Dream Lover

She snuggled close then said, "I wanted to share all these same details with...the wooden head...but he didn't even let me get started. He shot me down in flames like I was this little girl with a silly, stupid idea. He told me I needed to be 'realistic'."

"What an ass," Darin said. "So...so you already knew all of this?" he asked.

"Pretty much," she told him.

"Why didn't you stop me?" he asked. "I've been over here flapping my gums for..."

"Because," she said sitting up and looking at him. "Do you have any idea what it meant to me to hear someone I...care about so much...actually share my dream with me? Do you know how long I've waited to meet someone who not only won't put me down but who cares about what I think?"

"In that case, I'm glad you let me talk," he told her.

"You see, that is what makes you 'that guy' to me," she told him reminding him of his question the previous night.

"Reese?" he said as they sat there looking into each other's eyes.

"Uh-huh?" she said sweetly.

"I'm gonna use another song title to tell you how I feel so my apologies in advance for not being original."

"I don't need original. I only need sincere," she told him.

"I um...I've got a...bad case of lovin' you," he said using the words from the Robert Palmer song. "Well, it may not be love just yet, but I am crushin' on you like no one's business."

"Robert Palmer is more my speed than Bobby Darin, but Dream Lover will be my all-time favorite song for the rest of my life," she said quietly.

"What I wouldn't give to be alone with you right now," he said as he touched her face.

"We have a furnished basement and I can lock the door," she told him without taking her eyes off of his.

"Furnished?" he said with a smile.

"Uh-huh. As in there's even a small room with a very nice, cozy little bed in it kind of furnished," she said smiling back.

He gently stroked her cheek and said, "It's not that I doubt you, but would it be possible to maybe see for myself?"

"I think that can be arranged," she told him before kissing him.

Reese stood up, reached out for his hands, then said, "If you'll follow me, the furnished basement tour is now departing."

As she lay there in his arms an hour or so later, Reese said, "You are most definitely my dream lover and I mean that in the most literal sense."

Reese had never had a man be so attentive to her needs before. Darin was not only tall, young, and very handsome, he was unbelievably patient and caring and deliciously slow and deliberate. That he was also the biggest man she'd ever been with didn't hurt, either. Well, at first it had hurt a little, but after that it was oh-so-delicious!

"I don't even want to know how you got that good at lovemaking," she said as she ran her hand across his bare chest.

"I'm pleasantly surprised because I was worried I wouldn't ummm...measure up, you know?" he told her truthfully.

She raised up on one elbow, smiled, and said, "Oh, you measure up, all right. Trust me on that!"

Darin laughed quietly then said, "Well, thank you for saying that, but I meant in terms of giving you want you like and want and need."

"Darin? No one has ever given me even half of what you just gave me. Ever. Okay?" she informed him.

"So was I at least good enough for a possible encore?" he said with a smile.

"Oh, most assuredly. Your performance rates a big old, 'bravo'!" she said smiling back.

She reached for him and purred when he grew in her hand.

"I am all yours, maestro," she said referring to his ample baton as she rolled over to receive him again.

Following their second go-'round and Reese's fourth orgasm, Darin said, "I definitely have a bad case of loving you. No doubt about it."

"You're right. It is still early, but I'm thinking I've got that lovin' feeling," she said intentionally misquoting the Righteous Brothers.

"I wish I could stay," Darin told her.

"Me, too," she said wistfully. "My mom is a very sound sleeper but she gets up around 4:30 so that might not be such a good idea."

She laughed then said, "Although it does have its good points."

She lifted up the sheets to make her point about his 'point' then laughed which cause Darin to laugh and seconds later they were kissing and soon after that making love again.

She saw him out a little after 2am and laid down to catch a couple hours of sleep before getting up to go to work, but couldn't stop thinking about the way he made her feel and how much she couldn't wait to be with him again.

She gave up when she heard her mom making coffee and went downstairs still wired and wide awake.

"Did I wake you?" her mom asked.

"No. I just couldn't sleep, Mom," she told her.

"Oh. Would that have anything to do with Prince...Darin?" she asked truly not trying to be nosy.

"You could say that," she said with a smile before yawning loudly. "Sorry! I didn't get much sleep."

