11 comments/ 53923 views/ 11 favorites Can I Look At You Now? By: Tony155 The inmates dutifully got into a line for breakfast, slowly, as was their usual way, as the corrections officer in charge watched them carefully. There had been a few new arrivals when he was on his days off, so he knew that he would have to give them his speech about rules and regulations concerning going to the dining hall. He waited until all forty-two were in line and quiet before he spoke. He glanced at his watch briefly and then addressed them. "Before we go down to breakfast, there's a few things I want to go over with the new guys," he began. "From the time we leave here until we get to the dining hall, there will be silence. I want it to be so quiet that I can hear a mouse pissing on a cotton ball when we go through the hallways." C/O Brothers began to pace up and down the line, reverting back to his army days, as he continued to speak. "You will not look into the classrooms, nor will you look into the female dormitories going down or coming back." A few inmates began to snicker, but grew silent when Brothers shot them a glance. "You will not talk to the inmates who are serving the line. If you need something, you may address me or Miss Marcia, who is in charge of the kitchen, or any person in charge of the line that day. You may talk in the dining room in normal tones, but if it gets too loud, you will not be permitted to talk at all. In addition, I do not want to hear any whistling or any other noises that will disturb the other classrooms." Brothers looked up and down the line. "Does everyone understand?" There were murmurs of 'Yes sir' from the inmates. "Good, let's go." C/O Brothers led the group of inmates down the stairs from the third floor of the Madison Correctional Facility. Madison was a drug and alcohol offender facility that housed one hundred and fifty men and seventy women. All of the inmates were sentenced by the court to go to Madison instead of going to prison and could be removed and sent to prison for various rules violations or other indiscretions. Because the rules and regulations were strict, Madison did very well in the rehabilitation aspect and there was a waiting list of inmates to come into the facility. It was a good facility and Brothers was proud to be an officer there. He had been a corrections officer at Madison for thirteen years following a ten year hitch in the army. Brothers was in charge of the new inmates, ones who would stay in his care for the first month of their normal six month sentence. Although he was not big at 5'10" and 175 lbs., Ben Brothers was strongly built and skilled in hand- to-hand combat, as several inmates had found out during his tenure. Even though he hadn't been involved in a fight with an inmate in over three years, he still had a reputation as an officer not to mess with. Brothers and the group came to the bottom of the stairwell and he keyed his radio, "Brothers to control, North- east 1 door, please." The control room operator saw Brothers and the inmates on camera at the door. There was a buzzing sound and Brothers pulled the door open and went through with the inmates following behind. Before they got to the dining room, there would be three classrooms on the left side of the hall and the women's dormitory and laundry on the right. The women's actual sleeping area, bathrooms, and showers were upstairs; the lower level was for classes, projects, and other services. At that time of the morning, classes had yet to begin, but the females would be awake and milling around the lower level waiting for their individual treatment programs to start. Fraternization was strictly forbidden between males and females, although females sometimes worked in the kitchen with the males, but they were watched closely at all times, plus cameras were everywhere to catch what officers didn't see. As they passed the last classroom, Brothers saw a light on, but didn't look in. He unlocked the dining room door and let the inmates, one by one, pass by him and and take a seat inside. Brothers took his eye off of the inmates momentarily when he glanced into the lit room to see who might be there. He knew that the previous G.E.D. instructor had resigned a few weeks prior, but he hadn't heard about her replacement. An attractive brunette was sitting at the desk in the far corner pouring over paperwork. She was very pretty, at least Brothers thought so, maybe 29 or 30 years old, with long brown hair that spilled over the shoulders of her blue blouse. The last of the inmates passed Brothers into the dining room and he followed, shutting the door behind him. After the inmates were served, Brothers sat down to his own breakfast. The meals at Madison were quite good for prison food, and for a dollar, you couldn't beat the price, but Brothers found his mind wondering to the woman in the classroom. He had been divorced for over fifteen years, his wife tired of the army life, and at forty-one, he was getting tired of being single. He dated often, but hadn't been in a serious relationship in almost three years. Even if she was single, he thought, the younger officers would be all over her and he didn't think he stood a chance with someone that much younger. As he tried to push her out of his mind, Brothers ate quickly, an old army habit that he couldn't quite stop. When they were finished, the inmates cleaned their plates and trays and set them on a metal conveyor belt that led to the dish room. After they cleaned off their tables, they lined up once more for the return trip. Once he was satisfied with the cleanliness, Brothers led them back to their dormitory. As he passed the new instructor's door, he looked her way. She looked up as she heard the inmates go by and saw Brothers looking at her. He smiled and nodded to her when he saw her blue eyes meet his. She looked at him blankly and then went back to her work. That certainly went well, he thought to himself sarcastically, as he continued with his group. This continued for several days as Brothers would walk his inmates to breakfast or lunch. Although she looked up when he walked by, she still didn't acknowledge him. Whenever she wasn't in the classroom, Brothers would be disappointed. After the first week, he resigned himself to the fact that she wasn't interested in him, but nonetheless, he continued to nod to her as he did with all of the female staff at Madison, just out of politeness. He found out her name, Elaine Linsenmeyer, from the sign on her door, but he knew little else about her. A week or so later, Brothers was eating lunch with the inmates, when there was a knock at the door of the dining hall. Brothers looked up and he saw Elaine standing there. She opened the door slightly, just enough to poke her head through. "May I speak to you for a minute, sir?" she asked softly. Brothers almost didn't hear her, but his heart sped up at the sound of her voice. He pressed his napkin to his lips, scooted out his chair, and walked towards her. Forty-two pairs of eyes followed him as he passed through the doorway and Elaine closed the door behind him. She stood in front of him now and she was prettier close up. Her eyes were a light blue and they complimented her reddish-brown hair. She was almost as tall as Brothers and while she wasn't overwieght, she wasn't thin, either. Her weight fit her frame well. Her full bosom strained against the thin fabric of her red blouse, although Brothers tried not to