Dave Lassiter was surprised at the excitement he felt during his orientation. He had served a tour in the Middle East while in the Army. He had even seen some combat, but reporting to Evanston High for teacher orientation had made him nervous.

After serving as an MP in the Army, Dave had pursued a degree from a state school near his parents’ home. Upon graduation, he had been offered employment as a history teacher in Evanston and was grateful for the opportunity. He had taken some courses while in the Army and had been able to get his degree just three years after being discharged from the service.

While it hadn’t been very long since he had graduated high school, it felt like a lifetime. His tour in the service had somewhat isolated him from the more current trends among young people. He had never been one of the cool kids when he was in high school, so he held no expectations of being considered a cool history teacher.

The school administration had introduced the new faculty members to the rest of the staff first thing in the morning. Dave was one of five new teachers, and the only one with no prior teaching experience. The others had experience ranging from 15 years, as in Mrs. Glenn’s case, to five years for Candace Lane, the attractive new blonde English teacher.

Candace, as well as the new science teacher, Jeff Nelson, had actually graduated from Evanston High. Candace had taught for several years in a school district in Kansas before returning to Evanston. Jeff had started teaching a few years before Candace and was also quite pleased to have finally found a position with his alma mater. They both expressed their pleasure at returning to Evanston as teachers.

Dave had been surprised to learn all teachers were expected to volunteer as advisors for the various clubs and events held at the school. Those teachers with previous experience had already claimed the more desirable gigs. The newcomers would have to fill in for the activities which did not yet have advisors. When he was in high school, Dave had never given a thought as to how the school managed to find sponsors and/or advisors for the many extracurricular activities. Now he knew.

Candace unexpectedly sought Dave’s attention once the orientation wound down. “We didn’t have time to chat during the day, but I’m Candace. How about going for a ride with me in my new car? I love showing it off.”

“I’m Dave. Let me drop my material off in my truck and I’ll be happy to check out your new ride,” Dave replied as he surreptitiously looked Candace over.

He had to admit she was the kind of woman most men found very desirable. She was about six inches less than his six foot. Her blonde hair made her blue eyes seem to sparkle. While slim, her breasts were slightly large for her frame, which Dave did not consider a negative factor.

He whistled when he saw the new Corvette convertible Candace was approaching. It was sitting off by itself in the back of the parking lot and it was a beautiful machine.

“I always try to park it away from other vehicles so it doesn’t get any dings,” Candace stated as she opened her door and slid behind the wheel. By the time Dave was seated and buckled in, Candace was carefully pulling out of the parking lot and cautiously traveling down the street.

Dave felt some relief that she apparently had no intention of impressing him with the speed the car was capable of reaching. He had been in a couple of near accidents during his stint in the service when friends had tried to demonstrate how fast a car could go. Dave had no desire to experience an accident, or near accident. Then Candace laughed as she depressed the accelerator.

Dave’s head was pushed back against the rest as the car felt like it had suddenly been launched. He immediately checked his seatbelt before glancing at the speedometer. It appeared to be a lightly traveled road, but as their speed exceeded 100mph, Dave decided to ask Candace to slow down.

Before he could voice his concerns a police siren sounded close behind them. Glancing back, Dave was surprised to see a police car keeping pace with them as it signaled for Candace to pull over. It required almost a mile for her to slow the car down enough to pull off the highway and park in a grassy area. The officer’s Dodge Charger stopped a short distance behind her.

Candace was cursing a blue streak as she reached over to open the glove box and dig out the insurance and registration papers she knew would be required. While she was digging around, Dave saw the officer approach cautiously. It was a policewoman and she was keeping her hand near her holstered gun.

That was when he realized two things. Not only was the lady officer quite attractive, she was also very concerned about Candace searching around in her glove box!

“Ma’am, she’s just retrieving her papers,” Dave stated as he carefully placed his hands in plain sight on the top of the convertible’s windshield. “Candace, pull your papers out slowly so the officer can see what you’re doing.”

Nodding her understanding, Candace carefully held her hands out so it was apparent she held paperwork and no weapon. She sat back in her seat and turned to the policewoman who was now standing next to her door.

“License, registration and insurance.”

