The Best of Men

Wednesday at 8 am I opened an email. It was from LS6221. She wrote to meet me. If I wanted to. If not, to write back. That's all it said. I took a deep breath, and went outside. The breeze felt good, and I felt good, with a not so-familiar gnawing in my stomach. I was supposed to meet a woman about something Thursday.

I pulled into the park about 8 am. I found my after shave lotion. I am and always have been an Aqua Velva man. I had my mint Tic Tacs. I knew I had at least thirty minutes to wait. Waiting for a woman is nothing for me...I seldom wait for one. I waited for Leigh patiently in the park. I did not have a pen handy, or my checkbook. Didn't need a brochure.

The lady wasn't selling or renting real estate. She wasn't selling Avon or anything else. She was meeting me and I was meeting her and it wasn't for business. If I saw her with a cell phone I expected she'd use it once, put the device back in her purse. Maybe she would turn it off. Well, I have to be fair about those things.

I didn't think Leigh would get in my car, but I didn't take any chances. The car was clean except for the ashtray, and I promptly dumped the ashtray on the grass. Something I don't usually do. Mr. Thoughtful takes the cigar butts to the nearest trash can.

There was nobody out here. This city park was not the safest but it was an idyllic time of day. It was early in the morning on a Thursday. The drunks and the drug culture were still asleep. If any did come around Leigh said she had a BB gun and I had a can of Raid.

I did not have to wait as long as I thought I might. Leigh pulled up in a black Chevrolet I did not recognize. I wondered where her tank was. It didn't matter. Leigh was in a Malibu, early 2000s.

Leigh was not wasting time as she pulled up on my driver side, leaving a parking spot between us. The momentum threw her forward just a little. She threw the car into park and cut the engine. Leigh relaxed her shoulders and sat back, slowly. She took the keys out of the ignition and then looked down into her lap. She got her cell phone out of her bag.

Leigh was calling someone, and I reckon I knew. She was about to have a conversation with a man, a man she knew intimately. She was a little anxious. The window on her side was up almost almost all the way. Leigh pulled her glasses off and placed them in her purse. She listened calmly to a masculine voice on the other end of a fiber optic bundle. My friend looked over at me, then Leigh looked ahead. She said bye, I thought, and hung up the phone. She seemed okay to me.

I got out of my car, making sure I had my keys before I closed the door. I walked around behind Leigh's car and toward her door. She was getting out. We said hello. Leigh said "It's nice outside."

I said "Yeah, want to go over to those benches near the birch tree?" Leigh had her bag and she was wearing her glasses again. It was a little cloudy and the lenses were kind of dark. Leigh smelled nice and I smelled like Aqua Velva. I used a body wash that morning with a mild fragrance, and some good talcum body.

We sat at a distance and I listened mostly to Leigh's present agenda. She was kind of nervous. This Thursday morning I hoped that something was going to happen for us both. I hoped for an intimate first time. The sparkling, fire-haired Leigh told me she did not have to be at the office until 10. "I said I had some running around to do."

I kinda snickered, and put my hands in my pockets. Leigh was sitting five or six inches from me on the concrete bench. She crossed her arms and gave me an unreadable but nice look. Leigh let my levity pass, but noticed it.

She smacked me on the leg and said "Let's go sit on the bleachers". There was a softball field behind us and we walked over. I went to the far end of the first set of brown bleachers and we both sat on the bottom one. I sat on the end and Leigh sat next to me.

I reached in my pocket for the Tic Tacs, and had to stand up. I was wearing tight jeans, straight leg, "Do you want a Tic Tac?" I held out the little box.

Leigh said "Why don't we have something else". She took a California navel orange out of her purse. I sat back down next to her and she said "Here." She held out a bright orange.

I started to peel the orange with my fingers and Leigh said "Why don't you use your teeth?" She was looking at me as if it were a command. So I put the orange to my mouth and broke the leathery skin of the orange. I pulled the skin off and Leigh was still looking intensely at me. She moved a little closer to me on the bench.

I took her meaning finally, and I pulled a slice of the orange off and started to hand it to Leigh. Leigh took my arm and brought the orange slice up to her mouth. She was looking at the fruit now and brought it up to her lips, then ate it.

Leigh took the orange from me, while I was looking at the trees past the field. I was trying to think about the brush under the trees and the birds that were over there calling.