stare. He was clearly smitten and waited eagerly to see what she wanted. Elaine could tell that the officer in front of her was into physical fitness, although he was a bit on the thin side. His protruding jaw and developed chest and arms gave him a very solid appearance, as did his thin waist. His short, brown crew cut was sprinkled with gray, but his face and body told her that he was probably in his early thirties, possibly the same age as her thirty-three years. His warm, brown eyes were fixed on her, waiting for her to speak again. Cute or not, she thought, I have to tell him off. Clearing her throat, she said in a low voice, "Do you have a staring problem?" Brothers was taken aback and he didn't know what to say. Elaine's eyes narrowed and started to turn a frosty blue when Brothers hesitated. She wanted an answer and now! "Well," she demanded with her hands on her hips, "do you?" Brothers tried to think of what he did to offend her, but he couldn't think of anything. They had never talked before and he was pretty much on the defensive, something he wasn't used to. "What do you mean?" he asked finally, still perplexed. This was not going the way that he thought or hoped it would. "I mean," she replied, "every time you walk by my room, you stare at me. You do it every day and I'm getting tired of it. I could understand if you were an inmate, but you're an officer and you should set the example. I would expect more out of you!" Her statement hit him hard. Being compared to an inmate was an insult all by itself, but to be compared to one when he did nothing wrong, at least in his eyes, made him seethe in anger. His eyes turned darker and the warmth that was there just a second before disappeared. He refused to let his anger show, he wouldn't give her the satis- faction. Damn, he thought to himself, I really liked this one, too. Too bad she's being such a bitch. In a polite voice with no warmth behind it, Brothers said, "I'm sorry that I looked at you and bothered you, ma'am. I assure you that it'll never happen again. If you'll excuse me, I have inmates to watch." Without waiting for a reply, Brothers turned, unlocked the door, and went back into the dining hall. He sat back down and ate quickly without looking up. Elaine went back to her classrooom and sat down behind her desk. Sighing softly, she immediately regretted how she handled the situation. She had had a bad week and she was mad at herself for losing control. Ever since she started, it seemed like every officer in the jail was hitting on her, single or not. They were almost as bad as the inmates, for crying out loud. At least with inmates, you expected that sort of behavior. Only now, she was starting to question herself for leaving her high school teaching position for this. Not that she wouldn't have minded dating one or two of them, but she could tell right away that most of them were not her type and she was quite choosy when it came to dating. She really had to feel comfortable with someone before she would consider dating him. She had been burnt badly, twice, since her divorce five years earlier and she wasn't taking any chances now. Today was just the last straw and he was handy to go off on. She had no trouble telling the other ones that she wasn't interested, even the really persistent ones. Elaine just didn't like being ogled and that's what she felt that the officer was doing. Christ, she didn't even bother to see what his name was! Yet, she wasn't sure why she felt bad. It certainly didn't bother her to say 'no thanks' when she got rid of the others. He certainly didn't say anything to elicit any sympathy, but she had liked him anyway, even when he excused himself in anger. Yes, she could tell that he was angry, although he tried to hide it. Elaine couldn't put her finger on it exactly, but she was sorry. Brothers lined up the inmates and gave them a terse warning about looking at the female inmates on the way back. He had seen some of them looking in that direction a couple of times over the previous few days. "But, C/O, you look at that teacher all of the time," a small voice in the back of the line protested. Brothers' eyes narrowed in anger as he tried to find the body that belonged to the voice, but with no success. "I don't know who said that and I don't care," he said. "If I want your fucking opinion, I'll ask for it. If you've got something to say, have the balls to say it to my face and not hide behind your buddy like a fucking pussy! Anybody got something else to say?" No one flinched. "Okay, let's move." He led them past the classrooms and dormitory to the stairway without looking in Elaine's direction, not even knowing if she was there or not. Elaine looked up as she heard the inmates trooping by. The officer walked by in a blur so quickly that she barely saw him. She sighed again and threw down her pen in anger. When she heard the door to the stairwell close, she rose from her chair and walked over to the classroom next to hers. Rose Littlejohn taught pre-G.E.D. education and was becoming a good friend and confidant to Elaine. She was writing on the chalkboard and looked over as Elaine entered. "Hey, Elaine. How's it going?" "Not good," she replied as she closed the door behind her. "I just chewed out an officer and now I'm feeling kind of shitty about it." "Who was it?" She knew all of the officers and was curious as to whom Elaine was speaking about. "I don't know, he just walked by with a group of inmates from lunch. He's about my height, brown crew cut, looks to be in great shape." "You chewed out Ben?" she asked incredulously. "There must be some mistake. What did he do?" "He's always looking at me and nodding when he passes my room. It just makes me feel uncomfortable." "He does that to everyone, Elaine," Rose replied, "even me." "I just don't like being stared at. I feel like I'm on display for him to look at." "Oh, come on Elaine, I'm sure he didn't stare at you. He's much too professional for that." "What do you mean?" "He's the best damned officer we've got and he holds himself to a much higher standard than most. I just feel that it's not as bad as you make it out to be. That would be so out of character for him." Elaine mulled over what Rose had told her and began to believe more and more that she was out of line just a few minutes before. "So," Elaine asked, "is he married?" "No," Rose laughed, "he's been divorced for about fifteen years, I guess." "Fifteen years?" Elaine exclaimed, "He must have been a teenager then." "What are you talking about?" "He's only about my age, so he must have married and divorced really young." "Elaine," Rose explained, "he's forty-one." "Forty-one?" Elaine started to laugh. "Here, I thought I was older than him! Tell me some more about him." Rose preceded to tell Elaine about him, his military career, his years at Madison, and other things that she knew about him. When she finished, Elaine said, "You seem to know an awful lot about him." "Well, we dated for a while." "Why'd you split up?" "I don't know, we just kind of grew apart. It wasn't anything specific. I wish we were still dating, though. He was a lot of fun." "How long did you date?" "About eight or nine months." "And you're still on good terms?" "Of course. Once you get to know Ben, he's a friend for life. You can ask Karen in commissary, or C/O Phillips, they both dated him." "Really." Elaine hesitated before asking one more question. "So," she said almost blushing, "how was