0 comments/ 78709 views/ 36 favorites O'Malley's Angel By: LSanders Tom tugged on the collar of his coat in a vain attempt to thwart the relentless wind. He braced himself to turn the corner and head directly into it. Once he did the ice crystals hiding in the snow bit him like razors. Since he had to hold his hat on his head anyway, he was able to use his arms to help protect his face. The roads were basically deserted. The few brave souls that were out competed for space along the walls. Tom wondered if anyone would be in O'Malley's. As soon as he opened the outer door to the alcove, he was greeted with sweet heat and raucous cheers. "You can't let a little thing like a nor'easter keep an Irishman away from a bar on a Friday night," he mused. He shook the ice and snow off his coat and stamped his feet before walking through the inner door. "Birdman!" screamed Jimmy Barnes. Several of the guys crowded around the bar ran over to greet Tom, slapping him on the back and ushering him to a seat of honor in front of the main plasma screen behind the bar. The previous evening, the championship basketball game of the Boston Pub League was held, pitting O'Malley's against their arch from the Emerald Grill. With two seconds to go in overtime, Tom launched a 3-pointer from the top of the key that settled softly into the net just as the buzzer sounded: O'Malley's 57 -- Emerald Grill 56. The nickname Birdman was bestowed on Tom in honor of Larry Bird of their beloved Celtics. "Anything he wants, Kelly!" yelled Dave England. "You got it!" answered the bartender, winking at Tom. "Tommy! Give your uncle a hug," yelled Matty above the din. Matthew Colin O'Malley owned the bar and became Tom's substitute father when his own dad died ten years earlier fighting one of the worst fires in Boston in the last fifty years. Tom smiled and hugged his gregarious uncle. "Did you see the faces on those fuckers when that ball sailed through the hoop? I thought they were gonna cry like babies!" he said laughing. "Lucky shot," Tom replied humbly. "Luck, huh? That's why you're Irish, laddie!" Matty answered. He looked up just in time to see LeBron slash to the basket and get fouled. "Jesus, Mary and Joseph!" Tom shook his head and turned back toward the TV. Almost everyone's attention was focused on the game showing on four of the five screens in the bar. The Celtics were leading the Cavaliers 93 to 92 with four and a half minutes to go. LeBron James was unstoppable, but so was Paul Pierce for the Celts. On the far right of the bar was the fùtbol TV, the only conventional television in the bar. It was reserved for soccer, tennis and any other sport that didn't involve the Celtics, Red Sox or Bruins. According to Matty, those were the only real Boston teams. He considered the Patriots nothing more than suburban yuppie wannabees and no protest, no matter how loud could convince him otherwise. He very reluctantly allowed the Patriots on his main screens ONLY if none of the other real teams were playing. During a commercial break, the noise subsided just enough so that Tom picked up what sounded like piano music coming from the rear of the bar. O'Malley's had a small stage at the back that was occasionally used for karaoke. There was a somewhat dilapidated piano on the stage, but it was usually out of tune and was generally only used by wandering drunkards hammering out some horrid ballad. Whoever was playing was no barfly. Tom was stunned to hear a skilled and soulful rendition of Memphis Slim Chatman's, "Whiskey Drinking Blues." Tom was a pretty fair amateur musician. He earned his way through Boston University playing in garage bands on the weekends and picking up any wedding or bar mitzvah that would have him. He played keyboards and sang, and occasionally his old group would get together and rock O'Malley's until the wee hours of the morning. "Hey, Tommy! Great game last night, man," said a smiling Jack Minton, grabbing Tom's hand and pulling him into a hug. Tom gave Jack a half smile and excused himself to fight through the crowd to find out who the dude was that was making love to the piano. The crowd was packed pretty tight, and it took him a couple of minutes to break through the wall of humanity. When he did, he was stunned to see the back of a petite young woman with long brown hair sitting at the keyboard. Matty walked over to Tom with a huge, proud grin on his face. "Ain't she something?" "Who is she?" Tom asked, spellbound by both the music and the woman. "It's the damnedest thing," Matty answered. "Right after I unlocked the doors this morning, this sainted vision of loveliness comes in, finds me and asks if she can rent the piano. I didn't know what the hell she was talking about. I thought she wanted to take it to a party or something. Then, she explains that she used to work clubs where the owner would rent her the piano so she could keep all the tips. I asked her to sit and play something. She took off her coat, Tommy, and began playing the tenderest version of "Danny Boy" that I heard in all my life. I get choked up now just thinking about it. When she finished, she turned to look at me with these big brown eyes and this shy smile. Son, my heart just melted away. I told her that not only would I pay her to play but that she could keep all the tips and all her food and drink would be comped. Then, I called up ol' Billy Sullivan and told him that if he didn't haul his sorry butt over here today and tune this piano, I was calling in his entire tab to be paid at once." Matty chuckled and added, "Needless to say, he figured it was easier to drive through the storm than it was to try and scrape together enough dough to pay his overdue bar bill!" Matty looked over at Tom and saw the wide-eyed look on his nephew's face, shook his head and went back to work. Tom walked over to the table nearest the piano, sat down and rested his chin on hand, totally enthralled. The woman turned her head when he sat down and looked at him through the tawny bangs that fell into her eyes. Only one other table with an older married couple was paying attention to the music. To Tom, the entire rest of the world just fell away. Her repertoire was astonishing. She moved so easily from the blues to jazz to rock that Tom was envious of her talent. He noticed she was playing the pedals barefoot. He also noticed the slinky navy floral print dress rode two-thirds the way up her willowy thighs as she played. When she stopped to take a break, Tom and the other couple applauded enthusiastically, and she flashed them a smile that was both grateful and unsure that she deserved the praise. Tom's heart started racing when she began walking straight toward him. She stopped at the other side of the table and picked up her glass to sip what looked like sparkling water through a straw. He hadn't noticed either the glass or her purse resting on the opposite chair. "Bravo! Bravo!" Matty cried as he approached the table. "Well, I see you met my nephew." The woman stopped sipping and smiled warmly at Matty, easily accepting Matty's hug. Her unblinking gaze returned to Tom as she said, "No, I don't believe I've had the pleasure." "Well, then, Tommy Callahan meet Laura Schlesinger." She extended her hand, and Tom grabbed it and kissed. "It is an honor to meet the owner of these gifted fingers." Laura smiled as she sat. "You know, Laura, Tommy's a musician too, so you two have a lot in common." She merely held her gaze. "Hey! Knock that shit off!" Matty yelled to a couple of soccer fans getting into each other's face and screaming. "How come you have to be an asshole to be a soccer fan?" Matty asked as he ran off to prevent a fight from breaking out. "So, you're a musician, huh?" Tom squinted his eyes and answered, "I used to think so ... until I heard you play. Tonight, I have been seriously humbled. Where did you study? Longy? The Conservatory?" "No," she answered chuckling. Tom looked confused. "What's so funny?" "I'm ... self-taught," she said with a self-conscious grin. "Self-taught!" Tom said, sitting back in his chair. "I'm confused. How does someone with no formal training play like that?" Laura set her glass down and answered, "It's hard to explain really. When I hear the music, I just know what to do. I ... just play." Tom's eyes grew wide. "Like that? Laura, I've known really good musicians who studied and practiced for years who couldn't even dream about doing what you just did." She was never comfortable being in the spotlight, and Tom's admiration was making her uneasy. She rose suddenly and said, "Well, break's over. I guess I better get back to work." Tom wrinkled his brow. "I'm sorry, Laura. Did I embarrass you?" She looked at the floor and answered, "No. I, uh, just need to ... uh ..." Tom stood up and grabbed her hands. "Please accept my apology. I shouldn't have been so nosy." She looked up at him and gave him a reticent smile. "Believe me; I'll be very happy keeping my trap