He left afterward. Looking at the clock she saw she’d missed lunch. John was probably out of his mind. Rushing to the phone she started to type in his number and stopped. Calling him wouldn’t do the trick. She wanted to do something else. Putting the phone down, she entered the kitchen and started setting up her basket.John deserved the best, and she finished icing the chocolate cake. She hummed as she set to work. By the time it came to end of the day, she headed out toward John’s place of work. At five o’clock she was leaning against his car holding the picnic basket in front of her. Every time the elevator stopped, she tensed waiting to see him.For the next half an hour John didn’t appear. He was one of the last men to leave the building coming toward her with Dick in tow. His friend slapped his arm, pointing at the car.She smiled, waving at him. John frowned, approaching her.“Why are you here?” John asked.“I thought we could go on a picnic. I’ve packed dinner.” She turned to
She was gone. Eliane was gone. The funeral was over, and only a few close friends were left, cleaning up after the meal. Maxwell, now a widower, sat in his recliner in the living room, looking out the window at the backyard, imagining Emma in her garden. But she wasn't there. She is now buried. This thought filled him with grief. Tears blurred his vision and stained his face.He believed that if there was a heaven, she was there. She was the most honest and moral person he had ever known. She had strong faith in God and in the goodness of people. She always tried to see the best in others, even when they didn't deserve it. She had kept him out of trouble more than once.Dakota, a close friend of Emma and Maxwell for over ten years, sat down in a chair across from him. She began to speak. "Maxwell, I think we are going to go now. There is plenty of extra food in the fridge if you get hungry later."Maxwell turned to look at Dakota, but seemed to look right past her. Then, focusing on h
He was able to get Dakota on the phone, and she seemed truly pleased that he had called her. Maxwell explained his situation to her and why he needed a change of scenery and venue. She told him that she totally understood.Dakota had been a widow for about four years now and knew exactly what Maxwell was going through. Her husband had also died of prostate cancer. She told him to let her look through her listings, and she would get back to him as soon as she thought she had something of interest.Later that afternoon, Maxwell's phone rang. "Hello.""Maxwell, it's Dakota, how are you?""I'm doing good. Did you find me something?""Well, I might have found just what you're looking for, but then, you will need to be the judge of that. What is your schedule like tomorrow?""As far as I know right now, I'm free. What did you have in mind?""Well, if you could meet me at my office, then I could show you a few houses and maybe find one you really like.""What time tomorrow?""Is about ten ok
"Wait until you see the inside!" Dakota smiled and winked at him.She parked the car in front of the house, grabbed her notebook, and said, "Shall we take a look?""Yes, by all means," Maxwell replied.As they stood at the front door, she bent down to punch in the combination to the realtor's box, which contained the door key. Once in the house, she began to explain the present situation to the house."The house at present is a corporate rental. What that means is that companies will rent the house for a weekend or longer for meetings or retreats. That's why it's furnished.""I see. What is the asking price?""Well, it is listed for 400,000, which is not a bad price itself. However, because of several factors, I think the owner would be willing to take less than that—actually, much less.""How much less is much less?""Well, because of my working relationship with the owner, I think if you made an offer around 300, she would entertain it. The owner is an older woman and she is having
Looking out the kitchen window, he watched her pull out of the driveway and disappear into the woods.Maxwell spent most of the afternoon walking through each room of the house, imagining himself living there. He would then walk outside to get a feel for the layout of the property. He also couldn't get Dakota or the peck on the lips out of his mind.After only about two hours, he knew that he wanted it. Actually, he knew it long before Dakota left. The whole 'I want to see it at night', was just a ploy so he could arrange some more private time with Dakota.Since Emma's passing, Maxwell hasn't dated. He didn't even try, mostly because he found no one who sparked his interest. However, now, his interest was not just sparked but was fully engulfing him.Sitting at her desk, Dakota was having a very difficult time organising her thoughts about what she had to do. Fortunately for her, the list of things to do for the day was pretty short. She would find herself looking out the window, thi
As she reached up to take her drink, Maxwell bent down and kissed an exposed part of her shoulder. That's it, she thought; I can't hold this any longer.She then turned around, attempting to set her glass of wine on the deck railing, but actually knocked both drinks off the rail, and the sound of crashing glass on the ground below filled the air for a moment.Without either of them acknowledging what she had just done, she turned to face Maxwell and said, "I want you to know something. No matter what happens the rest of this evening, it has nothing to do with selling or buying a house. Right now, I don't care if you buy it or not."Maxwell pulled her into him, his hand now firmly on the small of her back, "Oh, I'm buying it. There is no doubt about it."He then pulled her up to his lips, and they began to kiss with great passion and heat. Their mouths were hungry, and their tongues were rapidly exploring each other.After a minute or so, the kissing went from feverishly passionate to
He then bent over and began to kiss her from the neck down to the small of her back, then back up to her neck. His tongue was cool, and he tasted mint, man, and coffee and escaped—and Dakota didn’t at that point question it. All she did was feel it. The bliss of firm lips and the scent that had always made itself known captivated her as they intensified in their close proximity.His body to touch was everything her eyes had promised—lean and powerful beneath her hands and against her own body.Maxwell had a thing for the naked back of a woman. He felt it was one of the most sensual things about her. His arms pulled her in, and his mouth was pressing on hers.Wrapping her in his embrace and crushing her with his mouth. Maxwell cupped her through her moist haven and she whimpered, “Oh God!” her body arching against the wall behind her. "You are mine, Dakota. Condom or no condom." His thumb found her clit and dug its way through the fabric, pressing hard and massaging it in lazy circles.
"Me either! I want something lasting, something I can depend on.""Exactly! When I first saw you today at your office, it was like we hadn't missed a step. I instantly felt at ease with you, at home if you will. I was a little shocked by that, but I knew it was true. You felt like home to me.""Maxwell, you feel like home to me also. Having spent a good portion of the day with you, it felt like we had been together for a long time. I was totally at ease with you too. So what's the problem?""I never said there was a problem, I just wanted you to understand that if I buy this house and then, of course, move here, I want to spend as much time as I can with you. I want to spend as many days and as many nights with you as I can. That's not desperation talking; it's just a flat-out desire for someone I care deeply about.""I feel the same way. I want to spend as much time, day or night, with you also. I mean, we could even take it to the next level and go steady. But if we go steady, you'l