Taboo

Keywords: Pleasant, Ch., Street, To, Return, 01,

It was far more posh than any restaurant she'd ever been to before. She looked around wide-eyed, taking in everything.

Several of the male customers gave her admiring glances when the maitre de seated them. Milt noticed, but couldn't blame them. It was difficult for him to take his eyes off her, too.

Dinner was fantastic. Milt ordered Filet Mignon for both of them. He also arranged for some excellent wine, and they finished with the house special dessert, a strange concoction that included chocolate, cocoanut, and lot of sugar. It was served warm, covered with whipped cream.

"I feel like I'm going to explode," Jody commented as they prepared to leave. "I can't remember the last time I ate so much! And the filet was incredible! Thank you, Milt!" She still wasn't sure why this all was happening.

"I wanted to spoil you a little," Milt replied. "I'm in an uncommonly good mood tonight."

"Spoil me a little?" Jody said and smiled at him. "I'd call this spoiling me a lot! This is the most fabulous place I've ever been to eat!"

"I'm glad you like it," Milt said. "You ready to retire to the lounge and do a little

dancing?" A band had started playing in the lounge next to the dining room and the prospect of holding Jody in his arms had him filled with anticipation.

When Jody slipped her arm in his as they walked out of the restaurant, Milt found himself feeling a little giddy. He was starting to act a little like a teen-ager and he kind of felt like one, too.

The lounge was crowded, but they found seats in a cozy corner booth. A waitress appeared and Milt ordered drinks. The waitress took their order and left and the band started playing a Glen Miller tune, "Moonlight in Vermont." Milt was glad. Fast dancing wasn't one of his skills. "Want to dance?" he asked Jody.

Jody smiled at him and said, "I'd love to."

They walked out onto the small dance floor and Jody came into his arms. Her body molded itself against Milt's and he felt warm feelings sweeping through him. At first, he started to resist them, then he realized he didn't need to, not if he was going to do what he'd come here tonight to do. There was something he planned to do tonight and, one way or another, no matter what the consequences, he was going to do it.

Jody's soft hair tickled his face as she snuggled against him. Milt couldn't recall ever having a more delightful dancing partner. Being on the dance floor, with Jody in his arms, was a little like being in heaven.

The dance ended and Milt reluctantly released Jody. The fact she seemed reluctant to leave his embrace thrilled him. Was it possible she felt about him the way he felt about her? Or was it just that she liked to dance?

They walked back to the table, sat down, and sipped their drinks. The booth was small, and Jody was very close to him. She leaned over, kissed him on the cheek, then squeezed his arm.

"Oh, Milt, this is wonderful," she said softly. "I-I'm glad you asked me to go to dinner tonight. I can't remember when I had a nicer time."

Milt kissed her on the forehead. "If you're happy, then I'm happy," he said. He took another swallow of his drink. "Jody...there's..." The band swung into a fast tune just as he started to speak.

Jody grabbed his hand. "Come on, let's dance," she said. "We can talk later."

"But it's a fast dance," Milt protested. "I can't fast dance. I-I'm a real klutz."

Jody was surprised to see him hesitate. He'd always seemed so self-assured before. It was a side of him she liked seeing. "Just jump around in time to the music," she said, smiling, "That's all anybody else does."

Milt did get up and dance. He mustn't have looked too outrageous. At least nobody seemed to be staring at him. Of course, he was so busy staring at Jody he probably wouldn't have noticed anyone staring at him anyhow. She was, he thought, poetry in motion. Her lithe body moved incredibly well as she moved to the rock and roll music. He couldn't believe someone as beautiful as she was could actually be his date. Immediately after the fast dance, the band segued into another slow tune.

Jody came into his arms and once more they glided around the small dance floor. The pressure of her body against his was doing wild things to him, and Milt no longer tried to make any effort to hide the results of her contact. If the fact that she was turning him on made her angry, he needed to know that.

If Jody felt the erection growing in his pants, pressing against her, she gave no indication. She didn't back off from the close embrace they were in.

When the dance ended, they returned to their table. The band's lead singer announced that they were taking a break.

Jody sipped a little more of her drink, then laid her hand on his and said, "What was it you wanted to tell me earlier?" she asked.

There it was. The perfect opportunity for Milt to tell her what he brought her here to tell her. Did he have the courage to do it?

