Chapter 38

Saturday evening, Nov 4, 2028

I had just arrived at the house, the blind date that Michelle had arranged for me, trying to get enough courage to actually press her doorbell button. My mind wanted to turn and run, all the way back to Boise, then lay in my bed alone until some long time in the future, when morning came. My legs were too damn wobbly, though. I’m not sure I’d have made it to the Jeep.

I had surprised myself a lot in the last months. I’ve had lovers, four to be exact, four beautiful women. But always with Addie there to encourage, to catch me when I fell. I had never felt so alone as I did standing in front of that door with my finger an inch from the doorbell. Every insecurity I’ve ever had about women was back, times ten!

It was actually getting worse the longer I stood there, holding that vase of red roses. Why red, I wondered? The flower girl had specifically insisted on red. Why? I was just about to give up, force my legs to work enough to get me back to the Jeep when the door opened.

“Matt?” her sweet, melodious voice asked.

My God, she was beautiful! I’m not sure how long I stood there, my mouth gaping, being a complete fool; exactly what I feared would happen. I handed her the roses.

“Thank you, they’re beautiful. Come in?”

My mouth still hadn’t been able to form a word. If I’d thought my heart rate was bad a few minutes ago, it had multiplied by probably a factor of ten in the last few seconds.

I stepped across her threshold and finally found enough courage to utter a single word, “Ginger?”

“Mmhmm, that’s me,” the beautiful creature said. Her voice sounded like ‘ginger’.

She took my hand with one of her soft hands and led me inside where she set the flowers down on a little table. “That was thoughtful, I love them.”

Some actual words, “You’re welcome.” I’m not sure how it sounded, probably like I felt, scared to death.

She giggled. Why do girls do that? She turned toward me and kissed me on the cheek. God, she smelled nice, so feminine, but different than Addie ... or any of the women I’ve known. I can’t even begin to describe it, except maybe, heavenly ... like her.

“You’re a little nervous. It’s okay. So am I. I’ve never done this, either.”

“Thank you, it’s just...” I didn’t even know what to say, “I’ve always been a little intimidated by a beautiful woman.”

“Why thank you! I’ll take that as a wonderful compliment.”

She was, too. Beautiful, I mean. She had on a long green gown with a slit up to her thigh, teasing at her legs ... and even higher ... even a little past her thigh. Long, shiny red hair all the way to her waist, covering her very bare, back, all the way to a deep ‘V’ reaching even below where her panties would have been ... if she had been wearing any. Between that ‘V’ and the slit up her leg, there was no way.

She looked older, but I’m a lousy judge of a woman’s age. All I knew for sure was that she was beautiful ... and that long red hair...

I wanted to touch her, anywhere, even her arm. I’d felt her hand on mine briefly and it was so soft; long, thin fingers. She wasn’t as tall as Kayla, but close.

She caught me staring. “You like what you see?” I saw her eyes quickly scanning me up and down. I started to answer her, tell her that I liked very much what I saw, when she went on, “So do I. You’re a very handsome man.” Her hand, the one that had touched mine a couple of minutes earlier, rubbed up and down the front of my jacket, “Very nice. It feels good,” then a smile crossed her face.”Sexy,” she said.

My mouth finally began to function, at least a little. It was suddenly so dry, “I never expected ... for you to be so beautiful. Your dress is...” I couldn’t even think of a word. “Incredible,” I finally said.

It was, too: green and shimmery like an emerald, a thin strap halter style around her neck, shoulders and arms bare, back, bare, triangular opening exposing a tight, bare tummy.

“You’re kind,” she said, “I haven’t worn this for a long time. Thank you for the opportunity, I like it, too.”

“May I? ... Touch it, I mean?”

She took my hands and placed them on each side of her waist, rubbing them up and down a little. So soft, silky. Hell, who am I kidding ... sexy!

“That feels nice. You have a nice touch,” she said.

‘I’ have a nice touch? God!

“Shall we go?” she asked, “I think you have a reservation?”

Her suggestion broke the trance I was in. “Yes, let’s.” I took her hand. God, even that small gesture seemed like a giant leap into the abyss. I led her to the Jeep. Thankfully, I’d cleaned it out and vacuumed it. I opened the passenger door for her.

