The Natural

When she was was finally ready to go, she came out of her room around 6:30 and went to check on Carol one more time.

"Mom! You look sensational!" her daughter told her.

"You don't think it's too much?" she asked looking for support.

"Oh, it's too much for sure, but isn't that the effect you were hoping for?" she teased.

"Um...maybe," her mother said rather coyly.

"Well, you look amazing he's going to love it."

"It's not exactly a formal place," her mom countered as though she was looking for a reason to tone it down.

"Mom? Forget about society or other people. All that matters is you. Well, Josh, too."

Carol smiled and wished her mom luck.

"I'm not sure I need any of that," Cecily joked. "Getting...lucky...scares the bejeezus out of me!"

"Don't make me laugh, Mom!" Carol said holding her chest as she laughed. "Besides, you're taking it one day at a time, right?"

"Definitely. Yes," her mom said. "Very, very slow."

"Good luck with that. That dress does not say 'go slow'."

Carol smiled again then told her mom, "Just sayin'."

Heather was downstairs waiting for Jason when she saw her grandmother.

"Holy...shitballs, Grandma!" she said when Cecily walked in. "Is your date some kind of banker or CEO or something?"

"Um...or something," she said silently praying Josh wouldn't show up until after Jason did.

"So where are you and Jason going tonight?" Cecily asked wanting to avoid being asked more questions.

"There's a really hot new club we're going to," Heather said. "And it's for people 18-21 before you freak out about me getting wasted or anything."

"I trust your judgment, honey. I'm sure you know what's best. And I'm not your mother, remember?"

Heather laughed and asked, "So where are you going, Grandma? You're not playing Bingo in that," she said still staring at her grandmother who could easily pull off a look even Heather couldn't wear.

"Just out to dinner, honey. That's all."

"Do I know this guy?" she asked just as the doorbell rang.

It was Jason, and Cecily couldn't have been more relieved. He barely had time to say hello but did manage to get in a quick, "Damn, Mrs. R!" before Heather pulled him out the door.

"Whew. Saved by the bell," she said taking a seat and waiting. And yet what exactly was it she was so worried about? Society? Heather? Why did she even care? Oh, right. Years and years of a steady drumbeat of warnings about what was called 'inappropriate behavior.'

Cecily would readdress all that later. For now she felt like she was back in high school waiting for a cute boy to come pick her up for a first date. Then she laughed when she realized her date wasn't too far off from just that.

Right at seven o'clock, the doorbell rang again.

She went to the door, smiled, then opened it.

"Hi, Josh! Please come in!" she said happily.

Josh didn't even move. He just stood there staring.

"Josh? Are you okay?" she asked stepping aside a little more.

His eyes followed her but that was the only movement. Then she saw his eyes make a quick sweep of her body.

"Is...is this too much? It is, isn't it? I can go upstairs real quick and..."

"Don't you dare," he said still staring at her.

"So it's okay?" she asked now very concerned.

"Okay? It's...it's stunning. You're stunning. I feel like I'm with a beautiful actress on the Red Carpet during the Oscars and no one is looking at me."

He gave her another once over then said, "But why would anyone look at me when there's...you?"

With her gorgeous, blonde, swept-up hair, the red dress was even more amazing than she'd hoped.

Josh finally stepped inside and Cecily asked if she could get him anything. He told her 'no thanks' and that he was fine.

He smiled then corrected himself. "No, I'm not fine. You're fine. And I mean...fine. Wow!"

"I'm going to take that as a compliment," she teased, flattered beyond words.

"I don't even know what to say, Cecily. I believe I already said 'wow', right?"

"You did," she said sweetly. "You look very nice yourself."

He did look nice, but not like her. He was wearing a very nice sweater over a button-down shirt and nice pair of pants, but without a tux or at least a suit, he knew he was outclassed.

"I think I should go home and change," he said still admiring her outfit and what was under it.

"No! You look so handsome!" she told him sincerely. She honestly didn't care what he was wearing and what he had on was just fine with her.

"Shall we?" Josh finally said.

She handed him the shrug and said, "Would you mind?"

"No, not at all. I hate to cover any of you up, but you still look...wow," he told her as he helped her into it.