Milt took a deep breath. "I...ah...I," he stammered, "I-I got divorced. It...the divorce was final last...last month." That wasn't exactly how he thought he'd say it when he planned this, but that's how it came out.

Jody, stunned by what he'd said, stared at him. "You...you what?" she stammered.

Milt cleared his throat, took a long swallow of his drink, followed that with a deep breath, then said, "That's not exactly how I planned to tell you that, but..."

Jody tried to figure out what this was all about. Was that why he'd taken her out to dinner, to tell her that he was divorced?

"Is...is that why...why you...you asked me out to...to dinner?" she stammered. "To...to tell me you're divorced?"

Milt nodded. "Partly," he said softly. "I-I-I also wanted to...to tell you that...that

I'm...I'm in love with you."

Jody was even more stunned. She tried to think. Her mind was whirling; her heart was pounding. Was this what she wanted to hear? Had she been waiting to hear him tell her this for five years?

Milt gazed at her, his heart pounding. What was her response going to be?

Jody finally figured out how she felt and knew what her response had to be. She squeezed Milt's arm, smiled, and said, "I-I'm in love with you, too."

Milt couldn't breathe. She was in love with him, too! He couldn't believe it! His fondest dream had become reality! He gulped and tried to think of something really nice to say. "Ah...you...you are?" was what he finally came up with, and felt like an idiot after he said it.

Jody nodded. "I-I think I've been in love with you for a long time. I-I didn't know you...you know... that you felt the same way, but...but I guess I-I hoped you did."

"I-I think I've been in love with you for quite a while," Milt admitted. "but...because I was married, I-I was afraid to tell you."

"Am...am I the reason for...for your divorce?" Jody asked.

Milt shook his head. "No, not at all," he told her. "My marriage was over when...when I met you. But because of my son, I felt I had to keep trying. Now that he's in college I don't think the divorce will have the same negative effect on him. He and I have talked about it, he doesn't hate me or anything."

"I-I had no idea..." Jody murmured.

"And..." Milt continued, "the other thing that had me worried is that you're so much younger than I am."

Jody made a face at him and squeezed his hand. "What difference does that make if we're in love?" she asked.

"None, I guess," Milt said. All of a sudden, the difference in their ages didn't seem like the big issue he'd made it in his mind.

The band had come back on the stage while they talked, and was tuning up. Milt didn't really want to dance any more. What he really wanted was to be home with Jody.

"Do...do you want to dance any more?" he asked Jody.

She kissed him on the cheek. "Just one more slow dance to celebrate," she said. "Then I want to go home."

They did get up and dance and, when the dance ended, they kissed lingeringly, then walked back to their table, got their things, and left.

When they got in the car, Jody slid across the seat and snuggled against Milt. "I've never felt more wonderful in my life," she said softly. "This has been the most wonderful night of my life!"

If Milt had anything to say about it, the night would be a lot better before it ended.

*-3-*

Things seemed strained when Jody and Milt arrived back at her house. It was as if, having admitted their love, they didn't know how to move on to the next phase of their relationship. What had once been easy now seemed to pose problems. They stood in the kitchen, looking at each other.

It was clear to Milt that nothing would happen unless one of them did something, so he screwed up his courage and walked across the kitchen, to where Jody was standing. She kept staring at him. Milt looked at her. She was so young, and so gorgeous!

When Milt put his hands on her shoulders, Jody sighed and cuddled against him. "Why is this so hard tonight?" she murmured. "I-I mean it isn't like we...we've never done this before."

"I know," Milt said, "It's as if I don't know what to do. I want you so badly..."

She looked up at him. "I...I want you, too," she whispered. Her arms went around him and she pressed against him. "I...I didn't know how I...how I really felt about you until...until you told me you loved me," she said. "I...I guess it was there, but I didn't want to admit it."

"I know," Milt said. "It was like that for me, too."

Standing in the kitchen holding each other, as delightful as that was, really wasn't what either of them wanted.

Milt tipped Jody's head up with one hand and kissed her. He was totally unprepared for what he felt when his lips and Jody's joined. The kisses they'd shared before had always been sweet, but nothing like this one was! He felt like he was melting, and exploding, and being given electric shocks; all at the same time. His legs got wobbly and his heart started to pound. No kiss he'd ever had felt the way this one did!
By noon, the 'Matron' was well along the southern part of the Sunshine Coast and heading for a small bay near Gibson's Landing for a lunch break.

Keywords: Pleasant, Ch., Street, To, Return, 01,