****
Before his date with Leah, James had stopped at the post office after dropping Kayla and Miranda off at camp. The elderly woman that had been in front of James in line was one of only two other customers in the entire office. The other gentleman besides James was only there to check his PO Box and get some stamps from the automatic cash-only dispenser. It would seem likely to James that he should have only been in the post office for five minutes or so.
Thirty minutes later, James was finally able to send some of his father's legal documents by certified mail to the insurance company in Arizona.
The old woman who smelled of cat dander and menthol cigarettes did not understand why the postman was unable to ship her sister in DeMoines, Iowa a jar of jellied peppers and three cases .45 Hollow Point Magnum shells. The civil servant tried his best to explain to the geezer that it was against federal law to send live ammunition via the United States Postal Service. After much grumbling and complaining, the old woman had left and James was able to quickly mail out the documents for his father's estate.
As he left the post office, pondering how it was that some people still could not comprehend the simple logistics of mailing packages, he crossed the parking lot to his car and was nearly run down by a minivan as it zipped into the lot. James was ready to brain the driver as the vehicle screeched to a stop in front of him. He opened his mouth to yell at the careless driver; both fists clenched in rage and fear.
James noticed the woman behind the wheel and froze.
The driver instantly recognized him and she in return, was locked in place by James' gaze.
James did not want to believe what he was seeing, his heart raced and his thoughts tumbled out of control; he had thought about the day he might see her again. He had dreamt of the moment he would be able to ask what had happened between them; to ask her why she had done what she did.
A concerned motorist blared their horn and offered a quick rebuttal in James' favor, "Hey lady, watch where you're going. You almost creamed that guy!"
James waved the driver on.
"It's ok" he found himself saying as he stepped around to the driver's side of the van.
Karen opened her door and stood looking at James.
Speechless, both of them exchanged a queer smile and continued to stare into each others eyes.
It became very apparent to James how much the woman in front of him had meant to him. He could feel his heart leaping inside of him and he wondered if she felt the same.
Her face gave away very little; she had aged some, life does that to the best of us, but otherwise she was still as radiant as the day he had met her. James could see clearly the khaki shorts and tank-top she had been wearing. He could remember the way she smelled and the way she always made his head spin when she was close. His hands remembered the way her firm breasts had felt and the way her skin smelled as he kissed it ever so gently.
James was overcome by boyish memories standing there in the parking lot, he was completely overwhelmed by seeing her and never really imagined he would get that chance again.
Karen broke the silence between them, "Hello Jimmy," she said "How have you been?"
James was floored by her sweet voice; a voice that had spoken so many wonderful things to him and a voice that he had longed to hear again since that summer.
"Hello Karen," he stammered "I am good. How have you been?"
He worried that she could see the power she had over him.
James felt like he couldn't move, he was rendered immobile by her eyes; her voice placed him in a trance. Even as he had answered her, he thought his words sounded jumbled and confused.
Karen smiled at him; she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around his neck in a hug. James easily returned the embrace and inhaled in her scent, allowing his memories to overtake him, envelope him in a time past, a time never forgotten by his heart.
"Oh Jimmy, it is so good to see you" she said "how long has it been?"
James could not answer her, he just held her close to him. She did not pull away from his strong arms and it did not feel strange at all for James to be hugging her like he was after so long.
James was the first to pull away from the embrace, something inside refused to let her go so he held her hands at arms length.
"It has been over ten years since that summer" he answered, "but who is counting."
She smiled in return.
"How have you been, really? Where has your life taken you? Renee told me that you became a high school science teacher, is that true? You were so great with those kids that summer. I can still remember how much they adored you. You had a gift for teaching."
She was rambling.
"Are you still teaching now?"
It took James a second to collect his thoughts, his heart was beating rapidly.
"Yeah, I'm still teaching, followed in the old man's footsteps" he said.
"Good for you Jimmy, you were always so good with those kids" she replied.
"Who are you kidding, those kids walked all over Tim and I that summer…" he started to say and drifted off thinking about Tim and how much he missed him.
"It was a shame what happened to him," she said, almost knowing just talking about Tim hurt James.
"Yeah, he was a good friend, I really miss him."
Karen squeezed his hands tighter and he noticed then that they were still holding hands, neither of them willing to let go.
"How about you?" he asked, "where did life take you?"
She rolled her eyes, "life chose to take me away from what was my idea of a dream and thrust reality straight in my face" she said.
"I met a guy not long after that summer and I got pregnant," she smiled, "it's funny how life throws you curve balls. Two boys later and a quickly dissolving marriage, my cheating husband left me for another woman, so here I am. A single mother moving to a new town and trying to start over."
"You are moving near here?" James asked.
"Yup," she replied, "I was able to get a position working at Hendrick's Middle School. I am a guidance counselor these days."
