The Perpetual Lover

‘Look Katherine, you are lovely, sweet and tender. You adapt to everything and your body moves like a dancer. It’s great to be with you. I’m not flattering; remember the other day when we were on the dance floor?. You said you were not a good dancer, yet you moved easily and gracefully, it was like having a feather in my arms. It’s the same when we make love’.
She blushed at his compliments and said:
‘That is because I am with you. I’ve never been so happy because I know I’m free and uninhibited. Sometimes I think I’m so foolish because I feel young again’
‘That’s because you are. Age is in the mind, the body helps of course and yours is gorgeous’
‘But still you are thirty and I’m almost forty five. Maybe I’m just infatuated with you ‘.
‘I don’t see how. I’m a plain guy and there is nothing special about me, so I can never take you for granted. The only things I can be sure of are my feelings and hope one day yours are the same’
She was silent for a moment and then said
‘Do you really want to know how I feel? Like this’ and she sat on his lap and kissed him passionately until she was out of breath, then smiled and added in a trembling voice:
‘Let’s go to the bedroom Carlos and make love to me, I want you so much that it hurts’
‘I want you also love’ he told her in a husky sensual voice and passing his hand round her waist, walked her to the room.
Since that day their relationship became normal and constant. Every week they met on Wednesday and again on the weekend, they had four days together..
Now that half of his clothes were at her apartment, they often dressed casually and went for long walks in Central Park, visited museums and galleries. She always held his arm, she never held hands with him and they hardly ever kissed except in the Park, if nobody was around.
‘We are not two teenagers, wait till we get home and I’ll try to be more sexy. On second thought, maybe not, because you don’t need any enticement, you are insatiable!’.
‘Me?, And all this time I thought you were the one’ he smiled
On their fifth or sixth weekend together, they were in the Park and she told him:
‘Let’s sit down Carlos, I’m a bit tired’
Once seated on one of the benches, she looked into his eyes and said:
‘Love, what’s happening to us?’
‘Just that we are very happy together’
‘I know, I can’t express myself as well as you do, all I can say is that I am so happy and content, what do you call this feeling?’
‘How about “love”, I know you think that’s a four letter word and you don’t want to hear it and yet it is so simple, we are in love’
‘You really think so?’ and now she took his hand.
‘The proof is we call each other “love” all the time, without thinking. It comes natural to both of us, we hardly use our names’
‘Oh love’ she smiled at using the word, ‘I’m scared’
‘What are you scared of? Of being in love?, It’s the most wonderful feeling.
‘But we’ve both been in love before, in my case it was a disaster, well two disasters really and in your case love ended also’
‘To think constantly about the future is useless and futile because we are not fortune tellers. The past is gone and only the present counts. The present is you and me and I’m sure of my love’ Carlos said seriously
‘So were you before’
‘The last love is like the last will, it’s the only valid one and cancels all the rest. I don’t know who said that but it is quite true’ he smiled.
‘In my case you are the only love I’ve had; at least this is how I feel but I’m scared because we are an odd couple. My age is there all the time haunting me’ she was quiet for some time and then added:
‘It never used to bother me before I met you. The years have passed and I’m still full of zest for life, I work with the same enthusiasm as always, I take care of my body at the gym and watch my diet, not because I’m vain but because I know one has to take care as she grows older’
‘And you have done a fantastic job of it. I’ve seen it for myself many times, never enough though’ he smiled mischievously.
‘I’m still fifteen years older than you’
‘So what!, age doesn’t matter when two people are in love society makes us look odd and it is so unfair!. If it was the other way round the whole world would think it was normal’
‘That’s true, I agree with you it’s unfair, but that’s the way it is’
‘Well it shouldn’t be, as I was telling you, people would say: “They make a very nice couple. She is very beautiful, he’s not much to look at but he looks like a nice guy; true he is almost fifteen years older but that’s OK in a man, he has lived a lot and has more experience, now he is finally settled down with this young girl”
She was laughing in spite of herself
‘I haven’t finished yet’ Carlos said, ‘those are the nice coments, others will say: “She’s probably going after his money” and others, “Well she is not a spring chicken either, she is already thirty”
‘You are so funny, so now what will they say in our case?’
‘Who cares!, probably that I’m after your money, that men age better than women and so on, but the intelligent ones will get it right’.
‘What will they say?’ she smiled
“That lady is smart; she is with a younger man because she knows he can satisfy her better than one of her own age. She must have some hot nights with him; since they’ve been together she looks at least ten years younger, sex does wonders” ‘See?’ he smiled ‘be positive’
‘And it is true you know, I don’t think I look younger, but I really feel younger’
‘That’s my point. It’s better to be with a younger man’ he laughed
‘No, it’s better to be with you’ she said simply
‘You don’t have to resort to flattery, it will…’
‘I know she interrupted, it will get me evrywhere’ and she smiled.