Joan came to our division once a year to go over the benefits package with the employees. We occasionally talked on the phone and developed somewhat of a friendship. Last year, she was in town by herself and knew no one. I asked her out for a little dinner and drinks if she wanted, since she was alone. She obliged. We talked until it was time for me to go; I had a 45 minute drive. Like a fool, I didn't ask to follow her to the hotel to help her with her bags. The hotel was right up the road on the way home. We parted, and I took her to lunch the next day.

A year later...

The joke for the past year, was that she had to wait a year to get this fabulous salad at this local pub where we had lunch that one day. Well, it was that time of year, and Joan was coming in town tomorrow. We had already planned lunch and afterwork dinner and drinks. For some reason, her hotel was in an adjacent community which I thought was rather odd. So, I figured absolutely nothing was going to happen. When she got in, she paged me. I went down to get her and showed her to the office she'd be working out of for the next day and a half. She looked marvelous. God she had a nice body. I was hoping for a business skirt and heels, but she was wearing slacks and a sweater top with a zipper front. Our eyes met and we just smiled. Finally she said, "hi". She looked so different...better than I remembered. Thinner and more firm, almost on the brink of becoming too thin. Her hair was auburn and longer. She was always quiet and shy, but very business like. So, it was hard for me to read her, and her sense of humor. She said, "I hope we're still doing lunch, I haven't eaten all day". I said, "me either, it's a long year". She just smiled. We went to lunch, it was nice, and nothing out of the ordinary happened. I talked to her on the phone before the end of the day and asked if she still wanted to do a couple drinks and dinner since she had a 20 minute drive to the hotel. She said, "definitely! You better not back out, or you're in trouble!" She informed me that she had changed her hotel and was staying the same place as last year. After work, we got to the local watering hole. I asked her if she wanted to get a table or sit at the bar. She said to get a table and she'd join me after she used the ladies room. She sent me off by touching my back and said, "you know what I want...right?" I said, "gin and toxic"? She winked, then turned and headed for the ladies room. I went and got a table in a secluded and dark area of the pub. I was so curious to see which chair she'd take...I was almost shaking. When she returned to the table, she came up on my left side, real close and put her hand on my shoulder, and asked if I had ordered. I said yes. She then pulled the chair out to my left and sat. I noticed she fixed her hair and everything. She looked great. I also noticed that the zipper on her sweater was lower than it had been during the day. Believe me, I know! Our drinks came, and we started into a little work conversation.......