Cougar Cruise

"I'm sure you've already thought about things like having children and how old she'll be when they graduate from high school and college."

"Yeah, I have. And I've also thought about how terrible it would be to pass up the chance to get to know her and maybe miss out on the best thing that could ever happen to me."

His dad sat back in the high-back leather chair in his office then said, "Gavin? You've always marched to your own drummer. I'm thrilled that you chose to become an architect and join the firm, but I never pushed you to do that. I didn't because you've always been different than other kids. Even when you were very young you were so..."

"Serious?" Gavin offered with a smile.

"I was going to say 'studious', but okay," his dad replied with a smile. "Anyway, my point is that you've always been very level headed. You think things through, and so far, at least, you've made really good decisions."

"But you're worried I won't where Natalie is concerned?"

"No, I didn't say that, son. I was trying to say I'm sure you'll be just as deliberate about this decision as any other—for obvious reasons."

"I'd say that's a given, and for all I know it might end a few days after I get to Phoenix. Maybe we'll discover something that'll cause us to see we're not right for each other."

"And that is exactly what I was trying to say," his father told him before offering to buy lunch.

"Just not at the club, okay?" Gavin requested.

His father laughed and said, "You're also not pretentious."

"I just think the whole country club thing is a little much."

"For what it's worth, I agree. But I do more business there in a few hours than I do here in the office in a week, and that's the primary reason I have a membership."

"Has Mom said anything?" Gavin asked as they left his father's huge corner office.

"Nope. Not a word beyond what she said when you told her about this...cougar...of yours," his dad said as he slapped his son on the back.

December 20th in Phoenix

The weather during the cruise had been spectacular. It was warm and sunny with a nice breeze blowing most of the time, and Natalie had dressed accordingly. Gavin had seen her in everything from a bikini to a formal gown but mostly she'd worn little sun dresses and flat sandals.

Like Tucson, the weather in December ranged from an average low of 47 to a daytime high of 67. The day Gavin pulled into Natalie's driveway it was clear and sunny and a very pleasant 65 degrees with only the slightest breeze blowing.

Natalie had been on pins and needles for three days as she anticipated their time together. She had no idea how things would go, but she had butterflies every time she thought about Gavin, and she was very excited to see him again.

She'd actually agonized about what to wear to meet him and had gone through everything she owed three times before narrowing it down to two things. Had she not worn so many dresses already, she'd have definitely worn one, but she ended up wearing something completely different hoping Gavin would like it.

It was a little young for her, but the man she was 'seeing' happened to actually be very young himself, so she chose a white, rib-knit, halter neck off-the-shoulder sleeveless top with a little mock turtleneck collar. Her shoulders and arms were completely bare, and even at 41 she was thin and well-toned enough to look great in it.

The top was also cropped but still covered her naval, but just barely. She wore a high-waisted black skirt with it that fell to about four inches above her knee along with a pair of three-inch black heels. The heels were overkill, but she really, truly wanted to wow him, and she hoped this would do the trick.

Her answer came when she opened the door.

Gavin's eyes opened wide and an even wider smile appeared on his face.

"Just...wow!" he said as he stood there looking...no, admiring her.

"Do you like it?" she asked hopefully.

Gavin stepped inside, closed the door, then said, "I rarely quote Darren, but to quote Darren, 'You are a hottie'!"

She moved closer, a smile on her face, too, and was rewarded when Gavin kissed her hello then held her close and told her how happy he was to see her.

"Me, too," Natalie said as he let go of her. "And you look very nice yourself."

He was wearing a dark-blue, three-button Henley with a pair of gray shorts and tennis shoes, and Natalie thought he was even more handsome than he'd been on the cruise.

She'd promised to make dinner, and the house smelled wonderful.

"Is that fresh bread I smell?" Gavin asked as she led him to the kitchen.

"It is," she told him before letting him know what all she'd made.

"No fish, right?" he said, knowing that had been a joke between them on the cruise.

Natalie laughed happily and promised him there'd be no fish of any kind.

Both of them were delighted to learn that they not only didn't feel any differently but that they picked up right where they'd left off. They talked all during dinner and for several hours after over a couple of glasses of wine.

