Danny sat perched on the edge of his seat across from Alison, who was absentmindedly stirring sugar into her coffee. A soft murmur of voices surrounded them, people coughing and scrapping chairs, hanging damp coats on brass hooks or carefully laying dripping umbrellas down on the floor. The rain sizzled softly outside, hitting the pavement and pattering the windows.
"Does this feel strange to you," Alison asked Danny, looking across at him attentively.
"What, us having coffee together," Danny asked, unsure of Alison's meaning.
"Yes, I mean I'm not with your dad anymore and your family hates me."
"I'm not sure they hate you; I know I don't hate you," Danny said.
"That's sweet Danny," Alison said softly, before lifting her steaming cup of coffee to her pursed lips, tentatively taking a sip, and then adding a moment later. "I appreciate it, even if it isn't true - at least as far as your family goes.
Danny sat there, feeling wooden, trying to think of something else to say to Alison. He looked to his right and carefully noted the cafe's dark walls, the rows of photos of jazz and blues musicians in chipped frames, behind greasy glass, running from one side of the dark cafe to the other as if this study could help him solve the problem of talking meaningfully to this woman. Danny sipped his coffee and reached for a dark mint chocolate.
"It's nice to see you again Danny," Alison finally said," you're the only one I miss. I enjoyed being your stepmother."
"I miss you too and I think about you a lot."
A young and harried looking waiter suddenly arrived and his eyes fell on Alison and he dropped the piece of crockery he was changing on their table. Alison noticed his reaction and laughed softly at the young man and Danny felt a pang of jealousy, but hoped his features were composed enough so Alison wouldn't notice. The young waiter lingered, overly and unnecessarily attentive. Danny disliked him - his dark hair looked shiny as if it were slicked back with oil and his angular face looked hard, his skin looked coarse and yellowish under the weak brown glow of the light above them.
"Thanks, we're fine now," Alison said softly, but dismissively, cutting the waiter off before he launched into some rehearsed pickup routine.
Alison turned back to Danny, smiling and lifted the cup of coffee and drank.
"Danny, you've probably heard a lot of rotten things about me from your father and the rest of your family," Alison said a moment later, becoming more serious.
"He has said things, yes," Danny replied, sounding apologetic.
"Yes, I bet he has," Alison muttered, growing annoyed, but trying to hold her temper in check, "did he tell you that I was screwing a whole lot of guys behind his back and trying to take all his money?"
Danny was lost for words.
"I'm not angry with you Danny: he's the one at fault. I'm only after my rightful share after having put up with him for the last eight years. And no matter what he says, we both had affairs."
"Yeah, he's far from perfect and he treated you very badly and you deserve your share."
"You're sweet Danny," Alison said, reaching out and taking his hand in hers.
Danny lost track of the conversation momentarily. He looked at Alison with a yearning expression in his eyes which Alison noticed instantly. Her big blue eyes were gazing at him and her tender lips were moving.
"Danny," Alison asked, grinning.
"Sorry," Danny stammered, growing red in the face.
"Do you think I was just some sort of trophy wife, because that's what they all thought?"
"No, of course not, Danny replied."
Alison picked up her cup and looked off to the left, sipping - her mind preoccupied. Danny tried not to stare at her shiny blond hair or her beautiful neckline and shoulders. He looked down at the cracked wooden table they were seated at, noting the grain of the wood and the glossy stain, sure that Alison had caught him staring at her.
"Maybe I should have married you Danny," Alison said, looking back at him, "pity you were too young for me."
"Wow, I wish I had have been older," Danny said, looking back and smiling.
Alison burst out laughing, her eyes sparkling. She quickly picked up a chocolate mint in her fingertips and showed it to Danny and then popped it into her mouth.
"I thought you would have had a girlfriend by now," Alison asked, sitting forward, "you're 18 now, aren't you?"
"I am 18 and did have one mom," he said trying to tease her, "but it didn't work out and we broke up."
"Mom, no, no, don't call me that," Alison replied laughing before gazing at him again, "I'm sorry for your girl troubles, but I'm sure you'll find another girl without any problems, any problems at all.
"Well, I do have one in mind, it's just tricky," Danny said, grinning at Alison.
"Oh really, how tricky can it be," Alison said softly mocking him, smiling.
Danny felt as though he were playing a game of chess requiring intelligence and skills. He needed to stay there and say something, but it had to be smart and not blunt and not immature or Alison would just grow cold and be turned off by him. She was 35 years old and he just 18 and she was still technically married to his father. He decided to be honest in the end.
"Sometimes telling that special someone how you feel and what you want is hard, particularly when they're the woman of your dreams."
Alison picked up her cup again and silently drank, draining the cup. Around them people came and went, chairs scraped and the young waiter hustled and bustled carrying piles of plates towards the kitchen and dropping off cups of steaming tea to tables full of wet and cold looking people.
"What are your plans now," Alison asked.
"I'm not doing anything tonight," Danny said, curious.
"Do you want to come back to my place?"
"Yeah, that sounds good Alison," he said, his heart thumping in his chest.
"Good, well I'll get the bill then."
They climbed the last of the narrow stairs, breathless and then turned a final corridor and were at Alison's door. She slid the key home awkwardly and then let him inside the apartment. It was a small place, not what she was used to by any means and Danny suddenly felt angry that Alison of all people had to live here because Danny's father was fighting her in the courts.
"Here give me your coat Danny," Alison said, taking off her own and looking for a place to dump her wet black umbrella.
Danny pulled his coat off and handed it to Alison, while taking her umbrella and dropping it in the laundry tub under her instructions. Danny paused inside the tiny laundry, listening to her in the next room opening and closing a wardrobe, after having hung the damp coats. He came back inside and found her sitting on the lounge, waiting for him.
"How about a glass of wine," Alison asked, softly, "you look like you might need it."
"Sure, do you want me to..."
"There's some white in the fridge and some glasses in the cupboard above the sink."
Soon they were drinking wine and Alison was looking at him. Danny sat forward on the lounge, facing Alison, drinking far too quickly, the power of speech seemingly gone forever. The older woman sighed.
"Yes, it's really good to see you Danny, so good Danny," Alison said softly, reaching out and taking his hand in hers and moving closer.
"Yeah, really good mom, I mean Alison," Danny said, growing excited, his penis getting even harder in his pants.
"Yeah," Alison asked softly, putting down her glass and then reaching for his, depositing it on the table. "So you miss me, do you Danny. Think of me all the time, hmm, do you."
"Yeah for sure, it's not the same at home without you and I think about you a lot. I mean I..., Danny rattled off quickly, before Alison cut him off by leaning in, putting her arm around his shoulder and sealing his mouth with a deep kiss.
Danny jumped in his seat and gasped, but he recovered and took Alison in his arms and closed his eyes, feeling her pushing him onto his back and stretching out on top of him, her mouth still glued to his and her tongue beginning to slip inside his mouth, while her fingers nimbly undid one shirt button after another. Soon his shirt was open and she was making him sit up so she could pull it off.
"Oh my god, oh shit," Danny whispered fiercely as Alison threw the shirt aside, pushed him back down and ran her hands over his smooth muscular chest and buried first her lips and then her teeth in the nape of his neck.
"Awww," he moaned and then with fumbling clumsy moves unbuttoned and pulled Alison's top off and then unsnapped her bra, revealing her beautiful breasts.
"C'mon Danny, time to fuck," Alison announced grinning, getting up and offering him a helping hand.
"Oh man, really" he asked, as she led him into the bedroom, "I can fuck you?"
"Absolutely, you're about to get laid kid."