shut and listening to you play." Her smile widened, and the look between them lingered as she edged her way back to the stage. Tom stretched out his long legs, folded his arms, sat back in his chair, and smiled the rest of the night listening to Laura play. As Laura slowly learned to relax around Tom, he got to know a little bit more about her over the next couple of weeks. She didn't play every night. Laura was a computer programming consultant, and she often had to go out of town on assignments. But, whenever she was there, Tom seated himself front row center. O'Malley's became an oasis for Laura. Matty was crazy about her, and the crowds slowly grew on the night she played. Tom was becoming more enchanted by the day. "I loved what you did with 'Tumbling Dice,'" Tom said with a smile when Laura sat at what had become their table during a break. She smiled broadly having learned to accept Tom's many compliments with grace. "I would never have thought of making those changes in the bridge." "Thanks." They talked as usual during the break, but as Laura made her way make to the stage, she stopped and turned to Tom. "You want to join me?" "Me?" "Yes," she said chuckling. "You see any other keyboard players hanging around?" "I don't see ANY other keyboard players when you're in the room." Laura rolled her eyes and walked back to him. She grabbed his hand and started hauling him toward the stage. "Something tells me you're way better than you pretend." Tom thought for a minute and then went over to turn on the amplifier. He adjusted the microphone so it hung over the piano bench. He sat down, and Laura joined him on the side of the bench. Tom began whistling into the microphone, and the crowd applauded at the familiar introduction to Billy Joel's, "The Stranger." Those watching might not have noticed, but Tom was very intimidated at playing in front of Laura. He chose this song because it had been one of the staples of his garage band days, and he'd played it about a 1,000 times. Laura was fascinated at how the crowd reacted to the combination of his playing and his singing. When he got to the end of the song, he got an enthusiastic reaction. "You seem to have a fan club," she said to him as she smiled. Tom shrugged. He was embarrassed that he got a bigger applause than had been given to Laura. "I basically live here," he explained. "They're just being polite so Matty won't throw them out." She continued to smile at him with the wheels rolling in her head. "No, it's more than that. You're good. They know it, and they like it." Now, it was Tom's turn to stare at the floor and mumble. Her eyes swept from the crowd and back to him. She arched one eyebrow and, with a devilish grin, asked, "They like Billy Joel, huh?" She asked Tom if he would mind moving, and she stood shoving the bench back hard with her leg to get it out of her way. Then, she launched into the lightening-quick prelude of "Angry Young Man," playing to absolute perfection. The crowd near the piano exploded into such a mammoth roar that everyone in the bar stopped what they were doing and focused on the music blazing from the piano at the rear of the bar. One die-hard Celtic fan yelled when the Paul Pierce threw down a monster dunk and was nearly assaulted when half the bar angrily screamed at him to shut the hell up. While she worked her way through the prelude, Tom reached up to unhook the microphone from the stand. As soon as she got to the verse, Tom began belting out the song. She'd been concentrating so hard on her playing that she was unaware he had grabbed the mike. She threw back her head howling in delight when he started singing, and she got even more into the song. The blending of Tom's vocals and the stunning brunette virtuoso's playing brought the whole bar to its feet. The crowd rocked and stamped and swayed to the pulse of the music. By the time Laura got to the blinding staccato finale, the audience gave them a deafening ovation worthy of Billy Joel himself. Tom and Laura looked at each with wall-to-wall grins. He bowed, Laura curtseyed, and they hugged each other with both of them laughing uproariously. After that, no one in O'Malley's gave a rat's ass about the Celtics. The crowd shouted song requests at them all night until Matty came down, took the mike from Tom and exonerated them. "Don't any of you have homes? Now, get the hell outa here ... until tomorrow, that is!" he added with a hearty laugh. The crowd gave Tom and Laura one more zealous ovation. Tom and Laura put their arms around each other's shoulders and bowed a final time before applauding the audience in return to thank them for their enthusiasm. Laura turned to Tom with a smile that looked like a kid's on Christmas morning. "That was so much fun! You have an incredible voice!" "My best concerts are usually in the shower ... at least until my neighbor bangs his shoe on the wall and screams at me to give him some fucking peace," Tom said laughing. Matty rushed over to them, gushing, and said, "Thanks, kids! Laura, I've owned this bar for 35 years, and I've never seen a crowd respond to music like that!" He looked at the goblet that was overflowing with so many bills they were spilling onto the floor. "That pretty much says it all. Tommy, you need to make sure this lovely lass gets home safe, okay?" Then, he hustled off to help Kelly get the place closed. "Well, you heard the man. Which direction are you?" Tom asked. "Thanks, but that's not nec ..." Tom put up a hand to stop her. "In O'Malley's, no one argues with Matty. So ..." She smiled and shook her head. "Two blocks east, off Revere." Laura was a bundle of energy all the way to her apartment. "I think my playing's always been too clinical. This, tonight, was from the gut. It was raunchy and raw and ... so damn much fun! Can we do this again?" Tom was laughing hysterically at her eagerness. "Absolutely! Any time." She squealed and hugged him. "Well, this where I get off," she said when they reached the portico at the entrance to her building. "Are you coming tomorrow?" Her face fell. "No. I have to be in Philadelphia in the morning, but I'll be back late Friday if you're free." Tom grinned. "I'll make myself free." Laura squealed again and kissed Tom on the cheek. "Great! It's gonna be a long week, but I'll see you Friday." Then, she ran into her building. Tom couldn't stop smiling all the way home. On Friday, Tom was sitting at the bar, munching on pretzels and watching "Sports Center," when a familiar voice greeted him. "Hey, stranger," Laura said as she removed her coat. Tom turned, broke into a huge smile, jumped off his stool and hugged her. "I'm so glad you're here. This place has been a tomb since you left," he said. She surveyed the rowdy crowd and answered, "So, I see." He offered her his seat, since the bar was packed. "Please, have a seat. What can I get you?" "Just a seltzer and lime, please." Tom hustled around the bar to fix her drink himself. Then, he returned to stand beside her. "Are you hungry? Aldo made a great brisket." She cocked her head and asked, "How is he with fish and chips?" He put his hand to his heart and answered, "The best in Boston." She smiled and responded, "Okay. One fish and chips." Tom smiled and said, "You're gonna be hooked!" He hustled off to the kitchen to submit the order. When he returned, she said, "You don't have to wait on me, you know. Matty has hired people to do that." "It's not the same, love. None of them have shared a stage with you. Speaking of which, just let me know when you're ready." "As soon as I get some food in me. I just landed a little over an hour ago and stopped by the apartment only long enough to toss in my bag before coming straight here." He grinned and said, "Couldn't stand to being away from us, huh?" She chuckled and replied, "Something like that." Before Tom could say anything else, Aldo came over and placed the steaming plate in front of her. "Here you are, miss. Tommy come back and says to me that I have to make everything fresh for ya. If I use anything from the warmer, he says he's gonna kick my ample ass! So, bon appétit!" he said with a wink. Laura poured on some malted vinegar and placed a bite in her mouth as Tom watched. "Well?" She sighed. "The best in Boston." "What'd I tell you?!" "Laura!" shouted Matty upon spying her at the bar. He hustled over to hug her. "This one here's been moping around like a dog without a bone since you left!" Tom turned red and said to Matty sarcastically, "Gee, thanks, Uncle Matty!" Laura laughed so hard she had to cover her mouth with her napkin. Matty threw out his hands and asked, "Well ... am I lying?" Tom turned to the television and asked, "So, Laura, who are you picking for the playoffs?" "He's so full of shit!" Matty declared. "I get that from my uncle," Tom shot back. Laura laughed hard, finding the interplay between them very entertaining. "So, do you feel like playing tonight?" As she laughed, Laura answered, "I've