First Class to New York (13 page)

We can be so proud of
the boys. They have turned out to be fine young men and we owe that to you. You
are the best mom. And when the time comes, I know they will be strong for you
and take care of you. Let them.

It’s not going to be
much longer Janie and then I won’t be here anymore. You won’t have to take care
of me anymore. I wish you didn’t now, but I’m glad it’s you and not some
strange nurse. I know it’s hard for you to change the IV bags and my bedpan.
Thank you, Janie.

The plan was to grow
old together, but as we both know now, that it isn’t going to happen. Things
change Janie. But there are some things that I need you to know. I’m not always
eager to share my feelings, but I think you have always known that I love you,
that you are my best friend. I would walk through fire for you. And I have
always known that you love me and sometimes I can’t believe that you chose me,
that you let me be your husband. I am the luckiest man in the world.

You are an amazing
woman. You are talented and smart. And you are so pretty. You shouldn’t be
alone. You have so much to give, so much love to share. After I’m gone you need
to find someone new, someone special to create new plans with. Start over and
find love again. Find someone who will love you as much as I do. Be happy.
Don’t feel guilty. Don’t worry about me. I want you get married again. I want
you have a friend and a lover. I really do. You have my blessing. Be happy,
please?

Don’t grieve for me,
just remember the all the good times.

I love you, always,

Robert”

*****

Janie could hear Katy blow her nose and then her folding the
paper.  She wiped her nose on the sleeve of the bathrobe and wiped her eyes.

“Wow,” whispered Katy. “That was beautiful.”

Janie nodded, “Yeah, it was. Thanks for keeping it for me
Katy.”

“You’re welcome. Are you okay?”

“I think I am. I really think I am.”

“Is Matt the one? Is he someone special?”

“Oh Katy. I’m only here for another week and then I fly
three thousand miles back home. We are from two very different worlds. I don’t
fit anywhere in his life. And he told me he just wanted to be friends.”

“
Friends
don’t do what you guys did last night!” she
scoffed. “You don’t know what he wants!”

“Katy, I highly doubt that the first man I sleep with will
turn out to be the man of my dreams! Life just doesn’t work like that. And
besides, I told you, this will never work. Our two worlds are like oil and
vinegar, apples and oranges. But yes, he is someone special.”

“Just don’t close any doors. Leave your options open, k?”

“Options are all open,” Janie smiled.

Matt had managed to score two tickets for the Broadway
musical ‘The Lion King’ for that evening. Janie was thrilled when he called to
tell her and when he picked her up she was waiting anxiously in the lobby.

They drove to the Theater District and when Ray let them off
in front of the theater, Janie whipped out her phone to take a picture. Matt
laughed and helped her play tourist, taking her picture not only in front of
the marquis, but also in front of the ticket office, the official ‘Lion King’
poster, and holding the playbill in the lobby.

They found their seats and Janie was mesmerized from start
to finish. She even sang along quietly during some of the songs, recalling her
boys watching the DVD over and over again when they were little. Matt hadn’t
seen the musical before and he hadn’t even seen the movie. Janie was
astonished! But he seemed to really enjoy it, almost as much as she did!

As always, Ray appeared with the BMW not twenty seconds
after they stepped out of the theater. Janie laughed.

Matt looked at her and asked, “What’s so funny?”

Janie climbed into the car and, once again, Matt slid in right
behind her. “I wondered if you had some kind of bat signal you used to make Ray
magically appear at just the right moment.”

Ray laughed a low rumbling laugh. “Does that make me Batman
or Alfred?”

“Well I’m certainly not Alfred,” exclaimed Matt and they all
laughed.

Janie had worn black linen trousers to the theater so she
had been able to slide all the way across the back seat of the car this time.

“I liked it better when you sat here,” he drawled and patted
the leather between them.

“It’s safer over here,” grinned Janie.

“Probably, but not nearly as much fun.”

They rode in silence the rest of the way and Janie felt
relaxed and happy. As she gazed out the window, she tried to remember the last
time she felt happy, truly happy. She had to go back a long time, to before
Robert got sick, three years ago.
Robert. I love you Robert. Thank you.

