One

Eagle-Tribune Building,
Lawrence, Massachusetts
September, 2000

The clock on the wall said eight-thirty. She looked out the window, saw it was getting dark, and sighed; another late night in the editing department. If I didn't love my job, I'd kiss this frustration goodbye, she thought as she gathered her things in preparation of going home.

Nicola Carpentier lived and breathed the newspaper business. It's why she worked so hard, why she kept the long hours. It's what allowed this single mother to send her eighteen-year-old twins to colleges in Connecticut and Louisiana. It's what bought the house in Andover a few months ago after living in a rental house in Haverhill for eight years.

She didn't even mind that she took this job at the Eagle-Tribune to cut out the commute to Boston working for the Globe. She liked the Globe, and the people she worked with, but the commute damn near killed her. Literally. She decided that if she was going to die in a traffic accident, as she nearly did two years ago, she'd rather it be close to home. And now, home was in a modest neighborhood in Andover near Merrimack College.

Coley was glad it was Friday night. That meant the weekend editors would come in in the morning and take care of this, and all she'd have to do is show up for about two hours tomorrow afternoon to make sure all had gone well. Sleeping in was a possibility.

Coley walked out into the parking lot and climbed into her Jeep Wrangler, placing her briefcase on the passenger's seat. As she started the car, she thought about, frankly, going to bed early. That wasn't going to happen, however, because she had a date. She wondered briefly if she should just call and beg off for tonight, then vetoed the idea. She'd still go to dinner with Frank, even though she wasn't very hungry. She just didn't have much of an appetite of late. Frank was good company, even if he was a bit stuck on himself.

Coley sighed again. Then she headed out of the parking lot and on the road for home. She already told Frank she'd be late, and he said he didn't mind, that he knew that she was busy helping put the paper to bed. She had pretty much given up having a relationship with him. Although he acted like he was interested in her, he had yet to make a move to tell her he was interested. Maybe, Coley thought, we were just meant to be friends.



He hung up the phone. Coley would be late again for their dinner date. Damned newspaper, he thought.

The Eagle-Tribune hadn't exactly been kind to him. He seemed to be in the paper more and more because of his battles with the Lawrence city council. He didn't blame Coley for that, because those battles had been going on long before Coley came on the scene. It sort of irked him that a woman he was interested in would work for a newspaper bound and determined to ruin his reputation; a reputation he worked hard to maintain.

Frank Ryan owned several properties, both residential and commercial, in and around Lawrence. He was called controversial, controlling, a slumlord, a shyster…he'd been called every dirty name in the book people could think of or invent. Long divorced (and even that was reported in the Eagle-Tribune fifteen years ago), he dated several ladies, but never found anyone he could settle down and make a life with. Then, three years ago, he met an exquisitely beautiful redhead with the strangest and captivating green eyes. He was immediately smitten. Problem was, she was a reporter for the Boston Globe, up from the city to interview him.

He later learned who she was when he picked up a copy of the Globe. Nicola Carpentier. She may have told him his name at the time she did the interview, but he didn't remember. The article was good and didn't trash him, instead just presented the facts. The woman had done her research, and the article was articulate. He called her and left a message on her voicemail, thanking her for making him look like a real human being, instead of the ogre the Eagle-Tribune usually portrayed him as. He was surprised when she called back. They talked for a while, and he learned she lived locally. They talked for several months, until one day he called her and learned that she was on a medical leave of absence. It was nearly a year before he heard from her again.

Now, however, Frank's attention turned back to his impending dinner date with Coley. She suggested that they meet at the restaurant because she was running late, and he told her that he thought that would be a good idea. As he got ready, he thought about what he wanted to tell her; that he wanted to have a relationship with her. He knew she would bring up the nineteen-year age difference. He didn't think it would matter that he was fifty-seven and she only thirty-eight.

He headed out to his car. It was always good to be seen with Coley. He enjoyed her company and found her well read and fascinating. He wanted to be the man in her life, and tonight, he was going to try to express to her that he was the one she's been seeking. He wanted her in the worst way.



Coley stood in front of the mirror in her bathroom, brushing her hair. She was noticing more and more gray in her copper red hair, and wondered if she should start touching it up again.

She really didn't want to go out tonight, because she felt tired. She thought she was coming down with something. I just want to sleep, she thought.

"That's what Frank'll want to do, I'm sure of it," Coley said to her mirror image. The thought of sleeping with Frank wasn't an unpleasant one, but tonight wasn't the night. Coley thought that getting through the night will be a miracle in itself, if she didn't fall asleep in the middle of the main course.