been looking forward to it all week." Matty let out a hoot and shouted to the bar patrons, "Hey, all you cheapskates! Laura's gonna play for us tonight, so don't spend quite all of your unemployment checks on whiskey! Save some of it for tips!" Many people in the earlier crowd turned to her and clapped. She smiled and acknowledged their applause. Then, Matty was off slapping backs and making lame jokes. "Your uncle is quite the character," she remarked to Tom. "Yes," Tom said looking at him work the crowd. "My mom always said she regretted dropping him on his head so many times when he was a baby, but without that he'd have no charm at all." Laura laughed even more. After she ate, she said, "Please tell Aldo that he truly is the master! So, you ready to do this thing?" "Definitely!" As they made their way to the stage, Tom asked, "So, what're we gonna open with." "Are you familiar with much of the Allman Brothers?" Tom grinned. "I could sing them in my sleep." Laura smiled. "Okay, just follow my lead." Once they were settled, Tom announced, "Ladies and gentlemen ... wait ... we don't have any gentlemen in here!" The men booed and cat-called while the women laughed and nodded in agreement. "It is my distinguished honor to give you ... the one ... the only, O'Malley's pride and joy ... Laura Schlesinger!" The crowd roared. Laura looked at Tom and mouthed, "You're bad!" Then she bowed to the audience and broke into a totally unruly version of "Statesboro Blues." As before, the crowd quickly forgot about everything else. In the middle of the song, Laura started jamming with some electrifying blues riffs. Tom had secretly called two of his buddies to hurry down to the bar. When she started riffing, he motioned for Clarence to come to the stage. Clarence pulled out his sax and started trading licks with her. She lit up like a Christmas tree when she realized what was happening. Tom's smile couldn't get any bigger as he winked at her. Before long, Bobby joined them and pulled out his Fender Stratocaster that had been hidden beside the piano and whipped off some wicked blues licks, complete with an aspirin bottle slide. The crowd was on its feet. Tables and chairs were quickly pushed back, and several couples danced and rocked to the beat. Matty, always the business man, opened the outer doors so the music could spill onto the sidewalk. Before long, the place was packed to the brim. The quartet kept the house rocking until well past the normal closing time. O'Malley's Angel As the night progressed, Tom often watched the back of Laura's silky brown hair fly as she shook her head. She was wearing another short, clingy dress. This one was yellow and played off the natural golden highlights in her hair. He melted every time she looked up at him with her bright, child-like smile. He suspected she'd never played with any kind of a band and figured she'd be in heaven. He was right. Matty finally shooed everyone out about 3:00 am. Laura was flushed and sweating from the evening. She gushed to the band, "Guys, that was AMAZING! Here, you split this," she said pushing the huge pile of tip money to toward them. Clarence grinned big, kissed her hand and replied, "Laura, baby, you ROCK! Believe me; we've been paid many times over just getting the opportunity to jam with you. You hang onto every single dollar and use it to buy yourself something nice." "Amen!" echoed a smiling Bobby. "Sweetness, that was the most fun I've EVER had outa bed! You are fucking incredible! I just hope we can do this again real soon." "Oh, my God, fellas ... any time!" "We'll hold you to that," shouted Clarence as he and Bobby walked out of the bar waving to Matty. She rushed up to Tom and gave him a big hug. "Thank you so much for that! This was definitely the best birthday ever!" she squealed with an enormous smile. Tom's eyes widened. "Today's your birthday?" Laura's smile faded into a shy grin. She shrugged and answered, "Yeah." "Why didn't you tell me? I would've taken you out on the town!" She looked at him sweetly and replied, "There's nothing on earth you could've done that would have come anywhere close to this! Thank you." Then, she kissed his cheek. On the walk to her apartment, Laura was so giddy she seemed to be reliving the entire evening note by note. Tom was floating on a cloud, knowing he'd made her so happy. "So, what're you gonna do with all that dough?" he asked. A big smile spread across her face as she answered, "Give it to the shelter. They'll finally be able to buy that new TV and gaming system with all of this." He looked puzzled. "Shelter?" "Yeah ... the women's shelter on Harrison." She saw his quizzical look and continued, "My mom and I had a pretty hard time when I was growing up, and the shelter probably saved our lives. All my tip money and anything else I can spare goes to them." Tom was dumbfounded. "That's ... so cool." He wanted to know more about her childhood, but they reached her building. At her door, she smiled and said, "Thanks, again, Tom, for a perfect evening." She turned to enter her building, but everything about the evening had been so wonderful that he felt like he was going to explode if he didn't touch her. He reached for her hand with the intention of pulling her into a kiss. When she turned around, her smile was quickly replaced by a look of sadness and confusion once she realized what he wanted to do. She jerked her hand away from him with tears forming in her eyes and said, "Tommy, I can't." She turned swiftly and ran through the front door. Tom stood on the sidewalk in shock. Three weeks had gone by, and there was no sign of Laura. Tom had sent flowers, cards and a gift basket to apologize and to plead with her to come back to O'Malley's. He promised to be on his best behavior. Still, there was no sign of her. He sat at a far table in the bar by himself with his head lying on his arm on the table. Matty pulled up a chair, turned it backwards, sat and said, "I think it's time you and I had a chat. You know what they say ... bartenders are the poor man's therapists." Before Tom could respond, a smiling customer ambled over to Tom and asked, "Tommy, where's your girlfriend?" Matty saw a tear form in his nephew's eye and saw his chin quiver. He turned to the customer with a stern look and shook his head no. The customer dropped his smile and crept away. "What happened between you and Laura?" Tom sniffed and swallowed hard. "I'm not really sure, Matty, but I think I fucked up." Matty was confused. "What exactly does 'fucked up' mean?" He sniffed again and replied, "Remember the night Clarence and Bobby came and played?" Matty nodded. "I walked Laura home. Just as she was about to go inside, I grabbed her hand to pull her into a kiss." He looked at his uncle with moist eyes. "She suddenly got this scared, sad look on her face and said she couldn't and ran into her building." A tear ran down his cheek as he added, "I'm crazy about her, Matty. I just feel so lost. I don't know what to do." "Did you try talking to her, to explain or apologize?" "I sent her cards and flowers. I even waited for her one night like a stalker. As soon as she saw me, she told the cab driver to drive away. I really ... thought we connected. I guess I was wrong." Matty sighed deeply and said, "Son, I don't know much, as your Aunt Katie will confirm." Tom smiled weakly. "But, I do know how that girl looked at you. She's nuts about you too, Tommy. Of that, I have no doubt!" "Then why'd she run away like that? Why won't she talk to me?" He shrugged. "I'm not sure, lad. But, something's keeping her from listening to her heart ... something from her past, maybe." He put his hand on Tom's shoulder. "One thing's for sure; she's way too special to let her just walk out of your life. Don't give up. Fight for her, Tommy. If you don't, you'll regret it forever." "But, how am I supposed to do that? She won't talk to me." "Think, my boy. You two were thick as thieves. She must have said something that'll spark an answer." He placed both hands on Tom's shoulders. "Look at me, son. You may have made some mistakes here and there, but loving Laura wasn't one of them. Go find her, Tommy." He gave Tom a smile and headed back to the bar. Tom replayed every conversation over and over in his head for the next few days. Finally, he decided to go visit the women's shelter. "Can you tell me who's in charge?" he asked the shocked women behind the reception desk. "I'm sorry; we don't give out any information on our guests. Now, you'll have to leave quietly, or I'll call the police," she said sternly. "No ... no ... I'm not here about a resident. My name's Tom Callahan, and I'm here about Laura Schlesinger. She donates to the shelter, and I have a few questions," he said smiling. The woman's stern face softened at the mention of Laura's name. "Laura? Oh, what a darling girl! What kind of questions?" Tom continued smiling as he calmly answered, "Private ones." Her