Chapter 6
“Okay, let’s see how this goes.”
Brennon finished putting on his dinner jacket as he stood in front of his floor-to-ceiling bathroom mirror. It was a bit tight, but that was the style nowadays. “I see guys wearing it like this all the time on campus.” He tugged the sides a bit, turned around so he could be sure he didn’t need to pull out his lint brush.
With roughly an hour before the arranged time he was supposed to be meeting up with Katy so they could go on an official date, he took his time perusing through his several bottles of cologne spread out on his dresser. Just as he’d been taking a whiff of his Musk, his phone rang. Anxiously, he made his way to his kitchen to where his phone had been resting on the counter on the charger. He had thought it might be Katy answering, but it was in fact his brother’s call. “Hello?”
“Hey, man,” Carl said, his voice always upbeat. “What’s up? What do you have going on tonight?”
Brennon chuckled as he headed back to his dresser in the bedroom. “Oh, not much. Well, I guess I shouldn’t say that. I have a date tonight...supposed to be meeting in an hour.”
“Oh, well, well, well,” Carl said, imitating a British accent then chuckling. “Is that so? Well, I’m glad to hear it. It’s about time you start to try to settle down. You know forty is really only around the corner for you, bro.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Brennon said. “Says Mister Married-with-Kids all by the age of thirty. Thank you for your encouraging words.”
Carl laughed. “Well, you’re welcome. What are younger brothers for? Anyway, so tell me who this chick is. Where did you find her? Does she have kids? Please tell me she doesn’t go to the university.”
Brennon chuckled then looked away. He wondered if he should even divulge to his brother who he was going to see tonight. He and his brother were three years apart, so they grew up rather close. Their bond had gotten even stronger in their twenties since they both wound up going to the same college at the same time for roughly two years. While Brennon’s goal had been to travel and see the world while he had the chance, Carl took the more conventional route. Shortly after graduating from college, he met a woman and wound up getting married. By 28 years-old, he had his first child; his second at 29; his third and last, as of now, by the age of 32.
“No, I didn’t meet her at the university,” Brennon said, shaking his head. “Carl, why would you even say that? You know how colleges really look down on something like that...especially when the professor is much older than the student. It’s not like I’m fresh out of college and this is my first teaching job or something. Anyway, you actually know her to be honest.”
“Oh...yeah?” Carl said. “I know her? Is it someone we grew up with? Dude, please don’t tell me it’s what’s-her-name that you used to see off and on. Man, let her go. She was crazy and everybody was trying to tell you.”
“No, I’m not talking about Beca,” Brennon quickly explained. “It’s Katy.”
“Katy who?” Carl said. “Come on, man, we both know a lot of women with the name Katy out in the world.”
“It’s Katy Katy, Carl,” Brennon said. “You know… Katy. Richard’s daughter...Melanie’s cousin.”
“Oh,” Carl said. The word seemed to slip out of his mouth. It was then followed by a long pause. “You mean Katy Katy.”
“Right, Katy Katy, Carl,” Brennon said. His eyes slanted toward the phone. He could tell by the tone in his brother’s voice, as well as his long pause after hearing it was Katy Miller, that he probably had some kind of opinion.
“Oh, okay,” Carl said. “And you two are going on a date?”
Brennon put a couple of sprits on his neck and wrists then set the bottle down. After looking at himself one more time, in a different mirror, he turned the light out in his bedroom and headed for his living room at the front of his apartment. He checked the time then plopped down on the couch, figuring that he would be getting off of the phone with Carl soon so he could call Katy. “Yup, we are,” he answered. “I’m going to take her to this restaurant downtown I think. I’m not totally sure yet. So, we’ll see.”
“Interesting,” Carl said. He was clearly holding back his words. “Man, are you sure about that?”
“What do you mean am I sure about that?” Brennon knew exactly what Carl was referring to, but he wanted to hear him say it to be sure.
“You’re going on a date with Katy Miller?” Carl asked. “Melanie’s cousin? The one you used to give rides and stuff when they would want to go somewhere? Isn’t she like twenty-six or something like that?”
“Yeah, something like that, Carl,” Brennon said.
“Does Richard know?” Carl asked.
Brennon peered out of the window. Richard had been the very topic of his thoughts for the last week or so. Despite how Brennon tried to rationalize that Katy was a young woman know trying to make her way in the teaching profession just like he had more than ten years ago, his mind still came back around to one thing: how this might look. But something in his heart – in his soul – lit a fire for Katy. “I don’t know what he knows, Carl. I didn’t tell him anything if that’s what you mean.”
“Hmm, I see,” Carl said. “Well, Brennon, don’t you think it might look kind of bad you dating Katy? And please don’t take this the wrong way, but I know, man, you gotta be seeing how this looks. You have to be.”
Brennon sighed. I shouldn’t have said anything just yet, he thought. “Well, I can see what you mean. But like I said she’s a young woman now, so what are you gonna do?”
“I get that, Carl,” Brennon said. “And if this was some chick you met at a bar or some conference or something, who was the same age as Katy, then it might not even be an issue. But this is Katy, man… Melanie’s cousin. You’re like twelve or thirteen years older than her.”
“I know, Carl,” Brennon said. “I can do math. And so? What does that mean?”
“Dude, whatever,” Carl said. Morsels of frustration came out in his voice – his tone. “I’m just hoping you know how other people might see it. You used to take her and Melanie places when they were little girls and you started driving.”
