42 comments/ 43348 views/ 13 favorites A Gift of Love By: dreampilot79 Twenty seven dollars and sixteen cents. That was the balance of their check book. The net worth of two people, accumulated over 20 years of marriage. The number had rattled through his sodden brain for the hours he should have spent sleeping. He had wanted to count sheep, but instead all he could count were the pennies stored in the credit union. Their total wealth could more easily be stored in a ceramic piggy bank than a commercial establishment. Sleep had eluded him. Twenty seven dollars and sixteen cents to be squandered on groceries for the next two weeks, there was none to invest in his love, a woman worth everything in the world to him. It was only two weeks until Valentines Day. Christmas had felt like a failure to him, there had not been enough money to give her more than a single cheap present and his love was worth so much more. He was determined to show her the depth of his love for Valentines Day. Thinking of the ways he could accomplish that goal, and what he would do for her, had kept him from sleep. John watched the first glimmer of early morning sun filter through the slight gap in the threadbare curtains, reflecting off the shimmering gloss of Vickie's long dark hair. Slowly, softly he pulled back the covers from her naked form, his eyes taking in each bit of her. Twenty years before, when he had first seen her naked, she had been a beautiful girl. Now, she was even lovelier. The sight of her winter paled skin took the breath from him. The soft swell of her breasts with their darker nipples caused an involuntary reaction in his loins. Twenty seven dollars and sixteen cents. His true love was worth so much more but that was all there was in their checkbook. He folded the covers back over her flat torso until the slight dimple of her belly button was just exposed. John rose slowly to his knees, trying not to disturb her sleep in the early morning. For several moments he simply looked into her beautiful face, watching her nostrils flare as she sucked in breath, smiling slightly as she made that cute almost, but not quite, snoring sound that he liked to hear. He imagined her beautiful eyes, now hidden by her sleeping eyelids. He loved her eyes even more than her pert mouth that so easily curled into a brilliant smile that lit a room. He lowered his face toward her neck. His nose drank in the faint smell of the inexpensive perfume that lingered from it's application the day before. She always smelled so delectable. His lips touched the skin where her long neck met her curved shoulder. The smooth feel of her warm skin against his lips sent lightning coursing through his very being. He kissed her skin softly working from her neck to her arm and then back to her neck. He listened to her breathing as his kisses worked up to her ear. She did not move a muscle but he heard her breathing change from the long rhythmic cadence of sleep to a more rapid pace. She was still asleep, or at least not quite awake, but the kisses had roused her from the depths of slumber. His kisses moved down her neck once more and then down her chest. He kissed each inch of skin as his mouth moved to her right nipple. He was intensely aware of his body, everywhere it touched her soft skin. The heat of their bodies touch sent a familiar warmth into him that circulated through his every fiber. His lips sucked a stiffening nipple into his mouth as he was aware of her hand moving to run through his hair, pulling his face tighter as a soft sigh escaped her lips. He sucked with more vigor as his ardor increased. He felt the tip of his hard cock brush the skin of her waist as it rose to full attention. The feel sent violent waves of pleasure through him and he shuddered slightly. Reluctantly he removed his lips from her left breast and kissed his way to the right, giving that nipple equal time as he sucked it into his mouth. The feel of her fingers running through his hair, encouraging his attention, made him breathe even faster. The slightly larger gap his knees made between her right arm and her body allowed her to move her heretofore pinned arm. She pulled it upward until her hand could close on his throbbing penis. She stroked it softly as her other hand pulled gently on his hair, moving his mouth up to meet her greedy lips. Their tongues reached for each other and began a dance inside their mouths. They were both breathing faster as the need reached their cores. Vickie's arm wrapped around her man, pulling him close, feeling the touch of their skin as her other hand stroked him. John's hand was not idle as it traced the curves of her body sliding to her hip and then over her to find her moist entrance. He heard her, felt her gasp as his finger slid inside her warm wet slit and gathered slippery juices to lubricate his finger as it slid along her stiff clit. Vickie arched her back and thrust her hips to the rhythm of his finger as she pulled him even tighter to her. Their kiss became passionate as soft moans escaped her lips. Her hand pulled on his penis, guiding his whole body over hers as her legs spread. Knowing that the woman he loved, wanted him, needed him, increased his own desire. His soul was on fire with longing for her. John broke their kiss as he rose to his hands and knees. His blue eyes gazed into the depths of her brown ones. He saw her desire for him in her unfocused orbs as he lined his cock up. The feel of her soft sopping pussy on the head of his dick made him tremble slightly. Her hands on