44 comments/ 69219 views/ 8 favorites Chapter 03: Dear John By: Slirpuff Chapter #3 Dear John 'Dear Steve, I know you won't want to hear this, but I've found someone I think I have feelings for. I didn't mean for it to happen, it just did. I've been so lonely since you've been gone and although your letters helped, it just wasn't the same. His name is Keith and he works with me. Steve, it just started out as someone to have lunch with and then progressed to someone I could talk to and confide in about how I was feeling. I told him I was waiting for you and he said that was ok because he already had a fiancé. I don't know when it happened but one night I told him how I felt about him and Keith said he felt the same way about me. Steve, you've got to believe me, I never cheated on you before this; it just happened. He's going to break the news to his fiancé soon so we can be together. Please be careful, you still mean the world to me.' At least I made it totally through Ann's letter this time. I folded it back up again and put it into my top pocket. I still had about an hour left before we landed and even though I was tired I started getting anxious. This would be the first time home in fourteen months. Ann was right about one thing, letters were ok in a pinch but the real thing was oh so much better. When I had hit the San Diego airport I was dressed in my newest uniform. I purchase my ticket to Minneapolis and had about three hours before the flight left. We'd been warned about confrontations in the airports but besides the Hari Kristinas beating on drums I didn't see any problems. They had a USO in the airport and a donut and coffee really hit the spot. "Coming or going?" a guy in an Air Force uniform asked me. "Going home on a three week leave," I said with a huge smile as it was finally starting to sink in. "Where were you?" "Nam," was all I said. "See any action?" "Naw, worked in an office, never even fired my rifle," I told him grabbing another donut. "You're lucky man. I heard a lot of horror stories about what's going on there. That's why I joined the Air Force; I didn't want to go over there." "I hate to be the bearer of bad news, there are a lot of Air Force personnel over there. Most are stationed around the Da Nang airport, but they're there." I didn't want to be the one to bust his bubble but I figured he'd better get his head out of his ass now instead of later. "Well, glad you made it back in one piece; where're you headed?" "Minneapolis Minnesota; that's where I'm from. I've got nine brothers and sisters waiting for me." "Wow, talk about a large family; let me guess, Catholic right?" "You got it." "Word of warning, they just kicked out a group of fucking hippies about a half hour ago. They were yelling shit like baby killers and other things at us when we got here. One of them spit on an army staff sergeant and he almost ripped the guy's head off. Airport security dragged them out, what a bunch of assholes. They don't know shit other than what they see on the news. They don't do crap like that over there do they?" "As I said, I just worked in the office during the day and drank my fill in the club at night. Never had to worry about all the other shit going around me." I didn't know this dude from Adam and wasn't about to discuss what had or hadn't happen over there; I just wanted to go home. So, here I sit in a quiet and dark plane. We'll be landing in Minneapolis at about five o'clock in the morning. Like Lassiter, I was coming back unannounced but unlike him, I already knew there was a problem on the home front. When we landed I felt it in my stomach as I looked out the window. It was the end of April and still cold, I was thankful I hadn't packed my coat. I grabbed my duffel bag and stepped outside the terminal to a cold wind whipping through the covered parking garage. I pulled up the collar on my coat as I felt the chill down my neck; this was one thing I hadn't missed. I remember after graduation, we went up north to a buddies' parent's cabin. We planned on water skiing and having some fun with our girlfriends; we got snow flurries. We still had fun but never took the boat out. "Need a cab?" the guy in the first of a long row of cabs called out. I Guess I did. "Home on leave?" he asked making small talk. "Yeah, three weeks." "Where you coming from?" "San Diego," "You stationed there?" he asked. "Yup, been there for the past fourteen months," I replied now getting tired of all the questions. "You're lucky you didn't go to Viet Nam. I see a lot of those guys coming home, one way or another," he added. I knew what he meant, I just didn't want to think about it any more; I was finally home. Much to my dismay we shot the shit all the way to my house. I was tired, he was bored, and so it went for the next forty-five minutes. "Twenty-one bucks," he said turning around. I gave him a five-dollar tip as he pulled my duffel bag out of the trunk. "Looks like everyone is still asleep, don't they know you're coming home?" "I guess I kind of forgot to tell them," I said now with a shit-eating grin on my face. He left me standing there on my driveway pondering my next move. The hide-a-key by the back door was still there and the house was dark and quiet as I stepped into the kitchen and closed the door. I put my bag down and took a deep breath. Nothing had changed. Everything was exactly the same, just like the morning I left. It was as though I'd gone out on a date and come home after everyone had gone to bed. The only difference was my mom wasn't waiting up for me this time. With ten kids my mom's hands were always full. The only time she ever had time to herself was in the evenings when everyone had gone to bed. She would sit on the couch, with that ugly end table lamp on, and read both daily newspapers and any new magazines. However, the one thing she never did was go to sleep when one of her kids was out on a date; no matter how late it got. I got a rude awaking when I stayed out all night with a couple of my buddies. I came home to find my mom still on the couch, light on and dead asleep. Needless to say I didn't do that again. Well, not without telling her first. I thought about making coffee, but decided instead to check the refrigerator and have a bottle of soda pop. Two pieces of cold ham and a bottle of RC cola hit the spot. Fifteen minutes later I met my brother Roger when he came downstairs. I was still sitting at the kitchen table in the dark when he walked in and turned on the overhead light. He jumped and I smiled. "Hello little brother," I said smiling. He wasn't very quiet. "Holly shit," he yelled out giving me a big hug and began talking a mile a minute. I caught about every third word but soon my other brothers were downstairs making more than a little noise. That prompted my dad to walk out from his bedroom, in his boxers and tee shirt, to tell everyone to hold it down because their mother was sleeping. He didn't even notice me at first but when he did, he smiled and walked over and gave me a big hug. That was one of only a dozen times I ever saw him show any affection. As I said before, my dad was a real hard ass. "Why didn't you let us know, I would have picked you up at the airport." "I thought this would be a lot more