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Electives Ch. 01

By: REGade



Chapter 1: Ginny

"Electives," and "Distribution," have many of the same characters as "Picking up the Pieces," but may be read in any order. 

*

A few weeks before the end of my second year of college, I decided to take two courses during the summer. Before enrolling, I sought my grandfather's approval.

"When will you study?" he wanted to know, like he really cared. 

"I'll study history from eight-thirty until midnight, five nights per week, Sunday through Thursday. That will leave Saturday morning and all day on Sunday to read the novel assignments."

"Just so you know there's no studying while you're selling cars," he warned. 

"I know, Grandpa." How well I knew his rule! It had been drummed in to me since I was sixteen, my first year as gas pump attendant, the second year doing auto maintenance, and after he found that I had no aptitude for repairing cars, he moved me into sales, where, after a rocky start, I'd shown some promise.

"Are you going to have time for that young lady?"

It wasn't like him to show interest in my social life. He knew that Edie and I had been together nearly three years, since she was a high school sophomore and I was a senior, but he'd never acted as though he cared if I had time for her. Edie had taken a job in the movie theatre. She would let me in free at eight-thirty on Friday and Saturday nights. I'd watch the end of the movie, and then we'd go parking. She'd be going to my college next year, and we'd see more of each other, but for now, sucking face for an hour and a half was the extent of our relationship. She'd promised that when she became eighteen, we'd do more. 

"Yes Sir. I'll be seeing her on Friday and Saturday nights," I said, wondering if he could detect that I was not being totally truthful. 

What had happened to reduce my nights with Edie, and to ultimately cause our breakup was partially his fault. We were locking the sales office that Friday night when he asked me to drop off some paperwork at the bookkeeper's house. Vera worked part time, mainly at home, and we only saw her when she dropped by to go over the statements with my grandfather. I rushed to her house, thinking that I would deliver the paperwork and still make it to the movie theatre by eight-thirty.

"Edna?" I asked, like I didn't recognize Vera's daughter. I'd always been intrigued by the sexy way she dressed, and the rumors that followed her around like she had a sign on her back. Everyone knew that she'd dropped out of school a few months before graduation. She'd gone away, and I didn't know that she'd returned to Spencer. 

"Hi, Randy, my mom's not here. Do you want to come in and wait for her?"

All my grandfather had said was for me to drop off the paperwork. I had no reason to see Vera. "Okay," I said, as I stepped into the house.

Edna was wearing a robe, and her hair was in curlers. The television was on.

"Have a seat. I'm watching a movie," she said, directing me to the couch. I sat at one end, and she sat at the other.

I saw immediately that the movie was a horror film, something I would not watch if I had a choice. I picked out the villain, determined the plot, and looked over at Edna. She was totally absorbed by the action on the screen...until we heard a baby cry. 

Edna showed a look of irritation as she jumped up, and left the room. I concentrated on the movie, making minor adjustments to the plot I'd outlined in my mind. There was the hint of a new twist. 

Edna came back, plopped down on the couch next to me, and asked what had happened. I told her that the mother suspected her daughter's husband, but he wasn't the villain.

"You've seen it before," she said, accusingly.

I was about to deny that I'd seen the movie before when she kissed me. It wasn't a friendly, welcome-me-back-to-Spencer kiss either. It was a let's-get-acquainted kiss. I put my arm around her and kissed back.

I was near the end of my second year of college, and I could count the girls I'd kissed on one hand, including Edie, who was the only one I kissed for the last two and a half years...until now.

Edna turned her attention to the television when a female's piercing scream bounced off the couch. I could have told her that the scream had nothing to do with the plot, but Edna was already maneuvering my body on top of hers, the scream forgotten.

I eased my hand under her robe, and felt the soft surface of her breast against the thin nightgown. Edna moaned, and thrust her pelvis in the direction of my erection. Only the crotch of her panties, my pants and briefs prevented a direct hit. I ground my cock against her crotch, feeling pre-cum collect on the head.

She broke the kiss. Was it over? Did she hear her mother coming home? Did something happen on the television screen to draw her attention? 

"You got a rubber, Hon?"

"Ah...no," I answered, hoping my voice did not betray my lack of experience. 

"Let me up. I'll get one from my mom's room," she said, pushing me away. I moved quickly, happy to oblige. She ran from the room, and was back in seconds to find me standing next to the couch, dazed by what was happening.

That first time with Edna, my first time with any woman for that matter, plays in my mind, like film clips in slow motion. Me dropping my pants and shorts, her flopping onto her back, me fumbling with the condom package, her pulling her panties down, me rolling the condom onto my cock, her raising her short nightgown to reveal her pussy, me getting onto the couch, her spreading her legs, me crawling up, her glancing at the television screen, me pointing my cock at her opening, her displaying urgency as she guided my cock to her entrance, me expressing dismay, her wrapping her legs around my ass and pulling me into her, me relishing the feel, her meeting my thrusts, me realizing that I was actually fucking a woman, her urging me to fuck her harder, me shooting my sperm into the condom, her pounding her fists on my back, screaming, "Don't Stop!"

I used my elbows to support my upper body to keep from crushing her. We were both breathing hard. I apologized for coming prematurely. She said it was okay, that she'd had a couple of little ones when I first entered her. I offered to do it again, declaring that I would last longer. She thanked me for the offer, but said her mother would know if we 'borrowed' a second condom. 

She took the used condom to flush it down the toilet. When she returned, I had my belt buckled. She stepped into her panties, and took a seat at one end of the couch.

I didn't know what to do. Should I kiss her goodnight? Should I explain that my girlfriend would be wondering why I hadn't shown up at my usual time? Should I thank her for letting me fuck her?

I mumbled something about leaving the paperwork for her mother, and headed toward the door. Edna smiled and waved at me as she turned her attention to the television screen.

The movie goers were leaving the theatre when I got there. Naturally, Edie wanted to know what had kept me. I explained that I'd taken the bookkeeper some paperwork and got held up. She didn't question me, not even when I drove her directly to her home. I couldn't take her parking. It wouldn't be right. Also, I was afraid she would pick up the scent of sex on my body. We kissed goodnight at her door, and I told her I would be on time the following night.

I hated deceiving Edie, but it was better than telling her the truth.

"My mom's not home yet. Would you like to come in and wait for her?" Edna asked when I showed up at the bookkeeper's house the next Friday night. 

She was dressed the same as the previous Friday, but there were no curlers in her hair, and she was wearing makeup, like she was expecting me. We didn't talk; there was no need to. We both knew why I was there, and we got right to it.

"Oh, good," she said, when she saw that I'd brought condoms. We were both naked when we heard the baby cry. I reluctantly stopped sucking on her nipple.

"Put one of those on," she said as she ran to the next room to attend to her child. When she returned I was ready, and I'm happy to say that I lasted much longer than the first time, long enough to make Edna scream with delight. We fucked again that night, and I was late getting to the movie theatre. 

Edie sniffed me, and I could tell that she knew. I couldn't deceive her. She cried, and said it was over between us. I didn't try to make an excuse. I hated myself, and I suspected that Edie hated me too.

Over the next three weeks I visited the bookkeeper's house every Friday night, whether there was paperwork to be delivered or not. Edna was always ready for sex. She taught me to eat pussy, and once, when she had her period, she introduced me to the wonderful world of blow jobs. 

I offered to visit her on Saturday night as well, but Edna said that her mother only went out on Fridays.

We didn't talk, except for her telling me how horny she was, or me exclaiming how good it felt to be inside her. I never saw the baby, never found out how old it was, or even if it was a boy or a girl. 

It always started the same way, her asking if I wanted to come inside and wait for her mother, kissing and feeling each other up. We fucked on the couch, in every position known to man, using her robe to protect the fabric. Talking seemed superfluous. There was no discussion about preferences, or 'how are you,' or 'see you next week'. 

And then it came to an end one Friday night when Vera opened the door. It was evident that she knew about Edna and me.

"She's not here," she said, and when I just stood there with my mouth open, she added, "The baby's father came for them."

I left, too stunned to ask any questions, although I wished later that I had. Was Edna married to the baby's father, and where had he taken her?

Edie was surprised to see me arrive at the theatre at eight-thirty. She wouldn't let me in, reminding me that it was over between us. I left without telling her about the elective courses I'd enrolled in or my summer work schedule. After nearly three years, it was over and it was entirely my fault. I couldn't blame my grandfather for his part in my losing my girlfriend. I'd known what I was doing when I accepted Edna's offer to come inside and wait for her mother. ~ My summer schedule was set: rise at eight AM; ten minutes for a quick visit to the bathroom, and to throw on my pants and shirt, ten minutes to say good morning to my grandmother, grab something to eat on the way to class, and leave at eight-twenty.

Nine out of ten days, depending on the weather, traffic and the availability of a parking space, forty minutes would be enough time to make my nine AM class. 

Timing of my trip home was not as critical. If it took five extra minutes I would still have plenty of time to get ready for work. 

I'm a stickler for time management; I get it from my grandfather. He only agreed to let me take the two electives when I volunteered to work the second shift, noon to eight PM, Monday through Saturday, at his used car lot. 

Thus began my summer schedule. The first two days went as planned. I made it to class with a minute to spare, and arrived at home in time to put on a tie, and to make it to the used car lot for our busiest time of the day, the lunch hour, when working people skipped lunch to shop for a car or truck. 

Millie worked the morning shift, seven AM until whenever the lunch-time traffic slowed down. She was a good sales person. What she lacked in auto savvy, she made up for with sex appeal. She wore short skirts, and forgot to button the top buttons on her blouse. We never talked about anything personal, but I liked everything about her, especially the way she could put down guys that tried to come on to her. She always offered to let me run to the diner across the highway to get something to eat before she left for the day.

My grandfather was always around too, but you couldn't depend on him to help with customers. He knew cars; he'd been around them his entire life. He usually made himself scarce, preferring to hang out at the service station next door; overseeing the readying of a car for delivery to coaxing a buyer that a car was right for him. 

He could smell a sale. When one of us needed an appraisal of a trade-in, my grandfather would be there to take it for a drive, or put it on the lift to inspect the undercarriage. When we needed his approval of a sales contract, he would be in his office, ready to scrutinize the contract before giving it his okay. 

He would congratulate the buyer, assuring him the ninety day warranty was as good as Tom Jansen's word. But he refused to shake hands, saying his hands were covered with grease and grime. 

~

Something happened on the third day of classes to throw my schedule into turmoil.

"You look familiar; are you from Spencer?"

We were between classes, and she was heading in the same direction as me. I'd noticed her in the 'American Authors' class, she sat on the front row.

"Yes, I am. You look familiar too," I said, as we reached the 'Early American History' class I was taking. I didn't know she was in that class until I opened the door and saw her smile as she entered the room ahead of me. I watched her walk to the back of the classroom before I took my seat. 

I recognized her voice when the professor called on Ms. Stapleton, and turned in my seat to see her responding to the professor's question.

"Mr. Jansen," she said after class. Evidently, she'd been listening when the professor called on me. She was walking with me, matching my stride. "I was wondering, seeing as how the price of gas has skyrocketed, if you would care to car pool?"

I was aware of the price of gas, but I didn't have to pay for it. My grandfather allowed me four gallons per day. Ms. Stapleton was maybe three inches shorter than me. She wore her dark hair short, and there was a wide wedding band on her ring finger. I had no interest in car pooling. We'd have to meet someplace, and that would take time. Car pooling would fuck up my schedule. 

What the hell. "We could try it, and see how it works out," I said. She told me where she lived. 

I set my alarm for seven minutes before eight, and stopped in front of the address she had given me at eight-twenty. I waited thirty seconds before tooting the horn. 

"I didn't recognize the car. It isn't the same one you were driving yesterday," Ms. Stapleton said, explaining her delay in coming out of the house. 

"My granddad wants me to drive a different car every day. It's like a test drive," I answered, and watched her nod her head. 

"Tom Jansen's Auto and Service," she said, quoting the wording of the flashing neon sign that can be seen for a half mile from both directions. 

We talked about the assignments for the classes we were taking, otherwise, there were long periods of silence. She seemed obsessed with rotating the wide wedding band on her ring finger. 

We walked to the first class together, and again to our second class. She smiled when I held the door open for her. It was a nice smile, timid, but genuine. When the class was over, she fell into step with me. 

She asked why I was taking the two courses. I told her they were electives that interested me, American Authors, and the Early American history class. I was a little surprised at her answer to the same question.

"It's just something to keep my mind active. My roommate is away for the summer."

Those two sentences created new questions. What did she mean by keeping her mind active? Was she bored? Where was her husband? 

She interrupted my thoughts. "You're grandfather's business is at the far end of town. Would you mind...?"

I'd anticipated her question. It would add miles to our trip if she came to pick me up. "I'll drive to your house and leave the car there."

She nodded her agreement. The next day was Thursday. We were late for The American Authors class because Ms. Stapleton was a timid driver. She apologized, saying that we would need to leave earlier on the days she drove.

Leaving earlier didn't appeal to me at all. Carpooling wasn't working out. It was fucking up my schedule. I was already getting up seven minutes before I needed to if I was driving alone. Now, she wanted me to get to her house before eight-twenty on the days when she drove. 

I offered to drive every day. She countered by saying that it would not be fair. I explained that my grandfather wanted me to put his cars through a test. That was the reason for driving a different car each day. "Besides, the gas doesn't cost me anything. It's written off as expense," I said, and saw her flash a smile of agreement.

By the end of the next week we were on a first name basis. I'd also learned that Ginny's roommate was her sister, and that they were both school teachers. She'd just completed her first year, teaching the second grade. From this, I estimated her age to be twenty-three. I still didn't know where her husband was. 

She'd managed to learn some things about me, my schedule, the hours I worked, and when I studied. 

"Do you have a girlfriend?"

"No," I said. That was all the information she needed. I didn't tell her that Edie had broken off from me because I'd fucked someone else a few times. How would she like it if I ask where her husband was?

She must have seen that her question had unnerved me. "Sorry, Randy, I didn't mean to get personal."

"That's okay. It's a touchy subject with me right now," I said, attempting a smile.

"Are you going to be able to finish The Grapes of Wrath this weekend?" she asked, showing that she remembered my study schedule.

"I believe I'll be able to read it, but I'm not sure I'll have time to analyze the underlying meaning," I said. Our professor was keen on symbolism, getting into the author's head. 

"Don't let your grandfather catch you studying at work," she smiled good-naturedly as she got out of the car. And then, before closing the door, "Have a good weekend."

