Penned Read Free Page A

bagging at the jawline.
     
    Wrinkles around her pale green eyes told of the years, and an extra thirty pounds showed from the stress of her job and too many lonely nights with a carton of ice cream.
     
    “What am I doing? I can't show up there tomorrow night.”
     
    She sighed, an ache settling in her chest.
     
    I'm not going to. It's not worth the risk .
     
    The weekend passed in a blur. Pam went to two movies and on a shopping spree, picking up lingerie and other outfits she'd never have ordinarily chosen if she hadn't been trying to avoid thinking about the date she'd missed.
     
    It's not like I need any of it, but...
     
    The trips kept her mind off of “R”, sort of. Monday morning, she avoided the mailbox.
     
    There won't be anything in there, anyway.
     
    When Janey called Tuesday afternoon, she didn't bother with small talk but spilled what was on her mind.
     
    “I didn't go.”
     
    “What?” Janey shrieked.
     
    “I couldn't. I'm glad.”
     
    “It might have been the hottest night of your life.”
     
    “Get real. I'm forty, thirty pounds too heavy, with wrinkles.”
     
    Janey paused for a second too long. “Don't say that! You're amazing. You're smart and funny and—”
     
    “Bye, Janey. I'll talk to you soon.” She hung up with a sigh.
     
    Even my best friend knows it's true .
     
    By Thursday, she couldn't stand not checking the mail anymore. After work, Pam wheeled into the driveway and forced herself to walk to the box. Her legs shook, and her breath came in gasps.
     
    The familiar stationery and hand greeted her. The letter was dated Wednesday. She walked slowly up the drive and into the house, opening the envelope as she did.
     
    Taking a deep breath, she slid into her favorite chair and unfolded the letter.
     
     
     
    Pam,
     
    You didn't come to meet me. I guess I understand that. There's a lot of water under the bridge between us. I'll come to you and if you don't answer the door or respond after a couple tries, I'll leave you alone forever. I just can't let it go without seeing you again face-to-face. I love you, and I remember how happy I was when we were together. You made me feel loved—like I haven't been since. And I can't forget how sexy you are. I'd give almost anything to feel you next to me again, your skin against mine. Please, Pam. I hope you'll remember and that we can renew what we had and take up where we left off.
     
                                                                                                      R
     
     
     
    “What have I done? He's probably some crazy stalker. Either that or he'll never show up anyway. I'll put my bets on the latter. Maybe he likes to get his jollies off of homely forty-year-olds.” She dropped her head into her hands as Fluffems nuzzled her neck—the only sweet-nothings she'd receive tonight. After a few minutes, she got up and threw the letter in the trash.
     
     
     
                                                                                        * * * *
     
    As luck would have it, her court case load picked up in the next week, and by the end of it, she was in a daze. Friday night, she came home from work and slipped into one of the new short, silky nightgowns she'd bought, which was complete with a flowered kimono. She worked on a brief and then vegged in front of the television, ice cream carton in hand.
     
    The TV grew blurry after a while, and Pam didn't fight dozing off. She dropped the carton onto the coffee table next to her.
     
    A light knocking on the door awoke her. Half asleep, she stumbled to it, gazing out of the peephole.
     
    A stranger and a handsome young one at that—not a day over thirty by her estimation—stood there, hands in his jeans pockets.
     
    Then her heart dove to the floor.
     
    It's R.
     
    A bolt of excitement