Still Fine at Forty (4 page)

A slight smile upturned the corners of his luscious mouth. I thought about what it would be like to kiss him. Then I chided myself for having such thought. I had only known Cody a few hours and I was thinking like a—well, I was thinking like Mel. What had gotten into me? I honestly had not had feelings like this in…I couldn’t remember ever having feelings like this before. I was completely lusting after a man—a much younger man, I might add—and one I hardly knew.

“I’d be willing to make a wager that you’re a Beagle kind of girl,” he said.

I shook my head.

“Hmm, maybe a Basset Hound?”

“Nope,” I said.

He scrunched up his nose then leveled another guess. “A Great Dane?”

I laughed. “Don’t you think that breed would be a little large for me?’

He smiled. “Okay, then how about a Chihuahua?”

“You’re not very good at this game,” I said.

“One more shot,” he said. He looked at me intently, then after a moment, he said, “A Pug.”

I nodded. “Good guess.”

That brought out a full smile and when he smiled, the man lit up everything around him. His smile nearly took my breath away.

“Well, I love dogs. Unfortunately, I work so many jobs right now that I don’t have time to take care of one. Maybe som
eday…” His voice trailed off as if he didn’t know when that day would be.

“And why do you have so many jobs?” I was suddenly cur
ious.

“That’s a story for another day,” he said as he stood up. “We’ve got to get going. I need to get you back before it starts to get dark.”

“It can’t be that late,” I said rising. I looked at my watch. Three-thirty! How did it get to be 3:30? Where had the day gone? It felt like only a few hours had passed by.

I watched as Cody packed up the picnic gear. When I tried to lend a hand, he gave me a look which said it was his job. “I’ve got it,” he said.

The two of us walked back over to the Jeep. He placed the picnic gear into the back and we both hopped into our respective places in the front seats.

“Do you need a hand getting strapped back in?” he asked.

I nodded.

When he leaned over to help me, I couldn’t take my eyes off of his muscular arms. The man was so hot. Everything about him made me melt inside.

After he fastened me into my seat, he turned his face toward me. We were now just inches apart. A flash of heat rushed through me.

“I hope you had a good time,” he said. His eyes glimmered and it sent another rush of excitement though me.

I gulped. “Yes,” I managed to squeak out.

“Good,” he replied.

His luscious lips were now so close to mine, I thought he might kiss me.

“I aim to please,” he continued, then winked at me.

I couldn’t believe I was close to having an orgasm and he hadn’t even touched me. Was that even possible? Was I really that pathetic? It had been over a year since I’d had sex and even longer since I’d actually climaxed.

He moved back over to his side of the Jeep and I exhaled. I hadn’t even realized I had been holding my breath.

He put on his sunglasses, started the Jeep and we were off.

The trip back to the hotel was quiet. We were both deep in our own thoughts. I wondered what I was doing lusting after a much younger man. Had I lost my mind? Was I really that desperate for male attention? What if the feelings I felt were one-sided? What if he was just being nice to me? What if he was just doing his job and I was really nothing special to him? What if this was how he was with all of his clients?

When I looked over at Cody, I caught him peeking a glance at me. He quickly put his eyes back on the road. Was he looking at me because he liked me or was he just looking at me because he was doing his job? Surely, all of intense energy between us wasn’t just me. Surely he felt it too. Didn’t he?

He pulled right up to the entrance of the hotel, in the exact spot he had picked me up at eight hours earlier.
Eight exhilarating hours ago. I couldn’t believe how I felt with Cody. He made me feel young again. He made me feel alive again. He made me feel attractive again.

As soon as he parked, he jumped out of the Jeep and hurried over to my side to help me out. When he grabbed my hand, it surprised me. The heat from his touch radiated through my entire body.

When I was safely on the pavement, I thought he would drop my hand, but he didn’t. He held it in his grasp. “I’m glad you decided to do this with me,” he said. He had a softness in his eyes that I had not yet seen in him. There were so many layers to the man, I could probably peel them back for years.

Years?
Really? Was I already planning a future with someone I’ve only known for eight hours? I was completely and totally out of my mind.

I wanted to ask him if I could see him again, but that was too forward and I was not that person.
Although my heart was coming undone thinking about never seeing him again.

“I’ll see you soon,” he said as if it was a promise. How could he be so sure?

“Okay,” was all I could manage to get out as I melted into his beautiful brown eyes.

Then I heard my name being yelled from across the parking lot.
“Jenn–i–fer!” The female voice sounded shrill and maybe even a bit drunk.

When Mel approached, Cody quickly dropped my hand. And when he did, my heart sank a few inches with it.

