openness of the land around them. From the glow of the car’s headlight, she marveled at the ability to see for miles in all directions. Turning her head to view of the city, she found herself looking at his profile instead. The dashboard’s lights lit his face in a halo glow. “Absolutely beautiful,“ she voiced.
“What?“ he said, turning in her direction.
Caught in her appreciation of him, she quickly said, “I was admiring the view of the Valley from here.“
He turned to see it for himself. “That is nothing. To really appreciate the city view, we need to go to South Mountain Park,“ he offered.
“South Mountain! Wow, that just brought back memories. I haven’t been there since my junior year in high school,“ she exclaimed.
“You grew up in the Valley?“ he asked, returning his eyes to the road.
“Oh, yeah. I have lived here almost my entire life. My parents moved to Phoenix when I was two,“ she informed him.
“It is strange we never met before now,“ he mused. “I would have liked to know you then.“
“I don’t think so. I was different. I was too . . . .“ she stopped.
“Too what?“ he said, looking at her.
“Too prissy, too focused, too much of a doctor’s daughter,“ she lied, not offering the real reason. She was just too fat.
“I think I would have seen through all that,“ he said, bringing their joined hands up to his lips and kissing the back of her hand.
“Maybe,“ she said, thinking of something to change the subject. “Maybe, we could go to South Mountain tomorrow. It is Sunday.“
“I have to work.“
“It’s okay. I understand,“ she said disappointedly.
“We could go tomorrow night,“ he countered.
“Yes, let’s.“
He lowered their joined hands to his lap and pulled over to the side of the farm road. Disengaging their hands, he guided her hand to the front of his pants. She knew what he wanted. She was not that inexperienced. After he turned off the motor and the headlights, he rotated in the seat and pulled her to him so that her back was against the steering wheel, and then kissed her deeply.
Their tight quarters made her giggle, recalling her previous mention of high school. “Jeff, this is not good,“ she said. “I feel we are back in high school.“
“Who cares?“ he whispered, sliding them over to the middle of the bench seat. “This better?“ he asked.
“Yes, and no. I don’t feel wedged, but there is no room for my legs,“ she advised him.
“Easily solved,“ he said, righting her. “Straddle me.“
“What?“
“You heard me,“ he said, teasingly.
“This will be interesting,“ she remarked, rotating to her hands and knees while kicking off her shoes. “I can’t believe I am doing this.“ Placing her hands on either side of him on the back of the bench seat, she stretched her right leg over his legs. “Like this?“ she asked, laughing at the scene she was actively involved in.
“Yes,“ he said, as he pulled her down on his lap. His hands immediately started undoing the snaps of her top. “I have been wanting to unsnap them since I first set eyes on you tonight.“ She stopped laughing and looked into his eyes. His expression told her he meant it.
With her hands still braced on the top of the bench, her rational mind screamed at her. ’ What are you doing? Are you out of your mind ’ ? “I must be,“ she said aloud, throwing caution to the wind as he pulled the shirttails out of her skirt waistband and opened it wide. Go away thoughts. I just want to feel, she reasoned with herself, for all she cared about at that moment was Jeff. She was twenty-three and a grown woman with desires, and this man was her desire.
His goal completed, he reached out and encircled Annie’s body in his arms and brought her body to his mouth. As he kissed her, he felt her melt against him and shiver. Not knowing whether it was
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