by Kaylee, Katy
“I would like that. Thank you,” Christina affirmed.
“Once you pick a location, I’d like to take you out on Friday night. If that works for you.”
“Sounds like a plan. I look forward to seeing you soon,” Christina confirmed.
“Likewise. Have a good night.”
By the time Friday rolled around, I was as giddy as a fifteen-year-old schoolboy. Christina had inspired me to enjoy life once more to feel comfortable and confident, stepping out of my normal routine. Every fiber of my being felt like it was on fire. I believed this part of me had died with my wife, Cynthia. I knew she would want me to love again. I knew she was somewhere in heaven smiling down on me that night.
Christina wanted to go to one of my favorite Italian restaurants in Milwaukee, The Starlight Room. It was a small intimate dining restaurant that served some of the most exquisite Italian food I’d ever tasted. The one thing that made the restaurant so exclusive and unique was the in house wine. Wine so fresh and delicious your taste buds would be jealous for days. In the back of my head, I didn’t want to overwhelm Christina with too much all at once. I knew if she was eating Raman noodles for dinner, she was on a limited budget. I was sure her circumstances would come up at some point. It just didn’t need to be a focal point of our evening. I offered to pick her up in my Chevy. But, she declined. I figured she was either embarrassed or was concerned for her safety. I respected her decision and opted to meet her at the restaurant. Instead of meeting her on the inside, I waited out front with a bouquet of yellow tulips. I’d asked a few days prior to our date what her favorite color and flower was.
She wanted to know why I was curious. I just replied that it was a random question I wanted to know about her down the line. The night air was chilly and brisk for a late August night in Milwaukee. The summers were never too long up here. Over the years, I’d adapted to the weather and always prepared for the unpredictable. I stood patiently outside the restaurant as the sun began to set. Passersby complimented me on the flowers. Boyfriends and husbands tossed their head approvingly in my direction. I was anxious to see Christina. I wore my lucky black socks for good luck underneath my black slacks. I always favored the color blue against my olive skin tone.
I opted for a light blue polo shirt and rustic brown jacket to complete my look. I wanted to appear comfortable and modern at the same time. I knew onlookers would immediately question Christina’s and my relationship. So I wanted to appeal to her and make sure she was also comfortable.
Christina arrived in a red Ford Fusion—with a driver. She smiled at me brightly as soon as she recognized my face once more. Her beautiful blonde hair rested evenly on her shoulders as she stepped out of the back seat of the car. She’d obviously hired an Uber and I knew that had cost her dearly. She was keeping up appearances.
Crystal-studded earrings adorned her ears. I couldn’t take my eyes off her beautiful, curvy body. Her knee-length burgundy dress hugged her waist and accentuated her hips and short legs. She greeted me with a warm hug as her head was buried against my chest. I towered over her small frame as she wrapped her arms around my waist.
“These are for you,” I added, passing Christina the bouquet of flowers.
“These are beautiful, thank you, Nathan.” Christina cooed.
“You’re welcome. Let’s go inside and start our evening,” I stated.
Christina slid her hand into mine and followed my lead inside the restaurant. Just from her soft touch, my heart began to melt. Within a matter of minutes, we were seated at a table near the window. Christina quickly tossed a smile in my direction as her sparkling blue eyes pierced my heart. “You can’t smile at an old man like that….You make my heart race,” I joked.
Christina laughed and apologized. “My mistake.”
“Only jokes, I promise.”
“Good to know,” Christina replied, relieved. Our waiter soon appeared to take our order. He vaguely resembled my son, Macon. He was just a bit taller with more muscles. He introduced himself as Derrick, our waiter for the evening.
“Nice to meet you, Derrick, I’m Nathan. This is my date, Christina.”
Derrick smiled and bowed his head, respectively in each our direction. “What would you like to start off with tonight sir?”
I glanced over at Christina. “Whatever the lady wants is fine with me,” I replied.
“Excellent, sir,” Derrick retorted. “What would like to start to drink with this evening, Miss?”
