by Anna Wild
“Then do it,” Tim interrupted, putting a little force in his voice. “Say ‘yes’. What do you have to lose?”
His hands trembled violently, as she squeezed her eyes shut. Josephine bit her lower lip; her attempt to fight back the tears soon proved hopeless. Two tears toppled over the edges of her eyes and began to roll down her face, making his heart melt. By now, it was beating so loudly that he could hear it. Tim sucked in a deep breath, eagerly anticipating her response, as a northern breeze tugged at her hair. A few seconds felt like an eternity.
“One date,” Josephine asked as she sniffled,
“Yes,” Tim replied.
“Ok…” she whispered, wiping her tears off her face, sending waves of joy up and down his body. “Just one date: you’ll leave me alone after that. Please; promise me.”
“Cross my heart,” he said with a grin. “Come on; let’s go.”
“Just follow me,” Josephine requested. “Where do you want to go? I live in Manchester; it’s quite close.”
“Alright,” Tim nodded. “Are there any dance clubs there?”
“Dance clubs?” There was a hint of tension in her voice. “You want to…”
“Take you dancing,” he finished her sentence. “Well?”
“I have no idea,” she smiled, embarrassingly. “I don’t go out much.”
“I’m sure we’ll find a place,” Tim maintained. “Lead the way.”
Chapter Fourteen
The fact that they would go to Manchester in separate cars seemed trivial to him. At least she had agreed to go out on a date with him and he couldn’t be happier. He was ecstatic, but, more than anything, he was filled with an overwhelming sense of relief. It was as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. For the first time since he had met her, Tim had Josephine precisely where he wanted. In his mind, the hardest part was over. Now, it was up to him to convince her that he deserved more than just one date. So, he was going to do everything in his power to make this night special.
However, he soon realized their options in the small town of Manchester were quite limited. Tim was somewhat disappointed; he expected to find a city and ended up in a tiny town, a little larger than a village. There were only two dance clubs available. He let her choose; predictably, she selected the least crowded club, “Christine’s”, located on the west edge of town. It was small, made entirely out of wood and surrounded by tall, snowy trees. She parked her car behind his and quickly brushed past him, in an obvious attempt not to be seen together with him. But even that was not enough to spoil his mood.
Tim walked into the club. Bob Dylan’s “Knocking on Heaven’s Door” was playing from the speakers. The small, red, green and blue spotlights on the ceiling set the mood. Most of the tables were empty; there couldn’t have been more than twenty people in there at that time. The dance floor in the middle of the hall was empty as well. A bright light quickly caught his attention: a fireplace was in the upper left corner. Josephine was sitting at it; she even waved at him.
“You said this place was called ‘Manchester’.” He grinned, joining her. “I thought it’d be bigger.”
“It’s perfect for me.” She spoke in her usual, mellow tone. “The people are friendly and warm. Most of them have known each other for decades. They gossip a lot, too. That’s why I chose this over ‘The Northern Star’. It’s rather quiet, most of the time.”
“How do you know?” Tim teased her. “You don’t go out much.”
“I live just down the street from here.” Josephine smiled. “I’ve been in ‘The Northern Star’ once. It’s too noisy for me. Anyway, you never explained to me why you left.”
“Well, it was because I didn’t know how to handle you or Laura,” he explained. “We had sex that one night and then you wouldn’t even speak to me in the morning. It’s really frustrating, you know? Then there’s Laura,” he continued, taking a deep breath. “She’s just a pain in my ass.”
Unable to stop the fit of laughter that his words brought on, she burst out giggling, covering her mouth with her hand.
“I’m sorry,” Josephine got out between chuckles. “I didn’t mean to…”
“There’s no need to be sorry,” Tim interjected. “I’m just speaking the truth here. Sure, she’s a beautiful woman, but she’s still my boss. I’ve never been anybody’s pet.”
“I didn’t know you had so much pride,” she stated, as her smile fled.
“There are a lot of things you don’t know about me,” he replied in a much more serious, candid tone. “That’s why I wanted to go out with you.”
“Is that the only reason you rejected her?” Josephine inquired; “your pride?”