She chose her outfit carefully. There was no need to get Frank all riled up when she didn't want to do anything with him other than have dinner. She decided on jeans and an oversized sweater. There were times she wanted to show off her figure, and times, like this one, that she wanted to keep it under wraps. After all, it was just the Texas Roadhouse on Route 28 in Methuen. That place was crowded all the time, not exactly a place to conduct a romantic rendezvous.

"Well, I guess I better get this farce on the road," Coley said. She walked out to the car, which she didn't put into the garage when she came home from work, and got in.

As she drove down the road, she was thinking about her two girls. Madison and Micaela had graduated from Haverhill High in May, and spent most of the summer getting ready to go off to college: Maddy to Yale, and Micaela to LSU. Micaela had sent her mother an email at work telling her that school was fine, that she got a job at the campus library, and that she and some friends were heading down to New Orleans that weekend to see the sights.

Maddy liked the phone, and called the day before. She was majoring in English for a possible career as a high school teacher. She had met a nice guy a year older than her and they were going out on a date Saturday night. Coley gave her daughter the usual cautions about dates, to which Maddy had said, "Yes, Mom, I know…"

Coley had now turned into the parking lot of the Texas Roadhouse, and passed Frank's Ford Focus while looking for a place to park. Damn, he beat me here, Coley thought.

She parked and went inside where Frank was waiting. He took her hand and kissed her cheek. I'm going to make love to her tonight, he thought to himself. She looks incredible.

"All's well at work, I trust," Frank said as he led her to their table. He had taken the liberty of ordering drinks. Knowing Coley didn't regularly drink alcoholic beverages, he had ordered her a Pepsi. She looks tired, Frank said to himself as she sat down.

"Work's fine. Nothing unusual happened today, just that the editorial was late and I had to wait for it. That's why I'm late," Coley said. "I'm sorry I had to make you wait."

"That's okay, Coley," Frank said. "You're here now."

"Yeah," Coley said, "but I'm tired. I really wanted to go to bed. I guess I have to eat, right?"

They ordered, then talked more while they were waiting. Coley felt herself becoming less apprehensive. She noticed that Frank was trying to make her feel at ease. He was attentive and listened to her. It was the first time in the time she'd known him that he was trying to tell her how he felt about her. Maybe I should be listening, Coley thought.

The night went well, and Coley found herself not wanting to leave. Frank walked her out to her car, and just before she opened the door, Frank took her into his arms. Before she realized it, he kissed her, and she automatically responded.

"Oh, God, Coley," Frank said, breathlessly, "I want you so much, baby…come home with me, please?"

"Yes, Frank," Coley said softly. "Take me home with you…"

Coley followed Frank up Route 28 to his home in Salem, New Hampshire. She had been there on many occasions, and knew the area reasonably well. She parked her Jeep on the street and followed Frank inside.

He led her to the sofa and they sat down. Coley knew that she would be spending the night. She felt Frank's lips on the back of her neck and his hands under her sweater; soon, she felt them on her breasts. An involuntary moan escaped from Coley's lips.

"That feels good, doesn't it, baby…" Frank said. He led Coley's hand to his groin, and she could feel the hardness of his desire through his jeans. "I wanna do ya, baby…" he sighed. He then took off Coley's sweater and bra, her nipples hard as she sat topless before him. She had large, yet firm breasts, and she now offered one to him. "Suck me," she said.

He took her nipple into his mouth and began to suck on it. Coley ran her fingers through his hair. "You like that, baby?" she asked him. That he continued to pleasure her breasts told her he did.

Later, Frank led her to his bedroom and finished undressing her. She lay naked on his bed with her eyes closed, anticipating the moment he would enter her. Soon, he lay next to her, caressing the skin of her inner thighs.

"Oh, God, Coley…" he said to her as he caressed her hardened pleasureflesh, "I've dreamt of this night since I first met you; all I want to do is please you, baby…" A soft cry from Coley was his reply, and he knew she was close to climax. She was ready to take his full length, to ride his manhood to carnal pleasures only lovers share.

"Please…oh, God, please…" Coley managed to gasp as Frank's tongue made contact with her clit; "Fuck me, baby…please…take me now!"