he in bed?" Rose looked her in the eye and said, "Simply the best!" Days went by as Brothers continued to walk his inmates to and from the dining hall without giving the first glance in Elaine's direction. She now missed the attention, knowing for sure that he meant no harm. Elaine had talked to both Karen and the C/O that he had dated and they had nothing but good things to say about him, as did every female in the facility who knew him or worked with him. She chastised herself daily for going off on him, but couldn't think of a way to say that she was sorry. She wondered, though, does this man have any faults and if he doesn't, why is he still single? C/O Phillips, Sue, said that his only fault was falling in love too soon and wanting to speed up their relationship. "He was just too serious too fast," she said. "That's why I stopped seeing him. Great guy, still is, but I wasn't ready for marriage after dating for six months, but he was. We couldn't reach a compromise, so we decided to part as friends." "Doesn't it bother you, you know, getting that close, splitting up and having to work with him?" Elaine asked. "At first, a little, but he's such a good friend, I certainly didn't want to avoid him," Sue explained. Karen Freeders, in the commissary, said basically the same thing, but added a warning, "If you decide to date him, be careful. If he falls for you, he falls hard and fast." Elaine took all of this into consideration and decided that if that was the worst of it, then Ben Brothers might be worth the trouble. Now, all she had to do was figure out a way to break the ice. A few days later, Brothers came onto his shift and conferred with the officer on the midnight shift about any new developments. After the midnight officer left, Brothers checked the roster sheet and began to perform his early duties. He walked to each inmate and checked their name off his list, all the while inspecting their bunks and general living area. If their bunk was messy or the area around unkept, he made them straighten it up pronto. It didn't take long before the dormitory was in perfect order and he let them out into the rec area to watch T.V. before breakfast. Once he was back in his office, he checked his mail box for his paycheck, as he did every Friday. Besides his paycheck, there was an interoffice envelope underneath with his name on it. There was no name on the line above it, it was a new envelope, so he didn't know who sent it. Before he could open it, a loud shout was heard from the common area as two inmates were squared off in bladed stances. Before he could react, the taller of the two inmates took a swing at the smaller, stockier one and the fight was on. Brothers pulled out his radio and barked, "Fight in Dorm North 3, send additional units!" Knowing that it might take a minute or two before they would respond, Brothers stepped out of his office and commanded in a loud, threatening voice, "Stop fighting, now!" The smaller of the two immediately dropped his hands and took a step back. The taller one, seeing his advantage, smashed the inmate in the nose, breaking it and sending blood everywhere. After being hit, the injured inmate crumpled to the ground. Angry, but not surprised, Brothers barked at the standing inmate, "Carlton, get on the ground, now!" Carlton did no such thing and started to move towards Brothers. "What you gonna do if I don't, motherfucker?" he asked menacingly. "You don't want to find out," Brothers answered. "Get on the ground, now, before you get hurt." "Fuck you, you skinny motherfucker, do something about it!" Carlton said as he rushed forward. Elaine heard the radio traffic in the employees lunchroom as the officers rushed out of the room to the third floor. She wasn't sure, but instinctly, she knew that it was Brothers calling the distress signal. She hurried to Rose's classroom, whom she found sitting at her desk. "Was that Ben?" she asked breathlessly. "Yeah, it was him. Don't worry, this happens every once in a while. Inmates get riled up and start fighting. Ben'll be fine. He called the signal and everyone will be there to help him." "I hope he's okay," Elaine said to no one in particular. Carlton was quicker than Brothers anticipated and the distance between them shrunk rapidly. "Back off!" Brothers warned when the irate inmate was within ten feet of him. "Fuck you, bitch. Try to stop me." Carlton rushed forward again, planted his foot, spun and delivered a side kick to Brothers' face, cutting his cheekbone. Brothers was knocked backwards, off balance, but the blow really didn't hurt him seriously. He was surprised at the skill and quickness of Carlton, but that would be the last blow that Carlton would land. He rushed forward once more, trying to take advantage of Brothers being off balance, and prepared to strike him with his right fist. Brothers saw it coming and quickly went on the offensive, blocking the blow with his left arm and immediately kneeing Carlton in the groin. As Carlton pitched forward, Brothers drove him to the ground with an elbow to his spine. Once on the ground, Brothers jumped on his back and planted his knee into his neck, effectively holding him in place until God and His Brigade arrived seconds later. Can I Look At You Now? A voice over the radio called, "We need a medic to Dorm North 3 immediately. Officer and inmate injured." "Shit," Elaine said as she moved toward the door. "Where are you going?" Rose asked. "To see if he's okay." "You can't go up there, Elaine. You're not allowed." "I can't just sit here." "You can't go there," she said again as she picked up the phone. "I'll call the control room and get the scoop." The phone was answered on the first ring, "Control room, Newcamp speaking." "Hey, Phil, this is Rose. What's going on in North 3?" "Looks like someone got a lucky punch in on Ben, but he looks like he's okay. Let me see the tape, first." Newcamp rewound the security tape from that dorm and saw the incident. "Yeah, Ben got kicked good, but he made him pay for it. Ooh, right in the nuts," he said as he saw Brothers' knee once more. "Yeah, he's okay, Rose, don't worry. They're taking him to medical now and he's walking on his own." "Thanks, Phil," Rose said as she hung up the phone. "He's okay," she said to Elaine who was waiting expectedly. "They're taking him to medical." "Boy, that's good to know," Elaine said as she headed to the door. "Wait, I'll go with you," Rose said as she shut down her computer. By the time that they made it to the fourth floor medical office, Brothers had already been taken in and was being examined by the staff doctor. "You'll need stitches, Ben, so I'm going to numb it," Dr. Drerup said after he cleaned the wound. "Do what you got to do, Doc, " Ben replied, still miffed that he got hit. The doctor stuck the needle into his cheek area several times while Brothers barely flinched. After they waited a few minutes for numbing medicine to take hold, the doctor stitched him up quickly and easily. He affixed a bandage to the wound and told him that he wanted him to take the rest of the day off. Brothers protested, but the doctor couldn't be swayed. "I at least need to get my paycheck and mail from the office, plus I have to write the report," he said. "Can you remember what happened until tomorrow?" Sgt. Richter asked, Brothers' immediate superior officer. "Yeah." "Come in tomorrow at your leisure and write it up. Write up an overtime slip, too, for your trouble. I'll go back