his waist urged him forward but he took his time, slowly sliding into her. He gasped as he felt her welcoming pussy slowly engulf his cock. The muscles of her vagina clamped and relaxed on him, urging him inside her. He felt her hips moving but he held his position, luxuriating in the feel of that velvety pussy engulfing him slowly. He stopped when he was all the way inside her. His eyes had never left hers as they traded emotion between the connection of their eyes. Her legs wrapped around his waist as she began to rock her hips. Her hands pulled him hard, urging him to thrust. John matched her rhythm, as they slowly sped up. His thrusts came faster and he felt her suck in her breath as she pulled herself up to meet the lunges of his hips. Her pussy clamped down on him and he felt her breath explode as her head rolled. His gaze never left her face as she came. John felt a wash of joy flow through him and a smile curled his lips. He actually felt her pleasure. Watching her release was all he really needed but not all there would be. When she could breathe again, he slowed down, sliding slowly into her until her passion built again. He knew his wife and knew that her desire would return. In moments, her hips were rocking again and he matched her motion. Each thrust came harder. This time, he felt the pressure build. His eyes were locked on hers as he felt the connection of their souls. They were one. He felt her need for him return as his desire for her intensified. The pressure inside him went almost unnoticed. It was not the feel of impending release for him, but rather the complete merging of the two of them. It was as if his love, his emotion, his very soul was trying to become one with her. The feeling built as he matched her movements. He was determined to hold off until she came too. He watched her eyes close, her face twist. He felt the first contraction of her vaginal muscles and he allowed his own feelings to flow. He let the pressure come. He allowed his very being to well up inside his throbbing cock. He slammed into her and then stopped at the bottom as his face turned red from the breath that he was suddenly holding. The pressure built, not just in his cock but in his whole being. He gasped as he felt her pussy grab him again. He could hold back no longer. Her whole body convulsed in what he knew was a powerful release. The intensity of his explosion matched hers. Their bodies quaked and his soul exploded along with his cock. Their mutual orgasm was as if they were connected, two souls merging, becoming one. The pleasure intense, draining, all consuming. The fire of their souls burning in each other quenching each others need. The moment lasted an eternity before it was over and they lay gasping for breath, his strength sapped, he sagged to her body as their lips met in a tender kiss that lasted for several minutes before he rolled off her and she moved to snuggle her body against his. At that moment the alarm clock went off and Vickie began to giggle. She held her man softly in her arms. "Let it ring. I want to hold you for a few minutes. Damn, boy, you are way better at waking a girl up than that alarm clock." Her eyes were smiling as her lips met his in a soft kiss. The touch of their bodies warmed them but all good things must come to an end and she released him. John reached for the alarm as she rose with a smile and headed for the bathroom. He lay back on the pillow as his eyes followed the exquisite form, watching the wiggle of her pretty butt as she walked away from him. He loved her even more than he had twenty years ago. The feeling of failure that had been so close to him since Christmas slammed into him again, driving away the warm wonder that she had left him with in the wake of their loving. Vickie was his true love and she was worth so much more than he was able to give her. Her face had beamed when she opened the single present from him at Christmas. She had at least pretended to love the cheap sweater that he had managed to get her from K-Mart. She deserved so much more! He felt close to crying. He would do better for Valentines day. He would show her the depth of his love. Vickie had been a beautiful girl when he had first started dating her in their second year of High School. He watched her naked form as she walked and thought that she was even more gorgeous, more desirable than she had been then. The hard years she had spent with him had done nothing to dim her beauty. She deserved so much more than the life he had given her. Thanks to him, she had not reached sweet sixteen without being kissed. In fact, he blamed himself that by her sixteenth birthday, she could not reach the sink to help wash her family's dishes. He had fathered the baby that she had carried. There had been many options, besides the hard life they had chosen to share, but they had not even considered those. They had been young, but they had also been madly in love. They had loved each other, and the new life growing inside her too much to consider abortion or adoption. Instead, they had chosen a life of hardship and sacrifice to their own love and the life that that love had created. They were married before either of them reached their seventeenth birthday. They had been offered the chance to live with both of their families while they finished school. Both sets of parents felt a certain animosity toward them. John's parents considered Vickie the temptress who had wrecked his life. Her father treated John with total disdain, the corrupter of his sweet