He was shocked by her abrupt appearance in the church day-care. Bright eyes, dripping wet and nearly falling through the door, he was forced to drop the half assembled shelving unit and spring to her aid.
"I am so sorry I'm late! My kids pitched such a fit over being dropped off during a thunderstorm, I forgot my umbrella, then I couldn't even find you until I heard your drill, what are yo-" she suddenly cut off her ramble, finally looking up to meet his gaze as she had been attempting to sop up a gallon of water from her blouse with a tissue from her purse.
"Oh, God, I'm so sorry, this place seemed deserted, I thought you had to be Pastor White in here making this racket. I was supposed to meet him twenty minutes ago for our first counseling session" she explained.
Her eyes finally began to focus on her rescuer, taking in the short untidy brown hair, highlighted by silver at his temple, betraying the loss of his youth although obviously not his vitality.
His caring blue eyes looked down at her, smiling as he explained, "I know. You must be Marie. My name is Michael and Pastor White asked me to wait for you here. His arthritis was just too much for him today so he asked me to come in and handle his responsibilities. This included the shelf for the children's books," he nodded toward the discarded project and tightening his arm around her waist, "and you. I have been filling in on occasion in preparation for his retirement. Since my wife passed a few years ago I've been donating more and more time to the church."
He shrugged and grinned,"Sometimes I get lucky and even enjoy the task. Now, why don't you sit down and get settled so we can begin- this shelf will keep until later," he explained as he guided her over to a cushioned bench in what was obviously the reading nook of the daycare.
He released his arm from her as she sat down and taking a seat adjacent to her, he watched her shiver from the loss of contact. He waited patiently as she forcibly pulled her eyes away from his and began to scour the room, looking for the words she so desperately needed.
Wrapping her arms around herself she began, "I'm going to go to Hell. I really need to speak with Pastor White, no offense, but I cannot see how you could possibly help me," she explained, her dark hazel eyes already beginning to shine with emotion.
Surprised, Michael paused, and leaning in said, "I don't know why you would say that. I am just as qualified as Pastor White- I am just a bit younger. We attended the same schools even and if it helps you any at all, he was my mentor during my education and counsel through every rough patch I have ever endured. Now, he said you requested marriage and spiritual counseling for yourself without your spouse, or anyone else for that matter, knowing anything about your visit. Is that about right?" He had taken her slightly smaller hands in his and was holding her gaze steadily.
She nodded and took a cleansing breath.
"It's quite simple really," she said. "I love my husband deeply and strive to be everything he wants and needs, but for years now there's been something--- something lacking," she caught his dark probing eyes for a moment and slowly pulled her hands from his.
"I won't go into detail because it's irrelevant really. What I needed to discuss with the Pastor, and now I guess you, is adultery. My husband wants me to be this--this," she began to blush, "highly sexual woman. He wants what most men desire, and he gets it, but he is not consistent...so there are times where I am left," she paused with a sigh,"alone."
Eyes downcast, she wrapped her arms even more tightly around herself, unknowingly pushing her breasts together and causing her blouse to buckle ever so slightly- revealing the pale lace restraining her ample cleavage.
Michael looked her over, momentarily forgetting he was there to guide her, acknowledging her curves, her long wavy chestnut hair, still dripping with rain. He noticed that she wore no makeup but rather than appearing unkempt it let her smooth pale skin shine naturally, including the soft blush she carried right now. The wet jeans and blouse allowed her to hide nothing as they clung to her.
Although she was approaching forty in a few years (according to his conversation with Pastor White) you would never know due to the hours she spent at the gym attempting to regain the figure of her youth. He felt guilty at the stirring in his loins.
He had to ask her,"So, you've had an affair? That's why you needed to talk to us about adultery? You are worried about your soul."
She shook her head. "No, I have not had an affair- not really," she sighed. "But, what IS adultery? When have you crossed the line Michael?"
She pleaded with her eyes and dropped from the bench to kneel childlike at his feet, begging for understanding.
"Some would say simply it's having sex with someone other than your spouse. But you tell me, when is it cheating? When I look at another man? Fantasize about him?"
She grabbed his wrists and continued her pleading. "If the activity is only on the phone like the sex by text or phone sex, is that cheating when you never see the person? What about sending a picture or a video. Is that cheating?"
He knew she was searching for honest clarification, it was written all over her face, but he could not help the now painful erection gnawing away at his ability to focus on the religious aspect of their conversation.
Unaware of his situation, she unknowingly pushed him too far, "Can you pleasure yourself with a man in the room so long as you don't touch him? Is it cheating if you never touch? There is so much besides just sex. Where is the line?"
By this point Michael was paying more attention to the movement of her lips than the actual argument she was presenting, until she finished, "If adultery begins in the mind and I'm going to Hell for thinking thoughts I CANNOT HELP HAVING- why can I not actually enjoy them in the flesh? Why does God allow us to torture ourselves this way?"
Michael slowly sank to the floor in front of her holding her gaze. A knowing smile spread across his strong features, crinkling his eyes, softening his hard edges, "I have good news Marie. Very good news." She looked hopefully up at him.
He continued, "We can solve your problem, right here, right now," and with that, he pulled her into a kiss, so sudden and passionate she didn't have time to refuse, only to respond.
His left hand immediately became entangled in her hair, the right tenderly caressing her cheek. She was so surprised, she still clung loosely to his wrists, slowly sliding them up his arms as the kiss began to deepen.
It wasn't until their torsos touched, and she felt how stiff Michael was, that she was able to break away, "I--I can't do this--this isn't right!"
Leaning his forehead down onto hers he asked her simply, "Do you want me?"
She nodded wordlessly.
He pressed on, "Have you thought of how good it will feel?"
Once again, a wordless affirmation from Marie.
Michael groaned softly to himself, sending a gentle vibration through his chest and torso into her body, "So have I and I intend to show you how much better it will be then you can even imagine," he whispered as he gently tipped her chin up and feathered a kiss on her lips, "Since according to your own argument, we will already pay for the sin we've committed in the mind- I plan to make it well worth it for both of us."
With his closing words Michael recaptured her lips and she relinquished control of her body.
While still kneeling, he slowly unfastened her jeans and began the slow process of peeling them down her legs.