“I love these, always wanted to ride in one,” she said, sliding in. I tried to not obviously stare as that slit on her dress gaped open revealing her bare leg and hip in all their sexy glory.

I closed her door, then walked around to my side, elated. This was going to be an incredible evening! I already felt like even if I made a fool out of myself, she’d laugh it off and enjoy the little joke.

She’d rearranged her dress so her leg was covered again by the time I got in my side. But the damage had already been done. My blood flow had already been redirected and I was struggling to not show the erection that had developed. “You know where Michael’s is?” I asked her, trying to be nonchalant about my horniness.

“I do. It’s on George Washington Way, down by the river.”

I followed her directions, only a couple miles and easy to find, once you knew where it was, that is. When we arrived, I marveled at it. It looks like an old-time railroad car, what were they called? I couldn’t think of it, but it was gorgeous, sitting on a section of railroad track.

I parked and opened Ginger’s door as a gentleman should, at least when he’s trying to impress the pretty woman that he’s not a klutz. I escorted Ginger, with my hand on her bare back, feeling a surge of adrenaline in my nether region when I touched her.

There’s a plaque on the wall by the front door saying it’s a restored 1947 Pullman dining car. Once inside, it was fabulous; polished wood walls, straight out of a Cary Grant movie scene. It overlooks the Columbia River Parkway with a beautiful view. The lighting was dim, tables set with a white tablecloth and flower setting, with soft music playing in the background. I don’t think I’d ever seen a restaurant more cozy and romantic; perfect for accompanying the beautiful lady with me.

The hostess, an older woman with a gorgeous gown, I assumed matching the era of the railroad car, seated us at a table along the wall overlooking the river. “I used to come here once in a while with my husband,” Ginger said, “we loved it.”

“Used to?” I asked her, “you don’t anymore?”

She got a brief very sad look on her face and told me, “Unfortunately, my husband, Eric, passed away four years ago.”

Oh my God, I thought! “Oh no, I’m so sorry!” I’d assumed she had a husband and they enjoyed her dating others as Addie and I did.

“It’s okay. I still miss him, but I’m pretty well over his death. He was a high school math teacher. We’d accompanied a group of students on a field trip to the State Capital, in Olympia. While we were there, he had a heart attack.” She looked down, “He didn’t survive it.” She smiled, “But don’t worry, I’m not going to try and steal you away from your wife. Michelle told me you’re very happily married to a beautiful woman.”

“I am and thank you for telling me that ... about your husband, I mean.”

We had a wonderful dinner. It was hard keeping my eyes off of my date. I couldn’t ever remember seeing a woman with prettier hair. And those green eyes were mesmerizing.

We talked about how Addie and I had met Robert and Michelle. Ginger said that she and Robert had gone to high school together and how she’d had a crush on him but was too bashful to do anything about it; then when they met several years later, found out he’d had a crush on her, too ... and been too bashful.

I found that interesting. The Robert we met certainly hadn’t seemed bashful.

I told her how Adriana had met Michelle in college, “It was at a strip poker game. Adriana had a date that night and Michelle was with a guy she’d met earlier. The other couple was Adriana’s best friend with her boyfriend. I saw some of the ‘after-game’ videos ... it was quite a night,” I told her.

“Adriana had talked a lot about the ‘ beautiful, mysterious older woman’ a lot and then she recognized her picture in a club in Stanfield.”

“I know about that club,” Ginger laughed. I’ve never been there, but Michelle told me about it. Her next question surprised the hell out of me, “Was she good at it?”

I couldn’t help but laugh, “Yeah, she was, really good. She and her best friend from Seattle were there, the one from that strip poker game.” It was fun remembering that night. “They met another woman there that night, a customer from Kennewick. Talked her into stripping, too.”

“It’s something I would have liked to do when I was younger. Never would have had the courage, though.”

“Addie told me once that she would have guessed that ninety percent of women probably did, just had to be pushed a little harder because of their fears,” I told her. How the hell did I get to be talking about stripping with this pretty woman I don’t even know?

“I don’t know, I doubt anyone could have talked me into it, but it’s a little too late now.”

I’ll bet not, but I didn’t say it. “Anyway, when she and Tanya saw the picture, Addie asked the guy at the front desk about her and left her phone number, asking them to please pass it on.”