"I'd say you didn't get any," her mom replied.

Mortified she'd heard them Reese said very casually, "Oh? Why is that?"

"Your eyes are all puffy, dear," she told her and that was that.

As they drank their coffee Bridgett said, "He's a very nice young man, Reese. And quite handsome."

"Yes, he is, to both of those things," she agreed.

"Had you not warned me, I have to admit I'd have been...shocked when I saw just how young he looks, but after meeting him, well, I must say I've very impressed."

Reese smiled and without explaining why said, "Me, too, Mom."

"You know, if you ever want some privacy, the basement is available. And furnished."

Reese nearly choked on her coffee now seriously wondering if her big secret wasn't a secret at all.

"Oh, right. I um...I didn't even think about that," she said knowing this was one of those times when she wasn't being completely honest with her mom.

Darin continued to do as much research as he could on food trucks the rest of the week he was off work and spent a fair amount of time just talking to people who owned one. It was amazing how willing people were to share the many pitfalls of ownership with a complete stranger they didn't think might one day be their competition.

Each afternoon he made notes of everything he'd learned then wrote out any questions his research had prompted. The next day, he'd dig into the questions looking for answers.

Each evening he spent with Reese discussing what he'd learned. She'd sort of nonchalantly mentioned to her mom she might take her up on her suggestion so they did their 'studying' in the basement. Reese never knew whether or not her mother knew, but if she did, she never told.

At around 9pm there'd be a knock on the basement door from upstairs followed by, "I'm going bed. You kids have fun."

Invariably, Reese giggled either before or after she called up, "Goodnight, Mom. I love you!"

On the fifth night, Darin also called back up, "Goodnight...Mom. I love you, too!"

There was a pause then they both heard, "Goodnight, son. I love you, too."

Reese didn't laugh. She just felt happy; happy beyond words. Happy that she hadn't let one of life's opportunities pass her by. Happy that her handsome younger lover was so...loving and supportive.

After making love, they would sit in bed together then finish talking about whatever information she and Darin had discussed before taking a 'love break.' He almost always had solid, sound ideas, but something else Reese dearly appreciated about him was the way he immediately accepted her ideas if they made better sense.

For the first time in her life she was truly an equal partner in a relationship and that was almost as wonderful as everything else she loved about him. And yes, she had to admit she was in love with him. They'd both danced around the 'L' word many times, but neither had yet said it out loud to the other.

The night before Darin was supposed to go back to work, Reese asked him if he was excited about having his job back.

"Yes and no," he told her. "I do love to cook, but now that I've had a taste of what it might be like to be my own boss, it's not quite as appealing."

"I know. As much as I enjoy working for Norm, I'd love to be able to make my own decisions."

"You know, if we're ever really gonna do this, we need a name for our business. Any ideas?" she asked.

"I've had one knocking around in my head for a few days now," he told her. "We both agree that selling wraps is a great idea, right?"

"Sure. They're easy to make, you can put almost anything inside, and well, a wrap is easy to wrap. What's not to like?"

"Exactly! So...I was thinking about calling it That's a Wrap. What do you think?"

Reese sat there looking at him for several seconds before she smiled. "I think it's perfect!"

"Really? You like the idea?"

"I do and I can't tell you how much I love the way you always ask me when it comes to making a decision. You have no idea how much that means to me..."

She looked away then said, "Or how much I love you, Darin."

He immediately reached for hand then told her, "I love you, too, Reese."

He pulled her close then said very quietly, "I'm in love with you, too."

She looked up into his eyes then told him, "I feel the same way, Darin. I'm in love with you, too."

She pulled him on top of her as they kissed then made slow, passionate love as their bodies hungered for one another. Physically, it was the same as always, but emotionally this was very different and very delicious.

Several minutes after they finished Darin said, "We need to set a date and then pull the trigger."

Reese sat up and said, "We're actually going to do this, aren't we?"

"We are," he told her. "We are indeed."

"You know, I've been dreaming about this for a couple of years now, and I can't believe it's finally going to happen. How much time do you think we need?"

The both knew roughly how much the other had saved, although Darin hadn't been completely honest with her. He'd held back $2,500...just in case.

