Victor had been waiting for me, watching with the passenger window downand waived when he saw that I looked back. 'Why the hell was hewaiting for me?... I'm not some girl who needs to be protected fromothers.' But I was brought up to be courteous so I unconsciouslywaived back before I thought to stop myself. Even from this distance,I could see a big grin light up Victor's face and he continued to waituntil I turned around and walked out of site. I heard the V8 engineroar to life and Victor. "You sure it's a good idea for you to go out running right now?" Yeah,, I'm...I'm fine," he stammered, as he gave his wife's cheek a quickpeck and exited the room in search of his sneaker, some shorts, and freshair.Julie stood in the middle of her kitchen trying to replay this mildlydisconcerting scene with her husband when she heard the heavy steps comingup the basement steps. Julie's son Tyler came in sans shirt, partlybecause he just finished working out in the family's downstairs. " " Not now. Those are YOUR keys, NICKI!" She emphasized. " Oh, yeah. They are." He took them and the purse and kissed her. " Good-bye honey. See you later." And turned to go out the door. She added. " I'll check that medallion out a little more." He gave her a half hearted smile and said. " Thanks," and ran out the door. She watched him walk to her brown, eighty-two Dodge Aries and wrinkled his pretty nose at all the rust. She noticed how sexy his legs looked. " Man!" She said to herself. " Is. I've wanted you since that time so long ago. I know you feel that. I can’t find the words to say how happy I am that you want to be with me, too." He mused that both of them were intelligent, articulate people for whom words were so important, and yet here and now they were both unable to really say what they felt. She smiled that golden smile and as he approached to embrace her. He couldn’t help but drink in her subtle beauty. The fine spun wool of her business suit felt strangely smooth in.