Her sauce was good, better than mom's but not as good as dad's. Cooking was his hobby, his release from the stress of the construction business. Sunday belonged to him and mom was only too happy to have the day off.

I think Christina would have liked him. He was the one who taught me to cook. He'd pretend he was Clemenza from the Godfather (we always laughed at everything wrong in that movie) and say, " C'mere Tony you might learn something." That was the signal that he used to tell me he was going to share something important. On Sundays it was how to make the sauce.

While I would cook for Christina I wouldn't make the sauce. I could tell she was proud of her cooking and she was definitely a better cook than a massage therapist.

"The only reason I would need Alka Seltzer is from eating too much of this. You'll make me fat. I hope you like having a fat boyfriend!"

"I guess you shouldn't have dessert then."

I forgot about dessert. I wondered what she had time to prepare.

"I wouldn't want to disappoint you after going to all that trouble. What's for dessert?"

"Cherries Jubilee and it's calorie free."

"Sounds delicious. I can't wait to taste it."

"Actually you already have. It's the name of my new lip gloss."

Two weeks! We'd be together in this house for two weeks and this was just the first day? I really liked her but was she overreacting to the first man that showed an interest? Was she so starved for affection that she was desperately grasping for it? I was out of my depth and I knew it.

I really liked her. Hell, I think I loved her but now I was unsure. We'd barely spent any time together yet it was like she fit in all the right places. I wish mom were here to talk to.

She was staring at me, waiting for my reaction, those cherry red lips begging for my attention. I was frozen for a moment as my mind and heart battled. There was never any doubt as to the outcome.

I didn't say anything. I just pulled her off the stool and into my embrace and thoroughly tasted those luscious lips.

She tensed when I first grabbed her even though she had invited me to do just that. Our previous kisses were nothing like this. Maybe it was the sauce but that kiss set my tongue on fire and she seemed determined to smother it by sucking all the air out of my body!

I finally broke the seal to come up for air. I opened my eyes to see her looking at me wide-eyed. I think even she was surprised by the intensity of the kiss. Until then I hadn't even noticed her hands were still clamped to the back of my head, ready to pull me back in.

As much as I wanted to repeat that kiss again and again, I gently reached up and took her hands, pulling them in front of me and kissed them. I was afraid she'd think I was rejecting her but I needed time to think before we passed the point of no return. I don't think either of us was ready for that.

I honestly don't know what possessed me. The Cherries Jubilee lip gloss was just my idea of a little joke. I was waiting for him to laugh. Instead he grabbed me. For a moment I tensed up, thinking the worst. By now there was no reason to do so except out of habit.

Then he kissed me again and I lost it. I always laughed at the phrase 'suck face' until I did it. I just wanted to take him all in, in the only way I could. I had barely been able to control myself earlier in his bedroom,
going topless while giving him a massage. I was ready to run at the least sight of him getting up or turning over. My little nipples could have left scratch marks. Thank god he had fallen asleep.

He was awake now and my chest actually hurt. I wanted his hands on me but instead he had pulled me to him and then just when I was getting ready to renew my attack on his mouth he pulled my hands away.

It wasn't rejection. I was way too familiar with that reaction. It was more like that construction guy on the highway holding up the slow sign. In a way I was glad. I wasn't ready to pursue the natural end point of my sexual arousal, not until I was complete and I wasn't sure Tony was either.

I think we both wanted more but were afraid. No, make that cautious. I wasn't afraid of Tony. He knew who I was and that I wasn't able to give him the satisfaction he was entitled too. He wasn't pressing me for more but I wasn't sure why. maybe for the same reason.

Sure, I'd read that if a guy really loved you, they'd love you just as you are. If that's the case would he have loved me as Chris? I don't think so. If that piece of meat between my legs disgusted me why should I expect Tony to feel any differently?

Those stories were just a crock, pipe dreams and wishful thinking. Yes, there were guys who liked chicks with dicks. Unfortunately they usually don't like them without them. I don't think Tony fit in that category. He wanted me as a physical woman and I wanted to be one.

It was as if we had come to some unspoken mutual agreement to stop. There was a moment of silence before she said she needed to put the rest of the sauce and meatballs in the fridge. And just like that we were back to ourselves.

I still wanted her but I have gotten my libido under control. I wasn't that 15 year old schoolboy anymore. It was great that Christina made me feel that way but I didn't have to act like one. We had time and I am going to use these next two weeks to learn all about this woman.

The best thing was she didn't look disappointed. She may have been as relieved as I was. I still had a lot to learn about girls like Christina. Like every other girl she was a mystery to me. They are just a different species and we men will probably never figure them out.

That's one of the reasons I knew Christina was a woman. If she was really a guy I'd have had him figured out in an instant. I know guys, I know how we think, gay or straight, we are still guys. we think with our dicks. If Christina still had one she never thought with it. It wasn't part of her psyche. I have the wounds on my back and the taste of her lips to prove it.

I noticed her eyeing the trash bin.

"No, the shoes stay there. I'll buy you another pair just like them. Ten pair, but those puppies are history."

And just to emphasize the point I scraped the remaining sauce and pasta from our dinner plates over them. Women and their shoes!

"Those were my favorite shoes. I loved those shoes."

"So we'll take them out in the backyard and burn them. A real Viking funeral. We can even add my pants. That ought to confuse the gods."

She giggled. Girls must go to some special class to learn that. 'How to disarm a guy in ten easy lessons. Lesson one, the giggle.' I pictured a room full of girls practicing their giggles and laughed.

"What's so funny?"

"It's a guy thing. You wouldn't understand."

I fell in love with him again. It was just another innocent remark, the kind that guys make to girls all the time. It was just the perfect thing to say. He had no idea where my thoughts had gone earlier but in his misbeguided way he had found a way to slap reality back. To help me center myself again.

Guys can screw up things in so many ways and then say just the right thing to make up for it. I guess that's why we put up with them. Well that and certain other attributes that are often hard to ignore, my thoughts drifting back to sitting on Tony's lap.

"Those were Jimmy Choos!"

"You can choose another pair online or wait until I can take you to the Choo store."

"That was bad. Is this what I have to look forward to for the next two weeks?"

"Get used to it."

"I have a stun gun."

I laughed as he blanched a little.

"So now it's a pun gun?"

"Where did I put my purse? Did you hide it?"

"Guilty as charged. Oops, bad choice of words."

I couldn't help it, my giggles turned into laughter as I punched his arm.

" 0w! What was that?"

"A bad punch!"

"It wasn't that funny but I guess we're both a bit punch drunk."

'I definitely need my purse!"

His joking around was making me feel better. There were far worse people to be quarantined with. I bent to put the dirty dishes in the dishwasher and regretted it instantly as he whistled.

"I see you're still looking for a fight."

Puzzled, I walked right into it.

"What do you mean?"

"Well you were putting up your Dukes. And they are definitely a dangerous weapon."

"I swear, if I had my purse. . . "

"Personally I would prefer it if you turned the other cheek."

"If I stabbed you with a knife any jury in the world would find it justifiable homicide."

My sister used to groan at my horrible puns. She would have been tickled to see Tony give me a taste of my own medicine.

Much as I wanted to continue this battle I had work to do. I needed to catch up on events in preparation for my new job and I know Tony needed to call more of his clients. I had grabbed my laptop from one of the boxes and headed for the living room so he could use his study.

Before I did I asked him for the wifi password. I didn't think I could be any more embarrassed when he gave it to me.

"I updated it the other day. Let me write it down for you."

He handed me a slip of paper and I just looked at it and him. On the paper he had written out: Christinaisthe1