Dinner at Phillips Seafood was pleasant now that Bill was not afraid of Robert showing up. They talked of many things but Bill could detect a hint of sadness in her voice and demeanor.
"You're unhappy, aren't you?" Bill asked while they were having their after dinner coffee. "I'm sorry I can't do more to help you feel better."
"It's not your fault!" she responded. "I'm going to have to face him sooner or later and I can't keep that thought out of my mind."
Bill reached across the booth table, took her hands in his and asked, "Are you going to go back to him?"
He felt a tightening of her grip and he knew what her response was going to be before she voiced it.
"Probably. Oh, damn him," she gripped Bill's hands for a moment then relaxed her fingers and pulled them back into her lap. "Damn him, damn him," she repeated. "I used to be able to pretend that nothing was happening but I can't anymore and I don't know what to do. I thought I had my mind made up but now I'm not so sure."
Sensing it was time to leave, he signaled for the check. Murphy had asked him to drive her SUV and after helping her up into the passenger side he settled himself behind the wheel. Murphy slid over and sat on the console next to him and clutching his arm she rested her head on his shoulder.
"You've saved my life this week," she said. "You've made me as happy as I've been in a long, long time. You've made me feel alive and worthwhile as a woman but I've made up my mind and I'm going back home tomorrow."
Raising her head she offered her lips and Bill turned to take her in his arms.
"I'm glad that I was here but I believe the feelings are mutual. I wasn't in the best of places when I arrived and you helped me to forget the past and look towards the future. I'm just sorry we can't spend more time together but I completely understand your feelings."
Giving him a peck on the lips, Murphy settled into her seat and fastened her belt. "Let's go back. I want to sleep all night with you tonight."
Back at the condo they didn't get past the living room before they had removed their clothes and made love with Murphy sitting on the sofa and Bill standing on the floor. Her legs were up over his shoulders with her body almost bent in half beneath him.
"Oh, that was nice but I'm going to be sore in the morning," she laughed. "My old bones can't take these Yoga type exercises."
Bill slipped on a pair of shorts and handed one of his tee shirts to Murphy. She was no longer shy about showing her body in front of him and he reached out and tweaked her nipple as she slipped the shirt over her head. She squealed and jumped back while pulling the shirt the rest of the way down. It nicely covered her body down to her thighs.
"Let's sit on the balcony. It's nice out and the moon is still full," she suggested. "But remember we can't both sit in one of those plastic chairs!"
"I'll be out in a minute," he said and went into the bathroom.
When Bill came back out of the bathroom, Murphy had pulled the cushions off of the sofa and the living room chair and stacked them up to form a seat along the wall on the balcony. She looked comfortable sitting there with a beer in each of her hands.
"Want one?" she asked and handed him a bottle.
They sat I silence for a while with their hands idly caressing each other's exposed skin. There was nothing sexual about it and it gave them a sense of closeness while each was lost in their own thoughts.
Bill almost jumped when Murphy suddenly broke the silence.