Tom and Leah

Tom put on his coat quickly as Leah went to the hall closet and selected a long, gray overcoat. Tom took it from her and held it as she shrugged it on.

"Thanks," she said softly, admiring his attentiveness.

After she locked the door, he led her to his car and opened the door for her before climbing in as well.

After he drove for a few minutes, Leah said, "Thanks for asking me to go to the dance. It was a very nice surprise."

"You're welcome," he replied, glancing her way and smiling. "I really should have asked you out sooner."

"Why didn't you?"

"I guess I wasn't sure how you'd answer. I mean, you've said you don't date much and you seem to be pretty particular about who you date. I wasn't sure if I measured up."

"You more than "measure up", Tom. I've been hoping you'd ask me out for a long time now."

"Really? Since when?"

"I don't know," she replied as she looked out the window. "Probably when we started having lunch together after church." She turned back to him. "I thought maybe I wasn't pretty enough or glamourous enough for you because you hadn't said anything."

Tom laughed. "That's so far from the truth, Leah. Boy, did we get some wires mixed up!" He shook his head in amusement.

Still laughing, he said, "It doesn't matter now. We're on a date now, so let's just have a good time and see where this goes."

"I can handle that."

Tom coasted to a stop at a red light. "I have a confession to make, though."

"What's that?"

"I can't dance worth a lick."

Leah smiled and lightly touched his hand. "Do you think you could hold me and move back and forth to some slow music?"

"I think I can do that," he replied, glancing down at her hand that now held his.

"Good, because that's the only kind of dancing I want to do tonight."

"Really?" Tom raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah," she nodded. Leah patted his hand and let go.

The restaurant he chose, "The Black Forest", was near Battle Creek. Serving a wide variety of dishes, its main specialty was German. Although not as opulent as some restaurants he had visited during his playing days, it was one of the few four star restaurants in the area. Leah had never been there and was pleasantly surprised when Tom turned into the parking lot.

"You're trying to spoil me, Tom," she remarked.

"I certainly hope so."

They were shown a table in the middle of the vast dining room. The ceiling was supported with dark, thick timbers giving it a distinct Tudor feel. The walls were covered with old-style paintings, murals, and German family crests.

When given the opportunity to order drinks, neither wanted wine and chose coffee instead. Looking around while browsing the menu, Leah remarked more than once at the beauty of the interior.

'This is so nice, Tom. You really shouldn't have," she said finally.

"I should and I did," Tom replied quietly. "You deserve something really nice for once, so will you just relax and enjoy it? I don't want to hear any more about what I should or shouldn't have done." He smiled at her and winked.

Leah smiled sheepishly. She had never been in such a fine restaurant before and it overwhelmed her a bit. There was a huge variety of dishes from which to choose and the prices were outlandish in her estimation.

As if reading her mind, Tom said, "Don't worry about the cost. I'll just take it out of your tip money for the rest of the year!"

Finally, that brought a broad grin from Leah as she shook her head back and forth.

"There, that's the smile I was looking for," Tom said. "You look so much prettier when you smile than when you're serious."

Leah blushed slightly, then regained her composure. "It'll probably take two years to pay for this," she retorted.

Finally, she was able to relax and enjoy herself. She chose sauerkraut with pork, while Tom had veal. The meal proved to be worth the cost as Leah could not remember having a finer dining experience. They chatted easily throughout, talking about anything from the weather to their high school days and growing up in small town Michigan to former dates and their marriages. Both were candid about their failed marriages, offering no excuses and both admitting to missing their former spouses.

"He'll always be a friend," Leah said. "We just couldn't be married to each other anymore. It was best for all of us."

"What about the girls? How did they handle it?" Tom asked.

"Well, they handled it as best they could. Even though they were young, they understood how unhappy we were. George has been a really good dad for them and that helps a lot."

They talked for a while after they finished their meals. Both of them declined dessert and soon they were on their way to the dance. It was being held in the church recreation center which was adjacent to the church.

When they walked in, they saw the tables decorated with red and white table cloths, balloons, and ribbons. They were a few minutes early, so they decided to mingle with the other seventy or so couples.

