Still Fine at Forty

by Madison, Dakota

  “I had a much better time than I ever imagined,” I replied, bending down to give Pugsy some attention. I scratched his back, then he rolled over and I scratched his belly.

  Lizzie rose from the couch and eyed me suspiciously. “Did you meet someone?”

  I debated the pros and cons of telling my sister about Cody but before I could make a decision, she jumped to her own conclusion.

  “You did,” she said. “I can see it in your eyes.”

  “And just what do you think you can see in my eyes?” I asked in disbelief.

  She continued staring at me. “You had sex, didn’t you?”

  Sex was definitely not something my sister and I discussed on a regular basis. I didn’t respond.

  “I’m taking your nonresponse as a yes,” she said. “Was he cute?”

  “That’s not exactly the word I would use to describe him,” I said thinking about his muscles and rugged good looks.

  “He wasn’t a nerd like Rob, was he?”

  “Rob wasn’t a nerd,” I said a bit too defensively.

  “I always thought your ex was too big of a nerd to be such an asshole,” she said.

  “Don’t be afraid to tell me how you really feel,” I said and smiled. It felt nice to joke around with my sister. I didn’t get to see that this side of her very often. “So, why are you in such a good mood?” I asked.

  “I finally get to go back to my own house and not have to deal with Pugsy anymore,” she said.

  On hearing his name, Pugsy whined. I bent down and gave him a quick scratch behind the ears.

  “The two of you looked like you were getting cozy on the couch,” I joked.

  “Pugsy was sucking up to me because I just made a boatload of cash playing the market.” She pointed a finger at me. “Don’t think for a minute that means I’m not going to collect for dog-sitting.”

  Lizzie grabbed her purse from the living room table and rifled through it. She handed me two receipts. “One’s for Pugsy’s food. The other is for a new toy I bought him.”

  I grabbed the receipts then looked around. I didn’t see a new toy anywhere. “Where’s the toy?”

  “I had to throw it away. He tore it up a few minutes after I gave it to him.”

  Now you know why I don’t buy him toys, I thought. I looked more closely at the receipt. “Twelve dollars for a toy!” I shrieked.

  She shrugged. “Pugsy has expensive taste. And don’t forget I charge twenty dollars per day sitting fee.”

  My sister was quite a shark when it came to money. She said she wanted to retire by the time she was forty and I thought she could probably do it.

  I grabbed my wallet from my purse and handed her $130 dollars.

  She grabbed the cash. “You never did tell me about the guy. What does he do?”

  Oh, no, I thought. How do I explain his situation? I treaded very carefully. “He’s an artist.”

  She frowned. My sister, the actuary, did not like artistic types. She liked Wall Street types and CPA types. “Is he famous?” she asked.

  I shook my head. “Not yet.” I dreaded the next question and the inevitable look of disdain that was sure to follow.

  “Does he support himself as an artist?” she sneered.

  I hesitated, which was probably even worse than responding. She glared at me. “If he doesn’t make money as an artist then you can’t really call him one, can you?”

  I realized what a horrible mistake I had made even mentioning anything about him to my sister. But if I was going to have a future with Cody, she’d have to find out about him eventually. She was, after all, my only real family.

  When I looked at her again, she was still glaring at me. “How does he support himself then?” she continued. I now felt like I was being interrogated.

  I took a deep breath and said, “He has several jobs. He’s a Jeep tour guide and he works at a coffee shop,” I said.

  I could see a look of sheer and utter disgust cross her face. “Please tell me you’re joking,” she said.

  I shook my head.

  “Was it some kind of drunken one-night stand to finally get over Rob?” she asked.

  “First of all, I hardly drink. So no, I wasn’t drunk. And second of all, I’m not the type of person to have a one-night stand. Trying to get over Rob, maybe a little at first, until I really got to know Cody.”

  “This isn’t going to turn into some kind of relationship, is it?” she scoffed.

  “And what if it is?” I shot back.

  “You can’t honestly be thinking about having a relationship with a Jeep driving coffee server.” She glared at me.

