The torch still smolders...

Nearly forty years ago
I fell hopelessly in love
With all the passion,
And angst,
Of a lonely, inexperienced
Sixteen-year-old heart.
His name was Mike and
He really wasn't
Much older than I.
He was
Masterful, intense,
Highly intelligent,
A bit ribald,
Overwhelmingly masculine,
And devastatingly handsome
By any measure,
And even though our friendly,
Working relationship
Never crossed the line,
He was the one
I've never completely
Gotten over.
I knew I was special
In some way to him,
For he treated me differently
Than the others around us.
He was protective
And teased me gently
Yet unmercifully,
He hugged me tightly
At unexpected times,
And his beautiful brown eyes
Would soften
Whenever he looked at me.
Later I learned
He was aware of my feelings,
Which left me to wonder,
As we are wont to do,
What if he had felt the same
And acted on those feelings?
It wasn't until very recently
That I realized
With no little surprise
That even had he felt the same
For me as I for him
He couldn't reciprocate
Because, legally, I was
The most dangerous of women...
I was
Jail bait.