Promptly at seven o'clock, the lights were dimmed and a five piece band began to play. They were actually pretty good, Tom thought to himself as he listened with Leah seated to his left. It was an upbeat tune from the sixties of which Tom was unfamiliar. Leah seemed to enjoy it as her foot bounced happily from her crossed leg.

Quickly, the tune was over and the band immediately started a slow ballad. Leah looked to Tom and smiled.

"Would you like to try it?" she asked.

Tom looked at her and shrugged. "I'm warning you. I have three left feet." He did not hesitate when he reached for her hand. Taking it and squeezing lightly, he helped her to her feet and led her to the outer reaches of the dance floor.

Throwing caution to the wind, and a possible hospital stay, Leah allowed Tom to guide her in a small area all to themselves. They swayed easily to the music as Tom held her close. They glanced at each other and smiled throughout the dance before Leah slowly placed her head against Tom's shoulder. Sighing softly to herself, Leah enjoyed the closeness they shared at that moment. It felt good and natural to her. The song ended much too quickly as faster music replaced it. They walked back to their table and sat down once again. All in all, he was not too bad a dancer, and only nicked the side of her shoe twice.

"Thank you," Leah said as Tom pushed in her chair for her.

She waited until he was seated before speaking again. "I really enjoyed that," she remarked. "You're not a bad dancer at all."

"Just wait," he smirked, "I might have to carry you home before the night's over. It's still early."

"You're being too hard on yourself."

"No," he said, shaking his head, "just being truthful." He looked down and settled into his chair. "Can I get you a drink or something?"

"Oh no," Leah exclaimed, holding her hands out in front of her protectively. "I'm still stuffed from that wonderful supper. Have I thanked you for that?"

"Many times over," he replied.

He thought back to their drive to the dance. Tom remembered her thanking him at least twice or three times. It amused him to think a simple dinner made such an impression on her. Then, he re-thought that. Maybe it was not such a small thing to her. Sometimes, he had to remember he was not dating someone from St. Louis or D.C. Leah was a small town girl who appreciated a nice dinner no matter where it was.

"I'm really glad you liked it," he said as he stared at her for a moment. She looked so different from the times he saw her in church. She normally wore jeans and a nice blouse and her hair was usually tied back in a loose pony tail. This was the first time he had seen her dressed up and her hair down.

"What?" she asked, feeling a bit uneasy from his intense gaze. Leah never liked someone staring at her. She was somewhat self-conscious about her looks.

"You look really pretty tonight," Tom replied. He looked around the center and glanced at the other couples. "In fact, I would say you're the prettiest one here."

Blushing, Leah tapped his hand, giggling. "You need to get your eyes checked, but thank you. That was sweet of you to say."

"Don't you know how pretty you are?"

Leah shrugged, realizing the conversation was starting to turn a bit more serious. "I've never thought of myself as pretty. Okay, maybe, but nothing more than that."

Tom laughed lightly. "You are much more than just okay. You are really very pretty, so don't think otherwise."

"Oh, I don't know..."

"Come on, Leah," he said, a bit exasperated. He reached for her hand and felt the softness against his own skin. They were strong hands, ones that were used to hard work, but soft nonetheless. Tom stroked the back of her hand with his thumb, feeling the contours of her tendons, veins and knuckles. He looked at her and smiled. "I think you're pretty, so don't argue with me."

"I won't," Leah replied, liking the feel of Tom's touch. She returned the smile. "I guess I'm not too good at accepting compliments."

"Well," he replied slowly, "you better get used to it as long as I'm around."

"Okay," she nodded.

The band continued to play a wide variety of music and was quite entertaining. Tom and Leah danced as much as they sat and chatted. It was almost a toss up as to which they enjoyed more, but if either were asked, they would have said dancing with each other was special. As the evening wore on, Tom held her closer and closer. By then, Leah had relinquished Tom's hands and had wrapped her arms around his neck, her breasts pressed against his chest. Their eyes locked onto each other's quite often and Leah did not mind his staring now. She found his soft brown eyes very appealing and loved the warmth behind them.

It was during the last half hour of the dance when they shared their first kiss. The band was playing "I Will Always Love You", made famous by Dolly Parton and Whitney Houston. The band's female singer was singing it softly and low keyed, almost seductively. Tom and Leah swayed slowly in time with the music, looking at each other and enjoying the person in front of them. Without warning or hesitation, Leah suddenly moved forward and kissed Tom. It was short and sweet and Tom loved it. It ended quickly as their lips parted and Leah was looking at Tom as before, but her eyes were mischievous now, sparkling and bright.

