. She'd become a real stunner as she'd reached the end of her high school years, and Marty had often commented on how her brothers' friends provided a never-ending source of boyfriend material.
I had only seen Cassie a few times since she'd gone off to college - Skidmore as I recalled - and each time I was increasingly struck by her slow maturation into an extremely beautiful young woman. While it had been well over a year since we had last crossed paths, I knew that she had moved to New York and was living and working in Manhattan. While the chances of running into her seemed remarkably slim, I had bumped into so many people I knew in New York over the years that nothing surprised me anymore.
I began to think that maybe my imagination was running away from me. There were so many beautiful brunettes walking the streets of the city; it still seemed only remotely possible that I would really be running into Cassie under such circumstances. But my gaze was transfixed by the sway of her walk as this mystery gal turned a corner and headed down an aisle toward the rear of the store. I followed; doing my best to shadow her with nonchalance and benign interest. I still couldn't be sure it was her as her long hair hung loose and wild over her shoulders and partially hid her face. I decided to follow her; feeling a need to confirm my suspicions. She stopped after cruising down a narrow aisle and began to search the shelves, looking for something in particular. I pretended to do the same from a vantage point twenty or so feet away. It sure looked like her, but I just couldn't be sure, as I pretended to be scanning the shelves in earnest, while really trying to discern her true identity.
As she stood, lost in a thick book, I finally decided I needed to take a chance and confront her. I figured I would call out her name and if it was her, she'd turn quickly in response to her name. If it wasn't her she either wouldn't respond and I'd move along, or she would look up and I'd apologize for my mistaken identity. It was now or never and I called out her name, just loud enough so she might hear it.
"Cassie?"
She turned immediately with a cautious look of surprise that immediately gave way to a look of delight and recognition.
"Uncle Teddy?" she gasped in complete surprise. "Oh my God. What are you doing here?"
She opened her arms, book still in hand, and gave me a big hug. I inhaled her glorious scent and enjoyed the momentary closeness of her tight slender body.
As she broke our hug she glanced at the department we were in and broke into her classic beautiful smile.
"And what brings you to the Female Sexuality department?"
I had paid no attention to what section we were in; I had just been following my nose and Cassie's fabulous ass. I grimaced and reddened as I looked at the aisle in which I found myself and grinned sheepishly as Cassie gave me a devilish smile.
"It's one of my favorite subjects. I'm all for it," I replied with a shrug and a grin.
"I bet it is. I bet you are," Cassie replied.
"Honestly, I came up behind you walking up the escalator and thought I recognized your...." I paused as I realized I was just digging a deeper hole.
Cassie observed me with a bemused smile and crossed her arms as if waiting for a reply -- and it better be a good one. She flipped her long hair over her shoulder and stared me down, the corners of her mouth turned up ever so slightly.
"Your ass," I blurted out.
In lieu of a clever ending to that statement, which I did not have at the moment, I figured the truth might be my ally. Cassie burst out laughing.
"Well, at least you're being honest, you dirty old man."
"Hey, I resemble that," I joked. "At least the old part. Seriously. I did just sort of recognize the whole of you, or thought I did, so I followed you blindly through the stacks to see if I could confirm my suspicions. Your hair was hanging down and I couldn't quite make out your face, so....I lingered."
She did have exquisite hair. It hung in long tangled brunette waves across her shoulders; longer than I last remembered, and had that "just fucked" look that seemed so natural, and sexy, on her.
"Truth is, I never forget an ass," I continued, teasing and probing for a response.
"Are you going to be able to crawl out of the hole you're digging? Because I'm not going to help you - just so you know," she said with a broad grin spread across her pretty face.
It was time to change the subject and I began to inquire about her dad and family, as she did the same. Our conversation was animated over the next ten minutes; catching up on who was where and doing what. As we talked my mind was running on two parallel tracks: one was carrying on the conversation about mutual family and friends; the other was admiring and ogling the beauty standing before me.
Cassie had always been a lovely girl growing up; you could see that even as a pre-teen. Her big brown eyes and perfectly proportioned face promised for a bright and lovely future as she matured. She came from great genetic stock: her father, Marty, had hard chiseled looks and her mother was a lovely creature. Cassie had inherited the best of both and I kept thinking that at 25, she was in her prime.
She could have walked off of a runway or out of a Victoria's Secret catalogue, but her demeanor spoke of a modest upbringing and a head that was screwed on straight. In some ways, her unaffected attitude made her all the more appealing and sexy. I could not take my eyes off of her beautiful face and sparkling dark eyes as we spoke.
"What brings you to town?" she finally asked.
"Well, I've got a trade show at the Javits tomorrow and came down a day early to do a little shopping and just hang out. I'm staying around the corner at the W."
After my divorce I had taken my lifelong hobby of photography and attempted to reinvent myself. Between photographing weddings, freelancing photo work, and doing some website design, I had fashioned out a basic, but very comfortable existence for myself. After years on the corporate ladder, I loved working for a living doing something I enjoyed. Though I knew Cassie was doing some sort of marketing work in the city, I never got a chance to ask. She looked at her watch as I was replying to her question and suddenly her eyes widened.
"Oh shit. I have to go! I need to be at yoga in ten minutes. I'm sorry," she apologized as she shifted her large handbag to the other shoulder, placed the book she'd been holding all this time back on the shelf, and prepared to bolt.
"No problem," I replied; a little saddened to see her depart so quickly. "Are you studying yoga?"
"Actually, I'm teaching the class, so I can't be late. It's only two blocks away, though, so I'm okay."
"You don't exactly look dressed for yoga," I continued, wanting to end on a teasing note.
"I'll change when I get there. But you gotta look good on the commute, you know. You never know who you might run into. Or who might notice one of your attributes," she continued with a knowing smile.
"Well, Cassie. It was wonderful to see you. Really. You look just....just great. I hope I didn't embarrass myself too much."
"Not at all, Teddy," she said affectionately. "It's always nice to be noticed by a mature and thoughtful gentleman."
"Well, I don't know about the mature, or the thoughtful part for that matter, but thank you. Your comment about a dirty old man may have been more accurate."
