Still Fine at Forty

by Madison, Dakota

  “The buns are tempting,” I said. “But I’d better resist. I think I’ll stick with some cinnamon spice tea.”

  He leaned in as close as he could with the counter between us and whispered, “I really think you’re missing out by not giving my buns a try. Maybe you’ll think about taking them to go.”

  I swallowed hard trying not to think about taking his buns back to my hotel room. A year was a really long time to go without sex, or even affection for that matter. As much as Mel wanted me to have a fling, I just couldn’t picture myself actually doing it. As much as I craved male companionship, I wanted it to mean more than a one-night stand. Was that unrealistic at my age? I wondered if I’d ever have a chance at true love again.

  I took a step away from the counter and smiled at Cody. He was the epitome of male perfection: rugged, handsome, strong. Was I the only woman on Earth, who wouldn’t take him home for the night?

  “I’ll get your tea,” he said quickly and the electricity-filled moment between us passed.

  I took a seat near the end of the counter where the young guy had been seated earlier. I watched as the older couple threw away their coffee cups and exited the shop. Cody and I were now the only ones left in the place. I glanced at my watched and saw that it was a few minutes before ten. I wondered what time the place closed.

  Cody placed the hot tea in front of me. “Enjoy,” he said but didn’t linger. He started what seemed like a closing routine, wiping down the counter and putting items away.

  “What time do you close?” I asked.

  He looked up from his work. “Whenever the last customer leaves,” he said and grinned.

  I wondered if I should hurry up and finish so he could go home. My dilemma was solved when he pulled up a stool close to me and asked, “Mind if I join you?”

  “I’d love it,” I said.

  When he sat down, I could feel the energy between us in full force again. I knew it was strange for me to be so overwhelmingly attracted to him so quickly. But there was something about Cody that I found irresistible and I wasn’t sure why.

  “I hope I wasn’t being too forward with the bun jokes,” he said. “Most women seem to enjoy the innuendos. I sell a lot of buns that way.”

  I bet you do, I thought. I couldn’t help remembering how good his buns looked in those black jeans he wore when we were on the Jeep tour.

  “Any big plans tomorrow?” he asked.

  I shook my head. “Mel already met a man and it’s kind of put a bit of a monkey wrench in our plans. I don’t feel like being a third wheel again. Truth be told, it was a bit awkward at dinner.”

  “I hate to see a woman’s vacation ruined. I don’t have any Jeep tours scheduled for tomorrow and I don’t work here until the evening, so if you don’t have plans, I’d love to take you on a hike.”

  “That sounds great,” I said.

  “If you don’t mind, I’d like to pick you up early. That will give us more time to sightsee.”

  I eyed him. “How early is early?”

  He grinned. “Is eight too early?”

  I shook my head.

  “Then it’s a date.” Much to my surprise, he leaned in and whispered in my ear, “And maybe I’ll bring you my buns for breakfast.”

  ***

  I was awakened by the sound of pounding on my hotel room door. I glanced over at the clock. It was only 7 a.m. Surely, Mel wasn’t up already. But who else would be pounding on my door?

  I dragged myself from the bed and slugged over to the door. I peeked through the peephole and sure enough, Mel was standing there staring at the door. I unhooked the safety latch and let her in.

  She charged into my room like she was already on a caffeine high.

  “Marve had a tee time booked and I didn’t feel like driving around in the cart, so I stopped by to see what you were up to,” she said turning toward me.

  I hesitated for a moment and before I could even form a coherent thought, she continued. “I’m really sorry I haven’t been good company. This was supposed to be a girl’s getaway to cheer you up. I just never expected to meet anyone like Marvin.” She gave me a genuine grin.

  “It’s okay,” I said. “I’m glad to see you so happy.”

  Mel plopped herself on the corner of my bed and made herself comfortable. “Marvin truly is one of a kind,” she said.

  He sure is, I thought. I still wasn’t sure what she saw in him.