innocent little girl. Living with them had not been an option, if they had expected to succeed as a couple. They could have finished school, finished in disgrace. Vickie would have had to go at night since, in those days, pregnant girls or married mothers were not allowed to be exposed to the student body as if such conduct would rub off on the other girls. John would have been almost equally scorned by the administration while the boys might have held him as almost a hero. Instead, he chose and she was forced to abandon school. Neither family was pleased when they were married. They had tried to talk them both into the other options. Neither family had truly forgiven them for their choice but both had reluctantly accepted it. John had gone to work, bagging groceries. The money had been slim. The life hard. His money had barely covered the cost of their apartment. The grocery discount had helped, as had their parents. Youth had been a curse in the early years. They had been barely out of diapers themselves when Charley came along. It had not been easy raising him and the sister who followed only a year later. There had been no luxuries in their lives, unless one counted the 19 inch color television, but even that had had to come as a Christmas present from her parents. John had been a hard worker and promotion and raises had followed along with the benefits that made it possible. Those raises had kept them treading water, rising income that had barely kept pace with the escalating expenses. What John realized was that his ability had seen him further than his education should have allowed. Twenty years later, he was the manager of the grocery department. What he thought, and what the company knew was that if he had accomplished more than his GED, he would be the store manager, if not a district manager. The only thing that had never failed them was the love that they shared. John was even more in love with Vickie than he had been 20 years before. Their love had endured, intensified through the hard years There had been many times when they worried about having a roof over their heads and food for Charlie and Connie, never had they worried about themselves. Each night they had found comfort in each others arms. Never had they lost the desire for each other. Never had either of them allowed the relationship to become stale. They were not only lovers but best friends who met the challenges of life together and head on. Vickie had never complained about what she did not have and neither had John. He felt only joy at the years they had spent together, but he loved her so much that he believed that she deserved more. Ten years ago, Vickie had found employment as a receptionist in an Optometrist's office. A position that brought in only slightly more than minimum wage. Still every penny had helped in their war with the bills. Two years ago, Charlie had graduated from High School with honors but he had not been able to garner enough in scholarship money to afford college. He had known that all along. He had never bemoaned their poverty, but like his parents he met the problems head on and solved them. Before graduation, he had enlisted in the Army. The last two years with Charlie gone had been difficult emotionally although they had not showed it. Both John and Vickie missed him, feared for him, especially when he volunteered for duty in Afghanistan. John would have hardly believed it, but Connie had pulled off a full scholarship to play basketball! John could only shake his head. He knew Connie was good, but the touch of chauvinist in him had expected Charlie to win the athletic scholarship. Connie had never asked for money, but still they knew how hard it was with no spending money and they had sent her what they could. The last five months had been strange. They had never known time to themselves in the 20 years they had been married. There had never been the time or privacy to wake each other with kisses. There had never been money for movies, or dinners out. They had seen two movies and gone out for dinner on several occasions. Each time was a joy, mixed with the guilt of spending money. Vickie had celebrated one of the the happiest Christmases of her life. Her baby, Connie, had come home from school. The value of the presents she had gotten had not mattered. Most important to her was the look of love she could read in John's face and the joy of the love she felt for him and her family. She missed Charley, but his phone call from Afghanistan on Christmas Eve had lit her eyes with joy. She had felt too much happiness to see the pain in John's eyes when she opened his present. For the first time, he had not shared his feelings with her. ************************************************** Vickie had one joy in her life. She loved to write. At first she had practiced her craft with paper and pencil, writing short stories for John (private ones), and more public ones for Charlie and Connie. When the grocery store had updated office equipment ten years before, John had rescued a working computer from the trash. It had even come with word processing software. Vickie was still using it. The only part of that system that had finally gone to heaven was the old daisy wheel printer. It had breathed it's last gasp just after Christmas. John would gladly have done anything to get her a new one, but it was no use. There was no way to connect one. The old DOS programs needed to be tailored for a new printer, and that software was no longer being updated. No new printer would