fun," as the rest of the clan was now up and talking really, really loud. "Kids," my mom called out standing in the kitchen doorway wearing that old blue robe and dirty pink fuzzy slippers on her feet. She was about to say something else when I stepped forward. "Hi mom," is all I got out before she was on me with tears in her eyes. She hugged me before finally letting go and slapping me hard on the arm. "Stephen, why didn't you let us know you were coming home?" She only called me Stephen when I'd done something wrong. "I thought it would be a nice surprise," I said now rethinking my motives. "Well, you're home safe that's all that matters. Are you hungry?" a typical mom question. We all sat around talking non-stop as I was barraged with a million questions all at the same time. "Kids get ready for school," my mom shouted breaking up our family get together. "He'll be here when you get home, he's not going anywhere," she announced looking at me. Dad was already dressed for work and everyone ran up the stairs to get ready. "Stop by work later and I'll take you to lunch," my dad said pouring a cup of coffee and buttering a piece of semi-burnt toast. That was the same breakfast he ate until the day he died, a cup of black coffee and one piece of toast. "I need a shower and a shave and I hope I still have a few clothes left." Having five younger brothers I can only guess what was left in my closet. "You can wear your uniform if you'd like," he replied. Then it dawned on me, dad wanted to show me off. "All right, see you about eleven thirty." That brought a smile to his face. He left for work, my brothers and sisters went to school or work and I was left alone with mom. I was more tired than I thought. "Does Ann know you're back?" "Mom, no one knows I'm back," I replied. "Ann called me about seven weeks ago," she started to say before I interrupted her. "She sent me a letter," I said not looking up at her. "I just finished reading it on the plane this morning." "Well, she called me three days ago and asked if I'd heard from you. I told her no I hadn't and she made me promised to let her know if I got another letter from you. You stopped writing to her didn't you?" "Couldn't see the point anymore." "Well, when you get the chance call her. I think something has changed or at least something's going on with her." I told mom I would when I got around to it; which could be in three weeks. I washed up and took my car to my dad's office. He was busting at the seams as he reintroduced me to everyone I already knew. We went to lunch, he had a drink, I had a beer and as always we only said a couple of dozen words between us. I guess he was just glad to have me home. I crashed for a couple hours in the afternoon after finding I only had a couple of items left that even fit me in my closet. I changed and just hung out after leaving word with my buddies that I was home and alive. My only aunt and uncle, on my mom's side, brought their family and my grandma over that night and we had an impromptu welcome home party. I answered a hundred questions and avoided a million others. My best friends John, Craig and Jim came over just after seven. They had dinner with us and we were gone by eight-thirty. I thought my mom might say something about not staying out too late but she just smiled at me and told me to have a nice time. "Asshole, why didn't you tell anyone you were coming home?" Craig asked. "Well if you would have written me once in a while I probably would have," I shot back at him. "Shit man, I sent you four letters and besides I was busy finishing school." John told me that he'd gotten home last week and had only two weeks left before he had to report back. I asked him how he liked being stationed in Okinawa. I'd spent a total of three days there coming and going but never even made it to the downtown area, but I heard it was wild. "It was just like a eight to five job after the first month. I went off base most nights and hit one club or another but there were about thirty other clubs and massage parlors in just the downtown area. I found myself a cute little slant eye girl that thought I was going to marry her and take her stateside. She tried to cut me wide deep and often when I told her I was rotating without her and don't say a fucking word to Jenny. She thinks I was true blue the whole time." He always was an asshole. Craig and Jim asked if I'd called Ann yet. Why was everyone back peddling or stepping around the issue? Didn't anyone have the balls to come right out and say she was cheating on me? Finally Craig spoke up saying his girl friend had seen her. "Randy saw Ann with some guy a couple of months back at the Three Circle Drive Inn. She pulled up next to her, just to say hi, and saw that she was going at it hot and heavy in the front seat. I guess Ann got all embarrassed and Randy drove off. Sorry Steve." "No big deal. As they told us in boot camp, Susie Rotten Crotch, as they called everyone's girlfriends, was probably fucking your buddies before your plane even landed," I said laughing. "At least Ann waited for about nine months." However, I was still pissed inside but would find out whom and why before I left, one way or another. "You see much action over in Nam?" Jim asked grabbing a couple of brews out of a cooler in the back seat. "Some," I said taking a long draw off my cold beer as I remembered all the warm ones I'd drank over the last year. "Well?" Jim asked again. "Like I said, I saw some action now and then." "You kill anyone?" John asked. "A few," I said trying my best to change the subject. "What was it like? Did you shoot them or kill them hand to hand," Craig asked as they were now all looking at me wide eyed. "You guys are watching way too much television. I shot a few and if you want to know what it felt like, it was like nothing you can ever imagine. Your survival instincts take over and you do what you were trained to do. The first one I hit with a couple of body shots and it was all over. We were under fire and I was scared shitless but kept shooting until I saw him drop. After everything settled down we went looking for the dead. My heart had just started to settle down when we found him. He couldn't have been more than twenty and was very dead by the time we got to him. No matter what they tell you in boot camp nothing prepares you for it. He was just lying there with his eyes still open while what was left of his blood oozed out; it made me sick and relived at the same time knowing that it was him lying there and not me. I didn't do it for God and country I did it for me. All I could think about was I wanted to go fucking home but not in a box. So I sucked it up and did what I had to, that's all." Everyone was quiet for about forty-five seconds. "Shit man, I'm glad I joined the fucking reserves. There is no way I could have done that," Jim said opening another beer. "You'd be surprised what you can do when your ass is on the line. But enough of this shit, do you think I want to spend my first night driving around drinking beer with you assholes, lets see if there is any action around here." We hit three places but it was a pretty quiet night all around, after all, it was a weeknight. Believe it or not, we spent the next two hours