CHAPTER 6
Robert didn’t question the request to meet in the parking lot of the Abilene Public Library.
She had a kid, and this was only their second actual date, or third if the first one even counted.
He understood she wasn’t ready to let him know where she lived, nor was he ready to meet her kid by casually picking her mother up for a date.
He’d arrived early this time and was waiting for Lainey. He spotted her car pulling alongside him. She hopped out and got into his passenger seat. She’d worn a skirt tonight, and his heart gave a sharp kick at the sight of her.
They drove to Salina and walked Santa Fe Avenue downtown to Martinelli’s Little Italy restaurant.
It was perfect. Candlelit table, low lighting, red wine and soft music.
Afterward, they walked the three blocks to the bistro.
He made his move and took her hand when they crossed the street, but didn’t release it when they’d made it to the other side.
“I can’t take my eyes off your legs,” he said as they walked.
“Maybe that second glass of wine I had at dinner is talking, but damn girl, you look good.”
Lainey beamed as she strutted beside him. She hadn’t felt physically appreciated in years. He made her feel fifteen years younger. She played bashful. “I was worried the skirt was too much, but with the warm weather today..” she shrugged.
“No, not too much. You’re perfect.” He lifted the hand he was holding and kissed it.
They made it to the bistro and claimed a booth in the back. He ordered a whiskey, and she ordered a glass of pinot grigio. She’d only had one glass of wine at dinner and didn’t even finish it. She was buzzed mostly from Robert’s adoring attention.
The live music this evening was a three-man seventies cover band. Robert had sat beside her in the booth, and the warmth of his body next to hers was electrifying.
Her stomach did that topsy-turvy thing for the second time tonight. The first time being when he’d taken her hand as they walked after dinner.
God, he was unlike anyone she’d ever met.
He was different in every way. He’d traveled the world, seen battle, and was, as the old beer commercial used to say, the most interesting man in the world.
She was mesmerized that a man like him would even be interested in the boring PTA, plain Jane, mom that she considered herself.
A group of college-aged girls came in the door, and she could tell by their whispers, giggles and stares they were about Robert. Her heart plummeted. It reminded her of how old she was. Her thirty-six-year-old self could never compete with their skinny twenty-something tight bodies.
Robert had to have noticed the attention from their table, but he seemed unfazed. She’d been having such a great time too. But all the self-conscious thoughts and doubts plaguing her from the beginning of this budding relationship flooded her mind.
What was she doing? This massive, beautiful man in front of her was too good, too handsome, too hot to be with her.
Robert must have noticed the change in her demeanor. “What’s wrong?” he asked.
She jerked her head to look at him. “Nothing.”
He studied her for a moment. “It’s getting late, isn’t it? You have to get back, don’t you? I keep forgetting you’re a mom,” he smiled and signaled for the check.
Thanks for remembering in the midst of twenty-somethings who don’t even realize the pain or complications of a C-section, nor the scar which follows, she thought.
He was a gentleman and held her hand on the walk back to his truck. Conversation between them had died down, and they strolled the strip quietly, taking in the sounds of the bars and restaurants with the passing street traffic.
After getting in his truck, he drove towards the highway. Still, a silence was between them. She hoped he took it as a comfortable silence. Lainey was still reeling with uneasiness from her own insecurities after being reminded she was batting way out of her league with him.
Maybe they’d gone out too soon since their last date, only two nights ago.
When they jumped on the interstate, “Thank you,” he said, breaking her away from her thoughts.
“For what?”
“Coming out tonight with me,” he smiled.
Thanks for even agreeing to see me again, “No problem, I had a great time,” she replied.
“You know, you’re unlike anyone I’ve ever met.”
I am? She thought, but bit her tongue.
“You’re so...wholesome.”
“Thank you, I guess,” she replied hesitantly.
“You’re a good woman. You love your family, and I can tell you’re dedicated to them, to your daughter too. A lot of women these days are so wrapped up in themselves, in their careers, they forget what’s important in life. You’re not like that,” he smiled.
Lainey watched him. He had a firm grip on the steering wheel, and she imagined how much bigger his already massive bicep would be if he were actually flexing it. “Robert, is this your way of telling me you’re a bad boy and I should beware?” she teased.
He chuckled, “I think you already know the answer to that question.”
She didn’t, though. She really didn’t. She was way in over her head. He was this mysterious creature who appeared amid her trying to move on after her husband’s death.
Her husband. She’d have to go home and look at his picture again tonight after being out with another man. She was just starting to NOT feel naked by the absence of her wedding ring.
