focused on. Now it struck him full force what her freedom would cost him. With three hundred miles—and twenty four years—separating them, it was foolish to imagine he’d ever see her again. She’d no doubt meet a man her own age sooner or later, and fall in love.
And that was what he wanted for her, right?
A sense of loss rolled over him like a bulldozer, squeezing the air from his lungs. He felt it in every cell of his body, along with the knowledge that he’d allowed himself to get way too attached to her. Maybe he was even a little in love with her in a schoolboy crush kind of way.
What an ass! He was a middle aged man, for God’s sake. A respected professional. And here he sat, mooning over a teenage girl.
He started the car up and drove down the hill toward Joe’s Burgers. He figured he’d better kill another hour before he went home. Give Macy plenty of time to finish getting acquainted with her Stimulate-Her 2000 .
Inside Joe’s, he passed up the booths and tables in favor of a stool at the counter and ordered a chocolate shake. But when the drink arrived he found he had little stomach for it. He toyed with his straw, licking it clean, staring into the mirrored wall across from him. He sat up a little straighter as a pretty blonde woman appeared in the mirror and took the stool next to his.
“Well, hi there, Jerrod.” It was Pam, the grocery checker. She touched his arm with her flawlessly manicured hand and pressed her bosom against him. “What are you doing here in the middle of the afternoon?”
“Closed up shop a little early.” He tried not to look directly at her.
“Where’s your cute little brown girlfriend? If that’s what she is?” She drew these last words out as if insinuating that something unsavory might be going on between him and Macy. Irritation pricked at him. What right did Pam have to make such assumptions?
Especially when I’m not getting any.
“She’s a client,” he said. “The daughter of a friend.”
Now he did turn to look at her. Pam wore too much lipstick and a white blouse that showed too much cleavage—as usual. But aside from that, she was pretty, and had to be at least thirty, much closer to his own age. And hell, she’d make it easy for him to ask her out. Maybe he ought to consider it. But the words wouldn’t seem to come out of his mouth. Instead, he stood up and made a show of looking at his watch.
“Time to get on home. See you around, Pam.”
“Oh. Yeah. See ya.” Her red lips pinched shut in disappointment.
Back in the car he looked at his watch. He’d given Macy another half hour. Was that enough time? He drove at a snail’s pace up the hill to his street and pulled into his drive. Slamming the door hard to make as much noise as he could, he ambled toward the gate. Inside the back yard he set his briefcase down and pretended interest in pulling dead blossoms off the potted geraniums. Peter showed up from nowhere, snuggling up to his ankles.
“Is it all clear?” he whispered to the cat, squinting over his shoulder toward the kitchen window. Peter blinked and headed for the door. Jerrod decided to follow. He opened the back door and peeked in. The counter had been cleaned off. No wrapper. No incriminating box. Relief flooded him.
“Macy?” He called loudly enough that she would hear him from any room in the house. There was no answer. She must be in her own apartment. Good. He would just change his clothes, grab a beer, and wait for her here as if nothing had happened.
* * * *
Macy stepped out of the shower and began to dry off, watching herself in the full-length mirror on the back of the bathroom door. She realized that she was seeing her body in a whole different way than she used to. Instead of appraising each part and judging it too small, too large, not smooth enough, she was seeing herself as the sum of all her parts. A sensual, sexual woman, with an amazing, responsive body.
It was a completely new awareness.
She put
And that was what he wanted for her, right?
A sense of loss rolled over him like a bulldozer, squeezing the air from his lungs. He felt it in every cell of his body, along with the knowledge that he’d allowed himself to get way too attached to her. Maybe he was even a little in love with her in a schoolboy crush kind of way.
What an ass! He was a middle aged man, for God’s sake. A respected professional. And here he sat, mooning over a teenage girl.
He started the car up and drove down the hill toward Joe’s Burgers. He figured he’d better kill another hour before he went home. Give Macy plenty of time to finish getting acquainted with her Stimulate-Her 2000 .
Inside Joe’s, he passed up the booths and tables in favor of a stool at the counter and ordered a chocolate shake. But when the drink arrived he found he had little stomach for it. He toyed with his straw, licking it clean, staring into the mirrored wall across from him. He sat up a little straighter as a pretty blonde woman appeared in the mirror and took the stool next to his.
“Well, hi there, Jerrod.” It was Pam, the grocery checker. She touched his arm with her flawlessly manicured hand and pressed her bosom against him. “What are you doing here in the middle of the afternoon?”
“Closed up shop a little early.” He tried not to look directly at her.
“Where’s your cute little brown girlfriend? If that’s what she is?” She drew these last words out as if insinuating that something unsavory might be going on between him and Macy. Irritation pricked at him. What right did Pam have to make such assumptions?
Especially when I’m not getting any.
“She’s a client,” he said. “The daughter of a friend.”
Now he did turn to look at her. Pam wore too much lipstick and a white blouse that showed too much cleavage—as usual. But aside from that, she was pretty, and had to be at least thirty, much closer to his own age. And hell, she’d make it easy for him to ask her out. Maybe he ought to consider it. But the words wouldn’t seem to come out of his mouth. Instead, he stood up and made a show of looking at his watch.
“Time to get on home. See you around, Pam.”
“Oh. Yeah. See ya.” Her red lips pinched shut in disappointment.
Back in the car he looked at his watch. He’d given Macy another half hour. Was that enough time? He drove at a snail’s pace up the hill to his street and pulled into his drive. Slamming the door hard to make as much noise as he could, he ambled toward the gate. Inside the back yard he set his briefcase down and pretended interest in pulling dead blossoms off the potted geraniums. Peter showed up from nowhere, snuggling up to his ankles.
“Is it all clear?” he whispered to the cat, squinting over his shoulder toward the kitchen window. Peter blinked and headed for the door. Jerrod decided to follow. He opened the back door and peeked in. The counter had been cleaned off. No wrapper. No incriminating box. Relief flooded him.
“Macy?” He called loudly enough that she would hear him from any room in the house. There was no answer. She must be in her own apartment. Good. He would just change his clothes, grab a beer, and wait for her here as if nothing had happened.
* * * *
Macy stepped out of the shower and began to dry off, watching herself in the full-length mirror on the back of the bathroom door. She realized that she was seeing her body in a whole different way than she used to. Instead of appraising each part and judging it too small, too large, not smooth enough, she was seeing herself as the sum of all her parts. A sensual, sexual woman, with an amazing, responsive body.
It was a completely new awareness.
She put
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