The Spark

"Maybe I am," she smiled mischievously then looked up to meet his gaze, "I suspect that we will be creating trouble together sometime."

"I certainly hope so," Alan said earnestly, "I look forward to it."

Dee took one last bite of her salad, "I'm full, I'll need a box, I think."

"Me too."

Alan pulled a credit card from his wallet, caught Alfredo's attention who immediately came with their bill. "Do you need boxes to take home the food?" He asked with a smile.

"Yes, two boxes, Alfredo."

All too soon their lunch date was drawing to a close and Alan was already missing her. He took her hand and moved her chair away as she stood. Their fingers intertwined for a moment and each gave a light squeeze, enough to convey their meaning. Again their energy surged together, their eyes met and they were standing close again.

Alan looked deep into her eyes which smiled back at him. He loved the little squint that crept onto the corner of each of her brown eyes when she smiled. He noticed that there were flecks of gold and even green among the brown that made her eyes appear three dimensional, like a pool of gold and brown that drew you into their depth. He was instantly captivated by them.

She broke the spell by placing her cheek next to his and whispered into his ear.

"I enjoyed the time with you and I look forward to seeing you again." Then she intended to kiss his cheek lightly but the kiss landed instead on the corner of his mouth and lingered there.

Alan drew a quick breath at the surprising contact and turned his head to meet her lips full on. She didn't pull away and soon they were kissing again. They were aware of their surroundings though and the kiss did not violate the propriety of such a public place, but their blood nearly boiled nonetheless.

"We better go before someone throws a pitcher of water on us," Alan smiled and then nodded at Rosa, who seemed happy to see him with someone for a change.

As they left the building and headed toward Alan's car, Dee pulled on his arm and turned to face him.

"You scare me to death!" She said with a slightly concerned tone, "I obviously, or I should say, We obviously cannot keep our hands off each other...even worse we can't keep our lips apart from each other. What are we going to do?"

"I am in favor of going with it," Alan smiled and nodded his head.

"I'm serious! We have to get some control over ourselves before this gets out of hand. I don't want to go so fast we burn out this wonderful 'thing' we have going. I really think that we have a future together but I don't want to hurt you nor do I want to be hurt. Can we both work to slow things down? So that we can grow together naturally?"

"Yes, I think we could do that, but I'm not sure that is what I want to do. I want

you, Dee. I want you and your kids in my life. But I get what you mean, we need to progress slowly so that we and our families and friends can get used to 'us'."

"Thank you," Dee said and stepped toward the car door that Alan held open.

But at that moment, Alan leaned into her and drew her body into his and kissed her soundly, this time with 'fireworks'.

"Sorry," Alan said as his lips left hers, "I can't help myself with you."

Dee didn't say anything but wrapped her arm around his neck and kissed him again. "Yes, neither can I," she answered, "and that's what I am talking about."

Alan let her go so she could slide into the car. He joined her and drove her back to her car still parked at Frank's.

"Go around the block!" She exclaimed suddenly and ducked a bit, "my coworkers are right there!" She raised her hand as she ducked lower and pointed.

Alan chuckled and drove around the block as instructed. She asked him to drop her off at the corner so she could exit his car unobserved. He pulled up the the curb and unlocked the doors. As she got out she leaned over the console and gave him a short but powerful kiss

"Call me." She instructed and turned to go. Alan wanted to wait to watch her walk away but a vehicle came up behind him and he had to move.

"Damn!" He said out loud. "She is the most intriguing woman I have ever met!" he thought, "How can I wait even a few hours to talk to her again?"

"Damn!" He said again out loud.

**********

It was almost 7:30, and he hadn't called yet. Maybe he wasn't 'as in to her' as she thought. No, she told herself, there was no way he was faking those kisses. Maybe she put him off too much. She knew he was ready to marry but she wasn't ready for that by a long shot. Maybe he decided to find someone who was as ready as he. That thought made her afraid, he was a really great guy and she didn't want to lose him. The thought startled her.

"Lose him?" she said out loud, he wasn't really her's to lose. Where did that thought even come from? She considered it for a moment and realized that she DID think of Alan as her's. She hadn't wanted to admit even to herself that she wanted a relationship with him, and not just a platonic, friendship relationship, she wanted him totally and intimately maybe more that anything she had ever wanted in her life.