James was familiar with the school, it was not part of his district but he knew a couple of the science teachers from some of the local seminars and training sessions he had attended.
"So you are divorced now?" he asked, but not sure why.
"Yes, He left me about three years ago. He has very little time for the boys and even less time for me apparently."
James felt sorry for her, he had to fight the urge to pull her close and hold her tight.
"I am sorry about that, that can't be easy."
She nodded in agreement.
"It was not easy, but we were never really compatible, it just took us that long to figure it out."
James could understand how she felt. He thought of Sheaila and the issues they were currently having.
"How about you? Do you and your wife have any children?"
"Me? Um, yeah, I have two daughters, Kayla and Miranda."
He was suddenly uncomfortable talking about his children with her and he couldn't explain why. It seemed odd to him to be discussing their lives, this was the woman that he had never stopped thinking about.
This woman that stood before him was the one that he let go, the one that could have changed everything in his life. She had transformed his life forever and he found himself again wondering why things had turned out the way they had.
"Two girls huh?" she replied, "I bet they are daddy's little girls, aren't they?"
James could only smile and nod in agreement. A glance towards his watch made him realize that he was now going to be late for his date with Leah.
She just looked into James' eyes; it was as if she could see that he was uncomfortable talking about his family with her.
"Oh man, I am so sorry, but I have somewhere I need to be like five minutes ago" he stammered.
She just smiled at him and did not break her eyes from his.
&n
bsp; James could not believe that she was really standing there in front of him. The real flesh and blood version of how he had always remembered her.
She nodded her head in acceptance of his urgent exit.
"Okay Jimmy, but we have to get together" she stated, "let me give you my number and you can call me."
She reached in her van and wrote her name and number on the back of an old Burger King receipt.
James hugged her again and promised he would call.
"You better" she replied "It has been too long Jimmy, way too long."
He couldn't have agreed more.
"Take care of yourself, it was really nice seeing you" he said as he walked to his car.
She called back to him as he opened his door, "Oh, by the way Jimmy. You look really good."
Those four words stuck with James long after he had pulled away from the parking lot and her smiling face.
James got to lunch only a couple of minutes late. Traffic happened to be on his side for once. He thought for sure he was going to be extremely late when he got stuck behind a cement truck doing about fifteen miles per hour down a wooded back road, but he was able to pass it at a straight away and only broke the speed limit marginally the rest of the way to the restaurant.
When he arrived, Leah had already been seated and was waiting for him.
She was absolutely stunning.
She was wearing a light, cotton sleeveless sun-dress. The dress' material settled in just a way across her chest that the tops of her breasts lay exposed. James marveled at how breathtaking she was; how beautiful she was both inside and out.
He spotted her from across the restaurant before she noticed him enter. She had been seated on the outside patio that overlooked a small creek that ran down behind the eatery.
The day had turned out to be wonderful with a slight breeze that danced through the leaves of the weeping willows down by the stream's edge. Large, cotton clouds moved slowly across the sky and sun rays peaked through giving Leah's hair natural highlights and accenting her beautiful eyes. James was moved by her sheer aura but something in the back of his mind, or was it his heart, could not stop thinking about Karen.
Leah's smile beamed as he crossed the patio towards her.
"I thought you might stand me up Mr. Matheson" she stated simply as she stood and kissed him firmly on the lips.
"I would never do that to you, not without calling first of course" he quipped.
She playfully smacked him on the shoulder as she sat back in her seat.
"I ordered you an iced tea, is that ok?" she asked, handing him a menu.
"That is wonderful, thanks," he replied, "by the by, you look stunning today. If I may say so, madam?"
"Why yes, yes you may say so and I take back my smack for that" she said, revealing her gorgeous smile again.
James returned the smile and just looked at her, just took in all that she had to offer.
He never failed to notice the eyes that were always on her and the way men found it hard not to stare most of the time.
Leah was young and beautiful; she epitomized all that was right about the opposite sex. James knew that she was a knock-out; he knew that she could have any man she wanted. It had crossed his mind on numerous occasions why she had ever chosen him, and what she saw in him eluded James.
"Why the long face Jimmy?" she asked.
"Oh, nothing. I was just taking in your beauty, relishing in your presence and being humbled by your radiance."
She rolled her eyes over-dramatically, "Oh, give me a break. You were looking at my boobs and wondering if I have panties on, aren't you?"
She winked at him and giggled.
James over-acted his shocked response, "Madam, I would never do such a thing, I am a gentleman," he continued "and a gentleman would never do such things…"
James' comical tirade was cut short when he noticed Leah staring over his shoulder towards the front entrance of the restaurant.
"Jimmy, I think we might have a problem" she said gesturing for him to turn around.
As he turned and looked, his breath caught in his throat and he was paralyzed with anxiety when he noticed Sheila standing at the bar, apparently waiting for someone.
James could not react, he sat stunned in his seat, looking at his wife while his mistress quickly stood up and moved away from the table.