She placed her head on his shoulder and sighed contented. She then tilted her head towards his ear and whispered, "Sorry, I couldn't help myself." She kissed him again on the cheek.

He whispered back, "I'm not complaining."

The rest of the dance was a blur to Leah. All she wanted to do was to be alone with Tom and kiss him again. His lips felt so soft to her, no matter how brief it was. She needed to kiss him again, to feel his body against her and enjoy the warmth of his touch in private. By then, his hands roamed her back freely, his fingers brushing lightly against the material of her blouse, sometimes sending shivers through her when he hit a sensitive spot. The slow dances always seemed to end much too quickly as they would slowly walk hand in hand to their seats upon their conclusion.

At nine o'clock, the last song was played, "Songbird", by Fleetwood Mac. The singer did a nice job with it, singing it softly and sweetly. Leah gazed at Tom as they danced, watching him carefully and looking for any clues as to what he was thinking. His expression stayed the same during the last dance. A slight smile peaked from the corners of his mouth and his eyes were bright and expressive.

As the song neared its conclusion, Tom looked down at Leah whose face rested on his chest and shoulder. Slowly, he bent forward and kissed her cheek, hugging her tight to him as he did. Her soft perfume tickled his nose as he lingered there. When the song was over, they reluctantly stopped and walked back to their table.

Once they gathered their coats and her purse, they walked arm in arm to the parking lot and to his car.

Looking up at him as they strolled, Leah said, "I had a wonderful time."

"I did too," Tom replied. "It ended too soon," he said, meaning the dance.

"What ended too soon?" Leah asked, hoping he did not mean the evening or their date.

"The dance. It seems like we just got here and now it's over."

"Yeah, it was too soon," she agreed.

They came to his car and he let her in the passenger side before he went to the other side and slid in next to her. Tom could feel his breathing quicken slightly. Things had changed so quickly between them since he first saw her but five hours before. Looking at her, he could see her smiling in the dim light of the parking lot.

Leah loved the smell of his cologne as they sat for those few seconds. Throughout the dance, her nose was next to his shirt and she tried to inhale his scent without him noticing. She had already made up her mind to ask him in for coffee or a nightcap, whichever he preferred. She did not want the evening to end and the chance to be with him absolutely alone for a few hours was too much to pass up.

Much to her surprise and disappointment, he did not try to kiss her at that moment, but started his car and began the short drive to her house.

The drive to her house was less than a minute. Tom assumed he would be asked in, but remained motionless as Leah gathered her purse and keys.

"Come in for awhile?" she asked. "I could make some coffee."

"I'd like that," he replied as he shut off the engine.

On the porch, she nervously fumbled the key into the lock after several unsuccessful attempts. Tom cracked a smile, but said nothing. Once inside, she flipped on the lights and took Tom's coat from him, placing it in the closet next to her own.

"Make yourself at home and I'll start the coffee," she said as she made her way into the kitchen.

Tom, instead, followed her quietly. As she reached into a cupboard for the coffee container, Tom put his arms around her from behind and hugged her. Leah placed her hands over his and held them to her.

"I really enjoyed dancing with you," he said softly as he swayed slightly as if dancing with her again.

She turned her head and looked up at him. "I had a wonderful time, Tom." She let go of his hands and turned to face him. "I really don't want this evening to end."

Without answering, Tom moved forward and kissed her softly. Leah accepted this gesture without hesitation, moving a hand to his face. It lasted but several seconds. As they parted, Leah's eyes were closed at first, but slowly opened to find Tom staring at her.

"That was sweet," she said as she rubbed her hand along his jaw line. "Come on."

She took his hand and led him to the living room where they sat down on her plush sofa.

"We might as well be comfortable because I plan on kissing you for a long time."

For the rest of the evening, they kissed, hugged, snuggled, and basically enjoyed the other's company. When they were not kissing, they talked. They talked about anything and everything that came to mind; her kids, school, music, her job, baseball, etc. One topic that was avoided was sex until Leah brought it up without warning after midnight.

