Chapter 6

Swinging his walking stick and whistling a tune Nathan climbed the steps at 213 Elderberry. In his other hand he carried a small, soft-sided case. He rang the bell and the door opened.

"Hi," he said upon seeing Iris.

"Hi."

"I brought an overnight bag just in case."

"Thinking ahead," she remarked. "Come in. What do you think of my outfit?" She turned to model it.

She wore a short, red dress. It was backless and the bodice was a halter with a scoop to display some of Iris's modest cleavage. The hem came halfway to her knees. The dress was A-line in shape and of supple fabric that draped around her hips in soft folds. She wore sheer, black hose and a pair of red high-heeled shoes.

"You are stunning," he said.

She ran her hands along her hips. "It doesn't make me look too thick here, does it?"

"No. It makes you look like you. You did something with your hair."

"Yes ... I had it done. Do you like it?"

Nathan shook his head. "I love it."

"Let me look at you..." He wore a black shirt, black vest and black suit jacket and slacks. She adjusted the knot of his white necktie. "You look sharp. Shall we go?"

Iris backed her minivan from the driveway and headed toward one of the eastern suburbs. Nathan touched her hand and they locked fingers. "Have you ever been to Leon's?" he asked.

"Once, years ago. You?"

"I only know it by name and reputation," he said. "I understand they serve gourmet Italian -- not your typical spaghetti joint."

"It made an impression on me," she said. "I remember what I had -- their seafood stew, kind of like an Italian version of bouillabaisse -- with mussels and prawns; and angel-hair pasta. It was delicious."

"Wow. It must be quite a place if it made such an impression," he remarked.

"I remember it because it was when Henrik proposed to me."

"Oh, gosh, Iris. Maybe we should go somewhere else."

"No. Going there with you might be the best way to banish any lingering demons from my relationship with him." She smiled at him and wrinkled her nose.

They reached the restaurant. Nathan checked his hat and cane and the hostess led them to a table. "I'm getting looks," Iris remarked.

"Are you?"

"A woman can feel them."

"I'd give you looks if you walked in. You look terrific. That outfit's terrific -- sexy but tasteful."

She reached across the table and held his hand. "I'm feeling something I haven't felt in a long time, Nathan. I felt it the other night when we went to your friend's club."

"What is it?"

"Young. I feel young. I also feel as giddy as a virgin on prom night."

An older man with gray hair stopped at their table. "Iris?"

"Oh, Charles..."

"I almost didn't recognize you."

"I had my hair done." Iris gestured toward Nathan. "This is Nathan North. Nathan, Charles Lemberg teaches senior mathematics at the school."

"Pleased to meet you," Nathan said and began to rise.

"Don't get up." Charles gestured toward the corner of the dining room. "Edith and I are sitting over there. She thought she recognized you but couldn't tell who you were with, so she sent me on a reconnaissance mission."

"Do you come here often?" Nathan asked.

"No -- only on special occasions. Tonight's our anniversary -- thirty-three years."

"Congratulations," Iris said.

"Are you here for a special occasion?" Charles asked.

"Yes," Iris said.

"What?"

"The first day of the rest of our lives."

"Well, I'd better get back to base with my report. Nice meeting you, Nathan."

Iris put her hand to her mouth. "It'll be all over school tomorrow," Nathan remarked.

"No. Charles is pretty discreet. It will be all over the PTA within a week, though."

"Does that bother you?"

Iris smiled, her eyes sparkling. "Not in the least."

Iris opened the door to her bungalow. She closed it behind them and set the deadbolt. They embraced and kissed. "I love you," Nathan said.

"I love you."

Together they stepped into the living room. Iris headed for her liquor cabinet. "Do you think a couple Manhattans will make what's to come next go a bit more smoothly?" she asked.

"Do you need one?"

"No, but I think I want one."

"I'll take one, too."

She carried her cocktail shaker to the kitchen for ice. Nathan heard some cubes fall on the floor.

Iris returned and began measuring spirits. "Your hands are shaking," Nathan said. "What are you nervous about?"

"Oh, only about a hundred thousand things." She handed him his drink. Then, in a gulp she drank half of hers. He regarded her and saw a pulse point in her neck pounding. "It's been a long time for me, Nathan."

"Was Henrik your only other?"

She nodded. "I was a virgin..."

"So, it's been four years..."

"Longer. We hadn't been passionate for two or three years before the ... smashup."

"It's been a while for me, too. Not quite as long. I had a girlfriend in college and that relationship lasted a couple of years afterward. You know, I think one of the purposes of college is to incubate relationships. If you don't have one hatched by the time you graduate, it can be pretty difficult to start one."

She drained her glass. "I think you're right."