expression changed to dubious. She cautiously picked up the phone and buzzed Marion Clark, the director. "There's a man here, a Tom Callahan, says he talked to Laura and has some questions ... private questions," she added with emphasis on the word, private, arching an eyebrow at him. She listened. "Uhm hmm ... Yes ... Seems harmless," she said into the phone, eyeing Tom up and down. Tom continued to look as pleasant and nonthreatening as possible. She straightened up and sighed, saying, "Okay." She hung up the receiver and told Tom he could go in. When the buzzer sounded, Tom entered the office area. He headed for the frosted glass door with the word, Director, on it and knocked. "Come in," said the woman from inside. Tom entered and walked toward her with a smile and his hand extended. "Hi, I'm Tom Callahan. Thank you for seeing me." "Marion Clark. Please have a seat," she said motioning to the chair in front of her desk. Now that Tom was here, he suddenly had no idea how to begin. She stared at him curiously. Finally, she broke the silence by asking, "You said something about Laura?" Tom was staring at the top of her desk, searching for words. "I -- I ..." She tilted her head and focused her eyes, studying him. "I wondered if ... I mean if you're allowed ..." "Young man, just spit it out. What are you trying to ask?" He looked up at her with scared eyes, which softened her expression. Whatever it was, she knew it was important to him. "I -- I wondered if you could tell me about her ... what brought her here and everything?" She searched his eyes and asked, "Why?" "I ..." When he felt himself losing his composure, he looked away. "She's very special." "Yes, she is." "What I mean is, she's very special to me." He gripped the arms of the chair hard as a tear escaped his eye and rolled down his cheek. He swallowed hard and continued, "The last time we -- we spoke ... she seemed so sad, that I was hoping to -- to maybe find out more about her." Marion clasped her hands together and put her elbows on her desk. She leaned forward and rested her chin on her hands as she considered Tom's inquiry and his motivation. "Why do you want to know?" Tom faced a moment of truth. "Ms. Clark ... I ... I think I'm falling in love with her." He dropped his head again. He could feel his chin quiver. "We met a couple of months ago, and we ... connected." His face softened as he recalled meeting Laura. "She was playing the piano in my uncle's pub. I'm a musician too ... well, sort of a musician. Anyway, enough of one to be overwhelmed by her talent. One night, she started playing, and I started singing, and the crowd went absolutely ape shit ..." he stopped and looked at her. Marion chuckled and said, "Don't worry. We all speak fluent French here." Tom smiled and continued, "Anyway, I've never felt this way about a woman before. She's the most enchanting woman I've ever met." He leaned in and looked at Marion. Suddenly, the phone buzzed, and the receptionist said, "Marion, Bruce Chaplin's on the line." "Charlotte, tell Bruce I'll call him back, and hold my calls, please." "But ... he said it's important." Marion's voice became stern, and she replied, "I said I want you to hold ALL my calls, Charlotte. Bruce can wait." Her gaze returned to Tom, and she asked, "You were saying?" Tom now had his elbows on her desk and had his face in his hands. "Ms. Clark, did you ever feel like you just discovered a hole in your heart that you never knew existed, and the only reason you discovered the hole is because you just met someone who filled it and made you complete?" She smiled knowingly and said, "'What lies behind us, and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.' Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote that." She looked at Tom and asked, "Is that the basic idea?" His head tilted up, and he answered, "Yeah. And, now, without Laura, all I've got's this big emptiness." Marion pursed her lips and sat back in her chair. "I see. But, what does any of this have to do with me or with the shelter?" Tom hung his head and sighed deeply. Then, he raised his head and answered, "Things were going great between us. Every moment we spent together was complete magic, until I made the mistake of trying to kiss her. She instantly became sad, told me she couldn't, and ran out of my life. I haven't been able to see her or talk to her since." "Have you considered the possibility that she values only your friendship and is saddened because you want more than she does?" "About 900 million times." Marion chuckled at his boyish sincerity. "But, my heart tells me that's not true. Even my uncle believes she has feelings for me, and I trust him with my life. I -- I just wondered if something, like from her past, was holding her back." Marion sat back in her chair and considered how to answer Tom for a long time. Finally, she said, "Tom, what I'm about to tell you can never leave this room ... EVER! I'm breaking a bunch of laws and ethical standards by even contemplating this." Tom was literally on the edge of his seat. Marion clasped her hands together and brought her index fingers to her lips. Her eyes moved up to meet his, and she said, "Laura's father ... loved her all her life." She narrowed her eyes and added, "For her WHOLE life," and she paused to let those words sink into his brain. When the recognition showed on his face, she continued. "Her father was a bum, who could never hold a job and drifted in and out of drunkenness. Laura's mother, Emily, was like a lot of Catholic women of her generation, brain-washed by the church into believing that she had to stick with her rotten marriage, regardless of how much pain the relationship inflicted. As Laura grew older, he became more ... uh... affectionate, especially when he was inebriated. Laura was a child; she didn't know how to cope. One day, her mother came home early from her job at the diner. When she walked in, she heard Laura's cries from the back bedroom. She ran in and saw her husband kissing Laura and putting his hand under her dress. In a fit of absolute fury, she screamed at him to get his filthy hands off her daughter and she lunged at him, fighting him like a tigress. He turned and slapped her hard against the wall. Emily just wiped the blood off her mouth, looked at him with pure rage. As he took a step toward her, she kicked him so hard in the balls that he required surgery. They fled the house that night and came here with nothing but the clothes on their backs. "Laura's father filed assault charges against her, thinking Laura would never testify against her own father." Marion looked down, shaking her head. "He was so wrong. Laura was so brave. She marched into court and gave such a detailed testimony of her father's abuse that both the judge and jury were in tears. Needless to say, he went to prison, where I'm happy to report, the most depraved and dangerous inmates were allowed to have their way with him. I've always found it curious that even in prison, where our wretched refuse collect, they have no tolerance for child molesters. He was eventually found dead behind one of the industrial laundry machines." Tom never moved during the story, and his cheeks were glistening with tears when Marion got up from her desk and moved to the chair beside him. She handed him some tissues and took his hand. "So, why am I telling you this? Laura is like a daughter to me. I couldn't love her more if I had carried her inside me. When Emily died from cancer a few years ago, I essentially took her mother's place. I knew who you were as soon as Charlotte mentioned your name." She leaned into him and said, "Laura does care about you, Tom ... deeply." He now struggled very hard to keep from breaking down completely. "But, before I let you near my girl, I needed to look into your eyes and your heart. Tom, Laura blames herself for all that happened when she was growing up." He looked horrified. "Why?" "Because she's human ... because many victims feel that somehow they are to blame for the crime. It's going to take an exceptionally special man to work through all that poison and to enable her to trust again." She reached up and brushed some of Tom's brown hair from his face. She smiled kindly at him. "You look like you could be that person, Tom." Tom's eyes welled up, and he started crying hard. Marion pulled him toward her and let him cry on her shoulder for a long time. When Tom eventually raised his head, sniffing and wiping his eyes on the backs of his hands, Marion said, "I don't have any easy answers, Tom, for breaking through the walls she's built around herself. But, I've always had an instinct that music was somehow the key." She smiled broadly and looked at him with great pride as she said, "She is a true savant. Julliard has a standing offer of a full scholarship for her. She's always played in private, just for her own peace. You opened a hole in her heart too, Tom, when you did all the things