Chapter 1: Wednesday

At the corner of Broadway and Pearl there is a bronze sculpture of a pretty young woman in a flowing dress, sitting on a porch swing. She looks like she is waiting for her lover.

The Pearl Street Mall in Boulder, Colorado, is only four blocks long, but filled with benches, play spaces, trees. Tom's Tavern has been on Pearl Street for over fifty years. It smells strongly of old beer, but it has a friendly feel and lots of booths, well-partitioned from one another. Their burgers are wonderful; they sell no other food.

Ed Figs and Dana Adams stood talking at the bar, one Wednesday evening, with Rudy and Melanie von Dwingelo, then they all moved to the biggest booth, waiting for the waitress to come for their order. They asked for their favorite burgers, more beer. They had seen each other there before, started talking together. Tonight was their first dinner together. Ed let his keen grey eyes roam into Melanie's cleavage, aware of Rudy's glances at Dana's t-shirt, where nipples crowned her firm breasts. Fran Zigelski, an acquaintance of Dana's, came in and sat with them.

Somehow, the next Wednesday, they all showed up again. Ned Radkus joined them, and after another week or so, Toni Francisco. Toni was quiet, reticent, and Ned felt certain there was a woman somewhere in her concealing clothes. But that didn't keep him from appreciating the smooth slopes of Dana's breasts.

Sid Stelling and Jenny Reed stopped to chat one evening and they were there again the next week, snuggling in the corner. Dana was away on a business trip one week and Ed came alone. When Dana returned, she pushed in close to Melanie, their thighs warming each other. Melanie's toes rubbed Ed's ankle on the other side of the table. At one point, she smiled and leaned forward, giving Ed a deeper look down the front of her dress. Dana grinned at Ed's reaction.

They got along well, didn't care too much about what each other did or where they lived. What held them was individual chemistry, sensual attraction and growing friendship.