down and retrieve your stuff. Be back in a few minutes." Sgt. Richter left the office. He walked past Rose and Elaine without looking their way. A few minutes later, he came back with an envelope and paycheck in his hand. Elaine saw the envelope and cringed. "What's up?" Rose asked. "I sent it to him," Elaine answered. "What?" "An apology." "In the envelope?" "Yeah." "Good for you, there might be hope for you yet." "Thanks a heap." "You're welcome." Several officers stopped by to offer their support, knowing full well that it could have been them. Corrections has the same brotherhood/sisterhood as police officers do on the road, yet you rarely hear about it. Some had stopped by the control room to watch the tape and wondered if they would have been able to defend themselves as Brothers had, or would even have reacted in the same manner. Most were just thankful that it wasn't them. Brothers emerged from the examination room looking like he had been through a war. His cheek was swollen and starting to discolor under the gauze bandage. In one hand, he had his paycheck and the envelope, in the other, he had an ice pack. "Hey Ben, did you forget to duck?" Rose teased. Brothers chuckled and tried to smile, but winced instead. "Must be getting old," he replied, "he wouldn't have got me five years ago." He saw Elaine behind her, but stayed focused on Rose. "Can you drive home okay?" Rose asked. "Yeah, sure, I'll be fine," he lied. In fact, he felt a bit dizzy and his head was starting to throb. The fucker must have tagged me harder than I thought, Brothers mused. "I'm glad to see that you're okay," Elaine said, her eyes downcast. "Thanks," he replied, looking her way. He cocked his left eyebrow, "Is it okay to look at you?" he asked, a bit sarcastically. Embarrassed, Elaine said softly, "Of course you can," as her cheeks reddened. "I'm really sorry about the other day. Did you read it?" She gestured to the envelope. "Uh, no. I got a little busy. From you?" "Yes." "Should I read it now or wait?" "Whenever you want." "Now's as good a time as any." Brothers put down his ice pack and reached into the envelope as Rose and Elaine looked on. He pulled out a small card with writing on the front which said "I'm Sorry" in blue script lettering. Brothers opened the card and read Elaine's clear, crisp, script. It read, "Ben, I'm sorry for being such a jerk to you. I know that you weren't staring at me and it was silly of me to think so. If you get a chance, call me at x779. Elaine Linsenmeyer." "Apology accepted," he said, putting the card back into the envelope. A wave of pain hit him and a slight groan escaped him as he pressed the ice pack to his cheek. Rose touched his arm, "You okay?" Brothers winced, "The pain meds haven't kicked in yet." "You shouldn't drive." "I'll be fine." "I'll find someone to take you home." "I'm fine," he insisted. "I can take you home," Elaine said. "What?" he asked, looking back at her. Unfortunately, he moved too quickly and another jolt of pain went through his face. "Shit!" he muttered. "You need a ride and I don't have a class until noon, so where do you live?" Elaine asked. "6120 Columbus Avenue," he said, defeated, tired. Elaine was surprised, "That's just a few minutes from my apartment. I live on Utica. Come on, let's go." "Well, I..." "Come on, Ben. I don't have a whole lot of time." "Okay," he said quietly. He really wasn't feeling that good. They walked slowly out of the facility and Elaine led him to her car. It was a late model Pontiac, but had no rust or dings, plus it ran great. Elaine let him in the passenger side and then quickly strode to the driver's side and got in next to him. The car started easily and Elaine pulled out of the employee's parking lot and into traffic that was starting to ease up from the morning crush. It would only take ten or fifteen minutes to get to his house, Elaine estimated, twelve minutes if you had asked Brothers. He glanced at Elaine from time to time and enjoyed the view. She was quite pretty and better looking when she wasn't angry. Whatever perfume that she was wearing was light and fresh and smelled wonderful to Brothers as he tried to inhale it's aroma without being obvious. She was wearing black dress pants with a burgundy top, a top that hugged her nicely and showed off her curves very well. Neither said anything during the trip although they weren't nervous or uptight with each other. They arrived at his house in twelve minutes, as he would have predicted, and Elaine put the car in park. "You want to stop in for a minute?" he asked, his hand on the door release. "Sure," she answered, "I've got some time." Brothers led her up the walk to the front door. The house was a small, white, story and a half with a dogwood in the front yard and a large pine on the side. The house sat on a corner and the garage was behind it, detached. Brothers opened the door and held it open for Elaine to pass. She stepped into a sparsely furnished living room. The T.V. was directly in front of her and upholstered chairs were in each corner to her left. A black love seat was to her immediate left and a coffee table was in front of that. To her right was the dining room and the kitchen was visible beyond that. It was a nice, neat house, but it definitely was a man's house, she thought. "Can I get you something to drink?" he asked after he closed and locked the door behind him. "No, I'm fine," she replied. "It's a very nice house," she added. "It's good enough for me, but I do need to work on my decorating skills." "It looks fine." "Look," he said, changing the subject, "if you don't mind, I'm going to change out of this uniform. Make yourself at home and I'll be back in a few minutes." "Yeah, sure, go ahead." Elaine glanced at her watch. She had plenty of time. "The remote's on the coffee table if you want to watch T.V.," he said as he went down the main hallway. He turned left at the last room, entered, and closed the door behind him. He changed out of his uniform quickly and put on jeans, a tee shirt, and sandals in it's place. Elaine had barely settled into the love seat when he emerged holding the ice pack to his face. "Feeling any better?" she asked, seeing his discomfort. "Not really. It still smarts," he replied. "It'll probably take a day or two to calm down." She looked up at him, concerned. "You sure?" "Yes," he insisted, "I'll be fine." He was genuinely touched by her concern as an awkward silence fell upon them. The only sound was the ticking of a clock somewhere in the house. Finally, Elaine broke the silence as she stood back up. "Well, I should be going." "Yeah, well, okay," Brothers said. "I was going to lie down for a bit anyway." Elaine reached into her purse for her keys. "Is there anything else I can do for you?" Besides getting naked for me? "No, no, you've done too much already. Thanks a lot," he said, checking his thoughts. "That's okay. It really was no trouble..." "Wait, there is something," he interrupted. "What?" "Are you busy tomorrow morning?" Elaine thought for a moment. "Not that I can think of." "Can you take me back to Madison so I can get my car? I have to write a report, too." "Sure, what time?" "Is nine too early?" "Nine's fine. I'll be here." "Thanks." "No problem. Well, I guess I should get moving." "If you must," he said regretfully. Suddenly, she really wasn't in a hurry to go. There was something about him that was drawing her closer. She felt totally at ease with him even though he