She knows too much about me, I thought as I waved goodbye. ~ I only read four chapters of The Grapes of Wrath, but had already eaten lunch when I got to work on Saturday. The place was jumping. Millie was trying to keep three customers interested at the same time. She looked relieved when I jumped in to help. I could see that she had a bite. My cutting out the 'lookers' would let her reel in her fish. 

Millie and her customer headed for the office. She looked over her shoulder, and shrugged when she saw my grandfather walking over from the service station. Why couldn't he have helped out when she was trying to juggle three customers? She tossed him the keys to a trade-in, and ushered the buyer into the office. 

I lost one of the other 'lookers' and was explaining how we could make the rust on a ten year old truck disappear when something caught my attention. 

"What were you saying, young man?" The older gentlemen asked. He and his wife were looking at the truck as a gift to their grandson. 

"He's just like Walter. Has his eyes on the ladies," the wife said, probably referring to their grandson.

"Sorry," I apologized, still watching Ginny, who was holding the nozzle, pumping gas into her car. She saw me and waved. I waved back, wondering why she would drive to this side of town to fill her tank. Our prices were about the same as our competition. "We're friends," I said, still looking at Ginny.

"She's a nice looking woman, but a little old for you, isn't she?" the wife observed.

"He said they are just friends," the husband reminded his wife.

"She's married," I added, so as to remove any ideas about Ginny and me that may have entered the wife's head. "As I was saying about the rust..."

"He's lost his train of thought," the husband laughed at the way I was watching Ginny, wanting to see if she would get into her car and drive off, or would she steer the car over here, as I was hoping.


Electives Ch. 01



"Your grandson might like to take care of the rust. As you can see, it's not deeply ingrained in the steel. All he'll need is sandpaper, then a coat of primer before he matches the paint. I'll be happy to explain the process to him," I said, without looking at the couple. My eyes were fixed on Ginny.

My grandfather came back with the trade-in, parked it and looked my way. I shook my head to indicate the old couple didn't have a trade-in. He went into the office, to give Millie his offer for the trade-in, and hoping, I was sure, to approve a sales contract. 

"For two people who are just friends, you and that lady are paying a lot of attention to each other," the wife observed.

"Sorry," I said for the second time. "Would you like to take the truck for a test drive? I'll need to see your driver's license before my grandfather will give me a dealer's plate," I said. This was bullshit. I didn't need my grandfather's approval to put a dealer's plate on the truck. I just wanted them to know that I was related to the owner. It worked.

"Is that elderly gentleman your grandfather?" 

"Yes ma'am, although he would take exception to you referring to him as a gentleman. He knows he's elderly."

This got the desired reaction. They laughed. "Would you like to take it for a spin, Dear?" the woman asked her husband. 

I'd heard her, but didn't turn to see her husband's answer. Ginny was getting back into her car. Would she turn onto the highway, or would she drive over to say hello?

The man got my attention when he handed me his driver's license. 

I told him that I would be right back. It only took seconds to make a copy of the license, grab a dealer's plate and the keys to the truck. My grandfather was explaining why he never shakes hands to consummate a deal. I was happy that Millie had a sale. She blew me a kiss, thanking me for cutting the 'lookers' out of the herd. She didn't know that I had one of the 'lookers' hooked. 

When I got back to the truck the couple was talking to Ginny, who was out of her car, looking cute in shorts and a T-shirt. From the way she was smiling, I was sure the lady was teasing her about the way we had been looking at each other. 

My customers drove the truck out of the lot, and I was able to chat with Ginny until they came back, about fifteen minutes although it seemed more like fifteen seconds. 

"How are you doing with The Grapes of Wrath?" she asked, looking at me with a concerned expression. I didn't answer until she was finished straightening my tie. 

I looked around the lot to see if more 'lookers' had arrived. Millie was the only one in sight. My grandfather had disappeared. 

"I haven't made much headway. I don't know if I'll be able to finish it tomorrow," I admitted. 

"Would you like to study together? We could take turns reading," she suggested.

"Tonight?" I asked.

"I was thinking of tomorrow," she said, thoughtfully, like she was considering studying on Saturday night. 

"Tomorrow would be good," I said, not wanting to open a book on Saturday night, even if it were in the company of Ginny.

We were making arrangements to study at her house the next day when the elderly couple returned with the truck. Ginny said goodbye, and drove off.

The couple wanted their grandson to see the truck before they made the decision to buy it for him. This often happens. Some keep their word and return. Others only use the promise to come back as an excuse to bail. The couple kept their word. I met Walter, and we closed the deal. 

I'd never been inside Ginny's house before. I arrived promptly at eight AM, and saw that she had her books spread out on the dining room table. She was dressed the same as the day before, shorts and a T-shirt. 

I told her that I'd read eight chapters of our assignment, four on Saturday morning, and not having anything else to do that night, I read four more. 

She suggested that we start at the beginning, and began reading chapter one before I had a chance to differ. I didn't mind. The description of the unscrupulous car dealer in chapter one made me appreciate the ethical approach to business my grandfather practiced.

As Ginny read, I listened to her attempt to pronounce the Oklahoma dialect that Steinbeck had captured so well. I took notes. I also snuck peeks at Ginny from time to time.

Then it was my turn to read chapter two, the introduction of the main character, Tom Joad. Ginny took notes. I caught her looking my way a few times, probably critical of the way I muffed the dialect.

We took turns reading chapter by chapter until ten AM when Ginny suggested that we move outside. She stopped in the kitchen to pick up a pitcher of iced tea and two glasses. There was a table and chairs on the covered patio. We stayed there until it became too dark to see, except to move into the kitchen where she prepared sandwiches while I read a chapter.

While we were having our sandwiches, we discussed the part of the book that we had read so far.

"What impressions are you getting of the characters and the times?" she asked.

We were back on the patio. I placed one-half of my tuna fish sandwich on the plate, looked around the small backyard, collecting my thoughts. "There are two types of people, complicated and simple, aggressive and passive, and smart and stupid. We've already seen both types. As far as the times, we've seen the effects of the economic conditions, coupled with effects the weather had on both types of people."

Ginny looked impressed with my answer. I was proud of myself until she asked a more probing question. "Did the economic conditions and the weather make the characters more complicated or simple, more aggressive or passive, and smarter or more stupid than they were before the conditions changed?"

"I believe the conditions brought out those characteristics, yes, I believe opportunists saw the drought as a means to take advantage of the less fortunate."

Ginny toyed with her sandwich, occasionally glancing my way. "Are you always so cynical?"

"I hope not," I shrugged. "I believe we are products of our environment. Extreme conditions cause us to react the way we were trained."

We concentrated on finishing our sandwich, both thoughtful. Had I said the wrong thing? She got up and took the plates to the kitchen. She turned at the door. "I agree with you. Extreme conditions cause some to excel; others fall by the wayside."

I followed her inside, asking to use the bathroom. She directed me down a hall. After flushing the john, I was back in the hallway when I noticed a door partially open. I couldn't help but look in the room. Next to the bed was a photograph of a man in an Army uniform. There were second lieutenant's bars on his shoulders. Inserted at a bottom corner of the frame was a small picture of a soldier, squatting, dressed in the desert fatigues we'd seen when troops were assembling before the invasion of Iraq. I couldn't tell if it was the same man, and I didn't dare enter the room. Was her husband in Iraq?

We resumed reading, taking short breaks to stretch and discuss the story. It was quite pleasant on the patio, and we were making good progress with the book. 

"Come in the kitchen. You can read while I make us something to eat," she suggested.

"That's not necessary. Let's order a pizza," I said, making it sound like an order, not a request.

She agreed, and we continued reading until the pizza arrived. 

We had a dispute about which one of us would pay for the pizza. She argued that my driving us to class everyday was saving her money. She let me pay when I told her that I had a nice commission check coming. The elderly couple had returned with their grandson to buy the truck. She remembered them, and let me pay. 

"Would you like a glass of wine?" she asked, and then, "Oh, I forgot that you're...what...twenty?"

"I'll be twenty in October, but one glass of wine won't corrupt me."

"What day in October?"

"The twentieth," I said, wondering if she would decide I was too young for wine with the pizza.

"I beat you by two days. I'll be twenty-four on the eighteenth."

"We'll have to celebrate."

She laughed. "You wouldn't want to celebrate with an old lady like me."

I just looked at her, trying to convey that I'd like nothing better than to celebrate our birthdays together. From the way she looked back at me, I was sure she got the message.

We ate the pizza and had a glass of Merlot in the kitchen, then we resumed reading at the dining room table. It was ten-fifteen when I read the last paragraph of chapter thirty. 

"We'll compare notes on the way to class tomorrow," she said, telling me that it was time for me to leave. The full day of reading and listening had exhausted me and I didn't argue.



Electives Ch. 02



Chapter 2: Turning the Corner

We talked about everything on the way to and from class. During that third week of classes, I often felt Ginny's arm rub against mine as we walked. She seemed relaxed and comfortable to be with me, and I know I was with her. I was not inclined to crack a book on Friday night, but when she suggested that we study for an upcoming quiz for our American History class, I jumped at the chance to sit across the dining room table from her, and review dates of events from the seventeen hundreds. At the end of the fourth week of classes, we expanded our joint-study time to include Saturday nights.

The fifth week of classes marked the mid-point of our summer session. By meeting five days per week, except for the Fourth of July, we were covering a lot of territory in a short amount of time. I was enjoying every minute of the time I spent with Ginny.

Two things happened that weekend that sent me from the heights of euphoria, right back into a tailspin.

It was midnight on Saturday night, and the car I was driving wouldn't start. Ginny heard me grinding the starter and came outside to see what the trouble was. She offered to take me home, and I accepted. 

As we drove, I told her about my work experience at the service station. "After a year of doing repair work, my granddad saw that I'd never be a mechanic, so he had moved me into sales."

"I failed at every job I tried, too. That's why I became a teacher," she laughed.

"Do you like being a teacher?"

"Yes, I enjoy the kids, but I didn't intend to make teaching a career. It looks like I'll have to take some time off and go back to school for a master's degree."

I didn't know what to read into those two sentences. I was thinking of a discreet way to put my question when we arrived at my house. 

"This is it. I hope you'll be all right driving home at this hour." 

Ginny looked at me, her eyes glistening. "I'll be fine," she said, leaning over to kiss me on the lips.

The kiss was brief, and she was back in her seat before my mind grasped what had just happened. I thanked her for the ride, and got out of the car, wanting to remember the softness of her lips forever. 

My granddad took me to Ginny's house the next morning, and he didn't even need to look under the hood. The car started on the first try. I was embarrassed, especially when I saw Ginny at the door. She and my granddad exchanged a look, followed by a shake of their heads. He drove off, and I went inside.

We'd had five weeks of classes and this was our third week of studying together so our movement from the dining room table, to the patio, to the kitchen, my using the bathroom, back to the patio, and ordering a pizza had become routine. We finished the assignment early that day.

"Let's go to the circus," I said, making it sound like an order, not a suggestion. Ginny was dubious. I reminded her that it was the last night the circus was going to be in town. She relented, saying to give her a few minutes to get ready.

"Are you sure this car will make it?" she asked, teasingly as we got into the car. 

I laughed. I guess we were both in a good mood. We were doing something other than studying. Should I tell her that she looked nice? She's married. This is not a date.

Our seats were not in the best location. I took her hand as we climbed to the uppermost section of the stands. 

"This is fun. I can't remember the last time I went to the circus," she said. 

She had to crane her neck in order to see what was happening in the center ring. I didn't mind having her head next to mine. Her perfume was very appealing. I felt her hand squeeze my thigh when a high-wire walker nearly tumbled to the net below. I was sure it was intentional, and I believe Ginny knew it was too. I turned to see her eyes on me, looking solemn for a second, before she burst into a smile. 

Ginny laughed at the clowns, cheered throughout the elephants' act, and joked with the people around us. I enjoyed the closeness of her body as she leaned in to direct my attention to something she wanted to share with me. I'd never seen her so relaxed before. She was genuinely having a good time. 

At the end of the show I took her hand to guide her down to ground level. She held on to my hand all the way to the car, possible so we wouldn't get separated in the crowd. This wasn't a date; she was a married woman.

Ginny talked excitedly about the circus all the way to her house. I walked her to her door, and waited until she found her front door key. "Thank you, Randy. I had a good time," she said, turning to me as she opened the door. 

But when I leaned forward for a kiss she pulled back, saying, "I can't."

I walked away in embarrassment. I'm not sure if I heard her call out to me or not. 

The next morning was like any other, almost. We discussed the novel we'd read and the history assignment. Except for a strained feeling, it was all quite normal. She walked with me to our first class, to our next class, and to the car afterward. 

"I promised myself that I would honor Danny's life for a year after his death. That's the reason I couldn't kiss you goodnight," she said when we were under way.

How was I supposed to answer that? Should I tell her that I was sorry about Danny's death? Should I tell her that the circus was not a date? I had no business trying to kiss her. As far as I'd known, she was still married. She had done nothing wrong. "I understand," I said. 

"Thank you for understanding," she responded, and those were the only words spoken about the subject. We drove to school together, talked about the two classes, and even laughed a few times, until Friday when we stopped in front of her house.

"I don't think it's a good idea for us to study together this weekend, Randy."

.She was out of the car and headed toward her front door before I could think of anything to say. "Okay," I said to myself.

My grandmother was the first to notice that I was in a fog. She urged me get ready for work, declaring that I was going to be late. Millie was the second. She offered to watch the lot while I ran across the highway to get something to eat. I told her to leave, that I wasn't hungry.

"Is it the lady in the Honda that stopped by to see you a few weeks ago?" she asked. 

I stared at her, and Millie got the message. She'd crossed the line. It was not our custom to talk about anything personal. She did, however, make me smile when she swung her ass as she walked to her car. She looked back and grinned when she saw that her ass had done the trick.

The afternoon and evening dragged on, as if it would never end. The lull periods without customers were the worst. It was not my style to show exuberance. I preferred to let the customer notice a unique feature, and then to expand on it, matter-of-factly. But I found myself pointing out minor details about vehicles in an effort to make them stay for another minute or two. 

When I was alone during these lull periods I went over what I knew about Ginny. Danny was her husband, the soldier I'd seen in the bedside picture. He'd been killed in action, probably in Iraq, and Ginny had vowed to honor his life for a year after his death. Did that mean that she would not date? Did she feel guilty about having a good time at the circus? Should I have told her it was not a date? Or was it the kiss the night she'd driven me home? 

My attempt to kiss her goodnight was a mistake. We would have four more weeks of class, twenty trips to and from class. Somehow, I would conduct myself as a gentleman, treating her with the respect a war widow deserved. We would get through this, and then it would be different. I wouldn't see her, ride with her, walk to class with her, and laugh with her, ever again. 