bowling. I embarrassed myself like always but did see a few people I knew. Everyone was happy I made it back and all asked the same damn questions. Over the last year, two guys in our church didn't make it back. It just seemed that after so many years, people were getting numb to the nightly news telling everyone how many military men had died over there week after week. But hell, if you believed half of what they said it'd be only a week or two more until we pulled out. Two weeks, it was always just two more weeks, but not for the guys over there. Anyway, I was home and on leave, nothing was going to screw that up for me. I was back in the house by midnight. Jim and Craig had either school or work and I was starting to drag. "I'll get Jenny to fix you up with one of her girl friends and we'll all go out Friday night," John told me. "I know a little blonde friend of hers that would love to go out with you and you won't have even have to worry about getting lucky; with her you don't need luck, just a stiff dick," he along with everyone else laughed. "That's right, I go through a fucking year not catching a thing, and my buddy wants me to get a dose of the clap on my first week back, some friend you are." "Steve, she's clean, it's just that she likes sex; a lot. I'm not asking you to go down on her, just wear a damn rubber and have a good time." The following morning I slept in to almost 6:30. I was so used to getting up early my body just woke itself up I guess. I must have laid in bed for the better part of an hour until I finally dragged my ass out. I didn't have a thing planned for this morning so I had a quick breakfast and headed out with no particular place in mind. I just drove through the areas where I'd grown up, where my aunt lived and finally through the downtown area. I don't know what I was looking for; I think I was just wanted to see what had changed. I found that nothing really had changed much. There were new houses going up, but life had gone on without me being home. I headed back to my house. I found my mom at the kitchen table feeding my younger sister, or trying to anyway. "Where were you? I thought you'd still be sleeping so I tried to be quiet when I got up. When I went upstairs to see if you wanted some breakfast I noticed you'd already left." "Mom, I just went for a little drive to see the changes since I've been gone." "Nothing much has changed that I'm aware of," she said continuing to try and feed my sister. "Where are you going when you go back?" "Barstow, California, smack dab in the middle of the Mohave desert. I was hoping for an early out but came back one month too soon. So, I'll have to play Marine for another three more months and then I'll be home for good." "What are your plans for when you get out?" "Going back to school is first on my agenda, after that I don't have a clue. I had other plans, but now things have changed." She knew what I meant but wasn't about to bring it up again, at least not right now. "You know your cousin Mark is over there but I guess he won't be back for another three or four months. I heard last week they plan on pulling everyone out by the end of the year. I'll sure be glad to see everyone come home, especially right around Christmas time." I didn't have the heart to tell her that there wasn't a chance in hell that was going to happen. As I said before, you could only believe ten percent of what you heard on the news. Friday night John picked me up first. After that we grabbed his girlfriend Jenny we headed out to pickup her friend. "Steve, her name is Cindy and she's a nurse at the University Hospital. She's not as skinny as Ann, but she is really nice." And if she added she had a great personality I probably would have ran screaming from the car. I guess I kind of expected a short, fat broad by their description but was pleasantly surprised she was neither. I did the nice thing by going up to the door to pick her up and only got the second degree from her father. When he asked what I did for a living and I told him I was a Marine; I saw a smile come across his face. "I was a Marine too; Semper Fi," he said shaking my hand. "Been to Viet Nam yet?" "Just got home," I replied hoping he wouldn't start asking me questions. "Cindy you take good care of him, he's a damn war hero," he said finally letting my hand go. "Cindy, we better get going, they're waiting out in the car for us." "You kids get out of here and have fun, but not too much," he said looking at me. We basically ran out. "Sorry about that. My dad wants to see and size up every guy I go out with. So, you are a war hero?" "Nope, I just spent twelve months at the wrong tropical resort." Everyone thought that was funny. We went out and grabbed a bite to eat and ended up at the local drive-in movie. It was a horror triple feature so we'd be here for at least the next three to four hours. John and I went out to the trunk and grabbed the cooler of beer and the bag of munchies. We had it all so we just sat back and relaxed. All right so I didn't relax. John was right, Cindy was an animal. "What do you mean you don't have any condoms? I'm not on the pill and there's no way I'm going to let you just try and pull out. I neither need or want a baby right now," she told me in no certain terms. Chapter 03: Dear John "I'm sorry, I didn't expect to be doing it in the back seat with John and Jenny up front." "Why, are you shy? You're not a virgin are you? I've never been with a virgin before," she now said smiling. "No I'm not a virgin, but I usually don't do it with an audience in the next seat." "You are shy, no matter, there's a ton of things we can do to pass the time," she said taking off her shirt. She was right we did a ton of other thing in lue of actually doing the big nasty. Cindy had a great set of tits with nipples almost as thick as my thumb. She did have a thick bush that I thought I'd need a machete just to get through but after I took off her panties it made it a lot easier. John never told me she was loud or a screamer. I let my fingers work their magic on her clit as I fingered her wet hole. For all the experience she was supposed to have had, she was still tight as I worked in my middle finger while she pushed up to get every fraction of an inch. "Jesus Christ that feels good," she said as I worked her pussy and pulled on her nipples with my teeth. "Right there, that's right, rub it harder," she instructed moving my fingers to exactly where she wanted them. "Oh God yes," she yelled out as I felt her climax fucking my hand before coming down. "That was nice, not as good as a dick, but good none the less," she said kissing me. I heard the two from the front seat laugh. "Oh God yes." I heard Jenny scream out and then laugh out loud. "Oh Steve, you are so big, I don't know if I'm going to be able to handle all of you," she continued as she and John laughed away. "Don't pay them any mind," Cindy said kissing me again. "They're just jealous that I know what I like and I don't have a shy bone in my body. I'm not ashamed to say I like sex. I love everything about it but I am very selective of who I take to bed and like I said, I'm damn careful. So, if that makes me a slut so be it but I know plenty of guys who also fit that