was almost a complete stranger to her. "I really am sorry for being mean to you," she blurted out, not knowing what else to say. "That's okay. I'm seeing a much different person today." Elaine blushed slightly from the compliment. "Well, I should have done it differently." "What, be meaner?" he joked. "No," she laughed, "a bit nicer." "Well, your apology is accepted again. Now, no more apologies, okay?" "Okay." Brothers extended his hand to her. "Friends?" Elaine took it without hesitation. It felt strong, yet warm in hers. "Friends," she said, smiling. "Good," he said, trying to smile, but it came out more like a grimace. "Still hurts, huh?" "Yeah." "Poor guy. You'll just have to hit him first next time." "Next time, I will. Hopefully, it'll be a long time before I have to worry about it." "Hopefully, never," she said. "Yeah, you're right. Hopefully, never. I'm getting too old for this crap, anyway." "I seriously doubt that," she laughed. "You're in better shape than any officer at Madison," she added, noting how well he filled out his tee shirt. Brothers rolled his eyes, as he often did whenever complimented. He was really starting to like Elaine, but he was still concerned about the age difference. He hoped to get to know her better, but he didn't want to scare her off. Brothers knew that he tended to act too fast when it came to matters of the fairer sex and he figured that was the main reason for all of his failed relationships of the past few years. "Well, you are in great shape," she insisted. "For an old guy." "For any age. You're not that old, anyway." "Old enough." "Well," she laughed, "I'm not going to debate your age. I've really got to get back." She took a business card and pen from her purse and and jotted something on the card. "Here's my number. If you need something tonight, give me a call. I'm only minutes away." She placed the pen back in her purse and gave the card to Brothers. "Okay," he said, "but I doubt that I'll need anything. Thanks." "That's okay. If not, I'll see you in the morning." Brothers moved around Elaine, inhaling her perfume once more, and opened the door for her. A warm, spring breeze moved the branches of the maple trees that lined the street. Elaine stepped out onto the small porch and looked back at Brothers for a second. A thin smile appeared on her lips as she turned and walked towards her car, her hips swaying side to side sexily. Brothers tried not to stare, but he couldn't help it. He was definitely falling for her and there was nothing that he could do to stop it. Elaine picked up Brothers promptly at nine o'clock the next morning. He had napped periodically throughout the day after Elaine had left and slept fitfully that night. The pain had eased, but his face had turned purple and was slightly puffy. He was in good spirits and was anxious for her to arrive. He came out onto the porch as she pulled up and locked the door behind him. Elaine watched him walk towards her from the porch and was relieved to see him looking better. She really didn't want to leave him the previous day and thought about him from time to time. She was tempted to call him and check up on him, but resisted the urge because she thought he might be resting and didn't want to disturb him. He didn't call in the evening and she was slightly disappointed. She even tried to think about a reason to drop by, but again, resisted the temptation. Elaine smiled as he neared, her eyes checking out his body from top to bottom. Not bad, she thought to herself, in fact, damn good. She stopped herself from licking her lips. "Well, you're looking better than the last time I saw you," she said as he climbed in. "Yeah, I feel better, too. Thanks for doing this for me, I really appreciate it," he replied as he shut the door and fastened his safety belt. He then smiled at her, something he couldn't manage previously. "No problem at all," she said returning the smile. "It gave me a reason to get up and get moving. I'm usually pretty lazy on Saturdays." "Well, thanks anyway." Elaine put the car in gear and they headed to Madison. The ride to the jail was quiet. Brothers glanced her way every once in a while and noticed that she wasn't wearing any wedding or engagement rings. Things are looking up, he thought, but said nothing. They arrived at the jail in the usual twelve minutes. Brothers looked back at Elaine as he opened the car door. "You want to come in?" Elaine thought about it for a few seconds and she decided that she didn't have anything else to do, although being at work on her off day wasn't her idea of fun. But, at least she'd be able to spend a little more time with him. "Sure," she said as she turned off the engine. They walked together to the employee's entrance and went to his sergeant's office. No one was in the office, so he sat down at an extra computer and began to type his report. He finished it quickly as his fingers sped over the keys, describing the incident with clarity so that anyone could understand what transpired. When he finished, he printed a couple of copies. He gave one of the copies to Elaine, who had been sitting nearby watching him, so that she could proof-read it. She was flattered that he asked her and she studied it with a fine-toothed comb. She could not find the slightest error and she could see that it was precise and to the point, a very well written report. "It looks fine," she said, handing it back to him. "Thanks," he said proudly. He was took pride in all of his work, even report writing. He placed the reports on his sergeant's desk and looked back at Elaine. "I'm all done here. Have you had any breakfast yet?" "Only coffee and toast a while ago," she answered. "Want to get a bite? My treat for all of your kindness." Elaine wasn't hungry, but didn't want to be impolite. "Sure, where do you want to go?" "How about Cracker Barrel?" "Sounds great. Which one?" "How about the one off of Route 4. That's the closest one around." "Great, I'll meet you there." They left the office and went to their respective cars. From there, they met at the restaurant within seconds of each other. They were given a cozy corner table and were given menus for breakfast and lunch. Actually, Brothers wasn't very hungry, either, but he just wanted an excuse to be around Elaine for a while longer and this was the only way that he could think of doing it. He didn't think she'd accept another invitation to his house. After the waitress brought them their juices, orange for him and apple for her, Brothers ordered two pancakes and a potato casserole. Elaine ordered toast, bacon, and two scambled eggs. Before their meals arrived and during the meal itself, Brothers and Elaine chatted easily with each other, mostly talking about their lives in a general way, nothing too deep, and their jobs. Much to his pleasant surprise, Brothers found out Elaine's age. Brothers talked casually about his army career, his divorce, and his current position. Elaine was a bit more reluctant to discuss her own divorce. It was still a bit painful, but once she started to talk, it became easier to discuss. Her ex-husband had cheated on her not once, but twice and she booted him out of her life without looking back. There were no children to consider, so the split was easier. Elaine actually felt better after getting it out. She was surprised at what a good listener Brothers was. He was patient and never interrupted her once. By the end of the meal, they both felt that they had a chance