“I know,” Brennon said. “I remember. But it’s not like I was trying to date her or have any kind of relationship with her then. Really, I didn’t even think about Katy for years until I heard she was going into the teaching profession. Dude, she has become a beautiful woman...really. We talked on and on at their house when I went over there for that shindig they had. Then when I went to see Richard about some things, she was there. Richard wound up having to leave so I was there with her for a little while before I had to get back on the road. I’m not going to worry about what other people think and just see what happens.”
Brennon finished up his conversation with his brother Carl. Carl did little to nothing to hide his disapproval of his brother Brennon considering starting something romantic with Melanie’s cousin’s daughter. Nonetheless, the two brothers agreed to disagree then Brennon hung up. He stood up, paced around the floor, and dealt with his nervous feelings. As much as he didn’t want to believe what Carl was saying, he knew indeed that people might see this potential relationship with some skepticism. At this point in his life, though, he really couldn’t care. If it was meant to be, it was meant to be.
Brennon listened as Katy’s phone rang, anxious to answer.
“Hello?”
“Hey,” Brennon said. “How are you doing?”
“I’m okay, how are you?” Katy asked.
“Doing well, I must say,” Brennon said. He smiled in a way he hadn’t smiled in a very long time. “So, um, do you think you’re about ready to go?”
“Oh, absolutely,” Katy said emphatically. “I was actually waiting on you to call. I remember you saying you wanted to pick me up.”
“Yeah,” Brennon said. He could sense by the tone in Katy’s voice something negative was about to come through the phone. “And?”
“Well, I was thinking maybe I could drive somewhere and you pick me up from there,” Katy suggested. “My mom and dad are here and I just don’t feel like hearing anything out of their mouths right now. They’ll already see me leaving dressed the way I’m dressed, so I’ll probably get questions based on that alone.” She groaned. “You know what I mean?”
“Yeah, yeah, I get it.” Brennon paused for a moment as he realized the dynamics of the situation. Here Katy was in her mid to late twenties – Brennon in his late thirties – and her parent’s potentially disapproving glares were deterring him being able to pick her up from her own house. “So, what are you thinking?”
“Do you know that strip mall down on Brownsville Road?” Katy asked. “I was thinking I could drive down there, park, and you pick me up from there. I know it’s out of your way… So, if you don’t like that idea then I can just drive all the way downtown.”
“No, no,” Brennon said. “Seriously, that’s not a problem. Whatever works for you, Katy. Plus, you drive all the way down into the city everyday. I can just pick you up from there. How soon do you think you’ll be there?” He grabbed his keys off of an end table. “I can be on my way right now.”
***
Brennon couldn’t keep from smiling when he turned off of Brownsville Road and into the strip mall parking lot. As soon as the strip mall came into view, he saw Katy’s car parked among a cluster of cars outside of a Kohl's. Even though he certainly hadn’t thought he would be picking up a date in this way at his age, there was something thrilling about it. He had been looking Katy’s father Richard in the eye just last week while they talked about issues brewing with an urban planning committee. “This is wild,” Brennon mumbled to himself.
Brennon pulled up next to Katy’s car then hopped out. He quickly rushed over to the driver door when he saw it swing open. “Let me get that for you, Katy.”
Brennon held the door open while Katy carefully stepped out onto the pavement. He couldn’t keep his mouth closed from the awe. Dressed in an elegant, cream evening dress, Katy looked every bit of stunning. Katy could literally give Marilyn Monroe a run for her money.
Brennon pushed the door closed then looked Katy up and down. “Wow,” he said.
“Wow?” Katy asked, looking down at her dress. “And do you like it?”
“Absolutely, Katy,” Brennon said. “I don’t know… I might have to run back home so I can put on something better.”
Katy laughed. “No, Brennon, you look great.”
Brennon looked Katy up and down once again. “You really are stunning.” A strong, brisk wind blew across the parking lot. “Come on so we can get going. I don’t want you to get cold.”
Katy threw her scarf up over her shoulders then allowed Brennon to grab her by the hand and walk her around to his passenger side door. Like a true gentleman, he held the door open then held her hand while she sat down. He then quickly walked around and got into the driver seat.
“So, I have two ideas,” Brennon said, “about where we could go to eat. Which one do you like more? Italian food or Greek food. They’re both downtown and both places are super nice, but I wanted to know what you might have more of a taste for.”
Brennon pulled out onto the road then headed toward downtown – a cluster of glittering high rises in the distance, protruding over the tops of trees. My God she looks beautiful, he thought. He then, for whatever reason, remembered Katy as a teenage girl – she and Melanie hanging out at least a few times a week. Her evolution was so amazing that sometimes he didn’t feel as if he were looking at the same person.
“Greek,” Katy said, smiling excitedly. “I haven’t had any Greek food in a while.”
Brennon looked over at Katy and smiled. “Greek food it is.”
The ride into downtown took roughly twenty minutes. Brennon purposely forwent getting on the interstate, even though it would’ve been faster. He had been waiting all week for this date, so he was in no rush to make it any shorter. Plus, naturally, he and Katy talked on and on for every bit of the ride. She talked about her Friday – yesterday – and how she’d been speeding out of the parking lot with screeching tires shortly after the school buses rumbled away. Brennon laughed, sharing his accounts of students who were begging and pleading for better grades because they really needed to pass a certain class. This was a story they both knew too well, from both sides of the desk – as a teacher as well as a student.
Brennon parked his car on a narrow neighborhood street then helped Katy out of the car. “I love these old Victorian houses. I’m so glad they’re being renovated and fixed up and all that. They really are beautiful.”