“I may have been going too fast, but I was just showing off a little. There wasn’t any traffic and I knew it was safe,” Candace quickly asserted.

“Ma’am, driving over 100 miles per hour in a 55 zone is never safe,” the officer replied as she glanced at Candace’s license. “Candace? Candace Lane? I didn’t recognize you.”

Candace realized her tormenter appeared to either know her, or at least know of her, so she removed her sunglasses and studied the policewoman’s face. “Kate Daniels? We graduated together!

“I’m doing my hair differently than when we were in school, but I don’t think I’ve changed that much, but look at you!” Candace exclaimed. “You’re a deputy now and you look even more fit than you were in high school.”

“I’ve managed to drop a few pounds and tone up,” Kate admitted. “The Academy was quite an eye opener for me. I thought I was in good shape until I started their training.”

“You look great in that uniform, Kate. Are you going to give me a ticket? I know I was a little over the speed limit,” Candace grudgingly admitted.

“Candace, you were 48 over the speed limit. That’s a lot more than ‘a little’, even for the math challenged,” Kate replied with a shake of her head. “I have to give you a ticket, but I’ll knock it down to 90 in a 55 mph zone. That’ll cost you a lot less and give you fewer points against your license. It’s the best I can do.”

“That’s better than I could have hoped for,” Candace acknowledged. “Thanks, Kate.”

As she spoke, Candace noticed Kate was looking at Dave. That caused a smile to cross her lips. Dave was handsome in a rugged way. He had a small scar on his left cheek and it appeared his nose may have been broken a time or two. He was obviously in excellent physical condition. Somehow it all worked for him.

Kate had been trained that it was important to keep an eye on the passenger as well as the driver when making a traffic stop. She had momentarily neglected to do that when she recognized the driver, but quickly realized her attention had been focused solely on Candace so she turned her gaze to the male passenger.

Dave wore a large grin as he watched and listened to the two women. He appreciated how Candace accepted the generous offer from Kate without whining or complaining. He also admired Kate for not being a hard ass to her former classmate, yet still giving her a well deserved ticket.

“Is something funny?” Kate asked as she looked more closely at Dave. Rather than answering right away, his eyes moved over her from her waist to her face. She noticed that his scrutiny lingered for a moment on her breasts.

“Ma’am, I’m smiling because a few minutes ago, I was going over a hundred. I’m still alive, although I’ll be changing my underwear when I get home. I’m not only still breathing, but I’m also watching two beautiful women rationally discuss a speeding ticket. This is new territory for me and I’m very much enjoying it.”

“A speeding ticket is new territory for you?” the policewoman asked.

“Not so much, but two beautiful women holding a sensible conversation is pretty damn rare,” Dave retorted with an even bigger grin.

Kate allowed a slight smile to cross her face. She had to admit that Candace had found a good looking guy, but then she always did, even back in high school.

“Maybe you’d be laughing out of the other side of your face if I hauled you down to the station for making misogynistic jokes. Are you going to come along peacefully, or will I have to use force?” Kate asked with a straight face.

“What kind of force did you have in mind?” Dave quipped. “It wouldn’t be necessary. I’d be happy to ride with you to the station, but I’d have to insist that I drive. You were just seen doing over a hundred in a 55 zone. In fact, I should probably make a citizen’s arrest.”

“It was 90!” Candace interjected. “My ticket is going to state I was doing 90, remember? I think you’d better butt out of this before you get arrested and cost me a bunch of points on my license.”

“Listen to your girlfriend,” Kate advised. “Getting on my bad side would be a mistake.”

“Ma’am, I can’t believe you have a bad side.” Dave knew he was pushing the officer a little, but he found her extremely interesting. “Every side looks pretty good from here.”

“Kate, he isn’t my boyfriend! I never saw him before today,” Candace quickly added. “Don’t hold his statements against me. In fact, take him with you to jail, or wherever.”

“I think ‘wherever’ sounds good,” Dave blurted. “Maybe stop for a quiet dinner?”

“Are you for real?” Candace demanded as she and Kate both stared at Dave. “Kate’s on duty. She just gave me a break on a speeding ticket and you’re suggesting that she go to dinner with you? I hope you’re making another bad joke.”