That’s when I noticed that Mel was dragging an older, grey haired man behind her. He was the man from the bar who had bought our drinks. The man I assumed she had spent the night with.

“Who’s this
hottie?” Mel blurted gawking at Cody. The man standing behind her didn’t seemed to be fazed a bit by Mel’s behavior or outburst.

When I looked at Cody, I could see his face had flushed a bit. I wondered if he was embarrassed by Mel’s remark. Or maybe he
was embarrassed because he held my had a bit too long and he thought Mel had seen us.

“I’ve got to get the Jeep washed and put to bed for the night,” Cody said. “It was a pleasure, Jenny,” he said and gave me a quick nod. He was back to business.
That quickly. It made me wonder if I had imaged the earlier moment between us.

When he turned to leave, Mel mouthed, “Oh, my God,” to me. I nodded.

Cody hopped back in the Jeep and I hoped he would take one last look back at me. If he gave me just one look, I’d know he was actually interested and that it wasn’t just me who was completely and totally turned on all day.

When he started the Jeep, I nearly turned away in shame, but then I noticed he took one quick peek back in my direction. I couldn’t see his eyes, but I noticed an ever so slight smile in the corner of his mouth. Then he turned, put the vehicle in gear and drove away.

“Shit,” Mel said. “That is one fine man.”

I glanced at the older man standing behind Mel and he was grinning. It was the strangest thing. “Mel’s a spit-fire, isn’t she?” asked the man.

“That’s one word for her,” I added.

The man chuckled and embraced her from behind. Then he started kissing the back of her neck. The scene was a bit unner
ving. When Mel looked at me, I think she could sense my discomfort, so she playfully shooed the older man away from her. “We’ll have plenty of time for that later, Marve,” she said.

“We’ve got dinner reservations for seven,” Mel told me. “Wear something sexy. Marvin’s bringing a friend for you to meet.”

I inhaled a deep breath. After spending the day with Cody, I wasn’t interested in meeting one of Marvin’s friends. I was really only interested in finding a way to go out with Cody again. I had to admit, I had a crush. And not just an average everyday crush. I had a huge monster crush on a much younger man that was probably only going to end in disaster and heartbreak. But at that moment, I didn’t care.

I met Mel and Marvin in the lobby about fifteen minutes b
efore seven. Marvin said his friend was going to meet us at the restaurant, which just down the road from the hotel, within walking distance. I think Mel was a bit disappointed when she saw the dress I was wearing.

“I thought I told you to wear something sexy,” she repr
imanded as she eyed the purple flowered sundress I had put on.

I thought it was sexy.
In a way. Well, sexy for me. “This is all I’ve got,” I replied.

Mel shook her head. “I don’t know what I’m going to do with you.”

“Need I remind you, that I haven’t actually dated anyone since the 1990s.”

Mel’s eyes softened. “I know. I’m sorry. I’m sure Marvin’s friend will love you, frumpy dress and all.”

I shook my head and chuckled. Mel certainly knew how to cheer me up.

Four

We arrived at the restaurant at seven and the place was packed. Marvin waved at another grey haired gentleman, who looked to be about his age, mid-50s. Both men were wearing expensive black suits and looked stylish. Marvin’s friend was a bit taller than him and thinner. He looked like he probably worked out.

When Marvin’s friend approached, he stood next to me and held out a hand. “You must be Jennifer,” he said.

I shook his hand. It was rougher than I expected. “I’m Walt Myers.”

He had light blue eyes that lit up a little when I looked into them. He seemed warm and friendly, but there was no spark between us. Not like the strong sexual energy I felt between Cody and me.

“I reserved a window table,” Marvin said as he placed his hand on the small of Mel’s back and led her into the restaurant.

Walt also placed his hand on my back in a similar gesture and led me inside. It felt awkward having him touch me. We didn’t even know each other. And I knew I wasn’t being fair to Walt, but I wished it was Cody touching me instead of him.

We were seated at a lovely table with a gorgeous view of the moonlit mountains. It was breathtaking.

Marvin asked if we had any objections to him ordering for the table. None of us did. He decided on a bottle of Pinot
Grigio, sole and salmon rolls with ginger sauce appetizers and grilled rosemary swordfish for the main course.

Everything Marvin ordered was cooked to perfection. He ce
rtainly knew how to select delicious dishes. Marvin and Walt made small talk about their golf adventures until we were mid-entrée. 

Then Walt leaned over to me and said, “So, Marvin tells me you’re an English teacher.”

I felt at a complete disadvantage because Mel had told me absolutely nothing about Walt.

I nodded politely. I never knew how to respond to questions about my work because people had such mixed feelings about school, especially about their previous experiences with English teachers.

