The Heart - Sex Stories

The Heart

... would feel a warm ripple go through her that reminded her of how she felt when Jonathan called her that. Walter’s voice resonated in her with a strange vibration that felt comforting but also puzzling. She found herself staring at Walter, trying to understand what it was about him that was captivating her, why she was so eager to see him come into the diner and tell her what he was painting and when he said, “Em,” she felt a chill and goose bumps on her arms. More and more she felt drawn to this older man with his graying hair, and now, rather than being shy with her, he was now exuberant, delighted to tell her what he was painting, occasionally reading her a new poem. They both were sharing more of themselves in the empty diner while Emily filled the salt and pepper shakers, or stopped to have a cup of coffee with him. Something came over Emily one afternoon when Walter said, “Well, it’s been ten months since my operation and there’s no sign my heart is being rejected. I have to go for a checkup next week and if everything is okay, I don’t have to go back for a year.” “That’s good,” Emily said, and then remembered. “Jonathan was killed ten months ago.” “Ten months, wow,” Walter said then laughed. “If you could have seen me ten months ago, you wouldn’t recognize me. I mean, I still can feel what a jerk I was, and I feel guilty how I treated people, especially women. I can’t believe it was me and now I feel so different.” “You’re lucky to be alive. You’re lucky they found ...

... the right heart for you when they did or you wouldn’t be here.” “Yeah, that was a close call,” Walter said, closing his eyes. “Now I feel blessed.” Listening to Walter, looking at his eyes as he spoke, Emily wondered what was so fascinating about him and she realized she was feeling things about him she never thought she would ever feel about a man again. One day, she asked, “This spot you go to, this special place you go to every day to paint, would you take me there?” “Of course,” Walter said. “If you really want to see it, I’ll take you there. You’re going to love it. I know you will.” “Cool, can we go today? I have a bike at my place. I hardly ride it anymore, but I feel like going there with you, how about it?” Suddenly Emily felt excited about being with Walter somewhere other than Pete’s Diner. “I was going there anyway, so yes, finish up here and we’ll take off. We can go get your bike,” he said, swallowing the last of his coffee and wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. When she saw that, it again reminded her of Jonathan. After she finished filling the salt and pepper shakers, Emily went into the kitchen and waved goodbye to Pete and Gary. “I’m out of here. See you guys tomorrow,” she said, picking up her big yellow canvas bag with a variety of things she took with her, including her thermos of water. When she got her bicycle from the basement of Tony’s Pizza shop, she said, “Wait here, I’ll be right back” and she ran up the stairs, picked up the blanket she ...