Christina turned a bright shade of red and averted her eyes into the menu. “I’ll need a moment to think about it. If you don’t mind coming back in a few minutes?” she requested.
Derrick nodded his head and walked away.
“Do you drink wine?” I ask timidly.
Christina blinked her eyes a few times in my direction. I could tell she wanted my approval and feared embarrassment. I shrugged my shoulders lightly and reaffirmed that she should not to be nervous. “No pressure. We can start off with some sparkling water and work our way into the wine. What do you think?”
Christina cracked a smile. “Sounds like a plan.”
I nodded in her direction and leaned toward her across the table. “I want you to have a great time,” I whispered in her ear.
“So far, so good.” Christina replied with a smile.
I winked and returned to my menu. Within a matter of minutes, Derrick returned to take our orders. Christina ordered the creamy Tuscan garlic chicken and I had the Tuscan sausage pasta. As soon as Derrick left I memorized how beautiful Christina was once more. Her lightly scented floral perfume wafted by my nose. I imagined myself kissing her pouty moist lips softly under the moonlight. I knew I could fall deeply into the wonderful blue sea of her dazzling eyes. A tiny arch in her back caused her round perky breasts to push out through her dress. Each nipple was more supple than its twin. The delicate smoothness of her skin reminded me of white sandy beaches. Her dainty hands and feminine energy aroused all of my senses. She was absolutely perfect in my eyes. I watched her meticulously hold her hands as she scanned the room around us. Her manicured nails captured my eye as I wondered how long it took for her to prepare for tonight. We were surrounded by love in various stages. The dim lighting and the flickering candle on the table set the tone for a romantic evening of falling madly in love. “Christina, you look beautiful tonight,” I stated in between breaths.
“Thank you,” she blushed. “You look quite handsome, too.”
“Well, I had some help…” I joked.
Christina leaned forward and folded one arm on the table and the other underneath her chin. Her eyes opened just a bit wider with anticipation as she pursed her lips in my direction. I could tell by the shift in her body language that I had her full attention. “There’s this thing called Google. Have you heard of it?”
Christina laughed and kissed the back of her chair with her backside. I watched as an eruption of laughter caused her body to quiver. She swept an untamed loose hair strand behind her right ear and looked back at me. “Good one. Are you always this funny or just on first dates?” I chuckled a bit and ran my fingers nervously through my mane. I leaned into the table so that my voice would not project.
“Depends. If I’m feeling comfortable with my company, my fun side sneaks out occasionally.”
Happy, Christina leaned forward in her chair and slowly bit down on her bottom lip. She looked up at me and smiled with her eyes. “As long as you’re enjoying my company, that’s all that matters to me,” she said lightly. She picked up her glass of sparkling water and took a sip. I followed her lead and sipped slowly from my glass of sparkling water. I watched intensely as her mouth progressed the glass and her hands held the glass carefully. Her every move was angelic and decadent.
“Did you grow up in Milwaukee? “ I asked, breaking the momentary silence.
Christina placed her glass onto the table and said, “I’m from a small town outside of the city called River Hills. It’s in South Milwaukee. I moved i
nto the city a few years ago to go to college.”
“Oh, yeah! I believe I’ve heard of River Hills before. Which college did you attend?
Christina was smart. “I went to the University of Milwaukee. Cheesy and predictable, I know, right?”
“Not quite. Maybe it was the best choice for you at the time. No judgment,” I affirmed.
“Tell that to my parents. They practically brainwashed me into attending the university from the time I could talk.”
I laughed. “It’s true. My parents are your typical all American family when it comes to education and planning for the future. Makes me want to puke, I swear.” Christina begrudged.
“I know the feeling all too well. I wish my son had half the guts you did to attend college. He dropped out and cost me money. It’s tough, trust me,” I admit.
Christina furrowed her brow. “So you have a son….Hmmm. How old are you by the way?”
I removed my foot from my mouth and stared back into her perplexed expression. With a deep breath, I responded to her question. “Forty-four.”
“Oh,” she says, alarmed.
“Is that…is that a problem?”