to make something happen with their new found friendship. "Well, what do think about our first date?" he asked after the waitress gave them their bills. "Was this a date?" Elaine replied coyly. "I thought it was about friends getting together. Have I been coerced into a first date without my knowledge or permission?" "Hmm, maybe you're right. No, you are right. This just wasn't the right atmosphere for a first date, was it?" "No, it wasn't." "You didn't enjoy it?" "Oh, very much so," she countered, "but not as a first date." "Would you like for me to try to remedy that?" "And how would you do that?" "There's a dinner and dance at the VFW tonight. I'd be honored and delighted if you'd join me." "Well," she said, leaning forward, "I'd be foolish to decline such an invitation. I haven't been out dancing for ages. Thank you for asking." Her eyes were now sparkling. "What's the dress code?" "Semi-formal to almost casual. The outfits you wear to work would be fine." "Yech," she made a face, "I will not wear work clothes for our first date. I want to sizzle. I want to dazzle you so that can't take your eyes off of me the entire night." "You could go naked," he suggested. "A bit sluttish, don't you think?" "Maybe, but you'd certainly have my attention." "I think I should go dressed, at least for the first date." "If you insist. What about the second date?" "You're awfully confident, aren't you? We haven't even gone on our first date yet." "Let's just say I'm very optimistic." "We'll see about how I dress for the second one." Elaine looked at her watch. "Well, Ben, I think I should be going if I want to properly dazzle you tonight. What time are you picking me up? "The dinner starts at six. How about five-thirty?" "Five-thirty is fine." Elaine pushed back her chair, as did Brothers, who stayed long enough to place a tip on the table. They walked together to the cashier and then to the parking lot where they lingered at Elaine's car. "Thank you for the meal. It was very good," she said, a bit awkwardly, not knowing how to end the event. "You're welcome. I've never had a bad meal here," he replied. Hands in his pant pockets, Brothers scratched at the pavement with his shoe. "I guess I'll see you later," he finally said. "Okay," she replied. Next, she didn't know what possessed her, but impulsively she leaned forward and kissed him on his non-injured cheek. It was soft and smooth and Elaine liked the faint scent of his after shave that lingered on her nose. Can I Look At You Now? Brothers had no idea that such an innocent kiss could have such a powerful effect on him. He hoped that she wouldn't notice the bulge in his pants that was starting to grow. He cleared his throat and stammered a bit before saying, "That was really nice, thanks." "You're welcome," she purred softly as she got into her car. She looked through the window and her sight was in direct line with his crotch. She laughed softly to herself as she felt her panties become moist from her own excitement. She wondered how good he really was in bed as she smiled. Elaine tore her eyes away from his bulge and said, "See you in a little bit," as she started her car. Brothers backed up a step as she put it in gear and Elaine waved back to him as she pulled away. The first thing that Elaine did when she got home was go through her closet to pick out a dress for the evening. After debating for nearly a half hour between three dresses, she chose a dark blue dress with a low neckline to accentuate her eyes, hair, and breasts. She tried it on, just to make sure it fit properly, and was pleased with how she looked in it. She debated upon whether or not to wear a bra, but with her slightly protruding nipples, she was sure that she would give one of the veterans a coronary, and she certainly hoped it wouldn't be Ben. Elaine saw how excited he became from just a simple peck on the cheek, so she could only wonder what would happen if they actually kissed on the lips. The thought of them kissing sent a shiver through her and she started to moisten again. "God," she giggled out loud, "that man just might be in real trouble tonight." Brothers' erection didn't subside until he was almost home. He thought about her warm, soft, slightly moist lips touching his cheek and he smiled. He couldn't wait until he could see her again. She was warm, funny, and very educated. The one thing that turned off Brothers more than anything was a woman who couldn't carry on an intelligent conversation, and Elaine more than held her own with him. He knew exactly what he would wear that evening; a gray blazer, navy blue dress pants, white dress shirt, and some tie that he would pick out later. Brothers pulled out everything from the closet to make sure that they were clean and they were. It was only a little after noon, so he settled on the love seat and watched T.V. Elaine scooted down slowly into the steaming bath that she had prepared for herself. She had put in special scented bath oil beads and the aroma was intoxicating. Thinking back to when she kissed Ben, her right hand slowly found its way to her special sweet spot that no man had touched in over two years. Her left hand lazily toyed with her nipples, first the left, and then the right, pinching, massaging, and then pulling at them as she rubbed herself in the soapy water. Elaine scooted down even further and spread her legs to give herself easier access, never missing a beat as mini shock waves started to invade her trembling body. She released her left hand from her nipples and took over for the right hand, whose forefinger had found the opening of her vagina. Plunging it in and then adding her middle finger seconds later, Elaine thrusted her fingers into herself faster and faster, all the while rubbing her clitoris furiously with the other hand. All she had to do was imagine that Ben was inside her and she went over the edge. The spasms hit her hard as her body jerked and convulsed in the sloshing water. She alternated between groaning and shrieking until the her orgasm subsided and then, she relaxed her thighs that had her hands in a death grip. Brothers woke with a start and looked around, disoriented. Frantically, he looked at his watch and it was after five o'clock. "Fuck!" he bellowed as he raced to the bathroom. He would have no time for a shower, thank God he had taken one in the morning, but he could shave and get dressed in time to pick up Elaine, even if he was a few minutes late, and damn it, he hated to be late for anything. He shaved as quickly and safely as possible, not wanting to nick himself, and brushed his teeth. His hair was still in good shape, so no washing, combing or rearranging was necessary. He dressed quickly, picking out a red patterned tie to go with his outfit, and was ready with a few minutes to spare after he applied a dash of cologne. Checking himself in the mirror, he had to admit that he looked pretty good for someone in his forties. After her bath, and one more orgasm, Elaine set about getting ready. She decided not to do anything special with her hair and just combed it straight down to the small of her back. She had always had her hair pulled back in a pony tail or put up in a bun at work, so she wanted to surprise him with a different look. Looking through her lingerie drawer, Elaine found a black lace bra that wouldn't show outside her dress, but would push her breasts up slightly. Elaine decided that thigh high stockings would her choice that evening, so