*****

Matt held her hand as they walked down the hall to her room.
Once again, Janie removed her room key from her purse and handed it to him,
brazenly, silently, giving him permission.

They went in and Janie clicked on the light, put down her
purse and kicked off her shoes. She turned to Matt and he was watching her, his
head slightly tilted to one side. “Can we talk?” he asked.

Oh shit! Here it comes
, she thought.
The brush
off!
“Sure! Do we need to sit?” Janie moved towards the sofa and tucked
herself into the corner, protecting herself with her body language.

Matt followed and sat next to her, just leaving a couple of
inches between them. He picked up her hand and held it in both of his. He was
fondling her fingers, his touch was soft and gentle.

Janie watched her hand in his, waiting for the ‘It’s been
fun, but…’ speech. Katy had told her all about the ‘It’s not you. It’s me’ and
‘Let’s just be friends’. She had never thought she would have the opportunity
to hear it, but here it was her turn. She turned her head to look at him. “What
is it Matt?” she whispered, saddened by the thought of not seeing him again.

*****

Matt’s social interaction with women was superficial. None
of them had captured his interest for more than a couple of dates. And after
screwing them, he was ready to move on. He wasn’t proud, but he knew who he was
and what he wanted, and what he didn’t want. And, he had been satisfied with
that. But Janie had upset his pattern and that had messed up his MO. First off,
she wasn’t his usual type. Everything about her was different, from her shape
to her personality, and, she was a widow and a mother. 

Then there was the sex. She was a little shy, a bit naïve,
timid even, but that had turned him on even more. He couldn’t get enough of
her; the feel of her, the taste of her. He couldn’t just fuck her, roll over,
and let his mind go back to the latest real estate project. He wanted to
cuddle
and then fuck her again. It was all very different than the norm.

He had found himself sitting in a meeting and wondering
where she was and what she was doing. He thought about how he could find
reasons to see her again without making himself look like a panting puppy dog,
desperate for attention.

He hated to admit it but his mom was right. He liked her.
And when he had seen her crumpled in the shower, he had wanted to hold her, to
comfort her, to fix whatever was wrong. Yeah, he liked her. So that’s why he
needed to talk to her.

“Janie.”
My sweet Janie!
“I have enjoyed the past few
days, with you. I enjoy spending time with you. But I don’t want there to be any
misunderstandings.” He paused to make she was listening. “You are here for,
what, another week, right?” She nodded. “And you said this morning that you had
come to New York as a way to start your new life, right?”She nodded again.
“Well I don’t want to mess with that. I don’t want you to look back and have
any regrets.”

“You’re not a regret,” she smiled, shaking her head.

“Good. I’m glad.” He was relieved. “But I do want you to
have your ‘trip of a lifetime’, and I thought that maybe I could be a part of
it.” He lifter her hand to his lips and kissed it, then gently placed it on her
knee.

She looked at him, her eyes questioning what he was saying.

He continued, “I would like to keep seeing you till you
leave. No strings, just enjoy our time together. And then when you go home,
there won’t be any awkwardness, you won’t have to feel bad about dumping me.”
He chuckled, trying to lighten the words.

“You want to see me again?”

“Yes, I do.” She really was the sweetest thing. “And then,
when it’s time, I will take you to the airport and carry your
two
bags
for you and say goodbye and we can still be friends. And you can leave with no
regrets.”

She smiled.
I will take anything you offer.
Then she
offered her hand. He took it and she quietly said, “Deal.”

*****

He wants to see me again!
Janie was relieved and
happy. She really did have fun with Matt and the thought of having another week
with him made her tummy do little jumps for joy.

He shook her hand and the deal was struck.

Matt twisted his body so he was facing her and reached for
her. His finger traced her cheek bone and a small gasp escaped her lips. He
leaned in to her, his eyes locked with hers, and whispered, “Seal it with a
kiss.” His lips touched hers and Janie closed her eyes and responded willingly.