But Damn it! I didn't want it to end. It was a noble thing she was doing, honoring her dead husband's life. I had to find a way to make her feel good about herself. 

When I closed up that night, I hadn't gotten a nibble. I tried to study, but found it impossible to concentrate.

Saturday was different. I credited my success to something Millie said when she left. "You've got to lose that up-tight disposition you're carrying around. I know it's not easy; I've been there. You have a natural laid-back knack for sales, Randy. If I had it I wouldn't have to wiggle my ass and show so much leg, but I don't. I want to see some of these heaps gone when I open the lot on Monday morning."

I watched her walk to her car. I cracked up when she wiggled her ass, once, and looked back at me, grinning.

I didn't take no for an answer that day. I kept my grandfather busy giving estimates of trade-ins and approving sales contracts. When we closed up that night there were six empty spaces on the lot. I even sold the car I'd planned to drive to school on Monday. 

Millie's pep talk stayed with me that night. I was able to read most of Hemingway's Old Man and the Sea, and finish it on Sunday morning. I was in my room that afternoon, trying to make some sense of the symbolism when my grandmother said the phone was for me.

"Randy?"

"Hi," I said, recognizing her voice, thinking, this is the first time we've spoken on the phone. She called me...SHE CALLED ME!

"I just wanted to say...I mean...I'm sorry...I'd like to see you if...I mean...if you would like to."

"Ginny?"

"Yes?"

"Is Ginny short for Jennifer?"

"You always have a way of making me smile. Do you hear me smiling?"

"I hear you smiling. It sounds lovely, you have a beautiful smile."

"I would like for you to watch me smile."

"I'll be there in thirty minutes."

I stepped into her house at three-thirty, not knowing what to expect. Ginny sat me down on the couch, and stood in front of me.

"Yesterday marked a year since Danny was killed. I cried all day, knowing that I hadn't lived up to my word of keeping his memory for an entire year. This morning, I woke up..."

"The circus was not a date," I interrupted her, hating the way she was beating herself up for enjoying herself one day out of three hundred and sixty-five.

"Yes, it was a date," she said as she approached me. "The circus was a date, and every time you came to my house was a date. I had fun. We even held hands."

She sat down next to me.

"I had fun too, but the hand holding was to make sure we didn't get separated in the crowd."

She grinned, skeptically, as she slid onto my lap. Her eyes met mine before she continued. "That time I came to your grandfather's business was a date, although it was not as long as I would have liked. Every time I rode to and from class with you was a date, and the night I took you home was a date. That's the only time I kissed you."

My arms were around her, wanting to console her. "That kiss was the highlight of my life. Your lips are incredibly soft." 

"I'm sorry that I turned away when you tried to kiss me after we had a fantastic time at the circus. It would have been a perfect ending to our date. You left, and I cried as soon as I was on the other side of the door. Telling you that it would be better if we didn't see each other this weekend was the hardest thing I've ever done. I should have explained the reason."

"It's okay; I understand your reasons now."

"I woke up this morning with a clear conscience, wanting to see you. It took me until three o'clock to get up the nerve to call you."

"I'm glad you did. Having you sit on my lap now makes up for the way I felt when I left here on Friday."

"If you would like to kiss me now, I promise not to turn away," she offered.

I tried to duplicate the soft kiss she had given me the night she took me home, but it didn't turn out that way. Ginny's mouth was open from the beginning, her hand on my cheek to hold it steady, as she ground her lips into mine in a display of passion that I will never forget. 

When we had to stop kissing to regain our breath she had more to say. I let her do the talking.

"Being with an older woman seems to agree with you," she said in a cautious whisper, like it was more of a question that a statement.

"I love being with you. Having you sit on my lap is like a dream come true."

"I knew that you didn't mind that I am four years and two days older than you. I've seen the way you look at me."

I pulled her down for a kiss. "I think about your soft lips every time I look at you."

"Can you tell how I feel about you from the way I look at you?"

"I enjoy having you look at me. Did you know you had feelings for me that day you were filling your gas tank?"

Ginny looked away, and then back, into my eyes. "Randy, I don't like to think about that day. I knew I was betraying Danny's memory, and yet, yes, if you must know, I had feelings for you. It's been difficult these last few weeks. I hope you will be patient with me. I don't want to be hurt, and I would never forgive myself if I hurt you. It would be a mistake to rush in to anything."

"I'll be patient." 

The words were no sooner out of my mouth when I felt her lips pressed to mine, and then she jumped off of my lap. "Ahgggg, I promised myself that I wouldn't do that, being the older woman, leading the young man astray."

I laughed and watched her jump around, obviously angry at herself for being impulsive. She caught me looking at her, and became solemn, gazing down at me, her eyes softened, contented to share the moment.

It was time for me to take charge of the situation, to prove something to her. I jumped off the couch, picked her up, tossed her on the couch, and stood over her. She lay there, passively looking up at me. 

I eased down until my knees were on the floor, and I was hovering above her. "Ginny, you're not leading me astray. I know you're in a tug-of-war with your emotions. I'll be patient. I won't rush you. We'll take it slow."

Her eyes were fixed to mine. It was like I was the grown up, and she was a child, questioning. "How slow?" she asked.

"It's up to you. You set the pace."

"You're too good to be true. You make me feel...young, carefree, and happy, all at once. Would you like to set a date?"

I wasn't sure what she was getting at. Did she mean what I thought? "As I said, it's up to you."

"How about the night we celebrate my twenty-fourth birthday, and you'll still be the tender age of nineteen?"

. "Okay," I said, still not sure if we were talking about the same thing.

"In the meantime, I want to learn everything about you. We'll have real dates, I'll ask you questions, and you'll keep me from acting mushy when we're together."

"I'll ask you questions, too," I said, and watched her smile as she pulled my head down for a soft, tender kiss. 

"Of course, but you promised to take it slow. There are some things that I'm not ready to talk about."

"I'll treat you like a fragile piece of china. You're nice to look at, but too rare to damage."

I was expecting to hear a comment, such as, 'I'm an antique,' but she didn't use the opening to comment about our age difference. 

"We'll have dates, and learn everything about each other."

"May I hold your hand as we walk to class?"

"You better," she smiled, and that is when I noticed the absence of the wide wedding band. 

"I'll introduce you to my grandparents."

"I'll introduce you to my sister...hum...that may be a problem. Danny was her brother, and she may not take kindly to someone taking his place. I'll need to prepare her."

And thus began the courtship of Jennifer Driver Stapleton. By the time Barbara Stapleton, her sister returned, I'd heard how Danny had swept her off her feet. She told me, laughing, about admitting to him that she was not a virgin. He had graduated first, and they married before he left for training. 

She was half way though her senior year when her brother's wife died suddenly. She went to visit Brian, and met his adopted daughter, Amanda, and his son, Phillip, for the first time. Ginny was the only family member to go to the funeral. Her parents and brother condemned Brian for never having married Phillip's mother, but Brian maintained that although he and Peggy had not gone before an official, they were man and wife. He even inscribed her tombstone Margaret Driver, using his surname. 

Ginny said that the three of them, Brian, Amanda and Phillip were so broken up over the death of Peggy that she didn't get to know her nephew very well. She said that she came away with a premonition that Danny would also die young. 

Danny was sent to Afghanistan and had only been in combat a few months when she received the news of his death. She vowed to honor Danny's death for an entire year. She and her brother talked often, commiserating with the other's loss. She also exchanged e-mails with Brian's adopted daughter, nine-year-old Amanda. 

Our real dates were limited to Sunday nights, although I went to her house after work on Fridays and Saturdays, and we called each other often. 

When Ginny wanted to see a movie, I was forced to tell her that my former girlfriend worked at the only theatre in town. 

I told her about Edie, and how she'd broken up with me when she learned that I'd lost my virginity to Edna, the bookkeeper's daughter. Ginny wanted to hear all about my nearly three years of dating the same girl. I explained that all we had done was kiss. "She didn't want to do more until she was eighteen."

Ginny often returned to the subject of Edie when we talked on the phone. She kept me talking for hours about my brief affair with Edna. She wanted to know every detail. 

My grandparents welcomed Ginny to their home. My grandmother commented that the older woman was just what I needed. "She has a positive influence on you. Your grooming has improved."

I knew Ginny was good for me. She kept me focused on the classes we were taking. We finished strong; she aced both courses; I was happy to receive an A for American Authors and a B for the American History class. 

My grandfather added that my sales record was also improving. 

It was her second visit to our house when Ginny told us about her family. In addition to Brian, she had another brother, Glenn, who was a dentist. Glenn was the apple of his mother's eye, Brian having lost favor when he took a widow and her daughter into his house. Ginny tried to explain Peggy's reluctance to marry Brian, but her parents' minds were made up. They sent gifts to their grandson, but always referred to Phillip as 'the little bastard.'

It may have been my grandmother's influence, but I guess even Tom Jansen knew that my schoolwork was going to be very time consuming. Anyway, he hired another sales person, and cut my hours back significantly. Herman was an experienced salesman, accommodating, and worked well with Millie. I still had to close the lot on Fridays, but left early on Saturdays. Millie even got some extra time off. 

Barbara returned at the end of August and took a dislike towards me from the moment we met. She resented my existence, and the place I'd secured in Ginny's life. I could tell that our being at odds with each other bothered Ginny. She blamed herself for not preparing Barbara as well as she should have. 

Barbara was trying to drive a wedge between us. She put up roadblocks, saying that Ginny didn't have time for three dates each weekend. I had to admit that she was right. With school and work, I didn't have time for three dates a week either. We cut back to two nights, but we talked on the phone almost every night we weren't together. 

"Amanda has written to me every day this week. I think she's reaching out to me," Ginny said.

I knew who Amanda was. I also knew that Ginny exchanged e-mail with her niece. "Is she upset about something?"

"It's her dad. He means everything to her, and my parents sent him away to collect their fortune from the estate of my dad's aunt. I wish you were here. I would show you her e-mails. Amanda writes very well for a nine-year-old."




Electives Ch. 02



"I'd like to see how well she writes. Forward her messages to me and I'll look them over," I offered.

"No, I won't do that. I want you here when you read them, so I can see your reaction," Ginny said in an enticing voice that made me want to go to her, even if it was near midnight. 

"What makes her messages so special?"

"You'll be impressed when you read them. Her concerns are those of a nine-year-old, her dad's safety, doing well in school, helping her brother and grandmother, but she expresses herself like someone much older. I wish I could comfort her. She's been through so much. Her father committed suicide and her mother died young."

Hearing anguish in Ginny's voice, I agreed to break tradition and stop by her house the following day. It was a Wednesday and I was not scheduled to work. Barbara must have known that Ginny and I had something serious to discuss. She offered to prepare dinner, giving Ginny and me permission to huddle in her bedroom.

As Ginny had predicted, I was impressed with her niece's way of expressing herself. Her sentences were complete, and she stayed on topic. She described the school clothes that she and Marian had chosen. I needed help with some of the names. Marian was Brian's girlfriend, and John, who made sure that Amanda and Phillip got on and off the school bus safely, worked for Brian. Aunt Judy was John's wife.

Ginny was stretched out on her bed, watching me. She was still wearing the clothes she'd worn to school that day, a silk blouse, a short black skirt, and two inch heels. 

I re-read the messages, wondering if Amanda had been coached. "She's telling you about everyday events. Are you sure you're not imagining gloom and doom into her messages?" I asked.

"Read this one," she said, handing me a printed message. "It's from yesterday."

I took the sheet of paper, and reached for one of her shoes at the same time. Ginny closed her eyes when she felt my hand massage her foot. I saw a smile come to her lips when I removed the other shoe, and rubbed her foot. She folded her other leg, making the short skirt drop, revealing bare thighs. I placed one hand on her thigh while holding the message with the other hand, and began reading. 

{Block}

Dear Aunt Ginny,

Phillip and Tommy had a fight at school today. Their teacher said fighting about where we will live after our dad and Tommy's mother are married was dumb, but I don't think it was. Phillip likes his room, and I don't think it is dumb for him to want to stay here. That's what I told Marian when she called me. She said she would talk to dad about where we're going to live. I asked her to please not say anything to dad because he's so busy. He didn't tell me, but I had a premonition that a lady and her friends are ganging up on him. 

Marian said she would talk to dad if she wanted to, and I told her that if she talks to him, I'll talk to him, too. I don't think she liked that. She knows he'll listen to me.

Aunt Ginny, do you think I should tell my dad what Marian said?

Love and kisses,

Your niece, Amanda.

{/block}

I became distracted by the way Ginny was trapping my hand between her thighs, and had to read Amanda's message again.

"She's reaching out for your help," I said, looking down at Ginny.

"I'm reaching out for help, too," she said, pulling me down for a kiss. I hardly noticed when she opened her thighs, making my hand slip down to cover her sex. Our lips were locked, and my hand was rubbing her panty-covered pussy when Barbara knocked on the door, announcing that dinner was ready. Ginny pushed me out of her room, saying that she needed a moment. It didn't occur to me until later when she blushed, and I realized that she'd needed a moment to change her panties. 

Dinner consisted of a green salad, followed by spaghetti and meatballs. We ate quickly, complimented Barbara on her cooking, and hurried back to Ginny's room to discuss Amanda's e-mail.

Ginny showed me an e-mail from her brother that confirmed Amanda's concerns. "I had no right to become involved, but I stuck my nose right in the middle of it. This is his answer," she said. 

{Block}

Hi, sis,

Congratulations of finding someone who treats you like the princess that you are. I hope you and Randy will make plans to visit us soon. 

I hope to wrap things up here within a month or six weeks, but I'm surrounded by greedy people, who fight dirty, and operate under their own set of rules. 

Phillip told me about his preference to keep his room. He also said that he likes our backyard. I told him that I would take his request into consideration, but I thought that it was just a passing fancy and he would change his mind. Now that you've pointed out how Amanda is sticking up for her brother, I'll assure both of them that we are not moving, even if it means a break-up with Marian. 

Thanks Sis, for interceding on my children's behalf. If Marian calls, I'm prepared to tell her that my kids come first.

Love,

Brian

{/Block}

"It sounds like Brian has everything under control," I said, letting Ginny pull me down for a kiss.

"You don't think I was too forward? I've only seen him one time in the last eight years."

"I think you demonstrated a sister's concern, and it is apparent that Brian appreciated it. I think we should take him up on his invitation. I'm looking forward to meeting that grown-up nine-year-old."

We made out on her bed for another hour before I told her that I needed to study. Ginny thanked me for giving my appraisal of Amanda' e-mail messages. We were at the front door when she whispered, "I have to change my panties again."

Over the following weeks and months, there were many more messages from Amanda and Brian. They provided insight into their personalities, and I became anxious to meet them, especially the little girl. Amanda was wise beyond her years. 

