Return To Pleasant Street Ch. 01

ANOTHER VISIT TO THE BEAUTY SHOP

Jody Margulies still runs her "unisex" beauty salon in her home at the corner of Pleasant Street and Lincoln Avenue. And she's still every bit as lovely as she was the last time I wrote about her. Jody is still single, although she's been seeing a young man by the name of Thomas Walker for the past year and a half. I've been expecting to see an engagement announcement in the newspaper any day now, but you never know.

Milt Anderson remains one of Jody's regular customers. He shows up every four weeks, and is always the last customer Jody has on the day of his appointments. Milt must require a lot of work, because he usually stays quite a while. In fact, he usually doesn't leave until well after dark. Like I said before, I'm not a peeping Tom - I'm an observer. But, based on what happened after Milt's last visit, I decided that something happened, maybe the events described in the following story.

WASH, HAIRCUT, AND DINNER

-1-

Tom Walker woke in the morning and looked at the woman lying next to him in bed. Tom, who was thirty, was tall and good-looking, with sandy brown hair and a very good body, the result of time spent in a health club. He was employed in an advertising agency, and was on the fast track to the top. He'd been dating Jody Margulies for a year and a half, and had been bugging her to marry him for the last six months.

Jody had put him off, for reasons Tom couldn't quite understand. He knew Jody cared about him, and he certainly cared about her. She seldom even let him sleep over. Tom sighed and continued to gaze at Jody's slumbering form, which she'd exposed by throwing the covers off during the night.

Jody was slim with dark hair that hung to the middle of her back in a soft, silky cascade of loose, fluffy curls. That hair now formed a wonderful halo for her slumbering face. Her breasts were, Tom thought, fantastic! Small, firm, and delightfully shaped, their best feature was the nipples which, when Jody was aroused, stood out proudly from her dark areolas, and literally

begged to be suckled. Tom loved suckling them, and the way Jody reacted when he did. She had lean, firm legs, and a finely formed bottom. Tom had never known a woman who looked more enticing.

"God, she's beautiful!" Tom thought as he lay there, looking at her, "I wish she'd marry me so I would wake up and do this every morning!"

Jody awakened, stretched, rolled over, and smiled at Tom. "Good morning," she murmured. "I didn't know you were awake. What are you doing?"

"Watching you," Tom replied. He loved the feline way she stretched. In fact, the action was so erotic he felt his penis begin to stiffen. "You stretch better than anyone I've ever seen," he said. He bent and covered Jody's lips with his. Jody pressed against him and her slim arms wrapped around him. Tom felt his groin tighten.

"We have a little time before I have to get ready for work," Jody murmured after the kiss ended.

"I was hoping you'd say that," Tom replied. He started stroking one of Jody's breasts.

"Oh, Tom," Jody purred as his touch sent thrills sweeping through her. "That feels lovely!" Her hand slid between them found his swelling erections, and began to move up and down lightly on it. "I suppose you think I ought to do something about this?" she murmured, and squeezed his shaft, bringing a groan from him.

Tom rolled on top of his Jody and thrust his cock into her. "I kind of thought I'd do this!" he told her as passion roared through him.

"Oh, Tom!" Jody cried as delight spread through her. His quick action surprised her, but she wasn't complaining. "Yes! Take me! Take me!"

Tom started moving his hips and delight blossomed and grew full tilt in both of them. He and Jody were both so turned on it didn't take long before they were groaning out a shared orgasm.

"Tom, I'm coming!" Jody cried," I'm coming! Yes! Yes! Yes!"

"Jody Oh, Jody!" Tom cried, erupting powerfully into his lover's spasming body.

After they calmed down, they got up, took showers, and got dressed. They went down to Jody's kitchen and were enjoying breakfast.

"What time should I come over tonight?" Tom asked after he finished his breakfast and was about to head off to work.

Jody looked at the calendar on the kitchen wall and paled a little. "I forgot," she said, "today is the day I have that beautician's association meeting after work. I-I can't see you tonight."

Tom looked a little peeved. "Not even later, after your meeting?" he asked.

Jody shook her head. "I'm booked all day, and the meetings always run late," she said.

Tom pushed back from the table and stood up. "Can I call you later, anyhow?" he asked.

"I-I suppose so," Jody said, "but I'm not sure what time I'll get home." She stood up, too, and walked with Tom to the door.

