Her hand moved to my knee and she leaned towards me. Her right breast brushed my arm and I glanced down. Her tits weren’t small but she didn’t need a bra - and her nipples were rising - she was aroused too. ‘I’ve got a good body. I’ve even been told how good I am… at… you know… sex.’ She lowered her head and for the first time looked a little embarrassed. I was shaking my head, but not saying no. ‘You’re a lovely, caring bloke. Good looking, fit too I’ll bet, for an old ‘un.’ She squeezed my leg and laughed, head still bowed. ‘Adam… make love to me… make me… make me… I’ve never had a proper, yer know, orgasm... well, on my own, but never while…’ now she looked at me and frowned, ‘yer know?’

I pictured Danielle once again. It broke my heart to think it, but she was barely hanging on. She was - mentally at least - all but dead. Would she, like Linda, be cheering me on from the other side if I made love to this girl, confirming, glorying in my continuing vitality? Celebrating life, the life Danielle no longer had to look forward to? She’d said find someone straight away. Don’t mourn. Don’t be lonely. Not for a minute. Take every chance. Life is too short. Once I’m gone, go for it. Promise me! We were so unready when Danielle became seriously ill, had no chance to say goodbye properly, passionately, lovingly…

When does life end? With the final breath? Or with the final conscious thought? And if I waited till the inevitable happened, when her already vacated body finally shut down, what would I do, left alone in my fifties. Where was I to find another partner? Where could I find happiness, fulfilment? On some sorry dating site? In a grotty nightclub? Unlikely. But I certainly couldn’t bear the thought of being alone – even though I was still married I’d already been alone long enough. I needed this. I deserved it. I knew Danielle would agree. But could I live with the knowledge that I’d screwed this barely-legal girl while my wife lay dying? I vacillated, but the index finger stroking my thigh was tipping the scales.

Her eyes bore into me as I thought it through. As I turned to look at her, to give her my answer, Regina made her move. Her palm slid up my thigh, covered my crotch. She squeezed me there and her middle finger drew small circles in the gap at the top of my legs. I remembered the enticing gap between her legs, the one I’d fixed my gaze on as she’d walked away earlier that day. There was no way she was walking away like that again, not tonight, not without me following her. I nodded my head and took her home.

The night outside the air-conditioned building was surprisingly hot and sticky. I threw my jacket onto the back seat and started the engine, shaking with anticipation. As soon as the doors of my vintage Capri clicked shut she leaned over and kissed me gently, lovingly - the first loving kiss I’d received for ages. I was faint from desire and my head was filled with a swirling, heady mix of countless conflicting emotions. I felt overwhelmingly compelled to fuck with an intensity that reminded me of my first fantastic night with