“It doesn’t have to be while she’s working,” Dave allowed. “Maybe her shift will be over soon.”

“I’m not sure if you’re crazy, high, or just desperate, but be assured I will not be going to dinner with you, today, or in the future,” Kate replied as she ripped Candace’s ticket from her book and handed it to her.

“Have a nice Day, Candace. Stay within the speed limit from now on and your license should be safe,” Kate stated with a smile as she turned and walked back to her car.

“Were you really trying to get Kate to go to dinner with you, or were you just trying to make my situation worse,” Candace demanded as she slowly pulled back onto the highway.

Dave considered Candace’s question in silence for a moment. “I guess I was out of line, but there’s something about her that very much appeals to me.”

“Like legs a mile long, a beautiful face and those big firm boobs?” Candace asked facetiously. “Kate never dated much in high school. Some of the kids thought she was gay, but I’m certain she isn’t. She was just kind of tall and socially awkward. She was good in sports but didn’t go out much. She sure has blossomed since we graduated. She was always nice to everyone, but quite shy. You could do a lot worse.”

Once school began, Dave was far too busy to even consider dating. He found the kids in his classes to be quite bright and most of them seemed to be attentive. His senior civics class quickly became his favorite. He followed a syllabus, but encouraged discussion on a wide range of issues affecting Evanston, the county and the state.

It didn’t take long for the older girls to decide Dave was not only easy on the eye, but very approachable, up to a point. He was a gentleman and always behaved appropriately, but that only served to fuel a few adolescent female fantasies.

The boys in his classes soon learned that Dave could quickly separate fact from fiction. He would not tolerate lying, or disrespectful behavior toward other students and teachers. He was especially demanding when the boys interacted with girls. He stressed that part of civics was proper behavior in public situations.

It was a Saturday night three weeks after school had started when Dave decided to visit a local restaurant for the first time. The dining area was filled to capacity, making it necessary for some patrons to sit at the high top tables and booths situated near the bar. Dave had just entered and was walking along the bar, looking for an open seat when he came up behind a woman who was waiting for a waitress to move out of her path. She wore a short green dress which displayed her long toned legs.

Dave noted she was a tall woman with lustrous black hair. He discreetly admired her curves as she once again began walking between the bar and booths. Three young women sitting at the bar appeared to share a joke of some kind and giggled conspiratorially as the woman in front of Dave approached them. As she walked past them, the woman sitting in the middle moved her hand behind her back while studying the mirror along the bar. She suddenly and somewhat firmly slapped the ass of the woman walking in front of Dave. The woman in the green dress’s response was misdirected, but immediate. She angrily turned and swung her open hand at Dave’s face.

Rita Daniels had spent the day shopping with her sister, Gloria. As the day wound down, Rita asked her sister if she wanted to have dinner before going home.

“If you do, I’ll call Kate and have her meet us,” Rita stated. “She’s been down in the dumps lately and could use some cheering up.”

“What could possibly be bothering that girl?” Gloria asked. “She’s young, beautiful, healthy and smart. She’s got the world by the tail.”

“You’d think,” Rita agreed. “She’s stressed about the Chamber of Commerce gala and it’s still over two months away. Every county employee not working their shift is expected to go.”

“I still don’t see the problem. She’s so attractive she’ll be able to pick and choose a man for her date,” Gloria reasoned.

“Kate thinks Ken Holden has put the word out that she’s spoken for and other men had better stay away. She’s very upset about it. She can’t actually prove it, so she doesn’t see any recourse.”

“Ken Holden just got married again last year!” Gloria exclaimed. “He can take his wife and leave Kate alone.”

“He’s getting divorced again. He expects it to be official before Thanksgiving. Apparently, he feels Kate would make an excellent third wife,” Rita revealed. “The very idea makes Kate nauseous.”

“She has options,” Gloria insisted. “There are a lot of young single men in the area.”

“I told her the same thing, but you know Kate,” Rita replied. “She feels the guy has to be taller than her, which eliminates quite a few men. He has to be handsome, dashing, athletic, and intelligent, plus have a decent job. It’s amazing how few men meet her requirements. She’s worried that she’s destined to be a spinster.”