profile," she said lighting up a cigarette. "If it's a guy, they're experienced, but if it's a girl, she's a slut; sounds like a double standard to me anyway." I opened a beer and shared her cigarette. We watched the move for a few minutes so she could at least tell her dad she did without lying to him before we went back to relaxing so to speak. "You must be all hot and bothered watching me get off like that. I think it's past time I give you a little relief," she said unbuckling my belt. "Let's see what kind of gift you're hiding from me," as she unzipped me and pulled my pants down past my knees. When I was about to say something she just gave me that look. "Steve, I need to see it all. I don't fuck around trying to give a guy a blowjob with it sticking out of a damn zipper; this is a lot easier on the both of us and you'll get a lot more pleasure from it, believe me. I guess I maybe was a little shy with my dick out there for everyone to see but that only lasted about ten seconds before Cindy started to work her magic and I do mean magic. I'd had blowjobs in the past, or what I thought were blowjobs but they didn't hold a candle to what she was doing to me right now. "Holly fuck," is all my brain could muster as she clamped onto my dick as she caressed and occasionally licked my balls. My legs were spread as far apart as I could get them as she knelt between my legs as she drove me up the wall. She would force my dick between her tight lips and then pull off raking her teeth across my shaft as her lips sucked back all the saliva she'd coated my dick with. I was in heaven and getting too close. More than once I thought I was going to blow the top of her head with my cum only to be bit or have the head of my dick squeezed until the feeling had subsided, I couldn't take too much more as I now massaged her head and fucked her face. "Does my baby want a little relief," she said looking at me stroking my dick with one of her hands. "Oh God yes," I told her as I maneuvered her head over my dick. She smiled and sucked me down in one stroke between her warm lips. What she did for the next three minutes should be illegal as she gave me more pleasure than any actual fuck I'd ever had. I don't even know if I made a sound as I felt the feeling start in my toes as I felt the first spurt sucked from my dick. At this point Ann would stroke my dick while I shot off, but not Cindy; she sucked even harder. I was now pounding her face, my dick feeling like it was fucking the tightest pussy on this earth, she the massaged my balls making sure I was totally empty. I know it must have gone on for about fifteen minutes and she had to have swallowed at least two gallons because I spurted at least three times that I remembered. Finally, I literally had to pry her off my dick. It was now starting to hurt it was so sensitive. She must have swallowed every drop as she looked up at me and smiled. I reached down, dragged her up to my lips and kissed her, trading spit for the next twenty minutes while feeling up every square inch of her body especially her clit. We were both breathing hard and fogging up the back windows. Cindy drove her tongue down my throat climaxing again on my hand but we never stopped. I was just starting to get hard again when we finally took a little break. "Wow, it's been a while hasn't it?" she asked lighting up another cigarette and finishing up the last of my can of beer. Jenny and John now looked at us over the seat and wanted to know if we wanted to check into a motel. "Not without condoms," was her reply. If the drug stores would have been open we would have done just that but it was ten-thirty and every place had been closed hours ago. We made out for the next hour before she gave me another fantastic blowjob. It wasn't as good as the first one, but it was the second best one I'd ever had. The next night I told my mom I wasn't coming home. We checked into the HiLo Motel and told them we wanted a room in the back. John and Jenny had the room directly across from ours and we waved saying we'd see them in the morning, late morning I added shutting the door. "I want to take a shower with you," I told her unbuttoning her blouse. "Steve, I'm clean, I just took a shower a couple of hours ago. "I didn't say you weren't clean, I just want to take a shower with you," I said leading her by the hand. We stayed in there until the water started to get cold. We washed each other and explored what we had last night and a few other places. We didn't even dry off, we just ran to the bed sopping wet. We rolled around on the sheets kissing and somewhat drying ourselves off. When I rolled Cindy onto her back and moved in between her legs all she did was smile. I just hoped I was half as good as she was. As soon as I move in close, I wished I'd brought along a pair of scissors or maybe hedge trimmers. At least now I saw what her pussy looked like up close and personal. She had thick outer lips; thin small inner ones and a clit that was hidden by another flap of skin, but not for long. I licked and suck until it finally came out to play. I don't know if anyone was in the two rooms next to ours, because if there were, they weren't sleeping. Cindy was now telling the whole world that I was hitting all the right spots. He first climax was massive, and she told me to just leave my tongue out while she moved her whole pussy over it depositing a thick layer of her juices on my tongue. After a short make out session, I was at it again. This time her clit was already out so I teased it with a finger while working my tongue inside her. She must have liked it since she was now trying to muffle her screams by putting a pillow over her head. When I stated running my tongue up and down her slit from her clit to her rosebud she lost it for the second time as I rammed my tongue in as far as it would go. "Enough of this shit," Cindy said ripping open a condom and slipping it on me after she'd given me about five sucks to get me good and hard. We started off in the missionary position but soon after she rolled me over saying she wanted to control our first fuck. While she rocked and ground her pussy onto my dick, I used my thumb to stimulate her clit that was being racked over my lubricated shaft. God I was in heaven. I only lasted a couple of minutes more. I filled the head of the condom to over flowing, and she finally fell foreword onto me. We stayed that way for a couple of minutes before she, or should I say we, started kissing again. "See, I told you made a mistake by forgetting the condoms last time," Cindy said rolling off me. "Come on, let's take another shower, I enjoyed it the first time but I think we're going to enjoy it even more the second time," and we did. We spent the entire night having sex in one way or another. Sometime after two o'clock we fell asleep holding on to one another. I was tired and very sore. I hadn't ever had that much sex in a single night and needed to recharge my batteries. I woke to a warm mouth bringing me back to life again. The only thing I could see was a head of blonde hair bobbing up and down on my dick. "Oh, did I wake you?" Cindy said with this innocent look on her face. "I figured I'd just get him a little hard and ride him for a bit while