"Call me later" she whispered as she made her way across the patio and out onto the lawn behind the restaurant.
James did not know what to do or think at that moment.
He watched Leah's dress swish around her toned legs as she walked away but he also found himself drawn to his wife and how ravishing she looked sipping her wine and checking her watch.
He could feel a headache starting, his temples started to twinge with pain and his left eye was gritty and painful.
Rubbing his eye, James stood up and motioned to the waiter that he was going to go to the bar.
"My friend had to leave unexpectedly, please just run my tab through the bar, thanks."
James walked across the patio and into the smaller dining area. The large windows of the café allowed ample light in and the space had an open airy feeling to it.
James made his way over to Sheila and cleared his throat as he approached from behind. Sheila had been so transfixed on watching the front entrance that she did not notice James until he come right up next to her.
"Hello there beautiful," he whispered, "come here often?"
James could see the surprise on her face as she recognized his voice and turned towards him.
She looked clearly shocked but also very cool and collected at the same time.
She did look beautiful, her hair was up in a ponytail and she was wearing a simple white button down and a pair of tan slacks. James felt a queer thorn in his side; a feeling of guilt and sadness. Guilt for having forgotten how wonderful she really was and sadness for the way things had become between them.
James saw Will enter the restaurant from the corner of his eye, but pretended not to notice. He followed her eyes as she noticed the good doctor too.
"James, you surprised me. What are you doing here?" she asked.
"Oh, I was supposed to meet Brian and discuss next year's science curriculum, but he had to cancel," he replied "You remember Brian, don't you? He and his wife Cindy have the twin boys, Michael and Henry."
He couldn't completely read her face; he couldn't tell exactly what she was feeling, but he knew that he had her in a tough spot.
He had turned what could have been a bad situation for him into a very difficult situation for her.
He thought that he would have felt vindicated by this turn of events but he wasn't. What had happened between them, that they had come to this? Why had their marriage not been enough? James felt he could only blame himself. If he had been able to fully get over Karen and move on with his life he would have been able to show Sheila the love that she needed and she would not have had to go looking for it else where.
"Um, Brian, yes of course. They have the house on Long Beach that we went to last summer" she replied.
"Yeah, Brian and Cindy Marsten" he confirmed "Man, we had fun that time at the beach didn't we…remember when Miranda fell in the seaweed and cried like it was going to eat her?"
A smile came over her face that James had not seen in a long time.
"Oh, she was so cute. You carried her around the rest of the day; she was too scared to put her feet in the sand again."
"Yeah, I can still feel the cramp in my arm…" he replied pretending to rub his bicep.
"Hey" he quickly stated, "let's have lunch, you and me?"
He half expected her to blow him off, right as he stood there in front of her.
He watched Will, through the mirror behind the bar, leave out of the same door he had entered and she seemed to relax.
"You know, that would be nice James. That would be really nice."
"Well, then it is a date!" He smiled
at her.
"You know I have children, that doesn't scare you does it?" he joked.
"Um, well, I think I might be ok with it?" she smiled again, and James oddly felt his heart race.
"Are you sure about lunch? All kidding aside, were you waiting for someone? A client?" he asked, not expecting her to be honest.
"Oh no, I was just waiting for a friend and it appears she is going to stand me up" she replied.
James was a culmination of different emotions, his head still hurt but he was strangely relaxed and comforted by the fact that Sheila had agreed to have lunch with him.
Here he was asking his wife to lunch after he was just with his mistress and she was waiting for the other man in her life. The whole idea of this chance meeting was strange and very unorthodox but James didn't care.
Part of him hoped that this lunch with Sheila would help him refocus on what was really important in his life. He had started to feel really lost recently.
His father's ailing health had made him start to ponder what life was really all about; what was important and what was not. His chance seeing Karen earlier had made him really think about reality, the here and now.
Karen had been that someone once, but was she really the one? James had been confused for so long and was still perplexed by his feelings and actions.
He truly cared for Leah but was it love? Was it what he needed to fulfill him?
He needed to start realizing that Sheila and the girls have always been the best part of him and had always brought him the most happiness.
Leah was fun and energetic, but the running around and the lies got tiresome. James felt right at that moment that he needed to prove to Sheila that he was still the man that she had married. He was still in love with her and that he wanted to try and make their marriage work. James hoped that it was not too late. He hoped that he could convince Sheila that he could be the husband she needed and deserved. He truly thought that if he could prove that to her, their relationship would get better again; they could be a family again.
Lunch with Sheila was nice. Sharing that time with his wife was enjoyable and eye opening.
James gave little thought to Leah or Karen while he ate lunch with Sheila.
They even enjoyed a dessert together; laughing about old times and remembering what it was like to just be themselves with each other. It actually surprised James that they had found it so easy to laugh and talk as if nothing was wrong.