She paused and shifted a bit in her seat. Christina began to avert her eyes and stared out of the window. She began to tap her foot beneath the table. Her nerves were apparently a bit taken aback from my news. I gave her a moment to process everything.
“So…you’re like old….old?” Christina joked.
I sipped my sparkling water once more. I nodded my head and said, “ Um, yeah I guess you could say that.”
“I’m sorry. I’m not trying to offend you. I’ve never dated someone much older than me.” Christina explained.
“I understand. Not offended at all.”
“It’s not a problem with me,” she added.
“Good because I’d really like a chance at winning your heart.”
Christina reached her hand across the table. I met her hand in the middle of the table. Our fingers intertwined as our eyes met. Christina whispered, “You have my word.”
I squeezed her hand and smiled back. Within that moment I knew the date was going to be great.
Our dinner soon arrived and we began to exchange more need to know information with each other. As the night progressed, Christina sipped slowly on a glass of red wine. She shared with me her passion and desire to travel abroad. She’d always imagined living in a tiny house in Sweden surrounded by plush farmland and friendly blue skies. Christina loved old film noir, especially Mitchum and her food weakness hit her when she was stressed; she ate cookies. She collected cookie recipes, as though that somehow legitimized her obsession with them. Fresh out of college with a degree in psychology she dreamed of a career working with children. I found it charming and uniquely beautiful that her favorite time of the year was Christmas. Her eyes lit up brighter than a Christmas tree in New York when she shared that all of the decorations and singing warmed her heart. But, more than anything Christmas was the one time of the year children all over the world had their dreams realized on Christmas morning. It was so natural for her to open up to me. I could tell by her third sip of the red wine that she was starting to let some of her walls down.
“I love Christmas too! Although it’s bittersweet for me now because I lost my wife on Christmas eve. It’s never been the same for me or my son.”
“Oh my God, Nathan, I’m so sorry. That had to be rough.” Christina replied, placing her hand on my shoulder.
“It’s taken a toll on me and my son. When she died we were divorced. Even then I still loved her deeply. It was hardest on our son, being so young and losing his mom to cancer. Somehow, losing my wife taught me how to love and care for others, especially my son,” I admitted.
“That’s such an eloquent way of looking at things. I couldn’t imagine the pain of losing the person I love.”
“Hopefully you won’t have to.” Christina placed her hands against her heart. She took a deep breath and said, “Thank you for sharing that with me. I know that may have been hard to talk about with a stranger.”
“Strangers?” I question. “Are we still strangers after an hour?”
Christina reached for her glass of wine. She looked at me over her glass and said, “Maybe not complete strangers.”
“Good. I’d like to think we have grown past the awkward stage of strangers.”
“Well, that would depend on what happens next after our date,” Christina retorted.
I nodded. “I liked the sound of your laugh and voice. It’s so alluring and arousing all at once.”
“I’ll accept that as a compliment,” Christina agreed.
“Tell me more about you, Nathan. Why were you on the dating site?”
I took a few sips of my wine and considered how I was going to share certain parts of my life. I planted the glass of wine onto the table. “I was born an only child and both of my parents have passed on. Now, it’s just me and my son. I am a practicing psychologist, specializing in couples’ therapy and sex addictions. I’m fond of the arts and Italian cooking and I own a rusty 1958 Chevy. It still runs as smoothly as the day I bought it. “I contended.
Christina nodded her head as she listened intently. I could tell by her body language that as the minutes went by she was beginning to like me. She licked her lips and said, “Can I go for a ride in your Chevy sometime?”
I laughed nervously. I wasn’t expecting that question. “Of course, “I responded.
“Awesome.” Christina said with a smile. “So, I’m curious about the dating site, what made you create a profile?”
“Well, a few reasons. I’ll have to say because I’m single and as part of a study of human online dating behavior.”
“Hmm…okay! Makes sense you’d specialize in couple’s therapy and are a psychologist. The million dollar question is, why are more people dating and not getting married these days?” Christina questioned. My brows went up as I was mentally stimulated by her question.
