Chapter 27

When Ralph arrived, precisely at ten, they had showered. Steve wore shorts and a tee-shirt, Sara had slipped on a tee-shirt she had bought somewhere that was completely open on the sides. It was long and covered her — front and back — to just the level of her bush in front. It left most of her butt bare. Coffee was on the table, the sun was shining through the windows. Sara let Ralph in and gave him a comprehensive hug and a kiss that left him visibly aroused.

Smiling, Steve said, from the breakfast table, "I'm Steve, you're Ralph. I'm pleased to meet you. Have some coffee. How do you take it?'

"Just black, please. Nothing else.' Ralph adjusted his shorts with a smile and sat down as Sara went to the stove and started doing things with eggs and toast. They made small talk until Sara came with plates of food.

She sat down, and they began eating hungrily. When the panic was past, she said, "Here's the plan. I'm going to stay here and get something together for lunch. I want you guys to go out and capture stuff for dinner. You are cooking, I am dessert. When I finish making lunch, I'll wait until I'm hungry, then I'll eat and lie in the sun. You have to be back before I start to sizzle. Is that a plan? I just made it up.'

"It's a plan, ' Steve said, "and I'll go with it if Ralph will.'

"You're on, ' said Ralph, "and as soon as I finish this coffee, we're off. I want to get back in time to baste your body before there's any permanent damage.'

Soon the men were riding down in the elevator on their way to look for food and a chance to get to know one another. Steve began while the elevator was still going down. "You've known Sara a lot longer than I have, Ralph. I don't even know what her favorite foods are. What's your idea for a spread? I can get a nice wine, I'm sure — I saw a wine shop across the street when we came home last night.'

"Don't go there. I'll show you a place where they have wines you can trust.'

They left the building and began wandering down the sunny streets. Ralph picked up the conversation. "Yeah, I've known Sara for about six years now. Almost the greatest woman I know. Did she tell you how we met?'

"Well, she told me last night, at the restaurant she calls "The Meat Market', that she met you there, but that's all.'

"Sara keeps her mouth shut about other people, you know. You can trust her with your darkest secrets. But, yeah, we met at 'The Meat Market'. I went in one Friday night looking for some action, and I was just sitting there when Sara came up to me and started a conversation. I bought her a drink, and after she'd downed most of it, she looked at me and said, 'Will you do me a favor?' I said I would, if I could, and she went on, 'I want you to take me home — my place — right now and screw me and then bring me back and buy me dinner'.'

"She didn't beat around the bush, did she?' Steve observed.

"Never did, hasn't since. Well, of course I agreed, and we went to her place and did what she asked me to, and it was just about the most incredible sex I'd ever had. And then we showered and dressed and went back to the restaurant and had dinner.

"Over dessert she said to me, 'Ralph, I had a great time tonight, but I'm in the process of getting over a long time of being faithful to a husband. I don't have one any more and I'm sort of making up for lost time. I'll be looking for another fellow after we're done. I hope you understand, and I hope we can do it again some time.' And when we finished dinner, she gave me a kiss and went into the bar, back on the make.'

"How'd you feel about that?' Steve asked. They were passing a coffee bar and Steve guided them to a table on the sidewalk and ordered for both of them.

"I really felt kind of funny. I mean, you read about the 'zipless fuck' and stuff, and I started to get annoyed. But when I thought about it, I realized she'd been absolutely dead honest with me, and I had enjoyed every moment of it. She's beautiful, honest, and great in bed. I figured I couldn't ask for more. Well, I went home and slept like a log, and went about my business for the weekend. At the time, I didn't have anyone special, just sort of studding around and not liking it too much. So Sunday afternoon, I was back at 'The Meat Market'. I went in and sat at the bar, just sort of starting to see who was there, you know.

"And up comes Sara, more beautiful than ever. She ordered a beer for me — asked for my favorite brand, she'd remembered — and sat down next to me. 'I hope you don't mind if I sit with you for a minute, do you?' she said. Of course, I didn't mind. And she sort of snuggled up to me and said, 'On Friday, I told you I was making up for lost time, remember?' I said I remembered, and 'How did you make out?'