~ 

It was the last Friday of September, and we were well into the fall semester. I'd just gotten home from work and was preparing to study when my grandmother said the phone was for me.

Strange, I thought, Ginny never called until eleven-thirty.

"Hello?"

"Randy, I've been thinking about you."

I recognized her voice. She sounded pensive, like she was choosing her words carefully. "Hi, Edie."

"I haven't seen you in quite a while."

"Yes, it has been quite a while," I said. She's the one that said she didn't want to see me, not that I blamed her.

"I've been thinking about us. Perhaps I acted rashly."

"Don't say that. I hurt you, and your actions were justified."

"Three years is a long time to discard, like it never happened."

"It was a little less than three years. Anyway, it was my fault."

"It was my fault, too. You respected my wish to wait until I was eighteen. I should have seen it coming. You did what any red-blooded boy would do if he had the chance. I wish I had been more...forgiving."

What was she saying? Did she want to get back together? I needed to tell her about Ginny, and soon, but I couldn't find the words. "Edie, there's something that I need to tell you..."

"I'm working. I'll talk to you later," she said, ending the call before I could tell her about my involvement with Ginny.

I knew I couldn't study until I told Ginny about Edie's phone call. She listened as I repeated everything that had been said, as near to word-for-word as I could remember.

"When is her birthday?" Ginny asked.

"It's coming up right a way, October the eleventh, I believe," I said, knowing that it was exactly one week before Ginny's birthday. I remembered that I'd given Edie gifts for her sixteenth and seventeenth birthdays. . 

"Are you planning on celebrating it with her?"

"No, of course not."

"She's offering herself to you, you know?"

"I'm only telling you this because I need your advice. How do I break the news to her that I'm in love with you?"

"I'm in love with you, too. Come to my house right now."

"We have a date tomorrow night. I'll come as soon as I finish work."

"Don't you find me desirable, Randy? Don't you want to have sex with me?"

"I want desperately to have sex with you. I'm looking forward to the eighteenth."

"Don't you see? I made the same mistake as Edie; only I'm six years older than her and should have known better. I demand that you come to my house this instant."

"Is Barbara there?"

"Yes, but I'll tell her not to disturb us."

"It's tempting, but we agreed on the eighteenth. I think we should stick to that date."

"You're being opportunistic, just like those characters in The Grapes of Wrath. What do you want from me?" She sounded distraught, near tears. "I want you to love me for being patient."

"You're mean," she said, hanging up without advising me as to what I should say to Edie.

Edie called later. I told her that I was involved with someone before she could form a sentence. She told me to have a good life, but I don't believe she meant it. 

Perhaps Ginny had been right; Edie was offering her virginity to me. But I hadn't seen her for months. It would be kind of awkward to jump in bed with someone after that long, and anyway, I wasn't in love with her. I was in love with Ginny. 

"You're mean," Ginny said when I told how blunt I'd been with Edie. She later had to admit that she was glad I was mean. 

It was the end of September, three weeks before Ginny's twenty-fourth birthday. Making her wait to have sex had become a game with me. I planned our dates carefully, taking her away from her house, and her bedroom every Saturday and Sunday night. I took her to some of the best restaurants in Spencer, to parties, and to sporting events. I even took her to the only movie theatre in town, the one where Edie worked. 

Edie pretended not to see us together, but I knew she did. Ginny was her usual playful self, clinging to me like superglue was holding us together. She later admitted that she had known Edie was watching. "She's cute!" she exclaimed.

Ginny made a game of trying to get me into her bed. She made excuses for us to stay at home, offering to make dinner or saying she had rented movies that I would like. To my surprise, Barbara did her part to entice me to take Ginny up on her offer to have sex before the designated date. She came to the used car lot one Saturday afternoon. 

"Most guys can't wait to get into a girl's panties. Are you sure you're a guy?"

"I'm proving something to Ginny. I want to have sex with her more than she'll ever know. Waiting until her birthday is my way of showing that my love for her is real. I would wait another year if she wanted me to."

Barbara didn't believe me. "I think you're frightened. Are you concerned that you'll disappoint her? Relax, Randy, she knows you're young and inexperienced."

That wasn't it at all. But as the eighteenth of October approached, I became apprehensive. I wanted our first time together to be perfect.



Electives Ch. 03



Chapter 3: Matchmaking

At least I had turned the corner. Barbara was no longer hostile toward me. She called me often, wanting to become my confidant.

"Where are you taking her?" she asked.

I had the evening planned. I even had a late model car reserved, having given specific instructions to Millie and Herman to steer customers away from it. "I'm making reservations for dinner at Barossa, and then we'll go to one of the motels on the outskirts of town."

Barossa was the fanciest restaurant in town, and I could see that Barbara approved. "Don't take her to a seedy motel. Bring her to the house. I'll go out, but you'll have to help me."

"Help you?" I asked.

"I'll need a date. You must have a friend that won't mind keeping me entertained until one AM," she said, becoming silent, letting her request sink in.

I pictured her, waiting for my reaction. Barbara was a tall, big-boned woman, probably in her early-thirties. She had a pretty face, but I'd never seen her show interest in men. To me, she was Danny's older sister, overly-protective sister of Ginny.

"My friends are nineteen, twenty and twenty-one," I said, really thinking out loud. She wouldn't be interested in a kid my age, would she?

"You must know someone in his late twenties or early thirties."

There was something in her voice that grabbed me. It came to me; Barbara was using my night with Ginny to get herself fixed up. She had yearnings of her own, and she was making me want to help her. Trouble was, I didn't know a single male in that age range.

"Would twenty-six qualify?" I asked, remembering that Herman was twenty-six, and I seemed to recall that he was single. Twenty-six and single; did he like girls?

"I don't think so," she said, sounding thoughtful. "What does he look like?"

"I'll bring you a picture," I offered, and Barbara, although she didn't sound excited about the prospects of meeting someone twenty-six, didn't reject the idea entirely.

Driving home from school the next day, I saw why Barbara was opposed to my taking Ginny to a motel. Even after a romantic meal, finding the room number, inserting the key in the lock, opening the door, and stepping inside a room that reeked of disinfectants would be a turn-off. 

I had to find someone who would keep Barbara out until after midnight, someone she approved of. 

Herman, as it turned out, had a girlfriend. I didn't ask him; Millie told me. 

"I need to find a date for Ginny's roommate," I said. 

She glanced at me, and then looked out to see a couple get out of a car. "Go ahead, it's your turn," I said.

"You take them. They're more your style," she said, and I saw her looking at a couple of guys who were getting out of a BMW, and heading toward the car I planned to use on our big night, the only Mercedes Coupe on the lot. 

Both parties wanted to take a car for a test drive. Millie made copies of their drivers' licenses while I attached the dealers' plates to the vehicles. 

"Blind dates are my worst nightmare. They never work out," Millie said while we were waiting for our customers to return.

"It's only one night. Anyway, she wants to see a picture before she'll agree to go out with someone."

"How old is she? I may know someone," Millie offered. 

"She's about thirty-two or three, five-nine, and a little overweight."

"I know just the guy. I'll get you a picture," Millie said.

The cars returned, and both customers gave us the standard line, "We'll be back," and left.

It was time for Millie to leave for the day, and I didn't find out who she had in mind to keep Barbara busy while Ginny and had the house to ourselves for a few hours. 

It was Saturday, the eleventh of October, and I couldn't get it out of my mind that it was Edie's eighteenth birthday. I considered calling her to wish her a happy birthday, only deciding against it when I remembered that in only one more week it would be Ginny's twenty-fourth birthday. 

"Here's the guy I was telling you about," Millie said, shoving a photograph under my nose. "His name is Clifford. I spoke to him about keeping your girlfriend's roommate busy, and he's up for it. Let me know if you want to reserve him for next Saturday."

Clifford looked enormous. "How do you know him?" I asked.

"He's a mechanic at the agency where I worked before I came here."

They had worked together, but I sensed something more. "How well do you know him, Millie?" I asked, still looking at Clifford's huge frame. He had to be six-four, and weigh two-fifty. 

"He's the right age, and he's free next weekend," Millie said, in a take-it-or-leave-it tone of voice. 

"How well do you know him, Millie?" I repeated, wanting some assurance that Barbara would be safe with this giant.

"Okay, we had something going for a time, but I had to put a stop to it. He's just too big for me."

Millie's admission that Clifford was too big sounded totally out of character. She was a fighter. It wasn't like her to back off from anything. "I'm small," she added. 

True, she was only five-three, and weighed less than half of Clifford's two-fifty, but she was definitely not petite. Millie could use her wits to hold her own with any male. My blank stare must have told her that I needed further explanation.

"Down there," she said, smiling meekly as she opened the door to go out to the lot. 

"Down there," I repeated, feeling like a complete dunce when I got it. Millie, who laughed at crude jokes and usually responded with one of her own, had just admitted that she was small, down there. 

Did that mean what I thought it meant? Was Clifford big, down there? Would I make a mistake by introducing Clifford to Barbara? 

I looked at the photo again. He had a kindly looking face, not handsome, but gentle, even jovial perhaps. I rationalized, telling myself that it was only one date. On the back of the picture was a telephone number. I would show the photo to Barbara. Should I warn her that Clifford was big, down there? No, it was only one date. If she liked what she saw, I would talk to him, just to set the record straight; it was only to be one date.

"He's a mechanic," I said as I handed Barbara the photo. 

"He's...big," she remarked.

'In more ways than one,' I thought, but didn't say it out loud. "It's only one date."

"Okay," she said, agreeing to go on a blind date with Clifford.

I called Clifford on Sunday, and we talked for an hour, about cars, about people we knew in the business, and finally, about Barbara Stapleton. I wondered if Millie had revealed my reason for setting up the blind date.

"Would you like to meet her?" I asked.

"Ah, sure," he said. I thought I had heard hesitation in his voice. Was he nervous about going out on a blind date? We made arrangement to meet later that day. 

Ginny was unaware of the blind date. I saw no reason for telling her what I had been up to. What if the meeting didn't go well?

"Let's go to the park," I said.

"I have to prepare for next week's classes," Ginny objected. Sunday was our date night, but she hadn't expected me to show up so early, mid-afternoon. 

"It's a warm, fall afternoon. There won't be many more days like this," I argued. 

"I'll go with you," Barbara offered, seeming to know that I had something up my sleeve.

Ginny came to kiss me goodbye, and decided to go along. I don't know if the kiss was that pleasant, or that she didn't want to miss out on anything.

It really was a nice day. The girls were dressed alike, in knee-length pants, T-shirts, and light-weight sweaters. We walked through the city park, admired the fall plantings, and stopped to watch the tennis matches in progress before I found an empty bench. 

"Are you tired all ready?" Ginny asked when she saw me take a seat. I motioned for her, and she happily joined me, practically sitting on my lap. A bored look came to Barbara's face, but when I winked at her, she joined us on the bench.

"Clifford," I called out when I recognized the man in the photograph. 

"Who's that?" Ginny asked when I jumped up to shake hands with the big man.

He grinned, and it was like shaking hands with an old friend. After spending an hour on the phone together, his voice was familiar, and I decided his laugh suited him. As we chatted, he tapped me on the shoulder a couple of times, and sort of danced around, like guys do when they're happy to see an old friend. I noticed him glace at the girls sitting on the bench, but turned his attention back to me, looking nervous.

I introduced Ginny as my girlfriend, and Barbara as her roommate. "Clifford is a mechanic at the Toyota Agency. We know a lot of the same people in the business," I explained. 

We talked about the good weather, and when Barbara said that she taught third grade, Clifford commented that if his third grade teacher had looked like her, he wouldn't have made it to the fourth grade. Otherwise, he acted nervous, and made some excuse about needing to be someplace. 

Ginny never did catch on to my devious way of setting up a blind date. I knew she wanted to work on her class plan so we left the park right after Clifford made his departure. 

Ginny took her seat at the dining room table, and I followed Barbara outside to the covered patio. 

"He didn't like me," Barbara said as soon as we were alone.

"He was nervous," I countered. "He's a nice guy. Did you like him?"

"It's only one date," she said, repeating my argument.

I took that as her consent to go out with him if Clifford was okay with it. 

"What' going on out here? Aren't you going to help me with my lesson plan?" Ginny asked. 

She knew that I would be more of a distraction than help, but I followed her back inside, and sat next to her, watching as she filled in the timeslots on a worksheet. 

I wanted to talk to Clifford, but every time I tried to leave, Ginny stopped me, first saying that she wasn't finished with her lesson plans, then inviting me to stay for dinner, and finally suggesting that a make-out session would be the perfect ending to the day.

It was the twelfth of October, one day after Edie's eighteenth birthday, and six days before Ginny's birthday, the night we'd been looking forward to since we'd decided that we were meant for each other.

In addition to needing to speak with Clifford about his entertaining Barbara the following Saturday night, I really did need to study. 

Time got away from me. I would like to say that after watching her fill in the blocks of her lesson plan, that I helped Ginny prepare dinner, enjoyed a pleasant meal, did the dishes, retired to her room for a long make-out session, fell asleep, and made it home in time to return Clifford's telephone calls before he was to be at work, and I was to be in class.

All of the above would be accurate; except for one detail that I failed to mention. 

We must have both been tired. Who falls asleep while making out? I was suddenly warm, and my arm was wrapped around Ginny's waist. As I learned later, she had pulled my pants off, and covered us with a blanket.

I have no idea what time it was when I became aware that my shorts were around my thighs and there was a small hand wrapped around my cock, which was incredibly hard.

At first, I thought I was having a dream, a very exciting dream. I didn't want to wake up, but when I moved my hand, and felt a bare ass, I knew that this was no dream.

We didn't talk, but I heard her gasp when the head of my cock came in contact with her pussy. It felt wet, open and receptive. After one more swipe of her slit, I was between her legs, and thrusting. I heard her gasp again as I felt my cock enter her cavern. Her hands were on my back and her legs were wrapped around my thighs. 

What a way to wake up! Ginny tried her best to remain quiet, making me wonder if she thought I was sleeping through the most exciting night of my life. She met my thrusts, pulling me into her, gasping and whimpering at the same time. 

I didn't last very long. It was over before we really got into rhythm. Ginny shushed my weak apology with a kiss, letting me roll off. I pulled her to me, and I held her close, silently cuddling before drifting back to sleep.

We overslept, which was good because it spared us from facing each other. She jumped out of bed the second Barbara knocked on the door. I dressed and was out the door while she was still in the bathroom. 

My grandmother gave me quizzical look, told me she was glad to see that I was alive, and handed me a piece of paper with Clifford's telephone number. "He's been calling for you since yesterday afternoon."