you did. I can promise you she's just as crazy about you as you are her." Tom spat out a laugh even as he tried to stopper his tears. "Go find our girl, Tom. Reclaim that bond that connected you in the beginning, and listen to the music of your heart." Tom called his boss, Nate, and asked for the day off. Tom was a structural engineer for one of the biggest construction firms in New England, and Nate loved him because Tom was one of those guys who did his job well and never complained. Nate didn't know everything, but he knew enough to know something important was going on in Tom's life. "Take a couple of days off, kid. Make it a long weekend. Lord knows you've earned it," Nate said. "Thanks, Nate. I owe you." He drove to the Cape to get away from the city and to clear his head. The wind stung a bit as he walked along the beach, but he didn't care. He was kind of glad. It made him feel alive. He drove to Chatham for lunch at a chowder house that was kind of a dive but had great food. He was sitting at the bar, flirting with Maggie, the waitress, when a guy walked in asking for Scott, the owner. "Jesus, Maggie! I told you we need to keep the riff-raff outa here," Scott teased as he wiped his hands on his apron and approached, Dan, the visitor. "Then, how the hell would you get to work every day?" Dan teased right back. Maggie just rolled her eyes at the ritual and asked Tom if he needed another beer. Scott looked up at the clock and said, "It's 12:40, so you've been up for at least half an hour." "Your sister says hello, by the way!" Scott laughed and gave his friend a hearty handshake. "So, are you all set for Saturday?" "Yep. Everyone'll be here plus a few extra hands. I've got a truckload of steamers coming in early that morning. Reggie's hauling in some fresh seaweed. Tim's arranging for the lobster. We should be all set." "Great!" Dan said with a big smile. He plopped a stack of flyers on the counter, and Tom looked over to see what was being planned. He learned that the chowder house was hosting a clam bake on Saturday for St. Michael's School. The proceeds were to be used for the scholarship fund for underprivileged kids to cover tuition. Dan took off his scarf, and Tom saw that the man was wearing a priest's collar. "When it's your time, Scottie, God's gonna stay open late to hold a spot for you." "Ahh!" Scott said as he waved off the compliment. "I'm just a retired sea dog. What your staff does with those kids, Danny, now THAT's a miracle. Sit down over here. I'll have Benjy rustle up something to eat." The two old friends sat down in a far booth and shared lunch and laughs together as they had for twenty years. "What's St. Michael's?" Tom asked Maggie as she set down his second Guinness. She smiled. "It's a special school for kids from shelters and broken homes. They give them food, clothes, whatever they need so they can forget about the rough times they're going through and concentrate on just being kids. You wouldn't believe how many of them go on to college. You need anything else, hon?" Tom was just staring at the counter. He broke his trance long enough to look up at her, thank her, and slap $30 on the counter. "Don't you want your beer?" she called to him as he jumped up and raced out the door. For the next couple of weeks, Tom was busier than the proverbial one-armed paper hanger. He had been on the phone with Marion before he even got to his car. "Tom, that's a brilliant idea! And, you're gonna help a lot of families. What do you need from me?" Marion asked. Of course, once Tom brought Matty in on his plan, everything shifted into high gear. All the arrangements were made ahead of schedule. All Tom had to do now was get flyers printed and distributed. His company signed on to be the main sponsor for the event. "Excuse me, is the manager around?" Tom asked into the speaker outside Laura's apartment building. "I'm the super. What'd you need?" "I was just wondering if I could put up a few flyers about a charity event coming up on Saturday." The man on the other end sighed and said, "I'll be right out." Soon, an older man with a pot belly, wearing a t-shirt under suspenders, attached to green cotton pants greeted him at the door. He put on his reading glasses and looked at the flyer, read it and told Tom it'd be okay to put a few on the main door and at the elevator entrance. O'Malley's Angel Laura tipped the cab driver and pulled her travel suitcase and laptop case out of the taxi. She didn't really pay attention to the orange flyer stuck to the front door. People were always peddling some kind of crap. As she waited for the elevator, her eye caught the name, Angie's Place on the flyer next to the elevator. She grabbed the paper and discovered there was to be a charity concert in Lincoln Park that Saturday to benefit the children of women living in the city's shelters. Angie's Place, the shelter she supported, was hosting the event. Food was to be provided by O'Malley's and Sam Adams brewery. Entertainment was to be provided by Saturday Night Special. She remembered that was the name of the group Tom had been in with Clarence and Bobby. She ran upstairs to call Marion. The weather on Saturday was picture perfect, just a perfect spring day in Bean Town. It was sunny with a cool breeze. Entrance to the concert was $15, and booths were set up to sell food and drinks. There were clowns and games for kids. The concert was to get started at 3:00. Tom was in the eye of the storm of activity, but he kept a wary eye out for Laura, hoping her curiosity would get the best of her. He even brought along a piano that was miked and ready on stage. At 3:00, Marion took the stage to welcome the crowd, which she was delighted to say was over a thousand strong. Between all the participants, they had been able to garner some pretty fair publicity, and Matty informed everyone along the way that he thought they should make this an annual event. "I'd like to welcome everyone to the first annual Concert in the Park for the shelter kids. First, to our sponsors, Fleming Brothers Construction, Sam Adams Brewery, Sound Factory Productions, K-Rock 104 and O'Malley's Irish Pub, I and all my sisters in this cause give our heartiest blessings and thanks ..." She was interrupted by a rousing round of applause from the supportive crowd. "I'd also like to thank Saturday Night Special for providing our music ..." Even more raucous applause erupted. "And, last, my deepest gratitude goes to Mr. Tom Callahan for conceiving this event, working tirelessly to make it happen, and for his generous support of our cause. Tom?" She motioned for him to come up to the mike. He was embarrassed by the adulation and had to be coaxed by the crowd to come say a few words. About two-thirds of the way back in the crowd, a pretty, shy brunette laughed to herself at his awkwardness. "Uhm, I didn't know I was gonna have to speak or I probably would have skipped the whole thing," Tom said to general laughter from the crowd. "One of the great privileges I've had in helping put this event together is getting to know this amazing woman and to witness first-hand the miracles that are an everyday occurrence at Angie's Place and all the other shelters that help families in crisis. They are the stars of this event, and it's my honor to perform on their behalf." The crowd exploded in a cheer as Tom grabbed a bunch of roses stashed on the side, handed them to Marion, and gave her a big hug. Marion put her arm around Tom, held up the flowers, kissed him on the cheek and walked off the stage. A large group of kids from the various shelters quickly assembled at the front of the stage while the band got ready to play. Tom took the mike again and said, "We've got a special treat to kick off the concert, but we seem to be missing one person if she's in the crowd." He shielded his eyes and surveyed the crowd. "There she is!" screamed Jimmy Taylor, one of kids from Angie's Place when he saw Laura. Jimmy jumped off the stage and ran so fast to her that she didn't have time to react. Jimmy grabbed her hand and started pulling her toward the stage as the crowd cheered. "What are you doing to me?" she hissed at Tom as Jimmy pulled her all the way to the piano. Tom howled with laughter. Laura had no choice but to smile to the crowd and sit at the piano. Tom laughed even harder when he saw her take off her shoes. Tom looked at Candace Gentry, the girl who was standing patiently at the mike waiting for her cue. Tom smiled, winked at her, and nodded. "Some time in our lives we all have pain. We all have sorrow," she sang out as the children's chorus hummed in the background. The crowd let out a huge ovation as Candace's powerful voice lifted them off their feet. "But, if we are wise, we know that there's always tomorrow." Tom walked to center stage with Candace and belted out a soulful, "Lean on me, when you're not strong, and I'll be your friend. I'll help you carry on." The chorus sang