Then he leaned over and whispered, “I’ve always loved that Van Halen song “Hot for Teacher”.”

I was glad I hadn’t taken a sip of my wine a moment earlier because I would have choked. I didn’t know how to respond, so I just smiled politely, but I wanted to escape. I didn’t find Walt attractive and I didn’t want to lead him on. I felt trapped. I decided to try and neutralize the conversation.

“So, what do you do for work?” I asked.

Walt leaned back and said, “I’m a general contractor, like Marvin. We don’t compete very much though because I’m more industrial and he’s mostly commercial.”

I nodded even though I didn’t have any idea what the business entailed. “It’s getting more competitive though, so I’ll be taking a very early retirement. I want to travel and enjoy life. I’d like to have a companion.”

He gave me a small smile when he said it, as if he was prop
ositioning me. I had just turned 40, so I couldn’t imagine retiring. I was at the highpoint of my career.

“That sounds tempting,” I managed to get out, but all I really wanted to do was get back to my room, light the fireplace and snuggle in the big fluffy bed.

When the last morsel of the delicious food had been devoured, Marvin smiled and said, “Anyone save room for dessert?”

We all shook our heads.

There was a bit of a stand-off as both men tried to pick up the tab but Marvin eventually won out. But he had to promise that Walt could pick up their next round of golf.

As we exited the restaurant, there was a bit of awkwardness as Walt and I had to negotiate our parting ritual. A handshake would have been too formal but we weren’t at the stage where he could give me a kiss. Finally, he leaned down
a gave me a peck on the cheek. He lingered a moment by my ear and whispered, “I hope I get to see you again.”

I nodded and gave him a small smile. I felt a bit of sadness and guilt that I didn’t care whether I ever saw him again.

As we headed back to the hotel, Mel put me through a bit of an inquisition.

“So, did you like him?” she probed.

I didn’t feel comfortable being completely honest in front of Marvin because Walt was his friend and it was his idea to set us up. I didn’t want to insult him. 

“He seemed nice,” I replied. And it was the truth.

“I think he really liked you,” she said. “He couldn’t take his eyes off of you the whole night.”

I wanted to say, that’s because he was ‘hot for teacher’, but I refrained.

“I know he’s available tomorrow night, if you’re interested in going out again.”

“Let me think about it.”

I could see Mel was disappointed that I didn’t jump at the chance to go out with him again, but I really didn’t want to. I wanted to see Cody again. Was I being completely unrealistic in thinking that I would ever see him again? Or that he thought of me in that way? Or that he’d even want to see me again? Maybe Walt was the best I could do at 40. I just wasn’t ready to settle yet.

As we headed back toward the hotel, I noticed a small, quaint coffee shop that was still open. “I think I’m going to grab a cup of herbal tea before going to bed,” I said to Mel.

“Are you sure you’re going to be okay?” she asked.

“Of course, the hotel is almost across the street,” I said.

Mel leaned down and gave me a kiss on the cheek. “We’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Have a good evening,” I said as I waved them away. I n
oticed Marvin put his arm around Mel’s shoulder and pull her close. I was happy to see her so happy. It wasn’t often that Mel found someone she was so compatible with.

I’m not sure why I hesitated when I approached the entrance to the coffee shop. I felt inexplicably nervous. It made no sense. Peering through the window, I noticed the place was clean and well lighted. There were still a few patrons talking and enjoying
themselves. I just couldn’t shake the feeling that if I walked through the door, my life would change. I was being completely irrational. I doubted a cup of tea would be life altering in any way.

I forged ahead and stepped inside. The atmosphere was even cozier than it appeared from outside and I immediately felt at home. Whoever had decorated the place had taken great care in every detail. There were shelves of antique coffee pots and tea pots from a variety of different countries and eras.

Not to mention the fact that they were baking because the place had the aroma of fresh cinnamon buns. The smell almost made me hungry again.

An older couple sat at a table in the far left corner. They a
ppeared to be deep in conversation. The remaining eight tables were empty. A young man sat at the counter eating a sandwich of some kind.

As I tried to decide which table to sit at, I glanced over and noticed the server behind the counter was staring at me. My jaw dropped when I recognized it was Cody. He didn’t smile or even nod, he just stared at me with laser intensity. It made me wonder what he was thinking.

As I approached the counter, he didn’t take his searing brown eyes off of me. His intensity was a bit unnerving.

I gulped when he continued to stare at me. Even though we had the width of the counter between us, I could still feel heat and pure sexuality radiating from his body. There was a tenable connection between us that seemed to get stronger with every encounter.

“What would you like?” he asked, not taking his eyes from mine. I could see a mischievous grin forming in the corners of his mouth.