“It was a couple weeks later. Michelle called and we met them in Ontario about a month ago.” I didn’t tell her about the fun evening we had after that dinner.

Ginger told me that she’s a travel consultant; she opened her own agency after her husband died and that it’s doing very well. “If you ever have any big trips, please call me. I can get you bargains.” Then she told me some of the funny stories from her travelers; the lady who had booked a reservation in a suite with a ‘fully equipped’ kitchen, then called her complaining that there wasn’t an egg slicer and please don’t recommend them again. She couldn’t stop giggling after telling me how distraught the woman was about the lack of an egg slicer.

Then the guy who had wanted a submarine excursion and called her complaining that she hadn’t told him it would be underwater. Turns out he was afraid of being in the water. “But he wanted a submarine trip, and it was my fault it was underwater.” she rolled her eyes and we both laughed.

I told her about starting the stores, then expanding them into four and that Adriana’s even thinking about one in Kennewick.

“If she’s really serious about it, I know what I bet would be a perfect location. It’s here in Richland, right downtown on George Washington Way. It was a furniture store until the owner retired several months ago and he hasn’t been able to find another tenant. I’ll bet it would be easy and quick to move into.”

“I’ll tell her.” To be honest, the thought scared the hell out of me. But it was exciting, too. It also reminded me what this evening was all about, watching Addie with her lover. I looked at my watch, almost eight-thirty. Almost time to leave.

By then, I was more than enamored with this woman. I figured she must be about Robert’s age if they went to high school together, but she didn’t look that old. She looked fabulous! And she was funny and smart and fun to be with and did I mention how sexy that dress was on her (or perhaps it’s her in the dress)? It just seemed to flow like liquid around her body and sitting in the chair, she let that slit fall open so that I had a hard time keeping my eyes away from her legs.

The name of the nightclub is ‘The River’s Edge’. It’s appropriately named because it sits immediately adjacent and overlooking the Columbia River, with the wall facing the river nearly solid glass.

I accompanied Ginger inside, admiring her backside the whole way, but also anxiously glancing around to see if I could find my wife. Once there, I was much more self-conscious about my suit and my appearance, hoping that Addie wouldn’t recognize me right away.

I hadn’t ever been in any place quite like it. There were tables all along the glass wall, which overlooked a huge, lush lawn filled with evergreen trees, all lighted, then the river with the lights reflecting off it just beyond. The hostess sat us in one of the first tables right along the glass wall. There was an attractive lady playing her guitar and singing a country song on the stage opposite from us, with probably a dozen couples dancing. The whole place was luxury personified. It should be. The cover charge just to get in was fifty dollars each.

I pulled the chair out for Ginger and we both sat on the same side of the table, looking down the length of the room. I didn’t see Addie anywhere, but I had no idea what she might be wearing. After we sat, a young lady in a very short, black skirt stopped at our table and asked if we’d like anything to drink. I started to decline because I knew I’d have to drive later, but Ginger spoke for me, “Please. I’d like a Prosecco.” Then she looked at me, realizing my dilemma, “We can leave your Jeep and get a taxi later,” she said.

Okay, that will work. I know virtually nothing about wine, which I assumed that was. I’d never heard the word before. “I’ll have the same,” I told the waitress. Maybe it’d add to my disguise to have a glass of wine in front of me.

It only took her a minute or so to bring our two glasses. After she left, we each took a sip and Ginger gave me a kiss on the cheek, “This is so beautiful, thank you so much for inviting me.”

I took her hand and told her, “It’s a lot more my pleasure than yours, I’m sure.”

We sat, holding hands and sipping our wine, enjoying the ambiance of the room, the soft singing, the view of the outdoors, and each other. When I had agreed to this date, I had absolutely no clue that my companion could be even remotely so pleasant.

When that song finished, she started another. This time I recognized it, ‘Could I Have This Dance’. Ginger leaned over and asked if I’d like to dance. I guess she understood I’d probably be too bashful to ask her.

We stepped out on the dance floor and Ginger stepped into my arms. Her arms went around my neck and her cheek against mine. My arms went around her with my hands on her bare back, underneath that heavenly, long, soft red hair. I would say that she felt wonderful in my arms but that wouldn’t be doing the feeling justice. Not even close. Her skin was soft, her feminine scent was intoxicating and I was so fuckin’ turned on!

