Bittersweet Chocolate Read Online Free PDF Page A

know.”
    “Oh, why is it good?” he asked.
    “My parents won’t give me any grief if you want to see me again, since we’re more or less the same age.”
    “Hmm, you’ve dated older guys before?”
    “Once.”
    He didn’t respond and she could imagine what he was thinking. Younger guys assumed she would be an easy conquest, thinking she must have lost her virginity, because she’d dated older men. Wasn’t he in for a surprise?
    “What are you thinking about?”
    Musing interrupted, her response was off the wall. “Uh, how cold it is now.”
    He laughed. “Oh-kay, tell me something about yourself.”
    She looked up at him. “And then quid pro quo.” He frowned. “Tit for tat.”
    “Right, agreed.”
    He was charming and articulate, had a good sense of humor, and she was impressed. They liked the same types of movies and music, laughed, talked, and exchanged phone numbers as they strolled along Diamond Street. It seemed like no time at all before they reached the corner of her block. Joel walked her to her front door and seemed surprised to find the house dark.
    “All the lights are off. Isn’t anyone waiting up for you?”
    “You have to be kidding.” She glanced at her watch—one thirty a.m. “My family gave up waiting for me a long time ago. I can take care of myself.” He regarded her curiously, but made no further comment. She unlocked the door, stepped into the vestibule, and he followed.
    “When can I see you again?”
    “When do you want to see me again?” she asked, backing up as he moved closer. During the walk home, she’d anticipated his kiss. This was the perfect opportunity, and he didn’t disappoint her.
    With his hands braced against the wall on either side of her, his head lowered, warm breath caressed her face, and he whispered, “Open for me, Marissa.”
    His tongue slipped between her parted lips and she tasted the distinct licorice-y flavor of Sen-Sen coating his tongue. She slipped her hands inside his leather coat and snuggled closer. A low moan escaped her when he placed his hands on the sides of her face, his thumbs gently stroking the corners of her mouth. She wanted more. He pulled back.
    “Goodnight, Marissa.” He buttoned his coat, opened the door, and stepped outside.
    That’s it, goodnight. No, I’ll call you.
    Face heated, she stomped out the door and down the steps. Brow furrowed, she stared openmouthed, watching his retreating form until he turned the corner. Ooh -kay, calm down, it’s not the end of life, as you know it. She retraced her steps, went inside, closed the door, and leaned back against it.
    Breathe.
    Tranquility restored, she grinned and pushed away from the door. Making her way upstairs, she outlined a plan to make the first move to see him again, sadly, disregarding that instinctive apprehensive reaction to him when they met.
     

Chapter Three
     
     
    Graduation day
    1965
     
    Pomp and Circumstance blared from a public address system at Philadelphia Convention Hall as the graduating class of John W. Hallahan Catholic Girl’s High School moved toward the hall’s entrance. Sporadic applause accompanied the periodic flicker of flashbulbs exploding around her like fireflies flitting here and there.
    Dressed in a white robe with a squared-off, puritan-looking, sky-blue collar, Marissa wore a white cap, tilted rakishly to the right, with a sky-blue tassel bobbing frantically before her eyes. She marched down the aisle of the cavernous room with her diploma, enclosed in the folds of a sky-blue satin-covered binder, clutched in her left hand. The outfit together with the entire procedure added credence to the finality of four years of discontent, and it wasn’t that the school had been a disappointment, far from it.
    She had received an excellent education, years ahead of public school curriculum, but she’d wanted to attend Dobbins Vocational High School, wanted to learn a trade. The parents insisted she follow family tradition―her older