She grabbed her small clutch and said, "Okay, I'm ready when you are!"

He opened the door then did the same thing at his car and again at the restaurant.

Cecily turned every male head and no small number of jealous female heads who saw their husbands or boyfriends staring or downright ogling as she walked by.

As they were being led to their table Josh said, "When I told you I'd be proud to be seen with you, I had no idea just how right I'd be."

Feeling brave, Cecily reached for his hand and said quietly, "You make me feel so...young and happy and..."

"And?" Josh said as he helped her get seated.

"Oh, nothing," she said. "I just really enjoy being with you."

"Same here," he assured her as he took his own seat.

"I hope you'll be able to find something to eat that you'll enjoy," he said as their server handed them each a menu.

"I'll be fine," she told him. "I'm already enjoying myself." She smiled then said, "A lot."

Cecily found several things she could eat and chose two of them, one being an appetizer. Josh wasn't quite as sure but dove in and ordered, too. The truth was he didn't really care what he ate as long as he was with this beautiful woman and that she had a nice time.

As they chatted, Josh's job came up and Cecily asked him some questions about it.

"Heather said you recently graduated from college. Is that true?"

"Grad school, actually," he told her. "I got an MBA from the University of Washington."

"Now, I know you worked at the fitness center while you were in college, but is that where you really want to be in the long run or is this just temporary?"

"My goal is to become the manager and eventually buy my own franchise. In the meantime, I'm invested pretty heavily in the stock market—I had a full academic scholarship for my BA—and I worked to pay my way through grad school."

"I'm impressed," Cecily told him. "So you're a lot more driven than your easy-going personality reflects."

Josh laughed politely and said, "I like to think so. I've always pursued what I want most in life."

He smiled at her in a way that told her she was one of those things.

"I see. Does that extend into the realm of dating and women?" she asked already knowing the answer.

"Definitely. Finding someone who shares your values and your dreams is an essential part of being happy. At least in my opinion."

Cecily cocked her slightly then said with a pretty smile, "You're a very unusual young man, Josh. You're clearly very intelligent, you have a solid grasp on life's most important issues, and...you're not a bad looking guy."

He reached for her hand and when she gave it to him he looked right at her and said, "You know I'm pursuing you, right?"

There went that flutter thing again.

"I was getting that impression," she replied. "What I don't understand is 'why'."

"Why wouldn't I? You're everything I'm looking for in a woman."

"I'd mention something about when we were each born, but I don't want to be accused of the terrible crime of 'ageism' again so I'll just let that 800-pound gorilla walk around the room undisturbed."

"Let him walk or run or stomp. In fact, he can do whatever he wants. My eye is focused on the prize in the room. The um...beauty prize."

The flutter became that once-again-familiar spreading of warmth.

"Can I get you guys anything for dessert?" a cheerful, young, female voice said interrupting their gorilla conversation.

"No, thank you," Cecily said politely.

"I'll pass, too," Josh told her.

She left him the check and wished them a good evening. Before she walked away she turned to Cecily and said, "I just wanted to say you're a really beautiful woman. Everyone's been talking about how pretty you are and I just wanted to tell you."

"Oh, my goodness! You just made my day! Thank you for saying that," Cecily said, truly touched by her kind words.

As the girl walked away, Josh said, "See? I told you."

"Josh? I'm still not sure what's going on here. You know, with you and me, but...well, my daughter, Carol, told me to 'go for it'. I'm willing to do that, but I'm not sure what exactly it is I'm going for."

Josh went to respond but Cecily asked him to let her finish.

"I'm going to take this a day at a time and see where it goes, okay? So far, whatever this is, it's...very pleasant. I haven't had this much fun since my husband passed away. This has been just what I needed. But I don't want either one of us to get hurt, so as I said in my text, can we please just take this really slow?"

"Of course we can," Josh told her. "You just tug on the reins anytime I start trying to pull the wagon too fast."

"Thank you for understanding. I'm pretty sure it's nearly impossible for you to understand what 'this' feels like from my perspective. At a minimum, it's very...unusual."

"No, I probably can't see our relationship the same way you do. There really are some things that only time can allow us to see or feel. We can imagine them, but until we get there, it's largely just speculation if not wild speculation."