“I know a man who would check all of her boxes, if you’ll pardon the expression. I’ll tell her about him at dinner tonight,” Gloria promised.

Rita and Gloria were surprised at how busy the restaurant was. After a short wait, they were shown to a booth near the bar.

“I hope Kate can find us okay,” Rita worried. “We never sit by the bar. I should probably text her.”

“Rita, your daughter is a policewoman. She’ll be able to find us with no trouble. Let’s order a drink while we’re waiting,” Gloria suggested.

Less than a minute later, Rita and Gloria saw Kate suddenly stop directly in front of their booth. She didn’t appear to notice them as she suddenly spun around and swung her hand at a man who had been walking close behind her!

Kate was having a bad week. Ken Holden was a sergeant and her superior. He was a big man, fairly good looking and crude as all hell. For the past month he had been coming on to her and it was getting worse. His idea of flirting was making misogynistic comments in front of her and her coworkers. Why would he think she’d be the slightest bit interested in him? To top it off, she just knew he’d soon ask her to be his date at the Chamber Of Commerce gala.

Kate’s bad mood was exacerbated when she felt a hand land soundly on her butt. She had reached her limit! Her bad mood caused her temper to explode. She spun around to slap the man who had committed the grievous mistake.

Kate marveled at the man’s reflexes as he caught her wrist in his hand and held it. Undeterred, she immediately brought her left hand around to slap the man. He easily caught that wrist and slowly pulled her arms down and pinned her hands behind her back. That motion caused Kate to shuffle forward to ease the pressure on her arms, which in turn resulted in her ample bosom coming into contact with the man’s chest.

“You!” gasped both Kate and Dave as their eyes met. By that time, their faces were mere inches apart.

Dave instinctively drew Kate slightly closer as he admired her beauty. She was probably the most attractive woman he had ever seen. Her green eyes sparkled with emotion as she studied him in return.

“Touching my ass without my consent is sexual battery in this state,” hissed Kate with more than a little ire.

“I’m sure it is,” replied Dave calmly as he continued to run his eyes over the beautiful woman’s face. “Slapping a man for no reason is assault, but it didn’t stop you from trying.”

“That was self defense,” Kate shot back. “You swatted my ass.”

“Ma’am, I’d never touch your ass without your permission, be it stated or implied.”

Even as he spoke, Dave wondered where he was getting his nerve. He had always been cautious to the point of being shy around attractive women. Now he had interacted with this beauty twice and was far more assertive than was his norm.

“I certainly did not imply anything of the kind,” Kate insisted as she considered how the handsome man maintained his grip on her wrists and pulled her body to his. For some reason, she didn’t find it as offensive as she should.

“Really?”Dave questioned. “You walk around looking like a supermodel. That dress hugs your derriere like a velvet glove. You offer tremendous temptation, but I repeat, I didn’t touch your lovely ass.”

“My appearance, no matter how alluring it may be, in no way excuses your behavior. My ass is off limits to you.”

As she spoke, Kate followed Dave’s eyes as they traveled from her face down to her chest. The dress she was wearing had a built-in bra. It was cut a bit low and displayed a fair amount of cleavage. With her breasts pressed against his chest, Kate realized the amount of cleavage now showing was far greater than usual.

“I see your points,” Dave managed as he took in Kate’s impressive cleavage.

“My points?” Kate repeated with arched eyebrows. “I don’t think you do, but it isn’t for lack of trying. You’re really asking for trouble, aren’t you?”

“I don’t think any jury would ever blame me for looking,” Dave responded while flashing a smile. “Speaking of permission, either implied or stated, would you be my date next Saturday for the Harvest Moon festival?”

“You’re asking me for a date after slapping my ass and staring at my breasts?” Kate asked in amazement.

“I’ve already told you that I never touched your ass and I will not without permission. Looking at your exposed cleavage is a very normal reaction on my part and quite legal,” Dave replied as he moved his face closer to Kate’s.

Kate was taken by surprise at Dave’s next statement. “Now I’m asking permission to kiss you.”

Kate found herself unable to respond as she studied Dave’s face. She saw the glint in his eyes as he leaned in closer and kissed her gently. Kate couldn’t believe it when she realized that she was raising her lips to his and kissing him back!