“Well, the research is still pending. However, I would say more people are being open and honest about their fears and desires. Today, we’re more encouraged to be ourselves instead of fitting into someone else’s ideals even in dating or marriage,” I admitted.
Christina nodded her head and said. “I think it’s because we’re all just a little tired of dealing with other people’s bullshit and want to focus on what makes us happy.”
“That may be true or we all just might be crazy enough to still believe in love,” I confessed.
“So, do you…believe in love?” Christina asked.
“I do and I always will.”
“Me, too. Good to know people like us still exist.” Christina raised her wine glass and proposed a toast. I met her in the middle with my glass raised. “To love; may we always be wild at heart and rebellious in spirit to set our souls on fire in pursuit of happiness.” Christina said with a smile.
“To love!” Our glasses clinked and we sipped at the same time. I glanced down at my watch and realized that at least two hours had passed by. Most of the couples who were dining with us had left. I requested the check and Derrick eagerly obliged.
“So what’s next?” Christina asked.
“Good question. I was thinking maybe we could finish our evening with a brisk walk. If you don’t mind, I’d like to spend more time with you tonight.”
Christina grazed my hand and nodded with a smile. “I’d like that very much. Let me skip to the ladies room and we can go.”
“Sure thing.” I watched Christina slowly prance to the ladies room. Watching her from a distance caused me to stir inside my seat. I eagerly wanted to kiss and touch all over her body and listen to her soft moans in my ear. To taste the sweetness of her peach flavored waterfall upon my tongue would be heaven. I was confident she would be all mine. This was the beginning of a beautiful love story.
2
Christina
I couldn’t stop smiling from ear to ear. As soon as I made it back home a
ll I could think about how wonderful my date with Nathan had gone. I didn’t really know what to expect from him. He was the perfect gentleman. I felt safe and special all at once. I never knew such a man like him could ever find interest in a girl like me. It had been a while since I’d felt butterflies for anyone outside of Macon. Since the date night, butterflies were dancing all over me. I couldn’t help myself. Nathan just made it easy to like him and feel safe in his presence. There was something magnetic and special about the way he would look at me with love in his eyes. It was like we were in the restaurant alone and time didn’t matter. It was by far one of the most fantastic dates I’d been on in a long time.
When Nathan kissed me on my cheek last night after our date I nearly fainted. I mean, I wasn’t expecting to like him as much. When he leaned in to kiss me goodnight I grew nervous. I didn’t want to move too fast or rush things between us. But, I wanted him to feel the rush of my heartbeat and hear the excitement in my voice as we stood close to each other. It was the end of the night and Nathan held my hand and planted soft kisses on it. I giggled softly as he complimented me over and over again throughout the night. I’d never felt so special and appreciated by a man, not even with Macon.
We were standing beneath a streetlight out in front of a local lounge. We didn’t want to go inside, it would be too noisy. I wasn’t too comfortable sitting in his car alone. I didn’t want my anxiety to get the best of me. So we just walked around town for a short while for the night. Nathan held my hand tightly inside of his and walked closely to me. He was very protective of me. He wouldn’t even let me step on as much as a twig on the sidewalk.
I found him to be very romantic, in a subtly charming way. The more he talked about his life and things he wanted to do in the next few years, the more he inspired me. Here was this gorgeous, tall, middle-aged man telling me his biggest and wildest dreams. He wasn’t afraid to sound weird or strange. He just felt comfortable enough to be himself around me. Something in my heart felt like we’d known each other for years or maybe lifetimes before. There was something strong and compassionate about Nathan that made me want to spend the rest of my life with him. I knew it was too soon for wedding bells and honeymoons. But, the way he stirred my loins to a heated fire, I couldn’t help but dream about the future. By the end of the night, I knew I wanted to see Nathan again. Just to be sure that I wasn’t getting my hopes up for nothing. With his arms wrapped tightly around my waist and mine around his we stared deeply into each other’s eyes. Nathan bit his bottom lip and paused nervously. I could tell he was over-thinking his words and feelings just a bit.