work. She needed a new computer. Vickie did not complain but she did mention the problem at work. Her boss quickly agreed that Vickie could bring her disks to work and print her stories on the office computer/printer. Anyone who read the words that came from her fingertips, knew that Vickie was good. Very good. She tried once to find a publisher for her romance novels and other works but failed in her attempt to find either a publisher or an agent willing to represent her. It was just a consuming hobby. ************************************************** John, too, had one love. A 1966 corvette that his father had given him when he turned 15. It was old then, and worse it had been totaled in a roll over accident. The plan had been to rebuild it. They had expected it to take several years but it had been twenty-one. It still rested in his father's garage, complete except for an engine. The original motor was so badly rusted that it could not be turned. He could not afford the engine but he could afford to polish the car once each week. He loved that vehicle, dreamed of seeing it on the road with him behind the wheel. His father had offered several times to buy him the engine, but John had known that he could never afford the insurance or the plates to operate it. The corvette sat in his fathers garage, so beautifully finished that it was more a work of art than a mere car. A work of love and not just a simple refurbishment. John knew that his dream would never come. As he watched his beautiful wife getting ready for work, he decided. He would sell that car that would never run and purchase her a new computer with all the bells and whistles. *********************************************************** Dr. Judy Stone was an optometrist but also a fan of pulp romantic fiction. Vickie had worked for her for ten years and Judy had never once had any inkling of her talent, until she allowed her to print her latest work on the company computer. It had been an accident. Judy had not intended to read the manuscript, unbidden, but when Vickie had gone to lunch with the document printing, the first several pages had stuck to a letter that Judy had needed. After reading the first few paragraphs she had been hooked. Judy had come back to the office after dinner and read the words off the screen till well after midnight. There was only a single chapter left to read when her eyes could focus no longer. She had gone home to sleep, just so she could concentrate on reading the conclusion. This morning, as Vickie stood before the mirror putting the finishing touches on her appearance, her boss had come in early. Judy was scrolling through the words, now committed to the company computer. Judy was just finishing the story when Vickie came in. "Vickie, I need to talk to you. You have a couple minutes?" "Judy, I work for you. I always have a few minutes for you when I'm at work." Judy led her to her private office and closed the door. "Vickie, I owe you an apology. I read your novel on our computer. I read the first bit by accident, but I had to read the rest. I just wanted you to know that I read it. You have a lot of talent. Have you ever tried to have any of your work published?" "I tried once, but all I got was a lot of rejection letters. Sent it to a dozen or so agents, but they all turned me down. Trying cost me too much. I couldn't really afford the postage or the paper and ink. So I just write for fun. I'm glad you liked it," Vickie chuckled. "I have about a hundred more at home you can read if you'd like. This one isn't my best, but I'd be happy if you read it or any others. You want." A Gift of Love AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is my entry in the Valentine's Day contest for 2009. It's just a short piece but I hope you enjoy it. **** Billy knelt on the damp grass and looked at the words in front of her. February 14, 2008, the date on the slab of marble at the head of her husband's grave. He'd died on Valentine's Day, that special time for red roses, chocolates, romance and lovers. Lou had been gone a year to the day and Billy still struggled to accept the fact that she would never see him again. He'd been her whole life and it wasn't fair that he'd left her alone. Forty was far too young to die. She screamed out the words each time she visited the cemetery. It didn't bring Lou back though. Billy looked at the spot on her left hand where she thought she'd always see the diamond Lou gave her when he proposed. The matching wedding band now laid along side it in her jewelry box. Her bare skin only had a trace of an indentation, and even that little reminder would soon disappear, she knew. Memories of their life together raced through her head. Billy laid the flowers down and let the images wash over her. Scenes from their wedding, the first apartment they moved into, even the day he tried to teach her how to drive a stick shift car, were all bittersweet. Her eyes glazed over as she pictured Lou making love to her. "I miss you so much, Lou. This last year has been horrible. What am I going to do for the rest of my life without you? Why didn't you stay longer, Lou?" "Hello, Billy." Her piercing shriek startled the birds from the nearby trees. The fluttering of their wings added to Billy's sudden fear. She knew that voice but it was impossible to hear it now... Lou was dead. "I know you heard me, Billy. You can turn around. It's safe, I promise." "No, you're dead. It's all in my head," Billy said without moving. "I'm right here. Look at me, sweetheart. You