46 comments/ 64642 views/ 43 favorites The Right Woman? By: DG Hear I want to thank my editors, LadyCibelle and Techsan, for making my stories a much better read. As with many of my stories, this could go under a number of different categories. Hope you enjoy it. Chapter 1: How it all began. I hardly know where to begin. My life's a mess and I might have lost the only woman I have ever loved. My name's Jerrod and I'm a thirty-four year old man whose mind is in a turmoil. I come from a wealthy family and I am a manager in my dad's manufacturing business. Life for me has almost always been rather easy and good. I didn't have to fight to get the things I wanted. Money made a lot of things come easier to me. I was a smart student in school and even got a scholarship to our state college. Life was good. I dated a lot in school and had a lot of girlfriends. My dating continued right on through college and into my professional life. I guess I was fairly liberal when it came to sex. I was kind of a party animal and never took it seriously. I've done a lot of the sexual things you read about in stories. Not the really kinky stuff like golden showers, or like to be beaten; stuff like that wasn't my game. Regular sex, threesomes, group sex, it was all good. I could never get into loving only one woman. There was just too much sex out there to be monogamous. I didn't use my girlfriends. Every woman I dated knew where I stood on the sexual issues. Granted a lot of women thought they could change me after dating me a while, but it didn't happen. I wouldn't let it, not after the one time. I should mention that I did fall for one woman while in college. We even lived together for about two months. I thought I loved her and she loved me but it was all anticipation about the type girl I always wanted. Jenny O'Brien was her name. On the tall side, carried herself well and she was built like the proverbial brick shit house. Fiery red hair and soft white skin that had little freckles on it. I remember the most erotic part of her body - and I would now say a lot of women's bodies - was the lower region of her anatomy below her belly button and down to just above her fiery red mound. I remember the first time kissing her there. The light touch of my lips to the little fuzz like hairs below her navel. I could feel her intake of breath when my lips touched that sensitive area. I loved to gently rub my lips and tongue over that most erotic area. The more I kissed her there, the more she would moan. Man, I could get hard just kissing my way down her body from her navel to her mound. One day I found her taking money out of my wallet and she admitted to charging things on my credit cards. It's when I found out she was there for the money, not for me. I guess I let my guard down too far. She promised to pay me back but I never expected to see it. It was a couple of thousand dollars but I didn't want to prosecute her. I figured I'd write it up to my learning experience. I did see her at a few parties and that beautiful red bush I'll probably always remember. I don't think I ever had sex with her after that but I'm not sure. She said we did but I was always too drunk to remember. I decided marriage wasn't for me and I would play the field and not get serious after that short episode of my life. I learned my lesson to watch and see if women wanted me for myself, or if the money was more important. I should have realized it when my dad warned me when I was younger that once women found out I was financially secure it might be the reason they dated me. I remember saying, "Gee! Thanks, Dad, I'm sure not all girls want guys just for money." He said, "Jerrod, just be careful. Enjoy life, have fun but remember some women are more interested in your finances than your looks and personality." After Jenny, I heeded that warning. I had a few girls - or should I say, lady friends - that liked swap parties. I've swapped partners quite a few times. What was odd in most cases is that it was with married couples. It was something I found exhilarating. I just took a woman friend with me to a friend's house and swapped for the man's wife. I could never understand how a man could do that, swap his wife. I guess that's why I never got interested in just one woman. Giving my wife to another man would be out of the question. Like that one song says, "What's Love Got To Do With It?" Everything, in my book. We all have a moral calendar; some of us are more lax than others. My calendar seemed to drop if I could have another man's wife or sex with someone new. I guess that's why I was always afraid of commitment. I know you, the reader, are probably saying that I'm some kind of pervert or some other kind of idiot, but I'm just trying to be honest with you. I like sex with other guys' wives. It's probably some kind of ego trip. I just don't understand any man, other than in a fantasy, willing to give up his wife. I guess that's why I found it so fascinating. Most of this swapping went on during my college years. There were quite a few couples in our group that hung together. We all partied heavily with a lot of drinking and a little weed. Some of my buddies were into cocaine but I never got into it. I got my kicks from having sex with as many women as I could. A lot of these couples started out as friends but after they got married a few of them still swapped. I guess since this is an erotic web site I should explain at least one of the swap parties. About eight of us couples would get together and put on some music. We would all be sitting around smoking some weed and drinking. A few hard liners would do a few lines. My friend Tony, one of the black guys, was on a sports scholarship. He was almost a shoo-in for the pros except for his grades. He came up to me and asked me if I could help him out. If he received a failing grade, he would lose his scholarship and of course he could say goodbye to the pros. As I mentioned earlier, I was a wiz when it came to learning. I never had to study, so when Tony asked me for help, I agreed to help him. He offered to pay me but I told him I really didn't have financial issues and would help him because he was my friend. Tony was able to get all his grades up to a B- average and kept his scholarships and eventually made it to the pros. His girlfriend was a model. She was definitely calendar material. She was of mixed blood but that's unimportant except to say green eyes on a caramel colored woman made for one beautiful lady. She and Tony were dating and he brought her to our party. God, she was beautiful. Tony was getting a little high on weed and was watching me watching his woman, Chanel. "What do you think, Bro? One pretty lady, isn't she?" asked Tony. "I'm sorry for staring, Tony. She is gorgeous; she should be a Chanel number ten. You are one lucky black bastard. What I wouldn't give to have sex with a woman like that." I could jest with Tony like this, because we were really close friends. Before he started dating Chanel, we shared a few ladies. Chanel really cared for him. I also figured she knew he would become a pro and between the money and the limelight she would have the right pull to be noticed in a modeling field of beautiful women. Tony kept looking at me. "Jerrod, I owe you for all the help you've given me. You've been a good friend and helped me make it to the NFL draft. I know you've always had eyes on Chanel but never hit on her because of our friendship. She's the only woman I've never shared, but for you I'm going to make an exception. Bring that big tit white gal you brought to the party and let's go up to our room." What did I just hear? I couldn't believe Tony was going to do this. Chanel is just one of those gals that you always say, "I'd like to fuck her one time, just one time." I actually wondered if Chanel would go along with Tony. I guess I would just have to wait and see. Tony called Chanel over and whispered in her ear. She looked over at me and I couldn't make out the look she was giving me. I took Marty, my lady friend for the evening, and we followed Tony and Chanel up to a room. Tony had a mini-bar in his room and we all poured a drink while Tony started undressing Chanel. That girl had a nearly perfect body. She was down to her panties when Tony asked her to lie on the bed. She was staring at me and Marty; other than looking as sensual as hell, she just stared at us. Marty and I were getting a little hot and I had her skirt up squeezing her mound through her panties. Tony came up to Marty and started to unbutton her blouse. I could see Marty smiling at Tony. "Bro, I think Chanel is waiting for you. I wouldn't make her wait too long," advised Tony. I went over to the bed and sat next to Chanel. "I hear you want to fuck me, Jerrod. Is that right?" "I've always wanted to fuck you and so much more. Are you okay with this? I mean you and me, Tony and Marty?" "Tony said he owes you for all you did for him. He said this is the only payment you would accept. If you did it for Tony, you also did it for me. We're getting married in about six months, so you better get your payment while you can. As far as Marty goes, she's a nice person but I think she just likes sex and wants to be fucked by a future star. As for Tony, he likes big boobs and she has plenty to suck on." I pulled off her thin panties and slipped between her legs. She had this remarkable caramel colored skin that looked like a permanent tan. When I spread her pussy lips the pink gave the perfect color balance. I started sucking all over her pink pussy. It was moist and so soft to the touch. I even nibbled on her labia making her squirm. I started stroking her with two fingers and, as she rode my fingers, I slid a third into her. I glanced over and Marty was sucking Tony's black dick. He smiled at me and said he was going to titty fuck her next. I got back to business and put my cock at the pussy opening of my brown bombshell. I pushed just the head in and watched her squirm, then pulled it back out. "No teasing me, Jerrod. Just take your cock and push it in." I teased her two more times when she finally yelled out, "Jerrod, stick your damn cock in me and fuck me!" She caught herself and we both started laughing. We looked over at Tony and Marty to see their reaction. It was one of surprise but Tony was busy with his cock between Marty's breasts. I knew what he was doing felt good since I've done it with her a few times. I doubt if he was happy hearing Chanel asking me to fuck her; he liked to be in control. Chanel told me later that he mentioned it but let it drop since we were laughing about it. I finally pushed forward and let my cock go balls deep into Chanel. A nice, hot, wet, fuck would be the best way to explain it. When I started to come, her gyrating stopped. I could feel the pulsating of her pussy squeezing the cum out of my cock. Damn, did she ever have control of her pussy! I knew she came hard by the gripping of her pussy around my cock but she didn't want to scream out. She later told me when we were back downstairs dancing that it was the hardest she ever came but didn't want Tony to know it. She stifled it as best she could. I have to say she was one great sex partner. One of those that you don't forget. As for Marty, she screamed out to high heaven when Tony shot his load into her. I know it made him feel like a stud. I never told him that Marty always lets herself go like that. That was what most of the parties were like while I was in college. You always hear about groups of students going to college to have sex and for a lot of women to find husbands. It was what our group was like. We were part of that twenty percent of all college students. Most of my college friends found wives. There were a lot to choose from. I guess I just didn't want a woman that I shared with my friends. Was I wrong? I know everyone has an opinion about it. My friends told me I lived in the dark ages. I guess once you find a gal you like and she is great in the sack it's hard