“No;” he responded quickly. “I didn’t want to date her, because I’m looking at the only woman who holds all my interest.”
She dropped her gaze from his face, clearly embarrassed. Her sad expression was not a good sign, but Tim did not expect anything else. He leaned his arms on the table. Josephine’s right hand was wrapped around an empty glass. He gently pulled it away from her and took her hand in his palms. Feeling her warm skin, he waited patiently for her to address him.
“I may not know you well, but you don’t know me at all. I’ve done things of which I’m not proud,” Josephine’s voice was barely audible, as she stared down at the bottom of the glass. “We’re nothing alike, Tim,” she added, returning her gaze to his face. “Not to mention that we’re both going to lose our jobs if she finds out. I’m sorry; I can’t give you a chance.”
“Give me a chance?” He pointed to himself. “You need to give yourself a chance. You need to get out of the lab: meet people; live. You’re not living right now, Joey.”
“Please, don’t make this harder than it is already.” Her polite request forced him to stop talking altogether. At that moment, a familiar song introduction filled the air: Eric Clapton’s “Wonderful Tonight”. Tim jumped from his seat and offered his hand. Josephine reluctantly rose and gave him her own hand. They stepped onto the dance floor. With Eric Clapton’s bluesy voice in his ears, he pulled her closer. He put his right hand on her left hip side and grabbed her right hand. Tim held it up at shoulder-level, so that their arms were bent upward from the elbow. Josephine placed her left hand on his right shoulder, bending her head slightly towards him. Noticing the stiff look on her face, he leaned over her and whispered in her ear:
“It’s not against the law to relax.”
A smile of embarrassment formed on her face. Tim got lost in her glimmering, dark-brown eyes, as they warmed.
“You look wonderful: every day and every night,” he whispered. Her smile grew wider. He would speak no more; this was no time for words. She loosened her grip on his hand, as he smiled down at her. The tense expression left her face at last. Comfortable with her, Tim let his feelings roam and held her even closer, as they started their first dance ever …
It's late in the evening; she's wondering what clothes to wear She'll put on her make-up and brushes her long blonde hair And then she asks me, do I look all right? And I say, yes, you look wonderful tonight
We go to a party and everyone turns to see This beautiful lady that's walking around with me And then she asks me, do you feel all right? And I say, yes, I feel wonderful tonight
I feel wonderful because I see The love light in your eyes
And the wonder of it all Is that you just don't realize how much I love you It's time to go home now and I've got an aching head So I give her the car keys and she helps me to bed
And then I tell her, as I turn out the light I say, my darling, you were wonderful tonight Oh my darling, you were wonderful tonight
The song was seconds away from being over, when Josephine tilted her face up. Tim couldn’t believe his eyes. She didn’t even give him time to angle his lips. Their mouths joined in a soft, gentle kiss. Her move had stunned him, but he would not let that opportunity go to waste. Sliding his hand up her side, he kissed her back. Her grip on his hand became tighter, as she sq
ueezed his shoulder. Josephine arched up into him, sending sparks up and down his body. She laid a quick kiss on his chin and collapsed in his arms. Tim let go of her hand and wrapped his arm around her lower back, savoring the moment.
“She’s alive,” he whispered, stroking her back.
“Alive?” She purred, opening her eyes.
“The girl in your notebook,” Tim laughed.
“She’s been here the whole time,” Josephine whispered, slowly leaning back. “And she could dance with you for hours.”
Her last sentence made his heart leap with joy. She was different; it appeared that she had followed his advice. Josephine was relaxed and, as he soon discovered, she meant every word. The two of them danced to more than ten songs that night. Despite Tim’s requests to get something to drink, she would not leave the dance floor or his warm embrace. She was enjoying every minute of this and so was he.
More than an hour later, the two of them returned to their table. Josephine was no longer the closed book he thought she was. Incredibly enough, she elaborated on her research: she talked about it passionately and, even though Tim did not have a clue about anatomy, he admired her conviction and her drive. Indeed, she was so adamant that she would succeed in finding a cure for Alzheimer’s that he didn’t want to interrupt her. Of course, as soon as she had finished her little speech, his head was spinning, but he didn’t mind. He wasn’t so interested in her research, but the sound of her soft voice soothed him.