with him, and the crowd clapped in unison. "For it won't be long 'til I'm gonna need somebody to lean on." Candace let it fly on the next verse. At the end, Dave Stewart launched into a brief drum riff, and the whole band joined Tom of the next chorus. He looked over and saw the enormous smile spread across Laura's face and winked at her before turning back to the crowd and singing the next chorus. The music and the energy built to the last chorus when Tom pointed the mike at the crowd and got them to join in the singing. Clarence came down to the front of the stage and blew the roof off with a sax solo while the crowd sang. He was followed by Bobby, who laid down some serious licks on the guitar. The band then, turned to Laura, who now needed no more encouragement. The crowd sang the chorus over and over while she played a breathtaking blues jam. Tom nearly exploded with pride. The group played all kinds of songs all afternoon. The crowd rarely left their feet as they danced and swayed to the music. Of course, one of the highlights was when Laura burst forth on "Angry Young Man." The concert ended with Bruce Springsteen's, "The Rising." The song was written in response to the 9-11 attacks, and Tom thought the metaphor of hope and rebuilding was the perfect way to end a concert in honor of organizations that help rebuild families. Tom, of course, sang the verses. The kids sang the chorus, "Come on up for the rising. Come on up; lay your hand in mine. Come on up for the rising. Come on up for the rising tonight." The energy built through the song throughout the song, and Clarence took the instrumental spotlight with his wicked sax. When the band came to the last chorus, the kids sang and spread throughout the crowd dancing and twirling. The crowd joined in one the "Li-Lis," and the chorus was repeated several times because no one really wanted the concert to end. Tom called all the directors of the shelters and their staffs on stage to take the spotlight as the music built. Finally, reluctantly, Tom gave the band the signal to bring the song to a rousing end. The crowd cheered and cheered as Tom brought all the musicians to the front of the stage to hold hands and take repeated bows. As soon as they all held their hands up for one last ovation, Tom pulled Laura to him and kissed her with the power of a thousand suns. She had no strength or desire to hold him off at that point and melted into his arms in a passionate embrace. Marion beamed and wiped a tear from her eye as she watched them. They eventually broke their embrace and bowed one last time before taking their last bow with the band and running off stage. The promotions director for K-Rock ran up to Tom the moment he walked down the back stairs and shouted, "You guys are fucking great! I know you pulled this first event together kind of quickly, but next year, you're gonna need a way bigger venue. Congratulations!" Marion came up to give Tom a long, long hug and to thank him. "You helped raise over $350,000 dollars today, Tom. A lot of families will get a second chance because of what you did today. Thank you," she said as she held his face in her hands. Then, she turned to Laura and said, "And, you, my darling were magnificent!" She gave Laura another long hug, and Laura laid her head on Marion's shoulder. Jubilant people were milling all around, talking, congratulating, and giving out hugs. Laura grabbed Tom's hand and pulled him off to the side, behind the stage. She grinned at him and asked, "So, do you always do this just to get a girl's attention?" He threw his head back laughing. "No ... no I don't. It took a pretty incredible girl to motivate me to pull this together." She hugged him and placed her head against his chest. "I'm sorry, Tom. I shouldn't have run away that night. I ... just ..." He pulled her away from him so he could look into her eyes. "It's okay, Laura. That's ancient history. The only thing I care about right now is being here with you ... unless you think you might run away again." "The only running I want to do anymore is run into your arms," she said as she clutched him to her. Tom held her close and kissed the top of her head. Sam Adams donated some extra money to hold a reception for the principals at O'Malley's later that night. Tom and Laura were like kids, holding hands, giggling, and playing together on the piano, oblivious to everything else. Later, when Tom escorted her home, something was different. She felt like they were a couple. Laura's defenses had been obliterated by the immense love she felt from Tom. At her door, Tom brushed her hair with his hand and kissed her forehead. "I'll see you tomorrow ... or today ... or whenever." This time, Laura was the one who wouldn't let go. He looked down at their hands and followed the path up her arm to her eyes. Her head was cocked, and she was smiling. She pulled Tom with her into the building. Once inside, she kissed him with a fever she never imagined. Tom picked her up in his strong arms and carried her into the elevator so they didn't have to stop kissing. At her apartment, she used her peripheral vision to get the keys into the lock. Their lips never parted. Inside, Tom set her down, and she led him into her bedroom. She stopped at the entrance and said, "Tom ... I ... Please go slow. I ..." He looked at her with such love that it took her breath away. "Laura, I don't care about what we do or how quickly we do it. I can make love to you with my eyes and my heart just as easily as I can with my body." Now, it was her turn to fight back tears. At her bed, he picked her up again and laid her gently on it. Then, he climbed beside her and spent the longest time just kissing her and cuddling without ever touching any sensitive part of her body. Several times, she felt his near-bursting erection through his jeans and got even more choked up knowing how difficult this must be for him. She touched his gorgeous face and said, "Tom, I'd really like to try now." He studied her timid face and said, "Okay, but you lead." She lay on her back, and he approached her. He slowly began to unbutton her shirt with his eyes never leaving hers. When her shirt was undone, he opened it and placed one hand on a bra-encased breast. Laura bit her lower lip and started shaking. In her mind's eye, she saw her besotted father hovering over her in the dark. She started hyperventilating and shot up, clutching her shirt around her. Tom was calm. He kneeled down so he could look up and meet her eyes to comfort her. "Tom, I'm so sorry. I love you so much," she blurted out. He wasn't expecting to hear that and asked, "You what?" She looked down at him with watery eyes and shyly repeated, "I'm falling desperately in love with you." Tom squeezed her hands, and his face split in two with his wide smile. A tear now slipped from the corner of his eye. "I've been in love with you for so long." He laid his head on her lap and hugged her legs. She lifted his face and asked, "Would you be disappointed if I just asked you to hold me?" "Disappointed? God, Laura, you just told me you were falling in love with me. You must have a very strange concept of disappointment." He crawled beside her and cradled her in his arms. They didn't say another word but fell peacefully asleep together. The next morning when they were both awake, Laura said, "Tom I've been thinking about something." "What, my love?" he asked as he stroked her hair. "I read one time about certain snake bites that won't heal until the poison is gone. I think I need to get the poison out. Can we go for a walk?" They drove to the Charles and starting walking. Laura told him everything. She told him about the beatings and the drunken screaming fights between her father and mother. She described how her father, in a fit of rage, would slam her mother against the wall. She described sitting alone as a child in the dark corner of her bedroom crying and shaking and wishing she could turn into a butterfly. She told him about being awakened in the night to the smell of acrid sweat and stale beer breath ... to the rough, frightening touch that wasn't supposed to take place between a father and a daughter. They sat down on a deserted bench, and she described the terrifying way her childhood and her virginity were torn from her in one violent act of infamy. She explained how she would cry herself silently to sleep because she was too ashamed and frightened to tell her mother. As she talked and shared all the pain with Tom, the poison from her tragic life began oozing out of her. There were lots of tears and lots of hugs that day. Twice she had to shake Tom out of his enraged trance because he was squeezing her hand too hard. He was glad her father was dead. He was glad because if that sadistic bastard was still alive, Tom wasn't sure he could restrain himself from beating him to death. He felt justice was served at the hands of the sodomites in the dank lonely confines of steel