"Anything my goddess requires," Frank said. If there was truly a heaven, it couldn't possibly compare to the feeling of slipping his cock deep into Coley. He took her fast, hard, deep. She met his every stroke, crying out in ecstasy with each orgasm. It feels so good to be laid again, Coley thought as Frank continued pleasuring her body. It was better than even she anticipated. It felt so good, Coley honestly thought she was going to lose control.

Frank suddenly let go, and let out what, to Coley, sounded like a growl as he came. "Oh, baby…" he said breathlessly.

He took her into his arms and held her close, whispering loving words into Coley's ear. Coley was content. She didn't know why she resisted Frank for so long. He was gentle when he needed to be, and forceful when he needed to be as he met her needs. She nestled under his chin and sighed, fully sated.

Soon, she had fallen asleep in Frank's arms. He watched her for a long time. He couldn't believe that she was here, in his bed, in his arms, sleeping like an angel.

"Oh, Nicola…" he whispered to her sleeping form, "you are my salvation. You are everything I ever wanted and hoped for. I'll prove to you I'm worthy of your love until my dying day. I swear it."

He kissed her forehead and pulled her closer to him. He soon was asleep.



She awoke startled. She sensed that she was somewhere other than home. As she looked over to the sleeping figure next to her, she remembered. She was at Frank's house, in his bed.

She remembered the nice time they had just a few hours before. How good it made her feel to have a man making love to her after such a long time.

Coley chose not to date while her girls were still at home, thinking that would send the wrong message to them about what she expected from them. As much as she had hoped Miki and Maddy weren't having sex with their respective boyfriends, she knew in her heart that it was probably true. They had talked about it often enough, often to the girls' consternation, about birth control and safe sex. Maddy always looked mortified, and Miki just rolled her eyes.

But now, here she was, in bed with a man she wasn't even dating. Frank had been attracted to her, she knew, since she interviewed him for a Globe article nearly three years before. They had talked for several months after that, and gone out for drinks a few times, before it happened.

It was the car accident that nearly killed her. Some moron talking on a cell phone ran a red light just as Coley's car crossed the intersection with the green. The other car t-boned her on the driver's side, pinning Coley inside with several broken ribs, her left leg broken in twelve places and internal injuries. The only thing she remembered from that was being placed in the helicopter that took her to Massachusetts General, and asking the nurse to call her brother, Steve, in Rhode Island. Her next memory was waking up in the hospital some three weeks later.

It was only a little over a year ago that she had gotten back in touch with Frank, to tell him why she was no longer at the Globe. After she recovered from her accident, she tele-commuted for a while, then decided to see if the Eagle-Tribune needed an editor-slash-reporter-slash-whatever they needed. The E-T did need an associate editor to replace a woman who was retiring, and after an interview, Coley had the job. The commute was fifteen minutes straight up Route 125 from her home in Haverhill.

Until tonight, her relationship with Frank was only, she thought, as friends. He had acted like he wanted something more, but never really said anything about it to her, and she didn't read minds.

Coley looked over at Frank, sleeping away, oblivious to her thoughts. Being his girl wouldn't be so bad, if that's what he wanted, she thought. He didn't have the greatest reputation around town, she knew that from her interview with him, and from what was in the E-T since then. She'd have to deal with that if and when the time comes.

She turned over and tried to go back to sleep. Thinking of Frank's hands on her body, caressing her, lulled her back to dreamland.



Next thing she knew, she smelled bacon, coffee, and Frank's cologne (which he wore way too much of at times). She sat up in the bed, covering herself with the sheet, and saw Frank in the doorway with a tray.

"Breakfast in bed, Coley?" Frank asked as he placed the tray in front of her. It was laden with eggs and bacon, English muffins, and coffee.

"Oh, my, Frank, you didn't have to go to all this trouble!" Coley exclaimed in protest. "All this for little ole me?"

Frank had a big smile on his face. He could see that Coley was pleased.

"Yes, all for you, babygirl," he said, and saw Coley smile. He kissed her, and she responded. All Frank wanted was to make her happy. He knew it'd been a while since Coley was in a relationship. He wanted to be the one she surrendered to.

Everything that he had fantasized about her in the time he knew her was now reality. She was a passionate and sensual woman, and when aroused, had begged him to take her right then. All in this in an incredibly husky voice nearly an octave lower than her normal speaking voice.

He knew he wanted her almost from the time she interviewed him for the Globe article three years before. He was in another relationship at that time, and he thought no more about it. When that relationship ended a couple of years later, he tried to reach Coley at the Globe, but she was no longer on their payroll. Coley called him a while later and said she was now at the Eagle-Tribune, and was moving to Andover, where she had just bought a house. Later, she explained about her car accident, and the numerous surgeries she had to endure to put her smashed leg back together. They'd done a great job, though the leg had a lot of scars. Most of them weren't all that visible.