I took a quick shower, dressed for school, and spoke to Clifford while I had my breakfast, a slice of toast and cup of coffee.

After settling the big guy down, I was able to convince him that Barbara was willing to go on a blind date. He said that he planned to take her to Barossa.

"That's where I'm taking Ginny," I objected.

"That's great! We'll have dinner together," he said, excitedly.

I didn't want to be late for school, and I knew he needed to report for work soon, so I didn't argue about his plans to sit with us at Barossa. I made a mental note to change the reservations I'd made, and left for school. 

Monday was a workday for me, and I definitely needed to study, but I also wanted to talk to Ginny. She sounded nervous, but talkative.

"Have you been trying to call me? Clifford called twice. They've been tying the line up for hours. I understand you're taking me to Barossa. Why didn't you tell me? I'll need a dress and...Randy, are you sure you can afford Barossa?"

"Clifford wanted to join us, and I couldn't turn him down. He seems unsure of what he and Barbara will talk about."

"That was nice of you. It may be fun to have company on our special night."

Special night? Had she forgotten about the night before? I didn't remind her about waking up to find my shorts around my thighs and her hand around my cock. 

"I don't have to work tomorrow night," I said, hoping to be invited to her house. 

"We're going shopping for dresses," she said. "Anyway, you need to study. I'll call you at eleven-thirty."

During the next few days, I changed from walking with a swagger to someone with his tail between his legs. 

I worked on Wednesday night, and when I offered to stop by her house after school the following day, she gave me the excuse that she and Barbara would be busy doing alterations to their new dresses. She sounded apologetic, but I began to wonder if she'd enjoyed our spontaneous union as much as she'd pretended.

I spoke to Clifford, reminding him that he was to keep Barbara busy after we had dinner. He sounded doubtful about being able to carry out the assigned task.

Ginny called at eleven-thirty, saying she was looking forward to out special night. "Clifford calls Barbara every night. They talk for hours. I think they like each other."

We'd spoken every day on the phone, but neither of us had mentioned how we had 'come together' on the previous Sunday night. Was it something she wanted to forget? Had she slept through it?

I worked Friday night, and the mid-day shift on Saturday without making a single sale. In fact, my last sale had been on Monday, when I was walking on air.

"You've lost your touch," Millie said, as I was leaving.

"I've lost my confidence," I confided.

"Go see my friend, Patti. She'll give you a make-over that will restore your confidence," Mille said, handing me a card.

"This is a ladies' salon," I objected.

"I'll call her and say that you're on your way. Patti has a back room where she takes care of shy guys like you," she assured me.

I had to wait fifteen minutes in a room of curious females, but once Patti got me settled in the back room, she gave me her full attention.

"I understand this is a big night for you. Where are you taking the young lady?"

Patti not only described the lay-out at Barossa. She recommended that I order the Shish-kebob, saying it was highly seasoned, and served on a bed of rice. 

"What are you going to wear?" she asked.

I told her that I had a dark, pin-striped suit, white shirt, red tie with white polka-dots, and black shoes. Patti told me to lose the tie. "Barossa doesn't require that you wear a tie. Pick up a silk shirt on you way home, black, with pearl buttons," she said, even telling where I could find such a shirt. 

She introduced me to two assistants, the shampoo person and the manicurist. When she returned, my hair was being dried, and the manicurist was working on my left hand. 

Patti talked constantly, asking me how I was planning to dress for my big night while moving my hair around my head. She didn't show me any pictures of hairstyles, or asked me which way I preferred to wear my hair. After a light trim, she tried a variety of styles, parting my hair in the center of my head, off-center, and finally combing it straight back. 

She held a mirror at the back of my head. I wasn't sure if I liked the new look, but I tried not to be judgmental. 

"Come back next week and I'll change the part back to the right side," she offered, as she removed the cape.

I reached for my billfold, but Patti told me this was Millie's treat. 

"I'll charge you full price when you come in next week," she said.

I wasn't sure if I would be back. I didn't know if I liked my hair combed straight back until I heard one of the customers sigh. "What did you do to him, Patti?"

I grinned at her, and heard other customers pronounce their agreement that Patti had transformed me into...I'm sure I heard one lady use the term, 'hunk.'

The silk shirt didn't appeal to me at all, but Patti's advice had been right-on in every other respect, so I stopped and bought one, almost knowing that I would never wear it again. 

I'd reserved the Mercedes Coupe. Our reservation at Barossa was for seven-thirty, so I arrived at Ginny's house at seven, only to find Clifford's Toyota already parked in front of the house. He even met me at the door, saying that the girls were not quite ready. He must have heard that Barossa didn't require a tie. He wore a blazer and white linen shirt, open at the neck.

Ginny appeared first. The dress was black, off her shoulders, cut low in the back, and extended to her calves. Her neck was bare. In fact, she wore no jewelry at all. She smiled when I expressed my approval, and shivered when I kissed her bare shoulder. 

"I hope you have a wrap to shield you against the cold," I said, and she produced a knit cape, black of course.

Barbara's dress was also black, with a white stripe around the waist, and her shoulders were covered.

Clifford paid Barbara a similar compliment to the way I had reacted to Ginny's entrance. We stood around admiring each other until I suggested that we be on our way. 

"Your back seat is too cramped for us. We'll take my car," Clifford said.

Had he forgotten that he was to keep Barbara busy until after midnight? I started to open the passenger door to the Mercedes, but Ginny tugged at my sleeve, and we moved to the back seat of Clifford's car. 

We had to wait for our table. I tried to make small-talk, but couldn't generate any response from my companions. Clifford acted like he wasn't listening; Barbara seemed to be on a different planet, and Ginny wasn't helping.

But once he saw the location where we were being seated, Clifford took the Maitre d' aside, shoved a bill in his pocket, and motioned for us to follow him to a table at the rear of the room. 

Once we were seated, Clifford glanced at the menu. "I'm having the prime rib, how about you, Barbara?"

Barbara perused her menu, not ready to settle for prime rib. Ginny was also undecided. I knew what I was going to order, and searched the faces of the other diners to see if I knew any of them, soon deciding that they didn't appear to be people who bought used cars. 




Electives Ch. 03



When the waiter showed up to take our orders, Clifford sent him to get a bottle of wine, giving the girls a few more minutes to decide. They both chose a medley of Italian vegetables, but when they saw what we were having, they persuaded us to share some of our meat with them. 

Once he'd consumed a half glass of wine, Clifford became talkative, relating funny incidents that had happened in car dealerships where he had worked. 

This wasn't the way I had planned our special night at all, but Ginny didn't seem to mind listening to Clifford talk. She may have been happy to see Barbara relaxed, and getting along so well with her date. 

After two glasses of wine, I didn't mind letting Clifford dominate the conversation. By the end of the meal, we were all becoming boisterous, and when the waiter asked if we wanted dessert, we laughed, saying we would have another glass of wine. 

Clifford insisted on settling the bill, and from the way the waiter thanked him, I'm sure the tip was generous. 

Ginny and I settled in the back seat while Barbara moved as near to Clifford as the center console would allow. Ginny had her hand on my thigh, so I placed my hand in the same area on her thigh. Her lips were yielding. She squeezed my thigh, and I did the same to her. She wiggled her ass, and her dress was soon above her knees. I got the idea and moved my hand under her dress. 

"Randy," she said, attaching her mouth to mine. She repeated my name several times. I never did catch on to what she meant, but by the time we got to her house, my hand was rubbing her sex, and she was moaning into my mouth.

I was shocked when Clifford got out and opened the passenger door for Barbara. Had he forgotten that he was to keep her out until after midnight? Ginny was unaware of my plan, and didn't seem to mind the intrusion. 

We were no sooner inside the house when the girls decided it was time for them to put on more comfortable clothes. I followed Ginny to her bedroom, offering my birthday gift as an excuse to be there. She turned her back to me, asking me to help her with her dress. I took to liberty of hanging my suit jacket next to the dress in her closet. 

Next, I sat her on the bed and helped her remove her shoes and stockings. That's when I remembered the gift was in my suit jacket. It was an ankle bracelet, inscribed, 'To my girlfriend on her 24th birthday.' I barely had it fastened when Ginny kissed me, saying she would never take it off.

There was a knock on the door. "What will you guys have to drink?" Clifford asked. 

"No thanks; nothing for us," I said without looking at Ginny.

"We're going to play cards. Do you want us to deal you in?" he asked.

I looked at Ginny, shaking my head. She grinned, and shook her head. "Not tonight. Thanks anyway, Clifford."

"Are you sure?" This time it was Barbara's voice asking the question. 

"We're sure!" Ginny said.

I kissed her knee, and then the inside of her thigh, making her sigh. "We're sure!" she repeated, more to me than her sister. 

I placed the only chair against the doorknob, hoping it would make the other couple think twice before they barged into the room. 

Ginny watched me come back to the bed where she was wearing only her panties and bra. I started at her ankle, kissing my way up her let, the soft spot behind her knee, the inside of her thighs, until I got to the junction between her legs. 

Ginny lay back on the bed, raising her ass to permit the removal of her panties. Up until this point, she had been quiet, but when I ran my tongue over one of the lips of her pussy, she squealed.

That was the reaction I was seeking. Edna had taught me to play with the lips of her pussy, to move it to one side with my tongue while ignoring the other one until she begged me to give it the same attention. 

Ginny squealed again, and we heard a knock on the door. 

"Is Randy hurting you, Ginny?" Barbara asked.

I shook my head, coaching her, but realizing Ginny was unable to talk. "I'm not hurting her, Barbara," I said, trying to make my voice sound as calm as possible. 

"Ginny?" Barbara persisted.

"I'm fine," Ginny was able to say. 

There were three more shrieks, and three more knocks on the door. Each time, Barbara wanted to be assured that Ginny was okay. She wouldn't take my word; she waited until Ginny was able to assure her that nothing bad was happening to her. 

Finally, I tweaked Ginny's clitoris and didn't stop flicking it until the banging on the door made the chair that was propped against the doorknob drop to the floor.

I held by breath, hoping the door would not be opened. It would flood the room with light from the hallway, and I would be forced to glace at Danny's picture on the nightstand. Besides, the way Ginny's body was shaking would not look good to the casual observer.

"Barbara, don't come in here. I just gave Ginny a tremendous orgasm. Give us some time. She'll tell you that she's fine in a minute or two."

Ginny struggled to regain her composure. I used the time to remove my clothes. 

"Barbara?" Ginny called to her sister.

"Was Randy telling the truth?" Barbara asked from the other side of the door.

"Randy understated his accomplishment. That was an outstanding orgasm he gave me. I'm fine. Please go away and leave us alone so we can have fantastic sex."

Barbara must have gotten the message. We didn't hear another peep out of her until much later.

I heard movement on the bed, and realized Ginny was getting between the sheets. When I made contact with her warm body, I found that she'd removed her bra. We were both completely naked. 

I toyed with her breasts and we kissed. "Do you have a condom?" she asked.

What the fuck! Had she forgotten about Sunday night when she'd guided my cock into her? I didn't have a condom then, and I didn't have one now. 

"I didn't think it was necessary."

"Randy, how would it look for a second grade teacher to become pregnant? Be a good scout and reach in my nightstand. You'll find a package there."

I didn't argue with her. Had she forgotten about Sunday night? Had she been asleep? I opened the nightstand drawer, found the package of condoms, and dug one out. 

Ginny felt my cock to make sure the condom was on securely. 

This was the second time I'd been between her legs, and I knew what to expect. Was I nervous? My mind was flooded with things to say, 'You were beautiful tonight,' 'Happy birthday,' 'I love you,' 'Are you ready?'

Ginny answered my unspoken question by guiding my cock to her opening, and we were soon joined, moving together, silently extolling each other's efforts, grunting pleasurably, beginning to sweat, climaxing, too exhausted to speak.

We cuddled, still trying to regain our breath. Ginny kissed my hand, and placed it on her breast. I was half-asleep when I felt her body shake. 

"Is that what I think it is?" she asked, giggling.

"What?"

"Your thing is rubbing my ass. You're still wearing the condom, aren't you?"

I groaned, too sleepy to respond.

"The waste basket is next to the night stand," she offered.

I groaned again.

"Do you want me to do it?'

I would have liked nothing better that for her to dispose of the rubber, but I didn't think she really wanted to. I removed the used condom from my cock, draped my body over hers, and dropped it into what I hoped was the waste basket.

"That's better," she said, taking my hand and placing it back on her breast. She wiggled her ass, bringing it into contact with my limp cock. "Much better," she said, and that was her last words spoken until much later.

Screams woke us. It took me a few seconds to grasps that the screams were coming from across the hall. They were quite discernable; "CLIFFORD!" was being repeated, with sporadic undertones that sounded like, "more," and "fuck me," followed by, "CLIFFORD!" 

It only took me a few seconds to become fully awake. "Do you think she's okay? Should I do something?"

Ginny's answer was to reattach my hand to her breast, and wiggle her ass. For a second, I thought she was going back to sleep, but when we heard, "CLIFFORD!" again, she put her hand behind her to feel my cock. 

"Hmmm," she said, rolling over to face me. 

I didn't hesitate to reach across her, open the nightstand drawer, and find a condom. 

Ginny got into position while I rolled the condom on my cock. It only took a few swipes of my cock against her slit to make her ready and receptive.

"If you can't beat them, join them," she giggled as I entered her. 

Barbara had stopped screaming Clifford's name, and we didn't hear any more from across the hall. Ginny was the only one making noise. It began as whispers, but escalated to loud expressions of praise for what I was doing to her. I told her that I loved her, and she responded by declaring her love for me. 

"See if you can hit the waste basket this time," she laughed when she was able to talk. I made sure the rubber went in, and we resumed our slumber with my hand on her breast. 

I would have liked to use another condom the next morning, but Ginny became very conscious of her nudity when the sun came streaming through the windows. She jumped out of bed, put on a robe, and ran to the bathroom before I could restrain her. 

She came back to the room, informed me that the bathroom was free, and waited until I left the room before she got dressed. 

After washing thoroughly, I joined the others in the kitchen. We were all in good moods, and we joked about things that had happened at the restaurant, the way Clifford had gotten us a table at the rear of the dining room, and how the waiter had accepted the order for wine without checking my age. But we avoided mentioning Barbara becoming concerned by Ginny's shrieks. We didn't reveal that we'd been awakened in the early morning by Barbara's expressions of adoration for Clifford's special skills.

Frankly, I was irritated that Clifford was still there. I'd been looking forward to Ginny's birthday since we'd become convinced that we were meant for each other. He was only here to perform a job, and he had shirked his duty. What right did he have to take advantage of Barbara? I was beginning to look at her in a new light, too. 