During one of his information-gathering forays he'd done a little window shopping at a jewelry store just to kind of get an idea how much an engagement ring might cost. He'd never bothered to look before because he'd had no reason to. But since meeting Reese he couldn't stop thinking about whether or not he might ask her to marry him one day.

So while the amount he'd told her he'd saved wasn't completely truthful it also wasn't a lie because technically, at least, he did have the amount of money he told Reese he had, and his justification for doing it worked just fine for him.

The next morning Darin's mom asked if he'd be home for dinner that night as he got ready to go to work.

"Not tonight, Mom," he told her.

"You haven't been home in over a week, honey. You can come and go as you please, but I can't ever remember you not being home at least once in that length of time."

The truth was Darin ate at home almost every night.

"Mom? I've kind of met someone," he told her not wanting to get into it.

She perked up so fast it nearly startled him.

"Oh? Do tell!" she said wanting information. "Is this someone I know by any chance?"

"No. You've never met her," he said trying to leave.

"Oh, okay. Is it getting serious?" she asked still probing.

"Yeah, kind of. Well, I'd say...yes, actually."

His mom did that head tilt thing letting him know she still wanted more.

"Now that we're talking about it, I was wondering if I could bring her home for dinner sometime this week."

"Like you have to ask!" she said. "Yes, of course. Anytime, honey."

His mom was positively beaming, and Darin couldn't help but smile.

"I really gotta run, Mom, but I wanted to let you know she's a little older than me."

"Oh, well, that doesn't seem like a big deal. I mean what's a couple of years at your age, right?" she said still smiling happily.

Darin could see 'grandchildren' in her eyes and that, too, made him smile.

"It's a little bit more than that, but she's the most amazing woman I've ever met," he told her.

"I'm afraid to ask how much 'a little more than that' might be, but your father and I trust your judgment," she said.

It was clear she was dying to know how large this age difference was but she forced herself not to ask.

"Is tomorrow night too soon?" he asked.

"No. No, of course not, honey. Is there anything I should know about what she likes to eat? Peanut allergy? Is she a vegan? Anything like that?"

"No. Nothing like that, Mom. She's very easy to please, and I'm sure whatever you make will be just fine."

He opened the door then said, "Oh, can you give Dad a heads up she's a little bit older for me?"

"Darin? This girl. She's not...my age or something, is she?" his mother asked now feeling sick to her stomach.

His mother was 52 and Darin tried not to laugh when he pictured bringing someone home who really was over 50.

"You're not old, Mom. You're beautiful," he said earning a smile. "But no, she's not your age."

She smiled then said, "She's not even 40."

He saw the look in her eyes and finally said, "She's 35, Mom, and I really, really like her, okay?"

He watched his mom's eyes open open wide as she stood there looking at him not knowing how to respond. Darin smiled then left his mom to decide how to deal with what he'd just told her.

He called Reese on his way to work and asked her if that was okay and she told it was and that she was both excited and nervous.

"Do they know I'm...you know?"

"Beautiful? Yes, I told my mom you were gorgeous," he teased.

"Darin! Be nice. I don't want your parents thinking I'm, I don't know, some kind of..."

"They won't," he assured her. "And besides I'm the one who's in love with you, remember?"

"Oh, I remember," she said sweetly. "I remember that every second of every minute all day long. And I'm in love with you, too."

"I'll see you tonight after work, okay, sweetheart?" he said using an endearment for the first time.

There was no reply and Darin asked, "Are you okay?"

He finally heard, "Yes. I'm just so happy. That's all. Yes, I'll see you tonight...my love."

Darin took all the kidding and ribbing in stride at the restaurant, and before he knew it his first day back was over and he was on his way to see the woman he loved after zipping home and taking a quick shower.

Things were a little more strained for Reese that day as Norm asked her if she could give him a few minutes of her time during a rare moment when no one was there.

"Reese, I guess it's pretty obvious I uh, I...I really like you," he said as they sat where she and Darin had sat when he came to see her.

"I know you just recently broke up with someone so I've waited a respectable amount of time to ask you, but I uh...I can't wait any longer. So...I was wondering if you might like to go out with me some time."