you slept. "So honey, just go back to sleep and I'll try to be quiet," she told me as she went back to what she was doing. Yeah right, like I could sleep through this. I was hard, I was rock hard and true to her word she threw a leg over and impaled herself on my dick. "See, I told you I wouldn't bother you much as she rocked and ground her pussy onto my dick. Then it dawned on me, we were doing this flesh to flesh. "Ah Cindy, I'm not wearing a rubber," I told her in a mater of fact voice. "I know that, how stupid do I look? I just love the feel of an uncovered cock and your only going to get a stroke or two more before I climb off and cover you up." God damn it felt good. Three strokes later I was covered and pounding her from behind as I looked at her rosebud and wondered if I dared; maybe next time I thought as I finished in her pussy. We did it once more before taking our third shower and getting dressed. "You're not wearing your panties?" I asked her as I saw her stuff them in her purse. "And I'm not wearing my bra either if you're interested," she said flashing that evil smile I'd started growing accustom to. John and Jenny were already up having coffee when I knocked on their door. "I guess you two had fun last night. I guess the whole fucking motel knows the two of you had fun last night," he said looking at Jenny. "I told you they would hit it off." We checked out and stopped off for breakfast at a Denny's. "Steve, I have to work tonight, but I get off at two am. If you're interested you can pick me up and we can go to my place after that." "And have your father catch us, I think not. I survived a year of being shot at, I'd hate to die at the hands of your father." "But he likes you." "Yes he does, but he loves you a whole lot more." I told her we'd figure something out. We dropped off Cindy and like a good gentleman I walked her to the door and got a good morning kiss and a little tongue. Next was Jenny and finally John dropped me off. "Hey man, you don't have to marry the girl, only fuck her," he said with his usual stupid grin. To this day I don't have a clue what Jenny saw in him. I told John I would give him a call later. I'd promised to take my mom to church. I walked through the door and my mom gave me the look, as she was finishing up her coffee. "I know, you don't have to say a word but I'm back in plenty of time to take you to church." Twenty minutes later I was dressed and on my way to twelve o'clock mass with my mom and two younger sister. It was packed, like always. It seemed that everyone who partied down on Saturday night would drag their asses to the last mass of the day. I knew eighty- five percent of the people in church as everyone I knew greeted me. "Glad your back, God bless, you'll have to come over and have dinner with us," and a hundred other greetings and invites came as everyone saw my mom glowing because her son was home safe at last. I was just thankful the priest didn't say anything. Dad always cooked Sunday dinner and we were having ham with all the fixings. I drove over to pick up my grandma and we had a wonderful meal. God, I'd missed this as I sat back and let my dinner settle. About six thirty I volunteered to take grandma home. I stopped in to say hi to my cousins who lived next door and it wasn't until almost eight o'clock before I headed back to my house. As soon as I walked through the kitchen door I knew something wasn't right. It was much too quiet for our house. When I turned the corner I saw why. "Hi Steve, Ann said as she sat on the couch next to my mom. "Ann stopped over to see you honey, isn't that nice?" my mother said trying to gage my reaction. "Ann, what do you want?" "I just want to talk to you Steve, that's all." I almost gave her a flip answer but I saw the look mom was giving me. "Why don't we go outside where it's a little more private," I said looking at my dad and the rest of the clan now staring at us. We went from the kitchen into the garage. "Ann what the hell do you want?" "I just want to say how sorry I am. I didn't mean for any of it to happen." "I know, you're sorry, I'm sorry, the whole fucking world is sorry, but it doesn't change a thing. I hope you and Keith have a wonderful fucking life together." "Steve, Keith and I aren't together anymore," she said getting teary eyed. "Let me guess. He said he loved you and he was going to dump his fiancé so you could be together. He fucked you for what? Two weeks before he started making excuses why he couldn't go out with you. Then he told you he wasn't going to drop his fiancé for you and that he also was sorry. Is that about how it happened?" I asked as sarcastically as possible. You'd think I was clairvoyant by the way Ann looked at me. "How did you know? Who did you talk to?" "I didn't talk to anyone, I didn't have to. Ann, he played you like a used fiddle. He saw a vulnerable girl, alone and missing her boyfriend. You told him everything didn't you?" Ann nodded and said yes. "He told you exactly what you wanted to hear and it took, what a month at the most for you to fall under his charm. Hell I saw it happening all way from Nam when your letters became more factual than loving." "I'm so sorry Steve, can you forgive me?" "Can I forgive your stupid behavior probably in time, but I'll never forget what you did. You were close, so fucking close to making it. Three more months and I would have been home and we had it all. All our plans, our future together all out the window because you couldn't keep your legs together." "Can we try again? Start over?" "Why? Do you think I'll be able to trust you again? Every day I was away I'd be thinking who's she fucking today; it wouldn't be worth it. But I did bring you home something," I said leading her back into the kitchen. I left her there and ran upstairs with everyone starting to mill about. The box was about two foot square and I'd shipped it home three weeks before I left. "Here," I said handing it to Ann. "I won't need these anymore. I think I know everyone by heart I read them so often. I was going to burn them but I figured they belong to you. I guess you just let me borrow them until you found someone you loved more. Just a minute, I almost forgot the most important one,' I said pulling a folded up letter out of my back pocket. "Here, now you've got them all. "Steve, please," she said starting to say something. "Ann, take your shit and get the fuck out of here and my life. I hope you burn in hell for what you did to us." With that I opened the back door and watched a tearful Ann walk out for the last time. "Stephen, that was cold and totally unnecessary," my mom yelled at me. "You go out there right now and apologize to her, it wasn't all her fault." "Dad, if mom cheated on you, would you apologize to her?" My dad looked at me, then my mom. He shook his head no and walked back into the living room. "I thought not." One down one to go. I picked up Cindy at shortly after two o'clock. She was tired, I was tired but she still wanted a little nookie; doesn't this girl ever get enough? We had a bite to eat at a twenty-four hour greasy spoon and between her trying to cave in the top of my head and me getting her off by hand twice I still got her home by three-fifteen. "You free tonight?" "What