Chapter One
"Well, this is your stop," David said, as their car pulled up to Susan's apartment.
Susan sighed a tiny sigh and David could sense some resistance on her part.
"What's the matter?" he asked, turning to her.
"Well," she responded hesitantly, "I thought that, perhaps, maybe, you'd like to come inside. It's just that, well, we had so much fun today, and I'm just not ready to let you go."
David was amused as he watched his usually feisty and confident partner withdraw, childlike, in shyness before him. "Susan, darling, you know I'd love that."
The pair scaled the stairs to the wealthy socialite's apartment quickly, Susan chattering all the while. Things looked pretty much the same as when David had last visited the apartment, though he was rather pleased to see, or rather, to not see, a certain leopard roaming around. Baby now resided in Connecticut with Aunt Elizabeth, as Susan's brother had originally intended.
Susan removed her coat and entered her bedroom, calling out to David, "Help yourself to anything in the kitchen! I'm going to change."
David remained in the living room, making his way nervously to the couch. As he waited, he became uncomfortably aware of the fast beating of his heart. There was no reason to be feeling so worked up. After all, he and Susan had spent plenty of time alone together before. He had become so accustomed to this woman, to her quirks, her laughter, the way her mind worked. Yet here, alone together in the privacy of her apartment, everything was suddenly different. And then, like a siren call, came the recognizable melody of his sweet Susan's voice.
"David! You can come in now."
Oh, this was it. David took a deep breath, removed his shoes and socks, neatly placing them by the edge of the couch, and then entered her bedroom. His heart skipped a beat as he found Susan lying delicately across her bed, one arm tousled in her curls. She was wearing a sheer white nightgown that pooled around her slim hips. She sat up with a coy smile, her face shining effervescently as she appealed, "Oh, do come to bed, David." He hadn't seen a prettier sight in all his life.
"Um, I'll be with you in a minute, Susan," he stuttered. "Just give me a moment to change." A brief pause. "Wait, Susan, I don't have a change of clothes."
"No matter, David," Susan said impatiently, "You can just wear my robe again! Now do come here."
"Oh that's just absurd; I'll make it work," David muttered, unbuttoning his shirt.
Susan scooted over as David made his way to the bed, and promptly, she laid her head upon his shoulder.
"David, I'm so glad you're here. We can chat all night long!"
David chuckled. "Aren't you tired? We've been out all day, at the museum, then to the park-"
"Exactly! I have so much to reflect on. For instance, that peculiar duck by the pond, his feathers just tickled me. Why do you think he was there all by his lonesome?"
"Probably because he learned early on to run from crazy girls ducks when he sees them," David said with a wink.
"Oh David, you're awful," Susan said, shoving him and giggling into his chest.
After some silence, Susan sighed her tiny sigh again.
"What's wrong now, Susan?" David asked. Looking up at him with those magnificent blue eyes, she asked, "Don't you want… to touch me, David?"
"Oh, Susan, I thought you'd never ask," he said as he turned to sweep her up into a kiss.