I wanted to be alone with Ginny, to talk to her, and find out how she felt about our coupling. I desperately wanted to ask if she'd forgotten about Sunday night. 

Millie was happy to hear how well the blind date had gone. I didn't tell her about my disdain for Clifford, or that Ginny felt the same way about him. 

Eventually, the two schoolteachers reached an agreement; Barbara could entertain Clifford two nights each week, and Ginny and I would have the privacy of her room two nights. That didn't mean that our time together was limited to two nights. She often came to my house on Sunday afternoon, or we visited a museum or took in a concert. 

As time went by, Ginny became less inhibited. She exposed her nude body to me while we were in her room, and when Barbara wasn't at home, she paraded around the house, daring me to catch her. 

Although we didn't discuss it, I think she could tell how happy it made me when I discovered that Danny's picture had been removed from the nightstand. I gave her clit an extra amount of attention to show my appreciation. 

It would be months before I would bring up the subject of that Sunday night when I awoke to find my shorts around my thighs, and her small hand on my cock. 

Clifford and Barbara would always say that I'd been the matchmaker that made their meeting possible. I was always dubious to accept their thanks, secretly wondering how long it would last.



Electives Ch. 04



Chapter 4 Meeting Brian's friends and his family.

Ginny Driver Stapleton was not your typical widow. She didn't have any gray hair, her skin was wrinkle-free, and she didn't pal around with other widows. Once she stopped wearing the silver band signifying that she had been married, she looked like any other single girl, carefree and happy. 

She didn't try to hide the fact that her boyfriend was younger, and a college student. She insisted that I accompany her to teacher functions and never once did she warn me to 'act mature' or to 'dress appropriately.'

One Sunday afternoon, we attended a wine and cheese party at the home of a fellow teacher and her mate. Barbara and Clifford went with us, but I made sure we separated from them as soon as we were inside. Clifford's overbearing personality was a major turn-off for me. I didn't understand what Barbara saw in him. What surprised me was that Ginny never said anything negative about him. 

Ginny introduced me to her fellow schoolteachers, and was not fazed when some of them remembered me from high school.

"He's a college junior," Ginny explained to my former teachers, when they asked what I was doing now, adding. "He's also an automobile salesman."

She told me to select cheese from one table, while she stood in line to get two glasses of wine. I watched her chatting with the hostess, point to me, smile, and accept the two glasses of wine.

We went into the backyard, and found a bench. It was a fall day, leaves were falling, and the air was crisp. 

"Thank you for coming with me. I know this must be terribly boring for you."

I shared the small plate of cheese with her, and we sipped our wine. 

"Thank you for inviting me to tag along with you. It's never boring when I'm with you."

She selected a wedge of cheese, and fed it to me. "May I ask you for a big favor?"

"There's nothing that I wouldn't do for you. Your wish is my command," I said, smiling to show that I was being sincere.

"Will you go with me to my brother's house during Christmas break?"

"I don't know how much time I can get off from work, but sure, I'll go with you if I can."

"It only needs to be a few days."

"I'm sure I can manage a few days."

"I want you to meet Brian and his family. I want them to meet you, too."

"I'd like nothing better, but isn't he away on assignment?"

"He promised Amanda that he'll be home for Christmas. She and Phillip are counting on him being there."

~

I waited until Thanksgiving morning to approach my grandfather about taking a few days off to go to Ginny's brother's house. I needed to know because Ginny was coming to our house for dinner, and I'd promised her that we would make plans for our trip that day. Barbara was going to be with Clifford's family.

As was his custom, my grandfather put me through the third degree. I don't think that he objected to my taking a few days off. He was using my request as a means to get another point across; he maintained that my relationship with Ginny was hindering my effectiveness at work. He also wanted to make sure that Millie and Herman were okay with my taking a few days off.

My grandmother interceded. She pointed out that the end of the year was never a busy season for the used car business. "Anyway, Ginny is a lovely girl. She doesn't complain when Randy works late. I say that you should let him honor her request to visit her brother's family."

Ginny arrived, wearing a long skirt, and a colorful blouse. She helped my grandmother finish preparing dinner, and then we sat down to enjoy a bountiful meal. I waited until we were alone in my room to give her the good news. 

"We can leave early on the twenty-third, and we don't have to be back until noontime on Saturday, the twenty-ninth. I have to work the late shift that day, but we'll close early on New Years Eve."

Ginny was counting on her fingers. The twenty-third and the twenty-ninth would be travel days, but it would leave five full days for us to spend at her brother's house. She tackled me, and wrestled me to the bed. 

"You make me very happy," she said, kissing me on the lips, the forehead, and back to my lips. 

If I hadn't stuffed myself with turkey and pumpkin pie, I would have turned her over and made love right there in my room. We made plans, what time we would leave, how long it would take to drive the four hundred and fifty miles, what clothes we would pack, and when we would shop for gifts to take with us. 

Over the weeks leading up to our trip, Ginny continued to tell me how happy I made her. One of the ways I made her happy was sexually. She hadn't been married very long, but even I could tell that her sexual needs had not been met the way I was meeting them. She declared that our twice per week trysts in her bedroom brought her to new heights of ecstasy. I was looking forward to our trip, and she was too. 

I really did try to apply myself at the used car lot, but I must admit that sleeping with Ginny for six nights in a row was occupying a good portion of my time.

Millie kidded me about going away with my girlfriend. "Just remember that I expect you to show up on time, and ready for work on the twenty-ninth. Do I need to remind Ginny to take it easy on you the night before?"

"Ginny's already warned me that we're going to take it easy every night. She's concerned that she makes too much noise when she becomes excited."

"That's no fun. She should learn to let go. Sex is a means of self-expression," Millie said.

"She wouldn't like my telling you this, but Ginny takes on a new personality when she's having sex. You'd think it was a different person to hear her."

"Have you stopped to think that it could be you that brings out the best of Ginny?"

Two kids pulled up in a beater, and walked toward a 2005 Pontiac. I went out to meet them, and when they said they were just looking, I went back inside to resume our conversation.

"I hope you won't think I'm bragging," I said, looking at Millie. She shook her head, slowly, wanting me to continue. "Ginny says she never made noise when she was with her husband. She says everything I do is new to her, but really, I'm running out of stuff to try."

Millie's head swiveled to the right, directing her attention to the two kids. One of them was trying to open the driver's door to the Pontiac. I watched as Millie darted out to the lot, asked the two kids what the fuck they were doing, in a nice way of course, and waved to them as they drove away. 

"I'll bring you a book," Millie said when she came back inside. We changed topics, and didn't speak of my sex life with Ginny until I'd had time to study the book. Our trip was soon approaching, and I was anxious to try some of the techniques illustrated in Millie's book.

~

My grandfather surprised me by handing me the keys to a two-year-old Mercury. I'd never seen the car on the lot, but he assured me that it was in top condition. 

"Keep within the speed limit, and you'll use less fuel. It should give you and the young lady a comfortable ride," he said, walking away before I could thank him.

My grandmother woke me at five A M. She packed a snack while I was having my breakfast. "Call us if you run into trouble or need anything," she said. Like when my grandfather handed me the keys to the Mercury, I was speechless. I thanked her with a hug.

Barbara had gotten up early to see us off. She informed me that Ginny was not quite ready, and that Clifford was still in bed. 

"I'm glad you're going with Ginny to visit her brother's family. I know how badly she wants to see them, but I don't believe she would have gone alone if you couldn't go. She couldn't stand to be separated from you, not even for a few days."

"I'm glad that I'm able to please her. I'm looking forward to our being together for seven days and six nights."

"Don't push her too far, Randy. She's lived a sheltered life."

Assuming she was speaking of sex, I became defensive. "I don't push her." 

"Yes, you do. I hear her when you're together. She was never like that with my brother. Danny was gentle; you're an animal."

What right did she have to compare me to her brother? I wanted to retaliate. "I've heard you and Clifford. Is he an animal?"

Barbara smiled. "Clifford's different. He's a cuddly teddy bear."

I was about to remind her of the way she'd shrieked the night I'd heard them in the room across from us. She'd made it sound like Clifford was a grizzly bear. But our conversation was cut short by Ginny's appearance. She greeted me with a kiss, handed me one of her bags, and said it was time for us to leave.

She was impressed by the car I was driving. "Your grandfather must love you very much," she said.

I didn't know it at the time, but her comment about my grandfather was her way of leading in to what she wanted to talk about, my childhood.

"I suppose he does," I said, wondering if I should tell her that he had a strange way of showing it sometimes.

"Your grandmother must love you very much, too," Ginny observed when she saw the bag of goodies my grandmother had packed for us to snack on.

"Oh, yeah," I said, trying to count all the thoughtful things my grandmother had done for me over the years.

"How long have you lived with them?"

This subject had not come up before. It wasn't something I liked to talk about, but I couldn't refuse to tell Ginny about my childhood. She was the one person that deserved to know everything about me.

"As you know, I was born October the twentieth, nineteen hundred and eighty-seven to Randolph and Melissa Jansen."

"Does that mean you are Randolph, Junior?"

"Technically, but I've always gone by Randy."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt," Ginny said, looking apologetic, like she was anxious for me to continue.

"My dad was in the Reserves, and his unit was called to active duty a few days after Iraq invaded Kuwait. He was killed two days before my fourth birthday."

"Oh, my God! He was killed on my birthday...sorry, Randy, I won't interrupt you again."

I looked over at her, saw how she was blushing in embarrassment. "You were eight years old that day. I'll bet you were as cute as you are now."

"No way, I wore my hair in pigtails, and I was overweight," she confessed, and then she thought of something. "That made your mom a widow, like me."

"Year, it was just my mom and me until she remarried."

"So, you're an only child. Do you have any uncles or aunts?"

"No, my dad was an only child, too. I've got a couple of step-brothers. The guy my mom married is older. He's wealthy. I think that's what attracted my mom to him. They had a baby when I was ten so I've got a half-sister, too."

"When did you come to live with your grandparents?"

I guess my grimace caught her attention. "Randy, if it bothers you to talk about it, I'll understand."

"Ginny, if anyone deserves to hear my story, it's you. I don't mind talking about it. The next two years were more than I could take. My step-brothers treated me like shit, I didn't get along with my step-dad, and my mom gave all of her attention to the baby. I got to the point that I hated every one of them, including my mom. I acted out my frustration in school, and my step-dad convinced my mom that I needed to be sent away. I was happy when my grandparents offered for me to come live with them, but I didn't know what I was getting into."

"Your grandparents didn't mistreat you, did they?"

"They never laid a hand on me, but I'd rather take a beating that listen to one of my granddad's lectures. He let me know that he was dissatisfied with the work I was doing in school. He got me a tutor, and when I didn't improve, he fired the tutor, and sat with me every night while I did my homework. This went on until I started hanging around the used car lot. My grandmother wasn't pleased when I came home with grease on my clothes, but it suited my granddad fine. We had something in common, cars, and if I didn't show up at his lot when he thought I should be there, he actually came looking for me."

"I thought you said that you didn't start working there until you were sixteen?" Ginny asked.

"That's when he started paying me. Before that, I just hung around and watched. His lectures continued, but now they were on how to listen for a transmission that is going bad, or how to feel shimmy in the front wheels. He stopped paying attention to my grades, and guess what? My grades improved."

"Do you communicate with your mother?"

I shook my head. "She sends gifts for my birthday and at Christmas. I send her a thank you note, and then, invariably, I get pictures of her new family. She has step-sons that were born when she was ten or eleven years old, and she has a daughter that was born when they were twenty-one and twenty-two."

"She must be interested in you. Does she ask how you are doing or if you have a girlfriend?"

"I wrote once about my job at the service station. She called me a grease monkey, and then went on for a page and a half about a dance recital her precious daughter was in."

"I don't think we should talk about this any more, Randy. It's making you upset."

I laughed. "It would have upset me when I was younger, but I avoided talking about it. I don't mind telling you about my earlier days. You see me for what I am today, stable, happy, and in love."

Ginny smiled at me, but she didn't ask any more questions. Instead, she began talking about her brother, Amanda, and Phillip.

"Brian's been gone from home for four months. I sympathize with the situation our parents have put him in, but he laughs it off, like he doesn't mind being put in the middle. Sometimes he complains about the unreasonableness of the others who are representing the heirs, but at other times I believe he's enjoying himself."

"How many people are representing the heirs?" I asked.

"That's where it gets funny. I think he's torn between hating them, feeling sorry for them, and being protective of them. For instance, there's a bleached-blonde who represents the food pantry. Her vote is only three percent of the total, but sometimes her three percent is all Brian needs to swing the decision his way. 

"Brian's vote is forty-four percent, but it's often canceled by the lady representing the former husband of our dad's aunt. They've been living in the same house all this time, and almost never speak, except when others are present. Brian must be warming up to her though, because he found out that her name is Paige.

"The man representing the church where the elderly couple worshiped almost always casts his vote with Paige. That leaves the lady that represents the public library. Brian can usually count on her siding with him, but it depends on how the bleached blonde votes. Sometimes, he makes it all sound like total chaos. Other times, he sounds so frustrated that I feel sorry for him."

"It sounds like he knows who he can depend on, and who he can't. Is that everyone?"

"No, there's the attorney's assistant. Brian's description of her makes her sound like a sexpot."

"Doesn't he have a girlfriend? I seem to recall that he's on the verge of marriage."

"That's changed. Not a word of this to Amanda, mind you? Brian doesn't want her to know that things have cooled between him and Marian, but she's hinted to me that she knows that Marian is being unfaithful."

"Unfaithful?" I asked, beginning to think that what I was hearing sounded like a soap opera.

"Brian has a good friend. She operates the café, which is in the same building as the hardware store. It's leased to the Leach brothers. Henrietta told Brian that she saw Marian coming down the stairs from the loft where one of the brothers lives. Marian had some excuse for visiting one of the Leach brothers, but Henrietta didn't believe her. Since then, she's seen them together a few times."

"Which Leach brother was it?" I asked, almost certain that I knew the answer.

"I don't know. Brian didn't name him."

"Was it Mark?"

"Mark, yes, I think that's it, how do you know his name?"

"Max is married, although I wouldn't be surprised if he was having an extra-marital affair."

"How do you know their names?" Ginny asked. It was no longer idle curiosity. She was becoming animated. 

"Max and Mark Leach are my step-brothers," I said, wondering if they were taking turns fucking Brian's girlfriend. 

Ginny shook her head, bit her lip, and became quiet. We stopped to fuel up and get something to eat.

"I'm glad we had that talk, Randy," she said, when we were back on the road. I smiled at her, saying that I was glad, too.

