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Richard's Education

By: l8bloom



Calculus, F. Chemistry, D. English, C-. Richard crumpled the grades in his fist and made a perfect three-pointer in the wastebasket across the room. He had known he wasn't the brightest bulb in the box, and his first semester grades proved it. Why had he even bothered with college?

Because he and his best friend Jerrod pretty much did everything together, that's why. But Jerrod had just joined the army. Suddenly Richard had no roommate, a student loan on his ass, and proof that attending spring semester would be pointless.

Yet going back home would be a giant step backwards. It was one he didn't want to take. Getting a job didn't bother him in the least, in fact, he was looking forward to it. But the day in and day out frowning of his parents would suck mightily. Even if they never came out and called him a failure, their attitude would scream it.

The ringing of his phone cut into his morose thoughts. It was Jerrod's mom, Louisa. "Hey."

"Did you get your grades yet?"

For a second Richard was tempted to lie and say no, maybe they would be in the mail tomorrow. But he'd never been able to lie to this very nice lady. He told her everything. It felt good to get stuff off his chest.

Louisa listened sympathetically for a while before she spoke up: "Did you ever see the movie Pay It Forward?"

"Uh, yeah."

"You know the pretext of the film, right? You give back a favor that was given to you. Only you don't give it back to the original person -- you give it to the next person."

"Uh-huh." Rich couldn't quite see where this was going.

Louisa took a deep breath. "Did I ever tell you I was fired from my first job?"

Richard sat up in surprise. "How is that possible? You're one of the smartest people I know!"

Louisa smiled, wishing they were talking over coffee. She went on to tell him about her very first job after college. "At the end of my twelve-month contract, they hired somebody else in my place. I was devastated."

"What'd you do?"

"Well, I called a friend, someone who had always been a good listener. I was talking about how I didn't want to go back home in disgrace, but I felt I had no choice. And he invited me to come and live with him until I got back on my feet."

"Wow. And he just did this, out of the goodness of his heart?"

"Yep, he really did. He didn't put the moves on me or anything. He was genuinely a good friend, and I'll never forget that kindness."

"What a great friend."

"Richard, what I'm trying to say is, if you don't want to go back home, you can stay at my place for a while. You can have Jerrod's old room. He sure isn't using it."

Richard's mouth fell open. In the back of his mind he had sort of put two and two together as she filled out her story, but the generosity still astonished him. "Are you sure? You'd really do this for me?"

"Yep. I'm really sure."

* * *

Richard carried the last of the four boxes into Jerrod's room. At the age of eighteen, he hadn't acquired a lot of stuff. He'd sold back his books at the student bookstore, shaking his head at the robber baron's prices. After that, he basically had some clothes, his computer, and a few good quality tools.

Louisa tapped on the door. "How you doing?"

He turned and smiled. "Great." He hesitated for a moment, then spoke his mind. "Hey listen, I'd like to thank you. Can I take you out to dinner?"

"You don't have to do that," she said sincerely. "Frankly, I'm just as glad to have your company. It's kind of boring, living alone."

"I'd really like to." He looked her in the eye.

Louise felt a twinge of tension in her gut. "All right, then. What time?"

"I'll pick you up at six."

Something made her blush and look away.

* * *

Right on the dot at six o'clock, Richard rang the doorbell. Louisa thought this was somewhat silly, since he lived there now, but also rather charming. To her astonishment, he was all dressed up in a suit of dark grey flannel. Louisa had fussed over what to wear, finally deciding on a silk dress with a flowing skirt, hoping it wasn't too dressy. But they looked a perfect couple together, even if she did look a little older.

"You look gorgeous," he greeted her, and held out his offering of simple wildflowers.

"Thanks!" She couldn't help but smile — he had always made her smile — somehow this gesture was an extension of the boy she had known for years — quietly considerate. The funny feeling quivered again in her stomach but she chose to ignore it. "You clean up nice, yourself."

"Thanks," he grinned.

"Where to?"

He smiled. "I know just the place."

Over dinner he felt compelled to ask again about the story she had told him on the phone. "You're not just making that up? I mean, it really happened?"

She nodded. "It really did." 

He shook his head. "I still can't understand why the company let you go."

"Mmm, it was actually a good thing. That job wasn't right for me, and the truth was I hated it. My boss knew it, and though it seemed awful at the time, getting out of there freed me to pursue something I really liked."

"Or forced you to."

Louisa nodded in agreement. "Right. And I think in the same way, college maybe isn't a good fit for you. I bet there's something else you like better that would make you happier."

Richard digested this along with his Chilean sea bass. He reflected that Louisa had been a friendly presence in his life for a long time — he tried to remember how long. Junior high, that was it. She had always cared about how he was doing, and always seemed to know what to say.

"I think I like carpentry better than anything else. Sometimes," he laughed, "sometimes I walk through the lumber aisle at the hardware store, just to smell the wood."

She grinned in return. "There you go! Maybe that's what you're really cut out to do. Sorry about the pun."

"Did you know the pun is the lowest form of humour?"

"I've been resisting the urge to evolve," she sassed back.

They bantered their way through dinner. Louisa watched the couples whirling across the floor. A traditional big band was playing. She loved this music — real musicians playing real instruments — not the modern electronic stuff that seemed to require no skill or craftsmanship. Half joking, she asked, "Care to dance?"

Eyes alight, he replied, "That's my line." He stood and held out his hands to hers.

Slowly he led her out to the floor. The band was playing a simple waltz, there was not much to it. Yet she sensed a fluidness in his movement. She was thinking, There is more to him than meets the eye, when the trumpets chirped into a sauntering foxtrot. Her partner did not miss a beat. He really knew how to dance!

Richard smiled at the look of surprise on her face. She nearly stumbled, and he caught her. His arms were strong around her. Louisa drew in her breath as she laughed into his eyes. "Whoa! Guess I wasn't quite ready for that!"

Even as she smiled up at him, she was aware of a growing undercurrent between them. She gave herself over to the dance. God knew how many years it had been since she laughed and danced! She let herself be led through a tango, enjoying the roses in both of their cheeks.

Breathless at last, they went back to their table. The staff had thoughtfully left large glasses of ice water. Louisa took a gulp and asked, "Where did you learn to do that?"

"Oh..." he inclined his head to one side. "When I was growing up, my mother insisted that I take dance lessons. For ten years!" He rolled his eyes. "I wasn't too fond of it at the time, but I have to confess I enjoy it now."

Louisa shook her head. She had the feeling she was getting to know her son's friend more deeply, as an adult in his own right. For years she had thought of Richard almost as another son. Now he had grown into a man. Some kind of conflict itched at the back of her mind.

A similar conflict was brewing in the mind of her date. To his annoyance, at one point while they were dancing, Richard had gotten an erection. He couldn't help it. His eighteen-year-old body reacted to the motion of a woman in his arms. Through his trousers, he could feel the silk of her clothing gliding by. His mouth tightened. Louisa had been almost like a second mom to him. Yet her warmth under his hands was provocative, vivid.

It didn't help matters any that he was a virgin. His desire was magnified by carnal curiosity. His mind slid down the slippery slope: as he brushed his fingers across the zipper at the back of her dress, he imagined undressing her completely. What kind of underwear did she have on? He thought it wouldn't be standard utility stuff. A matching bra and panty set, maybe, or some kind of teddy...

"You look far away." The woman of whom he was dreaming interrupted his thoughts.

"Oh!" He shook his head and gave a light laugh. "I guess I'm kind of ready to call it a night." This was not the case. He could have danced with her until the place closed down, but he couldn't think of what else to say. "Would you sleep with me tonight?" That hardly seemed appropriate. That kind of stuff only worked in the movies.

Louisa looked a little disappointed. She, too, was greatly enjoying the evening. Oh, well, maybe there would be another time. She agreed and said after all it was a big day tomorrow. Thankfully he didn't press the point. The following day was in fact an empty Saturday, no work, no nothing.

The two drove home in amiable companionship, reliving little moments of the evening. "We'll definitely have to do this again."

"I couldn't agree more. Thank you, Richard, this was really wonderful."

"My pleasure." He took his eyes off the road for a moment to glance at his companion. Delight suffused her face, and he thought he had never seen her looking more lovely. The fact that he had brought her happiness caused a warm feeling to swell in his chest.

They were home. As they walked toward the door, Richard mulled over three or four sentences, trying to come up with the best way to express what he wanted to say. He didn't want to sound like he was handing her a line. "You know," he said carefully, "I really enjoy your company."

"Thanks, I enjoy yours, too." Her tone was easy. "You want some coffee or something? A little nightcap?"

"Nothing for me, thanks." He did love talking with her, spending time with her, but what he really wanted to do right now was grab her and kiss her. This would obviously be a mistake. It was better to get out of there before he did something stupid.

As he stood there feeling awkward, Louisa put her arms around him in a friendly hug. "I'll just say good night then. Thanks again for a wonderful evening."

With some hesitation he returned her embrace. Her long chestnut hair was soft beneath his hands. He brushed the crown of her head with his lips, breathed in her perfume and the scent of her body, and was lost.

Their arms tightened around one another. Each felt the other's heart rate increase. They held still, close together, for a long moment. Richard felt himself growing.

She lifted her face from his chest and looked into his eyes. "We shouldn't," she whispered.

"I know."

"This isn't why I invited you to live here. I wasn't thinking that."

"I know." And he kissed her anyway, sliding his tongue into her mouth while his hands caressed the small of her back.

Louisa moaned against his lips and rubbed against him like an affectionate cat. He pulled away and reached for his car keys.

"Where are you going?"

"To the drugstore."

"Oh," she said with a gentle laugh. "I don't think — how many girls have you slept with?"

A look of embarrassment crossed his face. "Well, none."

"I can't get pregnant. I had surgery," she added at his confused look. She stepped back into his arms and started to unbutton his shirt.