  “Why not?” Now I was the one glaring at her.

  “You’re an educated woman. An English teacher. You’re still attractive for your age. You can do so much better.”

  I knew my sister was trying console me in her own warped way but she sounded so smug and superior. I wondered what she would say when she found out he was 29, three years younger than her.

  “Men aren’t exactly beating down the door to take me out,” I admitted.

  “Have you even tried? I mean really tried?” I detected a note of sincerity in her voice, even though it was slight.

  “I really like Cody.” At this point I had zero interest in going out with anyone else.

  “How can a man in his forties not even have a career?” Lizzie asked more as a judgment than a question.

  When I didn’t respond, my sister furrowed her brows. “How old is he?”

  I gulped. This was it. No turning back. “Twenty-nine.”

  “Twenty-nine!” she screamed back at me. “Are you insane? He’s younger than me!”

  “I may be an English teacher but I can do the math,” I said.

  She grabbed her purse and headed toward the door. “I can’t even deal with you right now. Call me when you regain your sanity.” Before I could stop her, she had slammed the door behind her.

  Was I really insane to think I could sustain a long distance relationship with someone eleven years younger than me? I wasn’t sure but I knew I wanted to try.

  ***

  Cody phoned me every night after he got off work. Sometimes we talked until the wee hours of the morning. I was off from school, so I knew I could sleep late, but I was worried about Cody, since I knew he had to get up early most mornings for Jeep tours.

  “Are you sure I’m not keeping you up too late?” I asked one night as it approached midnight. It had been about three weeks after I’d gotten back to town.

  “It’s worth it to hear your voice,” he replied. “And I’ve got some great news.”

  I hoped it was that he was coming to visit. My body was going into withdrawal. Now that I had sex again, and it was beyond good, it was difficult to think about anything else.

  “Do you have plans this weekend?” he asked.

  “Are you asking me out?” I teased.

  “I got the weekend off so I could come down to visit.”

  “I can’t wait to see you,” I admitted.

  “I can’t wait to see you, and feel you, and touch you, and taste you,” he said.

  My heart fluttered with excitement and anticipation.

  ***

  On Friday evening, I had already bought groceries and planned on cooking a special meal for Cody. I wanted to stay in and have the evening to ourselves.

  When I let him in, Cody radiated with so much charm and testosterone, my knees got weak. Luckily, he swept me into his arms and gave me a passionate kiss. It didn’t take long for his mouth to become familiar with mine and for our tongues to find our erotic rhythm. I loved the way he tasted, like cinnamon. And as I inhaled his familiar musky scent, I was overcome with a wave of desire so intense, my body shuddered.

  We both stopped to take a breath before the intensity of our reunion consumed us.

  “You must be starving,” I said.

  “For you.” He gave me a mischievous grin.

  “I just went shopping and got tons of grocerie
s,” I said as I grabbed his hand and let him into the kitchen.

  “I love your house. It’s so warm and inviting. Just like you.”

  I smiled.

  As soon as Pugsy heard us enter the kitchen, he lifted his head from his pillow and perked up his ears. He ran over to Cody and sniffed his leg. “I assume this is Pugsy.”

  I nodded.

  Cody hunched down and scratched Pugsy’s back.

  “Keep that up and he’ll be your best friend,” I said.

  Pugsy jumped up and tried licking Cody’s face. “I guess you’re not the only one who wants to kiss me,” he joked.

  Cody rose and Pugsy lumbered back over to his pillow for a snooze.

  “What do you feel like having?” I asked opening the refrigerator. “I bought fresh tortellini and we can make a quick marina sauce and a salad.”

  “That sounds great. I don’t mind cooking,”

  I grimaced. “You just spent two hours in the car to get down here. I can’t let you cook.”

  He grinned. “But I love to cook. It relaxes me.”

  “How about we cook together?” I suggested.

  He nodded.

  I removed all of the salad vegetables from the refrigerator for slicing, as well as the tortellini. From the pantry, I removed cans of tomato paste and pureed tomatoes as the base for the sauce.