"There you go again talking like something with decades of wisdom and experience."

Cecily smiled warmly then said, "I probably shouldn't say this, but if I close my eyes I can imagine being your age again and eventually falling deeply into love with you."

"Then close your eyes," Josh said quietly. "Please?"

"I can't, Josh. I can't because that's not reality. This is. You and me and our, you know, the date of birth thing. That can't be changed. So the question is can we find a way to work around it?"

"I'm willing to try if you are," he told her sincerely.

"Okay. I'll try, too," she said sweetly. "So...now what?"

"Is it too soon to ask you to come back to my place?" He immediately said, "Just to talk or have a drink...of water. Purified water."

Cecily laughed then told him, "I trust you enough to take me to your place and take me home so...sure. I really enjoy talking with you so that sounds nice."

"Honestly, I'd like to show you off to the entire world, but I guess I'll have to settle for dinner in an organic restaurant. For now."

Josh left cash on the table with enough for a 20% tip then stood up and offered Cecily a hand. He helped her stand then walked her out without letting go.

"You two make a beautiful couple," a gray-haired woman said as they walked passed.

"Oh. Um...thank you," Cecily said suddenly feeling self-conscious.

She motioned for them to come a little closer then said, "I didn't know for sure if you were dating until I saw you holding hands. I just want to say that my husband was well, a lot younger than me, and although I lost him five years ago, I wouldn't have missed the time we had together for anything. I also wanted to say that you two remind me of what we had and if you don't mind me saying, hold onto it as hard as you can."

She smiled at them both then said, "I know it's none of my business, but please don't let anyone define your love. Just follow your heart. It won't lead you astray."

"We will," Josh answered as he looked at Cecily.

"Yes. Yes, we will," she said, too, as Josh squeezed her hand.

"Good luck!" the woman said before they left the restaurant.

"Do you believe in signs?" Josh asked.

"Not really, but I have to admit that was quite a coincidence, don't you think?"

"I do," Josh said as he opened the car door.

Cecily didn't get in immediately. She stood there for a moment prompting Josh to ask if everything was okay. She turned toward him and without warning put her hands on his shoulders and kissed him. And she really kissed him.

"Now everything's okay," she said sweetly.

"You're just trying to keep me confused, aren't you?" he teased.

"Why not? I've been so confused I can't think straight. Why shouldn't you join me on the short bus?"

Cecily covered her mouth and said, "That sounded mean, didn't it?"

"I'm not big on political correctness so it sounded fine," he said with a chuckle. "Okay, time to get in."

They didn't talk much on the way to his place, a modest apartment in a decent part of town. Josh paid for a parking space, something that was at a premium, and tonight was one of those times it seemed like money well spent.

He helped Cecily out of the car and it was all he could do not to kiss her again as she stood up right in front of him. In her heels, she was the same height as Josh and their eyes met at the same level for a brief moment.

"Um...come on. I'll show you my palace," he joked not wanting her to see what he was really feeling.

"Elevator or stairs?" he asked.

"How many floors?" she asked knowing the heels would be an issue.

"Three."

"Then stairs. Definitely."

He took her hand and walked her up and around as they made their way to his floor then down the hallway to his apartment. He unlocked the door and opened it then flipped on the light.

"This is very nice!" she said looking around. "I expected more of a bachelor pad."

"Oh, thanks. I dated someone for a couple of years and she had a lot of say in what went in here. When I had the money to buy anything, that is. But the paint scheme and most of the decorative items were her idea."

"Was it serious?" Cecily asked as he showed her to the sofa.

"Not really. I did like her, though. I was just too focused on finishing my degree and getting this job. And...she really wanted children and well, that's never been a priority for me."

Again wanting to change the subject Josh asked if he could get her something to drink.

"Do you have any white wine?" she asked surprising him as she thought about what he'd just said.

"I do," he replied. "Are you serious?"

She smiled at him and the look on her face caused blood to rush to a part of his body that always responded to beautiful women like that.

"I'm making another rare exception," she told him.

Josh poured them each a glass and handed one to Cecily who thanked him then patted the seat next to her.

"To following our hearts?" she suggested as she raised her glass.

"Definitely," Josh said repeating her toast.

They touched glasses then took small sips.