She was not motherly anymore. He saw her as a woman — a very attractive, desirable woman, who had been a trusted friend for many years. Suddenly everything felt warm and right.

The zipper of her dress had been teasing him all night. It hissed as he pulled it down. By now Louisa had his shirt open. With the pads of her fingertips she circled his nipples, causing him to draw a sharp breath. Her back arched as he began to explore beneath her clothing. Passion etched their faces.

She had to stand on tiptoe to reach his ear. "Let's go to bed," she whispered, and nipped at his earlobe. Then she rolled her tongue along the spiral of his ear.

Wordlessly he agreed. She took him by the hand and led him to her bedroom. The sight of her dress, gapping open in the back, drew him on. As she walked he caught glimpses of her dark blue bra strap. He was acutely aware of the succession of soft sounds: their footsteps on the carpet, the fluttering of their loose clothing.

Louisa turned on a small bedside lamp. Her back was to him. With just a slight push of his hands, her dress fell away and puddled at her feet. He admired the sapphire blue ensemble underneath. The lace of her bra invited his fingers. He traced the intimate curves and saw her nipples start to perk up.

"You're so beautiful." His voice was husky.

"So are you. But you're wearing too many clothes." She reached for his belt and he helped her unbuckle it. As soon as his pants were off she laid a hand to his stiffness. Even through his underwear, her caress shot sparks along his nervous system.

He moaned as she began to stroke him. "Oh, god. Oh, Louisa."

He was so out of his mind with desire that he could barely steady his fingers to loosen the clasp of her bra. The skinny straps slid down her arms as he pulled the garment away, and her breasts fell free. "Christ," he swore, and gently pushed her down on the bed.

The newness of Richard's experience communicated a heightened energy to her own pleasure. Louisa reveled in his caresses. He ran his fingers over her breasts, lifting them and enjoying them. Her breasts seemed made for his hands, so perfectly did they fit. He took one nipple into his mouth, provoking a sharp gasp from his lover. She held onto his powerful biceps as he began to suck the tender point of flesh.

"Harder. Harder," she encouraged him. He did as she asked. The sensations ripped through her body and darted a message directly to her clitoris. Above the waistband of his underwear the head of his cock pushed between her legs, straining towards home. The wet spot in her panties grew larger.

"I can't stand it," she gasped, and tugged at his briefs. She lifted them away from his cock and for the first time, he felt a woman's hand moving up and down his naked length. A dribble of pre-cum leaked out. He watched, almost in shock, as her feminine hand gripped his cock. She seemed to know what she as doing.

He wanted her to be naked as well. Her panties, pretty as they were, had to go. They slid off rather easily. The lace scraping over her ass and thighs, down her calves and past her feet, teased her with erotic sensation. The feel of his hands running over her body inflamed her desire. She rolled on her backside and landed beneath him, her ankles placed a bit wider than his hips.

Panting, resting back on her elbows, she regarded him. His face was flushed with desire and his naked torso was muscular. God, he was gorgeous!

Richard studied Louisa just as intently. His eyes drank in the first fully nude woman he had ever been with. Her pink nipples stood at attention and her legs were open. There was a faint scar on her belly. A thatch of chestnut hair covered her groin. A few thoughts flitted across his mind — had she ever shaved it — would she — if so, would she let him shave her? The mental image made him shudder.

"I want to taste you first," he said quietly.

"Oh!" She fell back on the pillow. "Yes. Yes..."

Gently he pushed her thighs apart. With one hand he stroked the hair upward and with the other he fingered the contours of her sex. He probed the pink folds more deeply. How wet she was! His mind was everywhere and nowhere all at the same time, buzzing with new information, taking in the sight, the feel, the smell of her.

He looked up to see how she was taking it, and his breath caught in his throat. The look in her eyes let him know exactly what he was doing to her. He had never seen a woman so aroused. And he was the object of her desire.

As if in a dream he dipped his face to her sex. He touched her first with the tip of his tongue, exploring the taste and texture of woman. "Don't tease me," gasped his lover, and he buried his face in her valley.

She was delicious, kind of sweet and salty at the same time. He scooped up tonguefuls of her cream, rolling the taste around in his mouth. "Mmmmmmm." The vibrations of his voice traveling through her flesh made her cry out. Her reaction emboldened him to try more things. He worked his tongue into her crevices; he sucked at her lips. He nudged his nose against the tiny pink nub.

Everything he did seemed to bring her joy. It was a mutual pleasurefest. Several times she cried out, and she was writhing around so hard that he had to hold her still, but she seemed to enjoy it when he held her fast.

At last he lifted his head. Her hands had been digging into his hair. "Did you cum?" he asked.

Her eyes grew wide and she nodded vigorously. "Oh my god, yes." She pulled him up and hugged him. "That was fantastic—" she kissed the side of his sticky face, several times, and said in his ear: "I need to feel you inside me now."

He steadied himself above her and she took him in hand, guiding him to her entrance. The sound of their breathing was loud in his ears. Their eyes met as the tip of his cock found the warm wet place between her legs.

"Louisa." He trembled. He pushed a little ways in, and it seemed as if his world was bursting into Kodachrome. Louisa groaned and lifted her hips to meet him. She was so slippery, he slid all the way in. Briefly they held the moment, locked in one another's arms. He kissed her deeply. "Thank you" didn't seem like the right thing to say, but no small measure of gratitude tempered his lust.

Instinct guided his hips. His cock felt massaged by a thousand tiny fingers. The perfect tight friction was like nothing he'd ever felt as he began to thrust in and out of her. She bucked beneath him, moving with him, and the dance was theirs. Waves of pleasure rocked through their bodies, faster and faster as his tempo increased. They grunted the age-old chant.

"Don't stop!" she pleaded. The mountaintop was in sight. He dragged her there and she shrieked, and sooner than he wanted to, he came. His orgasm blasted from his body. The noise he made was almost that of a man in anguish. He buried himself in her as deeply as he could. In a flashflood he filled her well.

Eyes closed, he lay on her chest, panting and sweating. "Thank you," he breathed. His voice was deeper than usual. Every muscle in his body felt relaxed and warm.

"I didn't mind," she teased him. "You're not so bad."

"Really? Not too awful, huh?" Sleepily he smiled at her.

Louisa chuckled and kissed his forehead. "I haven't felt this good since a bowling ball fell on my foot." 

He laughed into her collarbone, and she turned out the light. 

Richard's Education Ch. 02



Special thanks to darkniciad for competent, helpful editing.

*

Louisa blinked at the steps leading up to her house. They didn't wobble under her feet, nor did they squeak.

Inside, a wonderful aroma wafted from the kitchen. She stood for a moment, eyes closed, inhaling the smell of fresh bread. Was this some kind of dream? If so, let it continue!

Richard appeared in the doorway, wiping his hands on a dish cloth. His bear hug and passionate kiss made her senses swim. It was no dream. He really did live here, and he really was good with his hands ... in more ways than one.

"Hmmmmmmm." He released her from his kiss, but kept one arm securely locked around her waist. She looked up at him. "Are you a mirage?"

"No." His voice was soft as he smoothed her hair. "How was the library today?"

"Class of first-graders came to visit." She watched his yummy ass as he turned back toward the kitchen. "You fixed the front steps."

"Yeah." He sent her a quick grin before returning his attention to the stove. "I got good news today."

"Well don't make me wait, what is it?" She thought she might know. It wasn't the money, money was not an issue. But Louisa did care very much about Richard's self-esteem. The young man was no slacker. Since moving in with her recently, he'd been diligent about trying to find a job. The way he was smiling, it looked as if he'd had some success.

He turned off the burner and put his hands on her hips. A big smile filled his youthful face. "I got the job."

"Congratulations!" Her face lit up like a fourth-of-July sky. She squeezed him tight. "Oh, I'm so happy for you!"

"Me, too. Now prepare yourself for a tasty dinner and I'll tell you all about it." He twirled her around, delighting in making her laugh, and landed her in a dining room chair.

True to his word, dinner was terrific. Richard told her what he knew so far about the construction job he'd be starting in the morning. Then his face turned thoughtful.

"There's something I've been wanting to ask you."

"Sure."

"You told me you were fired from your first job, but how did you decide to become a librarian?"

Louisa drew in a thoughtful breath. "Actually the seed for that dream was planted while I was still in undergrad. Right at the beginning of my freshman year I was riding the campus bus and I heard two men talking."

He couldn't figure out how this had anything to do with the point but he kept listening. He could see the memory was a happy one.

"I realized, very slowly, that they weren't speaking French -- or Spanish -- or German or even Russian. It was a language I had literally never heard before. And all at once I was overwhelmed with just how much stuff there is in the world -- great stuff, like languages, places, animals, whole fields of knowledge, subcultures. And I wanted very much to hold that door open, so to speak, so others could..." She made a gesture with her hand. "I knew I wanted to be a keeper of knowledge, not as in keeping it for myself, but as in, tending it so it would be available for anyone who was trying to find something. This was before the internet." She laughed with her eyes.

"So what happened?"

"I made the silly mistake of taking a job just for the sake of paying the rent."

"Silly, right," interjected Richard.

"And you know what happened after that. I got the sack, went back for my MLS, and started living the life I wanted to. Professionally, anyway," she added.

He wondered what an MLS was, and she explained it to him. He had never surmised that a particular degree was necessary to work in a library. "Oh, yes," she quirked a brow and nodded solemnly, "it's very competitive."

It was nice to have someone to talk to over dinner. Furthermore, Louisa could not remember the last time a man cooked dinner for her, much less fixed things around the house. Certainly her son Jerrod had pitched in his fair share of the work. But he had not been around that much: after high school, he'd taken one semester in college and then joined the military. And in any case, having a helpful son was by no means the same as having a live-in lover.

The only possible complication was that Richard was Jerrod's best friend. Well, and he was half her age. Oh, and up until a short time ago, Louisa had been something of a maternal figure in Richard's life. Okay, so things were kind of complicated.

