Jake and Gill

"He's no kid, Wayne. He may be a couple of years younger than me, but not twenty like your current squeeze. Jake's a very fit young man and a perfect gentleman."

Gill turned and shouted up the stairs again, "Jennifer, Clayton, your father's here to collect you, I hope you're ready!"

The door bell dinged at that moment.

"Jake's here!" Gill yelled, just as Jenny came down the stairs and Clay came through from the kitchen.

"Wow, Mum! You look fantastic! High fives, Mum!" Clay held his palm high and Gill cheerfully slapped it with a resounding clap.

Jenny was equally complimentary, "Oh, Mum, you look lovely, Jake's gonna be bug-eyed when he sees you."

"Why, thanks Jen, honey, such a sweet thing to say," Gill said as she embraced her daughter.

Clay squeezed by them to open the front door and welcome in Jake, high-five-ing him as soon as he stepped into the hall.

"Hey, Jake, dude," Clay exclaimed, "you look like James Bond! Smart tux!"

Jenny skipped over and ignored Jake's high-five palm and instead gave him a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek. Then she stepped back and admired his evening wear.

"I thought Mum looked more beautiful than I have ever seen her," Jenny announced as she hugged him again, "but you look absolutely gorgeous!"

Jake squeezed her back and whispered in her ear, "Thanks, Jen, for everything."

She whispered back, "Seeing you looking as hot as this, well, Mum is going to be one lucky lady tonight!"

They broke off their hug to turn and regard Gill, standing in the hallway next to Wayne.

"Wow, Gill," Jake said, slightly croakily, "you are stunning, absolutely mesmerising."

"And you are perfect, Jake, you brush up better than I have any right to expect."

"You deserve nothing less than the maximum effort on my part," he smiled as he stepped towards his date.

They each moved towards one another and Jake held his hands out, palms upward. Gill slipped her smaller hands easily into his. He gripped them, pulling them up to his lips, kissing them both in turn, once, twice, three times, without taking his hungry eyes off her shining ones. Her eyes sparkled with pleasure, while his were in complete awe of her beauty. Jake released her hands and she fell into his arms, their lips met and they enjoyed a long kiss, oblivious to anyone around them.

When Jake opened his eyes, shortly after their lips had reluctantly parted, he noticed Wayne standing open-mouthed behind her. He whirled Gill round to his left, his arm around her waist holding her close to his hip, before stretching out his right hand towards her ex-husband.

"Hi, I'm John Nicholls, but everybody calls me Jake. I'm Gill's date for the weekend. You must be Wayne, I'm pleased to meet you."

Wayne automatically put his hand out and Jake firmly gripped his soft pudgy hand with his slim firm one.

"Right, Jenny," Gill said, "we're off now, so you'll have to lock up for me when you go. Make sure everything's switched off, including your computer Clay, as I won't be back until Sunday night."

They turned, still with Jake holding her waist and walked to the front door, where Clay held it open for them. She pointed to her overnight bag under a side table on the hall, which Jake bent down to pick up, while she collected up a tiny clutch bag, which matched her outfit, from the table.

"Have fun you two," Jenny called as they closed the door behind them, laughing. Clay and Jenny high-fived each other and then they saw their Dad standing there, with slumped shoulders and mouth wide open, and that started them off laughing again.

Outside, at the end of the path, the couple could hear Jenny and Clay laughing behind the closed doors. Gill stopped and put her arms around his neck.

"I'm sorry about that bit of showing off, I had honestly expected them to have left for Wayne's house long before now."

They kissed again, Gill imagined herself turned to jelly as she felt Jake responding hard as steel.

"Let's get you in the car and home," Jake said, breathlessly.

Jake led Gill on his arm to a gleaming blue Jaguar saloon and held the passenger door open for her.

"Oh, you borrowed that beautiful car from your neighbour, just to pick me up," she cooed, "you are too good to me, sweetheart."

"You, my angel, are worth going the extra mile for," he said as he closed the door behind her with a soft click. She fastened her seat belt and absorbed the luxurious smell of polished leather upholstery as he scooted round the front of the car, got in the driver's side and turned the key. The motor started with a deep throaty roar from the twelve-cylinder engine, and pulled smoothly away from the kerb.

"I have a confession to make, Gill, well several really."

