Chapter 4

"Yeah, I do," I said.

She sat there quietly, lost in her own sadness. I made myself another drink.

I sipped a little and said, "I've got a few questions, since we're being honest and all here. Why me? I'm a lot younger than you are. What's the attraction?"

She sat up quickly and stared at me, her face almost angry. In seconds, her expression changed from near-anger to resignation.

"Because you're pretty, for one thing," she said. "For another, you've never mentioned money in any way."

"I won't, either," I said. "If I can't pay for it, I do without."

"That makes you very normal, and it reminds me of how I used to be," she said. She mused for a moment and took a sip from her glass. She continued, "I feel I've taken a wrong turn somewhere, and I'm lost. My life is a fucking train wreck and I don't know where to start repairing it." She hiccuped. "Or if it's even worth it."

"You don't know, do you?"

"What?"

"I've had a crush—albeit a small one—on you ever since we met, a year or so ago. I've always looked at you as one of the unattainable ones. You know, the girls you see that you don't think you'll ever have?"

"For God's sake, why?" she asked.

"We run in different circles. I'd have to work for a week to pay for our meal tonight. I have one car; you have two. You have a house; I live in a duplex. You buy what you want, when you want; I make payments."

She sat and chewed on the ice from her glass. We did have different circumstances, that fact was unavoidable. What it meant for the future, I didn't know. She made another drink, and after taking a swallow she glared at me.

"Money isn't everything, you know," she said.

"Yeah, but it's way ahead of whatever's in second place," I replied.

She laughed and managed to snort Scotch through her nose. I sat there and smiled while she cleaned up. Her face got sad after a moment.

"You're not going to let me seduce you, are you?"

"I don't want to be a notch on your bedpost, no," I said. "Love and affection are a two-way street."

She put her hand on my shoulder. "I knew you were different. I don't think you know how really beautiful you are. I like your long hair and your pretty blue eyes. I've had some very pleasant dreams about your body, too."

I blushed about six shades of purple. "I don't look at myself that way," I said.

"And that's part of the attraction. You're not an arrogant, stuck-up bitch."

I gave her a sheepish grin. "You're not exactly a dog, either."

"Yeah, right!" she scoffed. "I've always been skinny. My tits are too small for the rest of me, and I'd rather forget about my ass."

"I'd rather not," I grinned. She laughed, the first sign of happiness in the last hour.

She finished her drink and was about to pour another. I grabbed her wrist and said, "Let's go up to your room. I'll tuck you in."

"But you said..."

"I agreed with you when you said you weren't going to seduce me. I didn't say anything about not sleeping with you."

I pinched the candles and she brought the bottle and glasses up to the kitchen sink. Hugging each other, we made it up the stairs to her bedroom.

The bed was king-sized, with maroon sheets and pillowcases. While I waited my turn at the toilet, I undressed to panties and bra.

When she came out of the bathroom, she stared at me for a moment and I blushed. I was going to have to get used to being so frankly appraised. When I returned to the bedroom, her silk pajamas were on the floor near the bed. I shrugged out of my bra and slid my panties down my legs as she watched.

"What side of the bed do you like?" she asked.

"Wherever you can cuddle me best," I smiled.

I lay on my left side with a big fluffy pillow under my head. She curled behind me with her belly against my back. Her breasts were soft pillows for my shoulder blades, and her nipples made tiny dents in my skin. Her hand rested on my hip until I gripped it and tucked it around mine and into my belly.

Just before I dozed off, I heard her say, "Thank you."

The following morning I awoke to the sound of birds chirping outside the open window. I peeked through a gap in the drapes and saw twenty or thirty bright yellow birds swarming around a hanging feeder. They came and went in a flash, darting about in competition for food.

Connie had turned away from me while she slept and was resting on her right side, facing the window. Her right arm was under her pillow, her left was on her side, the hand on her hip. The sheet was near her knees, kicked off during the night. The dimples above her butt were displayed in sharp relief to the smooth columns of muscle that braced her spine. My mouth watered with a sudden urge to kiss her, just there, in the tiny patch of down where they nestled.

Instead, I eased out of bed and tiptoed to the bathroom. I peed and wiped, then, acting on impulse, used the bidet. The warm water and the tip of one finger brought almost instant relief. I brushed and clipped my hair, stepped into my dress and went in search of coffee.

Her kitchen was enormous. I easily found the makings for coffee and started a pot to brew. The seven-foot tall stainless-steel monstrosity in the corner yielded milk and juice, and the breadbox held a carton of fresh cinnamon bagels. I was deep into bagel number two when I heard the steps creak.

Connie appeared sleepy-eyed and hungover, so I brought her a cup of coffee and put it in front of her.

She managed a sip and said, "I'm sorry for last night. I really didn't expect you to be here this morning."

"Why not?"

"I drank too much last night. When I drink too much, sometimes I say things."

"You didn't offend me, if that's what you're thinking," I said.

She patted my hand. "That's good."

I found some Gatorade in the fridge and made her drink it, along with some aspirin from my purse. After two additional cups of coffee and some toast, she looked halfway human.

I'd done a lot of thinking over the past few days, and that morning I decided I wanted to give Connie a try. I know, it sounds like I was test-driving a used car, but it's a semi-accurate analogy. I liked what I'd seen so far, but if any really disgusting habits appeared later, I wanted the opportunity to walk away before we got too involved. I didn't need any more emotional pain. In fairness, she would have the same option with me, just as in any new relationship. I think it's called, "Let's see what happens."

Over another cup of coffee, I asked, "Do you have a spare toothbrush? I need to clean up a little."

"I'm sorry, I didn't think," she said. "In the bathroom upstairs, look in the top drawer on the left-hand side of the sink. It should have whatever you need."

Mumbling my thanks, I left her at the table and went upstairs.

Shrugging my dress onto the bathroom floor, I started the water running in the shower and opened the drawer she'd mentioned. Inside were three kinds of soap, several varieties of moisturizers, deodorants and lotions, half a dozen new toothbrushes, two kinds of toothpaste and three types of tampons. I unwrapped one of the toothbrushes and stuck it into my mouth.

I'd just finished rinsing my hair when I heard the bathroom door open.

"Jean?"

"Yeah?"

"Would you stay here for a while and keep me company?"

"I'd like to, yes," I said.

"Then I'm going to throw your dress in the washer. The cabinet with the towels has the extra robes and things."

"Okay, thank you," I replied.

I heard the door shut, then stepped out of the shower and dried off. Since my decision to take Connie for a test drive, I'd been wondering how to make it happen. She'd just made it easier.

The cabinet with the towels held a lot more than towels. There were several sets of pajamas, robes in terry cloth, satin or silk, along with a good selection of shorts and tops in different fabrics. I wanted to up the ante a little bit.

I wrapped one towel around my head to finish drying my hair; the second was wrapped around my body and demurely tucked into my cleavage. The lower one didn't quite come to my knees and gave me a good opportunity to show off my legs.