* * *

However much he might have detested the notion of going back home after his dismal try at college, Richard had been raised well. He was determined not to take advantage of Louisa's goodwill in offering him a place to stay. To that end, he began looking for work immediately; he took on a considerable load of chores around the house; and in general he did what he could to pull his weight while living under her roof.

Even if she hadn't relieved him of his virginity, he would have done these things.

The construction job was a blessing in many ways. Certainly the cash flow made a difference. The pay was sufficient to make divots in his student loan as well as chip in for groceries and put gas in the car. The hours were flexible to a certain extent, although there was an expectation that he be available if extra hands were needed. And the work was interesting; Richard's boss gave him a variety of odd jobs around the site, so it was never the same thing day after day.

The biggest benefit, however, was to his sense of self. The young man was simply not a mooch. It would have appalled him to even remotely consider loafing on the couch, eating food that someone else paid for, and basically doing nothing to earn his way. 

Now as he put the last paver block in place, his nod was satisfied and confident. "I can take it from here, guys. Thanks again for your help."

Bill and Ed looked at each other. "Don't you want to get those plants in the ground?" asked Bill.

"Well, yeah, but that's not heavy lifting."

Ed flapped a hand and grabbed a spade. "Don't be silly. With three of us, this will only take a few minutes. Where do you want these flowers?"

Richard grinned. "Under the tree, over there." The other nice thing about his job was that the guys helped each other out from time to time. It felt good to be building a network of friends.

The job was complete a good thirty minutes before Louisa got home. From the front window he had the pleasure of seeing the look on her face.

Louisa gawped. Gone was the steep front hill that eroded further with every rain. In its place was a terraced garden that would have graced any English country cottage. Ivy made a green waterfall down the side nearest the driveway. Vinca drifted toward impatiens, which brightened the shade under the large old oak. The tree didn't look so lonely any more. And neither, for that matter, was she.

"Oh, my god!!" Louisa got out of her car and simply stared for a long moment. Amazement pulled her closer to the new landscaping. Then her eyes snapped toward the house. Richard waved from the window. In his happy gesture she saw the boy she had met when he was just fourteen. Emotion tugged at her core.

He disappeared from view and came out the front door, grinning from ear to ear. "So, you like it?"

She swung her arms around his neck. "It's too fabulous! How on earth did you do it?"

He tilted his head to one side, still grinning. "Some of the guys came over to help out." The love in his eyes was apparent as he lowered his mouth to hers. Her lips met his soft kisses like flowers drinking in rain. Her body molded to his.

Very soon it became apparent that they ought to move indoors, and they did so. Easily he lifted her into his arms and carried her to the bedroom. The mere act of entering this room never failed to cause at least a slight stir in his nerve center. Often the reaction was stronger. It was in this very room where Louisa had become Richard's first lover.

His mind fired in different directions. Mostly he was in the here and now, kissing this kind woman who was his cherished friend. Yet part of him remembered, would always remember, their first night together.

Naked from head to toe, they nurtured one another even in the dark unconsciousness of sleep. She had fallen asleep with her back pressed against his chest. It hadn't taken long for him to grow hard a second time. He'd only had one bite to sate his pent-up sexual hunger. He wanted another helping of Louisa.

He reached around to stroke her velvety peaches. Words could not describe what it did to him to cradle her breasts in his hands. Electrical impulses ping-ponged around in his gut and informed his groin. His erection prodded at her backside.

He pushed her hair aside and lipped at her ear. Slowly she woke, wiggling her bottom into his lap. His cock responded accordingly. At his groan she looked over her shoulder, smiling sleepily at him.

"Mmmmmm..." Richard pushed the head of his cock between her legs. Louisa angled her body to draw him closer to her place of warm, wet heat. He was a little more aggressive this time. Lightly he pinched both of her nipples and was rewarded with her startled cry of passion. A rush of wetness greeted the crown of his cock.

He was harder and more sensitive than ever. "OhgodLouisa." The words surged out of him. He grabbed her around her waist and she bent at knee and hip — their bodies communicated — and then she was on her hands and knees as he knelt behind her.

The probing of his finger made her shudder and cry out. Some of the wetness inside her was his own. The thought of their mingling juices kicked his arousal up another notch. He slid the tip of his cock into her sheath and watched as her back arched. Her long hair fell to one side in the dim light.

Then the lovely screwing began. He inched his way in, and withdrew. Pushed in another inch, and pulled back. Her ass cheeks were cool in his hot grip. They played the lovers' game of push-me, pull-you, grunting with every stroke. Richard thought he would die, and at the same time, had never felt so alive. He caught glimpses of her breasts as they swayed, bouncing in time to the movements of their bodies. The smell of sex was strong in the room. Her body clamped around his in a 360º hug.

More frantically they flew together. With every thrust his balls spanked her ass. She rocked beneath him, almost as if fighting him off. He growled and grabbed her, yanking her firmly into contact with his hips. Her cum-cry matched her internal spasm. The wet jerking sparked his own seismology...not for the final time that night. They made love so many times, he lost count.

All of this swept through his mind, and more, as he held her now. Richard loved peeling off Louisa's clothing. There was something heady about unbuttoning her silk blouse. Swirling around in his breastbone was a mix of passion, affection, power, and doing something forbidden. That, and the constant surprise of what she might have on underneath. It made him nuts that she shopped for lingerie especially for his benefit.

Today's confection was white, but definitely not the typical workaday Kevlar. Tiny seed pearls dotted the centers of lacy flowers. Sheer panels around the ribcage were punctuated with stern boning. The corset laced up the back. Fleetingly he wondered how the hell she had gotten it on. Then he spied the all-but-invisible zipper up the side.

But undoing the laces was much more fun. He untied the bow at the small of her back and loosened the cords, bit by bit, while he kissed her and teased her with his mouth. Her own soft hands worked at his clothing. She made him pause just long enough to lift off his t-shirt, and then her fingers were hungry indeed, finding every muscled inch of his torso.

She broke away from his kiss and fastened her mouth on his nipple. The sucking caused his hands to stumble in their heavenly work. Before Louisa, Richard hadn't been aware of how pleasant this could be. Now he closed his eyes and gasped.

"That's it!" he declared. Far faster than she could do it, he whipped off his pants and pinned her to the bed. Laughing, she squirmed beneath him. "Gotcha!"

"Minx. Vile temptress." He lost patience with the pretty undergarment and pulled it away, casting it over his shoulder.

Louisa quit laughing when Richard took her nipple in his mouth. Her noises quickly segued to moans of pleasure. He licked and sucked at the tender pink flesh, feeling the point go from soft and delicate to hard and erect in his mouth.

"God don't stop!" she demanded.

He mumbled something that was probably, "I'm not going to stop."

"Please!"

The phone rang. They ignored it. Richard buried his face in Louisa's boobs. She lifted her knees around his waist, feeling the teasing of his hardness knocking around between her legs. The intensity of his ministrations increased and she clawed his back, urging him on.

The minor pain from her fingernails spurred his arousal. His eyes blazed as he entered her. With a shuddering breath he wrapped his arms around her and rolled them both over.

"Ah!" Louisa wriggled like a speared fish. He was deep inside her now. She reared back to find he had lifted his knees, making of himself a human chair.

Richard quit moving for a moment. He wanted to memorize the sight of her impaled on his manhood. Her legs were apart, shins pressed to the linens. Her breasts rode high and proud. And she was smiling at him, looking at him the way every man wanted to be looked at, eyes sparkling with joy and sexual energy.

Sweet desire rushed through his veins. He reached out to tickle her pubic hair. The result was very satisfying.

The land line had quit ringing. Her cell phone started in. Louisa's expression changed to one of distraction. "I better answer it." She slid off. Richard sighed and remained where he was.

A few minutes later she came back. His flushed and excited lover had been replaced by someone who looked to be a victim of shock. Richard bolted upright. "What's wrong?"

"It's not wrong, exactly, it's — " she faltered. She had the oddest look on her face, something like a cross between worry, happiness, and confusion.

"What?" he asked, and simultaneously, she resumed: "Jerrod's coming home."

* * *

They had never discussed what they were going to say to Jerrod. Her son, his best friend, had no idea that Louisa and Richard had become lovers. It wasn't exactly the stuff of casual mention over the phone.

Jerrod had now completed basic training. He was due to be shipped out soon and would first be coming home for a visit. Richard and Louisa talked several times about how to handle what could turn out to be a very awkward situation.

"I've raised him to be honest." Louisa twisted her hands.

"But what do you think this particular honesty will do to him? Right before he goes overseas to stew about it for six months or more?"

She grimaced. "It's because what we're doing is wrong. We both know it."

"No, Louisa!" This hurt him, though he didn't say so. "We're consenting adults. We care about each other and we happen to have a great sex life. There is nothing wrong with that."

"Then why should we lie about it?"

"Because — because I keep trying to picture how I would feel if the shoe was on the other foot..."

Louisa held out one hand, palm up, as if to say, "See?"

"I just keep coming back to it. It's pretty intense, it's a lot to deal with, and he won't be around long enough for us to really work our way through it."

Louisa sighed. A frown of worry creased her pretty face.

"Okay, how about this. We don't tell him this weekend, but we do tell him next time he comes home. That will give things time to evolve."

"All right," she agreed. And she too kept a twinge of hurt to herself: by the time her son finished his tour of duty, her lover might have moved on. And then there would be nothing left to tell.

Simply because it was his day off, it fell to Richard to pick up Jerrod at the airport. Despite the uncomfortable situation, he cheered when he saw his old friend.

"Hey, bro!"

They slapped each other on the back.

"Good to see you, man."

"So, Mom says you're crashing at the old homestead."

"Yeah, it was really cool of her." Richard said this as he reached for Jerrod's duffle, not looking at his friend's face.