We arrived at Brian's house about two PM on the twenty-third of December. Ginny was pointing out the buildings where the flea markets were housed when the kids came running out to meet us. Amanda and Ginny hugged, Ginny introduced her to me, and then hugged her nephew, who was reluctant to show his affection for his aunt.

Inside, we met Mary, the kid's grandmother. After asking if we were hungry, and our saying that we were not, Mary said that we were to take Brian's room. Amanda led the way upstairs, Ginny and I followed her, and Phillip followed us. 

I could tell that Ginny and Amanda wanted to catch up with the news, so I asked Phillip if he would show me the market, which he seemed happy to do.

All the dealers knew Phillip, but I don't think he remembered their names. He didn't know how to introduce me, but once I explained to a couple of the dealers that I was his aunt's boyfriend, Phillip told the others that I was Randy, aunt Ginny's boyfriend. That's how he introduced me to John Larkin and his wife, Judy. John took me for a tour of the two buildings that housed the dealers, and then into the third building where goods that had just arrived were stored. 

"I've been working for Brian and Peggy since I was a senior in high school, and I appreciate the confidence he's shown in me, but we all miss Brian around here. He gets along much better with the dealers than I do. They love him."

"I've heard a lot about him, but I haven't met him yet. Ginny wanted to visit Brian and his family, and I couldn't turn her down."

I didn't know how to approach the subject of the Leach brothers, but I had to talk to someone about them. I decided to blurt it out. "I just learned that Max and Mark Leach operate the hardware store. They are my step-brothers."

John was non-committal. He nodded his head, and watched me. I was almost certain that he knew about Brian's girlfriend being seen with one of them. We waited each other out, until he felt pressed to say something.

"Would you like to see them? I'll show you where the hardware store is if you do."

I hadn't thought about seeing Max and Mark. My mother had married their father, and they had a child together. I held no affinity for either of them. "Thanks for the offer, but I don't think so."

"I can understand why," John said.

Why had he said that? "You know more than you're letting on, don't you, John?"

"I've heard things. This is a small town, and people talk. I just hope that I'm not the one that has to tell Brian."

"Don't worry. He already knows."

John smiled, looking relieved. Now that it was out in the open that we were on the same track, he didn't mince words. "Was it Henrietta?"

"Yes, but she may not know the whole story."

"What do you mean?" 

"When they were in college, they boasted about screwing each other's girlfriends. They may be up to their old tricks."

John howled. "Are you going to tell Brian?"

"I don't know. How do you think he would take it?"

John was thoughtful for a moment. "Maybe we should wait and see how it plays out."

I agreed. John guided me back to Judy's booth where Phillip was hanging out, and we went back to the house. Ginny wanted to spend some alone-time with her nephew, so Amanda and I placed the gifts we'd brought under the tree. As Ginny had said, Amanda was a perceptive young lady. She told me how she and her mother had come to live with Brian, how they had expanded their business, how she had first lost her grandfather, and then her mother. She held nothing back. She repeated several times that she was looking forward to having her dad at home, even if only for a few days.




Electives Ch. 04



I found myself telling her about my own life, losing the dad that I'd never known, having my mother remarry, and coming to live with my grandparents. She listened and watched me closely.

"You like cars, don't you?" she asked.

"I didn't say that. How did you know?"

"I saw your eyes open wide when you were telling me about the first time you drove a car. Are you and Aunt Ginny going to get married?"

"I didn't say that, either. What made you asked that?"

"I remember how my dad and my mom looked at each other. You and Aunt Ginny look at each other that same way. I hope you don't make the same mistake my mom made. She said they would marry, but it was too late."

Mary served a big meal, the kids talked to their dad on the phone, and then we played games until it was time for them to go to bed. I was struck by the way Amanda took charge, reminding her brother to brush his teeth before he went to bed. Ginny went upstairs to tuck the kids in. When she came back, we talked to Mary until it was time for us to go to bed.

I was looking forward to our first of six nights together, but Ginny was afraid that her outbursts would wake Amanda and Phillip. "They might think you are hurting me," she argued. 

"Ginny, we haven't been together for three nights. I'm backed up."

"I'll give you one of those blowjobs if you swear to be quiet when I make you come."

"That's not the way I want to get off," I objected.

"Tomorrow," she said.

"What's going to happen tomorrow?'

"We'll find a place to be alone. I'll let you do anything you want."

"Anything?" I asked. I had an idea.

Ginny cocked her head, looked skeptical for a second, but nodded her head.

I got the book that Millie had loaned me, pulled Ginny between my legs, and thumbed through the pages of the book, looking over her shoulder. "Will you do that?" I asked, pointing to a sketch showing a female with her legs in the air, and a man between her legs.

"We've done that," Ginny said, turning her head to accept my lips. I unbuttoned two of her buttons while we were kissing.

The next sketch showed the female's legs on the man's shoulders.

"We've done that, too," Ginny said. I wondered if she knew I had all of her buttons undone.

The next sketch showed the female on top of the man. 

"Don't you remember when I did that to you?" Ginny asked, becoming indignant.

If she noticed that I was cupping her breast, she didn't complain.

The next sketch showed the female with one foot on a chair, and the man behind her, pumping furiously.

"We could do that if you wanted. Do you want to?" she asked, offering her lips to be kissed. Her nipples were hard, and I was moving my hand down to her crotch. She unbuttoned the top button, and lowered the zipper on her pants. I stuck my hand inside and felt how warm and wet her panties were.

I closed the book, and began stripping us. Ginny helped, alternating removing her own clothes and mine. I threw a blanket on the floor, and told her to get on her back. "We won't make as much noise down there," I said, as I found a condom in my case. 

She complied, moving to the floor and spreading her legs, but she was still dubious. "Are you going to stop me from moaning, and screaming, and telling you to fuck me harder?" she asked, sounding innocent and demurred as I entered her. 

"Concentrate on the ceiling. Don't think about what we're doing. Mind over matter," I said, beginning to move my cock in and out of her. 

"Kiss me, cut off my air. Do anything to keep me from screaming."

"I love you. Thank you for doing this with me."

"I love you, too, but that's not the reason I got on the floor and spread my legs. I wanted to do it as much as you."

"Amanda thinks we should get married."

"Oh, Randy, this isn't the time to talk about...are you trying to distract me so I won't scream?"

"Don't scream," I said, and she didn't. That night, we discovered that she could suppress her screams by practicing mind over matter. This was a big step for us. We not only got through the rest of the week without waking the household, it opened new possibilities, like screwing in my room without my grandparents hearing us.

The next day was Monday, and everything was in limbo. The flea market was closed, and we were waiting for Brian to arrive. We tried to keep the kids busy, playing games both inside and out. That night, Ginny suggested that they could open one present, but they wouldn't go near the tree. 

"We'll wait for dad," Amanda said, and Phillip agreed. They even went to bed early.

We chatted with Mary until we felt it was safe to go upstairs to bed. Ginny checked on Phillip, and became alarmed when he was not in his bed. We opened Amanda's door to find him curled up next to her, sleeping soundly with Amanda's arm around her brother. 

I got Millie's book. Ginny pointed to a sketch showing the male in a sitting position with the female facing him. We undressed, and placed a blanket on the floor. I sat down and Ginny lowered her body until her thighs were on top of mine. I put my hands under her ass to support her, and we kissed until we were aroused enough for me to put the condom on. She eased forward to envelop my cock. 

"Mind over matter," I reminded her, and watched as she threw her head back, and quickened the pace. 

We were awakened to screams from the children, "Dad's home!"

It was evident that Brian was a tired man. He'd been on the road since one AM, when he was relieved from his house watch assignment. The kids were still hanging on to him when he took Ginny into his arms. He shook hands with me, smiling, and then we all sat down to the breakfast that Mary had prepared. 

We urged Brian to get some rest, but he said he couldn't sleep with all the excitement. He did mention that he had some things in his truck that needed to come inside, and I volunteered to bring them in. Amanda went with me, but we still had to make two trips. In addition to presents that were to go under the tree, there was a sleeping bag, his laptop, and clothes, which led Amanda to the conclusion that her dad was home for good. 

That was not to be. Brian said he was only there for two more days, and that he had to leave on Friday. "Paige, ah...Ms. Kindle came back early this morning so I could come home. In return, I agreed to be back in time for her to go home to celebrate the New Year."

Amanda and Phillip were obviously shaken by the news that their father would be leaving on Friday. But they did their best to enjoy having him home for three days. 

Brian sat at the dining table, drinking coffee, and announcing when it was time to open another gift. Amanda and Phillip received most of the gifts, many from the flea market dealers. They saved the larger ones, from Ginny and me, Mary and their dad, until later.

The telephone rang constantly. Most of the calls were for Brian, but one in particular caught my attention. Amanda answered, and instead of handing the receiver to Brian, she spoke in a low voice, serious, nodding her head, grinning at times. She must have been aware that we were watching her; curious as to whom she was speaking. She walked to the far end of the great room, still speaking in monotones. At one point she disappeared in Mary's room, and when she reappeared, she was still nodding her head as she spoke, obviously answering a myriad of questions. 

And then, she was back to the table, handing the receiver to Phillip. "It's your grandmother," she said before taking Ginny by the hand and whisking her away. They came back downstairs an hour later, wiping tears from their eyes and hugging each other. I didn't get a chance to ask Ginny about the incident until we were on our way home. 

That afternoon, unwrapping of gifts was interspersed with people dropping by. John and Judy Larkin brought gifts for the children, and John sat next to Brian, talking in hushed voices. I don't know how Brian could concentrate on the conversation. It was obvious that he was about to fall asleep.

Mrs. Nixon, the bookkeeper, was a small woman, but she spoke with authority. She wore thick glasses, and smiled tenderly as she watched the kids open their gifts. "Get some rest," she told Brian as she left. 

As more people stopped by, Brian became philosophical. "It will be eight years next month since I came here. I've accumulated wealth, friends, and a family. Until last August, I'd only been away one week."

"When will you come home for good, Dad?" Amanda asked.

"Soon," Brian said, but when she tried to pin him down, he wouldn't give her a date.

After a mid-afternoon meal, we convinced Brian that he should get some rest. He took his sleeping bag upstairs to Phillip's room, promising Amanda that he would sleep in her room the following night.

When we got up the next morning, Mary said that Brian and the children had gone to the café to have breakfast. When they returned, they had gifts from Henrietta. 

"She made them for us," Phillip announced. "Mine is a tiger. She said to hang it on my door so I know when Amanda is sneaking in my room," he said, holding up a crude tiger, crafted from small bells. 

"I don't sneak in your room. If I want to go in there, I just open the door," Amanda said. 

"What is yours?" Ginny asked.

"Henrietta says it's a lamb, but I'm not going to hang it on my door. I don't mind if Phillip comes in my room. He's the only brother I have."

"That will change when you become a teenager," Ginny said, grinning at Brian.

"Get your coat on. I want to show you the town," Brian said, looking at Ginny. I knew he wanted to spend some time with Ginny so I suggested that Phillip get one of his new games for us to play. They were only gone for an hour. I didn't find out what was said until we were on our way home. 



Electives Ch. 05



Chapter 5: Meeting Henrietta and the trip home

The next day was Thursday. Brian took us for a tour of the property next door. He first took us to the antique shop that also served as the office. "This room and the smaller bedroom were once filled with teddy bears," he said, as we stood in what had been the living room of the small house.

"We lived here when I was three years old," Amanda said.

"Did I live here?" Phillip asked.

"We brought you home to this house when you were born, but it wasn't long before we moved next door."

Brian quoted the dates when the barn was replaced; the buildings that housed the business were built, and when he and Peggy took over Mr. Bennett's business interests.

"I'm going to take Randy for a ride around the town," he said, locking the door to the small house. The kids wanted to go along, but Brian reminded them that he had taken them to the café the day before.

He drove by the apartment building first, saying that the structure needed constant attention, inside and out. "I've been trying to get Lois to find older tenants who are widowed. They tend to stay longer than young married couples," Brian said. I remembered Lois Banks and her husband stopping by the house on Christmas day. 

People on the street waved to Brian, and he waved back. He rolled down the window to hear one of them asked if he was back for good. He answered that he would be back soon. 

Next, we drove by the two older homes that were part of the Bennett deal. "The librarian and her mate live in that one," he said, pointing to one of the small houses. "Max Leach and his wife live in the other one. I understand you know him."

I realized that Ginny must have told him about my relationship to the Leach brothers. "He's my step-brother," I admitted, and the subject was dropped until he was introducing me to Henrietta. 

There were very few people in the café. Brian directed me to a booth in the back. He sat on one side and I sat on the other. We ordered coffee. Brian asked the waitress if Henry was there, and it was only seconds later when a tall, black woman took a seat next to Brian. She kissed him on the cheek, laid her head on his shoulder, and asked, "When are you coming back to me, Lover?"

Brian didn't bat an eye. "This is Randy. He's my sister's boyfriend. Randy, this lady is the love of my life."

Henrietta actually blushed as she extended her hand. Like the rest of her body, the hand was long, and you could see the bones protruding below the skin. 

"Randy is a used car salesman. He's also acquainted with the Leach brothers," Brian said as our coffee arrived. The waitress caught Henrietta off guard by asking if she wanted coffee. 

"Ah, no," Henrietta said, staring bug-eyed at me. She closed her mouth, and said, "That's a double whammy."

I laughed. "My mom married their father. That was long before I became a used car salesman."

Brian got right to the point. "Henry thinks Mark is screwing my former girlfriend."

This was not news to me. I couldn't act surprised. "Are you sure it's just Mark?"

Brian and Henrietta looked at each other. "Wouldn't that be a kick in the ass?" Henrietta exclaimed. What makes you say that, Randy?"

"I often heard them scheming when I was ten."

"You were only ten? Boys that age don't know about such things as screwing your brother's girlfriend," Henrietta said, with skepticism. 

"They made sure I understood what they were talking about. They even dared me to tell my mother what they were doing. I know I was only ten because that was the year Max graduated from college. He moved out, but that didn't stop them, though. They bragged about screwing each other's girl fiends until I left when I was twelve."

"That's sick," Henrietta said, feigning shock. 

This was my chance to get even with the Leach brothers. They'd made my life miserable when we were living under the same roof. 

"I've heard that Max's wife is a knock-out. I wonder if she knows about Max's and Mark's games."

"I wonder if she's an unsuspecting victim of the ruse." Henrietta mused. 

Brian looked at her. She smiled, almost knowing what he was planning to say. "You wouldn't tell her that she may be taken advantage of, would you?"

Henrietta became indignant. "Not me, she may like the variety." 

Brian frowned. "We have no proof that they're still actively involved in their immature game. I can't imagine Max letting his brother fuck his wife." 