"I love you," Tom said.

"Yeah, me, too," Jody replied.

They shared a kiss, then Tom was gone. Jody closed the door behind him, then leaned against it, her heart pounding. She hated lying to Tom like that, but she didn't know what else to do. She didn't really have a beautician's association meeting. Today was the day she saw her favorite client, Milt Bingham. He'd been a customer for five years, and had also been her lover for that same amount of time.

Milt, a handsome successful businessman, seduced Jody the day of his first appointment, and they'd been getting together every four weeks for the past five years. That created problems for Jody because Milt was, far and away, the best lover she'd ever had. Not only that, she'd grown to like him a lot during the five years their affair had been going on. She knew he was married, and had a teen-aged son who was now in college, but knew little more about him.

Milt, however, had learned a lot about her. Every year she got a gift of some kind from him, usually expensive, for her birthday, and there were occasional flower deliveries, and even special gifts on the anniversary date of their first time together. Milt had become an important part of Jody's life, a part she didn't want to surrender, which was why she'd turned down Tom's marriage proposals.

Tom was nice, too, and she did care about him, but she wasn't sure she could give Milt up. She felt guilty enough sleeping with Milt while she was dating Tom, she wasn't sure she'd be able to handle cheating on Tom if she married him, and she was sure she couldn't give Milt up.

The day dragged for some reason. It seemed to Jody it would never end. Finally, the last customer left and, as she did, Milt walked through the door.

"Hi," he said.

"Hi, Milt," Jody said, and felt herself blush. She knew what would be happening after his haircut, and couldn't wait. She almost suggested that they make love before his haircut, but never got the chance to make the suggestion.

"You doing anything after we're finished?" Milt asked.

Jody was confused. "What do you mean?" she asked. She'd assumed they would go to her apartment and make love, just as they'd been doing for years.

"I was wondering if you might be interested in having dinner with me later," Milt said, grinning.

"D-dinner?" Jody stammered.

"Yes," Milt said. "I'm in the mood for a good steak, how about you?"

"I-I guess so," Jody said. This new development both excited and confused her. She'd been seeing Milt for five years, and he'd never asked her out before. Why now?

"Come on, let's get your hair done," she said.

Milt followed her to the back room, where the sink she used to wash hair was located.

Jody was surprised when Milt let her wash his hair without making any sexual advances. Usually, he couldn't keep his hands off her. She found herself missing the attention, and wondered what was wrong.

When she was finished with the shampoo, Jody wrapped a towel around Milt's head, then she and Milt went out to the front of the beauty salon and Milt sat down in the chair. Jody finished with his haircut. When she was done, she held a mirror up to show him how it looked.

"That's fine," Milt said, smiling, "Excellent, as usual. You ready to go out to dinner?"

"I-I need to take a bath and change, if we're going out," Jody said. "Why don't you make yourself comfortable until I do?"

"OK," Milt said.

The two of them went into Jody's apartment and Milt made himself comfortable on the sofa while Jody went into her bedroom to get changed. She was still puzzled. Milt was acting very strangely today. He'd never managed to keep his hands off her this long the previous times they were together.

-2-

Jody took a quick shower, then she slipped on a very scanty lacy bra and matching thong bikini. She wasn't exactly sure what to wear over the lingerie. She stood in her closet, studying the dresses hanging there for quite a while. She finally decided on a snug-fitting black coatdress. It clung delightfully to her lithe torso, and the color highlighted her leanness. She fixed her hair and applied understated makeup.

When Jody walked into the living room, Milt immediately began having problems with his breathing. She looked lovelier than he'd ever seen look before.

Jody saw that Milt's face was red and that he looked kind of funny. "What's the matter?" she asked, concerned. "You look like something's wrong."

"Nothing's...wrong. You...you're gorgeous!" Milt whispered. His heart was thudding against his rib cage.

Jody felt herself flushing. "Milt!" she exclaimed.

Milt stood up. "Come on," he said. "Let's go." He held the door and Jody walked by him. The perfume she was wearing smelled spectacular. He followed her out to his car and held the door passenger side door open for her while she slid in.

Jody smiled up at him as she slid into the car. "You're being a gentleman tonight," she murmured.

"It would be criminal if I wasn't, not to with such a lovely companion," Milt replied. He liked it that his compliment brought a faint flush to Jody's lovely features. He walked around and got in the car, started the engine, and off they went.