to say goodbye to her. There was a lot of compatibility between my male friends and their wives. It was just the way I felt about marriage. I didn't want to know that my wife slept around, especially with my friends. I know it makes me a male chauvinist, but how do I change my mind set? I guess that's why I'm thirty-four and unmarried. ------------------------- Now at this stage of my life I have put sex in another category. Since I've done it all, in a sexual sense, I've grown up. Sex is no longer my number one priority. I still have sex but I'm looking for the right woman. Most of the women I've dated in the past wouldn't be on that list, because of the sharing, swapping, and so on. It's not really a double standard; at least I don't think so. I just don't want to marry a woman whom I shared with other men that I knew. I know one of my friends' wives told me one time. "What? And you call that not a double standard? What you do call it then? Your can fuck everything in sight but you want a pure and nice girl who never or seldom fucked¼..talk about bullshit!" She was probably right but it would just be too uncomfortable. I would have to wonder what she was thinking every time she saw one of my friends that she had sex with. I guess I'm insecure but I'm not afraid to admit it. I know every time I see a woman I have been intimate with those thoughts were in my mind. I had to figure that women thought the same. I wanted to be first in my woman's eyes. I do have to understand that any woman I met now would have had sex during her life, unless it was some teenager and that wasn't going to happen. I was respected in my position and someday would probably inherit the business. I worked hard and still dated. I finally grew up enough to know that the swap parties and threesomes weren't for me anymore. It was great while I was growing up but hopefully I was beyond that now. I did have problems with a few of my friends' wives wanting to have sex with me behind their husbands' backs. Since graduating from college most of my friends who married their college sweethearts and shared them with me and other men are divorced now. I want you to know that I didn't boff my friends' wives behind their backs. A piece of ass wasn't as important as friendship to me and I let my friends' wives know this. Even my red headed Jenny called me one day. She wanted to have dinner with me since her husband was away on business. I have to admit, picturing that red fuzz on her lower belly was hard to resist but I did it. She married a friend of mine named Larry. He was from money too and went to a different college. Somehow or another he and Jenny hooked up and eventually got married. I didn't go to the wedding. I realize it takes so much more than sex to have a happy marriage. My mom and dad are after me all the time about finding a wife. They've met many of my dates and always ask if she's the one. There were a couple that came close but never materialized for whatever reason. I guess I had resigned myself to the life of an eligible bachelor. Life was still good but the right partner would have been nice. I had to go up to Michigan for a month and help one of our new plants get started. Dad always liked for me to see to new plant openings. We had four distribution centers by then. As I said, the money and life were good. When I returned, my dad told me that he had hired in a firm to completely update the computer system. He put out a bid a few months earlier and he said he found one that he thought he could trust. We have our own computer people who are good at what they do, but dad wanted an outsider to oversee the program to keep our employees honest. As I walked down the hall to my office, I noticed a beautiful woman sitting in the reception area. I had no idea who she was but she was one gorgeous looking woman. I was going to go over to speak to her but I had my hands full and needed to drop this stuff off in my office first. I quickly went through a few of my messages and decided to go introduce myself to the woman. When I went back out to the reception area she was gone. Damn it! It would have at least been nice to meet her. I thought about asking the receptionist about her but that wouldn't have looked right, so I said hi to Janet and told her good morning. She was as nice a woman as you could want to meet. Smart, funny, articulate, if she wasn't fifty-four years old, I would have married her. She was a great cook and always brought us stuff to snack on. She was also married to Henry for over thirty years. She was the kind of woman I was looking for and often told her so. Of course it always made her smile. I walked back to my dad's office when I heard him talking. His door was open and he saw me and invited me in. "Jerrod, this is A.J. Styles. She's the one who's in charge of doing our computer updating." "A.J., this is my son and second in command here at Brice Manufacturing. If you have any questions and I'm not here, just locate Jerrod; he's always here." I couldn't believe it was the woman in the lobby. She looked even better, up close and personal. There was just something special about her. I didn't know anything at all about this woman but, man, did I ever want to know everything about her. "Glad to meet you, Mr. Brice. Your father has told me so much about you." "What? About me? Dad, I hope you only told her the good stuff," I laughed. "It's really nice to meet you and I hope we will be working close together. Wait, that didn't sound right. I'm happy to know you will be working with us. What's the name of your company?" I asked. "The name of my firm is AJ Computer Updating. We have updated a number of manufacturing facilities. I've given your father a list of our satisfied customers. If you need to know anything about my company, just let me know. We aim to please. It's corny but it's kind of our motto." She smiled with the most beautiful smile. I knew then and there I needed to know more about this woman. "A.J., are you free for dinner tonight?" "I'm sorry, Mr. Brice, but I don't date my superiors or clients. It's not a steadfast rule but it is a safe one," she answered. "Oh, this is strictly business; I just have a few papers for you to fill out and a few questions I need to know and we all have to eat and the company will pay for it. By the way, call me Jerrod. My dad is Mr. Brice," I laughed and she laughed with me. "Okay, I'll try to answer your questions. What time do you want to meet and where?" "Our parking lot garage. We'll just take my car and I promise to bring you back unscathed." She smiled before leaving the room, after saying goodbye to my dad. We watched her walk out of the office. Damn, she carried herself well. My dad was looking at me. "She's a beauty, isn't she, son? Looks and brains. She graduated with honors from MIT. She must be one smart cookie, according to her resume and referrals. According to her paperwork, she's twenty-eight and single. I wonder why someone hasn't caught her yet. She seems like a total package; not many of them around anymore." "Dad, why did you pick her firm instead of another to do this computer overhaul? Did you get a look at her before choosing her company?" "Jerrod, I have always taken care of the business by picking the right people for the right job. AJ Computer Upgrading put in a bid the same as every other company. They were the best for the price, meaning lowest bidder. We got them for less than twenty thousand a month. I checked her company's record on similar jobs and they are top notch. I never met A.J. until it was time to award the contract. I guess I could say that seeing her sealed the deal, but only after her company was approved." "She sure isn't hard on the eyes. Dad, do you have any papers she hasn't signed yet? I'm taking her to dinner and I need to make it official." The Right Woman For A Good Man My name is Rae. I'm a Senior in High School. Just so you can get a mental picture, I'm 5' 1" and weigh 95 lbs. I have blue eyes, blonde hair, and wear an A cup bra, and I'd just turned 18 a few weeks before this event that changed my life. I was home alone after school one Friday afternoon when my Uncle John called. (He's my dad's brother.) Dad was still at work, though. When he asked if Mom was home, I told him she was off on another of her trips with her sister – my aunt, Joan. That really set him off for some reason. I mean, he just blew up! "Seems like she's always on some trip with her damn sister. If she was married to me and pulled that bullshit I'd change the locks on her while she was gone." I was shocked. You gotta realize my Uncle John's about the nicest man you'd ever meet. I can't ever remember hearing him swear, even, but for him to say he'd do something so mean as to lock his wife out of the house was just incredible to me. "Isn't that a bit mean, Unk?" I asked. "Maybe," he answered me, "but she keeps traipsing off with that divorced sister of hers like that and she'll be getting ideas. In fact, I could just bet you that as soon as you're out of the house at college next fall that she'll file for divorce." "You think so?" "Eh, what do I know?" he growled. "But I've been watching this for years now and it seems to me like Sue doesn't even like you two that much anymore. She keeps running off with Joan and she treats your dad like dirt. Your dad's a good man, Rae. He deserves to be treated better than that." "It's not like they fight or anything," I muttered,, but part of me knew they didn't fight mostly because they didn't talk all that much. Daddy just seems to retreat and let Mom go her own way. "Billy's not the kind of guy that'll say anything." "True." I shrugged. "Do you remember the last time we were over?" Uncle John asked. "Sue was going on and on about how she's tried to get Billy to do some remodeling project and how ticked she was about how he just won't get started?" "Yeah. Dad just slipped away from the table and didn't come back?" "Exactly," he said. "She's always onto him like that. Talks about him like he's not even there half the time. And he's such a good man, Rae. Marsha [Uncle John's wife] says there's a zillion women out there who'd kill to have him. He's good looking, hard working, doesn't smoke, stays sober and doesn't have a girlfriend." I had to admit that much was true. "The right woman could bring out so many good qualities in him," Uncle John sighed. "Anyway... Tell him I called, sweetie." That conversation was on my mind the rest of the day, and I found myself watching my daddy that evening during dinner and realizing that Uncle John was right. Daddy really is a good man. I was even checking off his good qualities as I looked at his handsome face and studied him. He really is handsome. "He keeps himself in good shape," I thought as I looked at my daddy's broad shoulders. "And Uncle John's right about how he doesn't smoke and doesn't get drunk, and if he's got a girlfriend, I don't know when he'd find time to be with her. He's either at work or at home." The more I thought about it the madder I got at Mom for not seeing how good she had it. After supper, Dad and I watched TV for a while and I snuggled close to him on the couch. I've always done that. But when I thought about it, I realized that we usually only did it when Mom was gone because Dad goes off and messes with the computer when Mom's home. He always seems more at ease when Mom's out of town. I wonder if he actually looked forward to these times – a chance to be himself without her nagging at him. All too soon the 10 o'clock news was over and I moved from my warm and comfy spot against Daddy's side as he stretched.. "Tomorrow's a school day, Rae-rae," he yawned. "You'd better get on to bed, huh?" "Yeah, daddy. See you in the morning," I sighed as he hugged me and kissed the top of my blonde head. Then I went up to my room and stripped down to my panties, threw on a baggy t-shirt and crawled into bed I had a lot of trouble getting to sleep that night. Uncle John's words kept running through my