“Yeah,” Brennon said, helping Katy up onto the curb. She wrapped her arm around his right arm then they headed up the block. “I think the same thing. Something used to tell me I should’ve bought one when the prices were next to free, but it just wasn’t the right time in my life.”
Katy looked into Brennon’s eyes, batting her eye lashes. “Yeah, I know what you mean. But sometimes you have to remember that things happen for a reason, when they happen.”
Brennon looked at Richard’s stunning daughter. “Yeah, this is true.”
Brennon guided Katy up the block until they came to Bardstown Road, a street lined for nearly a mile with restaurants, boutique shops, and art galleries. The upper levels of the storefront buildings were often either condos, apartments, or offices. They walked for nearly a block then came to Santorini’s, an elegant Greek restaurant she’d heard coworkers talk about. Brennon opened the door and guided her inside.
“So, have you been here before?” Brennon asked. A hostess had just seated them then took their drink orders, saying the waitress would be over with them. They decided to start with some wine – Malbec.
Katy smiled then shook her head. “No, I haven’t. It looks nice. Thank you for bringing me here. Yeah, I had a chance to come here. The faculty at my school had some kind of meeting or something here. I don’t remember why, but for some reason I couldn’t go.”
Brennon felt a sense of pride in being able to introduce a new place to Katy. “Oh, it’s no problem. Yeah, this is a nice place and I thought it would be a perfect place to bring you on a date.”
Brennon watched how Katy looked around at the restaurant's decor. Some serious money had obviously been dropped into the layout. Before she could go on anymore about how thrilled she was to be here, the waitress popped up with their bottle of wine. She poured a glass for each of them then asked if they needed more time to go over the menu. They did, asking the perky, freckled young lady to come back in a few minutes. Brennon and Katy opened their menus; he struggled to look over the menu because he was so consumed with admiring Katy’s beauty.
A few minutes passed quickly then the waitress came back around to take their order. When she zipped away, disappearing into the crowded restaurant, Brennon sipped his wine and looked across the table at Katy. “You really do look beautiful. And I’m not just saying that because that’s what a guy is supposed to say on a date. I really mean that...you do look beautiful.”
Katy’s eyelids fluttered. “Thank you. I have to admit I am so nervous.”
“Nervous?” Brennon’s forehead wrinkled up. “Why, Katy? Why are you nervous?”
“Because, I haven’t really been on too many dates,” Katy explained, shrugging her shoulders. “To be honest, at first I thought that wearing something like this might be a little too much or something.”
“Nah,” Brennon said, smiling. “Not to me it’s not.” He found it strange Katy mentioned not having been on many dates. While he was well aware of the romantic struggles some women could have at a young age, Katy sure didn’t seem to be one of them. “Really, don’t worry about that. So, I know we talked on the way down here, but what’s been new with you?”
“Well,” Katy said, gathering her thoughts. “More and more lately, I’ve been thinking about getting my own place.”
“Really?” Brennon asked. Even though he loved the Millers’ house, he still couldn’t imagine living with his parents through his late twenties. His mother squawked too much about any and everything; his father was too stern and somewhat controlling. “What has you thinking that now? Haven’t you lived with them since you graduated, right?”
“Right,” Katy said, nodding. “But, you know.” She sighed. “I’ve just been thinking a lot lately. At first I told myself I was just going to be staying with them so I could save money. Well, I’m saving and all that, but sometimes I wonder if it’s really worth it.”
“I see, I see.” Brennon liked that Katy was always thinking ahead. “Well, then, where do you think you would want to live? Do you think you’re ready to buy a house?”
“Yeah, I suppose,” Katy said. “But I think I would want to wait until I’m married or something like that before I buy a house. I think I want an apartment in the city.”
Brennon’s eyes bulged. “Huh? Are you serious, Katy?”
“Why, yes,” Katy said putting her hand on her chest. “Why do you say it like that?”
Brennon chuckled. He realized how his reaction must have come across. “Well, I mean, you just don’t seem like the kind of woman who would want to live in the city.”
“And why not?” Katy asked. She giggled, giving forth her best effort to come across as absolutely insulted.
“Well, I just didn’t think you all were ever city kind of people,” Brennon said. “But, I suppose. I didn’t even know you knew the city that well.”
“Well, I work down here,” Katy said. “The school is what? Maybe a couple miles away from here or something?”
“Yeah, Katy,” Brennon said. “But to work somewhere in which you drive in and out of the city is one thing. To live down here is another. Tell me about the neighborhoods you know.”
“Um, well,” Katy said, realizing she was being backed into a corner. “I know downtown.”
Brennon chuckled and sipped his wine. “You’re funny. Katy, everybody knows downtown. Are you going to live downtown?” He knew the answer to this question. Brennon remembered all too while surviving on a teacher’s salary. Back when he was teaching in elementary school, he couldn’t even afford to think about getting an apartment downtown. “Are you thinking about getting an apartment down here?”
Katy groaned under her breath. “Well, no, but there are other areas of the city I may consider to live in.”
“Like where?” Brennon asked, smirking. He leaned forward. “Tell me about what other neighborhoods you would consider getting an apartment in, Katy. Huh?”
Katy squinted at Brennon then looked away, closing her eyes. “I would rather not say at the moment. I’m still contemplating some things and I don’t want to jinx myself.”
Brennon chuckled – a chuckle which slowly transformed into an outright laugh. “Okay, if you say so.”