"You don't know the Leach brothers very well. I've heard them talk about being involved in some lewd shit," I said, not wanting to close the discussion of what my step-brothers were capable of doing.

Henrietta was quick to jump in. "I might warn Marian. I'd like to see her catch them in the act, but I doubt if that's possible. I think they make a game of passing for one another. Do you know of any difference between them that Marian could look for, Randy?"

"There's one," I said, watching Henrietta to make sure I had her attention. "Mark was always bragging about having a bigger cock than Max. That seemed to concern them when they were making plans to try to deceive their prey."

"That's it, I remember Mark saying he has a bigger cock," Henrietta said. "How much bigger is it?"

"Don't ask me. I was only ten at the time."

Brian and Henrietta laughed, and that ended the discussion of my step-brothers taking advantage of unsuspecting females. Brian said he wanted to go home and spend the rest of the day with his children.

We got up early to see him off. I would have liked to leave that day, too, but Ginny said she needed to make sure that Amanda and Phillip were going to be okay. 

Mary sent us off the next morning with a full thermos, sandwiches and fruit. It was with heavy hearts that we set out, vowing to return often.

We didn't talk for the first fifty miles, reliving our memories of the last few days. Ginny was wearing a heavy coat, open in front to show the sweater I'd given her. She turned to face me.

"Thank you taking me to spend the holiday with my brother's family."

"I had a good time," I said. 

"The sex was good, wasn't it?" she asked, blushing.

"I said I had a good time, didn't I?" I asked, and watched the shade of her blush become deeper. 

"About that..."

"The sex?"

"Don't take this the wrong way, Randy. I enjoyed it, really I did."

"Do I smell a 'but' coming?"

"I'd like for you to give Millie's book back, and that we forget about most of those positions."

Ginny had a 'there, I said it,' expression on her face.

"You want us to forget about most of the positions. Does that mean there were some that you liked?"

"If you must know, I like the one where we sat face to face with you inside me, and we moved gently. It was easier for me to maintain my 'mind over matter,' composure." 

"You showed exceptional self-restraint."

She grinned. "Believe me, it wasn't easy. I'm looking forward to tomorrow night when I can be as loud as I want in my own room."

"I'm surprised that you're going to revert to screaming. I thought I had you trained," I teased her.

"Humph," she said, indicating that the talk of sex was over...for now.

"What did Brian talk about when he took you for a tour of his town?" I asked.

Her look was smug. "I think you know. He wanted to know about you."

"And you just happened to tell him about my connection to the Leach brothers?"

"I didn't mean to, it just came out," she said, apologetically.

"It's okay. It may have turned out to my advantage."

"Brian began by telling me how sorry he was to hear about Danny's death. They'd never met, you know. Then he asked if we were serious. I explained how we met, and how I began having feelings for you before I'd fulfilled my commitment to honor Danny for a year. I told him about our studying together, and how we'd had a good time at the circus. I even admitted that I kissed you the night I took you home. Remember that?"

I nodded, indicating that I remembered her kiss.

"He asked if I thought we would have a future together," she said, staring out the window. 

Ginny wouldn't look at me. "What did you tell him?"

She turned her head my way, and nodded. "I said I hoped we will, but that we haven't talked about the future."

"Would you like to talk about the future?"

"Only when you're ready to talk."

I looked at the road ahead. She was twenty-four; I was twenty, and it would be a year and a half before I would graduate. What was I going to do after graduation? I hadn't given it much thought. 

"Ginny, I love you and want to share the future with you. Is that enough for now?"

She nodded. "I owe you an explanation. Brian was critical of me for not knowing what was in store for me. I felt compelled to tell him about your background, how your father was killed when you were only four years old, how your mother remarried, and how you were mistreated by your step-brothers. I hope you don't mind my telling him so much."

"Actually, it worked out for the best. He took me to the café. Did you meet Henrietta?"

"No, we didn't stop at the café. I wish we had."

"Henrietta is a tall, black woman with more personality in her little finger than I've seen in most people. When she sat down next to Brian I saw sparks fly, like they were about to ignite at any second. It was impossible for me to judge her age. I've never felt more comfortable with a woman that I'd just met."

"What did you talk about?"

"Brian introduced me as a used car salesman. He didn't mention that I'm also a college student. Henrietta's interest piqued when she learned about my connection to the Leach brothers. This gave me the opportunity to tell them about how Max and Mark used to boast about screwing each other's girlfriends. We talked about the possibility that it's still happening."

"You talked about those things with a woman you'd just met?"

"She's very easy to get to know. Like I said, I've never known anyone that I felt as comfortable with from the moment I met them, especially not a female."

"What makes you think there are sparks between Henrietta and my brother?"

"It was the way she leaned in to him, and teased him. He tried to pretend that it didn't affect him, but there were definitely sparks flying."

"What did you mean by the possibility that it may still be happening?"

"We agreed that we'd love to expose them, but Brian cautioned that we had no proof and Henrietta said that it would be impossible to prove because the Leach brothers are identical in every way. I told her that Mark always bragged that his cock was bigger, and she remembered him saying that very thing."

"Randy, I know you would like to get back at your step-brothers, but I don't like where this is headed."

"I don't know that either one of them is going to act on this minor difference between the brothers. Henrietta said she would like to find a way to alert Max's wife, and Brian..."

"Max's wife? Don't tell me you suspect he's sharing his wife with Mark."

"Anything's possible."

"I hope Brian doesn't make an issue of this with Marian. He should just drop her."

I nodded my agreement, but I secretly hoped that Brian would put a bug in Marian's ear. Anyway, I wanted to change the subject.

"What did Amanda want to tell you after she got off the phone with your mom?"

"She was so excited that I don't think she realized it was my mom that she had been speaking to. She kept referring to her as 'Phillip's grandmother' and 'Dad's mother.' She kept saying, 'she wanted to talk to me, not just Phillip.'

"I guess my parents have ignored Amanda all these years because they were disappointed that Brian would father a child with a woman that refused to marry him. 

"But now that they've come to depend on him to send them my Dad's share of Aunt Elsie's estate, they've come to realize that he's made a life for himself that includes Amanda and their grandson. 

"I've been doing my part to change their thinking about Brian. In all these years, he's never let them know how successful he's become. I believe he became disillusioned when they wouldn't accept Peggy and her daughter. 

"I tried to tell him how sorry I am when we had our drive around his town, but I couldn't make the words come out properly. Perhaps I'll try to put it in writing. You'll help me, won't you?"

Her expectant look ripped at my gut. Didn't she know that she didn't need to ask?

"Of course I'll help."

"Amanda repeated everything that my mom said. I didn't hear an apology for what has happened in the past, but the future sounded very optimistic. Amanda took it to mean that my parents will pay Brian and his family a visit. I hope that little girl is not disappointed."

"You'd been crying when you came downstairs."

"I was so happy for her that I couldn't help it. We cried, and held each other. I told her that she's the best niece a woman like me could want. She said that I'm the best aunt a girl could want. And then, can you guess what she said?"

"No, what?"

"She said, 'I'm adopted, you know?'"

"I have a sister a few months older than Amanda. I get an occasional picture, but I haven't seen her since she was two. I wonder if Cassie is as mature as Amanda."

"Would you like to visit her?"

"I don't know."

"I'll go with you."

I smiled at her, and she seemed to know that I appreciated her offer. "I'm glad we had this time to talk," I said.

"There's one more thing I want to discuss."

"We've got another hour before we get home."

"It's Clifford. I can't stand him."

She never complained about him before. "I share your sentiments."

She leaned back in her seat and spoke frankly. "He's crude. He walks around the house in his underwear. He thinks it's funny when he belches and farts. I don't know how Barbara puts up with him."

"I understand he has a big cock."

"That wouldn't...you don't think that Barbara...no," Ginny said, blushing.

"Do you want me to talk to him?"

She shook her head. "Can you guess what I wish?"

"You want me to shoot him?"

"No, Silly, I wish we had our own place, where we could do as we like."

This was sudden. Was she serious? "Does that mean that you would move in with me?"

She was keeping her eyes fixed on mine as she nodded. "I love you, Randy. I want us to be together."

"I don't make very much, and I have school expenses."

"Hush, I know that. I have some money from Danny's insurance."

I was too stunned to speak, but I knew I couldn't accept money that she'd come by as a result of her husband's death. Also, there was the matter of my grandparents. Would they approve? And, how would her parents feel about their daughter shacking up with someone four years her junior?

"Give me a day or two to think about it?"

"You do that, Randy, but I'm going to find a way to move out of that house. If you don't want to live with me full time, we can leave things the way they are. I'll accept only two nights a week if that's what you want."

She sounded desperate. "I didn't realize you felt so strongly about this. How come you haven't said anything before?"

"I kept thinking that Barbara would tire of him, but it isn't happening."

"I hear you. We'll do something to change things," I said.

We smiled at each other. Our trip would be over in a half hour. This was my last chance to ask something that had been on my mind for some time.

"That Sunday night," I began, and watched Ginny draw her body into a ball, like she knew what was coming next. Her actions increased my curiosity, and I continued.

"It was six days before your twenty-fourth birthday. We fell asleep in your bed. I woke up to find my pants missing and my shorts around..."

"Okay, okay, I was horny. You had your arm around me, and I felt your cock poking around. You were hard in the middle of the night, Randy."

I laughed. "Why haven't you said anything? Didn't you know I would wake up?"

"I felt your cock, and all I could think about was that I wanted it inside me. I got your pants off without you waking up, but when I pulled your shorts down, you said something, incoherent. I waited, and when I didn't hear you say more, I guided your cock into me. I know it was inconsiderate of me to take advantage of you that way, but I couldn't help it."

She was still rolled up in a ball, looking small, like she was trying to become invisible. 

"Hey, you can take advantage of me any time the mood strikes you." Ginny looked my way, grinned shyly, and then her face took on a glum expression. "I might have trouble getting the condom on you."

"That's another thing that I'm curious about. You knew I wasn't wearing a condom that night, but ever since then you've made sure that we used one."

"I told you; I was so horny that I didn't care what happened."

"Thanks for being candid with me."

We were pulling in front of her house. I helped her with her luggage, and made it to work on time to relieve Millie. We brought each other up to date regarding the holiday and she left, saying the lot had been quiet so far.

Sunday night was my regular night with Ginny. We went to her room and she made all the noise she wanted. Since I didn't have to work the next day, I stayed all night. It must have been two AM when Clifford and Barbara came in. I was pissed at being awakened, but more so because of Clifford's presence. It was not his night to be there.

We endured another hour of hearing insults being exchanged between the lovebirds before they tired and went to sleep. 

Ginny suggested that we go out for breakfast. I knew she wanted to prevent a scene between Clifford and me. I also knew that something had to be done about Clifford. He was too big for me to take on, and he was too stupid to listen to reason. After breakfast, we drove around for an hour, unable to come up with a solution to the problem. 

Ginny looked shocked when I stopped at my grandparents' house. It took me ten minutes to convince her to come inside. 

I'm not sure what I was trying to achieve. It began as a plea for their permission to let me move in with Ginny. But in order to present my case, it became necessary for me to describe the living conditions in the house that Ginny shared with her sister.

I didn't have to go into detail about Clifford thinking it was funny to fart and belch. My grandfather said that he had heard stories about Clifford.

I was appealing to my grandparents to say it was okay for us to search for a suitable apartment, when I saw my grandmother motion for my grandfather to join her in the next room.

Ginny held my hand, nervously wondering what my grandparents were discussing. I tried to ease her fears, telling her that there was nothing to worry about. They were reasonable people, weren't they?

My grandmother did the talking: "Randy will be twenty-one next October. Until then, we would prefer that he remain under our roof. But once he reaches the age of majority, he'll receive an insurance settlement from his father's estate, and he'll be free to do as he pleases. 

"In the meantime, we have a spare room, and we'd like to offer it to you, Ginny. The room is next door to Randy's room, and we only have two rules for guests in our home. First, you'll need to respect Randy's study schedule. Second, you'll have to keep down the noise. Randy needs his rest."

Ginny's eyes were dilated when she looked my way. She bit her lip, wrung her fingers, and gulped large amounts of air in an effort to remain calm.

"Mrs. Jansen, I'll be happy to pay rent. I'll help you in the kitchen, and I'll keep the upstairs bathroom spotless. I promise not to disturb Randy while he's studying, but..."

Ginny looked my way, and silently begged me to jump in. I couldn't help but laugh. .

"Grandma, I've got a noisy one," I said, waiting for her to catch on. She didn't. I looked at my grandfather. He took my grandmother into the next room, and when they came back, my grandmother was ready to talk.




Electives Ch. 05



"We occupy a downstairs bedroom, and we've slept through hailstorms and earthquakes. Welcome to our home, Ginny. Please call me Sarah."

It was the last day of 2007. We went to the house Ginny shared with her sister, informed Barbara that Ginny was moving out, and packed both cars with her possessions. 

Needless to say, we didn't go out partying on New Year's Eve. We arranged our clothes in the closets, half of her clothes in mine and half of my clothes in her closet. 

March 2008

It's the middle of March and we haven't been apart a single night this year. I'll be twenty-one in only seven months. We haven't set a date yet, but we know we never want to be apart. That's what we told her parents, and they're coming around to accept me, probably because Brian put in a good word for me. They're planning to visit him and his family this summer. We may join them, but that's not set in stone yet. Ginny wants to meet my mom, step-father, and my half-sister.

Amanda writes that she expects her dad to be home on Phillip's birthday. He'll be seven and Amanda will be ten the following day. 

I'm almost certain that my grandparents hear us making love. Well, they hear Ginny. They never ask us to keep it down, but I can't help but wonder if they're counting the days until I'm twenty-one. 

My auto sales couldn't be better. It was Ginny's idea that I put a 'for sale' sign in the window of the car I drive to and from school. It was my idea to add a list of 'cream-puffs' available on my grandfather's lot. My sales numbers have improved every month. Millie's numbers have climbed, too. What typically happens is that a guy makes an appointment to come to the sales lot on Saturday. The appointment is with me, but when he spots Millie, she gets the sale and I get a kiss blown my way.

As for Clifford, Barbara became fed up with his antics. She now has another school-teacher occupying Ginny's old room. From what we hear, they share closets and beds the same way we do. 

I'm not sure what happened with the Leach brothers, Marian, and Max's wife. I do know that something took place, but I'll let Brian fill you in. 

We'll always credit those two elective courses for bringing us together. I wonder sometimes, where I'd be if Ginny hadn't suggested that we car pool. 

Here ends Electives. 

The Widows Series also includes "Picking up the Pieces," and "Distribution."