mind. "The right woman could bring out so many good qualities in him," I heard repeating over and over. I was sure he was right, but at the same time I realized that "the right woman" would mean a stepmother. I started to cry, cuz I didn't like the idea at all. I guess you could say I cried myself to sleep, and I wasn't sleeping real good. Even that was interrupted in the early morning hours by an awful thunderstorm. Thunderstorms always scare me, though now that I'm older they didn't usually bother me much. This storm, though, was bad enough that I had to sit up and turn on my bedside lamp. The lightning didn't flash as brightly with the lights on, but the thunder was still really loud. I just sat there, hugging my knees and murmuring, "It's all right. It's OK. It's all outside." It was going to be impossible to sleep but at least I could keep my heart rate down this way. Then there was a very bright flash of lightning and a crash of thunder all at the same time and the lights went out. That was all I could take. I felt my way out of my room and along the hall until I found my parents' bedroom. The door was shut, but not locked. I eased it open and, thanks to all the lightning outside, I could see Daddy lying in bed. He was sound asleep. I tried to wake him, but he slept on. Not knowing quite what to do, I crawled into bed. I always did that when I was a little girl, crawling into bed between my parents if a storm woke me in the night, but when I was about 11 Mom had finally insisted that I was getting too old to do that. I gently lifted Daddy's arm and curled under it and pressed back against him. His warm breath against the back of my neck was all the reassurance that I needed and I soon was asleep. A couple of hours later, I woke up, thinking I'd heard someone talking, but the only sound was Daddy's deep breathing. At least the rain had stopped. I could see the early pre-dawn light and hear the twittering of birds outside. Then Dad moaned in his sleep. As I woke up a little more, I became aware that Daddy's cock was hard and it was throbbing against my butt, and that his hand was up under my shirt and he was cupping one of my small breasts. I was scared at first. No boy had ever touched me there, and even though I kinda knew about erections from sex ed classes and whispered conversations with my girlfriends at school, I guess I never thought one would be this hard, this large, this hot. Daddy's fingers were gently brushing across one of my nipples, and every time his calloused hand passed over the sensitive little bud, my kitty squeezed. It felt really nice, and I could feel the crotch of my panties getting wet. Daddy's cock kept twitching and it had pushed my tiny pink bikini panties into the cleft between my cheeks. Daddy was obviously dreaming. I don't think he and mom have had sex in a long time, so Daddy must have been pretty horny. Now that I was awake, my uncle's word's ran like an endless tape loop again. "The right woman could bring out so many good qualities in him." But who would the right woman be? I knew for sure didn't want a step mom. Nobody could love my daddy as much as me. Then it hit me: If there was a "right woman" then it was going to be me! I was going to have to take my mom's place at Daddy's side, and bring out the good qualities in him. The first thing, I decided, was that Daddy's long sexual dry spell had to end. Reaching behind myself, I fished my daddy's hard cock out through the fly of his boxers. It felt huge and hot, but its silky texture and the wetness leaking from the end of it was really something. "This is the penis that made me," I thought to myself. "Now it's going to be mine!" As quickly as I could without waking him, I eased my soaking panties down my legs, finally getting them down far enough to get one foot out of them. Then I lifted my leg and guided the stiff rod toward my opening. "I hope this thing fits," I thought to myself as I started pushing back and downward, trying to get it into me. I almost cried out just from the pure frustration of it all when the head of his cock ran into my hymen (Yes, I was a total virgin), but real quick I felt the barrier break and all that frustration turned into pain. The pain didn't last long, though. I started to open up and allow him into the very deepest recesses of my sex. It really scared me when daddy whispered, "Yessss!" and began to thrust in and out of me. I didn't want him to wake up. Not yet, anyway. I tried to be as quiet as I could, even though what I really wanted more than anything was to cry out every time her Daddy's cock pushed into me. He was filling me up, and he was bumping against something deep inside me that made my insides clamp down on that wonderful rod of manhood. I was pretty sure Daddy was still asleep, but he was sure starting to work that thing in and out of me. After a while, Daddy moved his hand off my boobs and started fingering my slit. I'd done that sometimes, but this was the first time I'd ever felt someone else's hand there. I came real hard. It felt so good I had to bite my hand just to keep from screaming. God was it wonderful! Daddy just kept driving into me. Actually, he was starting to really pound me. I guess he was getting close to cumming himself. His hand left my pussy and he gripped my hip real tight and starting pulling me back toward him every time he pushed into me, so it was really banging that spot inside me. It almost hurt he was getting so deep, but I could feel another orgasm building up. Daddy just kept plugging me harder and harder and finally, when I didn't think I could stand another minute of it, he pushed into me, pulled me back tight and just held me there. I could feel his dick grow even bigger inside me, then he grunted and I felt him shooting off inside me. It made me cum, too, and this time I couldn't be quiet. "Yes daddy!" I screamed. "Yeah! Fuck me! Fill me full of your cum!" Daddy shoved me away and jumped out of bed like I was a snake or something. "Jesus, Rae!" he shouted while he tried to cover himself up. "What the hell is going on?" "It's called 'making love', Dad." It was almost funny to watch him trying to hide himself, figure out the scene and absorb what had been happening, but I didn't feel like giggling. I wanted him to lay back down and hold me. "It's incest, is what it is," Dad snarled. "I could get sent to jail for this, you know." "Nobody's going to jail, Dad. Nobody's gonna hear about it from me..." "But I raped you, Rae," Dad pleaded. He was looking really worried. "No you didn't, Daddy," I stated flatly. "If anybody 'raped' anybody, then I'm the one who raped you!" "So what did just happen?" He didn't look like he believed me yet. "The storm woke me up last night. It was real bad and I was scared, so I crawled in bed with you." "Storm?" "Awful thunderstorm, Daddy. The power went out and everything." "I guess I slept through it." "Yup, you did," I giggled. "You always could sleep through storms. It always made me feel safe because you weren't bothered by them. That's why I came in here." "But then..." Dad began. "This morning I woke up and you had your hard-on pressed against my butt and a hand up my shirt, and I just decided that I wanted you. So I slipped my panties down and ..." "It's not right, Rae," Dad cut in. "I'm your father." "...and I love you very very much, Daddy. But I want to be more than that to you. I want to be yours completely." "But your mom, Rae. What about her?" "If she really mattered so much, don't you think she'd want to be here instead of off with Aunt Joan every chance she got?" I snapped. "Mom's gotten to where she doesn't even like us, Dad!" "Still," Daddy said weakly. "I'm the woman who loves you, Daddy." I smiled at him as I flipped the covers down and patted the warm space beside me. "Now, get back in here and cuddle with me." "We shouldn't be doing this..." He muttered, but he still crawled into the bed. I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. "Shhh." I whispered. "No, baby, we shouldn't..." "Oh Daddy...Shut up." Daddy still looked pretty worried. "But I came in you. I could've gotten you pregnant." "Don't worry, Daddy," I said as I kissed him, this time on the lips. "I had Dr. Harvey put me on the Pill right after my birthday." "That's a relief, but that's not the point," He whispered. "What we just did is wrong. I love you, munchkin. I don't want to hurt you.' "I love you too, Daddy," I squealed, hugging him tightly and pressing myself against him as tears filled my eyes. "And you didn't hurt me. I wanted this to happen. I made this happen, can't you see that? It can't be wrong if I love you so much and want you so bad. In fact, I love you more than ever now ...and I want to keep doing this with you from now on. Daddy!" I could see the surrender beginning in his eyes. "But what about your mom?" "Well, I giggled. "First, we call a locksmith..." The Right Woman? My dad was laughing. "Jerrod, she is one smart cookie. I guarantee she knows there's nothing business about this dinner. Here's a couple of forms that she needs to sign for some computer stuff she ordered. That's why she came to the office this morning. I guess she forgot to sign them." "Thanks, Dad, I'll get them signed for you," I smiled. I stopped by A.J.'s office at closing time and we walked together in the garage and I opened the car door for her as she gracefully got in. Damn, what a nice pair of legs. I did my best not to stare but it wasn't easy. I tried to get acquainted with small talk. "What does A.J. stand for? I figure it's your initials." "Ambrosia Jane; Styles is my last name. Of course I shortened it to A.J. for business reasons. It's a man's world in business. I am one of the best around when it comes to computers but I was always taken lightly. I'm not a geek so most places figured I didn't know much about computers." "Tell me a little about your company," I asked. "Well, there are basically three partners: me, Adrianna, and Matt. The three of us are all graduates of MIT. We felt we were smarter than starting out at beginning wages so we formed a company. When needed, we do bring in addition help but one of us is always there to oversee the operations. We all pull our weight and are the best of friends." We stopped talking for a little bit when I pulled up to one of the fanciest restaurants in town. The valets opened our doors and let us out and took my car to be parked. I took A.J. by the arm and escorted her into the restaurant, saying hello to the doorman by name as we entered. It was odd that she acted so cool and calm as we were seated. Most women I brought to this type of restaurant always acted giddy or like they were someone special. A.J. was calm and refined. She waited for her chair to be drawn and it seemed she knew all the proper etiquette for this type of place. "So are any of you married?" I knew she wasn't but I was wondering about her partners. "Adrianna is engaged and will be getting married later this year. Matt got married last year and he and his wife are starting their family. Their baby is due in three months." "So what about A.J.? Anyone in her background at present?" Smiling, she said, "No time for a relationship. I help support my family and am trying to get further established in the business world. Besides most men are intimidated by a woman owning her own business." "A.J., I'm not trying to be forward but I'm drawn to you. I don't see many women like you anymore." She laughed. "By what I have heard, you're drawn to just about anyone of the opposite sex. Your reputation precedes you," she smiled. "So, what are you looking for in a man?" "As I mentioned, I'm really not looking but if I ever run across the man of my dreams, I'll want to marry him. I hear you're not the marrying type." "Oh, really! You can't believe everything you hear. When I find the woman of my dreams I'll ask her to marry me too." "Okay, Jerrod, I hope I'm around long enough to see that proposal happen. The woman that trapped Jerrod Brice." "It won't be a trap. I'm not afraid to ask a woman to marry me," I said with a smile. "I've heard so many stories about you and I've only been here a few weeks. I must admit it's why I accepted this dinner invitation. Did your dad give you those papers for me to sign?" She smiled back at me. Dad was right; she was smart. I smiled at her and pulled out the papers and she scribbled her name across the bottom. "Business is now concluded," I smiled. "Now we can get on with dinner. Oh, and to prove I'm not afraid to ask a woman to marry me. Ambrosia Jane Styles, will you marry me? There I told you I wasn't afraid to say it." I laughed. "Say it again to me in six months and I might just answer you," she smiled back. Why did I do that? Even in jest it's not something I would do. I can't believe I even asked her such a question. I've known her for almost one day and come out with a question like that. What is wrong with me? We ordered dinner and did a lot of small talk. She was so nice to be with and wasn't at all intimidated by me. I'm not acting like a boastful person here. I'm just trying to explain that most women I go out with are somewhat intimidated by my family's money or by my personal success. Some women don't seem to be comfortable around me and are always trying to impress me. A.J. wasn't like that. She was like going out with an old friend. The problem I saw was she wasn't doing much talking about herself and she sure knew a lot about me. I needed to change the subject a little and I asked her to dance. She looked at me with an ornery look. I do believe she wanted to say something, but instead just said yes and we headed out to the dance floor. The band was playing an old song that caught me off guard. 