Dee realized as she thought of him that she was wet and her hand moved up her bare leg under her robe. Why hadn't he called? He told her over lunch he wanted to call her, or maybe he was just teasing. She always gave an air that she was in absolute control but deep down, she was insecure and afraid. She had never really ever admitted that, even to herself but the thought as it crossed her mind made her even more apprehensive.

Why hadn't he called? She stared at the phone by her side and moved her hand under her panties. She closed her eyes and lost herself in the memory of that kiss that made her so weak in the knees she just about fell. She gasped as her finger touched her clitoris.

The phone rang at that moment as if to distract her from her revery. She grabbed up the phone before the first ring was even completed.

"Hello?"

"Dee, it is so good to hear your voice. I tried to wait until tomorrow but I couldn't." Alan was speaking in a low soft tone that made her shiver with excitement.

'I'm glad you called, I was beginning to think..." she almost confessed that she was waiting by the phone for his call and decided it would make her sound desperate.

"I'm glad you didn't wait. What are you doing?"

"Actually, I'm in the bathtub."

"Taking a bath?"

"No, I'm playing my viola," he could hear Dee laugh on the other end of the line,

"Of course I'm taking a bath."

"Is that all you're doing?" Dee asked mischievously.

"Are we allowed to ask questions like that?" Alan started laughing too.

"Sure, I guess so"

"Then what are you doing?

"I'm getting ready for bed."

"Are you nude?"

"Oh my, aren't we getting personal now!"

"You said we could ask."

"Well my question could be taken several ways whereas your question was right to the point!"

"So..., are you?"

"Am I what?"

"Nude."

"Under my bathrobe."

"Why don't you go pour a bath and we'll take a bath together"

"My telephone cord won't reach that far."

"Oh, that's too bad."

"Why?

"I think it would be cool to do things together over the phone."

"Like take a bath?"

"Among other things"

"What 'other things'. Wait...I don't want to know!"

"We could cook together, eat dinner together, watch TV together, we could even 'hmmm- hum' together, you know, just normal couple stuff."

"What was that last thing?"

"Hmmm-hum?"

"Yeah."

"Really? You don't know what I mean by 'Hmm-hum'

"Oh, that!" Dee realized she had been gently rubbing herself during the entire conversation.

"Hmmm-hum!"

"uh...I don't know... the kids, you know."

"They're in bed aren't they?"

"Yes, but..."

"You must,...from time to time, you know...take care of business...to relieve the tension."

"Well..."

"We can do that together."

"People do that?"

"Yes, I know it is quite shocking, but yes, couples who are separated do that."

"Well...I'll have to think on that some."

"On another topic, did you're co-workers catch on?" Alan felt it was time to changer the subject, he had rightly surmised that Dee was uncomfortable with where the conversation had led.

"Not really but there were a few glances and smirks that made me nervous. What a bunch of nosey bitches!"

"Ah, they're just being people. People just want to see everyone find someone and they always hope they are the first to discover it so they can spread the gossip!"

"That's what I want to avoid."

"Ok, I can understand that, but sometime...soon...I intend to claim you as my own."

Dee decided she better calm things down both in the conversation and with her hand or she would be doing "Hmmm-hum" over the phone! After a brief silence she asked him what he had done the rest of the day since lunch.

"I came back to my shop and did some work then took Niles to his baseball practice. It was hot and dusty so I took the opportunity while he is playing his video games to take a bath.

"So you really are taking a bath?"

"Of course, would I lie?" Alan splashed loudly, "did you hear that?"

Dee laughed and answered, "You might lie just to get me naked...". She knew she was lighting fires again but she was having fun and decided not to worry about it.

"You told me you are already naked."

"Under my robe."

"Are you touching yourself?"

Dee blushed and almost choked and couldn't say anything for a moment.

"You are, aren't you?"

"No," she lied.

"Oh yes you are, I can hear it in your voice."

Dee snatched her hand away so she could say it without lying.

"No," she said again but Alan didn't buy it.

"Dee Webb...I think you like me."

"Ehh...,". Dee didn't know what to say, but opted to go on the offensive, "Alan Drake, I know you like me...a lot."

