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On Sunday after her morning shower before she went down to the kitchen Barbara decided to put on the short sleeping pants she still had not slept in yet. Today would be a leisure day. She had planned to not leave the house and grounds at all today, except maybe in the evening for dinner, but finally finish reading her book. The crime novel actually was not very big but there had been too many interruptions recently.

The sound from the radio in the kitchen reached her ears when she went down the stairs. Obviously Tommy already was up and bustling about. Plates were heard and a pan that was put on the stove. Before she entered Barbara deeply breathed. She had to hesitate for a few seconds before she faced Tommy.

He was quietly whistling.

" 'mornin', S..." Seeing his raised eyebrow Barbara cocked her head and gave up. To hell with 'Sir', she thought, and he had offered it more than often. Besides it felt good saying his name. Her face lit up with a bright smile. "Good morning, Tommy."

"Good morning, Barbara." he replied smiling even brighter. Then he let his eyes wander down her body. It made Barbara blush. She immediately wished she had put on something longer than the shorts and just a T-Shirt. She even was barefoot and when his gaze reached her feet his smile turned into a grin. He was in long jeans but his feet also were naked. "Coffee's ready. Care to help me with breakfast?"

He returned his attention to the stove. He felt able to withstand the temptation while she was properly dressed, but with her in nothing but shorts and T-shirt, showing so much of her knees, revealing so much of the beautiful curves of her, curves he never thought there were, all her beautiful appearance made it hard for him to suppress the overwhelming desire to sweep Barbara into his arms and kiss her.

In his back Barbara just nodded and helped herself to a mug of steamy coffee before she set the table. Together they prepared breakfast in silence. They shared shy smiles and avoided contact but both knew there was something standing between them. It was nothing bad. Quite the opposite. It was something big and wonderful and it made them exchange looks that led to nothing but a certain happy sizzle, a certain thrill of anticipation. There was something in the air that could not be described in words - an amused seriousness, carefully hidden open longing in their eyes, and that certain confusing attraction that made them craving for touches they avoided on the other hand because of all the unknown and all the fears and everything that seemed to stand between them.

Eventually Tommy stopped what he was doing. He just had placed some streaks of bacon on their plates. He had to say something important. He knew it was a good idea to stop where he had stopped in the night although he had dearly wanted to kiss her properly and get into bed with her but the conversation they had had had been too wonderful and everything else would have spoiled the moment. But he was not willing to let it end with that single kiss. He was going to take another step and see if Barbara would follow.

"Barbara?" His voice was soft. She looked up and there was a hint of gentle desire in his eyes that made her knees go weak. "I've enjoyed yesterday. Very much so."

"Mh. Me too." Nervously her eyes darted through the room.

Tommy gave her a hopeful look. "I mean the whole day."

"Yah." Barbara nodded and hoped he understood she also meant the first hour of this Sunday.

"Especially our ice cream conversation." he specified it. Behind Tommy's grin there was so much fondness, visible even for her, although she inefficiently still tried to not interpret too much in it. "And..." he paused again as if he was not sure how to name it. Looking lost he absentmindedly stirred in the pot with beans. "...well, everything."

Barbara chuckled and nodded again. Tommy looked up from his beans and gave her the most sincere look that made her nervously divert her eyes again.

"Can I..." He shot a glance at the kitchen clock at the wall. Then he almost casually asked "Can I give you a nine o'clock good morning kiss?"

Barbara's heart missed two beats before it started to race with double speed. "Sure." she breathed. Her eyes were big and full of surprise about his question. And full of pleasant anticipation.

With two slices of white bread in her hands she stood still when he fully turned and bent down. She only moved her feet to stand on tiptoes and meet him halfway. This time she knew for sure that he was not going to give her a peck on the cheek.

She closed her eyes and could not see that his were closed too when their lips met in a careful and not very long but unbelievably soft kiss.

They went on almost as if nothing had happened. Briefly they had smiled at each other afterwards but instead of kissing her again, which was his deepest wish, Tommy quickly had turned and saved the almost burnt mushrooms from the hot pan. He actually was glad he had a distraction.

Barbara also needed one. She had enjoyed the intimate contact and would have loved to repeat it straightaway but somehow she also was glad that they were in the middle of their breakfast preparations. The beans were hot now. Although she came really close taking the pot from the stove without a word Barbara dared not looking at Tommy directly so she could not see that he still was contentedly smiling. He supposed that she could have taken the small pot without rubbing her arm across his.