'When I Fall in Love' was an old favorite of mine. There was a woman singing the words. The song was about half over when I started singing along: "When I fall in love, it will be forever Or I'll never fall in love. In a restless world like this is Love is ended before it's begun And too many moonlight kisses Seem to cool in the warmth of the sun. When I give me heart, it will be completely Or I'll never give my heart." I couldn't believe I was doing this. I was holding this beautiful woman that I hardly knew and was singing to her. She was so soft to the touch and the smell of her perfume was intoxicating to me. I wasn't going to tell you this till later but A.J. had beautiful red hair. I wondered if my thoughts were about Jenny, my old girlfriend but I knew they weren't. They were about A.J. and how I wanted to hold her and squeeze her. I wanted more of her. She was so different from most women I dated. I went to kiss her neck gently and she pulled back. "Play nice, Jerrod," she smiled. She didn't get mad or scold or anything. She had this special way of saying no, and it didn't feel awkward. She was one special woman and I needed to know more about her. The song ended and I gave her a final squeeze, remembering the ending of the song. "And the moment I can feel that you feel that way too when I fall in love with you." ----------------------- The next day was a bit awkward at work. I didn't sleep the best, thinking about A.J. What made this woman tick? The self-confidence she acquired. I don't ever remember meeting a woman like her. Dad was right; she seemed to have it all, but I know everyone has a weak side. We all have skeletons in our closet that we don't want out there. What was hers? My receptionist, Janet, smiled at me when I walked in. She knew A.J. and I had our business meeting. "How did the meeting go, Mr. Brice? Did you take care of business?" She only called me Mr. Brice in front of other people or if she was going to tease me. "It was fine, Janet. I have the forms signed," I said as I handed them to her. She knew it didn't mean anything. "Jerrod," said Janet. "She's a wonderful woman. She's always happy and a joy to have around. She never raises her voice and always gets the job done. Everyone she's worked with here respects her." What was Janet telling me? Go after this gal or stay away from her. "Why are you telling me this, Janet?" "I don't know. You're my boss and I might add a very good friend. A.J. has become a special friend too. We've had lunch a few times and I really like her. Just thought you ought to know." "I'll let you in on a little secret, Janet. I asked her to marry me." "What!!! You're kidding. What did she say?" "To ask her again in six months and she'll answer me," I laughed, but again it got me thinking. "Jerrod, what ever possessed you to say such a thing? It's not in your character," laughed Janet. "I honestly don't know. I know I shouldn't say this, not really knowing her, but she does something to me. I don't know what it is. It about half scares me." Janet smiled and told me not to take this one lightly. She's been around for a number of my affairs and told me I was acting differently this time. "Just be careful, Jerrod. I really mean it. She's a special lady and I would hate to see her get hurt." "I won't hurt her, Janet, unless you get divorced and marry me," I laughed. I had work to do and a lot to catch up on. I buried myself in my work most of the day. I wanted my mind off A.J. so I could get my work done. Around lunch time I saw A.J. go by in a pair of sweats. I ran out in the lobby to talk to her. "Hey, A.J.! Where're you headed to all dressed up?" Of course she was standing there in grey sweats but, damn, she still looked good. "I'm off to jog. I do it everyday when I get a chance. Care to join me?" "Maybe another day, I have a lot of catching up to do." "Okay, maybe tomorrow," she said as she left. Janet looked over at me and smiled and laughed. "What? It's just running. I can run," I told Janet. She was keeping her eye out to see what was transpiring between me and A.J. The following day I did run with her. No wonder she was in such good shape; that girl could run! About half way through our run, I asked her if we could just walk for awhile. We talked and she told me more about her company and her business. I learned a lot about her family. She had a brother two years younger then her. In the days and weeks that followed, I found out a lot more about her family. She still kept her personal issues close to her vest. It was as though she was hiding something, but what? Janet let me in on a lot of facts about A.J. She had a scholarship to a college in Las Vegas. After a couple of years she transferred to MIT where she got her degree. I was also told that A.J. helped out her parents financially and helped put her little brother through college. The more I knew about A.J. the more I was falling for her. I started making excuses to work with her every day. Even my dad noticed and asked me if I had a thing for her. He seemed happy about it and told me to invite her over to his house to meet my mom. I started jogging with her just about every day at lunch. I was actually trimming down myself some. Dad told me A.J. must be good for me. I couldn't get her to talk about herself and she would get defensive about it. We'd been running, jogging and even having dinner together a couple of times a week and I had yet to even kiss her. I talked her into going to Mom's for dinner one evening. Dad had told Mom a lot about her and the job she was doing at the plant. Mom was old fashioned. They were rich but when it came to dinner, she was the cook. She told A.J. that she and Dad ate out so often that she missed cooking, so one day she told their cook that from now on she would be making the meals. She said cooking was really a lot of fun seeing she didn't have to cleanup the mess. Mom was nice to A.J., but kind of gave her the third degree. A.J. smiled and answered all her questions as long as they weren't too personal. Mom told me later that she really liked A.J. more than any woman I had brought home. "The two of you would make beautiful grandchildren." said mom smiling. "Don't lose her, Jerrod, she's a real keeper. She is one of those one-in-a-million." Mom actually said all that in front of A.J., who couldn't get over how forward my mom was but she said she loved her. That's what I mean; A.J. seemed to have it all. When I took A.J. home she looked a bit distraught. It was like she was debating within herself on what to do. "Do you want to come in, Jerrod?" she asked. It was funny, but I had never been in her apartment as many times as we went out. I knew this was a big step in her life and I realized that it was a big one for me too. Of course I said yes. She gave me a quick tour of the apartment. The place was clean except for a room full of computer parts. We walked into the living room and when she turned around I went to kiss her and by instinct she backed away. "What is it, A.J.? You know I care for you and have never tried to hit on you. Why won't you kiss me?" She looked at me sadly and leaned forward and kissed me. It took me by surprise as she put her hands gently on my cheeks and kissed my lips time and time again. She put her arms around my neck and I pulled her body close. We hugged and kissed starting out gently but our emotions became stronger with each kiss. She was warm and passionate. This side of her I had wanted to see since I first met her. She was finally letting herself go with me. "A.J., I want to make love to you. I won't force you to do anything against your will. Will you make love with me?" "Jerrod, there are things you need to know about me, about my past. I haven't lied to you but I haven't told you everything. I never thought that our relationship would go this far knowing your past. To be honest with you, I've wanted you from the day we met in your dad's office. If we make love I want it to be real. I'm not into one night stands. I want to be with only one man and I would like him to be you." I couldn't believe what she just said. "A.J., right now I don't want to talk about your past. I'm more interested in our future together. I want you more than I've ever wanted any woman." I slowly unbuttoned her silk blouse and slid it off her shoulders. The one thing I wanted to do more than anything was to take my time, even though I hadn't been with any woman since the day I met A.J. She wore a bra that had a clasp in the front; I undid it and let her bra fall to the floor. Her breasts weren't overly large but stood out straight and proud. I had to put my lips on her nipples. I bent over and gently sucked on each one for a few seconds. She held my head to her breasts while I sucked. I stood upright and was getting ready to unbutton my shirt when she smiled and slapped my hand. "You did me, now it's my turn to do you," she said. She unbuttoned my shirt and bared my chest. She leaned forward and kissed my nipples. I couldn't tell you the last time a woman had paid that kind of attention to me. Next she reached down and unbuckled my belt and unfastened my slacks and let them fall to the floor. She slid her hand into my briefs and grabbed hold of my hard cock. With one hand in my briefs and the other around my neck she started kissing me passionately. She removed her hand from my briefs and wrapped both arms around my neck and we kissed like there was no tomorrow. Somehow she had undone her skirt and let it fall to the floor and we went into her bedroom. As she stood by her bed I dropped to my knees and removed her panties and had her sit on the edge of the bed. She laid back and I planted my lips on her pink moist pussy. Neither of us spoke a word but we were both making animals sounds as I ate her pussy. We both got up into the middle of her bed and starting kissing all over again. Her lips, her neck, then I dropped down and devoured her breasts. I couldn't get enough of this sexy goddess. I went lower to that region below her navel. I started gently again licking and kissing the fuzzy hair that led down to her red mound below. She was breathing hard and her tummy rose and went down with every heavy breath she took. "Jerrod, fuck me, make love to me. I want you so bad; I've never wanted any man