Brennon and Katy sat across from one another as their conversation flourished. When their food arrived, they could hardly chew their forkfuls without trying to say something. Around 9:30, Brennon paid, left the tip, then walked Katy back out onto the sidewalk. They were both a bit taken aback by the busyness. The art gallerias buzzed with free-thinking souls; the boutique stores, mostly coming close to closing, did their last transactions. Music thumped from nearby bars while some watched various sports channels.
When they got back to Brennon’s car and he had helped Katy in, he started the engine then looked over at her. “Are you in a rush to get back home?”
Katy looked over at Brennon as if he had asked a silly question. “Absolutely not.” She smiled then laughed. “Why, what do you have in mind?”
Brennon mentioned the idea of driving around the city for a little while so Katy could get the know what was outside of downtown. He laughed at how Katy pretended to know the neighborhoods already when she clearly didn’t.
Katy agreed then Brennon pulled off, zigzagging through the narrow streets of the tight-knit neighborhood then making his way out to a main road.
At various points during the drive, Brennon teased Katy about her supposed knowledge of the city. There were moments where if a stoplight was coming up five or six blocks up the street, Brennon would ask Katy what street crossed. She tried to pretend to know, but obviously came up short time and time again. The two simply enjoyed one another’s company. Brennon filled Katy in on the specifics of various areas they passed through. Without telling her, he turned down a darker street and followed it back to a dilapidated, dangerous-looking area. He chuckled at Katy’s reaction – a reaction which said loud and clear she was a true suburban girl at heart.
“Where are we, Brennon?” Katy asked.
Again, Brennon chuckled. “Oh, I thought you would know.” He smirked. “What’s wrong?”
“This doesn’t look like a good place to be,” Katy said, peering out of the window at rough looking people going in and out of the backs of dilapidated or abandoned houses. “Seriously Brennon, where are we right now?”
Brennon laughed as he reached over and grabbed Katy’s wrist. “Oh, calm down, Katy. This is the South End. I’m surprised you haven’t seen it on the news.”
Katy looked over at Brennon. She tried to have angry eyes, even though she was far from angry. Sure, this surely wasn’t the kind of area she would be in all by herself, especially at night. However, something about being with Brennon made her feel safe. She looked over at him, frowned, and squinted.
“It’s going to be okay,” Brennon said. “We’ll be out of it in a minute, so don’t worry.”
“Hmm, hmm,” Katy said.
Brennon continued through the dilapidated neighborhood for a few blocks more then turned onto a busy street. Katy finally calmed down. “Why did you do that?”
A chuckle slipped out of Brennon’s mouth. “I’m sorry… I thought you knew that area. Okay, so now I’m going to show you Fox Forrest? I bet you actually do know that area. Huh?”
Katy turned away, rolling her eyes. As a matter of fact, Fox Forest was indeed an area she knew. The neighborhood was known for having some of the most affluent households in the metro...all in the city. A few minutes passed then Brennon turned down a wooded, winding road that let into the area. Quaint mini-mansions hugged either side of the road.
“This neighborhood is beautiful, isn’t it?” Katy commented.
Brennon looked over passed Katy and at a house they’d been passing that looked to have every bit of six bedroom. “Yeah...well, this is what money can buy.”
Brennon took his time with the winding streets, slowing down with the bends. He and Katy talked on and on about the architecture – the character, the landscaping. Even at night, the neighborhood shined in ways the other areas of the city could only dream of.
When Brennon pulled back out onto a main road, he drove a mile before coming to a stoplight where he could either turn right and head back out to the strip mall where Katy had parked her car, or turn left and head toward his place. He looked over at Katy as the light turned green. She was obviously a bit confused as to why he hadn’t pulled across the intersection yet.
“What?” Katy asked, smiling. “What are you up to? I can see how you are. Always thinking up something.”
“Is that a bad thing?” Brennon asked.
Katy shrugged. “No… I didn’t say that.”
“I was thinking,” Brennon said, trying to figure out how to approach this topic as carefully as possible with class, “if you’re ready to go home, that’s fine. But would you be open to coming to my place and maybe having a glass of wine or something?”
Katy pretended to be thinking about the proposition. Even though she knew there was no way in hell she would say no. “Well, I suppose that would be okay. You don’t live in an area like that one we drove through back before Fox Forest, do you?”
Brennon chuckled. “Actually, it’s worse. Ten times worse.”
Katy’s neck jerked as she abruptly turned and looked at Brennon. He couldn’t keep his lips from curling into a smile, so she knew he was lying. “Okay, that’s fine,” she said.
Brennon laughed then quickly got into the turn lane and headed west. Again, Katy peered out of the window at the neighborhoods the wide boulevard passed through. When Brennon turned down a side street, she noticed that he too lived in a neighborhood with the historic Victorian homes. To say the least, she was calmed to know that he didn’t live in anything like the dark, dilapidated neighborhood they had driven through.
Brennon pulled into the parking lot at the side of his brick apartment building then into his parking spot. “This is my mansion,” he said.
Katy giggled. “It’s nice. Looks like you have a lot of bedrooms. Plenty of parking.”
Brennon paused for a moment to look at Katy. “I guess you think you’re funny, huh?”
Katy giggled again then waited on Brennon to help her out of the car. A few minutes later, they were walking into his one-bedroom apartment. Once inside, Brennon closed the door then suggest Katy she could have a seat on the couch. Katy did just that while Brennon went to get the wine and a couple of glasses.