have questions, I know you do." "Leave me alone. Get out of here! My Lou is dead, he left me last year." Billy covered her ears and let her face fall to her chest. She was so tired, that had to be why she was hearing him talk to her, she decided. "Please Billy, listen to me. You know you want to." The voice came closer and Billy swore she felt hands on her shoulders. "No, you aren't real. Why are you doing this? Don't touch me!" "Sweetheart, I know there are things we didn't get to do. We thought we had forever. I didn't want to leave you, Billy." "I hate being alone! Why did you go if you wanted to stay?" "Sweetheart, I didn't have a choice. You know that's how it is when it's someone's turn to go. I'd never leave you on my own, Billy. You have to believe me." She didn't reply as she waited to hear more. "Do you remember the week we spent in that old cabin at the lake? You were so sexy in that blue bathing suit. I swore you bought it just to tempt me. What about the Paris vacation? I can still see you sitting at that little café, wearing that short white dress that made you look so innocent. I would have been happy staying in our hotel room the entire time so that I could make love to you. You had our server take pictures of us and framed them when we got back home. Then you hung them in the family room with our wedding pictures." Her back straightened as he talked about the different times in their life together. Memories of those trips washed over her and brought fresh tears to her eyes. They'd been so happy. Billy was so afraid she'd turn around to find empty space that she didn't dare move. "I laughed so hard the weekend we painted the family room. That ugly turquoise on the walls kept showing through no matter what we did. You kept trying to cover it with another coat of paint until you tossed the roller down and gave up. If you'd only seen yourself the way I did then, Billy." Billy thought about what she'd done next and groaned. Aggravated, she'd stripped off her shirt and put her naked breasts into the wet paint. Lou dared her to do the same thing with her bottom. She'd agreed if he joined her. He never hesitated and soon they were taking turns rubbing themselves over the walls, making odd patterns everywhere. Wet paint coated their skin as they laughed and let out their frustration. Their sticky bodies clung together when they made love on the plastic drop cloth covering the floor. "I can see that you're thinking about it, Billy. Your body tells me so much about what you're feeling," Lou's voice murmured from right behind her. "Why did you go? I loved you with everything in me, Lou. Why did you leave me here all alone?" Billy's agonized cry echoed through the air. She pounded the earth under her as if hitting at his buried body. "Always remember that I loved you with all my heart. It's time to let me go and move on. Open your eyes to the world around you and you'll be happy once more. It's time, Billy. You're a beautiful woman. That forever kind of love is closer than you think." She swore she felt him wrapping his arms around her body. His strength and heat soothed her confused mind. Exhausted, Billy slipped into a deep sleep. "Ma'am, are you all right? Should I call an ambulance?" Darren crouched next to the woman lying on the ground and touched her shoulder. He knew she was alive from the rise and fall of her chest, but it worried him that she wasn't answering. "Can you open your eyes? Ma'am, it's time to wake up." Billy groaned at the intrusion into her dream. She just wanted it to leave her alone. Her sweet Lou was with her again and nothing else mattered. The loneliness of the last year slipped away as she heard the deep timber of his voice. Darren finally saw the woman's face as she rolled onto her back and gasped. He felt his heart slam against his chest and saw the way his hands shook. "You're beautiful," Darren whispered, forgetting his concern for a moment. "What ... who are you? Where did you come from?" Billy asked. The confusion was evident in her voice as she stared at the strange man bending over her. Darren slid his arms around her shoulders as she attempted to sit up. He felt dizzy just from looking into her dark brown eyes and struggled to remember what she'd just asked. "My name is Darren. I was on the other side of the path, leaving flowers for my mom. She died on Valentine's Day last year." "How ... I don't understand ..." "It felt as if someone pulled on the back of my shirt. When I stood up, I heard my mom telling me to look in this direction. She told me someone needed me over here. I saw you lying on the ground and hurried right over." "He was here, just a few minutes ago." "I didn't see anyone else." Darren turned his head to scan the area but saw no one. "Lou, my husband, he was right here behind me. I swear I felt his arms on me. He talked to me." Billy went through the conversation with her dead husband in her mind. She caught her breath when the pieces fell into place. "He brought you here. Lou made sure you found me. He told me it was time to let him go and ..." Darren waited but she didn't finish. He looked at the headstone behind her and realized the date on it. "Valentine's Day is a time for romance and love. Mom always told me I spent too much time taking care of her when she was sick. Someone else needed me more, she said that last day before she died." "They put us here today," Billy said as she made the connection of all the oddities that just happened. She gave a soft smile and nodded. "I'm Billy ..." A Gift of