"Yes, I admit it. I do"

"Well, I like you, too" she said quietly and blushed at the admission. There was silence on the other end of the line. "Alan, are you still there?"

"Yes, my dear, I'm here. I was just listening to you blush again."

"Wh...?"

"Good night, beautiful woman, I can't wait to see you again." And he hung up the phone. It was exactly 8:00.

Dee held the phone a moment longer before reluctantly placing it back in the cradle. Dee was all aflutter inside and the wetness of her pussy had moistened her robe. She turned out the lamp and pulled the hide-a-bed open and went to the bathroom to brush her teeth and wash her face. When she dried off she stared at herself in the mirror and saw she was smiling. She had been smiling since he called. She shook her head and addressed herself in the mirror. "You're in serious trouble, Dee Webb." But her words were spoken through that dumb smile she couldn't shake. She knew she was in serious trouble because she knew she already loved him.

*********

The next day all Dee could think about was their conversation the night before and the secret she confessed to herself in the mirror. She had a hard time keeping her mind on her job and she noticed when she walked by the mirrors in the hallway that she was still wearing that dumb smile! She tried to erase it off her face but when she walked by the mirror again it was still there.

Just before lunch a young man of about 18 or 19 came into the reception area and approached the front desk.

"I have a package for a 'Dee Webb, do I have the right office?" Helen pointed at Dee who reached across the counter for the package.

"I need to see some I.D." He said apologetically.

"Of course," Dee said and pulled her wallet from her purse. She found her driver's license and showed the delivery boy along with a dollar tip.

"Thank you, ma'am." He answered as he handed her the package and left.

Dee opened the package and found a 50' telephone cord and an extension adapter. There was no card or name but she knew who had sent it and it made her smile again.

"Ok, who is he?" Hellen said to her as she pushed the gift back into the bag.

"Who is who? What do you mean?" Dee asked innocently.

"Don't give me that 'innocent' routine, you are either in love or you got laid...or maybe both! Helen looked at her closely. "No you haven't gotten laid...yet, but you want to, So who is he?"

Crap! Why does that woman seem to know her almost better than she knew herself. What could she possibly say to deter her inquiry? If she confessed and told her all about it, the news would be around the entire office before lunch and the rest of the whole building by the end of the day. Crap!

"Oh, alright! Yes, I met someone but we are only in the very beginning stages. We had lunch once and talked on the phone twice."

"How did you meet? What's his name? Is he good looking? Does he have any kids? What does he do for a living? Come on, Dee let's hear about this guy that has had you smiling like a drunken kitten for the last two days."

"'Drunken Kitten!' Really? Damn, Hellen do you want to know what size underwear he wears, too?"

"Do you know what size underwear he wears?"

"No, for God sakes!" Dee stared at her with a 'you have got to be kidding' look.

"Oh, come on! I need something to spice up my totally boring humdrum life. Give me something to think about besides Clarence sitting in his chair in his whitey tighties, eating pork rinds and drinking beer. Give me something juicy!"

Dee, was distracted for a moment by the image of Helen's rather 'large' husband, Clarence in his whitey tighties. Then against her better judgement, she gave out the basic details of her meeting with Alan. She left out the 'juicy' parts about 'the spark' and the hot kisses and the slightly suggestive banter, much to Helen's disappointment.

"Wow, you're almost as boring as me," She said with resignation.

Dee hoped that Helen would just keep the information to herself since there wasn't anything juicy to share. There is nothing more boring than boring gossip.

The rest of the work day went slowly since she couldn't wait to get home and call Alan, or was he supposed to call her? They hadn't discussed who called who or how they were going to arrange that. She sat for a moment a little concerned. This was the kind of detail she always kept under control. It needed to be planned and understood. Somehow she got the feeling that Alan was just not that sort. He was a little more spontaneous it seemed. She knew that could be a problem for her but she acquiesced that it would do her good to step out of her comfortable, well planned and well executed existence and do something a little wild, at least every once in a while. Still it made her uneasy.

**********

Alan was very pleased with the progress his relationship with Dee had been making. The Sunday they met she had as much as told him to leave her alone for a year, then she called him. When they had lunch yesterday she modified it to weekly family outings, a monthly date and talking on the phone.

