All her life there'd been only two men she wished she'd kissed and didn't. Only two! TWO. Now we're not talking about a simple peck on the cheek or a faint brushing of the lips. No sir! She'd wanted them to be all out, set your watch, settle in for the count, write home to your best girlfriend, passion-filled kisses. Oh how many years now had she dreamed of these kisses? She'd tormented herself for not seizing the moment in each case.
Well, Mr. Opportunity was knocking on her door and each of these men had presented themselves back into her life. Both of them! Rachel smiled. How often did a girl get the chance to recapture a lost dream? Kind of like roping a rainbow. Oh the thoughts made her feel dizzy and slightly twitterpated.
She'd seen Kurt not too many years before. What had it been? Two? Maybe three. Either way, he'd looked mighty fine for a forty something, middle-aged man. Mighty fine indeed. But life had been different two, three years ago. She'd been madly in love with Jack. Kissing an old crush had been far from the front of her mind.
Now don't misunderstand. Rachel still loved Jack. In fact, he'd asked her to marry him. She'd agreed but had coaxed him into convincing her they should push the date a little ways down the road. She did love him. She did! He was nice looking, took care of himself, and he'd be a great provider and all. He even got along well with both of her grown children. But the sense of excitement at being together had waned somewhat. Okay, quite a bit. And now...she'd given her cell number to a mutual friend who had given it to Kurt and he'd called her for lunch. Lunch! With Kurt!!! One of her two missed opportunities. Lunch tomorrow...
Rachel shook her head and checked her emails. There it was...the confirmation for the thirty year reunion. Something else was there too. An email from Doug. Yep! The other guy she'd dreamed of for so very many years. They'd ran across each other quite by accident on the reunion pages and he still looked pretty darn good from his pictures anyway. Several emails confirmed them into the mutual admiration club and arrangements were made to meet a day earlier than the reunion. Oh yes! Rachel touched her flushed cheeks and laughed like a silly school girl. She felt as giddy as a seventeen year old in young love.
The next day found her trying on outfit after outfit until she found the one that portrayed the perfect look. Hands on hips, she turned this way and that looking at her image. Now she looked good for 48! She was still trim. Her hair was dark with just the right highlights. Eyes were still bright. And the outfit made her look...well, just a little bit like a hottie. Not a tramp! Just desirable. She was ready. With a smack of her painted lips she sauntered out of the house to meet Kurt. Today was THE day! She was determined to make it happen.
They were to meet at McDaniel's Bar & Grill. She'd made the reservations, requested the perfect table. In her mind she'd played through the scene over and over. They'd be seated adjacently, their chairs both too close to the corner. They'd chat, she'd flirt unabashedly and, by the end of the meal, he'd kiss her. She felt all tingly as she drove.
The young lady at the front knew her. She nodded when Rachel said she could seat herself. As she walked toward the requested table, a surge of irritation rose up. Someone else had sat down there! Some pudgy older man with thinning, bristly gray hair and a wrinkled face had dared to interfere with her dream. Her heart sank as he looked up at her and smiled. She'd have known those blue eyes anywhere; those blue eyes that washed over her with unchecked appreciation.
“Kurt!” she said with faux-enthusiasm. “How nice to see...how nice of you to have agreed to meet me for lunch.” She quickly slipped on the little sweater she'd draped over her arm just in case it was too cold.
It was a nice lunch after all. Great catching up. They'd always been comfortable with each other. As he kissed her cheek in the parking lot, Rachel guessed it would always be that way.
In all her life there was only one man Rachel Dunbar wished she'd kissed but hadn't. One Douglas Taylor. Doug, as all his friends called him. He'd been such a sweet guy in High School. Always the perfect gentleman, even when they'd huddled close together against the cold on the bus with the broken window coming home after a football game. The cheerleader and the quarterback. It would have been so perfect. Yet neither of them pursued it. And now, thirty years later to find out both had harbored feelings for one another.
The plane landed and she knew he'd be there to meet her even though she'd told him she could get her own car. Her heart beat wildly, hopeful his photos hadn't lied.
She breathed a sigh of relief as she stepped through the gate and caught sight of him. Now Doug Taylor looked good with a capital G-O-O-D for a 48 year old man. Dang! Wow! No disappointment there.
“Rachie!” He grabbed her up and swung her around. She giggled, oblivious to the people who stared. “You look great, girlie.”
“Well!” She stepped back and surveyed him openly. “you weren't lying when you said you'd taken care of yourself.” They walked from the airport arm in arm.
“Watch out rainbow,” Rachel thought, “I'm getting out my rope.”
By the end of the next day Rachel wondered what she had gotten herself into. Doug had indeed taken care of himself and was truly the center of his own universe. Every conversation came back to him. He was extremely opinionated and well...yawn, boring. Doug, blah blah. Doug, bleh bleh bleck. Why had she not seen this in the emails?
The weekend could not pass quickly enough for her. Although she did enjoy seeing Jilly, Susan, Marjorie and the others again. She was happy to say she was still the best looking of the squad. But she was ecstatic when Doug dropped her at the airport. She departed with but a little kiss on the forehead.
Jack met her at the door of her townhouse with a lovely, hand-tied bouquet of flowers. She could smell a delicious meal in the makings. Dropping her bags she threw herself into him, nearly crushing the flowers. Carelessly he tossed them on the side table and wrapped her in his arms. His hands ran up her spine and into her hair, pulling her head back with gentle ease. With a smile, he lowered his lips to meet hers.
Breathless, Rachel looked up at Jack with dreamy admiration and desire. In all her life there was not a man she wanted to be kissed by more than Jack Reed. In fact, there had never been a man she'd wanted to kiss and didn't.
Sidenote: Two Kisses is one of my favorite stories. It began with an idea I had because...you see, there are only two guys in my life that I wish I'd kissed and didn't! I won't and they have no idea who they are (although I'm in occasional contact with both of them). The story began a bit more serious in nature although by the time I sent the original to Pat it had evolved. He took it and further added his own special blend of humor and I must say I am so pleased with this story. You can find it in our published collection titled Time Out On A Roller Coaster which contains another fun kiss story we wrote together called Chocolate Kisses.
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