Jody loved the restaurant Milt took her to. It was far more posh than any restaurant she'd ever been to before. She looked around wide-eyed, taking in everything.

Several of the male customers gave her admiring glances when the maitre de seated them. Milt noticed, but couldn't blame them. It was difficult for him to take his eyes off her, too.

Dinner was fantastic. Milt ordered Filet Mignon for both of them. He also arranged for some excellent wine, and they finished with the house special dessert, a strange concoction that included chocolate, cocoanut, and lot of sugar. It was served warm, covered with whipped cream.

"I feel like I'm going to explode," Jody commented as they prepared to leave. "I can't remember the last time I ate so much! And the filet was incredible! Thank you, Milt!" She still wasn't sure why this all was happening.

"I wanted to spoil you a little," Milt replied. "I'm in an uncommonly good mood tonight."

"Spoil me a little?" Jody said and smiled at him. "I'd call this spoiling me a lot! This is the most fabulous place I've ever been to eat!"

"I'm glad you like it," Milt said. "You ready to retire to the lounge and do a little

dancing?" A band had started playing in the lounge next to the dining room and the prospect of holding Jody in his arms had him filled with anticipation.

When Jody slipped her arm in his as they walked out of the restaurant, Milt found himself feeling a little giddy. He was starting to act a little like a teen-ager and he kind of felt like one, too.

The lounge was crowded, but they found seats in a cozy corner booth. A waitress appeared and Milt ordered drinks. The waitress took their order and left and the band started playing a Glen Miller tune, "Moonlight in Vermont." Milt was glad. Fast dancing wasn't one of his skills. "Want to dance?" he asked Jody.

Jody smiled at him and said, "I'd love to."

They walked out onto the small dance floor and Jody came into his arms. Her body molded itself against Milt's and he felt warm feelings sweeping through him. At first, he started to resist them, then he realized he didn't need to, not if he was going to do what he'd come here tonight to do. There was something he planned to do tonight and, one way or another, no matter what the consequences, he was going to do it.

Jody's soft hair tickled his face as she snuggled against him. Milt couldn't recall ever having a more delightful dancing partner. Being on the dance floor, with Jody in his arms, was a little like being in heaven.

The dance ended and Milt reluctantly released Jody. The fact she seemed reluctant to leave his embrace thrilled him. Was it possible she felt about him the way he felt about her? Or was it just that she liked to dance?

They walked back to the table, sat down, and sipped their drinks. The booth was small, and Jody was very close to him. She leaned over, kissed him on the cheek, then squeezed his arm.

"Oh, Milt, this is wonderful," she said softly. "I-I'm glad you asked me to go to dinner tonight. I can't remember when I had a nicer time."

Milt kissed her on the forehead. "If you're happy, then I'm happy," he said. He took another swallow of his drink. "Jody...there's..." The band swung into a fast tune just as he started to speak.

Jody grabbed his hand. "Come on, let's dance," she said. "We can talk later."

"But it's a fast dance," Milt protested. "I can't fast dance. I-I'm a real klutz."

Jody was surprised to see him hesitate. He'd always seemed so self-assured before. It was a side of him she liked seeing. "Just jump around in time to the music," she said, smiling, "That's all anybody else does."

Milt did get up and dance. He mustn't have looked too outrageous. At least nobody seemed to be staring at him. Of course, he was so busy staring at Jody he probably wouldn't have noticed anyone staring at him anyhow. She was, he thought, poetry in motion. Her lithe body moved incredibly well as she moved to the rock and roll music. He couldn't believe someone as beautiful as she was could actually be his date. Immediately after the fast dance, the band segued into another slow tune.

Jody came into his arms and once more they glided around the small dance floor. The pressure of her body against his was doing wild things to him, and Milt no longer tried to make any effort to hide the results of her contact. If the fact that she was turning him on made her angry, he needed to know that.

If Jody felt the erection growing in his pants, pressing against her, she gave no indication. She didn't back off from the close embrace they were in.

When the dance ended, they returned to their table. The band's lead singer announced that they were taking a break.

Jody sipped a little more of her drink, then laid her hand on his and said, "What was it you wanted to tell me earlier?" she asked.

There it was. The perfect opportunity for Milt to tell her what he brought her here to tell her. Did he have the courage to do it?