What a loaded question, I thought. Can I just order you, pre
ferably to go? If I was Mel, those words would have been already been spoken.

“What types of herbal teas do you have?” I asked.

“Mint, chamomile, orange, cinnamon spice. The cinnamon spice is my favorite.”

“The cinnamon buns sure smell good,” I said. “But I just had a big dinner.”

He had a strange expression on his face. Was it a look of disappointment or was I reading too much into it?

“I went to dinner with my friend Melanie,” I explained.
“And her boyfriend, Marvin.”

He raised an eyebrow. “And you didn’t have a date?”

I didn’t want him to know I had been with another man, but I didn’t want to lie, either. “They tried to set me up with someone.”

“Well, a beautiful woman should always have a date on a Saturday night,” he said. “But I’m guessing the date didn’t go very well.”

“Why do you say that?”

He gave me a sexy grin.
“Because you’re here with me and not with him. I guess he wasn’t able to close the deal.”

“And that’s something you think you can do?” I couldn’t b
elieve the words had slipped from my mouth. I had never been so bold and daring, especially with a guy.

“There’s no thinking about it,” he replied. “I know I can.”

He looked at me with so much raw sexual desire, I nearly passed out.

Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted the young guy at the end of the counter wave his arm to get Cody’s attention.

“Excuse me,” Cody said and headed over to attend to the young guy.

I let out the breath I hadn’t even realized I was holding. Was I really flirting so shamelessly with a much younger Jeep tour-guide and coffee shop attendant?

I saw the young guy hand Cody several dollar bills then hop down from his stool at the counter and exit.

Cody came back to where I was standing and gave me his full attention once again.

“Have you decided what you want?” he asked. The question seemed so innocuous on the surface, but the way he asked it and its intended double meaning sent shivers through me. I want you, was all I could think, and it was true. There was something about this man that completely consumed me. I barely knew him, but he felt so familiar to me. He completely intrigued me and frightened me to the core.

“The buns are tempting,” I said. “But I’d better resist. I think I’ll stick with some cinnamon spice tea.”

He leaned in as close as he could with the counter between us and whispered, “I really think you’re missing out by not giving my buns a try. Maybe you’ll think about taking them to go.”

I swallowed hard trying not to think about taking his buns back to my hotel room. A year was a really long time to go without sex, or even affection for that matter. As much as Mel wanted me to have a fling, I just couldn’t picture myself actually
doing it. As much as I craved male companionship, I wanted it to mean more than a one-night stand. Was that unrealistic at my age? I wondered if I’d ever have a chance at true love again.

I took a step away from the counter and smiled at Cody. He was the epitome of male perfection: rugged, handsome,
strong. Was I the only woman on Earth, who wouldn’t take him home for the night?

“I’ll get your tea,” he said quickly and the electricity-filled moment between us passed.

I took a seat near the end of the counter where the young guy had been seated earlier. I watched as the older couple threw away their coffee cups and exited the shop. Cody and I were now the only ones left in the place. I glanced at my watched and saw that it was a few minutes before ten. I wondered what time the place closed.

Cody placed the hot tea in front of me. “Enjoy,” he said but didn’t linger. He started what seemed like a closing routine, wiping down the counter and putting items away.

“What time do you close?” I asked.

He looked up from his work. “Whenever the last customer leaves,” he said and grinned.

I wondered if I should hurry up and finish so he could go home. My dilemma was solved when he pulled up a stool close to me and asked, “Mind if I join you?”

“I’d love it,” I said.

When he sat down, I could feel the energy between us in full force again. I knew it was strange for me to be so overwhelmingly attracted to him so quickly. But there was something about Cody that I found irresistible and I wasn’t sure why. 

“I hope I wasn’t being too forward with the bun jokes,” he said. “Most women seem to enjoy the innuendos. I sell a lot of buns that way.”

I bet you do, I thought. I couldn’t help remembering how good his buns looked in those black jeans he wore when we were on the Jeep tour.

“Any big plans tomorrow?” he asked.

I shook my head. “Mel already met a man and it’s kind of put a bit of a monkey wrench in our plans. I don’t feel like being a third wheel again. Truth be told, it was a bit awkward at dinner.”

“I hate to see a woman’s vacation ruined. I don’t have any Jeep tours scheduled for tomorrow and I don’t work here until the evening, so if you don’t have plans, I’d love to take you on a hike.”

“That sounds great,” I said.

“If you don’t mind, I’d like to pick you up early. That will give us more time to sightsee.”

I eyed him. “How early is early?”

He grinned. “Is eight too early?”

I shook my head.

“Then it’s a date.” Much to my surprise, he leaned in and whispered in my ear, “And maybe I’ll bring you my buns for breakfast.”

***