Quickly he turned the conversation to the job he'd gotten, and how it was enabling him to make headway on his student loan. He was gaining new skills and starting to get on his feet. Then he spent the drive home quizzing Jerrod about basic training, who was only too happy to extol the rigor of the exercise, and swear praisefully about the men who had shaped him into a soldier.

Richard commented with honest admiration, "That's really cool, man."

As soon as they got home, Richard excused himself to the garage, saying there was a project he had to finish before work the next day. Louisa was just getting home from work. Out of habit he took a step toward her, remembering in a split-second he wasn't supposed to kiss her. Just as he turned away, he caught the look of suspicion on Jerrod's face.

They got through dinner without too much trouble. Louisa wanted to hear about basic training, too, so a good part of the time was passed with Jerrod telling tall tales. Mother and son had always shared a sense of humour.

"So," she said, wide-eyed, "they made you scale Mount Everest with nothing but three Hershey bars and a pick-axe?"

"That's exactly right," Jerrod grinned. "And I had to buy my own axe!"

Richard guffawed into his Coke. It was almost like old times again — the three of them laughing around the dinner table. But throughout the evening, a sense of awkwardness wandered in here and there. The truth choked at Richard's throat.

Finally he cleared his plate. "I'll take out the trash," he offered.

"Let me give you a hand." Jerrod stood up.

Oh, no, here it comes. Richard straightened his back and focused his attention on the task at hand. Open the cupboard door under the sink. Pull out the wastebasket. Lift out the garbage bag. Tie it shut. Put in a fresh bag.

Jerrod picked up the garbage and strode out the back door. Richard followed his friend's retreating back, pausing only to throw a glance over his shoulder at Louisa. He mouthed, What now?

Her silent reply was to blow him a kiss.

Jerrod got right to the point. "What's going on between you and my mom?"

"It's not like that."

"Don't you lie to me. Are you shacking up with her?"

"Hold on. Just hold on, dammit—"

Jerrod's face was six inches from Richard's. The soldier poked his finger into his friend's chest. "You are not the man of this house. Don't even think about it!"

A stab of rage pierced Richard's forehead. He knew damn good and well how solidly he had been contributing to the household. "Well, you sure as hell aren't! Where are you! Going halfway around the globe to get shot at! That's a big help!"

"Motherfucker!" roared Jerrod. He grabbed Richard's shirt and the two men went down, scuffling and throwing punches. Blue language filled the air.

The screen door banged but neither looked up. "Stop it!" yelled Louisa. They paid no heed.

The sound of her retreating footsteps made no difference, either. A moment later they were both drenched by a sudden wave of water. They looked up to see her holding an empty bucket.

"I said STOP!" Louisa burst into tears. "I love you both, do you think you could not fight like dogs?!"

Immediately Richard was filled with shame. "I'm sorry," he began. He looked over at Jerrod, ready to make amends.

But Jerrod was on his feet and stomping around the side of the house. "You two enjoy your love nest!" he spat. "I'm gone."

* * *

The lovers lay in the dark, staring up at the ceiling. It was after eleven. Jerrod had not come home.

"I'm sorry." Richard apologized for at least the fifth time.




Richard's Education Ch. 02



"You can stop saying that now. I've already accepted your apology."

"I know. I still feel bad."

There was silence for a while. Then: "I wonder when I should call the police."

Richard laughed. "Baby, he is the police."

Her little snort of answering laughter gave him a ray of hope, one about the size of a light bulb on a Christmas tree. She hadn't cracked a smile since dinner. For her buoyant spirit, that was a long time.

He rolled to his side and lay his arm across her chest. "You know he's fine. He just needs to cool off."

She kissed his forearm and turned in to his embrace. "I know," she sighed.

"How come you never told me?"

"Told you what?"

"That you loved me."

"Oh." In the darkness he could feel her shrug. "You never asked."

Her little giggle made Richard feel better — he thought maybe her worries had eased back some. But as the mother fell asleep, she mumbled, "I hope he comes home soon."

The sound of a buzzsaw awakened Richard at dawn. Leaving Louisa sleeping, he tiptoed down the hall.

The snoring was coming from Jerrod's room. Richard's lips quirked into a near-grin. "Chowderhead," he muttered. Things might be rocky for a while, but the three of them had been friends for a long time. How could they not work this out? They just had to. With that forced sense of optimism, he pulled on his work clothes and left as soundlessly as he could.

* * *

Richard had just finished lunch and was getting back to work when Louisa's car pulled up at the site. Jerrod was driving. He was alone.

A ripple went through the crew as Jerrod got out of the car. He was all spiffed up in his dress uniform. He picked his way over to Richard.

"Nice duds." Richard looked his friend up and down. "Come on, we can talk over here. How come you're all dressed up?"

Jerrod looked somewhat embarrassed. "I wanted to talk to you, and I thought I might have to convince your boss I was here on official business."

Richard had to laugh. "No, he's cool." Over Jerrod's shoulder, the man in question was staring. Richard waved and his boss nodded in return. The older man held up five fingers.

"I've got a few minutes. What's on your mind?"

"Well obviously, I'm sorry about last night, but I wanted to explain."

"No, I'm sorry, too. I'm sorry we weren't truthful with you."

"Thanks," Jerrod nodded. "But it isn't just that. There's something else I want to say."

Richard didn't say anything, just lifted his eyebrows and waited.

"My father — that miserable sperm donor, I mean — you know he never married my mother. He basically got her pregnant, then disappeared, the bastard. I know it doesn't make any sense, I know you're not him. I just couldn't stand the thought of her getting taken for a ride again."

"I'm really sorry." Richard didn't know what else to say.

Jerrod waved an arm. "Forget it. I didn't know," he inhaled and rolled his eyes straight up, as if the next part was hard to say: "I didn't know how much you've done to make her happy. You know that, don't you?"

"I think so. I hope so. I've tried to."

"We had a long talk over breakfast this morning. She said to me, 'Don't you think I deserve some happiness?' I felt like a jerk. I just never perceived my mom as someone who might — I mean, she's an adult in her own right. She has a right to be with someone. Even if it's you, I guess." His words were grudging, but his mouth suggested a smile.

Richard saw a glimmer of Louisa in Jerrod's face. He replied, "I would never do anything to hurt her or make her unhappy."

"I know that now."

The two men regarded each other. There was peace between them.

"I'm going to head on out, I just wanted you to know things are cool."

"She misses you, why don't you stick around a few more days?"

Jerrod shook his head. "Maybe next time. I still need some time to think, you know?"

After he drove off, Richard's boss asked what that was all about.

"Oh, you know. Taxes." The men laughed, and let it go.

* * *

Louisa wiped her eyes on Richard's shirt. He had filled her in on the afternoon's events. Her tears had not been violent, but left her feeling in need of comfort.

Her boyfriend kissed her forehead and settled her on the couch. "Wait here." In a few minutes he returned with a cool wet cloth. Lovingly he swabbed her face.

"Better?"

"Yes... I just wish I'd handled things differently." She had already said this.

He set the cloth aside and kissed her again. "It's not the end of the world, and things will be okay. He needs time, and that's fair."

Then he made a show of checking his watch. "And speaking of time, I'm only going to give you five more minutes to beat yourself up."

The tenderness in his voice helped lift her sadness. "Hm, five minutes." Lightly she rested her cheek in one hand, pretending to ponder. "How can I milk this for all it's worth in the next five minutes?"

Richard pulled her into his arms. "I know a way. Here, let me show you."

* * *

Please let me know if you'd like to see another chapter of this story. You can comment here, or drop me a line directly. Thanks for your feedback, and please vote! L8. 



Richard's Education Ch. 03



Thanks to darkniciad for agreeing to edit this series.

*

"I've got great news!" Louisa burst in the door, hair flying like streamers out of a Happy New Year party horn.

Richard stepped forward from the kitchen, smiling his end-of-the-workday greeting. "What is it?"

"My proposal was accepted! I get to present at the conference!" She beamed and fairly quivered from head to toe.

"I knew you'd make it!" Richard swept her into his arms. Really, this living with Louisa thing just got better and better. She was smart, sexy, funny, a good friend, and someone he was proud to be with. Who could ask for anything more?

"You know, a special occasion like this calls for a special dinner."

"Would you like to go out? You could be off k.p. for one night."

He shrugged. "I don't mind it. Besides, I kind of have something special planned. Unless, of course, you'd prefer going out."

"You have something pla — now how did you know to plan something?" she asked suspiciously. A pleased smile twittered at the corners of her mouth.

"Oh, dang," he snapped his fingers in mock discouragement, "the cat's out of the bag. I guess a little bird told me that somebody's work was accepted at the national level..."

"This was a little bird named Kim, I take it." Kim was Louisa's co-worker and close friend.

"Hmm, let me see, ... yep! So how about crab-stuffed whitefish with Domaine Ste. Michelle Brut?" The young man looked pleased with himself.

"Of course, yes. You know my answer to you is always yes." Then she laid a hand on his arm. "Will you cook while I tell Jerrod?"

"Of course! You don't need to ask me." He tousled her hair. "Silly girl."

Louisa grinned and pecked his cheek, then scampered off to the computer. Who knew when her son would get the email? It was impossible to know when he was in the field, or when he might next have access to a computer. But when he did, a message from home would be waiting.

Over homemade cheesecake Louisa laid out the final plans for the presentation she would make.

"The Mandala Library," he read. "What does that mean?"

"Well, let me back up a bit. You might remember that one part of the conference has to do with designing libraries of the future."

"Mm-hm." Well, he sort of remembered her saying something like that.

"And I think most of the proposals other people sent in probably have to do with high-tech stuff. But the more I thought about it, the more I thought that when patrons come into a library, the latest high-tech gadget isn't necessarily the first thing they're looking for."

"So what is the first thing they're looking for?"

Louisa gave a sharp, satisfied nod. "Exactly." The look in her eyes held a message.

Richard puzzled it out. "You don't know what they're looking for."

"Right! So absolutely everything needs to be easy to find." She pointed to the center of the drawing that resembled an old-fashioned keyhole. "The main desk is here, so you see it as soon as you come in."