  As if she was reading my mind (which she did a lot), Mel said, “I know he doesn’t seem like much on the outside, but he has a big heart. And you know what? He adores me. No one has ever adored me. I’ve had people put up with me because I’m fun-loving and great in the sack, but I’ve never had anyone fall head-over-heels for me. He likes everything about me and doesn’t want to change me.”

  I couldn’t help but think about my marriage to Rob. I don’t think he adored me. Looking back, I’m not even sure how much he really loved me. I often thought he proposed because it’s what was expected. We dated all though college and that’s what people did once they graduated. That was the next step—getting married. And he got accepted into a doctoral program and wanted someone to support him. I got a teaching job right away so I was a steady income. I think that also gave him a sense of obligation.

  “Earth to Jennifer,” Mel said to get my attention. “What were you thinking so deeply about?”

  “Rob,” I admitted.

  She shook her head. “Hell, no! We’re here for you to forget about that jackass. We need to find you a new man.”

  I grinned and Mel eyed me suspiciously. “Is there something you’re not telling me?” she pried.

  “Maybe,” I said coyly. I wasn’t sure I should tell her. I didn’t want to jinx it.

  “Spill,” she said.

  I sighed and said, “Remember the good looking guy from the Jeep ride?”

  Mel jumped from the bed. “Are you kidding me?” she almost screamed. “Good looking is an understatement. That man is absolutely gorgeous. You have a date with HIM?

  I nodded.

  “Oh. My. God!” Now she was screaming. “When?”

  “He’s coming to pick me up in about an hour. We’re going on a hike.”

  “And when were you planning on telling me this? I practically had to drag it out of you. Never mind. We have to get you ready.”

  She was now pacing around my room in a frenzy. “An hour! Why are you still in your pajamas? I can’t even believe this. That man is stunning. What are you going to wear?” She stopped her caged animal routine and stared at me.

  “I didn’t bring much,” I said.

  “Why? I told you we were trying to get you a man.”

  I gazed down at my slippers, “I didn’t think you were serious.”

  Mel put her hands on my cheeks. “Listen to me. I may not be serious about much, but when it comes to you being happy, I’m always serious.”

  I gulped.

  “Now we’re going to do this and do it right,” she said. “I want this guy in your bed by tonight. Got it?”

  I nodded even though I knew Cody was working the night shift at the coffee shop. And I really wasn’t the type of person to have sex with someone on the first date.

  Mel furrowed her brow. That meant she didn’t believe me. “You need to get over the idea of not sleeping with someone on the first date. The whole concept is old-fashioned. This is the 21st century.”

  “I actually haven’t dated since the 20th century, so you can see my dilemma.” It was 1990 to be exact. The year I met Rob.

  “Times change,” she said.

  “You’re actually not instilling much confidence in me,” I admitted.

  She ignored my concerns and hurried over to the closet. “We have to find something flirty and fun, while still being sexy but not slutty.”

  She froze when she opened my closet. “What the hell is this?” she asked.

  I gulped. “My clothes,” I muttered. I knew I was in trouble.

  “Do you h
ave anything that doesn’t look like you just stepped out of a library?”

  I sighed. “I brought some shorts and T-shirts.”

  “Not helpful.”

  “We’re going on a hike,” I said in my defense. “I’m sure the shorts will be fine.”

  I grabbed a polo shirt from the closet. “And I can wear this.”

  “Oh, hell, no!” She grabbed the polo from my hand and tossed it on the bed. “This calls for the reserves.”

  She darted from the room and came back a few minutes later with a beautiful blue silk top I had never seen her wear. She held up the blouse. “Well? What do you think?”

  “It’s gorgeous,” I said, admiring the fabric.

  “It’s five hundred dollars’ worth of gorgeous,” she said.

  I quickly drew my hand back, now afraid to touch it.

  She continued. “Marvin bought it for me for our six-hour anniversary.”