“Does this mean you’ll be my date at the festival next Saturday?” asked Dave softly with his face within inches of Kate’s.

“I’ll go with you, but don’t try taking any liberties. I always carry my gun, even when I’m off duty,” Kate warned facetiously.

“Will you have dinner with me tonight? I’d like to get to know you better,” Dave asked as he gently pulled Kate even closer.

“Uh, oh! I’m supposed to meet my mom and aunt for dinner. I’m already late. I have to find them,” Kate revealed.

“Could I have another kiss?” Dave asked as he once again leaned toward Kate.

“This is way too public,” worried Kate. “You were lucky once, so don’t push it. Plus I don’t have the time. I have to find Mom and Aunt Gloria.”

“We can wait a few more minutes,” came a voice Kate recognized as her mother’s. Worse, it originated from the booth next to where she stood in a strange man’s arms!

“Mom? Aunt Gloria? I didn’t know you were sitting there. This is embarrassing!”

“No reason to be embarrassed, Kate. Why don’t you introduce us to your friend?” Rita suggested while unsuccessfully suppressing a grin.

“Mom, this is, uh, I mean he’s a guy I met at a traffic stop. He’s not really a friend, but...”

“Please!” Gloria groaned. “Let me do the honors. Kate Daniels, Rita Daniels, meet Dave Lassiter. Dave the beautiful woman in your arms is Kate Daniels. Rita is her mother. I happen to be her mother’s sister.”

“Mrs. Benson! I apologize for my behavior. I had no idea you were here and I certainly didn’t know Kate was your niece,” Dave stated nervously as he slowly released Kate.

“That was quite obvious, Dave. There’s no need to apologize. That was an impressive seduction,” Gloria acknowledged with a smile. “Dave is the new history teacher at Evanston High. He’s quite popular with the students and the staff.”

“I wasn’t seducing Kate,” Dave tried to explain.

“I was referring to her seduction of you,” Gloria retorted as she and Rita both broke into laughter.

“I’d better go,” Dave stated nervously. “I’ll be in touch with you about next Saturday, Kate. Thanks for agreeing to go with me.”

When Dave left, Kate slid into the booth next to her mother. Her face was still slightly flushed as she flashed a huge smile. “What looks good on the menu?”

Before Rita could respond, two of the women who had been sitting at the bar hovered over their booth. The blonde woman blurted, “I can’t believe how you tried to slap that hunk, but then you wound up kissing him! You already knew him, didn’t you?”

“Yeah!” added her friend. “I thought you’d yell at him when I slapped your butt, but I never thought you’d practically have your way with the guy right here in the restaurant.”

“That was you, Emily? You were the one who slapped me?” Kate demanded. “I could have been charged with assault if I had actually hit him. What were you thinking?”

“I was just trying to prank you,” Emily responded. “You should be thanking me. You wound up getting a date with the guy. Did you see his arms and chest? I bet he works out a lot.”

“Kate couldn’t see his chest because her chest was covering it up,” her friend retorted. “He certainly liked looking at your cleavage, Kate. It did look quite spectacular against his chest.”

“Okay. I think we’ve covered this subject enough. I was about to have dinner with Mom and Aunt Gloria, so please excuse us,” Kate stated, hoping they would leave before sharing any more observations with her mother and aunt.

“Kate, I can understand your attraction to that young man, but it’s hard to believe the two of you just kissed in a public setting and you didn’t even know each other’s names,” marveled Rita. “That’s way out of character for you.”

“I know,” Kate agreed. “I never intended for any of that to happen. I really thought he had smacked my butt. I tried to cause him some serious pain. His reflexes saved him, and me, when I think about it.”

“It seems you’ve interacted with him before,” Gloria observed. “You obviously recognized him.”

“A few weeks ago I caught Candace Lane speeding on Old State Road. He was riding with her and kind of flirted with me while I was writing her a ticket,” Kate explained.

“He was with Candace and he flirted with you? That doesn’t sound like the kind of man you should date,” Rita reasoned. “A man who flirts with one woman while he’s out with another woman is obviously not trustworthy.”

“Candace made a point of telling me he wasn’t her boyfriend when he asked me to go to dinner with him. I think she was afraid I’d get upset and write the ticket out for the full speed she was going. She was quite friendly, more so than when we were in school.”