"I was really concerned we might not be able to talk like this," Gavin admitted around ten o'clock.

"I was worried about...everything," Natalie told him.

"Are you still worried?" he asked as they sat next to one another on the sofa.

"No. Not at all," she said. "Are you?"

"I'm a little concerned about one thing."

"Oh?" she asked as she turned a bit to look at him.

"Well, yes. You insisted I stay here even though I offered to get a hotel, so..."

"Oh! That," she replied with a smile. "I have two empty bedrooms, and you can use either one of them."

Before Gavin could say anything, she put her hand on his face, kissed him, then said, "Or you could...stay with me in mine."

"I can't tell you how much I'd like that," Gavin replied very quietly.

"Yeah? Well, same here," she told him.

"Oh, okay. Well, it uh, it is getting kind of late, you know," he told her as he glanced down at his bare wrist where a watch should be.

"Yes. Ten o'clock IS very late, isn't it?" she replied, the same happy smile still on her very pretty face.

"Some people even go to bed at ten o'clock," Gavin informed her.

"Yes. So I've heard."

She managed not to laugh when she said, "People my mother's age."

Gavin laughed with her then said, "Okay. We can wait."

Without hesitation Natalie said, "Oh, no. No we can't."

She stood up, reached for his hand, and when he stood up, she put her arms around his neck and said, "I waited the entire cruise and all evening, and I can't wait one more minute."

Gavin wiggled his eyebrows several times very fast and said, "Well, then...koo-koo-ka-choo, Mrs. Robinson!"

He then grabbed her and scooped her up causing Natalie to happily yelp as he carried her off to their bedroom, kicking the door shut behind them.

"Slow and steady?" he asked after he put her down on the floor.

It took her brain a second to understand he was referring to lovemaking, but once she got it, she shook her head and said, "Uh-uh. No way. I want you so bad it hurts!"

The two of them tore each other's clothes off and once they were gloriously naked, Gavin pushed her back on the bed and after just seconds of kissing and petting, Natalie begged him to...take her...as she reached for him and guided him in.

Neither of them were aware the whole thing took less than five minutes nor did they care as they lay there panting with Gavin on top and still inside her. The fast and furious ordeal was marked with a whole lot of grunting, moaning, and groaning along with words Natalie couldn't believe she'd said.

"Koo-koo-ka freakin' choo!" Natalie said as she gasped for breath then laughed with sheer joy.

"My, my, my. I had no idea you were that kind of girl," Gavin told her with another eyebrow wiggle.

"I'm not!" she swore. "Or...I never have been."

Gavin rolled off of her then said, "The truth is, I've done anything like that before, either."

Natalie raised up on an elbow then said, "Wait. You expect me to believe that a single guy as attractive as you hasn't done that—or more—many times before? Please!"

She was still smiling happily when Gavin told her he never had. When he told her he'd only been with a small number of women she didn't believe that at first, either.

"It's okay. I really don't care," she let him know.

"I'm glad, but it's still the truth," he informed her.

He then rolled over on his side, reached up and gently brushed her long, silky hair aside then said, "Being here with you is all that matters to me, Natalie."

This time he didn't worry about having said something that might scare her away. And there was no need to because the way she smiled at him told him she loved hearing those words.

"I still can't believe you're actually here. With me," she told him as she ran her fingers through the thick, blond hair just above his ear.

"There is no place on earth I'd rather be."

"I wish you knew how happy that makes me," she replied, the smile gone, and a very serious-but-sweet look on her face.

"Oh, I have a pretty good idea," he told her with a smile before gently rolling her onto her back and spending more than an hour making love to her a second time.

Natalie was wide awake when Gavin fell asleep and she lay there for a long while just looking at him and marveling at how this had all come about. He was so young and so handsome, and she couldn't imagine him seeing her the way she saw him.

In the morning it was Gavin who woke up first, and after a brief moment of wondering where he was he smiled as he lay there on his side watching Natalie sleep. There was a strand of hair over her face which he slowly and carefully moved away as he lay there just watching her breathe and thinking she was the most beautiful and amazing woman he'd ever known.

When she finally awoke, she smelled food cooking and sat bolt upright in bed before remembering she wasn't alone even though she was alone in bed.