We slowly danced around the floor, our bodies pressed tightly together, then about halfway through the song, I saw my wife and Nick; holding hands and being escorted to another table along the outside wall five tables from ours. I counted them. On the way past, she watched the dance floor, at one point looking directly at me, but didn’t show any sign of recognition. It must have been my ‘Clark Kent’ disguise, the dark-rimmed glasses I’d bought on the way.

I squeezed Ginger a little tighter, my arms encircling her a little more. She didn’t resist at all, even wrapping her arms a little tighter around my neck, then looked up at me, “Mmm, I like this. It feels good.”

Addie and Nick followed their hostess to their table, sitting so they’d be facing away from us. They sat and Addie leaned into him with a kiss on the lips then a laugh at something he said, sending my jealousy into hyperdrive. I know it wasn’t logical. That’s what I’d come here for, my wife and her date together and unrestrained, not knowing her husband was here. I still wasn’t prepared for it, though. This was so completely different than anything we’d done before.

I turned back to Ginger in my arms, pressing my cheek harder to hers and let my hands caress her back, with one hand around her waist just above the base of that ‘V’. We danced through the rest of that song, then the next with me taking only an occasional glance toward Addie. They were just sitting at their table, talking, laughing, and taking an occasional drink.

I hadn’t ever seen the dress she was wearing. I hadn’t had a good look at it, but it was snow-white, very short. I’d seen the front just briefly, enough to know she couldn’t have been wearing a bra underneath it. It was stretched tight against her breasts. I wanted to see the front again. Her back was bare with a large oval cut-out.

She had on sheer, black stockings, lacy tops, and black boots nearly to her knees; large gold hoop earrings and bangle bracelets on her right wrist. God, my jealousy of the guy was going to kill me!

When the second song ended, Ginger and I sat back down at our table, drinking some more of our Prosecco, then we both started talking at once and laughed at the awkwardness. I let her go first and she told me again how much she was enjoying the night. I wanted to kiss her, but couldn’t force myself past my bashfulness to do it.

I paid attention to Ginger, but out of the corner of my eye watched my wife and Nick. When she handed her phone to the hostess and leaned into Nick for a long, passionate kiss, while the hostess took pictures, I couldn’t take my eyes away. She handed the phone back to Addie and a moment later I felt a vibration in my pocket. I didn’t even bother to look at it to know what it was.

A moment later, Addie and Nick got up and began dancing, close like Ginger and I had been. Then, as I watched, Addie kissed him again, her lips never leaving his.

I couldn’t stand not looking at the picture any longer, I told a small fib to Ginger, that I needed to use the restroom. Thankfully, it was on our side of the room so I didn’t have to walk past my wife on the way. Once inside, I pulled my phone out and looked at the picture. There was no teasing in this picture; eyes closed, lips open and pressed tightly together with Nick’s.

I still saw very little of the dress, though. I texted back, “Ooh, sexy! The dress. Send me a picture of the dress. Never seen it before.”

Then I returned to Ginger and asked her if she’d like to dance again. Once on the dance floor, we pressed tightly together once again, but this time, Ginger asked me, “Is your wife here?”

“Yeah, she is, she’s...”

“No, don’t tell me. I don’t want to know who she is.” There honestly were several couples who could have been my wife and her date. She asked, “Does she know you’re here?”

I was sure she didn’t. She hadn’t ever made any glance in our direction, “I’m not sure, don’t think so, though.”

Ginger pulled her cheek away from mine and looked at me, “Well, just in case she does, should we give her something to think about?”

Before I could answer, asking her what she meant, her lips were on mine, then her tongue exploring inside my mouth. I reciprocated her kiss and our kiss deepened beyond anything I could have imagined with a woman I’d just met.

Her hands were behind my neck, pulling me tighter to her soft lips. My cock was stone-hard and pressing against her. We pulled apart, breathing hard, “Think she would have liked to see that?”

Oh yeah! Speaking of Addie, I glanced toward where I’d seen her last. She’d turned away from him and was dancing with her arms in the air, her body swaying to the music, Nick’s hands on her hips swaying with her. Then they gradually turned, facing us, Addie’s eyes closed, her face lost in lust. She turned her head, lips meeting his. They were only probably eight or ten feet away from us. If she opened her eyes ... Her hand went behind Nicks’ head, pulling his kiss tighter, their lips open, moving, tongues back and forth.