more." Upon hearing this I took my place between her legs and made passionate love to her. I can never ever remember it feeling so good and wanting a woman so much. After that night we became a couple. We spent most of our free time together except when she went to see her family on the weekends. We never talked marriage. I guess we neither wanted to jinx our relationship. Every time we made love she told me she wanted to tell me about her past. She didn't want to keep any secrets from me. It was funny that when I first met her I wanted to know these secrets about her, but now I didn't want to know. Inside I think I was afraid of what I might find out. I didn't want anything to give me a different picture of this perfect woman. Whenever she said we need to talk, I made an excuse and put it off. One day we were having a company get-together. Some of our clients and employees from some of our other facilities would attend. Also we invited family and friends. We had a band and lots of food. It was a pretty festive party. It was one of the few parties that my mom attended. Of course A.J. was on my arm. We were kind of the talk of the company. Most people didn't believe us when we said we were just good friends and that there were no marriage plans. She was an unbelievable woman both in public and in bed. She did things to me that I couldn't believe she would even know. I learned a lot in swap sessions and it bothered me a little that she was so good. Why was I complaining? I had the best looking and most gorgeous woman on my arm. I went to freshen our drinks while she was talking to my mom and dad. Mom was really beginning to love her and dad said she could do no wrong since day one. I stepped up to the bar and ordered our drinks when my old friend Larry came up to me. "Hey, Larry, welcome to the party. Where's Jenny? Still married to her?" "Jerrod, long time no see. How's it going? Rumor has it you have a new squeeze. I thought I would come by and check her out. Jenny's home with the kids. We have two rug rats now. So where's this new woman I've heard so much about?" He was scanning the room checking out all the women when he spotted A.J. "Oh, my God, I think I see Ambrosia. My God, Jerrod, wait till I tell you about her. I wonder who she's with? I haven't seen her in a good six years but it must be her. She has to be the sexiest redhead alive. The last time I saw her was in Las Vegas, about six years ago." I couldn't believe what I just heard. Larry knew A.J.? He called her by her name. My God, what does he know about her?" A.J. was smiling and laughing with my parents. She turned and walked toward me and when she saw Larry, her mouth flew open. She was in tears when she reached me. All she said was, "I'm so sorry" and ran from the party. I didn't know what to think. I ran after her but she got into a cab and left. I went back into the party to find out what the hell happened. Chapter 2 A.J. tells her story. After what had happened at the party, I know everyone wondered what happened to me. I lost the love of my life. The only man that has ever meant anything to me. I hadn't talked to him for a couple of weeks now. I couldn't do it. The embarrassment of him finding out my past from someone else almost killed me. I wanted to die. One day his secretary, Janet, came to see me. I loved her; she was so warm and nice to me. She said she needed to talk to me. Jerrod, my boyfriend, wanted answers, answers I couldn't face him with and talk to him about without really hurting both of us. Janet spoke to me first, "A.J., we've been good friends in the few months that I have known you. I'm here to hear your story. You have to let it all out to someone and I promise to keep it a secret unless you tell me it's alright to tell someone. I will tell you that no matter how bad it is, I won't judge you. I will also tell you that you owe an explanation to Jerrod." "I can't tell him, Janet. I love him too much and I know how he feels about cheating women. I wanted to tell him before but he didn't want to hear it and now I can't face him." "I'll tell you what, A.J. You tell me your story and I will tell Jerrod for you. He really deserves to know, you know. After all he didn't do anything and you walked out on him. No matter how bad it is, he has a right to know." I knew Janet was right. I left and gave to reason to Jerrod. I decided to tell her. "Okay, let me start from the beginning. Please don't ask for names or vivid details. I need to get this all out. I'll tell you my whole story. The Right Woman? "My name is Ambrosia Jane Styles. I was born in Cleveland, Ohio. I'm twenty-eight years old and have never been in love, until recently when I met the man of my dreams. Smart, good looking, funny, he is from money but that isn't why I fell in love with him. I always feel tingly when he's around. Now, because I messed up my life a few years ago, I'll never have my love again. I can't face him and hurt him anymore than I already have. "When I was around five years old I was going to be a princess; at eight, a movie star; at ten, a dancer. I always thought I resembled Charlie Brown"s little red headed girlfriend in the peanuts comic strip, because of my red curly hair; my little brother Bobby who is two years younger than me said I looked like Little Orphan Annie. I pushed him down because Annie didn't have any eyes. "I remember my little brother saying, 'Some day mom says I'll be bigger than you and you won't be able to push me down anymore.' "'Why? So you can push me down?" I asked. " 'No, so I will be big enough to protect you. You're my big sister and I like to play with you but I don't ever want to hurt you.'" "God, I felt bad. Here he was only eight years old and he was worried about me even back then. I picked on him a lot less after that. Sure, we still had all our little squabbles like most siblings but we also loved each other. "In high school I was always running to keep in shape. I was on the track and cross-country teams. I was far from being a wall flower. I knew I was attractive and that's why I had a lot of dates. While I was in high school I also joined the drama club. I thought about being a model or even an actress. I was really like most girls my age; I wanted to marry a rich guy who was tall, dark and handsome. I wanted it all like every teenage girl. "I had sex for the first time at my prom. It wasn't at all like I expected. No stars or fireworks. I didn't even hear bells except for the church bells telling me I was late getting home. "My sex life after the first time wasn't a big thing. If a guy treated me nice and we had a nice time I might give in or maybe just tease him. I really didn't put a lot of moral standing into sex. I guess since I could take it or leave it, it like didn't count. "I was really into computers ever since I had my first Atari game and first Atari computer. My interest in computers got bigger and bigger. I think a part of me said that I could be a success in a so-called man's business - in a man's world - and drove me even harder. "I received a scholarship and I decided to use it in Las Vegas. My scholarship covered my housing and my classes and books. My parents said they would send me two hundred dollars a month to help me along. They wished I would have picked a school closer to home but I wanted more than just the computer courses. Even though they were against it, they were always there for me. We were a close knit family. "I roomed with six other girls. They were my only friends in Las Vegas. We watched each other's back and helped each other in our studies. "I knew there was an etiquette class taught at this college. I wanted to know how to act like an influential person, to be able to walk, talk and act like the elites do. I wasn't snobby or anything like that. I really liked people of all ages and sizes and even wealth. I just figured it was a way of raising my standards. I still would treat all people equal but I didn't want the upper elite looking down on me. I wanted to be able to deal with the best of them. "I started college and by day I learned computers and by night my etiquette classes. I spent all my time learning. Everything was going well for about six months. I got a call from my mother and she told me dad had a heart attack. He would be alright but would be on disability for at least six months, maybe even longer. "I cried; my family meant everything to me. I called my dad at least twice a week to talk to him; I couldn't afford to fly home very often. He told me that he wouldn't be able to send me any extra money since he would only be getting disability. " 'It's okay, Daddy, you just worry about getting better. I have plenty of free time here and thought about getting a part-time job. I'll be fine. Who knows? Maybe I'll be able to help you out.' "I was scared. I didn't know what to do for extra money. I didn't have any plans for a part-time job. Hell, I was just a nineteen year old girl in a strange state. My etiquette teacher, Marsha, noticed my discomfort. " 'Do you want to talk about it, Ambrosia?' "I explained my financial situation to her and told her I would probably have to drop out of college and go back home. I just didn't have the finances to survive. " 'Amby (that's what some of the people called me), I have a suggestion for you but I don't want to push you into anything you don't want to do.' " 'What is it, Marsha? I'm about ready to sell my ass to make ends meet,' I said. I didn't mean it literally but it is what I said. " 'It's kind of what I have in mind.' " 'What? I'm no prostitute. I don't take drugs or really even drink. Hell, I don't even smoke. I don't need the money that bad.' " 'Amby, just hear me out. It's not as bad as it sounds. I have a woman friend that runs an escort service. It's not a brothel or a whorehouse and she only has the best of clients and her girls are all young and smart. She doesn't allow drugs on her premises. If she thinks one of her girls is using, she will be tested and if found positive, she won't be working there anymore.' " 'I'm not sure I understand. There is sex involved, isn't there?' " 'Yes, there is sex, but only if you choose. Most of her clients are wealthy older men who come to town for a day or two. They like a good looking young lady on their arm. The woman has to be top drawer and know all of the etiquettes of the elite society. With what you have learned, you fit the part perfectly.' " 'I don't know. Having sex with a lot of older men just doesn't seem right. It would make me seem cheap. I'm not a prude but if my family ever found out they would be devastated. How long would I have to do this for?' " 'As long as you want. One time or a thousand times, it's up to you. There is no written contract. Try it a couple of times and see how it works out for you. You can make some really good money. Just being an escort for one night pays a minimum of five hundred dollars. If you choose to have sex with these gentlemen, you can make one to two thousand dollars a night.' " 'You're kidding, aren't you? A thousand dollars to just have sex? I can hardly believe that.' " 'Amby, these are rich older men and high rollers. They're not just some guy looking for a quick fuck from a hundred dollar whore. These men want gorgeous ladies at their side. Most of the time you will be eye candy so your gentleman will feel proud.' "That's how it all started. Every weekend I was on the arm of an older man. I was more of an actress than anything. I could moan with the best of them. I was making in excess of three thousand dollars a week. I did this for about a year and a half. I had a lot of repeat business and I bet over a hundred marriage proposals. "Have you heard enough, Janet? Ready to leave yet?" "A.J., I'm here to help you and hear you out. I'm not judging you. In fact I have to say I respect you. Most women would try to take Jerrod to the cleaners. You on the other hand stopped seeing him and not for what he has done but for your own past. Please continue." "Most