"Have you slept with a lot of women?" she asked casually.

"How many is a lot?" he asked, trying to evade the subject. He was not proud of his younger days.

"Oh, I don't know," she said, trying to come up with a number. "Twenty?"

"More than that," he replied uneasily.

"How many more?" she asked, her interest piqued. She kissed him lightly. "I'm just interested, that's all. I'm not trying to pass judgement." He remained quiet. "It's okay if you don't want to say..."

"Probably thirty or more," he answered quietly. "I don't remember them all." He looked down at his hands in embarrassment. "But," he added quickly, "only three in the last five years or so."

"Am I prettier than the ones you've dated?"

Tom glanced at her eyes, their brilliant blue eyes blazing at him. "Probably only a couple were prettier than you, but noone could touch your eyes. I've never met anyone with eyes like yours."

"Really?"

"It's the truth. They're beautiful."

They remained quiet for a few seconds.

"What about you?" he asked.

"What about me?"

"How many have you slept with?"

Leah laughed softly, "Only three. None since my divorce."

"You're kidding. You haven't slept with anyone for five years!"

Leah shook her head.

"Wow."

"Why do you find that so hard to believe?" She stared at him intently. Leah was not angry with him, but merely wanted to know why he was reacting that way.

Tom became quiet once more, not knowing what to say. He did not want to say something wrong and ruin the evening.

Finally, he said, "It's just that you're so pretty and five years is a long time to go without....I mean, don't you miss it?" He looked down. " I don't know. Maybe I'm being out of line."

"You're not out of line. Of course, I miss it. I like sex as much as anyone, but the opportunity hasn't been there for me. I don't just jump into bed with anyone I happen to date, although it's not from lack of trying on their part."

"I didn't mean to imply that..."

"I know you didn't," Leah sighed. "I just haven't found anyone I'd want to share myself with, that's all. Believe me, if I find that special person, it won't take much for me to go to bed with him." She looked at him shyly as if wanting to say more.

Tom returned her look, but said nothing. He knew he had not said anything to upset her and he was happy with that. The evening had been going so well up until then. Now, he sensed a subtle tenseness between them as if a new line had been crossed that could never be erased.

When Tom announced it was time for him to go, Leah's heart sank. The date seemed as if it had only just begun and she would have been surprised to learn of the exact time.

"You know we'll have to do this again soon....very soon," she said softly as she led him to the front door.

"How about lunch after church tomorrow?" he asked. "We can go to my place and I'll grill some steaks or something."

"Do I have to wait that long?" She pretended to pout.

"It won't be too long," Tom replied, noting the time.

"Oh," she sighed, "you know I don't want you to go!"

"Yeah, I'm getting all these subtle hints from you," he joked.

Tom pulled her close and kissed her one more time, a long sensual kiss that lasted for quite a while.

"Do you think that will help until we see each other at church?" he asked once they parted.

"Maybe I'll just keep you here and not let you go home," she replied, not altogether in jest.

Tom laughed softly. "Not yet," he said, kissing her forehead. "Maybe next time."

Reluctantly, Leah gave him his coat and opened her door for him. He gave her another soft kiss before stepping into the frosty February morning. Leah stood on her porch and watched as his red tail lights dimmed, then disappeared from view.

Tom reflected upon all that had happened that evening as he drove home. It had taken a lot of effort on his part to leave her and he felt if he had pressed the issue, he could have stayed the night. He sensed she did not want him to go, either, but it was for the best. It was not something he wanted from her at that time in their relationship. At this time in his life, he did not feel the need to jump into bed with a woman just because the opportunity might have been there for an instance. Leah was different, different from any woman he had ever met and because of this, he did not want to jeopardize his standing with her.

He remembered in the past when he would not have passed up the opportunity and perhaps talked his way into a woman's bed for the night. But, that was all it would be. One night. More often than not, he would wake up the next morning, perhaps not even remembering the girl's name, and sneak out of her home before she woke. Sometimes he felt bad about it, sometimes he did not. As he got older, that type of lifestyle did not appeal to him anymore. Karen helped change that. Ever since his divorce from her, Tom never looked for short-term relationships. The divorce shook him and he missed the closeness they shared and he hoped to catch that lucky prize once again with Leah.