He let go of her hand and held her head in his hands, his
fingers entwined in her hair, and deepened the kiss, his tongue exploring her
mouth, and dancing with hers. She moaned and placed her hands tentatively on
his thighs. They were hard, muscular, and she felt them flex at her touch.

Matt pulled back and in a flash, he had hoisted her onto his
lap, her legs straddling him. She was stunned, speechless, amazed at how he
moved her like she weighed no more than a feather, and he smiled his wicked
grin and pulled her head back to him, kissing her hard. His hands moved down to
her shoulders and he caressed her back, rubbing up and down and settling on her
behind. He pulled her into him, his hard erection sitting between her legs.

Janie’s mind was still trying to grasp the idea that he
wanted her physically. ‘Plain Jane’ is how she had always thought of herself
and this beautiful, rich, powerful man desired her. It baffled her, but it also
excited her.

She was pulled from her thoughts, back to in to the moment
when Matt reached up and cupped her breasts in his hands. He squeezed and
released, and squeezed again, and Janie stopped breathing, her body responding
to the pleasure.

“Do you know what you do to me, Janie Anderson?” Matt
murmured against her lips. His hands grabbed the bottom of her blouse and
pulled it out of her slacks. His hands slipped underneath the silk and caressed
her skin. Janie shuddered as his fingers stroked her flesh and Matt chuckled,
pulling his head back to look at her.

“You are so soft,” he whispered. “I love the feel of your
skin.”

Janie sat up straighter, now acutely aware of the little
roll of fat under his hands. A slight wrinkle appeared on her forehead and she
chewed the inside of her cheek.

“What is it?” he asked. “What are you thinking?”

Janie tried to slide off his lap, but Matt’s grip tightened
and he wouldn’t let her move.

“What is it?” he asked again.

Janie let out a deep sigh and closed her eyes. “I’m just
embarrassed.” Her head dropped and her cheeks blushed pink.

“Of what?” Matt couldn’t fathom what she was talking about.

“Of this!” she sighed and placed her hand across her
not-so-flat stomach.

“What? Why?”

“I am sure this isn’t what you’re used to,” she whispered.
“I’ve seen your ex-wife and she doesn’t have an ounce of fat anywhere!”

“My ex-wife spends 4 hours a day in the gym! She is
obsessed, and it irritated the hell out of me. You do not have anything to be
embarrassed about. You’re beautiful.” He grabbed her chin and forced her to
look at him. “Do you understand me?”

“But…..”

“No!” His voice was firm. “Your body is amazing. You look
like a woman, a real woman. You’re soft and desirable, and round in all the
right places,” he said as he cupped her breasts with his hands.

Janie blushed again and a tiny smile began to appear. “Thank
you.”

“Why could you possibly think otherwise?” Matt was serious.

“When I went shopping for a dress for Sunday, the sales girl
took me to the BIG sizes! In the back of the store! And my stomach just never
went back after the boys were born and, I don’t know, I don’t look anything
like the magazine pictures.”

Matt shook his head and sighed. “Oh Janie. Those women don’t
eat, EVER! I know; I’ve seen them
not
eat. Plus, with the amount of
airbrushing that happens, it’s a surprise they even look remotely familiar. And
I don’t want a girl from a magazine. I like you! I like that you have curves. I
like how you feel when I hold you, when you’re under me. Please believe me?”

She nodded.

“Good,” he smiled. And he pulled her to him and kissed her,
a kiss that was filled with desire and longing, a kiss that curled Janie’s
toes.  After what felt like an eternity, Matt pulled back and lifted Janie’s
blouse up an over her head, discarding it on the floor. Then he unhooked her
bra and slipped it off her shoulders and tossed it aside. He took a nipple in
his mouth and sucked gently and Janie threw her head back and moaned, as desire
pooled in the pit of her stomach. He took her other nipple in his mouth and
gently nipped with his teeth and Janie’s excitement grew.

Feeling much braver after his declaration of desire, Janie
scrambled off Matt’s lap and stood, pulling him up with her. “Take your clothes
off,” she ordered.

Matt grinned, “Yes Ma’am!” and began doing as he was told.
Janie stood, entranced at the sight. First he bared his chest and then he
removed his shoes and socks.