  I shook my head. “I couldn’t possibly wear it. First of all, it costs more than my monthly car payment, and you haven’t even worn it yet.”

  She grinned. “And I haven’t even shown you what else he’s bought me. Don’t worry about it. Right now, you need this more than I do. You have to wear it.”

  I rubbed the fine silk with my fingers. “This is too much.”

  “I won’t take no for an answer,” she said smiling at me.

  I hesitated. Before I had a chance to respond, Mel unbuttoned my pajama top and had shoved me into the bathroom. “We don’t have time to argue,” she said. “You have a gorgeous hunk to get ready for.”

  Five

  When I walked out of the hotel lobby, Cody was waiting for me. He was fidgeting with his shirt sleeves and seemed a bit nervous. Surely, a guy like him had plenty of experience with women. When he looked up and saw me, a huge smile overtook his face. He hurried over to me and carefully examined my outfit from head to toe. “You look amazing,” he said.

  “You don’t look so bad yourself,” I joked. He looked amazing, too. He had on a white button down shirt that fit snuggly against his muscular chest. His sleeves were rolled up exposing his muscular arms. He had on dark black jeans, tight in all the right places and black hiking boots.

  He grabbed my hand. “Come on. I have so much to show you.”

  He led me over to a different Jeep than the one he had for the tour. This one was red and didn’t have any commercial markings on it. He gave me a hand getting into the passenger side and then stepped around it and jumped into the driver’s side.

  “Does everyone around here drive Jeeps?” I asked.

  “It’s easier to get around that way,” he replied. “Did you bring a scrunchie?”

  I nodded. “I remembered.” I reached into my pocket and pulled out the hair tie. I used it to put my hair into a ponytail.

  “I love it when you pull your hair back,” he said. “I can see your beautiful face.”

  He leaned over and gave me a soft kiss on the cheek. It sent shivers through my body. If that simple act could make me feel so much passion, I wondered… Stop, I told myself. Nothing like putting the cart before the horse. Our first date has hardly even started.

  “Is everything okay?” he asked. I could see genuine concern in his eyes.

  I nodded. “Everything is great.”

  “Then let’s go.” He removed his sunglasses from his breast pocket and put them on. He stared the engine, put the vehicle into gear and we were off.

  “So, how many jobs do you have?” I asked, trying to make small talk, which I was rarely good at.

  He chuckled. “Just four,” he replied.

  I choked a bit.

  “Is that a lot?” he asked.

  “That seems a bit excessive.”

  He looked deep in thought, as if he was trying to figure out what to tell me or how much to tell me. I knew the look. I got it a lot myself. I was usually the one who was hesitant to reveal too much of my personal life.

  Finally he said, “I’ve been working as an artist since I was eighteen. I was fortunate enough to get an apprenticeship with a well-known sculptor through a mutual friend. I did that for eight years. It was a great opportunity, but no pay. I needed to support myself, so I started working for Jim Miller, the owner of Miller’s Jeep Tours. My dream was always to own my own gallery, mostly to display and sell my own works, but also host other rising artists.”

  I could see a look of pure joy radiating from Cody’s face as he talked about art and the gallery. That was obviously his passion. He continued, “When Jim’s dad passed away, he left him a wonderful piece of property with a building that would make a perfect gallery but it needs a lot of work. Jim’s dad was one of the original settlers in Sedona and he owned a lot of property. As he got older, he wasn’t able to take care of all of it and many of the buildings he owned fell into disrepair. Jim’s willing to sell me the property for an extremely good price, but it’s still a lot of money. Hundreds of thousands of dollars. This is a tourist town and I can make quite a bit of money in tips both as a tour guide and in the coffee shop. When the Jeep business dies down in the winter, I sell Christmas trees at Jim’s lot and we use the Jeeps to shovel snow for people. Nearly every penny I make goes into a special account we set up for the gallery, for me to purchase the building and land and make all the necessary repairs. I’ve been saving since I was 18. In another two and a half years, I should have all the money I need to make the dream a reality.”