They swayed even closer. Nicks’ hands moved up her hips, pulling the dress up. It was the first time I’d gotten a good look at the front of her dress. It looked like it was molded to her body, like a second skin. Her obviously braless tits and nipples protruding like they weren’t even covered, molded by the fabric, every curve revealed in all its glory. Her little baby bump stretching the thin material so that even her belly-button was evident through it.

His hands were underneath her breasts, pushing up even more; the dress pulled up above the top of the black stockings. Any higher and...

Ginger’s lips were back on mine. I couldn’t stop myself, my hands went lower on her body, to the cheeks of her butt, pulling her tight against my erection. There were no panties under that dress, I was certain of it. Couldn’t be. Ginger didn’t resist. She pulled her lips from mine and said, “Mmm, any more of that and I might drag you out of here.”

I was embarrassed at what I’d done. It wasn’t me, but I’d gotten carried away in my own lust. I started to move my hands away, back up her back, but Ginger admonished me, “No, don’t you dare stop,” and her lips found mine again. My head was spinning, my hands feeling her body through her dress. I wanted to move my hand just a little, press it through that slit, onto her skin. My libido warred with my reason. The libido lost. I couldn’t do it, badly as I wanted.

The music ended. Ginger pulled her lips from mine and looked at me with lust in her beautiful, emerald-green eyes. We were both breathing hard. I was lost in a haze, entranced by this woman.

Addie and Nick were gone. I looked around, afraid they’d left. Then I saw Nick, dressed in his casual shirt, walking back to his table, alone. Addie must have gone to the ladies’ room.

Ginger excused herself, said she needed to use the ladies’ room. I watched as she walked away, her hips swaying, her red hair swaying back and forth just a little. The brief thought went through my mind wondering if it tickled. She stopped at our table first, picking up her little handbag, then to the ladies’ room.

As I walked back to our table, my phone chirped again. After I sat down, I pulled it out of my pocket and looked at the picture. My wife in the restroom mirror; her soft red lipstick smeared, the front of her dress with her distended nipples so clearly exhibited. A red-haired woman in a green dress was walking past, right behind her. I wondered if they’d talk. Did Addie open her eyes to see me? Or had she turned away, back toward Nick first? She sent the picture to tease me, torment me, thinking I was at home, awaiting any tidbit with bated breath.

Addie came out of the restroom first, sitting down next to Nick. It amazed me, he still looked like that first picture Addie had sent me, their first date at Michelle’s; long blond hair, uncombed; face covered with blond, untrimmed whiskers. Somehow, he could pull off the look, obviously sexy as hell to my wife.

They sat talking and laughing, tearing my heart out. Yeah, this is what I was here for, but being here, seeing how close they’d become, that they were actually a couple, was almost more than I could take. Just watching Addie, MY Addie leaning into him, laughing with him, the little kisses was tearing me in two. And I know, what the hell did I think was going to happen? That they’d just sit side-by-side, dance, make out and sit side-by-side again?

That’s not what I was seeing. What it was was two people falling head-over-heels with each other, at least from my vantage point. But seriously, watching my wife being seduced like she was ... and seducing right back, especially knowing what she intended for later, had me so fuckin’ turned on!

Well, that and the woman beside me. Her whispering sweet nothings in my ear, her hand on my groin, her perfume, and those kisses was only adding to my hyped-up libido.

We danced some more, I remember one song in particular, ‘I Cross My Heart’, a George Strait song from the movie ‘Pure Country’ (that movie was forty years old, but Addie and I loved it). It seemed like this woman singer was born to sing that song. I wished I’d gotten her name!

Ginger didn’t let up on ‘giving her something to think about’. When we danced, we kissed. Ginger’s arms were wrapped tight around me and she encouraged my hands to roam over her back and her butt. I still couldn’t bring myself to reach under that dress, though, even if I did think she wanted me to.

If Addie was doing the same, trying to make me jealous, she was doing a damned good job of it. Problem was, she didn’t know I was there, so she wasn’t trying to make me jealous. She and her guy were simply seducing each other. Doing a damned good job of it, too!