Leigh and I fed each other the orange. I didn't get a drop of juice on either of us. Neither did Leigh. I didn't expect her to.

We took turns tearing slices out of the navel orange and putting the slice in each other's mouth. Leigh looked in my face sometimes when she took a bite of the orange.

She brought out a small plastic grocery bag from her purse. I found some clean napkins in my jeans. Together we cleaned up the slices and the seeds from the sweet orange.

Leigh said "I have not been alone with anyone but Klein in my life. Not since we have been married. Not for the last forty-two years." I started to say I knew that, but I was quiet. Was I somebody.

"It's a picnic." I finally said.

"Right" Leigh said. "Glad you brought something to eat."

"Me too." I said, wanting to sound miserable.

"What have you been doing the last few days"? Leigh asked, pulling her hair back, adjusting her slender frame on the bleacher. I was trying to be still, and doing a decent job of it. I turned to her and my eyes were on her arm. I wanted both her arms around me. I did not look at her hazel eyes, at the moment. I could.

It seemed better to wait. Better...because I had to take my time. If Leigh was going to wait, that is. Wait for what? Take a long friendship and put it in a hot blaze of dry pine?

"I've been thinking about you, about seeing you today, out here at this park." I was looking over at the woods again. The woods were not a place I wanted to do anything with Leigh. I was using the woods to avoid looking at my friend. She had on a dark green polyester shirt that was shiny and clung to her without being tight.

I couldn't distract myself, and I was getting hard. That's how I am. I was wildly attracted and already close to the beautiful lady beside me.

"I've been thinking about today, too. I changed my mind quite a few times." I heard Leigh say that and I carefully swung my legs over the bench to face her.

"When was the last time? That you changed your mind, I mean."

"It was last night. I was sitting with Klein in the living room. I asked him what was on television. I had fallen asleep on the sofa. Klein was reading the NY Times and he looked up at the TV. 'I don't know'. he said.

"I pretended to fall asleep. I thought about the last time my husband made love to me at sunrise. Before we had breakfast, before we went out for coffee and donuts."

"You couldn't remember?" I asked. Leigh was looking down at her hands in her lap. I reached for Leigh's hand. With a deliberate motion I brought Leigh's hand to my face. I pressed her hand, kissed it, while Leigh sat, her eyes half-closed. I slowly turned her hand and kissed the palm of her soft hand all over.

Leigh looked straight at me. I reached down, pulled her leg over so that Leigh was facing me. I looked at her crystal eyes, her nose, her blush lips.

I was hot for this woman big time, but also I saw her apprehensiveness. She felt a danger. I recognized it easily. I saw her insecurity, but I saw too a melting fortitude in Leigh's eyes. She was ready for a good time, and I was it.

Leigh was about to be unfaithful with me, but Dionysian pleasure needs more than independent will to conquer a day's work. More than years of work. Leigh was not from the hedonist school.

A little liquor at the end of a long day was what she required. Leigh did not simply throw off her traditions. Naturally I had no traditions to throw off. Every day was a new mistake. Or a variation.

I went ahead and kissed Leigh and I felt her kiss me back. It was not a New Year's Eve kiss. The kiss was with emphasis. My hands were on Leigh's waist. She put her hands on my shoulders and pushed against me, sitting up.

Leigh put her hands down on my groin. She looked in my face and smiled a wicked little smile. Leigh moved to face the softball field again. I did not know what was next.

I watched Leigh put a hand on my leg and Leigh said "I know the way you are, Ray. I know how you rage for it. Sex between us can only happen once. And not again."

1.Isn't she supposed to say that afterwards, and not before? Is Leigh thinking of herself now, or thinking about me? Possibly she thought about both of us as she said it. I was not sure I believed her. You might change your mind, your lusty wench.

I was on the softball field with a woman, a beautiful, very nice woman. I had gotten to first base. Sex was...more than making a home run? I wish I could meet a girl to get what I wanted. It was never that way. Here I was with Leigh. I cared about Leigh. My normal way was the right way, for a change. Leigh wanted an outside man and I was the choice, for one passionate time. I was her logical choice. We would both be happy, for a few hours. Or less. I'd have the memory, and that's all life is anyway. The clock was running and it was the first inning.

...

