We walked arm in arm and I learned more about Kevin. He was recently widowed after his wife, of 20 years, was killed in car crash. She was driving home after visiting her mother, when a drunk driver side swiped her car, causing her to drive onto the hard shoulder of the motorway, mount a steep bank and roll over. Kevin said the paramedics told him there was a chance she might have survived had it not been for truck that failed to avoid the car as it rolled back into the middle of the highway.
He went to tell me that her death was more than five years ago, but the pain was still a bit raw.
“Working helps,” he said. “Also having people to talk to.”
My heart went out to him and I held his arm tightly.
“I’ve not dated or been with another woman since,” he said. “But I’ve been thinking that after six and a half years, I am ready now to get back on that horse. I know she wouldn’t want me to be alone for too long.”
All too soon, we arrived at my home.
There was an awkward moment when I wasn’t sure what I was suppose to do. I turned to Kevin to give him a hug and say thank you. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me in tight to his body. It felt so good to feel a man’s body heat after so many years. I reciprocated and pushed myself deeper into his embrace. For one brief moment, I was certain that I could feel the beginnings of an erection pressing into my abdomen. I held on a little longer than I should have, to be certain. Kevin took this as a signal and moved my face closer to his. Our lips met in a gentle, soft kiss and I definitely felt his erection pushing against my belly.
Suddenly, I was annoyed with myself. I wanted this to become something more, but it was very late and I had an early shift. I gently pushed Kevin away and thanked him again. I was about to turn and walk into the house, when I stopped and asked if he was free on Sunday. He replied that it was his day off and he hadn’t made any plans. I invited him to dinner at my place for seven o’clock and was very pleased when he accepted.
***oOo***
I was working the early shift, the following day, which meant I supervised breakfast, helped with the tidying up and the setting up for lunch, if we were serving on Sunday. My hours were six a.m. to two p.m. Breakfast went by fairly quickly, which was mostly due to the bikers leaving early to get home in time to enjoy the rest of their Sunday.
Lunch was a pre-booked arrangement for a family celebrating a confirmation. In religious circles, this is mostly a rite of passage for a child reaching their teenage years. There’s a ceremony, either in church or a town hall, depending on whether the child in question is religious or not. It is normally a mass affair with several children all being confirmed at the same time. Afterwards, the families concerned usually arrange a luncheon at a restaurant or a hotel or some other venue.
After lunch was over, I hung up my apron and headed home.
***oOo***
The hotel was built on land that once belonged to a vast estate. the building had been the home of a duke, or an earl, or something like that.