Chapter 2

The morning rush hour traffic was still bumper to bumper as Elaine dropped her two boys at daycare and headed to work. However, her thoughts were not on the traffic. She still couldn't believe what her mother had told her about her affair with a black man. Even more amazing, she couldn't believe how descriptive her mother had been. She described her lover in explicit detail and talked about how incredible the sex had been. She said that she could still remember it as if it were yesterday. She described how she and her lover had slipped into the affair quite easily. It had started out of anger at her dad but quickly turned into a sexual marathon. Unfortunately for Sandra, the affair had ended when her lover, who was in the Army, was transferred to Korea. A couple of month's later she and Elaine's father had reconciled.

While Elaine knew that her mother was very open-minded, she could not fathom her having an affair with a black man. Although they currently lived in the north, her mother's family was from the Deep South. In fact, her great grandfather was a plantation and slave owner. Elaine knew that her mother was proud of her heritage but that she was still somewhat embarrassed by the legacy of racism. She also knew that she wasn't a racist. Yet, she had never seen any indication that her mother had a "thing" for black men. Since her father died, several years ago, Sandra had rarely dated. She spent much of her time working for charities and watching the two boys... which she loved to do. In fact, she had suggested that she could provide daycare but Elaine had refused because she didn't want to burden her mother with a new family.

Elaine worried about her mother though. She seemed happy enough but there was an underlying loneliness. It wasn't apparent to everyone but Elaine could see it. She resolved to spend more time with her.

As Elaine walked down the hall to her office, she was feeling very uncomfortable about seeing Derrick. She was embarrassed by what she had allowed him to do... no matter how many times her mother told her that it was John's fault because of his neglect. She had no right to let the younger man touch her in the way he had. Yet, there was an excitement that she couldn't explain as she passed his office. She glanced inside and was relieved to see he wasn't there. Then a blush came to her face when she thought about his surprise when he saw how she was dressed today. The tight cotton skirt she had on hugged her hips like a second skin, restricting her stride and exposing much of her firm thighs. On top she wore a pink V-neck angora sweater that showed the soft swells of her breasts. The creamy mounds bounced sensuously with each step. It was an outfit that she, until today, had never worn to work.

"Good morning," Jenny heard from behind her. When she turned around she saw Derrick with a cup of coffee in his hand and a smile on his face.

"Uh... hi," she responded.

"Nice outfit," he said with a bright smile.

Elaine blushed again.

"Cup of coffee," he said as he walked over to her and held his cup.

"Uh... yes, thanks." She took the steaming Styrofoam cup from his hand, happy to have her morning coffee. "I was running late and didn't get a chance to stop."

"Sorry but it's black," he said and then added with a smile, "Like me."

"I like it black," Elaine said before she thought. She covered her embarrassment by sipping the hot coffee, her eyes almost twinkling as she looked over the cup at him.

Derrick's eyebrows rose. Then he said, "Listen, would you like to have lunch? I have some more questions on the briefs you typed for me."

Although Elaine knew that he didn't have any questions about the briefs, she found herself nodding her head.

"Noon?"

"Uh, sure. I have to get to work now," she stuttered and turned to hurry to her office.

Elaine was busy at her desk when Derrick stuck his head into her office.

"Ready?" he said.

She looked up as if she didn't understand. Then she glanced at her clock and saw that it was 12 O'clock. "Gee, I didn't know it was that late," she said. "Let me run to the ladies room and I'll meet you downstairs."

A few minutes later the two of them were sitting at a booth at a nearby restaurant. After they ordered lunch and the waitress left, Derrick looked like he had something to say.

"I didn't get you in trouble with your Mom, did I?"

"What do you mean?" Elaine said as if she didn't know what he was talking about.

"You know... when she came to the door."

"Uh... no. She didn't see anything," she lied.

"Good. I was worried," Derrick said with a relieved smile. He paused for a second and added, "Listen, I was out of line and I'm sorry."

"It's all right. It was my fault. I shouldn't have let it get that far."

"Don't blame yourself. You have to know that I've liked you since the day we met and when I'm around you... well I have a hard time controlling myself."

Elaine was suddenly too stunned to answer. In the two years that she had known Derrick, he had never come on to her like yesterday. Incredibly, instead of being put off by his admission, she felt flattered. Here she was a 35-year-old mother of two with this young and very handsome man saying he had a crush on her. She felt a sudden excitement in the pit of her stomach and her breathing increased.

Derrick reached over and placed his hand on Elaine's. "Having said that, I can't say that I wouldn't do it again."

Elaine looked down at the dark hand on her pale white one and was again amazed by the contrast. She felt the warmth of his hand on hers and a tremor went though her as she remembered how it felt on her bare breast. Suddenly she felt her nipples getting hard.

Derrick felt her tremble and glanced down at her breasts. "Are you cold," he said. Suddenly he wanted to take the words back. He meant that he had felt her tremble and wasn't referring to her hard nipples.

"Uh... no," Elaine said as her face turned red. She laid one arm on the table and leaned forward, pressing her breasts to her forearm to hide her obvious excitement. "Derrick... uh... you know I'm married," she said. It sounded like a weak excuse, even to her.

"Of course. However, at the risk of being forward, you don't seem very happy right now."

A ting of anger rushed through Elaine and she started to say that it was none of his business. However, she bit her tongue. She knew that Derrick wasn't being nosey. "Is it that obvious?"

"Yes it is. And it makes me sad."

Elaine looked into his eyes and saw that he was sincere. "It's just that John travels all the time and I feel like I'm a single parent," she said, her voice beginning to show her thinly veiled emotions. She dropped her head and a lone tear began to roll down her cheek.