time?" "I'll be off by ten tonight, I switched shifts with a friend." "What do you want to do? A movie, dinner, a roll in the sack; your choice," I told her. "Why don't we play it by ear and see what suits us when you pick me up?" It was a date of sorts I guess. "You still banging Cindy?" John asked the next morning. "I'm not sure banging is the right word, but yes we're still going out." "I heard that you tossed Ann to the curb yesterday." Now I was interested. It had only happened twenty-four hours ago and it was all ready around town? "Jenny heard it from a girl Ann works with. I guess she's a wreck; what did you say to her?" "Not a lot, just enough to let her know how displeased I was with the Dear John letter." "Wish I could have been there, I hate a fucking cheater." I just looked at him. "What?" was his only stupid reply. I had Jenny do me a favor because I didn't want to go to jail for beating the shit out of Ann's ex squeeze. It took two days but it was well worth the wait. As I said, Jenny made a few calls and John did the legwork by following Keith after he got off work. For two days he logged where he went and what time he finally got home. I was debating what to do but finally decided to hurt him the way he'd feel it the most. Keith pulled into his fiancé, Tina's driveway shortly before seven. He didn't recognize the car parked right behind hers but figured it was just one of her girlfriends. He took out his key and walked up to her door. When he unlocked the deadbolt and pushed the door he found that she had the safety chain on. "Tina," he yelled through the crack in the door. "You've got the safety chain on. Tina," he yelled one more time before he saw movement on the stairs. "Honey, it's me, open up the door will you?" Tina came to the door in a short pink robe and he could tell she had nothing on underneath. "Now, this is the way I want to be greeted every night after we get married," he thought to himself. "Keith close your eyes, I have a surprise for you sweetheart." She led him up the stairs and down the hall to her bedroom. Keith could smell the scented candles and figured he was in for one hell of a night. "Ok, open your eyes," she told him. "What the fuck?" "Hi Keith good buddy," I said naked as a jaybird lying on Tina's bed. Tina then dropped her robe and joined me on the bed. "Who in the hell is this?" "Steve, you know Ann's ex boyfriend. You remember Ann don't you?" "Tina, I don't know what he's told you, but it's all lies," Keith said talking a mile a minute. "What lies would that be?" "You know, about Ann and me; I never touched her." "Like I never touched Steve? Like I never gave him a blowjob or allowed him to eat me until I went wild and gave him what you've been asking me to do for the last twelve months. I never knew anal sex could be such a turn- on," she said kissing me with a lot of tongue. So to answer your question, yes, we did have that conversation what three hours ago?" she said now looking at me. "Can't really remember, was it before or after lunch? I forget," I said now smiling from ear to ear. "I'm going to kill you, you son of a bitch." Chapter 03: Dear John With that I stood up and told him that was fine with me but if he didn't kill me, he'd live to regret it. The asshole gave up before he even started. "Keith please leave and don't ever call me again. We're finished and you can pick up your shit tomorrow; it'll be in a trash bag on the driveway. I thought about burning it all but Steve talked me out of it, why I haven't a clue. So if you don't mind, can you please leave, Steve and I still have some unfinished business; you know your way out," she said kissing me and stroked my dick. Destroyed, totally destroyed and I didn't even skin a knuckle. We waited until we heard the door slam before we got off the bed. "You think he bought it?" "Hook, line and sinker," I told her. "You know, we could do at least a few of those things I told him we did; all but the anal that is." "As much as I'd love to," I said tweaking her nipple, "I'd be no better than him because all it would be is a revenge fuck." "Don't you think you'd like it?" "Hell yes, but you deserve more than a quick roll in the hay with someone you met just two hours ago." "Steve, you're a good man. If when you get out and you're not taken, maybe you can give me a call. You know, for old times sake," she said kissing me again. "Last chance." I did the honorable thing, damn it. I got what I came for and I was leaving with my head held high but with a raging hard-on. "What are we doing Cindy?" I asked as we finished our second session of the night. "It is true, you went the whole twelve months without getting laid. I called John a damn liar but it is true. Wow, no wonder you're so horny. Come to momma and she'll take care of you," she said me trying to get me hard again. "Cindy, stop for a minute will you," I said not believing I was telling this sexy girl not to blow me again. "What are we doing here, you and I? Is it just sex or anything else?" I guess I took her a little bit by surprise. "Steve, we're enjoying each others company what do you think we're doing?" "To tell you the truth, I haven't a clue. The first couple of nights were great. Hell, it was the best sex of my life but is that all it is?" Cindy lit a cigarette. "Go on, I want to hear this," she said blowing the smoke towards me. "All right, here it is, I like you." "Be still my heart, Steve, I like you too," she said kind of mocking me. "I mean I really like you. Your smart, independent and know what you want. You don't care about what others think of you and you're really a caring person." "And I'm great in bed, right?" "Great doesn't even come close to describing what you do, but it's more than that." "Steve, I've had a total of four boyfriends and I cheated on all four. I didn't mean to, it just happened when they weren't around. Well, I guess Tommy was technically there but he was in the next room," she said babbling on. "What I'm trying to say, I'm not good at it." "Ever want to try again? You know, number five?" "Steve, I'm scared. I like you and have had a fantastic time with you. You're not bad in bed," she said with a laugh as I frowned. "You treat me as something more than a place to drop your load and get off with, but girl- friend boyfriend, I don't know." "Think about it will you?' She finally agreed and we went back to trying to knock each other's socks off. "Not bad, I'll show her not bad," I said to myself. My last week was hard for everyone around me. My family as getting used to me being home and Cindy now said I was better than average but she added that she was also grading on a curve. I almost asked her one night how many guys she'd slept with but figured all it would do was make me feel that much more inadequate. We still went out every night and switched having dinner at either her parents or mine. She got some her friend to swap schedules so we had most nights to each other. It was Friday night and we were back at the HiLo Motel. The night clerk gave us a funny look when we checked in and put us in the far end room towards the back. I was flying out Sunday morning so we had only two days left. I thought Cindy was trying to kill me or at least damage me enough