Milt took a deep breath. "I...ah...I," he stammered, "I-I got divorced. It...the divorce was final last...last month." That wasn't exactly how he thought he'd say it when he planned this, but that's how it came out.

Jody, stunned by what he'd said, stared at him. "You...you what?" she stammered.

Milt cleared his throat, took a long swallow of his drink, followed that with a deep breath, then said, "That's not exactly how I planned to tell you that, but..."

Jody tried to figure out what this was all about. Was that why he'd taken her out to dinner, to tell her that he was divorced?

"Is...is that why...why you...you asked me out to...to dinner?" she stammered. "To...to tell me you're divorced?"

Milt nodded. "Partly," he said softly. "I-I-I also wanted to...to tell you that...that

I'm...I'm in love with you."

Jody was even more stunned. She tried to think. Her mind was whirling; her heart was pounding. Was this what she wanted to hear? Had she been waiting to hear him tell her this for five years?

Milt gazed at her, his heart pounding. What was her response going to be?

Jody finally figured out how she felt and knew what her response had to be. She squeezed Milt's arm, smiled, and said, "I-I'm in love with you, too."

Milt couldn't breathe. She was in love with him, too! He couldn't believe it! His fondest dream had become reality! He gulped and tried to think of something really nice to say. "Ah...you...you are?" was what he finally came up with, and felt like an idiot after he said it.

Jody nodded. "I-I think I've been in love with you for a long time. I-I didn't know you...you know... that you felt the same way, but...but I guess I-I hoped you did."

"I-I think I've been in love with you for quite a while," Milt admitted. "but...because I was married, I-I was afraid to tell you."

"Am...am I the reason for...for your divorce?" Jody asked.

Milt shook his head. "No, not at all," he told her. "My marriage was over when...when I met you. But because of my son, I felt I had to keep trying. Now that he's in college I don't think the divorce will have the same negative effect on him. He and I have talked about it, he doesn't hate me or anything."

"I-I had no idea..." Jody murmured.

"And..." Milt continued, "the other thing that had me worried is that you're so much younger than I am."

Jody made a face at him and squeezed his hand. "What difference does that make if we're in love?" she asked.

"None, I guess," Milt said. All of a sudden, the difference in their ages didn't seem like the big issue he'd made it in his mind.

The band had come back on the stage while they talked, and was tuning up. Milt didn't really want to dance any more. What he really wanted was to be home with Jody.

"Do...do you want to dance any more?" he asked Jody.

She kissed him on the cheek. "Just one more slow dance to celebrate," she said. "Then I want to go home."

They did get up and dance and, when the dance ended, they kissed lingeringly, then walked back to their table, got their things, and left.

When they got in the car, Jody slid across the seat and snuggled against Milt. "I've never felt more wonderful in my life," she said softly. "This has been the most wonderful night of my life!"

If Milt had anything to say about it, the night would be a lot better before it ended.

-3-

Things seemed strained when Jody and Milt arrived back at her house. It was as if, having admitted their love, they didn't know how to move on to the next phase of their relationship. What had once been easy now seemed to pose problems. They stood in the kitchen, looking at each other.

It was clear to Milt that nothing would happen unless one of them did something, so he screwed up his courage and walked across the kitchen, to where Jody was standing. She kept staring at him. Milt looked at her. She was so young, and so gorgeous!

When Milt put his hands on her shoulders, Jody sighed and cuddled against him. "Why is this so hard tonight?" she murmured. "I-I mean it isn't like we...we've never done this before."

"I know," Milt said, "It's as if I don't know what to do. I want you so badly..."

She looked up at him. "I...I want you, too," she whispered. Her arms went around him and she pressed against him. "I...I didn't know how I...how I really felt about you until...until you told me you loved me," she said. "I...I guess it was there, but I didn't want to admit it."

"I know," Milt said. "It was like that for me, too."

Standing in the kitchen holding each other, as delightful as that was, really wasn't what either of them wanted.

Milt tipped Jody's head up with one hand and kissed her. He was totally unprepared for what he felt when his lips and Jody's joined. The kisses they'd shared before had always been sweet, but nothing like this one was! He felt like he was melting, and exploding, and being given electric shocks; all at the same time. His legs got wobbly and his heart started to pound. No kiss he'd ever had felt the way this one did!