She got up and slipped into a robe then walked to the kitchen.

"There was bacon in the refrigerator. I assumed you eat bacon, but if not, I hope you don't mind that I do."

Natalie walked up behind him, put her arms around his waist then told him she did.

Gavin turned around, kissed her then smiled and asked how she slept.

"Wonderfully. You?"

"Like a baby," he said.

When the corners of her mouth turned up he understood.

"Oh, okay. So that's how it is, huh?" he joked, pretending to be hurt.

"Trust me. You are anything but a baby."

When he smiled she said, "But I wouldn't mind being your baby."

"Yeah?" he asked playfully.

"Uh-huh. Would that be okay?" she asked only partly kidding.

"I'd like that—baby," he told her, using their word from the ship before kissing her again. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have bacon—manly bacon—to attend to."

"By all means," she said. "I can't ever remember having a man cook anything for me, so please!"

"Just so you know, I like to cook," Gavin told her as she poured herself a cup of the coffee he'd made.

"And you brew a delicious cup of coffee!"

"Well, you know. What can I say? Brewing the perfect cup of coffee is more science than art, so..."

Natalie nearly spewed the hot liquid but got it down before she laughed.

"Nut!" she said as came back for another kiss.

She expected a comment 'in kind' but instead she heard, "You are so beautiful."

Natalie couldn't ever remember feeling as good as she did when he said those words to her. It was early, she knew she looked awful, and yet he told her she was beautiful. Was it even possible she only felt like she looked bad but actually did look good to Gavin? Whatever it was, Natalie was as happy as she could ever remember being, and that included the previous night in which she'd been very happy.

"How's your mom doing?" Gavin asked, surprising her.

"She's okay," Natalie told him. "I think the cruise was a real wakeup call for her."

"Oh? How so?" he asked as he removed the greasy, cooked bacon from the pan on and laid it on a paper towel covering a plate.

"As I told you before she changed a lot after my dad died. It took a few months, but she definitely changed. However, this trip evidently showed her that she isn't this new person she thought she was."

Natalie stole a piece of bacon, took a small bite, then continued.

"I'm pretty sure she, you know, fooled around a little."

"With a cub or two?" Gavin asked as though there was any other possibility.

"I'd say 'yes' to that," Natalie replied. "But just like me, my mom's not wired that way. She needs something more traditional."

"Like romance?"

"For starters."

"Was it an overall positive experience for her?" he asked.

"It's hard to say, but I think it was considering what she learned about herself. I know she's lonelier than she's willing to admit, and my guess is she thought this cruise would fill the emptiness in her life."

Gavin was also toasting some bread and it popped up just as he's was about to reply. Natalie got the butter out for him and as he spread it he asked about her overall experience.

She came up behind him put her arms around him and told him it was very positive. Gavin finished with the toast then turned around and put his hands on her shoulders.

"It's interesting that you chose those particular words."

"Which ones?" Natalie asked with a warm smile.

"About filling the emptiness in her life. I had no idea my life was so empty."

He ran the back of his fingers along her cheek then said, "Until I met you."

"Total disclosure?" she asked.

"Please."

"I was also referring to myself, too, when I used those words. I've buried myself in my work and in my mom's life since my father died, and especially since I found out about my ex-husbands affairs."

"Maybe I'm naive, but I don't understand why people get married if they're going to go outside of the marriage," Gavin told her.

"I suppose there are all kinds of reasons why. I can even understand if one partner doesn't want to even try to meet the other's needs. I'm not justifying it, I'm just saying I can at least understand that. But I was never like that. Ever."

"I believe you," Gavin told her. "After last night it's pretty obvious that you..."

"Enjoy making love?" Natalie asked, the pretty smile back. "I do. And I really enjoyed making love with you."

"So have you gotten past the age difference?" he asked hopefully.

"Um...as long as I don't think about it," Natalie told him. She kind of winced when she said it to let him know she realized that could be a painful subject. But she also wanted him to know she was being honest.

When he didn't say anything she thought he was about to tell her it was now a big concern to him.

"Why? Is it an issue for you?" she asked, dreading his response.

"What? No. Not at all. In fact, I don't even think about it. At all."

"Are you really sure about that, Gavin?"