After one particularly hot dance, Ginger had retreated to the ladies’ room one more time. Addie and Nick sat down and she whispered something in his ear, nibbling on his earlobe. Then they each took a short drink and got up, walking toward the front of the building, directly toward where I was sitting; holding hands, fingers intertwined, looking at each other, Addie giggling at something Nick said.

She was going to walk within a couple feet of where I was sitting. There wasn’t anyplace to hide. Up till then, I’d managed to stay back, at least some distance away and I was sure Addie hadn’t seen us. I turned my head away, looking out the window, barely able to breathe as she walked past – still looking toward Nick. She hadn’t seen me; no way. No reaction at all as she walked within a foot of where I was sitting.

I turned around, watching Addie nibbling on Nick’s earlobe, whispering in his ear, her hand rubbing up and down his back as he paid their bill. Then they were gone.

I knew then, they were on their way back to Nick’s house. To make love – or fuck. Probably both, all night. Seeing what I had seen and spending the evening with the beautiful Ginger had been worth every bit of the angst. I briefly thought about those minutes in the Jeep; outside Ginger’s house, then at Ginger’s door, where I had nearly run away from fright, what I would have missed. And I was so fucking horny!

Ginger returned and sat down beside me, not even trying to cover her leg when the slit in her dress gaped open. “Having fun?” she asked.

How the hell do I answer that? There isn’t any word in my vocabulary to express my enjoyment of the evening. “You’re making the evening better than my imagination could ever have dreamed,” I told her.

“Wanna make it even better yet? ... I’d really like you to come home with me ... if ... if your wife ... I know she’s here ... I don’t know...”

Oh. My. God! I hadn’t even considered the possibility of taking it further with Ginger. Why the hell wouldn’t I have? Cause I’m a freakin’ scaredy cat nerd, that’s why!

She apparently took my hesitation for a rejection, “We don’t have to. It’s just...”

“No, I do. Want to, I mean. I ... just didn’t think...”

She laughed, “Didn’t think an old lady like me would want to make love with a young, handsome, virile man?”

Oshitoshit! “Old? ... God, Ginger, you’re...”

She smiled, leaning into me, giggling, finishing my sentence, the words I’d meant to say, “Cute, sexy, cuddly, charming? Definitely horny!” Then she leaned a little closer, right in my ear, so softly that I could barely hear her, “My pussy is so wet!”

Oshitoshitoshit! If my cock hadn’t already been hard before, it sure as hell would be now!

“Your wife ... is she ... okay, if we... ?”

I nodded. I don’t think I could have spoken then if I tried. I took Ginger’s hand and tugged gently. It didn’t take much. Like Nick had done, I stopped and paid our bill on our way out. A total of four glasses of wine each. Ninety-six dollars.

Four glasses of wine over several hours weren’t too much for driving. At least I didn’t think so. I didn’t feel tipsy. Well, maybe a little. As you know if you’ve read many of these, I don’t drink, so it doesn’t take much. “We better call a cab,” I told her. I asked the hostess if she’d mind calling us a cab and she did so. Then, surprisingly, I had the presence of mind to ask her, “Okay to leave the car in your parking lot?” I don’t know what I’d have done if she’d said no.

She smiled sweetly and said it was fine, better than driving.

We waited in the lobby, what seemed like forever, snuggled together, until a little car with a funny little ‘taxi’ marker on top pulled up to the front door. I opened the back door and followed Ginger in. She gave the guy her address, then we leaned together and kissed. The slit on her dress was open so my right hand went to the outside of her leg, just above her knee.

She wasn’t wearing any stockings so my shaking hand was on her bare skin. The thought went through my head, I wonder if my dad is feeling Laura’s leg like this tonight. Maybe even more.

It was fleeting. I was brought back to the present in pretty damn short order when I felt Ginger’s hand on mine, moving it to the inside of her thigh. And her tongue inside my mouth.

I kissed her harder and felt her reposition herself so that she could spread her legs apart a little. My hand had just started to move up her thigh when the taxi stopped at her house.

I cursed to myself, then realized how stupid that was. We were there and would have privacy in a matter of seconds ... and I was upset because the damn taxi had stopped before I’d moved my hand where I wanted it? I fished out my billfold and gave the guy two twenties. I had no clue how much a taxi cost, but that seemed like plenty for the couple minutes we’d been in it. He didn’t complain so it must have been.