"That's all right, I have a couple to make myself. I think I'll get to your place first though, before

I spill mine, I could probably do with a drink before I do that. Anything on ice?"

"Yes, I've Champagne on ice, and chilled whites, a selection; plus a robust red to go with the goulash, for later."

"Mmm, sounds nice. Well, mine can wait, what's your first confession?"

"Mmm, I conspired with your children to make sure Wayne saw you looking so beautiful for me tonight."

"Ahh! That's what they did, getting Wayne to arrive late?"

"Not exactly, look at the clock on the dash."

"Seven o'clock? It should be well past that, I was aiming to get ready for about half past and

I know I wasn't that early. Who changed the clocks at home?"

"Jenny changed all the clocks by winding them forward by three-quarters of an hour and Clay kept watch at the end of the drive for Wayne to drive up to your door. He called Jenny while he nipped down the path to the back door into the kitchen. Meanwhile, I was waiting just round the corner for Jenny's call so I could turn up just after Wayne did."

"Sneaky, the lot of you!" she laughed, "I have never seen Wayne look so gobsmacked before. I think I will treasure that look for ever. And this was all your idea?"

"Ah, let's just say it was an idea that I was more than prepared to go along with."

Gill laughed.

"You know, when I came along to your print room to get help about what to do with the kids, they were a mess. I was a mess. Clay wouldn't move off his butt and Jenny was trying her hardest to disappear up hers. I think the kids were blaming me more than Wayne for our break-up, as if I should have just put up with his wanting more freedom from his family responsibilities. Since you came into our lives, though, you've turned us all around. Ha! I still can't get over Wayne's face just now, it was a picture. Thank you, darling, thank you for everything."

At the apartment block, Jake pulled into the basement car park and reversed into bay 11.

"Sit there, I'll open the door for you."

"You are such a gentleman," she smiled.

He opened her door, one hand holding her overnight bag.

"I really just want to see you climb out of this car in that lovely dress. Gill, you really are a feast on the eye."

She got out quite demurely, a smile of pure pleasure on her face.

"I hope you still think so when I'm out of this dress, I'm all stretch marks, middle-age spread and sag under this gorgeous satin and silk creation."

He pulled her into his arms and they kissed again.

"You will always be beautiful to me, Gill, always. Whatever happens between us, nothing will ever take away my feeling that you are the most wonderful woman I know."

He released her, but she held on to him, so he lightly held her in his arms again.

"I have my first confession to make," she said, looking up into his eyes. Even in the dimly-lit basement she could see him clearly. "I had lunch with Gertie, your grandmother, on Wednesday -"

"Yes, you said -"

"But I didn't give you any details. She wanted to, and she did, told me everything Jake, everything about your parents' accident ... about your burns, your operations ... and you telling the surgeons enough was enough, and that you didn't want any more treatment."

He tried to speak, but she laid a finger lightly on his lips, his eyes soft and moist, she continued.

"I know that you think, that I will be shocked. I know that you cover yourself up in fear that everyone who sees you will run away in horror. Honey, I'm prepared, and upstairs I will stand in front of you naked, with all my warts and all that I am ashamed of. I long to see you naked. I need my lover to see me and I need to see my lover. That doesn't have to be here and now or the next few minutes, or some time on Saturday or Sunday, but when we are comfortable with each other, and ideally that needs to be this weekend. I want you to kiss every inch of my body and I desire to be allowed to do the same to every single inch of you. I want us to share our bodies, so I become yours, and you are mine. I need you to know that I am in love with you, Jake. I need you to know that I want you to be a part of my life, the rest of my life, and be a part of my children's lives."

"I want that too, Gill," he mumbled through her finger, the vibrations of his lips tingling on her finger tip.

"Jake, I think that through and through, you are most beautiful person I have ever known, that I desire you and want you more than anything." She released her finger.

He kissed her hard and passionately, so that she was giddy with desire.

"I, I love you Gill, I think I have always loved you, although I never said before, because then you were someone else's."

"I'm yours now, Jake, yours for the taking. Carry me upstairs and make me yours."

He swept her up in his arms and carried her in the direction of the lift.

"Another confession, Gill, the flat I took you to last time was not actually where I live but the Janitor's flat. I apologise for 'borrowing' that unoccupied flat for our first meal. My only excuse is that I was nervous about bringing anyone back to my own flat."