He smiled at her, kissed her softly then told her he was.

"And we need to eat before the bacon gets cold and the toast gets soggy."

After breakfast they showered together and made love again before getting dressed and planning their day.

"Why don't we do something with your mom?" Gavin suggested at around 9am.

His comment surprised her so much she nearly choked up.

"Would you really be willing to do that?" she asked, not wanting to question him but wanting to be sure.

"I like your mom. So, yes. I'd love to do something we could all enjoy. I don't know what that might be, but if you can come up with something, I'm game."

Natalie came over and sat down beside him and said, "You have no idea how happy you just made me."

"Then I'm even more glad I asked," he told her before kissing her and telling her again how beautiful she was.

"I'm going to take your word for that," she replied. "But thank you for saying it."

"It's true. You are beautiful, Natalie. Remember, Darren says you're a 'hottie'."

Natalie laughed and told him she remembered.

"Then it must be true," she said before telling Gavin she was going to give her mom a call.

Before she hit 'dial' Gavin asked her to hold on as he got out his own phone.

"What are you looking for?" Natalie asked as she sat back down beside him.

He found what he was looking for and showed her.

"Indoor skydiving?" she asked.

"Uh-huh. It's called iFly and they have this huge wind tunnel where an instructor helps you learn to keep your balance as though your doing a free fall skydive. Is that something your mom might be willing to try?"

"Are you kidding? She'll LOVE that!" Natalie replied excitedly as she dialed her mom's number.

"I'm putting you on speaker so Gavin can hear, okay?"

"Hello, Gavin!" Virginia said.

"Hey there, Mrs. Robinson!" he called out.

"Stop! It's Virginia, and after my failed attempt at actually being a kind of Mrs. Robinson, I definitely prefer my first name!"

He and Natalie both laughed before she pitched the idea to her mom.

When she said, "Sign me up!" they laughed again.

While she and her daughter talked, Gavin found an open slot and paid for the three of them to get three, one-minute 'flights' with the last one being one where the instructor would take them up high inside the chamber. The cost was well over $300, so Gavin didn't mention it as he still didn't know how Natalie felt about money other than her having once said it wasn't a big deal to her.

That afternoon at 3 o'clock, the trio was suited up and wearing goggles and helmets and getting a safety brief from their very young male instructor with a man bun. From there they filed out and into the 'tube' where they sat down to await their turn.

When the instructor asked who wanted to go first, Virginia's hand shot up immediately.

"All right, good lookin'!" the 20-something called out. "It's just you and me!"

She leaned over to her daughter and said, "You didn't set this up on purpose did you?"

Gavin heard her and both he and Natalie laughed along with her mother who held up both hands and did the 'rock on' sign before leaning into the wind as she entered the tunnel.

The young instructor grabbed her and helped her get balanced then let go but never moving more than a few inches away as Virginia bobbed and turned and occasionally dipped. Each time, the instructor used the hand signals they'd gone over in the brief to remind her to either relax or bend her legs depending on the needed correction.

By the end of the first minute she was doing well enough that he moved a foot or two away and let her 'fly', making tiny corrections as needed. The three flights turned out to be two, 90-second flights which made a lot of sense.

When she exited the tube Virginia shrieked with joy and got a high five from Gavin, Natalie, and everyone else in their group of eight flyers.

Gavin didn't do nearly as well and had to be watched and corrected almost constantly, but he had just as much fun as Virginia.

Natalie went next and she was by far the best of the three. Within the first 30 seconds she got the feel for how to hold her arms, legs, and back as she kept her chin up and balanced herself so well the instructor stood back and crossed his arms as she stayed in one place the rest of her time in the tube.

"You're a natural!" Gavin hollered over the roar of the wind when she sat back down after getting high fives and two thumbs up from the instructor.

"This is so much fun!" she replied as she put her arm through Gavin's and cheered on the next person, a girl of about 12 who also did very well.

The only person who did worse than Gavin was a man of about 60 who spun in circles or worse every time the instructor let go of him, but even he had a blast.

When they left the tube, Natalie smiled happily when her mom grabbed Gavin and thanked him for taking her and her daughter. Gavin hugged her back and told her he had a great time, too.