she pulled out her garter belt and a pair of light brown stockings. The big decision now was whether or not to wear underwear. She definitely wanted to wear as little as possible that evening. For some reason she wanted to exude sex appeal and knowing that she had just trimmed her "V" made her adventurous, so she decided against wearing anything underneath. After the half-slip, Elaine shrugged into her dress and checked herself. "Damn fine," she mused. Brothers locked his door and moved quickly to his garage where he stored his gardening tools. Luckily for him, the previous owners had planted three rose bushes along the house on the north side. Brothers trimmed them periodically and they continued to bloom beautifully each year. He took out a pruning shear, went to the bushes and snipped four of the best roses. After he put the shear back, he got into his car and headed to Elaine's apartment. Elaine paced the floor of her apartment, waiting anxiously for her date to arrive. She couldn't remember being this excited about a date in a long time. There was something about Ben that stirred something within her, yet she couldn't quite pinpoint it. It was more than his hard body or good looks. It was his quiet demeanor, his calmness, his inner peace within himself, and it was also his utmost confidence in himself. She had never had sex with anyone on a first date before, but her body was telling her that the rules could change if the opportunity presented itself. Her inner thighs ached for a real man to touch and explore them, to use his lips and tongue to send her into orbit. It was after five-thirty and she was getting antsy as she looked out the window for about the tenth time. She saw him striding up the walk to her unit, flowers in hand, and smiled. He may not have known it, but the fastest way to her heart, and maybe lower, was flowers. Elaine opened the door before he could knock and smile broadly at him. "It's about time you showed up!" she said in mock anger. "I was beginning to think that I was being stood up." Brothers said nothing as he looked at his date standing before him. She looked fantastic in her blue dress and pearls. "You are absolutely stunning," he managed to say, not able to take his eyes off of her. "Better than at the jail?" she joked. "If you looked this way at the jail, there'd be a riot, and that would just be from the officers!" Elaine laughed and eyed the roses. "Are those for me?" Brothers quickly handed them to her. "Of course they are, but just be careful with the thorns. I almost got myself when I picked them." "You picked them?" "Well, yeah, I've got some bushes at the house." "A man of many talents, I see." Brothers said nothing to dispute her incorrect perception of his gardening skills. "Do we have time to put these in water?" she asked as he stepped into her small apartment. Elaine sniffed at the roses,"These smell heavenly." "Sure, we have some time," Brothers said while looking around her place. Elaine breezed past him, her light perfume tickling his nose, enticing him to dare bury it in her neck at a more opportune time. Elaine found a vase, filled it with water, and placed the flowers in it. She then placed the flowers in the center of her dinette table that was centered near her kitchen. "They're beautiful, Ben. Thank you so much," she said turning away from them. "You're very welcome." Brothers looked at his watch. "We better get going, we have just enought ime to get there." "Okay, let me get my purse." The VFW hall was large and ornate. There was a long bar with perhaps twenty to twenty-five chairs around it. A large dining area surrounded the bar which include a billiards table and two dart boards. Brothers signed in Elaine as a guest before he led her to the ballroom. Elaine looked to her left and saw a large ballroom through two open doors. When they entered, there were about one hundred people seated or standing around waiting for the dinner to start. There were perhaps thirty tables in the room that seated eight persons each. Brothers led her to a table near the dance floor that only had one couple seated there. "Would you like something to drink?" he asked, indicating the bar behind him. Elaine thought about a mixed drink, but said, "A glass of wine would be nice, thank you." "I'll be right back," he said as he left. He stopped at a table near the bar and talked to the persons seated there. It wasn't a round table like the rest, but had boxes of corsages on it. The person at the table nodded and wrote something on a piece of paper. Brothers returned minutes later with a carafe of red wine and two glasses. "Sorry it took so long, but I got tied up with some friends." He handed her a glass. "Was it fun?" Elaine inquired. "What?" "Being tied up," she giggled. Brothers looked at her and shook his head. "I don't know about you," he said as he poured the wine, smiling. He sat down beside her and stopped her before she could taste the wine. "I propose a toast," he said seriously. "Oh good, I love toasts. Dazzle me with your rhetoric." "Okay, here it goes." He raised his glass. "Over the lips, over the..." "No, no, no!" Elaine exclaimed, interrupting him. "What? Don't you like that one?" "You're not dazzling me. You must impress me on our first date." "Damn, and I liked that one, too. Let's see, what else do I know?" Brothers thought for a moment as Elaine, smiling and enjoying his humor, waited patiently. "All right, I've got it now." Elaine sat up in her chair, rapt with attention. Brothers placed his hand lightly over hers, looked directly into her eyes and said, "To us, on our first date and the first of many to come, I hope. May your outer beauty be forever etched in my heart and that someday, I will know your inner beauty as well." Elaine felt flushed and overheated suddenly. The only thing that she could say was, "Oh my!" She took a sip from her wine, looking over the rim at Brothers, smiling. "Are you sufficiently dazzled?" Brothers smiled back at her. "And then some," she replied, pressing her thighs together, feeling something else starting to warm up. Their dinners arrived presently: a sirloin steak, baked potato, green beans, and a tossed salad with dressing. Although Elaine wasn't much of a steak eater, it smelled delicious and tasted really good, as did everything else. "So, is this a special dance night or something that happens all of the time here?" she asked a few minutes later. "Well," he explained, "it's an anniversary dance that they have every other month. Couples with anniversaries last month and this month are sent special invitations, but anyone can attend. Then, right before the dance, the couples are called up front, their wedding date announced, and the lady gets a corsage. It's really nice." "It seems very romantic," Elaine said dreamily. "How's your food?" Brothers asked, changing the subject. "It's wonderful. Thank you." "You're welcome." They made small talk throughout dinner, enjoying each others company very much. Brothers' eyes danced between her face and her uplifted breasts when she wasn't looking. All of the women that he had dated previously were small busted, so this was a new experience for him. He was embarrassed that he was that easily distracted, but he couldn't help it. She was easily the best looking woman in the ballroom, but that mattered little to him. Bit by bit, she revealed more of herself to him and he was enchanted with her entire being. Cheesecake was offered for