where I couldn't fly out Sunday. We did things that were banned in the King James Bible and most southern states including Florida. "You going to miss me?" she asked snuggling up to me. "You know I will," I said kissing her and then sucking on her bottom lip. "I'm going to miss the hell out of you. How much time do you actually have left before you're finally discharged?" "A total of ninety-two days counting Sunday." "And you're going to be in Barstow, California the whole time? I looked on the map, and there really isn't anything there, do you know that?" "It's a supply depot in the middle of the desert just south of Twenty-nine Palms which is the other Marine base. If you think Barstow is bad, Twenty- nine Palms is the arm pit of all the bases in California." "Will you write me?" she asked. "Everyday." "Good, this way I'll be able to keep tabs on you." "What do you think, I'll find some woman marine to replace you?" "Steve, stranger things have happened." "Not to me babes, remember Ann?" "Steve, I'm going to try my best to be good, but you've got to keep in contact with me to make me strong, do you understand? I've never gone four weeks without sex and ninety-one days is going to really push my endurance to the limit." "Look, I don't want to make you crazy or for you to hate me because you think I'm forcing you to do this. All you have to know is that I want to see you when I get back, ok?" I think it was more than ok with her. She kept mentioning the number five all the way to the airport. "My dad said to tell you Semper Fi, whatever that means. And to thank you for taking care of his little girl." "You didn't tell him everything we did, did you?" "What are you nuts? He still thinks I'm a virgin and am saving myself for my wedding night. He still looks on me as his little girl." I kicked her out at the door to the terminal. It would be just too damn hard for the two of us at the gate. "Call me when you get there and no flirting with the stewardesses," she said making me promise. We kissed twice more and she was gone. I got into Barstow at one o'clock in the morning. I was wearing shorts and a short sleeve shirt; I froze my ass off. Who would have thought it would be this damn cold in the desert; isn't it supposed to be hot all the time? I was given a bunk in a large barracks and settled in. I called Cindy and said I missed her all ready. They put me in charge of a cash sales outlet that was staffed by all women civilians. All were over forty and had worked on base for at least the last ten years. They took me under their wing and I became their adopted son. The cash sales was adjacent to the company pool so every day at lunch I swam laps for my full hour. Sometimes they would tell me to just stay by the pool and if they needed me they knew where to find me. I told them about Nam, Ann and Cindy. Or should I say just a little about Cindy; after all, I didn't want to embarrass them. I wrote Cindy every day and called her once a week on either Friday or Saturday night. After six weeks, when I called her on Saturday night, her dad informed me she was out on a date. Shades of Ann went through my head. I guess deep down I knew Cindy would never make it through the full ninety days, but I was pulling for her just the same. After that I just wrote but not every day any longer, and didn't call on the weekends either. She sent me letters but she seemed agitated that I wasn't calling her on the weekends and wanted to know why. I tried once more on a Saturday a month later. "Hi Steve, how's California?" her dad asked. "Hot and dry but I'm almost done. Cindy around? I asked. "You just missed her, she went out on a date." "Fuck," I said under my breath. "I'll tell her you called, she be sorry she missed your call." I thanked him and hung up. Guess I didn't even warrant a Dear John letter this time. It beats me why I continued to write her, I guess I was just bored and didn't have any thing better to do. The NCO club was small and although I made a few friends I would be gone soon so I was just marking time before I was out. But she wrote, I wrote to her and everyone else. I felt like I was dealing with Ann again. They wanted me to re-up. I told them thanks but no thanks. I enrolled at the University of Minnesota College and was given a two-week early out so I could register and start classes in the second summer session. This time I told everyone I was coming home, including Cindy. Why is it I always got the late night flights? It didn't really bother me because I could always sleep. I reread Cindy's last two letters that went on and on saying basically nothing; I think she finally lost it. I finally fell asleep the last hour before we landed. I figured my dad would be the one to pick me up so I was looking for him when I got off the plane, but it was Cindy who met me. She ran into my arms and kissed me nonstop for the next five minutes as everyone else getting off the plane had to walk around us. I didn't say anything but just starred at her. "Come on, let's get the hell out of here," she said beaming. "Your dad dropped off your car at my place last night so I could pick you up." I got my duffel and we headed out to the parking garage, it was a lot warmer this time. When I threw my stuff in the trunk, she gave me my keys and we got in. "Cindy why are you here?" I asked to a now stunned Cindy. "What do you mean why am I here? I've been waiting for you for the last ninety-one days, do you have any idea how hard that was for me?" "It couldn't have been too hard, every time I called you were out with some guy on a date. At least you didn't send me a Dear John letter but I kind of wish you had so I wouldn't have to go through this shit all over again." Cindy looked at me like I was crazy. "Steve, what the hell are you talking about? I didn't go out with any guys while you were gone. Where in the hell did you get that idea?" "Cindy your dad told me; are you calling your dad a liar?" "Drive, just fucking drive to my house," she said. I could see the steam coming out of her ears. We drove in complete silence until we pulled up to her house. "Come with me," she yelled bolting from the car. Cindy ran into her house yelling for her dad. It was six AM and her dad was still in bed. He walked out rubbing his eyes and when he saw me he smiled. "Welcome back Steve, you finally done?' Cindy immediately cut in. "Dad, remember when Steve called me and you said I wasn't home, what did you tell him?" "I told him you were out on a date." "A date, you told him I was on a date?" "Yeah, a date, you, Jenny and Sue. What's the problem?" "What's the problem? Steve thought I was out with some guy, that's what the problem is." "I'm sorry Steve, if I led you to believe Cindy was stepping out on you. Hell, she spent most of her nights working overtime to save money." I looked at her and she at me. "See, I told I wasn't screwing around on you. Steve, why in the hell didn't you say something?" "I just thought I had another Ann on my hands." "Thanks a lot Steve," Cindy said folding her arms in front of her. "Putting me in the same category as Ann. I probably shouldn't even give you your surprise." "Babes, I'm sorry. "Thanks dad, at least for straightening out the mess you made," Cindy said