"Is it really that messy?" she laughed.

"No! OK, maybe a little. I believe I've lost that initial nervousness and our meal awaits us in my home. Press the 'up' button for me, please?"

The lift door slid open and he carried her inside. There was a bank of buttons on the wall, with 'B' at the bottom, through G,1,2,3,4, up to 5, then a panel above that. Next to the pad was an illuminated red button, which he pressed with his thumb, the action causing a cover to slid across revealing a number pad.

"Key in 3,9,1,7, Gill." he asked. "Over the weekend I'll scan in your thumbprint which will allow you to open the door."

She keyed in the code number, and the cover slid back in place as she felt the lift move.

"Where are we going, exactly?"

"Originally, the apartment was my parents' home, where I lived until the accident and where I moved back to about fourteen years ago when I left Gran's house. Since then I've lived here and modernised it. I've never brought anyone back here ... before now. Only my Gran pops in from time to time, she's great friends with Grace, an old lady who lives on the second floor."

"Oh, it's not Grace's lovely old Jag, is it?"

"No," he laughed, "she's pretty well housebound, or at least reluctant to go out. I'll introduce her to you if we get a chance, she has some fascinating stories to tell of her childhood in Vienna."

The lift stopped and the door slid open. He stepped out into a marble hallway, still carrying her. They were clearly at the top of the building as the hallway appeared to be lit during daylight by a cupola, currently showing black sky. Subtle up lighters around the picture rail showed the hallway to be large and stylish, the upper half of the walls painted in pastel blue shades above cream walls, with polished black marble half rounded columns appearing to hold up the cupola. The lift door smoothly slid shut behind them and she could hear it descend, presumably to the basement or ground floor.

"Welcome to my humble abode."

He set her on her feet but continued to hold and stroke her, looking in awe at her beauty.

"This looks impressive," she said, "and I do want the full tour, but you can show me round later, darling, first a drink and then the bedroom."

"You were not kidding?" he asked as he guided her through a door into a huge lounge, with two large bay windows along one wall, she could smell something delicious from the kitchen from beyond the room.

"No, I wasn't. I have a check list. One, meal in the oven on hold, check; two, drinks on ice, preferably Champagne, check; so the bedroom is number three, next."

They kissed again, this time with a ferocity that excited them both.

"The drink can wait. Which way to the bedroom?"

He led the way along a corridor into a darkened room and hesitated at the doorway.

"We can do this in the dark, if you like, Jake," she said softly, "once we finally break the ice, there will be nothing left that's worth hiding between us."

"You make it sound so easy."

"Being together, staying together isn't automatic, you have to want to break down those walls. But we can do it carefully and gradually, and we can do it together."

He nodded, adding, "I can open the curtains perhaps, or the skylight blinds?"

"The skylight blinds might be nice," she smiled.

He walked across the bedroom and picked up a slim remote control, pointed it at the ceiling. Silently, blinds to a large skylight immediately over the bed opened up, allowing the ambient night light of London in, so Gill could more easily see the bedroom furniture. It was a large bedroom with a huge bed against one wall, with a number of doors leading off other walls. He saw her look around the room. Tonight he was on his own home ground, so he only had eyes for her, but understood her curiosity.

"That door on the right is your bathroom, with your changing room in front, with lots of cupboards, drawers and racks, mostly empty at the moment; and over here on the left is my changing room with a shower room beyond. The shower is basically a wet room with plenty of room to er, share."

"I will freshen up and change in my bathroom, in a moment then," she smiled, holding out her arms to him. He moved swiftly to her and they kissed, both thinking that they would never tire of kissing and holding each other.

"Another confession time for me, Gill," he said quietly between kisses. "This is the er, first time I have ever been this far with a woman ... I have never made love before."

"I know, honey, or at least assumed. There is nothing to worry about, there is no competition here, sweetheart. Sit here next to me for a moment." She sat on the end of the bed.

He complied, and sat there quietly next to her, holding her hands.

"This is a special time for you, Jake, which makes it just as magical for me, too," she said quietly and carefully, "it is not about performance, but about sharing a joint experience. Let's just take our time, talk to one another about what feels good or better because there will be nothing bad. I trust you Jake, more than I trust anyone as a lover. I know you will never hurt me."

"Before we do anything, I need to tell you, prepare you about my ... my body."