Nonetheless, the change in Josephine’s attitude was not what excited him the most that night. Very soon, she wanted to know more about him. Tim was stunned by her request; it was the last thing he expected to hear from her. After all, they had agreed on going out just once. He obliged, and much to his amazement, he had Josephine’s full attention. She kept gazing right into his eyes as he narrated. Two of his stories were filled with suspense, as he told her all about the times where he almost got arrested. He preferred to leave the tale of his arrest out; it brought back sad memories and reminded him of the fact that he would be on parole for a while. As time went by, Tim was unable to shake the feeling that she had changed her mind about dating him. He didn’t dare ask; they were having a wonderful time and putting her in a difficult position could ruin their night. Furthermore, he would not discuss her bold move to kiss him on the dance floor. She had maintained that people in Manchester gossip a lot and yet, she hadn’t minded kissing him in public.
“It was the heat of the moment,” he thought to himself, trying to make sense out of it. “Girls love compliments. Why would she be any different?”
As they made their way out of the bar, he couldn’t deny it to himself that the moment he had been dreading was very close. Their date was over. As of tomorrow, they would be hundreds of miles apart. He stopped at the top landing of the small staircase, unwilling to force any words out of his throat. All of a sudden, he felt her warm hand on his hand.
“The view from my back porch is intoxicating,” she whispered, raising every hair on his body. Tim abruptly turned his head to the right and looked down at her.
“Your back porch?” he asked. She murmured her assent. “I’d love to go see it.” Tim confessed, as his heart once again leapt with joy.
“Then, please, follow me. Again:” Josephine laughed. “Trust me, Tim. You’ve never seen anything like it.”
Chapter Fifteen
Josephine’s house was at the end of her small neighborhood, on the edge of a small, oak tree forest. As soon as they arrived, she got out of her car and rushed towards her front door. For some reason that Tim could not understand, she was in a hurry. As he approached, his ears picked up the sound of heavy objects hitting the floor.
Closing the front door behind him, he noticed an open door, at the end of a narrow hallway. The room in question led to her back porch. Josephine was standing under the doorframe of her porch screen, with her arms folded across her chest and a sweet smile on her face.
“I heard noises,” Tim said. “What happened?”
“Look down to the left,” she urged, as he entered the room. Numerous books were on the hardwood floor, piled on top of one another.
“Holy cow,” he whistled at the mess.
“Would you like to join me?” Josephine said in in a much sweeter voice. Stepping onto her porch, he discovered what she was talking about. Dozens of tiny lights lay before them. Tim had seen city lights before, but there was something quite different about them. They were smaller, dimmer and almost all of them were flickering, resembling one gigantic birthday cake. The snow covered trees, just a few yards to the left, only added to the beauty of the scenery.
“You were right,” Tim whispered, sauntering towards her. “I’ve never seen anything like it. But here’s the thing: without you, it would just be another cold, winter landscape.”
“You’re really sweet,” Josephine spoke in a trembling voice, as her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. “This is my favorite view of the town. I’ve lived here more than two years and I’ve never shared it with anyone until now. It’s quite sad, if you think about it.”
“If anyone told me that I’d be on your back porch tonight, I’d think they were crazy,” He said, keeping his tone calm and light. “Don’t ask ‘why’.”
“Well…” she snorted. “I don’t think I have to.”
A strong, northern wind tossed her hair about, as he lifted his arms. Tim cradled her face, tilting his head down to meet her lips. Nothing, not even the gusts of freezing air could deter him. He needed to feel her mouth on his, one more time. Josephine’s soft, warm kiss sent him to heaven, as she snaked her arms around his back. Tim could feel her hair whipping against his face. Her short sighs filled his ears as their kiss deepened. She tightened her grip on his back as he caressed her cheeks. Josephine laid a short kiss on his left cheek and put her head on his shoulder.
“God…” she whispered. “This is so much better than my dream.”