  “That’s one of the most impressive stories I’ve ever heard,” I said. “Most people don’t have that level of dedication and commitment to anything.”

  He glanced over at me. “I don’t let anything stand in the way of my pursuit of passion,” he said. “Do you mind if we make a quick stop before the hike?” he asked. “There’s something I’d like to show you.”

  Five minutes later he stopped next to a run-down building that sat across the street from several established art galleries.

  He jumped out of the Jeep and hurried over to my side. He put out a hand and helped me out.

  “This is it,” he said. He looked like a proud father showing off his new baby. “I know it doesn’t look like much right now, but it has a lot of potential.”

  The building looked like it had seen better days. He was right to say it needed a lot of work. My hesitancy about the place didn’t seem to deter him at all. “Let me show you something,” he said. He ran to the back of the Jeep and removed a backpack. He unzipped the bag and removed a notepad. He opened it and held the page up so I could see it next to the building. It was a like a “before” and “after” comparison. The sketch on the notepad was of a lovely looking Spanish style gallery. I couldn’t see any potential just looking at the timeworn building, but Cody sure did. The sketch of the gallery he intended to build was phenomenal.

  “Wow,” I said truly impressed. “Now I understand why you work so many jobs. Turning that,” I pointed to the building, “into this,” I said pointing to the sketch, “will take a lot of funds.”

  He nodded. “It will be worth every penny.”

  When I looked at Cody, he was still looking at the sketch and grinning from ear to ear. There was so much more to this man than the great looking package. The more I found out about him, the more I wanted to know. Was it bad that I already longed for a future with him? I knew I wanted to be with him when he completed the gallery. His pure joy was contagious.

  “You are the only woman I’ve ever told about this,” he said with a more serious expression.

  I found that hard to believe. “Why?”

  “Most women are only interested in trying my buns.” I knew it was a joke, but there was also a bit of sadness in his voice as well.

  “Well, if it’s any consolation, your buns are the last thing on my mind right now.” I pointed to the building, which was starting to grow on me. “It’s amazing.” I said. “You’re amazing.” As soon as those words left my lips, I immediately regretted it. I didn’t want him to think I was a sap.


  He gazed it me and his expression turned serious. “You’re the one who’s amazing,” he said. He bent down a placed a gentle kiss on my lips, which completely took me off guard. My first reaction was to step away.

  “Too soon?” he asked.

  I shook my head. “You just surprised me.”

  He raised an eyebrow. “A good surprise?”

  I nodded. He leaned down and kissed me again, this time with a bit more intensity. The growing energy between us was palpable. When he allowed his tongue to explore my mouth, I was so aroused, I let out a moan.

  When we stopped so the two of us could catch our breath, he took a small step away from me. “We’d better get going. Not that I didn’t enjoy what we were doing, but there are a few sites I really want you to see.”

  I was still reeling from the intensity of the kiss that words completely escaped me. I felt like Cody had placed me under some kind of spell. It was a spell from which I hoped to never escape.

  He took me to a lovely place called Soldier’s Pass Trail. The hike was considered moderate but I still felt out of shape. In the places I had trouble with the hike, Cody grabbed my hand and helped me along. He was so strong and I felt safe with him. He showed me several well-known sites like the Devil’s Kitchen sinkhole and the Seven Sacred Pools. He made sure to snap a bunch of photos for me with his phone’s camera.

  Cody showed me a rock formation that looked like an indigenous man surrounded by mountains. His gaze appeared to be far off. I wondered what he was thinking about.

  “This site always reminds me of my dad,” he said. His serious tone and expression made me think that he didn’t have the best memories of his father.

  “My dad was indigenous. My mom was white.”

  “What tribe?” I asked. I was curious to know more about the man I was starting to have deep feelings for.

  He hesitated before he spoke. When I looked into his eyes, he seemed conflicted. I sensed he was unsure whether he should open up to me about his past.