"Jake, I know about your accident, the fire and your burns. Now, are you worried about pain or are you sore? Are there any no go areas you don't want me to touch?"

"No, if anything there are areas of reduced feeling because of nerve damage. I don't have any pains anywhere, but my skin is rough or bubbled to the touch in places and very smooth in others and feels odd to the touch. There is nowhere you cannot go, Gill. As you trust me, so I trust you. In the daylight you would see that my skin on my arms, legs and upper torso is heavily discoloured and covered in a patchwork of scars, I look rather like a quilt, put together by a blind man."

"We all have things that are not perfect. I am no model. I am a middle-aged woman who was a little overweight for the last few years, I have stretch marks from carrying the children, and boob droop, cellulite ... but I will still stand naked before you in the full light of day because I love and trust you."

She laughed and kissed his hands.

"Here we are, talking about being naked and yet we're both dressed to the nines. You look a million dollars and I feel the same, but once we strip off the clothes and my face paint we will just be two normal people with our warts and all, meeting together in love. If we stay together, and age together we'll soon be old and wrinkly, so our external good looks is fleeting at best. I know how beautiful a person you are on the inside and that you will always be beautiful to me. So I don't want you to be nervous about our lovemaking," she said between kisses. "I was a virgin when I met Wayne and he is the only man I ever slept with until now. I have shared a sleeping bag with you and even fallen asleep with you, three times now. And what we have been doing is all part of making love and have gone about as far as any couple have gone without going the whole way. I am nervous, of course I am. It is only natural, as your nervousness is. I am not prepared to do this with anyone I do not love."

"I know, you're a respectable woman as well as a beautiful one!" He smiled and she lightly tapped him with her elbow.

"Furthermore, I have no diseases and I am on the pill so, let's go do it!"

"You're on the pill?!" he snapped, although he had a huge smile on his face, "and I went out and bought a gross of condoms!"

"We'll pass them onto Wayne, he's not as careful as us," she laughed, "but I do have one more confession to make. The last time I made love to my ex-husband was at Christmas. I know we were technically still married but in the middle of divorcing, which he instigated as a 'by mutual consent' separation. In a weak moment I was tricked into thinking he was having second thoughts about us getting back together. I didn't find out about his baby until the kids mentioned it in the New Year. I felt such a fool."

"What did he do to upset you?"

"Can I tell you later? Right now I want just us in this bedroom and naked under those covers. What about you, are you ready?"

"Yes, I want to do everything I can to make you happy."

"Right, the last one to get showered, clean teeth, get undressed and into bed has to cook breakfast. Where did you put my bag?"

"I'll fetch it. I put it down in the hall."

When he returned she was already in bed.

"Breakfast on you in the morning then, Jake," she giggled.

"I thought you were going to wash-"

"I had a shower and cleaned my teeth only an hour ago, less than that, actually, especially after you fiddled around with my clocks!"

"Mmm, me too. So, you took full advantage of my absence to get yourself naked without me seeing you...."

"I'll close my eyes, if you want me too."

"Please.... I know it's silly-"

"No!"

She threw off the duvet and flew to him, as naked as she was. She kissed him all over his face, "it's not silly, darling, not silly at all. Any normal relationship, and ours is no different, is made up of little steps and stages. There are obstacles and fences to negotiate. Negotiation is my strong point at the bank and getting it right on the page is yours. Together, we have a deal to put together, to literally put to bed, one step, one paragraph at a time. So nothing is silly, darling, or maybe everything is silly! ... We make our own rules, all that concerns us is 'us', and our agreement that we are both comfortable together at ever turn."

She pressed her nakedness into him, while their tongues danced, his hands tracing her back, down to her bare bum, his erectness poking into her stomach.

"I think you are wearing too many clothes, lover." she giggled, "Shut the bedroom door and you can either undress here or in your bathroom."

"Here, it is dark enough for me."

She jumped back into bed, pulling the duvet up to her nose, from where she watched him. He fetched a hanger from his wardrobe, and untied his cummerbund, took off his trousers and carefully hooked them over the rail of the hanger. Unhurriedly, he took off his jacket and hung it, hanging the loaded hanger over the dressing room door. He turned to face her again, gently pulled at his tie until it unravelled completely and he pulled it off. He started to undo his shirt, when she sat up.