men were older. There were a few men in their forties and maybe even a few in their thirties. I don't want to get into the sexual detail but there was lots of most everything most people do. At first it felt kind of weird but after awhile I really tried to get these old guys off. I actually felt sorry for them and did my best to help them ejaculate. "I know I'm rambling on here so I'll tell you what happened and why it all ended. A young guy came in and asked for me. His name was Larry. He was the one that I saw at the party. It was a good six years ago and the thought of having a younger man after all the older men was appealing to me. I was his date for the evening and we had sex. It was good but he was nowhere in the class of Jerrod. I thought I might add that in. Anyway he gave me a thousand dollars to be with him that night. "About two weeks later he came back and asked me for another date. He said it would be an all-nighter and paid me two thousand dollars. We stopped by his hotel room so he could get changed. He poured me a drink while he took a shower. I thought it was a little odd but he had dated me once before and had paid me up front this time. "He drugged me. I felt myself getting very woozy and he laid me on the bed. I asked him to call me a doctor and he just laughed. He then opened his door and let in a woman. I could see she had red hair also. I think he called her Jenny but I'm not sure. I was about half out by then. "They both stripped me and this woman started kissing me and I couldn't do anything about it. I've never been with a woman before and I honestly can't say it was all bad. She was sure a lot better than her boyfriend. "She did all kinds of things to me. She did things I guess lesbians do. The worst was when she was finished, her boyfriend took over. She stuck a vibrator up my ass and he fucked me. He wasn't gentle or caring. He was hurting me. He wanted anal sex the last time he was with me and I refused him. "This time they rolled me over and he took me anally. I passed out and as far as I know they used me the rest of the night. When I woke up in the morning there was a note that said I had till noon to get out of the room. They left me five hundred more dollars and the note. "The note said, 'No use telling anyone about this. No-one will believe you. I wield a lot more power than you and will see that your life is destroyed if you tell anyone about this. Who knows, maybe we will see you again.' "I was scared shitless. I was bleeding from my ass and had sucker bites all over my breasts. They wrote crude remarks all over my stomach area with lipstick. I was hurting and bruised; I got in the shower and cried. I knew then that I had hit rock bottom for me. I knew I had to stop and do whatever necessary to change my life style. "I contacted the agency and told them I was quitting. They really didn't seem surprised. They wrote me a check for money still owed me and I looked around and saw some young girls being interviewed. I wanted to tell them to get the hell out of there before they ruined their life, but I knew they wouldn't listen, they never do. "I had been sending my parents five hundred dollars a month. I could have sent them a lot more but I didn't want them to get suspicious. I had banked tens of thousands of dollars in several accounts. I needed to get out; to leave Las Vegas before it swallowed me up. "I remember getting a letter from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. I called them and they had me fax them my records and accepted me into their computer program. I had transferred there in less than two weeks. "I knew I hated the life I had been leading. The money was great but I had lost my self-respect and I couldn't put a price on that. I called my parents and told them of my transfer. I told them when I got home that I had enough money left from my job to purchase a car and I could come home every weekend if I wanted to. MIT was a lot closer to home. "I hated lying to my parents about how I got the money, but there is no way I ever wanted them to know the truth about their daughter. I told them I worked on computers in my spare time and that's where I picked up the extra money. Mom told me when dad wasn't working that the money I sent them helped them save their house. I lied to them one more time. " 'Mom, you are going to hate me for doing this but while I was in Las Vegas, I gambled.' " 'Janey (now here's another name - my family always called me Janey), how could you waste your money like that?' " 'Mom, listen to me. I only went to the casino one time and I had beginner's luck. I won over twenty-five thousand dollars.' "I had to tell them something. Mom told me that they needed ten thousand to pay off their mortgage. I gave it to them and my dad cried. " 'It's alright, Dad. You took care of me all these years and now that you need help I'm here to help you. I love you, Dad.' My father kept crying as I hugged him. "Mom was looking at me strangely. 'Okay, Mom, what is it? You have this 'I need to tell you something' look on your face.' " 'It's Bobby; he wanted to go to the area college but we can't afford to send him.' "My little brother, who was about a foot taller than me, had just walked in. " 'Hi, Janey, what's new? Mom said you transferred to MIT and we can see you more often.' " 'She's right, and what about you, little brother? What are your plans since you're out of school now?' " 'I guess I will look for a job. I wanted to go to the local college and become a physical therapist but just don't have the money. Mom and Dad are pretty strapped and I don't have anything. I figure if I can find some work and save some money, I might be able to go next year.' " 'Bobby, are you really serious about being a Physical Therapist?' " 'God, yes, Janey, it would be so neat. I could help at the schools and the hospitals are always looking for them. It pays pretty decently and I could have a degree in two years. I got all A's and B's in high school so I got accepted. Just don't have the finances. Six thousand dollars isn't that easy to find.' " 'Little Brother, I'll give you the money.' " 'You? Janey, where did get that kind of money?' " 'She won it in Las Vegas,' replied Mom. "I couldn't tell whether he believed Mom or not but he had a tear in his eye when he came over and hugged me. " 'I'll always be there for you, Janey. If you ever need me for anything, just call and I promise you I'll be there. You're the best sister any brother could ever have. I love you, Sis.' " 'I love you too, Bobby.' "I started at MIT and Bobby started at the local college. MIT was really surprised with my knowledge of computers. I was near or at the top of my class. I spent all my time learning. I met Adrianna and Matt in my classes. They were great in computers also. Between the three of us there was nothing we couldn't do when it came to computers. Hardware, software, it didn't make any difference. That's when the three of us made a pact that we would go into business together, "After graduation we started AJ Computer Updating. In case you are wondering why my initials are in the name of the company it's because I fronted all the money. Adrianna and Matt didn't have any finances. We all own a one-third share of the business but they do owe me on their part of the initial investment. They give me regular payments after every job. We are doing exceptionally good in the business. "Is that the whole story, A.J.?" "Yes. You see when I first met Jerrod after hearing about his escapades through life I had no idea that I would fall for him. I didn't see any reason to tell him anything about my personal past. First of all no-one knew and second I didn't know our relationship would be what it is. After we were intimate I wanted to tell him before things went any further. That's when he told me he didn't want to know about my past. "I was glad because I felt if I told him, I would lose him. Then as I was sitting on cloud nine, the devil hit me right in the face. That damned bastard who raped me was there talking to the man I loved. When I saw the look on Jerrod's face my heart sank. I did what I do best and I ran, I ran from that place as fast as my feet would carry me. "I went to my apartment and got a few things and left to come back here to Cleveland where I feel safe. As you know I called Adrianna in to finish the job. We only had a couple of weeks work left." "A.J., I can't say what you did was right, but you were a young girl growing up and making your own decisions. We don't always make the right one but we do have to live with the results of our actions. Jerrod needs some closure and only you can give him that, good or bad. Besides, his early life wasn't on the highest moral plain." "I know that, Janet, but Jerrod was up-front with his affairs. Mine was more of the hidden variety. I never let him know. It makes a world of difference." "A.J., let me talk to him and you must give him a chance to make a choice." "Okay, next weekend is Adrianna's wedding. Give him this invitation and we'll see what he does. I love him, Janet, but I can't go through life with him knowing he doesn't trust me and throwing my past in my face. Since we met he has always been on my mind and my only love." Chapter 3 The Conclusion You'll recall, at the company party, Larry caught my attention. "Jerrod, long time no see. How's it going? Rumor has it you have a new squeeze. I thought I would come by and check her out. Jenny's home with the kids. We have two rug rats now. So where's this new woman I've heard so much about?" asked Larry. He was scanning the room checking out all the women when he spotted A.J. "Oh, my God, I think I see Ambrosia. My God, Jerrod, wait till I tell you about her. I wonder who she's with? I haven't seen her in a good six or seven years but it must be her. She has to be the sexiest redhead alive. The last time I saw her was in Las Vegas, about six years ago." I couldn't believe what I just heard. Larry knew A.J.? He called her by her name. There aren't too many Ambrosia's in the world. My God, what does he know about her?" A.J. was smiling and laughing with my parents. She turned and walked toward me and, when she saw Larry, her mouth flew open. She was in tears by the time she reached me. All she said was, "I'm so sorry" and ran from the party. I didn't know what to think. I ran after her but she got into a cab and left. I went back into the party to find out what the hell happened. A few people asked me what was wrong with A.J.? I just told them she took sick and had to leave. Mom and Dad knew better and just kind of stared at me as if I did something wrong. What was I to tell them? Larry was standing there with a total look of wonderment on his face. I told him to follow me into a side room. I had to know what the hell was going on with A.J. Of late she was my life and now she's gone. "Where the hell do you know A.J. from? You better not lie to me or you'll regret it." "Easy, Jerrod, I didn't know she was your woman. All I knew is that you were dating a beautiful woman. I wouldn't have said anything if I knew she was with you." "Cut the crap, Larry. How do you know her, and I want the truth?" "First Jerrod, this was years ago. You probably didn't even know her then. It was about the same time you broke it off with Jenny. We were all dating everyone way back then." "Come on Larry, quit stalling. When and how did you meet her?" I asked. "I met her in Las Vegas. As I said earlier it was six or seven years ago. I went there to gamble and came out way ahead. I was really having a good night. I decided I wanted the best companionship that money could buy. I didn't want a street whore; I wanted the cream of the crop. I didn't care what it cost since I won this money. "One of the dealers told me that there was an escort service that dealt with some really nice girls. They were all young and beautiful and they weren't cheap but well worth the price. I went there and you know how you and I are partial to redheads. It's