Chapter 47

The partially closed blinds added enough darkness to set a romantic mood. “A Quiet Afternoon,” played softly on the record player. Wendy moved three candles to the right of the coffee table. In the kitchen, she checked to be sure the bottle of Chardonnay had chilled. It had, but since Brad wouldn’t be there for another hour, she shoved the bottle back into the fridge. She leaned against it. Unrelenting nervousness consumed her. She didn’t know what to expect.

She brushed her teeth and, in the bedroom, examined herself in the full-length mirror. Admittedly, Wendy’s stature was not that of a model, but she had lost fifteen pounds since she first knew Brad and she knew she looked good. In her off-white, jersey lounge dress, she felt very sexy, especially since the dress exposed the tops of, what someone told her were ‘ample breasts.’ She continued to look at herself, finding it difficult to grasp this was about to be the moment she longed for and dreamt about for two years.

She parted her hair in the middle, and it hung down her back. She used sparse makeup, but the soft, green eye shadow brought out the green in her hazel eyes.

Just before one o’clock she again ran the brush through her hair. She stood in front of the mirror, smiled at herself, and went out to the living room where she lit the candles and put the album on the record player. The doorbell rang.

She rushed toward the door, stopping for a moment to run her fingers through the sides of her hair. When she opened the door, there he stood, in stonewashed jeans, a silky, blue shirt, and in his hands a potted palm.

“Hi,” she smiled.

“Hi,” he said as he entered and handed her the gift. “Hope you like plants.” He laughed and she joined him.

She couldn’t imagine he took gifts to everyone he saw. “Thank you, this is so nice.”

“You’re welcome. I like your house, it looks very cozy,” he said as he surveyed it.

“Thanks.” She placed the palm on the end table. “Would you like a glass of wine?”

“That’d be great.”

“Go ahead and sit down. I’ll be back in a minute. Is Chardonnay okay?”

“That’s good.”

She pulled the cork and wrapped a towel around the chilled wine to keep the condensation from dripping.

She set the wine and two glasses on the coffee table. She hoped she looked calm because her racing heart was anything but. She sat next to him on the sofa and watched as he slowly poured them each a glass. She took small sips, relishing the strong, dry taste as it lingered on her lips. They chatted about some of the regulars who came into the bar and about an opportunity he was offered to audition for a movie soundtrack.

Being the first time alone with him made her intense. It was unnerving to feel his tight, muscular leg against hers. His eyes were truly aquamarine, and she studied them for what she thought too long. Her head spun like a ball. So hard to believe her fantasy of being with Brad unfolded before her.

After drinking some more wine, she finally felt relaxed, but she needed to slow down before she did something foolish like grab him and kiss his beautiful full lips.

“You really look terrific,” he said. “It’s funny, when I saw you last night I thought, ‘she’s looking great.’ And, it isn’t just your attractive body, you’re a good person,” he said as he fingered the side of her hair.

She again stopped herself from grabbing and kissing him.” And besides you seem different somehow; I think your personality has opened up more than in the past. You’re less shy.”

Wendy wasn’t sure how to respond, so she smiled and said, “I have made some changes. Glad you like them.”

Brad put their glasses down and turned her to him. She melted into his arms. He pushed hard against her lips, pushing them open with his tongue, searching the highs and lows of her mouth. Her entire body trembled. She ran her hands through his long, dark, wavy hair and down his back, relishing the taut skin beneath her fingers. Her eyes were shut when his hand moved to her breast.

He pulled away, “Perhaps we could go to the bedroom.”

He certainly didn’t mince words…not that Wendy cared. She stood and Brad followed her. As soon as they reached the bedroom, he began to undress her. “I want to see all of your body.” As he said the words, he slipped the dress off her shoulders and down, pushing it over her hips. She didn’t have a bra on. She stepped out of the dress.

“Great body, very nice.” He said the words with a softness he used for those special ballads he sang.

Wendy loved the words and savored them, but she realized he’d probably said the same thing to other women. She blinked her eyes to erase the dismal idea and watched from the edge of the bed as he unveiled his gorgeous frame. She should have known it would be flawless, except for two small birthmarks on his shoulder that were cute in themselves, like beauty marks.

She stood up after he finished undressing and held him tightly as they kissed. He helped her onto the bed. His hands began roving over her body, constantly moving. She held him, as she ran her hands down his spine and up through his hair. He slipped on a condom.

Wendy’s mind floated, almost as if it were outside of her. His hands moved over her entire body, like she imagined, but after a few minutes she became aware…his fingers never lingered in any of the areas she always responded to so willingly. He touched her everywhere, but he didn’t caress any part of her body or spend enough time in the one area where she could climax.

She felt the strength of his shoulders when he moved on top of her. With a few quick movements, it ended. He kissed her gently on the lips as he rolled off her. Wendy lay still, staring at the blank ceiling, trying to understand what just transpired.

“You’re great, Wendy. Hope we can do this again.” With those words he got up, grabbed his clothes, went into the bathroom where he disposed of the condom and ran his fingers through his hair. Wendy stood by the bed and slipped into a robe she laid out.

Brad came back all dressed. “Sorry I can’t stay longer, but I have to spend time with my kids.”

Wendy knew they lived with his ex-wife.

“Really, that was great, I look forward to more sweet times.”

“Thanks.”

Wendy walked with him to the door.

He gave her a quick good-bye kiss. “I’ll see you at the Cove,” he said as he scooted out.

Wendy went to the sofa, flopped down, and blew out the candles. She sipped the remaining wine in her glass.

He’s a surface person, she decided. He lives in his inner world. No one really knows him. The foreplay was minimum, and the sex ended before she knew it. She was thrilled he even wanted her and asked to get together again, but now Wendy wasn’t sure she wanted him. His movements were almost mechanical. Was it a routine he developed? Where were the deep penetrating hands that always stimulated her until she enjoyed the wonderful sensations of the climax? She so badly wanted to feel the warmth of his hands, the feeling she got when someone really cared about her. She tried to grasp the reality of why a wonderfully, talented hunk of a man proved such a disappointment. After all this time, all those daydreams and then to discover he was...well, it was laughable when she remembered how she envied all those women he slept with, only to discover what she needed and wanted Brad didn’t have. There were no true feelings for her.