“Oh, wow,” Katy said. “I love this apartment. These older apartments are so cool...those thick walls that block out everything. I don’t even hear traffic or anything.”
“Nah, you really don’t hear that kind of thing in here much,” Brennon said as he came back into the room with a bottle of red wine and a couple of glasses. “I found this place a few years ago. I was living in one of those apartment complexes on the outskirts, but those are getting rougher by the day, so I had to get back into the city.” He plopped down next to Katy. “I like it...for now. I thought I would’ve bought a house by now. But, like you, I’m waiting until I get married.”
Brennon and Katy continued on chatting as he poured the wine. “A toast?” Brennon asked.
Katy graciously accepted her glass. Never in her life had she been so excited. “Okay. But to what?”
Brennon paused. “To...to...to one of the nicest nights I’ve had in a long time.”
Katy smiled, looking into Brennon’s eyes as she held her glass up in the air. She agreed then they clanked the rims together and started sipping. “You know, Brennon,” Katy said, “I have to admit being here is strange.”
Brennon finished taking his sip then set his wine glass down on the coffee table. “Oh, yeah? Why do you say that?”
“Because, Brennon,” Katy said, sighing and rolling her eyes because she wondered how what she was about to say would come across to him, “I’ve never been to where you lived all those years. You always came to our house.”
Brennon chuckled. “Okay, I can see why you say that, Katy. Well, I hope you like it here. I gotta say it feels weird too. I almost feel like Melanie should be getting out of the car or something and coming in here.” He chuckled. “As crazy as that sounds.”
Katy sipped her wine for a moment. “You know, I thought you were handsome guy back then.”
“Oh, you did?” Brennon asked. She can’t be serious, he thought. Back then I didn’t really dress all that nice… Couldn’t really afford to. Car wasn’t that nice, just everything. “Well, thank you, I guess.” He looked at Katy in an admiring way, taking note of how her legs stretched away from the couch. “You really did turn out to be a beautiful woman.”
Katy felt as if she couldn’t pull her eyes away from Brennon’s even if she wanted to. “And you’re sure you’re single?”
Brennon pretended to be insulted. “Am I sure I’m not single? Why would you ask that? If I were single, you wouldn't be here right now and we wouldn’t have gone on a date.”
“It’s just interesting that you’re single and you seem like such a great guy,” Katy said.
Brennon chuckled. In recent years, he had become all too aware of the stigma of the unmarried straight man approaching forty years-old. “Well, I was in a relationship for a few years that ended a couple of years ago. You remember me telling you about that at your parents’ house, right?”
“Yeah, I remember,” Katy said. “I didn’t mean anything by it, I was just saying.”
Brennon lifted his glass to his lips. His eyes had dropped down from Katy’s eyes to her chest. A timid surge of guilt raced through his veins, for his temptation had gotten the best of him. Only a few seconds passed before he found himself looking at how the dress hugged Katy’s long legs. In so many ways, having Melanie’s cousin’s daughter Katy sitting on his couch, right by his side in such an elegant dress seemed too hard to believe. “And yourself?” he asked Katy.
“And myself what?” Katy asked, lowering her glass to her lap.
“You’re sure you’re single,” Brennon asked.
Katy scoffed and smiled. “Well, of course. That’s obvious. Why in the world would you ask that? I’ve never even been in a serious relationship, really.”
Brennon chuckled, set his glass down on the coffee table, then looked at Katy with sleepy eyes. He felt bold – even courageous. A little voice in his head pushed him to do something he never thought he would do. “So, would there be a problem if I were to lean in and kiss you?”
Katy giggled. “Depends how you ask,” she said, looking away for a moment. “I wouldn’t see a problem with it.”
Brennon chuckled under his breath as he leaned in. Before either of them knew it, there lips pressed together in a passionate kiss. Brennon enjoyed Katy’s scent – the softness of her touch. Without even realizing it, Brennon reached up and ran his fingers through Katy’s thick brown hair. They locked eyes when their lips parted. They kissed again, this time with more intensity than the last.
“Interesting,” Brennon said as he pulled back from Katy.
Katy’s facial expression changed to that of confusion. “Interesting? What do you mean by that?”
Brennon’s felt his heart was on fire in a way it hadn’t been in a long time. “Oh, nothing,” he said, slyly. He took another sip from his wine glass then leaned in for another kiss. He could feel Katy’s heart coming out of her chest and bonding with his. Almost as if fate had lined the stars up just for the two of them that night, Brennon and Katy locked in their embrace.
When Brennon finally backed his face away from Katy’s he lifted his arm up and placed his hand on her head. Again, he stroked her hair with his fingers as the two smiled. There was a certain surreal feeling to what was happening, but neither of them wanted it to end. Rather, they continued kissing until the throws of passion overcame them. Brennon leaned behind Katy’s head and started kissing on her neck. Whatever guilt, nervousness, or reservations he had about Katy being Richard’s daughter had faded so far into the abysses of his mind it was almost as if he’d totally forgotten. Katy was no longer the little cousin his sister Melanie had riding around in his car. Rather, she had blossomed into a beautiful woman with whom he had lots in common and had a bond that as indescribable.
Katy’s moaning from his kisses fueled Brennon even more. He undid his own button-up shirt then pulled it off, tossing it to the side. A chuckle slipped out of his lips when Katy reached up and ran her fingers along his toned chest.