when I saw this stunning red headed girl; it was Ambrosia. When I saw her I knew she was the one I wanted so we agreed on a price and she was my date for the evening." The Right Woman? "Are you sure it was her? How much did you pay for her?" "I'm sorry Jerrod, but I'm sure it was her. She is so gorgeous and... I paid her fifteen hundred dollars for the one night. Damn, I'm sorry Jerrod." "How many times was she your escort? If she was that good, I know you went back for more." "Two times, she was my escort two times. I went back to see her after that but she was gone. I never saw her again till tonight. I swear it's the truth. Jerrod, we've known each other most of our lives. I wouldn't lie to you. It was only the two times." "Larry, I don't want you to tell anyone about her past. I don't know what's going to happen now, but if I find out you have told anyone about her, you'll have to deal with me, and believe me, you don't want any part of me right now." "I promise, Jerrod, I promise not to even mention her name. Jerrod, it was at least six years ago and I'm married to Jenny now. I am sorry, Jerrod, I really am." If it was before I knew A.J., then it wasn't Larry's fault that he paid to be with her. It did seem odd that he would pay for a gal at the same time he was with Jenny, a good looking redhead herself. I remember how wild Jenny was way back then. I knew I needed to hear the truth from A.J. before making any overly rash decisions. Damn, why did I fall for her? Now I had to wonder if she was serious about me. Was our love making real or was she acting? Damn, damn, damn! I went back out to the party and acted like there wasn't a problem, but inside I was hurting; I was hurting bad. I loved her and now my life as I knew it was completely changed. In the days that followed I tried to contact her but she wasn't answering or returning my calls. She sent Adrianna to finish her company's work at our plant. Adrianna was more than capable of doing the work. All three of the partners were good at their positions. It's just that I missed A.J. Adrianna was a beautiful woman who was getting married in a couple of weeks. She had spent quite a bit of time at our plant also, helping set up the system. I asked Adrianna about A.J. and she asked me as nice as possible to not put her in the middle. She did tell me that she thought A.J. loved me and had no idea why she went back to Cleveland. She said she thought that A.J. and I made a great couple and would probably be together forever. "Jerrod, you are two of the nicest people and seem to be made for each other. I have never seen A.J. as happy as when she is with you. I honestly don't know what happened. Maybe she just needs time. I saw her a couple of days ago and she really looked sad. All she's doing is working. I sure hope you two can resolve your problems. You two were made for each other." "Adrianna, she won't talk to me. How can I resolve anything? Can you at least get her to call me?" "I'm sorry, Jerrod, just give her a little time, please. She's my best friend and if she wants to talk to me, she will." "Do you know anything about her past? You know, before she attended MIT?" I asked. "Just that she was an all A student in Las Vegas and transferred here. She said she gambled a few times, had beginner's luck and won thousands of dollars. She said she quit gambling after that. She used most of it to help start our business. Mark and I are paying her back monthly. I don't know if I should have told you that, so please don't let her know I told you." "It's okay. She told me about it," I lied. I had no idea about her ever gambling. I didn't want Adrianna to think she gave out a company secret. I decided to heed Adrianna's advice and just give it time. I stopped trying to call A.J. for awhile and just tried getting on with my life. It was nearly impossible. Everyday my thoughts were about A.J. Damn, this being in love is for the birds. I was much happier before I met A.J. That's not true. I was at my happiest when I had A.J. at my side. Damn her! A few weeks went by and I never heard a word. I tried calling her again without a response. I know that I was getting on Janet's nerves. She told me I needed to get a better handle on my life. I was making everyone around me miserable. Then one day a smiling Janet came into my office. "Why are you so happy?" I asked Janet. "Because you are going to take me out to lunch today to that fancy restaurant you always took A.J. to." "And why am I going to do that? I thought you were tired about my complaining." Janet could still make me smile. "Because, Boss of mine, I talked to A.J. yesterday and you and I have to talk." "What? You talked to A.J.? What did she say? Why hasn't she answered my calls? Where did you see her? Is she back? Come on, Janet, say something." "Easy, Jerrod. No, she isn't back in town. You were becoming such a pain in my behind that I went to Cleveland yesterday and talked to her." "What did she say?" "You're not getting off that easy. I want my nice lunch. Is it a deal?" she asked. "Of course, but you better tell me everything." We were sitting in the restaurant and Janet ordered a meal. My stomach was a mess of nerves but I did order a chef salad and a drink. "Okay, Janet, start talking," I said. "First, Jerrod, A.J. told me to tell you that no-one other than me knows this whole story of her life. She hoped that no matter what happens in the future between you two that you would promise that no-one else will ever find out. I told her that you would keep her life private." "Of course I will. I have no intention of hurting her no matter what the outcome of our relationship," I said. "A.J. is deeply in love with you. She told me her whole life story and I'm supposed to highlight it for you." Janet told me about A.J. growing up and going to college. She then told me about the escort service and how A.J. did it for the money to finish college and help out her parents. It was then that she explained about Larry. She said something about being an escort for a younger guy and that a couple of weeks later the same guy came back. It was Larry, the man she saw at the party. Janet explained how he had drugged her and raped her anally and had brought in another woman who had lesbian sex with her. The other woman was Jenny. I was at a loss for words when I heard this. Larry had drugged her and he and Jenny used and abused her. I was really pissed about that. She might not have been my girlfriend at the time but we never took any woman without her consent. Now to find out he did this to A.J. really pissed me off. Janet said that this was the low point for A.J. and that's why she left Las Vegas - to get out of that lifestyle. "Why didn't she tell me, Janet? We've been dating for months." "A.J. told me that no-one, not even her friends or family know about her past. When she met you she liked you a lot but wasn't about to tell you about this part of her life. When you two got intimate she said she wanted to tell you but you said it wasn't important anymore, that you really cared for her. She said she tried to tell you numerous times after that but you didn't want to hear it. The more in love with you she became, the more she knew she should tell you about her past but by then was afraid of losing you. "The bubble burst when she saw you talking to her rapist at the party. That's what she considers Larry - a rapist. He drugged her and took advantage of her. Knowing that she never told you about her past, she became scared and ran. She said she could never face you again. She was afraid and embarrassed to face you. She said she loved you so much but couldn't go through life with you constantly throwing her past up at her. She wished that part of her life never happened but she can't change that now." After explaining everything to me, I asked Janet what could I do. I needed to see A.J. to see if we could work out a solution. Janet handed me an envelope. "What's this?" I asked. "It's an invitation to Adrianna's wedding Saturday. A.J. says if you think you can forgive her past and work out a future together that you should show up at the wedding and be her escort. If you can't forgive her, she will understand and try and go on with her life and you can go on with yours. She apologized for everything she put you through. Jerrod, she really does love you." I had a lot to think about. Janet reminded me that my life wasn't the most moral either. I loved A.J. but would I be able to leave her past in the past? I know that she would never want me to bring it up again. It's why she had Janet talk to me. I stepped into my dad's office. "Dad, I need to ask you something. It's very important. If someone wronged you but you still cared for that person, what would you do? I should tell you that the person apologized for their wrong doing. Could you just let it go, and forgive them?" "Jerrod, I know this is about A.J. You know I love the girl. I have no idea what went on between you two and I don't want to know. I can't make your decision for you, but let me tell you a little story about a guy named John. "John is the kind of guy you love to hate. He is always in a good mood and always has something positive to say. When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would reply, 'If I were any better, I would be twins!' He was a natural motivator. If an employee was having a bad day, John was there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation. "Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up and asked him, 'I don't get it! You can't be a positive person all of the time. How do you do it?' "He replied, 'Each morning I wake up and say to myself, you have two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or ... you can choose to be in a bad mood. I choose to be in a good mood. Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or ... I can choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it. Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or ... I can point out the positive side of life. I choose the positive side of life.' " 'Yeah, right, it's not that easy,' I protested. " 'Yes, it is,' he said. 'Life is all about choices. When you cut away all the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to situations. You choose how people affect your mood. You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. The bottom line: It's your choice how you live your life.' "I reflected on what he said. Soon hereafter, I left the Tower Industry to start my own business. We lost touch, but I often thought about him when I made a choice about life instead of reacting to it. "Several years later, I heard that he was involved in a serious accident, falling some 60 feet from a communications tower. After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, he was released from the hospital with rods placed in his back. I saw him about six months after the accident. "When I asked him how he was, he replied, 'If I were any better, I'd be twins...Wanna see my scars?' "I declined to see his wounds, but I did ask him what had gone through his mind as the accident took place. " 'The first thing that went through my mind was the well-being of my soon-to-be born daughter,' he replied. 'Then, as I lay on the ground, I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live or ... I could choose to die. I chose to live.' " 'Weren't you scared? Did you lose consciousness?' I asked. "He continued, 'The paramedics were great. They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me into the ER and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, I read 'he's a dead man'. I knew I needed to take action.' " 'What did you do?' I asked. " 'Well, there was a big burly nurse shouting questions at me,' said John. 'She asked if I was allergic to anything?' " 'Yes,' I replied. 