"What if you want a computer instead of a person?"

"Terminals are here" —she pointed along the diagonal lines of the large lobby— "along the walls next to the New Books section. But getting back here, see, the main desk is curved, like a bubble. Then the first concentric circle holds reference materials and large print media..." She went on, pointing out the children's area near the front, and the quiet reading rooms near the back.

"This is well thought out. Why didn't you show me all this before?"

"Aww, you know. I didn't want to shout about it and then have it not get in."

"You can always tell me stuff." But his reproof was mild. Louisa pushed herself into his arms and kissed his neck.

"So you like it?"

He snuggled her deeper into his embrace. "It's wonderful. You are going to win a Medal of Brilliance."

* * *

Louisa was almost done unpacking when a small box near the bottom of her suitcase caught her eye. The ribbon looked like it would be easy to untie, but the note stayed her hand: Do not open until after your presentation. 

Little question marks danced around her head in a celestial ballet. What could it be? She hefted the weight. It was not all that heavy, less than a foot long, and big enough in girth that she could not wrap one hand completely around it. A certain thought crossed her mind but she shook her head. No way.

She set the box aside and focused on the conference materials. Thankfully she was not first the next morning, so there was time to scope out the room. With any luck, she'd get in a practice run-through as well.

She went for a swim in the luxurious hotel pool, surprised that almost no one else was there. At the far end, a pair of lovers enjoyed the hot tub. A faint smile crossed her features as she remembered her man at home. They would only be apart for two nights, but already she missed him — more than she thought she would, she reflected.

At the wall she flipped over and slid into a lazy side stroke. Richard. Where was their relationship going? Was it enough that they made each other happy, from one day to the next? She checked her gut but could not get a clear reading. Maybe she just needed more time to think, to feel ... what was that word he had used ... to evolve. Yes, that was it. She pictured him, his hazel eyes crinkled in laughter.

Images washed through her mind. Richard, cooking. Dancing with her, making her feel more fleet than she really was. Mowing the yard, the sun pulling moisture from his pores ... she watched from the window as his sweat trickled over his shoulders, his nipples ... his young, muscular physique glistened in the hot light ...

Louisa ended her swim and went straight up to her room. As soon as she was inside the door she peeled off her bathing suit and kicked it, along with her robe and towel, onto the bathroom floor. Her hair was wet but she didn't care.

She flopped on the bed and pulled the blankets around her. "Richard. Ohhh..." She willed herself into the fantasy of watching him in the sunlight. In the dream he hugged her, his belt buckle digging into her stomach. The scent of his sweat punched her in the nose. His mouth descended to hers in a passionate kiss. 

Louisa whimpered and tended her breasts, imagining Richard's hands instead. If he were with her, he would suck those hard pink nipples, she knew it. She lifted her bosom and bent her head forward. The tongue flicking over the sensitive flesh was not his but it gave a spark to the dream.

She was starting to get cold, so she crawled under the covers. For some reason burrowing into the layers made it easier to fantasize. Louisa wrapped her arms around a pillow and prayed her lover's name. Her fingers dipped between her legs. Maybe she should shave, she knew he wanted her to. The hair tickled back, answering her fingers' greeting. 

"Um. Ah. Unh," she thrust harder, aching for her lover to fill her. She flogged herself, contorting her body in a solo dance of frustrated desire. The peak, when she reached it, was lonely.

Across the room, still in her suitcase, the gift from her lover waited.

The morning dawned yellow and clear as a retro happy-face. Louisa came to consciousness in a tangle of sheets, blankets and pillows. Mentally she climbed into the motorboat of her day and started her power-up checklist. Big day today!

She bounded from the bed and scurried for her robe at the sound of a knock on the door. The big bouquet of pink and burgundy obscured the clerk's face. From Richard, of course! She thanked the man and sent him away with a crumple of green. "Go get 'em, baby!" read the note.

Louisa breathed in the fresh perfume and hugged the air around the flowers, avoiding the thorns' prick. Her Evinrude revved. She smiled at herself in the mirror and gave a confident nod.

The presentation went exceedingly well. Louisa knew her material backwards and forwards, inside and out, even upside down; and her enthusiasm for the design caught up the audience. It was fun to see so many faces looking pleased in her direction. The Q&A drew out the fine points of her idea and she was able to answer almost every question.

Several members of the audience hung around, murmuring praises and pressing hearty congratulations into her palm. One older gentleman stood out from the rest. His manner was dignified and intelligent. "Young lady, may I have your card, please."

"Sure." Louisa smiled at the man. Silver-rimmed glasses circled his blue eyes. A little scary was her involuntary reaction. But he returned her smile and carefully tucked her card into the breast pocket of his suit jacket. "I'll be in touch," he promised, and left before Louisa realized she hadn't gotten his name.

She was starving. What she wanted to do most of all was race upstairs and call Richard, tell him how wonderfully she'd succeeded, but there wasn't time. As a speaker she was assigned to one of the big round tables at the snooty-doo luncheon. Even though it was flattering to be asked about her work, she was dying to call her man. It would have to wait.

Conversation over lunch was largely a re-run of the talk she had just given. Many of her peers had been attending concurrent sessions, so Louisa wound up repeating herself a lot. After a while it was like watching a train go by. The salads and the chicken entrees were all alike, and amidst the hubbub, the faces began to blend as well. If it hadn't been for the ubiquitous name tags, she wouldn't have remembered at all which was who.

Finally it was over. Louisa said her goodbyes and joined the crowd by the elevator. On the ride up she remembered the mysterious box. What could it be? Never mind — she would call Richard first.

Actually the first thing she did was get out of the oppressive pantyhose. The satin skirt lining caressed her bottom as she pressed the phone buttons. He answered on the first ring. "How'd it go?"

Louisa bounced into a happy babble of achievement. She thanked him for the flowers, too, letting him know how the gesture had started her day so beautifully.

"So what was the question you couldn't answer?"

"Oh, that." She chuckled. "I got to the part where I said we don't know why someone comes into the library and some smartass piped up and said Yes, we do, we've compiled all these statistics from questionnaires.

"I told him first of all, those questionnaires measured the past, not the future, and second, libraries are always trying to expand their audience. That's the point of discussing the library of the future. And the point of my design is to make a library inviting to everyone, not just certain groups."

Richard's head rocked back. "Tongue fu, baby! You sure got him!"

"I have to say I did," she answered smugly. Then her voice changed. "Do you miss me?"

"Oh," he groaned, "is water wet?"

"I can only speak for myself," she said softly.

His palms got sweaty. He exhaled into the phone. "I put a special gift in your suitcase. Did you open it?"

The box! Louisa almost dropped the phone. "Oh my god. Is this what I think it is?"

"You'll have to open it."

The ribbon surrendered easily. Richard could hear the muffled noises of the package being opened, followed by his girlfriend's gasp. He'd taken a risk that she wouldn't be offended. In fact, he hoped her reaction would be quite the opposite.

"It's almost like you," she marveled. Her pulse was doing the zero-to-sixty thing as the implications unfolded in her mind. She knew what was about to happen but could hardly believe it.

"I know, I spent a lot of time finding it. Rub it across your mouth, Louisa, just pretend I'm with you."

"Mmmmmmm. Oh, baby." She moaned into the phone as the tip smoothed over her lips.

"Now unbutton your blouse. Tell me about your bra."

Her fingers fluttered fast as hummingbirds down her front. "I'm wearing a red blouse today and my bra is... red lace to match..."

Richard splayed his legs where he lay on their bed. Red! Jesus! His thigh muscles clenched.

"Listen closely," he instructed. A second later the sound of his zipper raked into her ear.

"Oh, god," she murmured, "is that what I think it was."

"I think you know by now what it sounds like when I unzip my pants in front of you." His voice was soft, but edged with a tiger snarl of lust. Her answering moan made him feel free to say what he was thinking: "Now take my cock and rub it over your breasts."

He imagined doing so. He could almost feel the gentle scrape of lace on his tip.

"Oh... oh, god yes, ... I'm doing it...."

"Pull open your bra, show me your gorgeous tits." The faint click of her front-hook clasp reached his ear. There was a rustle of lace on skin.

"I'm rubbing the head of your cock over my nipples." The timbre of her voice was twisted with lust. "They're so hard, my nipples are so hard..."

"Unh," he moaned, "that's good, baby, now touch me, stroke me with your hands..."

"Are you touching yourself."

"Yes, ... I've got my dick out and I'm stroking it for you. I'm feeling your hands on me, Louisa, I want you to jack me off."

"Oh!" His language yanked her through a shuddering moment of speechlessness. "Oh, yes, feel me stroke you, honey ... you know I love to handle you..."

"Talk to me, girl, tell me what I do to you."

"You make me cum," her whisper rose to a whine, "I thought of you all night last night, I masturbated thinking about you. I finger-fucked myself."

"I want you to fuck yourself right now, Louisa, feel my cock inside you."

Louisa hiked up her skirt around her waist. The lifelike prick nudged easily into her slippery fissure. Her mouth fell open at the surge of pleasure. This was better than her hand. Much, much better.

"Oh, god, ... Richard ... yes fuck me, I need you..." Louisa panted. One hand squeezed her breast while the other frantically manipulated Richard's understudy.

"Don't stop, baby, I'm right here with you. Ride me."

"Oh god yes I'm riding your cock. So hard — Christ!"

"Hold the phone down there, I want to listen while you cum!"

Obediently she held the phone so he could hear the squish, squish, as the stand-in cock plumbed her depths. She let herself go completely, knowing he was on the other end of the line, stroking himself and listening to her get off. The thought of him witnessing her masturbation sent her over the edge.

In the distance Richard heard the familiar yelping scream. Though the saline on his lips was only his own sweat, her noise touched something deep inside him. His gut echoed back to her call. He groaned several times as he made his own sticky mess.