“Your dream?” he laughed.
“Yes,” she purred. “I’ve had the same dream four times since I met you. It starts with an argument.” She sighed, gently leaning back. “I reprimand you in my lab for some stupid reason. You storm out: I run after you; I apologize. You forgive me: you’re really nice to me; you ask me out. I can’t say ‘no’. Believe it or not, you take me dancing. We dance, we talk for hours, we get…” She faltered, as he intensified his stare. “Ridiculously drunk and we end up in my place. But there’s a vast difference between my dream and reality.”
“What’s that?”
“I can’t feel anything in my dream.” Josephine’s answer put a smile on his face. “I’ve written all about it in my diary.”
“Doc…” He started. “When we first met, I thought you were some snobby bitch, who wouldn’t even look at me, just because I hadn’t been through college. But you changed my mind, the night you came to my room. You felt a lot more…”
“Human?” she finished his sentence.
“Yeah,” Tim said with a nod. “I didn’t mean to take advantage.”
“You didn’t,” Josephine assured. “You know you didn’t.”
“Perhaps I shouldn’t have come back.” He whispered, as stronger gusts of wind whipped her hair against her face.
“I’m glad you did. We wouldn’t be here if you hadn’t,” she whispered reassuringly.
“Kiss me…” she urged, her voice trembling as she gazed deep into his eyes. Her request made his heart pound faster. For a moment, Tim thought all of this was just a dream; yet, the cold wind and her long, sensual kiss felt very real. If this was the only night they would ever spend together again, he was going to make it a night to remember. He let go of her face. Fastening his arms around her back, he bent his knees slightly. In a swift move, he lifted her off her feet, as she ran her arms up his back.
“How can I resist you…?” Josephine’s husky voice stirred his emotions into a state of frenzy. Tim turned his body around, holding her tightly in his arms. A few steps br
ought him closer to her bedroom. Upon entering, he removed his left hand from her and reached behind his back. Tim slid the porch door shut, as a wild idea crossed his mind: to pin her against the wall. However, something like that would turn him on too much; he didn’t know if he would be able to control himself. He wanted to worship every part of her body and he would not be able to in that position. Instead, he started towards her bedroom, to the left. She kicked off her shoes, as he eased her down onto her bed. His hands traveled down her back. Sitting back on his feet, he slid them across her waist, until they found the zipper of her pants. He pulled it down and unhooked the button, as Josephine grabbed the bottom of her blouse and pulled it up over her head. Hooking his thumbs into the waistband of her pants, he rolled his gaze up her body. The sight of her red bra made him bite his lower lip. Rolling her pants down her legs, he couldn’t help but marvel at them. They were long and shapely, filling his mind with dirty thoughts.
“Mmm, look at those legs…” he groaned, as he rolled her pants off her feet. Tim tossed them on the floor, as Josephine reached behind her back. He reached forward and hooked his thumbs into the waistband of her panties, as she unhooked her bra. Slowly, he rolled them down her long, lush legs. Josephine got rid of her bra. Her panties landed on the floor. He scanned her naked body, from bottom to top, licking his lips like a hungry predator.
“The things I’m going to do to you…” Tim said in his deep and raspy voice, as their gazes met.
“I can’t wait…” she whimpered. Her sexy voice forced him to take action. Tim jumped up, as adrenaline rushed through his veins. One by one, articles of his clothing hit the floor. Within seconds, he was naked in front of her. He climbed onto the bed and lay on top of Josephine, maintaining eye contact with her. Closing her eyes, she circled her right arm around his neck and put her left arm on his back, as their mouths joined in a long, fervent kiss that made him shiver with anticipation. Feeling her nipples on his large, stiff pecs, he placed his hands on either side of her midsection. Sliding them down her body, he squeezed her hips, as she spread her legs. Her passionate sighs in his mouth were enough to give him a raging erection. His manhood was pressing against her stomach, as he cupped her upper outer thighs. Her bicep flexed around his neck. Their kiss deepened, as he stroked the supple flesh of her legs. Josephine ran her hand up his back. She stopped it at his right shoulder blade.