And he could not see her happy smile while she distributed the beans onto the plates. Her heart was thumping loud against her chest and almost drowned out the high-pitched sound he made when he cleared his throat. This kiss had been a positively disturbing moment and their attempt to cherish each of the seconds it had lasted silenced them.

They only broke the silence when the table outside was completely set and the plates were filled with a healthy full English. It became the topic of their conversation. They discussed the pros and cons of such a meal and if a yoghurt with fruits and maybe some cereals would not be better.

"I prefer this here." Barbara muttered with a mouth full of scrambled eggs and toast. "To start into a hard day."

Tommy winked but she did not see it. "Do you think it will become a hard day today?"

"Nah, of course not. It may be my birthday, but I'm quite sure it won't become-" Then she recognised his mischievous grin and she groaned. Her face also turned into a grin. "I meant hard days at work. You know, I have a rather demanding boss so I'm glad I'm not at work at the moment."

They laughed freely.

"Oh, we should have had a breakfast picknick." Tommy suggested pointing his chin to the marshland. "With a blanket on that small patch of rough grass next to the veranda."

They looked at each other and Barbara blushed. She feared he possibly could be able to read her mind. With a nice cringe of her stomach she was thinking about a wonderful day with him next to her on that blanket. Very close. Breakfast surely was not on her mind and Tommy's sigh only deepened the depth of her imagination.

"Yes, the weather is perfect for that." she quietly said. Then the conversation switched to the weather in general. Barbara could not help but be relieved and disappointed all at once but it certainly took away a bit of the tension. Something between them was different this morning. There was a certain contentment, some sort of agreement where this would end. Their nine o'clock good morning kiss had given them a prospect of how this day could develop.

Deep inside Barbara hoped he would kiss her again. Deep inside Tommy wondered how he could manage to steal another innocent kiss or even a bit more than that. For now they only finished breakfast and continued a discussion about container vessels over the last drops of coffee in their mugs, Then they put together the used plates. They brought everything inside, returned with a damp cloth and a dry towel and wiped the wax cloth on the table.

For several moments they stood together, pleased with breakfast, pleased with the weather and the clean table. For several moments they studied the horizon and the waves of grass and the birds in the sky. They stood very close. It was close enough for his right arm to touch her left side.

Tommy raised his left arm and looked at his watch. His voice was silken when he spoke. It sent a shiver across her nape.

"I wonder if I'm allowed to give you a ten after ten kiss, Barbara."

"Yah, of course." she croaked. This time her heart immediately started to race. She was blushing deeply but she turned to him nonetheless.

As if he had not expected her quick answer Tommy's face lit up. He stepped closer. Barbara raised her hands but instead of making a distancing gesture she placed them softly on his chest and closed the last inch between them.

Tommy held her elbow and bent down once again. This time Barbara saw him closing his eyes. Expecting his lips on hers she followed his lead only a second later. But he was not touching her yet. Tentatively slow it appeared as if he was not really daring to kiss her. A breath of a touch followed another. The tip of his nose gently prodded hers and she heard him exhaling when she finally moved her face towards his. She was eager to feel him. Then she welcomed his smiling lips. They were even softer than she had expected them to be after she had learned their taste in the previous contacts. Tommy managed to avoid a collision of their noses and so Barbara felt the breath from his nose on her left cheek.

Without turning it into a hefty snog their kiss became an unexpectedly intense encounter. It lasted several seconds. After the first couple of still moments they cautiously made a gentle movement until Tommy also grabbed her other elbow to keep her from leaving although it was all but her intention anyway.

He knew it for sure when her lips briefly opened and the tips of their tongues almost touched. They did not because she closed her mouth again and withdrew from him. Carefully he broke the contact. Her eyes stayed shut for several seconds longer and her face beamed with pleasure. Her fists had crumpled his shirt.

Tommy only spoke when she looked at him again. He could read confusion and desire, shock and pleasure in them. "Mmmh!" he breathed full of joy. He was eternally happy with her obvious reaction to their kiss. "Wonderful."

"Indeed."

A cry of a seagull on the top of the roof cut the silence. Barbara turned towards the table and grabbed the towel to bring it inside. Giving Tommy another shy but happy smile she left him standing there. She had swallowed hard and rushed inside. Tommy was unworried. He knew all was well. He also knew this was going to be a perfect day. He believed that she would be happy with another advance. He at least would want that. Not now but soon and with joy he looked forward to his next chance to kiss Barbara.

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