In the current he dropped the phone. He picked it back up and reconnected with her: ".... oh, baby," she was sighing. "Wasn't there an old commercial about the phone being the next best thing to being there?"

"If so, I don't remember it. Listen, angel, did you like that?"

He couldn't see her eyes widen as she nodded an are-you-kidding yes. Then she wised off: "No, I was just faking it."

He snorted with laughter. Her post-coital wisecracking turned his heart over in his chest. "Oh, yeah, me too then." He grinned. "So tell me again when you're coming home." 



Richard's Education Ch. 04



Thanks to darkniciad for editing this series.

*

Their conversation ended with whispered words and kissing noises. Louisa hung up the phone and lay in the afterglow, languidly petting her mostly-naked body. A man who could make her feel this good, even over the phone, deserved a treat. Absolutely, she decided, she would shave. She knew this was common for women who were Richard's age, but for a woman nearer to forty than thirty, the thought carried the thrill of a naughty adventure.

Just as she was running her fingers through the hair in question, a knock sounded at the hotel room door. For the second time that day, she bounded off the bed and ran a hasty scavenger hunt for her robe. She tugged her skirt down around her thighs and threw on the terrycloth wrap.

It was the guy who'd asked for her business card earlier, the silver-haired gent with the wire-rimmed eyeglasses. He eyed her disheveled state.

"I'm sorry. Did I catch you at a bad time?"

"Oh, no, I was just, uh, going to get cleaned up." For some reason she resisted saying going to take a shower in front of this man. It just seemed too intimate. Yet she was standing there with the caramel from her recent orgasm oozing down her inner thighs.

The caller was peering over her shoulder. His blue eyes crystallized into a darker, almost steel color. Louisa's face adopted a what-do-you-want expression. She looked at him pointedly.

Hastily he jerked his attention back to her face. "My name is Mark Wolfe. We met after your presentation. I wonder if you would join me for dinner."

Louisa was still reeling from the sudden turn of events. One minute she had been lazing in the warmth of making love with Richard, the next she was confronting a stranger at her door. The carousel of her mind wouldn't turn fast enough. But her gut instinct was sure. Get rid of him.

"I'm sorry, I already have plans." She smiled what she hoped was a polite go-away smile.

"How about breakfast tomorrow, then?"

Wolfe was insistent if nothing else. Cornered, Louisa agreed.

She closed the door, turned and froze. Strewn on the floor were her pantyhose, the shiny red blouse she had worn that morning, and the red lace brassiere she had flung across the room while she was having phone sex with Richard. Half-hidden in the rumpled bedsheets was the toy her lover had gifted her with. No wonder her visitor had gaped. He'd probably gotten a good noseful of the evidence as well.

She closed her eyes tightly. I cannot, I absolutely cannot, have breakfast with this guy. She debated calling his room immediately to cancel. Yet what excuse could she give? Besides, it would be weird, maybe even childish. 

Oh, what the hell, it was just thirty minutes of her time. Firmly she banished Mark Wolfe to a far corner of her mind. Instead she concentrated on packing as much as she could.

But by morning her gut had reasserted itself. She scooted downstairs early, checked out and left her bags with the concierge. Louisa was all set to give this guy the slip, but her conscience scolded her about being rude. Okay, she wouldn't just stand the guy up. She'd tell him something had come up.

"Could you please ring the room of Mark Wolfe for me?"

"Certainly..." The clerk smiled courteously as he checked his computer. Then his forehead wrinkled. "I'm sorry, ma'am, it appears he has checked out."

"Really!" Louisa cheered up immediately. Off the hook! It bothered her not a bit that her would-be date had skipped out. She sailed into the restaurant in a good mood.

But her good humour vanished quickly. Mark folded his newspaper and stood up, extending his hand in greeting. "We're both early, I see."

Reluctantly Louisa shook his hand. His grip was firm and cool. He held on a bit longer than necessary.

Thankfully the maitre d' interrupted. "Table for two?"

"Yes," they both said.

Silently Louisa followed Mark to their table. Coffee was brought, and the two made small talk about the conference for a few minutes. Mark told her again how impressed he was with her work. Louisa made the standard thank-you noises, wondering why he had asked her here, and guessing the answer at the same time.

Mark finally got to the point. "I hope you don't mind my asking if you're attached." His gaze flicked to her bare left hand.

The smile he offered was clearly meant to be charming, but Louisa fought an urge to run from the table. "Yes, I am."

But her thoughts of Richard carried a certain tenuousness. Her lover was not quite nineteen. And the original plan was that he would stay with her "for a while," until he got on his feet. How long would it be before Richard started eying babes closer to his own age?

The Wolfe circled. "But you're not engaged."

"It doesn't matter," she said breezily. "I'm happy."

"You don't sound so sure." His chin swiveled. "Wouldn't you rather be looking toward marriage?"

The waiter brought their breakfast. Despite the unsettling turn the conversation had taken, Louisa dug into her scrambled eggs and hash browns. She was hungry.

Eating gave her time to think. She swallowed a mouthful of toast and said, "I really don't want to discuss my personal life."

"I apologize. To be honest, it's just that I find you attractive, and I was hoping to see you sometime. Nothing more."

The genuine humility made Louisa soften. She studied him over the rim of her coffee cup. "That's kind of silly, though, don't you think? We live two states apart." She had looked up his listing in the conference directory.

Mark waved a casual hand. "That's hardly a factor. There are multiple ways for people to get to know one another in this day and age. The internet, even the good old telephone, you know?"

Was that a leer on his face? Her guard rose again as she thought of what he must have seen over her shoulder the day before. Quickly she dug in her purse and came up with some one-dollar bills.

He looked surprised as she stood up. "I'll get it. I invited you, remember?"

"I'll at least get the tip." And having discharged that obligation, she smiled and thanked him, then made a beeline for the lobby. The escalator could not get her upstairs fast enough. Once on the second floor, she found the nearest w.c. and washed her hands. There was definitely something slimy about this guy — ugh.

The creepy breakfast date cast a pall over her enjoyment of the rest of the conference. En route to the second session, Louisa crossed paths with Mark in the hall. She cast him the smallest of smiles and kept walking.

Halfway through the presentation, however, his voice sounded from the back of the room. At first Louisa simply could not believe it — he must have followed her! Gooseflesh bristled on the back of her arms. She did not hear the speaker's answer to Mark's question.

Oh, shit, I've got a goddamn stalker on my ass. Louisa closed her eyes for a moment and forced herself to breathe slowly. With calm, deliberate movements, she packed her bag and made for the door.

"Excuse me. I'm not feeling well," she murmured to the person next to her.

"You're white as a sheet," the lady replied. "You want me to come with you?"

"That would be great." More than you know, she thought. The two women left the audience as unobtrusively as possible.

In the hallway her new-found friend suggested the nearest ladies' room but Louisa had a different request. "I wonder if you would be willing to walk me to the main desk. I'm sure I can make it from there."

The lady looked puzzled, but agreed. "Sure, okay."

A door opened and closed behind them. Louisa resisted turning around. She could feel the blood leaving her face. Her companion looked concerned.

"You sure you're okay?"

"Oh yes — yes — I know I will be soon." As they walked, she opened her purse and felt around for her wallet. Down the escalator they went. The main desk was in sight.

Louisa hoped her guardian angel would remain by her side all the way across the spacious lobby, and the woman did. They got past the piano and the person-sized ficus tree. They made it all the way to the gleaming dark wood desk.

"May I help you?" The clerk greeted them pleasantly.

"Yes," Louisa replied, but first she turned to her escort with a word of heartfelt thanks. The women hugged lightly. "Take care now," said the other, and cruised off.

Louisa gave her name to the clerk and requested her bags. So what, she'd sit in the airport for a while. That's what paperback novels were for. Just then Mark Wolfe spoke from behind her.

"You left so suddenly, Louisa, are you all right?"

"I'm fine," and she turned her attention to the bellhop who was bringing her bags.

"I wasn't satisfied with my room, may I please see the manager?" she asked him.

"Of course, right away, miss."

Louisa sidled down to the end of the long desk, hailing the manager to join her there. As quietly as she could, she said, "The grey-haired man to my left has been following me since yesterday. I'm trying to shake him off and get to the airport. Can you do anything about it without raising a fuss?"

As she spoke, she pressed the fifty into the manager's palm. It was the biggest single-denomination bill she had left. She'd broken her last hundred the day before, and wished she hadn't.

But it seemed to be acceptable. "Of course, miss." He turned and crooked a finger at the bellhop. "Karl. Kindly escort this lady to her taxi." Then he leaned closer to the uniformed staffer, saying something Louisa couldn't hear. 

The 'hop nodded and hefted Louisa's garment bag. "Right this way, miss."

"I'll be glad to escort her," Wolfe spoke up. "If you could get my bags, also, please."

"Certainly, sir." The manager peered into his computer and tapped a few keys. "The name, please?" Louisa held her breath.

Wolfe gave his name. "With an 'e' on the end." He smiled at Louisa as if hoping to eat her for lunch. The manager shook his head. "I'm very sorry, sir, there's no record by that name."

"What!"

Louisa made a big deal of checking her watch. "Mark, I'm sure you'll understand, I can't wait. Can't afford to miss my flight." She smiled and gave a nod to Karl, who was her new best friend.

Karl beamed at the lady. He had no idea why she was such a VIP, and didn't care. He only knew his boss had promised him $20 for taking ten steps. Not bad for less than five minutes' work.

At the airport, Louisa was nearly three hours early for her flight. Luck was on her side; there was a plane leaving sooner and she was able to switch her ticket for a mere $200 surcharge. It was well worth it to get away from that slimebag.

As the plane left the tarmac, she reflected that Wolfe could still track her down. Oh well, she'd deal with it if it happened. Right now, all she wanted was Richard. The flight seemed to take forfuckingever.

Meeting him at the gate was like meeting Sol. Louisa had never been so glad to see anyone in her life! She thrust herself into his arms and without a word, burst into tears.