  “How good are you at making pasta sauce?” I asked.

  “Almost an expert,” he said with a glimmer in his eyes.

  “Okay, I’ll make the salad, if you can handle the pasta and sauce,” I said.

  He nodded. “What kinds of spices do you have?”

  I pointed to the cabinet above the counter where he stood. He opened the cabinet and inspected the contents carefully then nodded. “These will do,” he said.

  “I’m glad you approve,” I said as I kissed his cheek. He turned and pulled me close to him. He kissed me forcefully and I could feel the bulge in his pants grow.

  “I just can’t keep my hands off of you, Jenny,” he whispered into my ear. “You don’t know how badly I want to take you right here in the kitchen.”

  I gulped as a wave of heat coursed through me.

  My heart skipped a few beats as he continued to assault my mouth with his. His tongue entwined with mine and I moaned with desire.

  He took a step back and gave me a sly grin. “We’d better stop if we actually want to eat tonight.”

  I was so turned on I could barely think straight. I just nodded and looked down at the vegetables.

  Cody grabbed some spices from the cabinet and got to work on the sauce while I began to slice and dice cucumbers, carrots, celery, fresh mushrooms, cauliflower and broccoli. I planned to throw them over the romaine and fresh spinach I had as the base.

  Cody found the pots and readied them for cooking the pasta and sauce.

  Twenty minutes later, the house was filled with the lovely scents of oregano and garlic.

  “I want you to try this,” Cody said as he dipped a wooden spoon into the sauce pot. He made sure to blow on it before he put the spoon up to my mouth.

  When I tasted the sauce, it was delicious. The man knew how to cook. I could add that to his growing list of talents.

  “Good?” he asked lifting an eyebrow.

  “It’s fantastic,” I said.

  He grinned.

  As Cody drained the tortellini and added the sauce, I set the small dinette that sat between my kitchen and living room. My home was modest but I tried to make it homey. I had purchased new place settings and lit a white candle for the occasion.

  When Cody brought our pasta dishes over to the table, he smiled. “This is lovely. The candle is a great touch.”

  We both sat down at our places.

  “This looks delicious,” I said. “Smells great, too. I’m starving.”

  Cody grinned. “Dig in.”

  As soon as I lifted the fork to my mouth, there was a knock at the door. I returned the utensil to my plate without taking the bite.

  Cody was staring at me with a questioning look in his eyes. I shrugged. I had no idea who could be at the door.

  “No one ever knocks on my door,” I admitted. “Except for my neighbor, Bill.”

  Cody raised an eyebrow.

  “He’s a recent widow,” I explained. “He and Marg had been married fifty years, so I think he’s having trouble adjusting. He stops by a few times a week to tell me about a weed he pulled from my lawn or one of the sprinklers he repaired.”

  Cody smiled then looked grim. “It’s nearly eight and dark outside. Would he come over this late?”

  I shook my head. The knocking continued. When I made a move to stand, Cody put up a hand to stop me.

  He rose and walked over to the door. He slowly opened it. Rob was standing on the threshold.

  The two men stared at each other. Finally, Rob spoke. “Who are you?”

  Cody folded his arms and glared at my ex-husband. “Who are you?” he challenged.

  Rob looked uncomfortable and took a slight step back. He was clearly intimidated by Cody. I liked it.

  “I-is Jen here?” he stammered.

  “Jenny’s busy. Who are you?” Cody asked pointedly.

  “Jenny?” Rob blurted.

  At that point, I got up and walked over to the door. Cody was oozing testosterone. I put my hand on his arm to bring him down a bit. “It’s okay,” I said. “This is my ex-husband, Rob.”

  Cody backed away from the door slightly, just enough for Rob to slither through. Cody made sure to stand between Rob and me. It was a protective gesture that I appreciated but was completely unnecessary. Rob was an asshole but he was never violent. As a professor, he always used words, never fists.

  Rob hesitated for a moment then looked at me and asked, “Can I talk to you for a minute?”