She clearly liked it, which pleased him. He kissed her again then proceeded to continue blessing the sides of her neck with tender kisses. The way she ran her fingers through his hair drove him wild. There came a point where Katy wrapped her legs frantically around his mid-body, pulling him closer to her and locking himself in in a way he had never anticipated. Katy clearly had let go of whatever reservations she had about starting anything romantic with Brennon. And he could tell by the way she quickly reached down and started undoing his belt then pants.
Brennon leaned up, allowing Katy to finish undoing his pants until they were loose enough to hang off of his body. He pulled them down his legs, leaving them bunched up around his ankles and resting on top of his shoes. “I gotta get this dress off of you, Katy,” Brennon whispered. “May I?”
Katy smiled then gently nudged Brennon. “Okay, I got an idea.”
Brennon liked when a woman took control sometimes. Following her pushing, Brennon wound up laying back on the couch with his pants down around his ankle. His legs were spread apart as his hard manhood reached up passed his belly button. After giving it a very sensual squeeze, Katy stepped away from the couch and commenced to taking off her dress. Brennon lent a helping hand by reaching up and unzipping the back zipper. Before he knew it, Katy stood before him in nothing but a matching set of white bra and panties. Brennon licked his lips and gestured for Katy to come closer.
Katy did just as Brennon suggested. With one knee planted on either side of him, into the couch, she straddled over him and look down into his eyes while rubbing his head. Brennon felt as if he and Katy were the only two people in the world. The typically nighttime traffic noise coming from nearby busy streets seemed nonexistent. If a train had been rumbling down any of the nearby train tracks, it did so silently. Brennon couldn’t resist his urge to lean forward and gently pull Katy’s bra down below her nipples. A giggle slipped out of her lips as he softly kissed the very nipple itself.
When Brennon finished kissing Katy’s chest then playfully shoving his face between her breasts like a frat boy who finally got laid by the hot chick of his dreams, he was a bit taken aback by how aggressive Katy became. She kissed him passionately, even though he’d been caught off guard. Then, as if she’d been exploring a man’s body for the first time, she leaned down and kissed his nipples for several moments before finally sliding down to the floor, onto her knees.
“You are so beautiful,” Brennon said. Although he would never tell Katy what he was truly thinking, there was something exotic about watching a beautiful, nearly naked woman slide down to the floor and position herself between his legs the way she had.
Katy smiled, looking up into Brennon’s eyes. Then Brennon, expecting something he kind of didn’t think would happen to begin with, watched as Katy leaned forward. She wrapped her hand around his shaft and lifted it up off of his stomach. Brennon closed his eyes, licking his lips, as he enjoyed the warm sensation. “Katy,” he said. The fact that this had been a first date totally slipped his mind.
Brennon closed his eyes as he waited for the wet warmth to engulf his manhood. Within seconds, that very feeling came. He rubbed his chest while Katy pleased him orally; moans slipped out of his lips. When he finally opened his eyes, he couldn’t resist his urge to reach out and gently place his hand on the top of Katy’s head. She clearly wasn’t used to doing this sort of sex act, per se, but this was perfectly alright with Brennon.
Several minutes later, Katy having gotten into a rhythm with her head bobbing up and down, Brennon couldn’t take it anymore. “I wanna make love to you,” he blurted out, seemingly effortlessly.
Just when Katy had been looking up, Brennon leaned forward, grabbed her chin softly, and kissed her passionately. When their lips parted, he looked into her eyes and smiled. Without speaking, they communicated; their bodies had been in tune. Katy giggled with surprise when she felt Brennon’s cock throb in her grasp. When she looked down to look at his manhood, Brennon quickly pulled her by her hand and lifted her up off of the floor. Brennon stood up as well.
There, with bright moonlight slipping in through the blinds and casting bright lines across the carpet, Brennon stood with Katy as they kissed passionately. Their bodies pressed together in a way he hadn’t in years as they breathed in unison. When their lips parted once again, Brennon held Katy’s chin again. He carefully pulled his feet out of his pant legs then grabbed Katy by the hand and gently pulled her.
Katy giggled and did her best to hide her nervousness. Brennon’s apartment was dim, but she wasn’t the least-bit scared of where this would lead. Trying to control his excitement, Brennon pulled Katy into his bedroom then pushed her back onto the bed. She landed on her back, her legs up in the air. Brennon climbed onto the bed as if he were conquering the world. The two kissed passionately once again then Brennon looked down into her eyes. With eyes locked, Brennon reached down and gently pulled Katy’s panties down her legs. And she did absolutely nothing to stop it.
Brennon noticed how Katy opened her mouth as if she were about to say something, but stopped. “Yeah?” Brennon said, wanting to hear what she had to say.
Katy nodded then giggled. “Nothing… Make love to me, Brennon. Brennon.”
Hearing Katy talk that way with him nearly ran Brennon up the wall. He started kissing Katy passionately once again then positioned her legs up in the air. He pressed the head of his manhood toward the opening then pushed inside. Katy winced – winced in a way he hadn’t heard a woman wince since he was first losing his virginity. Brennon kissed her as he pushed his way inside.
Katy’s gasp for her made Brennon’s cock throb. Her insides felt particularly tight. Katy’s legs flung about a bit with excitement then she moaned as if she were having a bit of pain. Brennon chuckled, knowing some women liked for it to hurt a little. He then continued on with gently pushing his way into Katy’s insides. Once he had gotten all the way in, he leaned over and pressed his body into hers. While she moaned uncontrollably, he hands rubbing his back, Brennon worked his stroke into a steady groove.
“Brennon,” Katy whispered in his ear.
“Does that feel good, Katy?” Brennon asked. “You like that?”