"What's wrong??" Her lover guided her to the nearest row of uncomfortable stuck-together chairs and sat her down.

"Slow down, slow down, you're not making any sense."

Nobody paid them any attention. People cry in airports all the time. Richard held her and soothed her until she ran down. When she seemed better, he said, "I think you should make a statement to the police."

"For what?" Her voice was bumpy with leftover tears. "All he did was feed me and follow me around."

But Richard was taking the long view. "I've read that gut instincts are usually right. Louisa, if you file a report, you might be saving some other woman from harm."

She nodded as his words sank in. "Okay."

"And the worst that could happen is you take up ten minutes of some officer's time. It's their job to decide what's important to follow up on and what isn't."

"Okay, okay."

They stumbled around the airport until they found the office. Some guy in a uniform asked Louisa approximately 387 questions. She gave them her conference materials, which helpfully contained Wolfe's contact information and photograph. After that they let her go.

Not too surprisingly, she fell asleep on the ride home. She woke at the sound of the big garage door grumbling open.

"Oh, baby, it's good to be home." Louisa yawned and stretched out her arms until the bones popped.

"It's great to have you home." He carried in her luggage and wrapped her in a powerful hug. "I'm so sorry there are jerks in the world."

She lifted her face to his kiss. "I am, too. Now stop talking and make love to me."

He was aching to do exactly that but thought of what she had just been through: "Are you sure?" He bent to close the difference in their height. His lips teased the line of her jaw.

"Don't make me beg."

At that he grinned. "You never have to beg, you know that."

They traced the familiar path to the bedroom. Richard sensed her need for tenderness. He found himself in the same mood, as well. Yesterday over the phone they had raged, but this afternoon was about reconnecting at a deeper level.

Something else twinged in Richard's breast. He wanted to comfort and protect her. As he slid the blouse away from her shoulders, he said, "I love you, Louisa."

Her heart hiccupped in her chest and her eyes welled. They embraced, somewhat clumsily in her half-off blouse. "It's okay. You're home, you're safe. You're with me now."

"I was scared."

"I know."

Tenderly he drew her down, nuzzling at her bosom and pulling away their clothing. Louisa was content to let him do the work. She followed him emotionally as well as physically, drinking in the comfort of his caresses.

Not unexpectedly, warmth flooded her system as her lover mouthed her body. He kissed her belly and hips and put his face in her mound.

"Ahhhhh..." she responded. "That feels so good, lover, don't stop."

Richard remembered the first night he had ever made love to her. That night his mission had been exploratory. Now he knew her perineum better than she did. He licked and lapped at the sensitive flesh, playing her body like an eighteenth century 'cello. 

Her responding trills made a feedback loop to his own nervous system. He brought her along with his fingers and tongue until she clenched and squeaked. Her nectar splashed in his face.

"Mmmmmm," he rumbled, and opened his mouth to drink the honey. The taste of her fueled his desire. Louisa gasped and urged him up beside her. She swabbed his face with her tongue, tasting herself on his skin. Then she inhaled a shuddering breath as his cock probed her wet heat.

"Yesssss..." she groaned. Her eyes rolled back in her head. "Take me, I need you."

Inch by painstaking inch, Richard penetrated his lover. Louisa played with his body as he thrust. She licked her thumbs and coaxed his nipples to erection. Her calves worked a restless massage over his butt.

He worked his way in until he was buried to the hilt in her snug embrace. "I love you," he told her again. He studied her for a long moment, hearing her echo the words, and seeing the same in her eyes.

It was too much for him suddenly and he looked away, embarrassed. "I'm gonna cum!" His cock jerked like a rampant firehose. Involuntarily he groaned and closed his eyes.

The sluice gave Louisa a powerful rush. She arched her back, slapping her body against his. She swore and shivered; her nipples stood up, suddenly tight and almost painfully hard. Somewhere her voice said his name.

The cloud-high orgasm gripped her entire body, receded, and slammed through her again. All at the same time, she was lost and could never come back, and was squarely and securely home. She was exactly where she needed to be.

Gradually, the grinding collision bumped to a stop.

"You are one hell of a woman."

Louisa grinned. "I wasn't dancin' alone," she drawled. She laid her head on his shoulder. It occurred to her that the awful tension of the past twenty-four hours was gone. In the quiet cuddle she fell asleep.



Richard's Education Ch. 05



All characters in this story are 18 or older.

*

Richard closed the window, but not fast enough. Louisa had seen both the headline and photograph over his shoulder. Woman Attacked at Conference, it read. Mark Wolfe, the man who had followed Louisa around at that same gathering, grinned from the right side of the screen. It was the picture in the conference materials she had given to the police.

His lover was looking kind of green around the gills.

"I'm sorry..." Although Richard wasn't sure what he was apologizing for.

"It's not your fault." Louisa sat down. She didn't look so good.

Richard put his hands on her knees. "Sweetie, I have an idea, and I hope you'll say yes."

That distracted her. She focused more on him than on the events of the past few days. "Okay, provisionally, yes. What have you got in mind?"

* * *

"Let's line UP!" bellowed one of the black belts. He clapped his hands sharply, twice, and took his place at the head of the line. Richard and Louisa looked lost as children on the first day of school. Someone wearing a yellow belt caught Richard's eye and pointed to her right. The coupled fumbled their way into place.

When the line was formed, the black belt swept his eye down the ranks, then faced the Korean flag at the front of the room. Everyone else did, too. Richard and Louisa followed along.

"Charyot! Pbaro. Kyuki-yeh da-hyo kyung-yeh." That was what the foreign language sounded like. The black belt bowed to the flag, then continued: "Sabum nem, kyung-yeh." He bowed to the old man who stood front and center, facing the class.

The old man returned the lead student's bow. Then he issued warm-up instructions with the energy and authority of a military instructor. The newcomers broke a sweat faster than the other students, but the old man worked them hard; soon everyone's upper lip was damp.

Halfway through the warm-up, a late student approached the edge of the classroom, bowed, and stepped onto the mat. Richard's mouth fell open in shock. It was his father!

The instructor slotted his eyes toward the latecomer, but otherwise gave no acknowledgement. Evan West took his place at the end of the front row with the other black belts.

After the warm-up, the instructor clapped his hands twice and called for the class to practice their forms. Richard and Louisa did not have much time to waver in confusion; the teacher pointed to one of the black belts.

"Miss Crane, teach the white belts to fall," he instructed.

The young woman jogged over to them and led them to the back of the room. She bowed and shook hands with each of them in turn.

"My name is Stephanie." She proceeded to demonstrate falling and slapping the mat. When the couple had progressed to her satisfaction, she introduced them to simple throwing techniques.

This kept them busy for the remainder of the hour. Richard did not have even a few minutes to look around and see what his father was doing. The class ended as it had begun, with a line-up and expressions of respect.

Evan approached his son. "Richard. Louisa," he greeted them. He shook hands and made a slight bow. The physical greeting seemed to be customary in this place.

"So how are things working out?" he asked politely.

Richard had told his parents that he was going to move out and get a job when he left college. He had briefly mentioned his living arrangements with Louisa, but nothing else. Typical of many young adults, he hadn't kept in touch with his folks.

"Fine," he said.

Louisa sensed the tension between the two men. "I'm going to get cleaned up. See you in a few." She lifted a hand to her former PTA colleague. "Good to see you."

"Nice to see you," he replied and bussed her on the cheek.

Richard frowned at his dad's familiarity with his date. He didn't especially like the reminder that his girlfriend and his father were peers.

As Louisa left the mats, Evan mentioned to his son that his mom would really like to see him.

"Aw, you know. Been busy."

"So why don't you come to dinner?" Evan pressed.

Richard couldn't think of a reason to say no, especially when his dad said Louisa was invited, too. They kicked around a couple of dates. All the while, Richard was thinking, This is going to be one awkward evening.

* * *

Louisa didn't look especially pleased when Richard mentioned the invitation.

"You look unhappy."

"I know. I know, I'm sorry," she wrung her hands.

"Is it the difference in our ages?" he asked gently.

She sighed. "You know it is. Here you've got your whole life ahead of you and I'm just some old babe who..."

He cut her off with a kiss. She yielded to the fiery tingle that never seemed to go away with him — with them. His lips breezed over her cheek while his hands lifted over her ribs toward her breasts. He pressed her backwards until she was literally against a wall.

"I can't think when you do that." Her complaint was a coo of pleasure.

"I know what you're thinking."

"Oh yeah, what am I thinking."

"What all women think about. You're thinking about what to wear for the party."

Louisa smirked. "OK, mind-reader."

"And I have a special treat to help you get ready."

"You do, do you?"

His eyes flashed with mischief and desire. "Right this way, you old babe, you."

She slugged him in the shoulder.

"Hmm, you're pretty tough for an old babe. I bet you'll make yellow belt any day now."

He led her down the hall to the bathroom and told her to stop in the hallway. "Now before we go any further, take off your pants."

She laughed, "Are you joking?"

"Nope, off they go." With that he began peeling off her sweats. He squeezed her ass and told her what a nice ass she had.

"If this is your idea of getting ready, we're never going to get out the door." "Oh yeah — yes — eventually we will." He knelt down and pushed his face into her panties. "Mmmmm...pink. I love you in pink."

He held her thighs while he rubbed his nose all over the cotton. Now she put her hands on his shoulders for balance while she moaned in pleasure at his touch.

"Oh, baby — oh, god, Richard — okay, I don't care anymore. We'll go."

He tugged at the elastic with his teeth. "Yep." A few chestnut curls peeked out. He caressed the top of her triangle.

"Oh...oh..."

Tug, tug. Richard put her panties on a southbound plane. He lifted one ankle out of the puddle of clothing at her feet. "Spread your legs for me."

He didn't have to ask twice. Louisa leaned back against the drywall and enjoyed her lover's mouth. His breath was a warm wind between her legs. Her pubic hair made a demure shield. She was just closing her eyes when he pulled away.