  Cody glared at Rob. I whispered to Cody, “It’s okay. I don’t want the food to get cold. Why don’t you start?”

  Cody nodded and took his place back at the dinette. He wasn’t looking at his food, though. He still had his gaze trained on Rob.

  Rob fished a folded stack of papers from his jacket pocket. He handed them to me. “These are the documents we talked about,” he said as he handed them to me.

  I didn’t know what to say. Rob just stood there. There was a moment of awkward silence. Finally, Rob said, “Do you have a pen?”

  I was a bit taken aback. “You want me to sign them now?”

  Rob looked down like he couldn’t face me. “Megan’s anxious to get the annulment process started.”

  I glanced over at Cody and I could see his jaw tense. I swallowed. “I have a pen in my purse,” I said softly.

  As I headed over toward my purse on the counter, I passed by Cody. He grabbed me and placed me in his lap. Then he gave me one of the most passionate kisses I had ever had. Time froze as I enjoyed the ecstasy of his desire for me.

  When Rob cleared his throat, it broke the moment. Cody had so much longing in his eyes, it made my body weak. He was hungry but not for the meal. I appreciated Cody’s gesture so much. I knew he wanted to make sure Rob understood I was his but I thought he also did it to show Rob how desirable I was. I mouthed a “Thank you,” to Cody that Rob couldn’t see and he winked at me. It was so damn sexy. I grinned.

  I could hear Rob clear his throat again so I removed myself from Cody’s lap and grabbed the pen from my purse. I placed the documents on the counter then took a deep breath as I tried to prepare myself mentally and emotionally for what I was about to do. I wanted to get it over with and not cry. It’s the one thing I didn’t want to do in front of either of these men but for different reasons.

  I felt Cody walk up behind me. He whispered in my ear. “You don’t have to do this. Don’t let him bully you into anything.”

  “It’s okay,” I said softly.

  I placed the pen on the signature line and signed my name. I sighed and folded the paper back the way Rob had handed it to me.

  I walked back over t
o Rob and handed him the document. He took it from my hands. When I looked up at him, I saw a look of tenderness in his eyes that I hadn’t seen in years. “Thank you,” he said. “This means a lot to Megan.”

  “I know,” I said.

  And with that, Rob turned and walked out.

  As soon as the door shut behind Rob, Cody came up to me and gave me a hug. “Are you okay?” he asked as he gazed deeply into my eyes.

  I nodded.

  “Are you still hungry?”

  I shook my head.

  “How about we skip dinner, then, and go right into dessert?” he suggested. The lustful look had returned to his eyes. He bent down to kiss me. As our kisses became more intense, he scooped me into his arms and carried me into the bedroom.

  ***

  The next day, I had planned to run some errands and Cody said he would love to come with me. I had to stop by the school to pick up a few books from the library that I wanted to work on over the summer. The school had updated and renewed the reading list for the school year and there were a few books I wasn’t that familiar with.

  I asked Cody if he would like to drive my car and he readily agreed. I didn’t feel comfortable driving around the city in his Jeep. When we stopped by the school, he looked a bit uncomfortable. I asked him if he wanted to come in with me and see where I worked and he shook his head, avoiding my gaze. I tried to hide my disappointment as I exited the car and hurried into the school.

  Summer school was just letting out for the day as I walked in. I had been offered a summer school teaching gig but now was happy I had declined. I headed to the library and waved at Marilyn Alder, the librarian, as I walked in.

  “Hey, Jennifer,” Marilyn said. “Anything I can help you with?”

  “I thought I’d get a start on some of the new reading selections for the upcoming year. I heard they’re adding The Hunger Games to the list recommended reading list.”

  Marilyn shook her head. “That would have never been suggested reading when we were kids. I have a copy here if you’d like to borrow it.”

  She reached under the counter and grabbed a copy of the paperback. “Have fun,” she said as she handed me the book.

  I hurried back to the car as quickly as I could. With the look Cody had given me, I didn’t think I should keep him waiting. I wasn’t sure what had dampened his mood so quickly.