Katy nodded then felt Brennon push inside as far as he could go once again. This time, though, he used a good amount of force so he could be sure Katy truly felt him. Katy moaned louder and louder as Brennon worked up to a steady rhythm. In no time, they were officially making love – both of their minds lost in the lust they felt for one another.
Brennon banged Katy good in the missionary position. “Wow,” she said when he flipped her over, almost effortlessly, then pressed his hand into the back of her neck. With her behind in the air, Brennon entered her insides once again. Something about this position made him feel deeper, but she didn’t mind. With her back arched, she enjoyed the rhythm of Brennon’s steady stroke.
“Damn,” Brennon said. He wasn’t usually the kind of man to curse, but seeing Katy in this way was certainly worthy of at least a few bad words in the name of passion. Her skin was so soft – so smooth. The shape of her ass looked even better than it had in the dress. And the way her insides felt around his shaft was indescribable. He had made love to his fair share of women throughout the years, but something was certainly different about Katy.
“Oh, Brennon!” Katy yelled out.
Brennon’s pelvis slammed against her backside. He was now sweating, at times wiping his forehead with his forearm. He wanted to make love to Katy all night long, but felt himself tensing up. He closed his eyes so hard that when he opened them little lights floated around in the air above Katy’s body. With so much pent up passion, Brennon gripped Katy’s waist as firmly as he could then pounded as if he were a 19-year-old again. And Katy clearly liked it. Her head bopped around, sending her hair flying everywhere. “Hell with it.” The words slipped out of Brennon’s mouth as he grabbed Katy’s hair and crooked her head up toward the ceiling. The way she screamed his name caused his balls to draw up even more.
Pleasure groans slipped out of Brennon’s mouth as he felt himself close to the edge. “I’m about to come, Katy.” Curse words spilled over the tips of his lips like the edges of a waterfall. “Damn. I’m about to come.”
Brennon sped up, now hammering Katy so loudly his neighbors could probably hear what sounded like a muffled clapping noise. “Katy...Oh Katy.” Katy moaned and squealed too, letting Brennon know that she was having an orgasm.
Brennon’s body tensed up then he felt himself letting go; his butt cheeks clenching together tightly. His chest pumped up and down as he caught his breath. Then, the 37-year-old man, not being able to hold himself up any longer, leaned over and fell into Katy’s body. She too lowered herself into the bed, now lying with her stomach flat against the comforter.
“Whew,” Katy said, her head pressed against a pillow while she faced the window on the other side of the bedroom. “Brennon.”
Brennon scooted up to where he too could lay his head on a pillow. He then pressed his naked body against the back of Katy’s and wrapped his arm around her torso. He kissed her neck, making her giggle. She nearly screamed out from the tickling sensation of his tongue slithering against the rims of her ear.
“That was fun,” Katy said.
Brennon chuckled. “Yeah… I think so. It was a nice surprise.”
Katy giggled then glanced over her shoulder and looked at Brennon. Brennon looked back at her. No longer did he see the teenage cousin that would hang out with his little sister Melanie any day of the week. Katy was a beautiful woman. And while Brennon was sure family members in either of their worlds would disapprove of what had just happened, he enjoyed making love to Katy and nobody could take that away from him.
There, in the silence of Brennon’s dim bedroom, they both faced the window. It glowed slightly from the streetlight out in the parking lot. As they chatted softly in the dark, locked in a powerful embrace with one another, their blinks became longer apart – the pauses between their sentences became longer as well. They slipped into a deep slumber with Brennon’s eyes open last. He peered at the window then down at Katy’s slow, sleep breathing. He smiled and held her tighter.
***
Around 3 o’clock, Brennon woke up feeling his full bladder pressing against the sides of his body. He groaned as he slid off of the bed then walked into the bathroom. When he finished and flushed, washing his hands then coming back out into the hallway light and up to the bedroom door, he noticed Katy was up and looking at him from the bed.
“Oh, hey,” he said, smiling in the doorway with the hallway light behind him illuminating his body. “I didn’t wake you up, did I?”
Katy shrugged. “I don’t know, but it’s okay. I’m glad you did.”
“You’re glad I did?” Brennon asked, chuckling as he came back over to the bed. “Why would you say that?”
Katy giggled. “Because...” She looked away bashfully. “I got to look at your butt while you walked away.”
Brennon laughed, a bit embarrassed. “Well, I certainly wasn’t expecting you to say that.”
There was a long pause where they enjoyed the waking up after making love bliss. When Brennon finally processed what time it was, he looked over at Katy. “What time were you trying to go back home?”
“Huh?” Katy asked, clearly a bit confused. She cupped her forehead. “Oh, yeah. Hmm. I hadn’t even thought about that.”
Brennon chuckled. “Well, I just thought I would ask. I know you didn’t plan on spending the night on the first date.”
Katy smiled and closed her eyes as she relived last night. “No, no I didn’t. But that’s okay.” She shrugged. “I don’t care.”
Brennon climbed back up onto the bed and hugged up against Katy once again. They tried drifting back to sleep. After a few long nods, time had flown by and once again they both were up. However, unbeknownst to them, a few hours had passed between either of their long nods. The sun began rising into the sky, its rays sliding in through the blinds and streaking across the bed.
When Katy woke up for what felt like the umpteenth time, she heard noise in the kitchen. The morning sun had risen well into the sky; the birds chirped from nearby trees. Instinctively, Katy spread her arm over the empty side of the bed. Finally, she connected the dots. She the slid out from under the comforter and grabbed a sheet to cover her body. She headed toward the kitchen.