“Considering that you had caught her speeding and you were in the process of writing a ticket for her, it isn’t surprising,” Gloria suggested. “Kate is right about Candace and Dave not dating. As principal of the school, I have to be aware of just about everything. They seem to be friendly enough, but I’ve heard she’s started dating an accountant from Glendale.”

“What can you tell me about him, Aunt Gloria? Is he okay? Did I make a mistake agreeing to a date with him? Why would a good looking man like him even want to date me?”

“To answer your last question first, he seemed to think ‘your dress hugs your derriere like a velvet glove’. He must read a lot of romance novels to come up with a line like that. He was obviously taken by your beauty and your figure. That could be why he wants to date you,” Gloria concluded.

“He did say that, didn’t he?” laughed Kate. “He must have been looking to make a statement like that.”

“As to what kind of man he is, I can only tell you what I’ve seen so far. He’s very polite. The students seem to respond to his teaching methods. The rest of the faculty likes him. If I were asked to think of something about him that worried me, it would be the attention the older girls give him.

“You’ve certainly noticed what a good looking young man he is. You’ve had a taste of his charm. Imagine if you were seventeen or eighteen and saw him five days a week. He’s avoided even the slightest indication of inappropriate behavior at school, but he did push the envelope a little with you just now,” Gloria added. “All in all, however, I would give him a rather high rating.”

Dave found an empty seat in another section of the restaurant and ordered his meal. Has he waited for it, he mulled over his recent encounter with the beautiful policewoman. He had to admit to himself that he was smitten by her. He had never been so forward with a woman before in his life.

He mentally kicked himself for telling Kate how her ‘dress hugs her derriere like a velvet glove’, especially in front of her mother and Mrs. Benson, the school principal and his immediate superior. What must she think of him? What had he been thinking? What would Mrs. Benson be telling Kate about him? He realized he had been out of line for kissing Kate in public. What had come over him?

After school Tuesday afternoon, Dave went to the local police station to ask if Kate Daniels was on duty. He didn’t want to go to the principal for her niece’s phone number, so he decided to see if he could either see Kate or get her contact information at her work.

He was delighted when he saw Kate coming down a hall just as he entered the building. Dave realized that he was smiling from ear to ear when Kate waved to him and started his way. He walked over to meet her.

“I never got your address or phone number,” Dave apologized. “I didn’t want to bother you at work, but I had to be sure you still wanted to go with me Saturday.”

“My shift just finished,” Kate responded. “It’s good to see you were serious about escorting me to the Harvest Moon festival Saturday. Here’s my card with my number. I wrote my address on the back. Could you pick me up around two?”

“Thanks, Kate. I’m really looking forward to spending the day with you. Let’s make it noon, if we could. We can have lunch and dinner together that way. I’ve heard a lot of good things about the festival from the kids in school.”

“Who’s this little guy, Kate?” boomed a voice from the doorway. “Is he selling Boy Scout cookies or something?”

Dave saw Kate frown before he turned his attention to the loud man who had rudely interrupted him. It only took a quick glance for Dave to determine the type of person he was dealing with as the man lumbered toward him.

“Hello, Sergeant,” greeted Dave more warmly than he felt. “I was just having a personal conversation with Kate. Not to be rude, but please allow us some privacy.”

Dave estimated the man to be four inches taller than his own six feet and at least fifty pounds heavier than his 210. He was an imposing sight in his uniform and it appeared that he relished that fact.

“Privacy?” the big man repeated. “You’re trying to talk to my girl privately? That’s not going to happen. I suggest you high-tail your ass out of here before I kick it out.”

“Ken Holden, I’m not your girl. I never will be your girl,” Kate snapped angrily. “You need to get that through your head.”

Kate’s response told Dave all he needed to know. This Ken guy was exactly as Dave had pegged him. After spending four years in the Army, much of it as an MP, he had no illusions about the man Ken was and what he intended.

“I know it’s a little quick, but we really haven’t gotten to know each other yet,” Holden replied with a fake smile. “We’d be perfect together. All the guys know it. I think you do, too. Send this clown packing and let’s go have a quiet dinner together.”