dessert, but Brothers and Elaine both declined. A few minutes later, the lights were turned up a notch and their attention was directed to the stage where the corsages were layed out and a large man in an ill-fitted suit started to announce the anniversaries. Couple by couple, they came up to receive their corsage and receive applause from the audience. Elaine thought it was a very nice ceremony. As it came to it's conclusion, the announcer said, "We have a special request tonight. Here with us is a couple sharing their first date with us." Wide-eyed, Elaine looked at Brothers in surprise as he smiled. "So," he continued, "would Ben Brothers and Elaine Linsenmeyer please come forward." The applause were a bit louder than normal as Brothers helped Elaine from her seat and together they walked to the stage to receive the corsage, a wrist corsage that eased Brothers' fears of trying to pin it on her. There was no band, but a couple began to play tapes at the stage as the lights were dimmed once more. The dance floor filled as slow, romantic music was played. Brothers sat awkwardly, not knowing when to ask her to dance. She had said that she liked dancing, but he wasn't much of a dancer himself and he didn't want to be embarrassed by his ineptness. As the first dance was about to end, Brothers leaned over to Elaine, "I'm not much of a dancer, but would you like to?" "Your timing's a bit off, the song's over," she said, trying not to laugh. "Okay, how about the next slow one?" "I'd love to," she said as another slow song started. Brothers took her hand and led her to a remote area where not too many people were dancing. He let his right hand slip to the small of her back as he held her right hand with his left. They swayed easily to the rhythm of the music as Elaine's right hand lay lightly on his shoulder. Halfway through the song, Elaine layed her head on his shoulder and sighed softly. Brothers could feel her soft, warm breath against his neck and it felt wonderful. The light smell of her perfume mixed together with her own natural scent was intoxicating to him as he tried to concentrate on the music and hoping not to step on her toes. The song ended much too soon and to Brothers' deep chagrin, the DJ started to play a much faster tempo song. They left the dance floor slowly, hand in hand, and made their way back to their table where he helped her into her seat and then sat down beside her. The wine carafe was almost empty, but neither wanted more. When the next slow dance started, Brothers didn't have to ask Elaine to dance because she was out of her seat in a flash, pulling him along behind her before he knew it. They grew more accustomed to each other with each successive dance, holding each other closer and getting more daring. During their fourth dance, Elaine pushed away his left hand and wrapped her arms around his neck, gazing into his eyes throughout the song. Every once in a while, Brothers would slip his hands down to her sexy, swaying hips, but went no further. Elaine only smiled her approval as sensual tingles started to arrive. Lost in each other, they barely noticed when the song ended. After they returned to their table, Elaine excused herself, but first asked Brothers if he would get her a glass of ice water. They went their separate ways as Brothers watched her disappear into the women's restroom. Elaine found an empty stall and relieved herself. Once she finished and wiped herself dry, she reached further down to find out how moist she was since she had been in a state of arousal for the past half hour. His hands on her hips felt so good that she hoped he would go for her ass, but she knew that would never happen, at least not on the dance floor. She pulled her fingers back after inspecting herself and she was quite slick. Just having her fingers in the general area sent shivers through her. Elaine flushed the toilet and left the stall, but not before spreading her natural juices around her neck and behind her ears. After she washed her hands, she checked herself in the mirror for things out of place and found none. She then joined Brothers at the table just as a love ballad started to play. Holding him close as they danced again, Elaine said, "I've always loved this song. It's one of my favorites." "I'll have to remember that," he replied, swaying with her in time with the music. They continued dancing , moving to the soft, slow beat, staring at each other. Brothers had not been at peace with himself before that day, restless with his personal life and wondering if he would ever find someone to share his life with again. It now seemed as if that possibility was real with the woman who was in his arms. He felt entirely different with Elaine than he had with other women that he had dated recently. They seemed so in tune with each other already, it was almost scary. "What are you thinking about?" she asked, breaking his thoughts. "You." "And..." "And that there's no other place that I'd rather be than right here with you." "That's so sweet," she said, beaming at him. "It's the truth." "I'm having a wonderful time, Ben," she said softly, almost in a whisper as she leaned forward pulling his face to hers. As their lips met, Elaine tilted her head slightly and parted her mouth. Brothers accepted the invitation and kissed her softly, sensually, taking his time. He didn't care if the entire ballroom was watching, he was totally focused on Elaine, who was eagerly accepting his kiss. Brothers felt the beginnings of an erection starting, but he wasn't going to worry about that, although he wondered if she could feel it pressing against her. The kiss lasted but a few seconds, but to Elaine, it was magic, sending shivers through her and weakening her knees. She could feel him poking her slightly and she sighed at the thought. A soft groan escaped her lips when they parted, still staying in time with the music that hadn't ended. Elaine's heart was galloping through the swell of her breasts as she stared at Brothers' soft, expressive brown eyes, a content smile filled his face. "I think I'd like to continue this at my place," she whispered in his ear, then nuzzling his neck and kissing him. He kissed her back and then led her off of the dance floor to their table where she retrieved her purse. When he opened the door and let her in the car, her dress hiked up as she made no effort to be lady-like when she swung her legs inside. Brothers could have sworn that she wasn't wearing any panties, but with the bad lighting in the parking lot, he couldn't be sure. As soon as he sat down and closed the door, Elaine scooted close to him and pulled his face to hers with her hands, kissing him hard and hungrily, almost attacking his lips with hers. Surprised at first, Brothers relaxed and returned her kisses with the same eagerness. Her soft, sensuous lips moved over his face, kissing his jaw, cheek, and neck. His cologne was mixed with his own natural musky scent and her nose was riveted to that area. Their lips met once again as Brothers slipped his arm around her waist, pulling her even closer. He held her there as he kissed her deeply, passionately, as if it were their last kiss and he wanted to give her something to remember. He could feel her breathing heavily and glanced down to see her breasts pressed against his chest. He was totally aroused now as his penis was straining to find an escape route from it's confinement, which made him groan from excitement and discomfort.