Leigh and I walked back to our cars. We got in her car and she drove to a town about 22 miles away. Leigh put the radio on an oldies station and turned it down until the music was soft. She started talking about customers in the office the last couple of days. Some were nice she said, some were thick. Some of them were not doing business but looking for Staples or a hardware store. As we got on the bypass, Leigh said that everybody thought she was going shopping in Threesville.

On the highway she began asking questions. "Ray, are you attracted to me?." I laughed and was quiet. I reached over to stroke her hair, and she didn't seem to mind. She drove as if unaware. But I still think she liked me touching her soft cinnamon hair. Leila liked being touched, I thought. I let my fingers touch her ear for a second and pulled my hand back.

"Yes, Leigh" I answered. Leigh looked over at me for a second as she checked traffic in the rear view. She went around a produce truck. Leigh was a smart observant, driver. She stayed in the right-hand lane as much as time allowed.

"It took long enough for you to answer" the sexy driver said. Leigh's eyes were on the road.

"There is only one answer" I said to Leigh. "I just did not feel like answering casually."

Leigh did not say anything for a few minutes and said, in fact breathed, "That is good, Ray. I am glad you don't feel casual about anything. Anything about us, or today."

I started looking out the windows at the trees far off the highway. They looked like great forests. Actually the great forests were about four hundred feet deep and ended at a neighborhood or a secondary road. Doctors lived back there, and young couples in mobile homes.

Leigh spoke again. "I don't know why I'm with you, Ray. Why I'm most likely going to a room with you. Why I'll probably let you fuck the hello out of me."

I thought of saying "Because you want to." I changed my mind and was glad. I did remember meeting Leigh, and it was a long time ago. I was getting drunk on bourbon and we'd talk on the phone. I was always a gentleman with her. But it wasn't stiff conversation.

After a couple of years Leigh and I became good friends. Eventually she started sharing things with me, personal facts. That was five or six years later. Then after more years passed I started making light passes at Leigh, and the passes were little jokes. Leigh smiled her incredibly beautiful smile every time and walked away, me watching.

I glanced over at Leigh and I watched a maroon VW going by. "People usually have more than one reason for changing jobs, or taking a trip" I said. "Or having a fling. Or any kind of thing we do. What I do, for example. I do nothing progressive with my life." I was basically keeping the conversation going, though my words were true.

We passed a farm where a guy on a tractor drank a soda. "You trust me, Leigh?"

"Yes, Ray, I trust you. I don't want to blow your mind, though. Going to bed with you is something won't do with any other man. Except for my husband. I know you."

We were almost to Threesville. The billboard on the left was a Walmart ad. It said ALL YOU WANT. "Where do you want to eat?" Leigh asked.

"In the car?" I returned. Leigh adjusted her dark prescription glasses, and said "Perfect."

It was my treat. I didn't ask. I could see Ron McDonald just up ahead. ................

The last french fry was gone. Leigh's cheeseburger disappeared, and the sandwich wrapper lie on her white outstretched bag. Both were almost immaculate. I had vaporized my quarter pounder, so I stuffed the french fry bag and two napkins in the box and the box in the bag.

I put Leigh's trash in the same bag and crumpled it. I got out and tossed our trash. I did not see the maitre d'. Everything on the grounds looked good. The sun was peeking out from over the clouds. I didn't have sinus trouble.

I thought about the time of day, and I knew we could not check in anywhere.

I got back in the car, looked at my little travel clock. I said "Where will we go? It isn't one yet." I was a man obviously in search of closure.

Leigh knew the time. She knew It was too early to check in anywhere. Too early to go to a hotel. I had the money for a room and I looked forward to having the key in my hand.

Leigh looked up at the Golden Arches. She lifted her eye wear to view me with a long straw in my mouth. I was sipping loudly on the last of my Coke trapped below blocks of ice. "I have a friend. I called her earlier this week. She is gone off on business until Monday and we can go there."

I sat up in the seat and looked past Leigh at the cars whispering by. "Okay, honey." We looked at each other. We were both nervous, but I was more anxious. Leigh was nervous and very shy about being naked in front of someone other than husband.

We kissed and buckled up. Leigh headed out on the boulevard further west into town. She turned onto a street with lots of pines and then turned into a small group of apartments. The apartments were brick, nice and private, with dark brown fences on either side of the building.