taking me by the arm. "Before you say another word let me talk. I haven't been with anyone since the day you left," she said smiling at me. It about killed me but I wanted to see if I could do it, not only for you but for me also. Maybe I am finally starting to get it together and grow up. So right now I'm as pure as the driven snow, well almost anyway. I've got a room booked for us at the HiLo Motel and told them I wanted one all the way in the back. I told your mother she wouldn't see you until tomorrow but you'd call her when you got in. There's a six pack of beer in our room and we can always have a pizza delivered if you get hungry," she said going on and on. "Is there anything you didn't take care of?" I said smiling and moving over for another kiss. "If there is, we'll pick it up on the way." I called mom and said I'd see her tomorrow. I think I caught a bit of a snicker when she told me not to have too much fun. A good Catholic mom would never say that would she? Anyway we did have fun. I swear to God I thought she was going to kill me. Thankfully I'd slept the last hour of the flight because we didn't get much sleep in the next twenty-four hours. All I remember her saying is how much she missed me and especially how much she missed having sex with me. We drove over to my house the next day and my mom greeted me with a big kiss and hug. "Well, I see you're still alive. By the way Cindy's been mopping around here for the last two months I figured you'd both be walking a little funny." If I didn't know any better, I would have swore I saw Cindy blush. I started school and we became exclusive. Being the low person on the totem pole, she got most of the garbage shift hours but at least the changed every three months. Between my classes, homework and her working we struggled to make a go of it. After eight months sneaking in any hours we could I made a decision. "Cindy, what would you say to us moving in together?" I sprung on her one Saturday night at dinner; well it was pizza and a beer on my parents' deck. She didn't answer, she didn't have to, her kiss said it all. "You know my dad is going to hate the idea and your mom and dad are not going to like it much either; but I love the idea." She was right we had a fight on our hands. We heard all the things we expected. I was still in school, how would we live, what was the big hurry and didn't we know we'd be living in SIN, in Gods eyes anyway. I had all the right answers worked out. The V.A. money would be enough to pay my books and tuition along with food. With Cindy working full time and me part time we'd have more than enough money. Then came the tough one. I told them I wasn't going to get married until after I graduated and got a full time job. "Mom, living with her twenty four seven will only bring us closer together and don't lay the guilt trip on me about what everyone will say. And if you haven't guess by now we know each other in the biblical sense but are making sure there won't be any additions to our family. My dad was ok with it from the start but her dad was a different matter. The phrase why would a guy marry a girl when he can get the milk for free were the first words out of his mouth. Her mother didn't like it either but after Cindy had a private talk with her she came around. I guess her father didn't like the fact that his little girl was growing up. Since we weren't giving them a choice, they finally accepted it and even helped us decorate. Her dad wanted a key but Cindy told him flatly no way. It felt really weird coming home to each other for a while. We could do anything we wanted, whenever, and we took full advantage. When the neighbor lady came to our door and talked to Cindy she told me we had to keep it down after eleven o'clock at night. I guess her husband told her that they should be doing it more after hearing us every night. Life was pretty good. Fifteen months after we moved in I decided to take it to the next level. Cindy got off work at two-thirty in the morning and had pulled a double shift. She was bone tired as she dragged her ass into the apartment. We kissed and I talked her into taking a shower with me. "Steve, I know your not going to believe this, but all I want to do is sleep tonight. I promise I'll take care of you in the morning." We made out in the shower, but I even balked when she tried to give me a blowjob. I dried off my girl and put her to bed. I gave her a half ass back rub because she fell asleep on me ten minutes after I started. I waited until I knew she was dead asleep before I took out the ring and slipped it on her finger. I didn't get much sleep that night. Sometime during the night she'd come over and was now pressed against my side. I was awake by eight o'clock and was just waiting for her. I took a strand of her hair and dragged it across her face. She twitched the first time and tried to wipe it away the second and third times. Every time I did it, I'd pretend to be asleep breathing deeply and not moving. The last time I dragged it under her nose and left it there and she wiped her face with her hand and was finally awake. I waited and waited; but nothing happened. I moved a little bit closer to her, pretending I was half asleep. Finally, finally after almost ten minutes our world erupted. I heard, "what the hell?" and then, "holy shit," as she started bouncing on the bed. "Babes, can you hold it down a little, I'm trying to sleep," I said trying not to laugh. "Steve, yes, yes, yes, yes," she shouted jumping on me kissing me all over my face. "Cindy what are you talking about?" I said before smiling and losing it. I know it was early and Cindy made way too much noise but we were celebrating this morning. I guess we could have called her parents and mine but she was wound way too tight. After a quick shower we hit her parents' house than mine. The first question from both sides was, when? "Not until I graduate," was my only reply. That gave them almost eighteen months to get it planned. John and Craig thought I was nuts but their girlfriends were all in an uproar. I guess they were now looking at their own relationships. "Thanks buddy," were their exact words. It was a fast eighteen months as there was always something to do or look at. I let them make ninety percent of the decisions, but I did put my foot down when the guest list hit one hundred and fifty. "Cindy, I wanted a small casual wedding with just family and a few close friends. I don't want this to be a social event or a splash." She cut back the guest list and her father privately thanked me. It went on without a hitch. We had a short honeymoon because money was tight after the wedding. We were happy like any newlyweds should be. The guy next door told me that because of us his sex life was a lot better and he'd kill me if we ever thought about moving. We had our first disagreement six months after we got married. Cindy was reading the newspaper when she saw an announcement. She dragged my ass to the mall and we went shopping for a wedding gift, for Ann. Against my objections, Cindy sent a beautiful crystal bowl to her as a wedding present. When I asked why? She just looked at me and said, "You're the college boy, you figure it out." Guys can be so brain dead sometimes.