Norm's eyes were bright and hopeful, and Reese genuinely hurt for him knowing what it was like to be rejected. Norm had been married and when his wife left him, he'd been devastated. He'd only mentioned it once, but she knew it had been a terrible time for him, and she now knew for certain Darin was right. Norm definitely had a thing for her.

"Norm, that sounds so nice, but I've kind of met someone already," she told him truthfully.

"Wow. Fast mover," he said implying no disrespect. "Lucky guy."

"I'm really sorry, Norm. You are such a great guy, and you've been so good to me," she said sincerely.

"You know, it's kinda funny, but I was watching you when that kid came in here a while back. I know it's crazy, but I could see by the way he was looking at you that he really liked you," Norm said trying to make an awkward situation better.

Reese smiled but didn't say anything.

"Well, I don't know who the lucky guy is, but if the kid knew you were seeing someone else, that'd be two guys who'd be very disappointed," he said trying to not show how hurt he was.

Reese had decided she would never deny her feelings for Darin, and she'd have proudly told Norm Darin was the lucky guy, but she also didn't need to pour salt into a wound.

"I'm disappointed, too, Norm. I really do think the world of you," she said smiling sweetly.

"Again, if this relationship doesn't work out..."

"You'll be the first to know. I promise," she said. She stood up, bent down, and kissed him on the cheek and Norm managed another smile to mask the hurt before getting up too, and going back to work.

Reese shared what happened that night and Darin told her he thought she was amazing to be so kind to someone who liked her so much.

"Why do you always say exactly the right thing to make me feel so good about myself?" she asked.

"Because I don't ever want to stop being 'that guy'," he told her with a smile.

The following evening he picked her up to take her to his house and Reese admitted she was now more nervous than excited.

"Do I look okay?" she asked.

She'd chosen a simple, but very pretty sheath dress she hoped would somehow mitigate the very large age difference knowing it really didn't matter what she wore.

"Hey, you look amazing," Darin told her. "But the truth is, I don't care what you wear, honey. I love you no matter what. My parents aren't judgmental, but this may be a bit of a tough sell. Just give them time, okay?"

"Thank you and I'll give them all the time they need. I just hope that at some point they'll be able to accept me being in love with their son," she said in reply then didn't say another word until they arrived at his parents' home.

"Oh, what are you mom and dad's names?" she asked just before they got out of the car.

"Richard and Barbara," he told her. "And please don't call my dad...a dick."

Darin explained it was an inside joke in the family and she laughed nervously as they walked up to the front porch.

Reese laughed then said, "No worries, okay?"

"And you, too. No worries. Just relax. Everything will be fine," he told her as he opened the door for her.

"Hello! You must be Reese!" Barbara said offering her a hug and trying not to stare. "I'm Barbara."

Reese hugged her and said, "Yes, hi! I'm so glad to meet you!"

"You, too," Barbara said as she dealt with her shock even after having been warned. Darin was right. She was a very beautiful woman, but she was definitely not his age—or anywhere near it for that matter.

"Come on in," she told them. "What can I get you to drink?"

"A glass of wine maybe?" Reese asked.

"I'll take a beer, Mom," he said knowing his dad would have one, too.

Darin watched his father's face when he stood up to meet Reese, and he was pleasantly surprised by his reaction.

"Well, good evening!" he said extending a hand an arm in order to put in on her shoulder as he faux kissed her on the cheek.

"I'm so happy to meet you," Reese said.

"Likewise. I'm Richard and you've already met Barbara."

He looked at his son, smiled, then said, "And let's see, you look familiar. What was the name again?"

"I haven't exactly been home a lot lately," he explained to Reese as everyone laughed politely.

"And now we know why," his dad said in a pleasant way. "Why don't we sit down and talk?"

By the time dinner was ready the coolness in the room had melted away and the four of them were genuinely enjoying getting to know one another.

As they were eating, the subject of the food truck came up and Richard said, "Talk about coincidences. I was just talking to a client today who wants to sell his vehicle and get out of the business."

"Did he say why, Dad?" Darin asked.

"He wants to scale back. He owns a dozen or so trucks and he's done quite well. He's just at a point where he's looking to slow down a little," Richard explained.

Darin looked at Reese who nodded back at him.

"We'd like to talk to him," Darin said.

"Okay, great. I'll give your number tomorrow," he assured them both.