Nathan fished the cherry from his glass. He brought it to Iris's lips. She smiled, parted them and let him place it in her mouth. She closed her lips around the stem and he plucked it from her.

She picked the cherry from her glass and fed it to him. Again they embraced and kissed. "Feeling more relaxed?"

"A bit." She stroked his face.

"It's only me, Iris. And, I love you."

"I know."

"Let's set a ground rule. If anything feels uncomfortable, we'll let each other know right away. And then, we back off. No discussion -- we just back off. Okay?"

She nodded. "Okay."

"I'm not an overly experienced lover, Iris. I know the basics..."

"Same here."

He headed for her sofa and she sat on his lap. Nathan ran his hand along her knee and her thigh. He kissed her lips. They kissed again, this time tongues touching.

Nathan smoothed the backs of his fingers along her breast and confirmed what he had suspected when he first saw her in the dress -- there was nothing between his finger and her flesh other than the layer of fabric in the bodice. He stroked her again and found the small lump of her nipple beginning to firm.

"That feels nice," she said.

"You can touch me, too."

She ran her hands along his chest. Then she unbuttoned his vest and untied his necktie. Nathan continued alternating between stroking her breasts and caressing her legs.

Iris began unbuttoning his shirt. She parted it and ran her fingers through a patch of brown chest hair. "You have hair on your chest," she remarked.

"Yeah, some."

"Henrik was totally smooth ... I'm sorry -- I won't mention him again. He used to say I talk too much in bed ... Okay, I'll shut up."

"It doesn't bother me and I don't mind hearing you talk."

Nathan began deliberately stimulating Iris's nipples, alternating from left to right. Her breathing was deepening, but the pulse in her neck no longer pounded. He slipped his finger under the fabric and ran it up to her shoulder. "How does this thing fasten?" he asked.

"It ties." Iris reached up, undid the knot and lowered the bodice. Nathan regarded her round, B-cup sized breasts with coin-sized, pinkish-tan areolas.

"Iris ... Those breasts look like they belong on a nineteen-year-old!"

"You're just saying that."

"I mean it." He cupped his hand around one and caressed it. "They're firm, they're youthful ... with perky nipples."

"Perky?"

He caressed her nipple with his knuckle. "Perky."

"I always wished they were bigger. When I was in high school I kept waiting for them to develop. They never did."

"It's the big girls who suffer from gravity," he replied. "They're the ones who get droopy. Yours are firm ... round ... perfect." He leaned toward her and kissed her nipple. "Do you mind if I ask a personal question?"

"Go ahead," she replied.

"Did you nurse Katie when she was an infant?"

Iris shook her head. "No. You see, Katie's adopted."

"Adopted? She looks so much like you."

"When Henrik and I were first married, I wanted a baby. I had the baby bug and I had it bad. We tried ... we couldn't. My regular gyno couldn't find anything wrong so he sent me to a specialist. Diagnosis -- no viable eggs in my ovaries. He discussed finding an egg donor, doing in-vitro, implanting ... I figured, if I'm going to adopt an egg, why not adopt a whole kid? Henrik knew of a friend of a friend whose seventeen-year-old daughter was pregnant and looking for a home for her baby. The rest is history."

"Does Katie know?"

"Yes, she knows."

"Does she ever see..." Iris shook her head. Nathan regarded her face. "So, that means ... you're..."

"Sterile. Infertile."

"Iris -- I came prepared with some condoms. Tell me if you think we need them."

She shook her head. "Not unless you know a reason."

"No."

"It means an awful lot to hear you say you came prepared."

"It's a guy's responsibility to protect his woman," Nathan replied.

"You're such a nice, responsible young man..." She kissed his lips. "Don't you think it's time we went to the bedroom?"

"I'm ready if you are."

She lifted the bodice of her dress. Nathan held it behind her neck as they walked to her room. She turned to face him and let the bodice fall again.

He held her and ran his hand along the small of her back. "How does this zip?" he asked.

"On the side."

Nathan found the tab and pulled it down, letting the dress fall to the floor. Underneath she wore a short, black half-slip. He slid this down her hips; then he slid one stocking and the other off her legs.

She stood before him wearing only a pair of black briefs. "This is the unvarnished me," she said, holding her arms to the side.

"You're sensational."

"Actually, I don't think I look too much different from when I was your age. I put on some inches here." She slapped her hips and buttocks. "But, otherwise..."

"You're beautiful, Iris." Nathan slipped off his vest and shirt. He unfastened his belt and slid off his slacks and socks; and stood before her in his briefs.

Iris pressed her palm against his very firm erection and smiled. "Nice," she said. "Help me turn down the covers."