Leigh stopped the car in front of Apartment C. She got out and looked behind a crate that held newspapers. I was still in her car and she held up a key. A smile on her face. Leigh still her glasses on. They stayed dark all the time. I didn't wear any eye wear so I was naked the whole time.

I got out and Leigh locked her car. She went inside the apartment and I was right behind her.

Leigh said "Robin's housekeeper must have just been." I looked at her.

"Can't you smell the air freshener?" she asked. I just wanted to verify.

Our privacy was important to us both. I was more concerned about getting caught, but we were in another town. Leigh did not have to worry. She was the one in this affair cheating, and Leigh had a conscience about it. But she wanted something she wasn't getting at home, at all.

"Nice of your friend" I said. Leigh went in the kitchen, brushed her teeth.

I saw the bathroom, went in and closed the door. The bathroom was sparkling clean. I took care of some personal items like going to the bathroom, combing my hair. I found some mouthwash and rinsed well, making sure the sink was nice and shiny afterwards.

Leigh was on the sofa when I came out of the bathroom, reading National Geographic. Leigh had taken off her sandals and her short brown stockings were lying on top. With my heart going bump, bump, bump, and my mouth dry, I took Leigh's smooth hand.

Leigh put the magazine back in the rack. We walked together, holding each other, and went to the bedroom. "Ray, look for the thermostat. It's kinda cool."

I let Leigh's hand go. I went off to find the thermostat and turn the apartment up some.

"Will you look in the hall closet and get a light blanket?" Leigh hollered.

I teased Leigh. "Ray will you get me a glass of warm milk?" mimicking Leigh.

Leigh called back "No, the milkman only rings once. I missed him."

I found a light woolen blanket. We did not really want to mess Robin's sheets up. I kind of liked the idea of Leigh and I under this, hot and naked, until the cover sails off the bed on its own power.

I went back into the bedroom and Leigh had taken off her slacks and her shirt and her slip. Leigh was in pink panties and a pink brassiere, lying back on both pillows. The bed was a double, with a redwood headboard and two black stained nightstands.

Leigh Terrel still had her glasses on, only the lenses were not as dark."Leigh, honey, take off your glasses, OK?." It was her shyness turned comical, and she was cute.

Leigh took her glasses off and laid them on the nightstand. She watched me pull off my black golf shirt. I took off my tee-shirt next, feeling a little self-conscious with Leigh watching. --------------

I sat on the side of the bed. Leigh was sitting like a statue. I cannot decide my favorite thing about her. Leigh is so unbelievably beautiful. It must be her eyes, when I get to see them. And they tell how she feels, always. I worried about Leigh's eyes, later, after our trip was over. If Leigh's eyes betrayed her, could hide her emotions? Could she successfully B.S. Klein or other people about what happened that day? Or what she had on her mind? If anything?

Klein was a virile man. The way I saw it, he was partly responsible for Leigh going out and getting laid. Maybe completely responsible. Klein was in excellent physical shape and could make love to his wife as much as he wanted. There was nothing wrong with Leigh, unless the attraction was gone somehow. Unless Klein had another woman and the guy no longer wanted Leigh, a goddess.

I forget to remember, I never did marry. I thought Leigh was a goddess and I wanted her. She was there on the bed, waiting.

Leigh studied me now, like she always did, like she studied everyone. So I leaned over to kiss her and I stopped her from studying. Leigh had turned on the little lamp. "We don't need this on do we?" I reached across Leigh and turned the light out. Our faces were a few inches apart.

The sun was partly in the clouds, and Robin's shears were closed. I stood up and undressed down to my boxer shorts. I was almost erect. Leila looked at the tent in my blue plaid boxers, then looked up at me. "Ray" her voice rough, "would you you get us some water?" I did, because I knew I'd be thirsty later too.

When I got back to the bedroom with two glasses of iced water, Leila was under the blanket. I set the glasses down. Leigh was lying partly on her side, her head on the satin pillow slip and the blanket up around her neck. It was sexy and classic. "Are you naked under there?" "I am naked." "I want to see you."

Leigh was in her late fifties but you couldn't tell it. She was timeless. I looked at Leigh all the time when at her office, with a "casual discretion". She busted her ass to keep it fine, hot, and pretty. But Leigh's good looks were not for other men. She did not like "the once over" from a guy. She didn't give guys the time of day, outside of business.