Now, as he watched Coley finishing her breakfast, he thought about what they would do that day. He'd be just as happy if they stayed home and fooled around all day, but whatever Coley wanted to do would be okay by him.

Frank took the tray from Coley and she got out of the bed saying she was going to take a shower. She slipped on a robe and headed to the bathroom. Frank jokingly remarked if she needed any help, he could join her. Coley, knowing he was playing around, told him he was welcome to join her, as long he helped her wash her hair. Then she walked into the bathroom and closed the door.

Not thirty seconds after she stepped into the shower, Frank was there. "I'm here to help you wash your hair…"

The washing wasn't limited to Coley's thick, copper locks, however.



They spent most of their day together shopping at The Mall at Rockingham Park. Coley needed some things she had been meaning to buy, and had planned to make the trip to the mall that Saturday anyway.

She always picked up a couple things for the girls as well. Maddy had requested socks ("and lots of 'em!" she had told her mother), and Miki just wanted a new flannel nightgown that she couldn't find in Baton Rouge.

Frank hated shopping at the mall. Why did every woman in creation want to shop at the mall? he thought. Coley had said that she was going to do this anyway, then head to the E-T for a couple of hours. This mall had nice restaurants, and it was in one of them that they had lunch before heading back to his place so Coley could pick up her car.

He really liked being with her, and hoped she felt the same about him. She had expressed concern about their nineteen year age difference and his less than stellar reputation over lunch, and Frank assured her that neither was a big deal as far as the two of them were concerned.

What Frank liked was the looks they got as they walked around the mall. Men were staring openly at Coley, and she was unaware of it. Women looked at him with either disdain or admiration. He knew that he was known on sight by a number of people, and those people only scowled, except when Coley was around. It dawned on him that they may have thought Coley was his daughter and not his lover.

Soon it was time to get back to the house so Coley could get her car and go into work. Once there, Coley gathered her things and brought them out to the car.

Frank kissed her passionately before she left. After telling her not to work too hard, she was in the Jeep and driving off down the street. He walked back into the house and closed the door.

He still couldn't believe he had made love to Coley. That she was so passionate. He had no idea about her sensuality, that she was willing to try things other women wouldn't. Why she had been hiding that part of her personality, he had no idea.

He almost envied her relationship with her twin daughters. He figured they were just as smart and driven as their mother. Frank's relationship with his children was shaky at best. His own daughter hadn't spoken to him in nearly five years, because he had taken a dislike to his daughter's boyfriend.

His sons all lived within fifteen miles of him, but he rarely saw any of them. Frank knew he hadn't been the best father on the block, and he knew his children blamed him for the divorce because of his inability to remain faithful.

Frank thought he had changed, and couldn't imagine being with anyone other than Coley. He didn't even look at other women while they were out that afternoon. He felt he didn't have to. He was with the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. And he liked that other men seemed to agree.

"She's mine, assholes," Frank said aloud as he went upstairs to the bedroom. He stared at the still unmade bed. Just a few hours ago, he and Coley had made love in that bed. He thought he could still smell her essence in the air. It comforted him. It gave him hope that Coley Carpentier would be his lover.

It went without saying that Frank Ryan was, for the first time in years, in love.



Coley realized within fifteen minutes that it was pointless to remain at the paper. The weekend editors had done a great job with the paper and the only thing that Coley had to do was write a report when everything was done. Once the printing began, she was done. The rest was up to the carriers and the overnight editors.

She drove the short distance home and parked the Jeep in the garage. She checked her mail and there was a letter for her from Maddy. Miki had left a message on the answering machine. Both girls were doing okay and Coley knew she had nothing to worry about, at least as far as they were concerned.

Her personal life, however, was something she had to think about. Frank wanted her to be his woman, and she saw nothing wrong with that. Nothing, that is, but the fact he was nearly twenty years older than her. Frank didn't seem fazed by the age difference, and Coley chided herself for being silly about it. He had enough stamina, enough passion, enough tenderness…more than enough for a man his age.

Coley decided that she should give Frank a chance at her heart. She wanted to be and feel loved again. She didn't want to remain celibate any more. It was time to live her life again. Her girls were grown and on their own. It was time she was, too.

Coley sighed.