and stone. Laura then told Tom about the incident that caused them to flee their home and go to the shelter, which was the incident Marion had relayed to him earlier. When she finished, she laid her head down on his lap and fell asleep. She was spent. Laura slept for a couple of hours. Tom's mind was racing with a thousand different thoughts. He looked down at her and lightly brushed her soft hair with his hand and studied the highlights of honey and gold. He vowed that nothing like that would ever touch her again, and he sorely pitied anyone who dared try. She slept so hard a drool mark slowly spread on his pants. He merely smiled. When Laura awoke, she felt as if an enormous weight had been lifted from her. She'd told Tom every one of her deepest, darkest secrets, and he still loved her ... maybe loved her even more because they now shared something so intimate. She sat up, grazed his face with her hand and kissed him. "I love you with all my heart," she said in a low voice. "I remember reading this thing from a Swiss philosopher. He said, 'Women wish to be loved not because they are pretty, or good, or well bred, or graceful, or intelligent, but because they are themselves. All you need to do to have me love you forever, Laura, is be you." She touched his face again and replied, "I beginning to understand that, Tom. It may take some time for me to get comfortable with that notion, but just be patient with me." "You're everything to me. Loving you is literally the easiest thing I've ever done in my life. I can no longer imagine breathing without breathing in you." "How can the same species produce people like my father ... and amazing people like you?" Tom brought her hand to his mouth and kissed it. "I don't know, love. I only know that I want to spend the rest of my life taking care of you, protecting you and loving you the way you deserve." She smiled. "Are you always going to say the perfect thing that I need to hear to make me feel better?" He smiled. "I don't know if I'll always say the right thing, but I hope I come close when it's important." Laura grabbed him and hugged him as hard as she possibly could. "I don't know about you, but I'm famished! Let's go get something to eat, and then I want to go back to my place and take a shower -- together! From there, we'll let nature take its course," she said smiling. Tom put his arms around her neck and asked, "Are you sure you're ready for that? We've got all the time in the world, you know?" "No, we don't. Time's the one thing we don't have. I've really come to grips with that over the past few weeks. I'm finished being a victim. I want a new life, and I want it with you. I'm not willing to wait another month, another day, another second. I almost made the biggest mistake of my life and could have lost you. No ... my new life starts right now." He picked her up and danced around in a circle with both of them laughing. Back at Laura's place, she truly was a changed person. First, she shocked him by doing a kind of rudimentary strip tease for Tom, to which he applauded and hooted wildly. When she was finally, gloriously naked before him, he said, "Jesus, Laura, I've fantasized about what your body looks like since the first night we met, but God ... the real thing is so much more beautiful than I ever dreamed. I'm not sure if my dick will ever be soft again!" "You're so romantic," she said with a laugh. Tom started to unbutton his shirt, but Laura stopped him. "I want to do it." Tom smiled. She pulled his shirt out of his jeans, unbuttoned it and kissed his nipples. Then, she unbuckled his jeans and slid them down. His cock was straining inside his boxers. She looked up at him and arched an eyebrow. Next, she bent down and tugged his boxers down his hairy legs. His cock sprung out and bobbed up and down, pointing at her. She wrapped her fingers around it, and Tom sucked in air. She kissed the swollen tip of it and said, "We're going to be best friends." "Believe me, you already are," he said, which made her laugh. She got the water started in the shower. When it was steamy, they got in together. They kissed and hugged under the warm stream. Tom picked up the shampoo and asked Laura to lean back. He gave her a long, slow shampoo, massaging her scalp and her neck. "That was so sexy, I'm getting wet, and we haven't gotten to the good stuff yet." Tom grinned. He filled his hands with soap and worked his way down from her shoulders. He washed her back first, then her arms and shoulders. He had a huge smile when he turned her around and touched her bare breasts for the first time. Tom squeezed them and pinched her nipples. Laura closed her eyes and moaned. Tom stayed right there for awhile before moving to her legs. Tom loved her lean, supple legs and used great care as he washed and massaged them. Finally, Tom moved his soapy hands between her thighs. He washed every surface and spent considerable time rubbing her clit. Laura was breathing very hard with her eyes closed tightly. Tom took the hint and worked two wet fingers into her slippery pussy while he circled around her swollen nub with his thumb. Laura suddenly slapped the wall, braced herself against it and began wriggling. Tom felt her vaginal walls spasm around his fingers, and he sucked her nipple into his mouth as he rubbed her to climax. When Laura collapsed against the back wall, he removed his hand from her treasure. "Showers are definitely way more fun with two," she said between gasps of air. "And, just think how sparklingly clean your tits and pussy will get!" he exclaimed, which made her laugh. "Now, it's my turn." Laura followed a similar pattern, washing his back and chest before moving to his legs and ass. Tom was so turned on; he knew he'd blow in minutes. Laura bent down, smiled up at him, and blew him a kiss. Laura filled her hands with shampoo and coated his cock and balls. She used both hands to work her way up his thick shaft. She then used one hand to gently massage his ball sack. Laura then got some more shampoo and began pumping her hand up and down his thick cock at increasing speed. Tom was already bracing himself and was breathing very hard. Laura felt his shaft widen as Tom grunted, and the first milky stream shot out of his dick. She continued pumping him faster and faster, fascinated by the ropes that blew onto the shower stall. When his cum slowed to an ooze, she released his dick and hugged him. "I can't believe we just made each other cum. That was so much fun." O'Malley's Angel "One down; a million more to go," Tom said. "Only a million?" "Yeah, but then, there's next week," he replied as she giggled. They dried each other off and crawled under the covers naked. They lay there for awhile kissing, touching and exploring. Tom knew he was going to take his time. He reached down with one hand slowly began running the spongy head of his engorged cock up and down Laura's wet, delicious slit, making sure to flick her clit with every stroke. In the meantime, he began sucking one of her nipples roughly against his tongue while he squeezed and rubbed her other breast with his free hand. Next, Tom split her swollen pussy lips and placed the fleshy steel of his shaft between them. His hips sensuously sawed her sweet vagina up and down, keeping pressure on her clit. He now had the use of both hands to use on her breasts. He alternated squeezing each one and sucking her nipple deeply into his mouth, circling around it, and nipping it. Laura was lost in a dense fog of pleasure, rolling her head from side to side and moaning. She wrapped her legs around Tom just before her body stiffened and trembled. Tom took the cue and pressed harder onto her clit with his cock. He had to grit his teeth to keep from cumming himself. Laura struggled for breath as the pleasure waves poured over her. When she clutched Tom to her chest, he backed off her overripe bud. He moved his mouth right next to her ear and said in a hot quiet voice, "I love you. Laura. I love you with all my heart." He kissed her neck so sensuously that goose bumps formed on her smooth skin. He took Laura's hands and placed them on her own breasts, getting her started squeezing them and pinching her nipples. Tom moved to her soaking treasure down below and slowly licked the flat face of his tongue up the entire length of her dewy gash. Laura was on sensory overload. She squeezed her tits as he began kissing and licking every surface of her vulva. Tom stiffened his tongue and drove it into her rosy pink cavern. He put his whole mouth over her clit and hood and sweetly sucked her bud from its protector. Laura's hands flew off her breasts and clutched the blankets beneath her. She couldn't speak. She couldn't think. She could barely breathe. Tom's assault was relentless. Just as she gained a modicum of control, he upped the ante. He next moved to her anus and licked her puckered hole. Laura was not expecting that touch at all, and she found his