She looked down. "Did you bring me here just to tease me?"

"No. See this?" He lifted a lock of reddish-brown hair.

"Yes." Her eyes glowed as she guessed his intentions.

"Now how nice would this feel..." he leaned forward and laid a passionate kiss just above her clit, "...if my lips..." kiss "...and my tongue..." kiss "were against" kiss "your bare" kiss "skin."

Louisa stared in fascination at the hot young man who had turned her life around. "You are so goddamn sexy," she told him softly.

Then she stepped around him and slammed open the bathroom door. "All right! Let's get this party started!"

Richard chuckled and hopped up from the floor.

He took her by the hand. To the right of the sink he had arranged several items. There was a razor with a heavy metal handle, the old-fashioned kind. A large mirror lay face down on a piece of velvet. Louisa put the tip of one finger on the bottle of baby oil. A dreamy look came into her eye. "The first time I ever made love, my partner massaged my breasts with baby oil," she said.

If possible this knowledge made him even more aroused. "Really."

She sighed happily at the memory. "Yeah." Then she laughed, nervous, but fascinated and excited. "Where do you want me?"

"Right up here." He pointed to the left side of the sink where the marble countertop ran for several feet. He placed a towel so her bum wouldn't get cold. She stepped on the chair he had put there earlier, sat on the vanity and turned around to face him.

"Are you okay?" he asked. "We don't have to do this if you don't want to."

In response, she smiled and leaned back against the glass. She spread her legs. "Please, Richard. Shave my pussy."

His cock was rock-hard in his sweatpants. "Okay." He licked his lips and picked up the mustache scissors.

He started in left field. The first curls fell at the snip of the scissors. Working from left to right, he trimmed a neat row across the top of her triangle. She watched his hands, and his face. He glanced up and met her eyes. He gave her a grin and his eyes twinkled. "Are you sure nobody will notice?"

"Don't stop," she said firmly.

"I won't stop," he promised. For a moment the only sounds were the snip, snip, of the scissors, and their breathing.

He kept working his way down. Gently he took one lip between his thumb and forefinger. His thumb felt the wet heat. He moved the brush around in the mug, working up a lather. "Spread 'em again, sweetie," he spoke with affection. Willingly she complied.

He held his breath for a moment, then let it out. "I think you'll like this." He painted the warm lather onto her close-cropped pussy. Louisa moaned. He saw her nipples harden. He kept swishing the brush, laying thick suds on her private parts. "Oh, god, that feels so good," she breathed. "Don't stop."

He leaned in to steal a kiss. "Much more to come, baby," he assured her. He started in with the antique safety razor. He had put a fresh blade in it that morning. Carefully he stroked a downward path, again starting at the top left. He felt ready to weep, he wanted to fuck her so badly, but he held steady. Bit by bit the pale skin emerged. Louisa was breathing hard. He glanced up, registered the flush in her face. "Soon, soon," he told her. She licked her lips, watching his movements in hot fascination. "Uh huh."

She stared at the handle and he guessed her thought. With a knowing look he gently poked her with it. She groaned. 

"Feel good?" he asked softly. 

"Nice," she gritted. "Oh, you tease me so bad."

"You like it." He swished the razor in the hot water. "Now I need you to hold still."

Gently, carefully, he eased the razor over the dainty cleft. She was unmistakably swollen with desire. He concentrated on making the moment last. The effort was exceedingly difficult. He wanted her now.

At last he drained the sink and ran hot water onto a cloth, wiping away the traces of lather. "Mmmmm," moaned his woman.

"Look," his voice was hoarse. He held the hand mirror between her legs. The reflection showed the place that had long missed daylight. It was like peering into a seashell, the kind that gets pinker the deeper you look.

They looked in the mirror at her exposed crevice. "Oh, god," her voice cracked. "You've made me new again!" Louisa gasped and for a moment teetered on the edge of tears.

Richard embraced her. Her legs were strong around his hips. He could not think of words to say. How could it be that this moment was even more intense than when he had given her his virginity? Yet it was so. His heart turned over in his chest.

"Louisa..."

The sharp pinnacle of his sex could wait no more. Later, he would have no memory of taking off his pants. Wildly he stabbed her. The sight of his cock penetrating her naked pussy drove him into a frenzy. Her cries made a lusty duet with his grunts.

He didn't know if he was making love to her or fucking her blind. It was both.

* * *

Louisa's dress for the dinner party was black and strappy. Three strands rose to each shoulder, criss-crossed in back, and fanned into evenly spaced rays along the saddle shape in the back. Her breasts rode high and her waist nipped in; she looked a decade younger than she really was.

Mostly what gave her the youthful appearance was not the dress, but the sparkle in her eye and the flush in her cheek. No make-up can emulate the face of a woman in love.

Richard feasted on the sight of his woman. She was lovely and lit from within. Unable and not wanting to resist, he lifted her onto a low bookcase and stood between her legs.

She held out her palms to prevent his kiss. "Don't. I just finished my lipstick." She was smiling at him though, fluid and warm in his arms.

He lifted her dress. "Well, you're not wearing any lipstick under here, I hope."

"Wicked." But her eyelids drooped in sultry desire as his hand explored her undergarments.

"Mmmmmm...." he growled in his throat and lowered his face to rub at her thighs.

Louisa gasped. His clean-shaven jaw was dangerously near her clean-shaven mound, and the thought of that silken skin contact made her chest heave with anticipation. She put her hands on his shoulders.

"Stop. We'll be late."

He gave her an impish grin and decided to tease her. Beneath her dress, his hands firmed their grip on her hips. "So what?" he asked softly. "How bad could it be?"

She leaned forward as if to kiss him but teased him as well, skimming past his cheek to whisper in his ear: "Later."

"Okay," he sighed, and lifted her down. "But I'm going to hold you to your promise."

"See that you do," she sassed, and they put on their coats.

* * *

Evan and Agnes were dressed up, too, but Louisa clearly stole the show. She looked less like a woman having dinner with her beau's parents — more like a date for a New Year's Eve party.

Evan lingered as he kissed her cheek hello. The smile on his wife's face was faint. "You're looking well, Louisa," she trembled.

"So are you. It's nice to see you again," replied the guest.

Parents and son greeted one another casual familiarity as the party arrayed itself in the living room. Agnes got everyone a drink, and Evan led off with a remark about the martial arts.

"How was it you decided to study?" he asked.

Louisa's mouth twitched as she remembered the creep at the conference. Richard got her out of it. "Oh, you know," he said easily, "the couple that plays together, stays together."

Evan didn't quite spew his drink. He'd figured something was going on but was quite surprised at his son's casual frankness.

Agnes said, "I'll just go check on the pie." With the look of a dazed woman, she moved unsteadily toward the safety of the kitchen.

"That went well," said Louisa cheerfully. "Did Richard also tell you we're planning to open a porn shop?"

"Really!" Evan laughed. "I'm glad you two are getting along so well."

The ice broke a bit, but the rest of the evening was never completely relaxed. Neither of Richard's parents seemed able to stop staring at Louisa, though for different reasons. They were seeing her in a new way. Evan had never seen her wear the proverbial little black dress; and he looked hungrier for her than he did for the lamb chops. Agnes was dumbstruck. She simply could not believe that a woman who had been her colleague in the PTA was now living in sin with her son.

Richard was by turns amused by his mother's reaction and irritated by the way his father looked at his girlfriend. He'd figured how things would play out with the former, but the latter felt like an attack from an unexpected quarter. At one point he looked in dad's eyes.  The two men sized each other up. Richard was younger, but Evan was far advanced in the martial arts. It would be an interesting matchup, some time in class.

Agnes served dessert right on the heels of dinner. She'd gotten over the shock of Ms. Newberry's cradle-robbing and was now starting to perceive the woman as cheeky. What a nerve — to show up dressed like a prostitute, eat her cooking and flaunt her wares at her husband! Mrs. West whipped up a pot of decaf without bothering to ask anyone what they wanted.

The party had long since exhausted the subjects of the weather and current news events. The subject of work was a bore; Louisa was loathe to discuss recent events, Richard summed up his current work in one sentence, and Agnes did not work outside the home. Only Evan could drone on about his office, and even he was glazing over at the events of non-events.  Finally the four discussed politics — even that ground was a safer place to tread than Richard and Louisa's relationship.

Richard washed down his mom's apple pie, a long-time favorite, with the slightly bitter coffee he remembered. He looked at the plate. In it was clearly written a mother's gesture of love for her son. She thinks I'm still a kid.

He took a few steps toward the washroom and beckoned to his date. "Louisa, could I see you for a second?"

"Sure." In a moment she was by his side.

Quietly he asked her if she would mind waiting in the car. "I'd like just a few minutes to discuss something with my parents."

"Of course," she agreed. In an instant she had on her coat and was graciously thanking her hosts. At their exclamations of surprise, Richard gave the same explanation. They readily acquiesced.

Louisa waited in the car for what seemed like a long time, though it couldn't have been more than twenty minutes. She took the time as a gift; a moment of waiting is always a signal to observe, both within and without. Breathe, Louisa.

Wind fanned the trees in the just-past-twilight. The cool breezes of autumn were starting to blow. The leaves had done their job, collecting the sunshine and feeding the trees. Now they would shrivel, drop, and die.

The turning season made Louisa reflect on the seasons of her own life — hers and Richard's. They had been dating for nearly nine months now. A pregnancy, she thought. A lifetime. What new life he had given her! Life and death, somehow bound up in a golden ring.

Her reverie was interrupted by the young man himself opening the car door. In the cabin light his face looked peculiar, looked oddly determined.

"What's up?"

"They'll come around," he replied, but he sounded almost as if he were talking to himself.

"Give them time," she soothed.

"Time, my ass. Louisa" — he framed her face with his hands — "I love you. I want you to marry me. Will you be my wife?"