CHAPTER 1
At last new widower Charlie Creek was left sole occupant of his home. His two daughters had returned respectively to Rome and Los Angeles to their families after coming for the funeral and had cleared the house of most of Beth's things but had left the photographs of her undisturbed.
Now his only company where his thoughts. At least a half dozen times during his married life Charlie had thought he'd not like to be the one left behind, but it hadn't happened like that. Beth's heart stopped beating while she was asleep and that was that; she'd left him. He finally cried at the funeral and felt his grief begin to ebb and that had been much earlier than expected.
God, Leah and Erica had been so good to him during their all too brief stay, not leaving him alone for the first few days and after they'd left he found several of the neighbors had been asked to 'keep an eye on dad'. His neighbors appeared to find it easy to do because Beth had been well liked and had acted very neighborly. He didn't talk to nearly as many people as Beth did because beyond the normal courteous greeting he generally only spoke to people he liked. Perhaps that indifference explained why he was not really grieving, but did it matter? He had no idea.
Charlie thought at fifty-five he was still young enough to marry again but who'd want him apart from some lonely crow wanting a guy with a good home and money who'd act as a listening post? He'd want none of that. A twenty-something with great tits and a great smile who'd fuck him legless before running off with his money and his car would be a better choice. Then when that affair ended he could drive into a tree at sixty miles an hour with a happy smile on his face to join Beth. Oh damn, he couldn't do that could he? Not only was he opposed to self-destruction but also the heartless young bitch would have stolen his car.
"Something will turn up," he snorted and turning off the TV went to bed.
Something did, but the only thing Charlie had foreshadowed was the great tits although 'great tits' is such a subjective term. Nevertheless Charlie ruled they were great.
Charlie returned to work driving Bill and Meg David's delivery van. He collected bulk orders for the delicatessen and delivered customer orders to major clients who included general food stores with small deli sections and staff cafés of offices and other businesses. It was a thriving business and Charlie was paid well because he worked from 6:00 to 4:00 Mondays to Fridays with only a twenty to thirty-minute lunch break mostly taken around 2:30.
Around 9:30 Charlie with three cartons on a handcart with pneumatic wheels entered the kitchen of Kate's Café. Kate Wilkinson greeted him and welcomed him back following his bereavement. She smiled and patted his arm and then checked the contents against the packing slip as she always did. She did that hurriedly but efficiently and the movement of her breasts caught Charlie's eye. He looked up and saw Kate had caught him staring but she said nothing.
But next day when he made the delivery Kate said when initialing Charlie's copy of the packing slip, "Would you like to accompany me to a movie on Thursday night?" Initially Charlie didn't know what to say. Kate was great looking, in her early thirties and was married. Then he croaked, "You're married."
"I know that," she snorted, but Tony doesn't like movies. I go every Thursday night, by myself and I'm sick of going to the movies alone."
"Why not take a girl friend?"
"Is there something wrong with me? Is it you don't like me?"
"Aware the three women working in the kitchen were all ears Charlie said, "No you are okay."
"Gee thanks."
"I'll be disappointing company."
"Let me be the judge of that."
"Er, it would be adulterous behavior."
"Charlie, don't be stupid. If you don't touch me how could you be accused of that? I'm surprised someone of your age knows such behavior exists."
"Okay then."
"Meet me outside the Cinema City at 5:30 Thursday. I'll take you on to a meal afterwards for being such a lovely guy."
"Er, I don't know what your husband would say if I ate out with you?"
"He'd say well if Charlie Creek was eating out with you he couldn't be screwing you."
The women shrieked in laughter and Charlie fled the kitchen and seconds later returned sheepishly for his handcart. He was greeted with smiles, no screechy laughs.
Before leaving work that day he had coffee with Meg David as usual. She made a fuss of him and said they were so pleased to have him back because he was so totally reliable. Meg looked tired and drained but when who wouldn't when working from 6:00 to 8:00 weekdays.
"Um Meg, can I ask you something."
"You know you can sweetie."
"This woman has asked me out."
"Yes?"
"That's it."
"That's it?" Meg echoed, apparently attempting to understand the question but noted Charlie looking at her expectedly.
"That lovely Charlie. I guess she knows of your tragic loss."
"Yes."
"Then I'd have to say yes, go out with her."
"She's married."
"Oh. What kind of date was proposed?"
"To go to a movie and eat out afterwards."
"Oh, how lovely. How old is this woman?"
"I'd say thirty-two."
Meg looked startled.
"What?"
"I think you should have brought up this query with Bill."
"Oh. What do you think he'd say?"
Meg looked at her watch. "He'd say go out and later pin her to the mattress. Oh god, what am I saying? Charlie used good judgment."
"Thanks Meg. You've been helpful... I think." Meg hurried off.
Charlie decided not to go to the movies when he arrived home on Thursday but shaved and had a shower in case he changed his mind.
He arrived outside Cinema City at 5:28 and within seconds an arm slipped around his arm and Kate said, "Hi" and added with a big smile, "I really didn't think you'd come. You are such a lovely man Charlie."
The movie was okay, one of those trite love-split-reunite things that had future divorce written all over the couple because the characters were, um, basically incompatible. So Charlie spent most of his time thinking about undressing and dressing Kate and making a mess with her, creaming over her belly. That was about as unromantic as the film and it ended with him knowing for certain he and Kate were romantically incompatible. He loved her smile and the manner in which she greeted him in the morning and really her tits were a bit over-sized for his liking.
Apparently Kate had no problem with him. During the movie she took his hand and held it – on the seat arms – and later leaned against his shoulder. With great difficulty Charlie managed to convince himself that all she was doing was pretending her husband was beside her. Had she guided his hand down and in between her legs he would have excused himself and fled. At least that what he thought he'd do. But what if the lips felt fat and the panties were damp?
Suddenly the end credits were on-screen and Kate let go his now clammy hand. Charlie's nightmare was over.
They both had meatballs and favored the light red house wine so dinner was cheap and they conversed happily.
The next Thursday they repeated that evening and then a third time. Nothing changed. Kate only kissed him in a friendly fashion when they greeted and gave him a meaty smack on the lips when they departed but of course she'd consumed half a bottle of wine. By that end of date three he'd not explored a breast or had fingers near her thighs.
Later that night of that third outing Kate called him. He wasn't aware she had his phone number and she said his mobile number was printed on the packing slips. He shrugged thinking Kate would know men had difficulty thinking about practical things like that.
"My older sister Laura has just called asking me to try to fix a date for her. She was coming to the Small Business Awards with Bill and me tomorrow night but the creep has dumped her declaring she's too old."