Brennon felt a little pep in his step for this early morning. Never in a million years would he be up at nearly 6 o’clock, let alone in the kitchen trying to whip a small breakfast together. Even when he was teaching middle school, getting up this early had proven to be a real drag. However, doing this for Katy was different. He enjoyed being creative – looking through his cabinets to see what he had to work with. “Okay, I can use those biscuits in the fridge then make some eggs and a few sausage links. That should be good enough.”
Brennon pulled the necessary pans out of the cabinet and placed them on certain stove burners. Carefully, he cracked the eggs then put the biscuits in the freezer.
“Well, isn’t this a nice surprise?” Katy’s voice startled him. He hadn’t heard her make a single noise from the bedroom.
“Oh, I didn’t hear you get up,” Brennon said. He watched as Katy stepped into the doorway. The way the sheet hugged her curves made him lick his lips with temptation.
“I know,” Katy said. “That was the point.” She giggled. “Good morning.”
Brennon stepped over to the doorway and kissed Katy softly. “Well, good morning to you too.” When he went back over to the stove, he noticed Katy still standing in the doorway. “You can sit down...in the sheet and all.”
Katy laughed then did just that, pulling out a chair and carefully sitting down. Brennon noticed how she looked around the kitchen. “Yeah, I know my kitchen isn’t the tidiest of places.”
Katy shook her head and pressed her lips together as if she were trying to suppress a laugh. “I didn’t say anything.”
“Yeah, you didn’t say anything,” Brennon said. He flipped the sausage links over. “But your face was saying it all. So, let me ask you… Are you one of those clean freak people?”
“No, I wouldn’t say that,” Katy said, noticing dishes piling up in Brennon’s sink. “But I am a little neater than this… I would say.”
Brennon shrugged. “Yeah, well… I’m trying. Maybe you could show me how.”
“Show you how?” Katy said, looking at Brennon as if he were telling jokes. “As if you don’t already know how?”
“Maybe I don’t, Katy,” Brennon said. “Maybe I’ve been waiting all my life for a woman like you to come along and show me.”
“Oh, whatever, Brennon,” Katy said, laughing. “You’re a man and I know guys don’t really take care of a household like a woman does.”
“Oh God,” Brennon said, purposely being emphatic. “I see you’re one of those women.”
“One of those women?” Katy asked. She crossed her legs under the sheet. “What kind of woman am I?”
“One of those women that thinks a man can’t maintain a household without a woman,” Brennon said. He squinted at Katy. “How sexist. For centuries, men have been reduced and subjugated in ways that women haven’t. Forced to go fight in wars while the woman was allowed the privilege of staying home and caring for the children.”
Katy’s head drooped forward and she sighed and rolled her eyes. “Yeah, if you say so. Yeah, okay. Subjugated and marginalized, huh?”
Brennon burst into laughter and stepped over to Katy in attempts to gently kiss the side of her head. Katy turned her head away abruptly, avoiding Brennon’s lips. She did so several times, failing at holding back her laughter. Once Brennon’s lips finally made contact, he stepped back over to the stove and finished making breakfast. When the timer for the biscuits sounded, he looked over at Katy. “Do you think you could show me how to clear off the table? I’ve never known how to do that.”
Katy looked at Brennon’s small round kitchen table. “Yeah, I’ll show you.” She said and smiled. While Brennon made their plates, Katy cleared mail and a couple of empty grocery bags from the tables surface. They both then sat down and enjoyed their breakfasts. Katy nodded approvingly. “Okay, okay.”
“Okay, what?” Brennon asked, looking up. “What are you talking about?”
Katy gestured toward the food. “This isn’t bad, this isn’t bad. You did okay.”
“Oh, just okay,” Brennon nodded. “You didn’t know I was a chef, huh?”
Katy looked up. “Yeah, if you say so.”
In a blissful morning glow, Brennon and Katy went on with eating their breakfast. When they finished, Brennon gathered up the dishes and set them down into the sink. They then got dressed and Brennon escorted Katy out to his car. The ride back to the strip mall was filled with conversation; they each were still finding they had so much in common with the other, as well as that they disagreed on some key issues. Brennon joked about how Katy was going home in the morning in her elegant dress because she hadn’t brought any clothes to wear home in the morning. Katy responded with, “Yeah, isn’t that something? I didn’t plan on going home in the morning like this.”
Around 8 o’clock or so, Brennon pulled into the strip mall parking lot then up to Katy’s car. There was a long pause before either of them said anything. Brennon stepped around to Katy’s side and helped her out of the car and over to her own door. He looked down and into her eyes as she climbed into the car. “Well, I had a nice night.”
Katy giggled. “Yeah… I did too. Thank you for dinner.”
“Oh, no problem.” Brennon paused, watching his words carefully. “Thank you for...well, thank you for accepting.” Brennon wondered what else he could say. Will she want to have another date? Will she go home and regret it and maybe decide this isn’t the way to go? Even I haven’t slept with a woman on the very first date.
Brennon leaned in and kissed Katy on the cheek as she pulled her dress into the car. As he sat in his car, watching Katy pull off, he had a good feeling about their romance. His heart swelled in a way it hadn’t in years; however, there was this tingling feeling in his gut. He feared that should their romance blossom and become more obvious to both of their families, the reaction could be something they certainly wouldn’t welcome. He started his engine then pulled off. He thought about Katy all the way home.