'The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply. I took a deep breath and yelled, 'Gravity'. Over their laughter, I told them, 'I am choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead.' "He lived, thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude ... I learned from him that every day we have the choice to live fully. "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. After all today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday." "Jerrod, you now have two choices: you can go see A.J. and between you two, you can right any wrongs, or you can tear up your invitation and go on without her. Only you can make that choice." I knew my dad was right. I was the only one that could make this decision. I chose A.J., but first I had to have a talk with my friend, Larry. I went to his office and asked his receptionist if he was in. "Yes, Mr. Brice, he's in his office with his wife, Jenny." "Great, I want to see both of them," I said as I walked past the receptionist and into his office. "Jerrod, what are you doing here?" he asked, looking quite nervous. "It seems you left out a part of your story the other day. Did you drug and rape A.J.?" "It was a long time ago, water under the bridge. I told you I wouldn't say anything to anyone," he replied. "You took Jenny with you and raped her because she wouldn't let you fuck her in the ass. Am I right? I ought to come across that desk and beat the living shit out of you." Jenny spoke up. "Jerrod, please don't. What we did was wrong, we know that, but we can't change it now. We were young and drunk. We have a family now. We promise never to mention it to anyone. Please don't hurt Larry." "If I ever hear that either one of you ever mention a word about this to anyone, I promise you that I will come back here, cut off your husband's balls and jam them down your throat. Do I make myself clear? This isn't an idle threat. It might have been years ago but you two hurt the woman I intend to marry and I will do whatever it takes to keep her past a secret." "We promise, Jerrod. On our two boys' lives, we promise never to speak a word of it." I walked out of Larry's office thinking of my plans for Saturday. Like Dad said, I had two choices and I chose A.J. -------------------------- On Saturday morning I got up early and gave myself plenty of time to get ready for the wedding. I had a couple of hours' drive to Cleveland. I left giving myself plenty of time to get there. I had to make a stop at the jewelry store and pick up an engagement ring. They were a little crowded and I was running a little behind schedule. I finally got my ring and left the store. I got about ten miles up the road and realized I forgot the invitation. I didn't know exactly where in Cleveland the church was. I glanced at my watch and quickly turned around and headed home to get the invitation. After getting it I started off again. I was now running more behind. I got in some heavy traffic due to road repairs in Akron. I was afraid I was going to be late. I was having trouble finding the church so I swallowed my pride and pulled into a gas station and asked for directions to the church. I could hardly understand the man. I wish he spoke some decent English, but I think I got a general idea where the church was. According to my watch the service had already started when I had pulled into the parking lot. First Baptist Church, great, I made it. As I approached the door I noticed most all the people were black. I didn't see any white people. I thought this was strange when a man at the door asked if he could help me. "I'm here for the wedding," I said. I handed him my invitation and he told me I was at the wrong church. "What? I can't believe this. The stupid guy at the gas station told me to come here." "I'm sorry, sir, but you want the First Baptist Church on the other side of town. Here, let me draw you a map on how to get there." "About how long will it take me to get there?" I asked. "A good twenty minutes to a half hour. Good luck to you." I thanked him and headed down the road. I hit the damn road repairs again. Every road seemed to have orange cones on them. I was really running late now. I was starting to get nervous; what if I missed her? I was nearing the church and a lot of the cars were pulling out. I pulled up in front of the church and ran in. I looked at the sign that said Adrianna and Ryan's Wedding, and knew I was at the right church. I started walking around looking for A.J. I saw a couple of people leaving out of a back door. I didn't get a chance to say anything to them. I walked into the sanctuary of the church and it was empty. I was on the second floor of the church and I looked out a window overlooking the parking lot. I saw a woman with red hair holding hands with a tall man. It was A.J.! I watched as the man kissed her cheek and she gave him a hug. He opened the door for her and she got in. I got the window opened a little an yelled, "A.J.! A.J.!" She kind of looked around like she might have heard me but the man with her closed the door and got into the car and they pulled away. I was devastated. My heart had dropped into my stomach. I found myself walking back into an empty sanctuary and sitting in the front pew. I'm not a religious man. The only times I have ever been in church was for weddings and funerals, but I sat there in this front pew. I felt something come over me. I'm not going to say it was some spirit or anything like that, but I did feel something. I felt myself get up and walk a few feet to the altar and kneel down. I started crying. I didn't say a word, I just cried. I felt a hand on my shoulder. I looked up and it was a preacher, reverend, father or something. "Just let it out brother," he said. "Just let it all out." I don't know how long I cried. "Do you want to talk about it?" said the reverend. "I lost the only woman I have ever loved," I replied. "Was it the woman that just got married here?" he asked. "No, that was her friend. She was the maid of honor." "The nice looking red haired woman?" he asked. "Yes, A.J. How did you know?" "I didn't, but earlier today before the wedding the red haired lady was sitting in the same pew where you sat. She got up and knelt at the altar where you are kneeling now and she was crying also." "Did she say why she was crying?" I asked. "No, I asked her and she said it was in God's hands now. You know you can still catch her at the reception. I'm headed over there myself right now if you would like to follow me." "I'd love to. Please show me the way." I followed him to the hall and found a place to park. It was pretty crowded but I found a parking spot. I ran and opened the door and entered the hall. I looked over the crowd hoping to find A.J. I saw her and my stomach dropped again. She was on the dance floor with the man I saw in the parking lot. He had his arms around her waist and she had her head on his shoulder. She even looked a bit teary eyed. I was getting ready to turn around and leave when a woman stopped me. "They look good together, don't they, Jerrod. You are Jerrod, aren't you?" "I'm sorry. Do I know you?" I asked. "No, we never met formally. I'm Janey's mother." I looked again at the couple dancing and said to A.J.'s mother. "Please don't tell her I was here. It was a mistake. I must go." "You don't understand, Jerrod. Janey's dancing with her brother, Bobby. Her escort didn't show so Bobby pinched hit. He didn't want to see his sister alone at the wedding." "Her brother, Bobby?" I repeated. "Yes," she then yelled kind of loud and most people near us looked up. "Janey, there's someone here to see you." A.J. looked up and saw me. She started crying as she kicked off her shoes and came running toward me. She put her arms around my neck and kissed me passionately in front of everyone. The Right Woman? "You came! You came for me!" she said as she kissed me again. "Jerrod, I love you so much." Her brother came up to me and said. "The next time you make my sister cry we're going to have to go a couple of rounds." He then smiled and said, "I'm Bobby, and I am really glad to finally meet you. I wanted to meet the man that stole my sister's heart." I shook his hand and A.J. told everyone that she wanted to dance with me. She pulled me out to the dance floor and put her arms around my neck and her head against my chest. It was just like it used to be between us. It felt so good; it felt so right. I looked around the crowded dance floor and noticed my mom and dad were there. Then I saw Janet with her husband Henry. Mom and Dad danced next to us and said, "Glad you made the right choice, Son." "What are you and Mom and the others from the office doing here?" "Remember? Adrianna worked with us. She gave us a blanket invitation. Some of us decided to come." "Why didn't you tell me, Dad...?" "Because, as I told you, only you could make that choice. None of us wanted to make it for you." Later my dad asked A.J. to dance. I walked over and congratulated Adrianna and her husband Ryan. "Adrianna, I know this is your special day but I would like to ask a favor of you." "What is it, Jerrod?" "I would like to propose to A.J. later but I won't do it here without your permission." "Go for it! It will be great. I hope she says yes." Well, it was set - I would ask her later. Now I was wondering if she would say yes, damn I was still a mess. Later they had the throwing of the bouquet. I watched as all these women were vying for the prize. I saw A.J. leap in the air and grab it. Everyone screamed for her. It was time for the garter throw. My God, there must be near twenty guys vying for it. Whoever got it would be the one to put it on A.J.'s leg. I looked over at Bobby who was standing next to me. He was a few inches taller and probably had a better reach. Damn, I needed to get that garter. I watched Bobby looking at me. On the count of three the garter was thrown in the air and Bobby stuck out his arms and falling backward knocking down half the guys. I easily reached up and grabbed the garter. The other guys were a little mad at Bobby as he looked at me and said, "Anything for Janey." They had A.J. sit in a chair and they played the stripper song. I was to see how high up A.J.'s leg I could get the garter. Once I got to her knee the crowd chanted "higher," I went up a couple of inches showing a lot of leg and they yelled, "Higher." I moved it above mid-thigh and an embarrassed A.J. put her hand above mine and smiled. The crowd yelled, "more." I said, "So you all want more?" and the crowd yelled, "Yes." I reached in my pocket and pulled out the ring. It totally took A.J. by surprise. "A.J., when I asked you to marry me once before, you told me to ask you again in six months and you would give me an answer. So I'm asking you again in front of all our family and friends. Will you marry me and make me the happiest man alive? You better say yes or I don't know what I'll do." She had a flood of tears coming out. I glanced back at Bobby and he just laughed. "Those are tears of joy, Bro," said Bobby. "Yes, I'll marry you and have your babies and we will be a family." Everyone in the place started screaming for joy. Adrianna and Ryan were the first two to congratulate us, followed by our parents. Epilogue: We got married in the same church as Adrianna. I wanted that same minister to marry us. We even rented the same hall. Everyone who was at Adrianna's and Ryan's wedding were invited, even if we didn't know them. For our honeymoon we went to Boston. Janey (that's what I called her now that we were family) wanted to run the Boston Marathon. I was an onlooker. Of course she didn't win but she did finish. She was one determined little lady. It's been a year now since our wedding and our first child was due. We knew it was going to be a girl and I asked Janey what she wanted to name her. She said, "Anything but Ambrosia." Thank you for reading my story. The story about John in the third chapter was sent to me by a friend in an e-mail. I don't know where it originated but I thought it fit into the story nicely. Thanks goes to the anonymous writer of it. As always, comments and feedback are always welcome and appreciated. DG Hear