"Oh, my. I haven't had a drink in...five years?" Cecily said trying to remember the last time.

"Why tonight?" Josh asked as he set his glass down.

Cecily took another sip; a much larger sip then answered, "I...I might need a little bit of help in order to...follow my heart."

She took another big sip before Josh gently reached for her glass then said, "I promised I wouldn't rush things. So don't worry, okay? I'm not going to push. We can just sit and talk if you like."

"I...I don't think I want to just talk, Josh. At least not right now," she said. Her heart was beating like a drum in anticipation of his response.

Josh took her hand and said, "Normally, I'd take that to mean...you know...but you are so important to me and so special that I don't want to take a chance on..."

Cecily quietly but firmly cut him off. She took his hand and placed it over her heart.

"Do you feel that?" she asked.

"I do."

"That's my heart telling me what to do and I have every intention of following it."

"I see," Josh said as he leaned closer. "And what is it your heart is telling you, Cecily?"

"That taking it too slow is worse than taking things too fast," she said as their lips were just millimeters apart.

"Again, I wouldn't normally even ask, but are you saying..."

"Make love to me, Josh. Please?" she said barely above a whisper.

He kissed her softly then helped her stand and led to his bedroom. As he closed the door behind him he said with a smile, "I'm glad I made my bed this morning."

Cecily laughed politely and smiled at him the way she had before. The way that said, "I don't know where this is going, but I want to find out sooner rather than later."

Josh wanted to know what caused this sudden change of heart and yet he knew he didn't need to ask. The older woman at the restaurant had somehow pushed Cecily further along the path, and he trusted her instincts that she was indeed ready.

The room was nearly black with just a bit of light coming through a crack in the drapes.

"Would a candle or two be okay?" he asked as he cradled her face in his hands.

"If that won't scare you away then...okay," she said softly.

"That's not going to happen," he assured her. He quickly lit two of the half dozen or so candles and asked if that was okay.

"It's perfect," she told him as she pulled his sweater over his head. His shirt was off moments later and Cecily said, "Just like this beautiful body of yours is perfect."

He kissed her passionately as he stood there naked from the waist up then returned the favor. The shrug took a few tugs to remove, but the dress fell to the floor in one motion. Because it was backless, she wasn't wearing a bra, something Josh had pleasantly noticed all evening.

Cecily was also nearly naked wearing just a red thong, stockings and heels.

"So?" she said as he admired her body.

"You're even more beautiful than I'd imagined," he told her truthfully as they kissed.

He helped her with his belt and seconds later, his pants were a puddle of fabric lying next to her dress.

In the dim, flickering light, she could see he was as well 'proportioned' in the one place she wasn't sure about as he was everywhere else. She reached for him through his underwear and moaned softly as they kissed again.

"So?" he said quietly as she held his growing member.

"You're even...bigger than I'd imagined," she said trying not laugh at stealing his line.

She pulled his underwear down leaving him in just a pair of black socks. To his total surprise and great delight, Cecily didn't stop with removing his boxers. She knelt before him and using one hand to cradle his ample balls, she used the other to guide him into her mouth.

Josh groaned as she enveloped his hardened shaft taking him deeply on the first two strokes then spending extra time on the expanding mushroom.

"Oh...ssshit!" he groaned as she did things she hadn't done in several years.

"You like?" she said with a bright smile during a quick pause.

"Oh, me like!" he assured her as she went back down on him.

After a minute or so, Josh helped her stand then led her to the bed and gently pushed her onto it. He laid next to her and kissed her as he cupped her breast and squeezed.

Cecily moaned softly again and put her hand on his.

"Mmmm. That feels so good," she whispered between kisses.

She removed her hand then reached for him again and stroked his steel shaft as he kneaded her soft breasts.

"I've wanted you all evening," she said as she held him.

"You, too," he told her before pushing back then kissing his way south.

Her body was unbelievably hard and firm and toned.

"You're incredible," he said as he lowered himself to the portal of her sex.

Cecily gasped sharply as his tongue found its mark. Her body responded just as it always had when her clit was pleasured in that way.

"That feels so good!" she said, her body writhing in pleasure. Her hands reached for his head, her fingers running through his thick, dark hair while also pulling him closer.