He was confident that she was at least as interested in him as he was in her. She almost admitted to touching herself while they were talking last night! He hoped his little gift of a long telephone cord would allow them to have intimate times together while at the same time maintaining a sense of distance, at least physically. Who knows she may want to see him more often that weekly. That is the goal.

He was going to let her call next. They had not agreed on a calling schedule but it seemed logical to trade off ever other day. He knew she was a woman who liked things orderly and well planned out so it wouldn't do to challenge that basic trait too much. Still she could use a little shaking up, hence the long telephone cord that would allow her to join him in a bath over the telephone wires.

He himself had just acquired a new cordless phone. They had been around a few years but were a bit beyond his budget until recently. The tech rumor was that a revolution in cordless called 'cell' phones was coming in which you could make and receive calls from anywhere. He was skeptical about the usefulness of such a phone and doubted he would ever need one. He did like his cordless though, he could be anywhere in the house and talk. Last night talking with Dee while soaking in the tub was a case in point.

He smiled when he thought of how she must have had to think a moment about who and why the 50 ft cord had been sent to her. He hoped that she would call soon so he could ask her how it went.

He fixed supper for Niles and himself. Then Niles set about doing his homework and Alan worked on his Master's thesis. When the phone rang, Niles picked it up and yelled from the living room, "Dad, its some lady wants to talk to you."

Alan had already headed to pick up the phone so he almost immediately yelled back "Got it."

"Hello," came Dee's voice, "Do you hear that?"

"Yes, what is it?"

"It's water filling the bathtub, isn't that why you sent the long cord?"

'Yes, exactly"

"Are you in the tub now?

"No, but I can get there pretty quick. Just hold on...". Alan was already in the bathroom by then and had the water running.

"How was your day today?" Dee asked, "I bet you had fun imagining my reaction to your little gift."

"As a matter of fact, I did. What happened?"

"A terribly shy delivery boy came just before lunch and it made me smile, which apparently I have been doing a lot the last couple of days. My nosey, busy body, gossipy co-worker cornered me and made me tell about you."

"Everything?"

"No, actually I didn't give her any information about our kissing and stuff, I tried to make it as boring as possible and she lost interest pretty quickly.

"Good, ...I guess."

"Are you in the tub yet?"

"I have to put the phone down to get my belt unbuckled."

"Go ahead, I'll wait."

"There, I'm in." reported Alan a few moments later.

"OK...now what?"

"We talk, of course."

"What do we talk about?"

"Life. I'll start: I told Niles about you today. He found it interesting but didn't say much beyond that."

"Tanis asks about you about once a day: 'When is Alan coming over?', 'When can we go to pizza with Alan?', Don't you like Alan, Mom?.

"Good Boy!"

"I'm sure it is about the quarters more than just you."

"I'm not sure how to take that, but either way it was quarters well spent."

"What kind of bath soap do you use?"

Alan laughed, "Wow, that came out of left field...I use Irish Spring."

"Magically Delicious" Dee sung.

`'No," Alan just about dropped the phone laughing, "That's the 'Lucky Charms' commercial!"

"Oh, yeah...you're right." Dee was embarrassed and blushed. She waited for Alan to stop laughing which took quite a little then finally exclaimed, "Hey, don't laugh at me!"

"But it was so funny!"

"It's embarrassing."

"Oh, Dee honey, I'm don't mean anything by it, you have to admit it was funny."

"I just feel stupid!"

"You are hardly stupid, as a matter of fact, I believe you are one of the most intelligent women I have ever met.

"You're just saying that."

"I'm saying that because I believe it," Alan paused a moment with a flash of insight, "You don't know how marvelous you are do you? Not even a clue! I bet you have been calling yourself stupid all your life!"

"Well, I am stupid about a lot of things."

"No you aren't. You are wonderful and I will do everything in my power to prove it to you!"

Dee had nothing she could say. She had an overwhelming urge to contradict him, but she also respected him and was certain he was not prone to flattery.

"Do you really think that?" She said finally.

"I can sense that you need a hug, I wish I was with you to hug you and make you understand what a great and awesome woman you are."

"Well if you were here we would both be naked in the tub together, probably."

"Sounds like fun to me," Alan smiled. He had been imagining her nude all sudsed up in bath water up to her breasts. He held his erection in his hand, reluctant to go further until he knew what she was thinking.