“When was the last time you got laid?” Darin, David’s colleague and sometime rival, inquired over the sound of pool sticks battering against billiard balls at their local smoke filled dive.


Annoyed, David missed his shot. “You don't expect me to answer that, right? Why would you ask such a stupid question?”


Darin circled the table. “You’ve gone off the radar.”


“I don’t talk about my sex life and neither should you. Doesn’t it cheapen the experience?”


“Only for her. What do I care? They know its all fun, nothing serious.”


“Really, because I remember a certain young lady that went on a three day bender after dealing with you.”


Darin shot a dark look across the table. “I’m beginning to question your sexual orientation.”


“Ha!” David laughed. “Sexual orientation? Those are big words coming from you. Where did you pick those up?”


“I learned them from one of my passengers last week,” Darin cut him a sideways glance and bit his top lip, concealing a sly grin. “She mentioned your name but said she hadn’t heard from you in weeks,” he leaned over the table, aligning the cue ball for his strike. “You know who I’m talking about?”


“No, I don’t know who you’re talking about.” David shrugged nonchalantly, but fully aware of whom Darin spoke of.


“Sure you do,” His ball dropped into the side pocket. He stood broad chest and arrogant. “Black woman, hot little body, curves in all the tight places, gorgeous smile. I was sure you’d remember her. She remembers you fondly. Gwen. Gwen Turner.”


“Yeah, I remember Gwen. Nice lady.” David continued the game.


Darin wouldn’t be shaken so easily. “She’s a little old for my taste but I figured I’d take a run at her,” Darin leaned backwards against the table.


“She’ll be forty-six this year. How is that old?” David shot off more defensively than he’d hoped, making his shot.


“That’s pretty personal information to know about someone you hardly remember.” He peered down his cue stick.

“Take your shot.” David blew off his insinuation.


“Whatever,” Darin sunk the ball. “She looks like the type that knows her way around the bedroom.” He checked his watch. “She should be landing within the next hour. I’d better run.” He grabbed his coat, downed the last of his beer and left.



                                                       ******



“Hi, it’s David. Where are you?” he texted from his stationary position in traffic.


Gwen: I’ve just land. I’m on my way to baggage claim.


David: Is Darin picking you up?


Gwen stopped, thinking of the right, the correct answer to give. The truth was always the best answer.


Gwen: Yes.


David’s stomach turned in knots, his worst fear confirmed.


David: Send him away. I’ll pick you up. I want to see you.


Gwen: To tease me?


David: No, to talk.


Gwen: Why?


David: Because I can’t stop thinking about you.


Gwen could hardly believe the words she read.


Gwen: That’s not a good enough reason.


David: Be honest. You can’t stop thinking about me.


She was tried desperately to formulate a snappy retort but he spoke the truth. He hadn’t left her thoughts. She owed it to herself to at least see him one last time.


Her long pregnant pause did little to ease David’s worry riddled gut.


Gwen: Be here in fifteen minutes. I’ll wait for you on the curb.


David: I’ll be there in ten.



                                                             ******



David spotted Gwen immediately standing gracefully in a dark blue business suit. “Does this lady ever relax?” he thought to himself. He opened her door and quickly loaded her bags—without as much as a hello.


Their ride was deafly quiet. The partition separating them suited them both, neither knowing how to begin. Gwen lowered the partition in time, not making eye contact with David.


“You know I can’t ride with the partition in place. I get carsick if I can’t see the road ahead of me.” She snapped.


“Must you always be in control?”


Her eyes met his in the rearview mirror. “Yes,” she said, defiantly. Simultaneously, they broke eye contact. Dead quiet one more.


“You look nice today.” David said sweetly.


Gwen doesn’t reply.


“Our communication has been sporadic.” David said, focused on the road.


“So, why did you text me?”


“I was worried about you.”


“You were worried about me?” Gwen laughed humorlessly. “That’s debatable.” David’s reaction was not as she’s hoped. She wanted him to fight back, insist that she was mistaken, and blow his proverbial fuse. What she hadn’t expected was the sincerity-- almost hurt she saw in his eyes. “Whatever, it doesn’t matter.”


“Gwen, I was trying to look out for you. I don’t like the idea of you getting hurt.”


She turned a cold eye. “Your likes and dislikes aren’t the issue.”


David refused to meet her stare, it was useless and Gwen was sorry for it.


They finished the drive in impenetrable silence. She wanted to bash his head in. She wanted to slap him silly. But more over, she needed to hear him out. Young, he was but far from juvenile. Those eyes, those bewitching eyes spoke volumes. There had to be sound reasoning for him keeping his distance.



They came through the door; Gwen turned on the lights and sat, she settled in while David unloaded the limo. Not a single word passed between them.


“I’ll be going.” He turned to leave.


“Wait,” she called, with shallow pride. “Um, you wanted to talk. So talk.”


David shook his head, holding the door open, ready to make his retreat. “You don’t want to hear what I have to say. You wouldn’t believe me.”


“You make assumptions.”


“So do you,” his voice barely auditable. Again silence lingered. “Goodnight Gwen.”


“Why won’t you sleep with me?” she asked as he was half way out of the door.


He stopped and faced her. Their gazes locked, closing the distance between them without moving a muscle. “I have slept with you. I have awoken with you in my arms more times than I deserve.”


“Then, David, why won’t you have sex, intercourse with me?” she asked, her expression pleading.


“Because with a woman like you, a guy like me looses his shelf life, exponentially, after the sex is over. I don’t want to go down that road again,” he paused. “I figured that if I held out long enough, you’d see that....that I was worth the time of day.”


“You made assumptions.”


“So did you,” he stopped short. “Goodnight Gwen.”


David left, unchallenged.