“How did you guess?”
“That man has been sweet on you for a long time, Mom. Why don’t you put the man out of his misery and have dinner with him?”
“I am not sure.”
“I think he is nice, and you know how picky I am. He is a widower with a grown daughter in Scotland, which is perfect. You have no excuses. Go out with him and just have a good time. No pressure. You deserve it.”
“I will think about it.”
*****
“We don’t have to worry about him.” Deidre rubbed the cream into her skin, her blue eyes staring at her husband in the oval Cheval mirror. “I am sure he and Rachel will end up together. Alan is just being stubborn and the more we push then, the more he resists.”
“He is going to have to make a decision soon.” Daniel muttered as he came up behind her and placed his large hands on her slender shoulders. He started massaging her through the thin silk robe and Deidre could feel the heat of his touch through the material. She had married him for love, even though she had been picked out for him. She had taken one look at him at her debutante party and knew that she wanted him to be her husband. She had been the most beautiful girl at the ball, and he had stood out with his height and his sea green eyes and strong physique. They had both been well suited, each of them from a good family. Daniel’s family had descended from royalty and the pedigree was top notched. But her legacy was good as well and the match was perfect. But she had fallen in love with him that very night. It had taken months for him to feel the same, but she had been patient. She had been fortunate that he was committed to her and had never seen the need to stash a mistress in one of the many apartments they owned. Their sex life was very active and vibrant even after thirty-five years. She was almost sixty years old but looked ten years younger, her thick honey blonde hair lustrous and reaching almost to her waist. She had contemplated cutting it several times but had decided against it because her husband had told her that he loved to drag his fingers through it when they made love. He turned her around to face him and pulled her up against him. “I want you,” he breathed in her exotic scent.
“Then have me.” She whispered as she shrugged out of her robe. His green eyes flared as he took in the gentle white curves and the still perky breasts. She had feared that her breasts were too small, but he had told her that they were perfect, proving it by showing her when he suckled at her nipples with the urgency of a hungry infant. He cupped them now, his fingers passing over the nipples, sending heat straight into her core. Lifting her into his arms, he carried her to the enormous bed set on a pedestal and placed her onto it gently before removing his robe and joining her. The conversation about their son faded in the background as they concentrated on each other. He felt himself hardened to gratifying proportions as he parted her delicate white legs and slid his fingers into her warmth. “My darling,’ He whispered as he bent over and took her lips with his.
*****
Alan swam laps inside the pool, diving beneath the surface and staying down for a couple of minutes before breaking the surface and taking several breaths. He had been unable to fall asleep and had decided to do some activity to make it happen. He swam the length of the pool lazily, his strong arms making an arc over his head. His thick honey blonde hair was plastered to his skull and his muscles rippled as he moved his body. Maybe after this, a glass of excellent Bordeaux and a drag of the prime marijuana he had picked up today would do the trick. He did not indulge in drugs but had experimented when he was in college. There had been many frat parties that had gotten out of hand with the excess liquor and drugs that had been provided by rich and bored co-eds, but he had stayed away from those. Now and again he would take a drag but never exceeding a certain amount. The weed made him feel a little mellow and allowed him to sleep through the night when he was feeling particularly ornery like now. The conversation with his parents was weighing on him. He had been contemplating moving out of the manor to get his own space and decided that he should act on it. They had apartment buildings in the heart of uptown and a particular loft they had acquired just a few months ago. Maybe he should consider taking it on. He knew there would be protests but he was not going to let that stop him. He needed his own space and the privacy to do whatever the hell he pleased. He was thirty-two years old and need to be on his own. The amenities offered here would not be at the loft, but he was past caring about that.
With a last lap around, he heaved himself up and walked to where the towel was. He had gone into the pool naked and the water streamed off his contoured body as he walked to the lounge. Surely after this, he would sleep like a baby.
Chapter 2
“Athena, could you push the robe back a little from your shoulder. That’s it darling. Now tilt your head to the left and start rubbing the cream over your face. Yes, that’s it!” The producer clapped his plump hands. “Self-Absorbed beauty line was really made for you honey. Say your lines.”
Athena turned towards the camera and the group of people gathered around. The makeup artist had rushed in to wipe away the sheen from her forehead. Turning to face the mirror, she leaned forward to look at her face as if to examine it. “My skin looks dry and flaky but there is nothing Self-Absorbed Facial Cream cannot take care of.” Dipping her fingers into the silver container, she applied the cream to her face and rubbed away until it was all gone. Leaning forward, she stared with satisfaction. “Ah, that is so much better. Now I look like a whole different person.” She turned her head towards the camera, a smile hovering around her unadorned lips. “Ladies, we owe it to ourselves to do the right thing by our skin.”
“That’s a wrap!” the producer clapped his hands cheerfully. “Honey, that was brilliant!” He walked over and took Athena’s slender hands in his, kissing the back of them lavishly. “You are a natural.”
“Thanks Gideon,” Athena drew her hands from his and stepped back towards the partition to get out of the robe. She had no qualms about her body and was not shy about revealing it, but she had been at this from early morning and it was now late afternoon! She had eaten a bagel and some tea this morning and her stomach was growling. She was going to make a beeline for the commissary and grab something to eat before she went off to her yoga class. Plus she had dinner plans with her best friend Jeff later today. She was actually looking forward to seeing him after he has been away on a video shoot for the past three months. They had a lot of catching up to do and he did say he had some news. He had been going through a lot over the past year.
Shrugging off the robe, she grabbed the faded denims she had worn and pulled it over her long legs and slender thighs, before putting on the over-sized shell pink shirt. Passing a careless hand over her hair, she was ready. As she stepped from behind the partition, she came face to face with her agent who was looking at her gleefully. “How about we grab a bite of lunch?”