CHAPTER TWO
Dinner
 

	The house was set back from the road like all the other houses on the street, a white clapboard wood frame structure with a deep porch that wrapped around three sides. Large old trees shaded the house that had lights on inside and on the porch.
	Ted drove slowly up to the building, eased the car to the curb and cancelled the navigator. He saw Suzie sitting on the porch swing, rocking gently, a red shawl around her shoulders. Before he could shut off the engine she was coming down the down the steps of the porch and along path. She wore a simple, form-fitting, black dress that came to just above her knees the red shawl tight around her breasts and black pumps on her feet. He got out the car and ran around to open the door for her, taking her hand as he helped her into the low slung black Mustang coupé.
	“This is quite a car,” she said he climbed back into the driver’s seat.
	“It’s all they had with navigation.”
	He punched the button to turn it back on and toggled it to recent destinations, selected the hotel and activated it.
	“You don’t need that,” Suzie said. “I know the way.”
	“OK, but you have to talk with the girl’s the navigation voice. Hard left turn in point five miles,” he mimicked, and she laughed.


	“I like the HGIs. They’re so nicely predictablThey’re either left handed hotel or right handed.”
	“Left handed?”
	“Yes, the entrance and foyer is always the same, with the cupola overhead. The reception desk then offset either to the left or right. If it’s to the right the elevators are to the right, if it’s to the left the elevators are on the left, and the restaurant entrance is always on the side opposite. At least that’s been my experience.”


I shouldn't have a drink.
Why?
I have to drive you home.
No you don't. I can get a cab.
Suzie. I should drive you home.
You don't have to, and I want a drink and I want you to have a drink with me. We'll worry about getting home later, but I think we can work it out.



	“I was a coach all of my career until my husband died and I came to Chaparral.”
	“Of course I saw your diploma in your office. What did you coach?”
	“Oh pretty much everything. Ladies basketball, soccer, softball.”
	“So when did you start to teach, to do classroom teaching I mean.”
	“When I came here. The opportunity arose. They were opening Chaparral. I wanted to get out of Austin.”
	“How did your husband die, may I ask?”
	“Brain tumor. Not a nice way to go, but it happened pretty quickly. Dizzy spells. Changing vision, and they said it was too late. Went to Houston and had the tumor removed, but it had metastasized and was soon all over his body. All they could do was palliative pain relief really. He was dead in a few months.”
	Her lips were narrowed to a little more than a thin line. Her face aged visibly as she spoke. Ted wanted to reach out to take her hand; instead she reached across and patted his.
	“Don’t worry, I’m not going to cry.”
	“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have brought it up.” He rolled his hand over so it was palm up and let Suzie’s rest in his. She started to draw it back slowly, but he closed his gently around her fingers. She looked into his eyes and smiled.
	“You’re sorry you brought it up, aren’t you?”
	“I am.”
	She patted his hand and withdrew hers gently before saying, “But let’s talk about more pleasant things. It worked out. Chaparral was opening. They needed teachers in a hurry. I needed to get out of Austin and all the reminders of that life, but still be close enough to family and friends. It meant we could get out into the country. The new school had a great budget. Everything brand new. Everything top of the line. A magnet school for a large area, and a program I could build from the ground up the way I wanted to.”
	“How did you get involved in media production?”
	“Ah, there was the rub, the fly in the ointment as it were. I was a coach. Coaches used videotape and media. So I must know something about it. The chemistry teacher certainly didn’t. That’s what they needed, so I had to learn it and fast. It wasn’t hard.”
	“No, it’s not exactly rocket science.”
	“The hardware I had no problem with. I always loved photography, cameras, making images. I worked with computers a lot, was comfortable with them. It was the software that was the problem. Which is were your company came in. The class I had was great, but it was short and I wanted to offer the same sort of concentrated experience to my students.
	“It really helps the students when we can do these kinds of trainings in schools. I just wish we had more time. Two days is barely enough to get started. There’s so much we won’t be able to cover. And that’s just this application, without even touching the others in the suite.”
	“We’ll have to get you back for an advanced class, maybe next semester.”
	“That would be great. We’ll give you a deal as a repeat customer. Or I might come on my own.”
	“You do trainings outside of the company.”
	“Sometimes. Not very often. Sometimes individuals call me directly and make arrangements for me to come and do a one-on-one session.”
	“You must travel a lot.”
	“Really a lot. 125,000 miles last year. Though not all of that was teaching. I like to travel. I love to fly.”
	“Really? Flying is so awful these days.”
	“Not if you fly first class. And if you fly as much as I do you’re always upgraded.”
	“How’d you get into the teaching racket?”


	“What kind of music do you like?”
	“All sorts. I have very eclectic tastes, Bach, Beethoven, Bruce Springsteen, The Kills, Duffy.”
	“The Kills? Is that a band?”
	“The Kills are a couple. Very hard, driven rock.”
	“You’ll have to play me some sometime.”
	“I have some on my laptop upstairs.”
	“OK, after dinner.”



I have to make a phone call. Excuse me. She stood up and walked to the front of the restaurant, flipping open her phone and speed dialling a number.



Come upstairs.
Are you sure you want to do this?
Yes. Let's just be alone and have a drink if you like and see where we go, see what happens.
I know what you want to happen.
He considered that and said slowly, "I want to make love to you. Is that what you think I want to happen?
Yes.
Is that what you want to happen?
I don't know, but let's go upstairs and consider it.



Let's not make a decision here. Come upstairs and we can talk about it.




	Their lips came close together, breath against breath, their eyes in each other’s. He leaned forward till his mouth just touched her lips. She didn’t move, neither pulled away nor came forward. They remained frozen till he closed his eyes and pressed his lips to hers. Then she responded, pulling him tight, squeezing her body against his, tilting her head so she could press her lips tighter to his, spreading them wider as their mouths pressed harder together. He eased back so he could take her lower lips between his, sucking on it, moving from one side to the other. He held her face in his hands and turned it to the other side so he could move his mouth onto her upper lip and around back to the bottom. He opened his mouth, pressed his lips hard fully across hers, moving slightly from side to side, breathing her perfume and the scent of her soap, the faint taste of lipstick on his tongue as he slipped it into her mouth. As he pulled it back she slipped her tongue into his mouth letting him close his lips around it to suck on it.



Please fuck me. It's been so long. I just want you to to fuck me. I just want the pleasure of sex again. It's been too long.
I think I'm taking advantage of you.
Yes please take advantage of me.


	“I guess now you know I’m not a real blonde.”
	“A suicide blonde. A blonde to die for.”
	She laughed and pushed his head back down to work.


	“Oh my God, Ted it’s one o’clock. I have to get home.” She leaped from the bed and scooped he dress from the sofa, pulling it over her head.
	“I’ll have to get a cab.”
	“No, no, I’ll take you,” Ted said as he put on his underwear, grabbing his cargo pants from the floor.
	“That’s OK, you don’t have to.”
	“It’s fine. Please let me.” He pulled on his T-shirt and slipped into his leather jacket.
	Suzie was heading down the corridor to the elevator when she said, “I can’t not be there when my girls get up. I have to be there in the morning. Do you understand?”
	“Absolutely.”
	“Promise me you won’t fall asleep at the wheel driving back.”
	“I promise. I’ll crank up the radio.”

“Don't get out.” She leaned over and kissed him hard on the lips. He tried to hold her, but she pulled away, saying, “I have to go Ted. I'll bring coffee.” 
“Please.” 
“Good night.” As she ran up the path to the house he noticed that the porch light had been left on.