Here’s the first draft of what I wrote last week. I have a tendency to be too spare in description. I tried to keep away from talking heads. Oh, yeah, and I have to find something for my characters to do other than eat.  I know that’s a major “do not do.”  At least one adult word is included in this excerpt, but other than that, I don’t think there’s anything anyone couldn’t read. And the usual disclaimers about it maybe not showing up in the final version or changing drastically before it gets there apply. This is just before the 60k mark in a planned 100k book.

***

She pulled up in front of the house. Good. Jeff wasn’t here yet. She hurried inside and made sure no signs of Jim were easily visible. Then she began pulling out the sandwich makings and heating soup. It was chilly outside, and soup and sandwiches seemed like the sensible thing to have. Besides, it was quick and easy. She heard the doorbell and dashed to the front door to answer it, yelling for the dogs to, “Hush, everything’s ok.” Not that it made a difference. They still barked. She pulled the door open, “Hi. Come on in.”

Jeff stepped through the doorway.

“Lunch is almost ready. Just toss your jacket on the couch. Come on back to the kitchen.”

“I take it that’s Sophie and Dakota I’m hearing?” He followed her into the kitchen and peered into the backyard through the window, “Good looking pups.”

“Obnoxious brats is what they are,” she didn’t try to hide the affection in her voice.

“Well, I doubt anybody will bother you with those two around,” he turned back to face the room. “Anything I can do to help?”

“Nah. Soup’s almost ready. What do you want to drink?”

“Coke’s fine if you have it. If not, water’s fine, too.”

Reaching into the refrigerator, she pulled a can of Coca Cola out and handed it to Jeff.

He set it on the table and was leaned over the chair as he asked, “This chair ok for me?” He looked up and into her face.

“Sure.” He was nervous. Hell. So was she. Who wouldn’t be nervous? Why did they think this was worth trying? She decided to try and cover it with a cheerful, “Soup’s on!” Too cheerful. Oh well. She poured it evenly between their two soup bowls and set the empty pan in the sink and ran water in it. “Sit down. We don’t have to rush, but we do have to get back to work sometime this afternoon.”

“Do we?” Jeff asked, raising an eyebrow.

She stopped midway into her seat, looked at Jeff, surprised and sat down, “No. I guess we don’t, really.”

Jeff laughed, “But we probably will.” He handed her the lunchmeat and a slice of wrapped cheese when she pointed.

“What would we do if we didn’t go back to work?” She tried to make it sound curious and casual. She’d debated on sounding suggestive but decided maybe not just yet.

His sandwich made, he began spooning soup into his mouth after carefully blowing on it to cool it. He shrugged, “I don’t know. Walk the dogs. Examine your art collection. Get naked and relive old times. Stuff like that.”

What the hell, “In that order?” She spooned relish onto her sandwich, put the top layer of bread on, and sliced it in half before picking up half and taking a generous bite.

Jeff laid down his soupspoon and picked up his sandwich, “In any order, but if we work in reverse order, I doubt we’ll get the other things done. At least not this afternoon.”

Nikki chewed and swallowed, “Depends upon how far back in old times we go, I guess.”

Jeff nearly choked on his sandwich, “True.” He took a slow drink of his coke, “If you could pick how far back we’d go, where would you go?”

She looked at him. He was serious. She thought while she chewed, and he watched her intently waiting to hear what she’d say, “Sometimes, I think it’d be nice to go back to that day under the Rose’s porch when you gave me an ‘earthworm.’ That was before life went to shit.” She knew she’d failed to keep the wistfulness and sob out of her voice. It didn’t really matter, she guessed. If he was turned off by that, he wasn’t the man she thought he’d become.

He nodded and laid his left hand on her right hand and squeezed it.

“But, of course, there wouldn’t be any getting nekkid for a long, long time, so we’d get to the other things you listed.” She smiled.

Jeff pulled her to him by her shoulders, laughed, and kissed her forehead before releasing her, “No. We sure wouldn’t!”

“So, I guess I’d go to the first time we did it.”

Jeff curled his lip slightly, “Are you sure you’d want that time? Things were a long way from being fireworks for either of us.”

Nikki nodded firmly, “Yes. I’m sure.” Her voice dropped to a whisper, “For what it lacked in technical proficiency and mind-shattering wonderfulness, it more than made up for in shared love and desire.” Her voice picked up a little volume, “I’ve had plenty of disappointing sex since then, but never did someone care for me as much as you did that time.”

“Wow.” Jeff looked up from his soup bowl, “I never knew that Nik.” He stared beyond a spot on the corner of the refrigerator across the room, “But I guess you’re right. That awkwardness of the first time isn’t so bad when two people really love one another. It’s less of a performance and more of a finding a path together.”

He looked back into her eyes, “Do you want another first time?”

Nikki looked down at her untouched second sandwich half and mumbled, “Yeah. But only if it’s got love and caring to smooth the rough spots. Otherwise…” she shrugged and her voice raised slightly, “Otherwise it’s just another fucking notch in the headboard.”