willingness to lick her there incredibly erotic. When he moved back to her clit, he inserted two fingers deep within her. Tom decided it was time for more fireworks, so he began rubbing her G-spot with the tips of his fingers as he flicked her clit with the tip of his tongue. "Oh, fuck!" she shrieked. She repeated "ahh" as her climax built. Tom was rewarded with a warm release of clear nectar as Laura peaked. He drank it as if it was fine wine. She wilted as the pleasure subsided. Tom took Laura's foot and sucked her toes while he watched her recover. He rubbed her feet and smiled down at his angel. When her breathing slowed, he started running his fingernails along the delicate skin of her inner thighs. Laura felt like she was the Sistine Chapel and Tom was Michelangelo. Every touch electrified her. He decided the time had come, and he moved between her thighs. He touched her entrance with the head of his cock. "Oh, God, baby! I need to feel you inside me so badly," Laura gasped. Tom slowly pushed his wide head past her entrance and began his descent. Laura was so tight, that he could only make small advances at a time. He moved slowly out and pushed slightly deeper with each penetration, pausing to allow her to adjust to him. Laura was so touched by his gentleness that she wanted him inside more than ever. She began pushing against him each time that he re-entered her. Tom was sweating profusely as he fought his own explosion. Being inside Laura was like being in a dream. He could easily have cum in the first five seconds, but he fought to prolong the moment. With one final push, Tom felt their bodies meet. He was completely inside her. Laura shivered knowing she had all of her man inside. He pulled out to his head and plunged into Laura. She let out an extended breath. "I've been waiting for this all my life, Tom. Make love to me, my sweet." Tom picked up his speed and his intensity as he submerged his highly-charged penis into her. Laura's deep-seated instincts took over, and she thrust her hips onto him as he penetrated her to force him deeper. "Oh, God, Tom, please don't stop!" Tom was rapidly reaching his critical point and was about to begin rubbing her clit when Laura yelled, "Jesus fucking Christ!" She impaled herself onto him, biting his shoulder and squealing. Tom let himself go. He grunted and barely squeezed out the word "love" before the most intense wave of pleasure in his life consumed him. The jets shooting into Laura took her orgasm to a higher level as their bodies slammed into each other. Tom just kept pumping her, and Laura's body was racked with tension. Then, as quickly as the pleasure detonated inside them, it was over. Tom collapsed on top of Laura, so drained he was unable to move. Laura hugged him and tried to interpret the experience she'd just had. "If every lovemaking session we have is like that, I won't make to my next birthday," she said. Tom's body shook on top of her as he laughed. She smiled as she hugged him. She loved making him laugh. When he moved off of her, she cuddled against him. "Tom, I'm sorry it's been so much work just to try and be with me." "You are a LOT of trouble," he said squeezing her tighter. "Did you ever wish I'd just shown up in some other bar?" "Well ... I mean ... you did just become best friends with my pecker and all." She giggled. "Still, I bet you didn't expect all this to happen when you saw me for the first time." "I don't exactly know where you're going with this, but you want to know my first reaction the instant I saw you for the first time?" "Uh huh." "I realized that love at first sight wasn't just a dopey expression. You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen, Laura. You face and your body should be in some fashion magazine. Remember that dress you wore ... the dark blue with the flowers?" "Uh huh." "When that dress rode up your thighs while you were playing, I got such a hard-on. That's one of the reasons I always had to sit down." She laughed and punched him. "So, what happened to all that 'it's the music' stuff? You sound like you were in heat! I'm starting to suspect that this music stuff was like, 'no, I really do read Playboy for the articles.'" He laughed hard at that remark. "Okay, let me try this again. I was definitely in heat looking at you, but what made this different from just another most-beautiful-girl-in-the-world thing was that you captured all of me in the blink of an eye ... my body with your incredible beauty ... my brain with your talent, which I'm shocked to say is even more immense than your beauty ... and my heart with who you are inside." She sighed. "That was an impressive recovery." "Thank you." "You're either the sweetest man ever or best peddler of bullshit ever born." "Shhh! Not too loud. You'll blow my cover." Laura laughed and said, "Huh oh ... I think it's the latter." He pulled her up so they could look at each other. "Not where you're concerned. All you ever need to do to know about how I feel about you is look into my eyes when I'm looking at you." "Of course, I can also tell a little something by checking in with my best friend, who, by the way, is hard as granite again!" "Well, yeah! You're here ... you're NAKED! I may have to learn how to catheterize myself just so I can pee." She laughed so hard she rolled off of him onto her back. "You say the sweetest things!" "I do have one serious question though." "What?" she said wiping her eyes. "Marion told me about Julliard. Laura, you're nuts not to take that opportunity." "Trying to get rid of me already?" "No way in hell! Wherever you go, I go. It's just that with your gift, who knows what heights they could help you reach." "So, I'm the most beautiful AND talented woman in the world?" "Yes." "Then what the hell am I doing with a schlub like you?" "Huh oh ... I didn't see that one coming." She slapped him again and said, "Music's always been my sanctuary. If I made it my job, it might lose its magic." "But ..." "Shhh. No buts, my sweet," she said putting her hand to his face and placing her thumb on his lips. "I don't want to complicate my life. I don't want to do anything that will take time away from us. I'm even going to talk to Bill about cutting way back on my travel at work. You've given me my life back, Tom. All that blackness ... it doesn't matter anymore." Tom looked at her very seriously and said, "Fuck! I'm pretty amazing. Maybe I rushed into this whole relationship thing too fast." Then, he burst out laughing because he couldn't keep a straight face any longer. Laura pounced on him and started tickling him and punching him. "Oh, no you don't! It's two against one, here, buddy, because he's on my side! You're not going anywhere!" He threw up his hands and said, "I give! I give!" She looked down and shook her head at her big, goofy, gorgeous guy. "Well, if you're not going to Julliard, the guys asked me about putting Saturday Night Special back together for real, only they're dumping me as the keyboard player and replacing me with this scorching hot brunette chick." "Now ... THAT ... might be a real possibility." She lay back down beside him and cuddled against him again. "Of course, I probably should warn you that I may not be the only one with a perpetual boner. I think Clarence has a thing for you." "Oooo ... you know what they say ... once you go black, you never go back." "I prefer ... once you go white, you squeal with delight!" Then, he pulled the covers over them and started tickling her. "Stop! Stop it!" she yelled giggling. She reached down, grabbed his cock and said, "Now THAT's a real angry young man!" Tom moved between her thighs and said, "Just call me Billy," as he worked his cock into her. Laura squealed and said, "Oh, Billy!" "Just call me a 'Big Shot.'" "You're definitely not a 'Baby Grand.'" "'You may be right.'" "But, I like you 'Just the Way You Are.'" "'Don't Ask Me Why.'" She giggled at the absurdity of this Billy Joel song title game and wondered how long it could go on. "Cause I'm just an 'Uptown Girl?'" "And, I'm just an 'Innocent Man." "Then you'd better 'Say Goodbye to Hollywood." "Why? Are you 'Movin Out?'" "I have to cause 'Only the Good Die Young.'" Tom wracked his brain, but he'd run out of song titles. Laura giggled and raised her arm in the air. "I win! Yeah!" "I'll get you back, you know." "How? We've only got a lifetime together." Tom kissed Laura and started doing some serious fucking. Just as she was about to climax, he tickled her hard. She finally fought him off and rolled over so that she was on top. She continued fucking until she'd gotten them both off. Laura then climbed off him and laid her head on him to go to sleep. Before Tom's heavy eyelids clamped shut, he kissed the top of her head and thought, "She definitely has a way about her." Then, he yelled a silent, "Yes," in recognition of winning the game. As he slipped into unconsciousness, he smiled, knowing he'd already won the biggest game of all.