“There you go again,” Robert said.
“What?”
“Lost in your thoughts.”
How could he tell? “What do you mean?”
“It happened earlier when those girls walked in.”
He DID notice them. “What girls?” She played stupid.
“I don’t know if it’s the tattoos or my size. I know I stick out among civilians. I just hope you’re not embarrassed to be with me.”
What? “Embarrassed? Why would I be?”
“Because I know you didn’t want to be seen in Abilene with me.”
“Oh God, that has nothing to do with you! A lot of people knew my husband. I would like to keep a low profile while dating, is all.”
“Are you dating other men?”
She was taken aback. “No.”
“Good. I don’t like competition,” he smirked.
The topsy-turvy thing in her stomach happened again. He was so alpha, so male.
They pulled into the darkened parking lot of the library. Her car was the only one left in the lot. He parked alongside it and turned the ignition off. “I like you, Lainey. A lot.”
She didn’t move. Lainey wasn’t sure how to respond at first. But being polite and using a far too perky tone, “I like you too.”
Robert leaned over the console. He reached up and ran his fingers through the side of her hair, brushing her cheek with his thumb. “Come here,” those green eyes whispered.
She resisted his pull for about half a second before succumbing.
Their kiss began softly, but she decided to throw caution to the wind. Her sister’s mantra, which she hated hearing every time Cora said it, YOLO! (you only live once) blared like a siren in her mind.
Lainey turned her body and wrapped her arms around his neck, practically jumping over the console into his lap.
She crushed her mouth against his, expressing the craving of someone who hadn’t had intimacy in a long time.
Maybe it was that, or the fact he was more man than she’d seen in ... well ... ever.
She was simply seizing the moment. YOLO! YOLO! resonated in her mind as she felt his massive hands grab her waist and assist her journey to his side of the truck.
––––––––
Again, she went off like a firecracker. Robert found the lever on the side of the seat and yanked it, reclining it. He wasn’t sure how far she planned to go tonight in the confines of his truck, but he wasn’t stopping her.
He felt her hand clench the back of his neck as she licked her way into his mouth. He ran his hands up underneath her skirt and stroked her outer thighs.
She was everything he’d imagined. Fantasizing about her in those hot red boots when he’d first set eyes on her.
One minute she’s Susie-homemaker complaining about baking brownies from scratch for a school fundraiser.
And the next she’s on top of him, pressing her tits against him, sucking face like they’re teenagers and making him hard as a rock.
He’d been with women, many in fact, but Lainey was different. She was special, and he didn’t want to screw it up.
Headlights entered the parking lot, and she was off him like a cat on a hot tin roof. A cherry bar flashed on top of the SUV. It was a cop.
“Oh no,” Lainey said, shrinking into the passenger seat.
The cop pulled up behind them, obviously running the plate.
“It’s okay. They’re just seeing what we’re doing since we’re the only vehicles in the parking lot,” Robert assured her.
“That’s the problem. I hope they didn’t see what we were doing.”
Robert chuckled, then reached over and patted her leg. “It’s okay. Calm down.”
Finally, they heard the patrolman’s door shut and knew he was walking up. Robert already had his window down and military ID along with his driver’s license ready.
“Evening,” the patrolman said, shining a flashlight at both of them. “What are you doing loitering in the parking lot? The library closed three hours ago.”
“Just talking, Sir,” Robert answered.
“Let me see your IDs.” The cop reached out and took them.
“Sir, do you know Lieutenant Jake O’Connor?” Robert said as the police officer examined his IDs.
The cop shone his light back into the cab. “Yes.”
“He’s a buddy of mine.”
“I’ll be back.” He disappeared to his patrol unit with Robert’s IDs.
“I can’t believe this is happening,” Lainey was freaking out.
“Calm down, we did nothing wrong,” Robert’s amused tone was doing little to calm her nerves.
“Why does it feel like we did?”
“It doesn’t to me.” Robert’s cell rang. “It’s Jake,” he said, looking at it. “Hey,” he answered.
Lainey couldn’t hear Jake’s side of the conversation, but Robert soon said, “Yeah, it’s Lainey. I was dropping her off at her car.” ... “Uh huh,” he chuckled. “Okay, thanks.” He hung up. “Lainey, everything’s fine.”
The cop returned to the window and handed back his IDs. The tone of his voice completely changed. He sounded genuinely apologetic. “Sorry to waste your time. Have a good night, Sergeant.”
Robert rolled up his window. “See, we’re fine.” He laughed again. “You really are a goody two-shoes, aren’t you?”
She resented the comment, “No, I just don’t like being caught in compromising situations.”
“I think I was the one being compromised,” he replied, grinning.
Lainey’s heart was pounding and hadn’t lessened at all since the cop left. “I’ll talk to you later.” She reached for the handle.
He grabbed her arm. “When can I see you again?”
“I don’t know. I’m wrapped up for the rest of the week and weekend.
” She felt the cop was a reminder she was operating out of her depth with Robert.
Lainey didn’t know if she had the courage to even see him again after tonight.
She’d already gone too far, thinking she wouldn’t see him again for weeks because of his job.
They’d just met, for Christ’s sake. She thought, this is precisely why so many women become pregnant before soldiers deploy to war. This since of urgency mixed with passion was eating her up.
It was way too much for Lainey. This was completely out of character for her. Before she married Geoff, she’d made out with him once in a car. Once! And never had it ended up with her straddling him in the driver’s seat.
Robert let go of her. “I’ll call you, okay?”
“Okay,” she said, pushing the door open, escaping as quickly as she could to her own car.
* * *
“Tell me, Sis. How was date number two? Or is this three?” Cora asked.
She’d called the next evening after dinner. Vivian was in the bath, and Lainey was catching up on laundry. “I don’t know what I’m doing with this man!”
“What do you mean?”
“I just ...” she sighed, transferring clothes from the washer to the dryer. “I don’t see where this is going. He’s unlike anyone I would’ve ever imagined dating.”
“You mean, he’s unlike Geoff,” Cora said, the thing Lainey hadn’t had the guts to admit.
“Yes, completely.”
“That’s a good thing.”
“Is it? Is this who Geoff would want me to be dating?”
“That’s not a question you should be asking.”
“Why not? Geoff was my husband for ten years. I think he’d have an opinion.”
“Lainey, Geoff is not your husband anymore. You are not doing anything wrong.”
She needed to hear that. Talking this out with Cora helped, but “It’s just hard. I need to figure out how to separate my life now from what it was with Geoff.” How in the world was she going to find another man as good as Geoff?
“I loved Geoff. We all did. He gave you Viv, a precious treasure. But you’re not close to forty yet,” Cora said.
“You still have a lifetime of experiences ahead of you.” Cora was her biggest cheerleader.
“Remember what a big step it was, but also therapeutic for you, when you donated Geoff’s clothes to Goodwill? ”
“Yeah?”
“This may sound out there, but I have another suggestion. I think you need to redo your bedroom.”
“What do you mean?”
“Right now when you walk into that room, do you think of it as your bedroom or... yours and Geoff’s bedroom?” Cora had a point.
“I still think of it as our bedroom,” Lainey said timidly.
“Exactly. You need to buy new sheets and a new duvet. Then, you need to rearrange the room. Place the bed somewhere else. Also, put your wedding photo in a drawer. Save it for Viv one day.”
“That seems like a lot,” she grimaced. She took comfort in looking at their wedding photo before turning out the lamp. Before going to sleep for the night, it reminded her of happier times.
“It’s a reset.” Cora said. “Once you sleep in a room that feels fresh and un-Geoffed, I think it’ll help you move on to the next chapter. And that’s what this is, Lainey, a new chapter. The page has already turned. You need to stop fighting it.”
That familiar feeling of grief hung on no matter how hard she tried to will it away. “You’re right,” she said somberly.
“I’m not trying to be harsh. I love you. And I know the last three years have been a huge adjustment. But it’s time, Lain.”
“I have to think about it. There’s so many memories in each room of this house with Geoff, I’m not ready to just forget them.”
“I’m not telling you to forget them. I’m telling you to make room for new ones.”
Lainey wanted to change the subject from Geoff, and Cora had called to talk about Robert. She summarized the date. Then, rehashed one particular part. “You should have seen these young women when we were listening to the band.”
“What women?”
“These girls weren’t a day past twenty-five. There were three of them, and they immediately noticed Robert and sat at a table close to us. They were whispering and giggling, checking him out. If I hadn’t been there, he could’ve had any one of them.”
“Are you serious? I thought you said he was older than you.”
“He is. I think he’s forty, forty-one maybe? But Cora, he’s built, tall, handsome and ...” she sighed, “I don’t know what he sees in me.”
“Well, he’s making out with YOU in parking lots, not them. I think that should tell you something.”