Love Judy watched her for a moment. "Would you like to have them published?" "Of course. It's my dream, but I'm happy to just write for fun. I really don't have the money to pursue it." Judy looked at her. "Maybe I could help." "Judy, I don't want your money. I'm happy to just write for fun." Vickie blushed a little and then she smiled. "I think we both need to get to work Doctor. I can hear the first patients now." They said no more but Judy knew something that Vickie did not. Her college roommate was an editor for a company that published exactly the type of romance novel that Vickie had written. That night, Judy sent a long e-mail to her old roommate with the manuscript attached. ******************************************************* On Valentines Day, John drove his beautiful wife to work as usual, but then he went to his fathers garage, this time not to polish the already glistening coat of the corvette, but rather to say his goodbyes. He needed to buff the car one last time with a loving touch and perhaps the hint of a tear at the corner of his eye. He knew this car was in perfect condition, except for the engine. If it had been working properly, it would have been worth $25,000 or more. Bill was giving him $2,500. Still, it was more than enough to pay for the new computer he had already spotted for Vickie and new software. His heart sang with the joy she would get from the new computer while his eyes teared at the loss of his precious car. He watched them hook it up to the wrecker and haul it away. He followed the truck into the street and watched the car rolling away until it was gone from sight. Then he took his money and headed directly to the computer store. ****************************************************** At the very same instant that John was watching his car disappear into the sunrise, Vickie was in shock. When she came into work that morning there was a stranger there. Judy's friend had flown in from New York with a check and a contract. It would be months before her first (and not her best) novel was in print but the publisher had handed her an advance check for $5,000. Vickie had never held so much money before. Her mind was spinning and Judy gave her the rest of the day off and loaned Vickie her car. It took Vickie only a second before she knew what she was going to do. She was going to get a new engine for John's prized corvette, but first she wanted to hold the money! She headed straight to the credit union and cashed the check. For a moment or two she fondled the crisp bills, simply enjoying the thrill of holding so much money in her hands. As soon as she felt the joy of touching the cash, Vickie headed straight for Bill's Car Parts. Bill had been a friend for years. What she saw shocked her. Vickie and the corvette arrived at practically the same time. At first there were only some calm questions, but once things became clearer, the interior of the parts store became a very noisy place indeed! Stores hath no fury like a woman pissed, and car parts stores saw few angry females. When the dust settled, Vickie had bought back the corvette for $3,000 and spent the rest of her money on that new engine and its installation. Bill had mixed feelings at the conclusion of the transaction. He had never seen the car before he agreed to buy it. He didn't realize how perfect it was. John had told him it was a finished restoration just needing an engine. Bill had heard that before, but this car was more than just restored, it was obviously a work of love. The car was perfect and Bill knew immediately that it would bring $25,000 or more with just the addition of the motor that was already waiting for it in the shop. For a second, after the corvette had arrived, the cash register had jingled in the back of Bills head. Then a pang of guilt had hit him. Before those internal noises had died, Vickie had hit him! Bill had just made a deal and seen $20,000 fly out the door, but so had his guilt. Still it was a profitable day. He made over $1,000 in just a few minutes after selling the engine and the car back to Vickie. Perhaps it was the touch of guilt that made him agree to put all the shops resources into installing that engine but it was finished just after lunch. The release of such a fine machine, to its owner is not something for mechanics to rush. There had to be time to admire their work and the artistry of a classic car. The four mechanics who had done the work had nearly come to blows deciding who got to test drive it. In the end, all four of them took one lap around the block, after each circuit they made minor adjustments until it was better than perfect. It was nearly 4:00 when they decided that they could part with it. Vickie had watched every turn of a screwdriver with a smile on her face. Vickie had no regrets about her purchases. No qualms that all her money was gone. Only a question about why he would have sold that car. She could hardly wait to show it to him. She could only imagine the look on his face. ********************************************* John was not a computer geek. It had taken him most of the afternoon to get the damn computer installed complete with its fully functional printer. He had also prepaid six months of DSL Internet connection for his love. He felt no regret about the sale of his precious car. He could hardly wait to see Vickie's face. Only one more hour before he picked her up at work! He could barely contain his joy at the thought of seeing her happiness. He had just finished and stepped out the back door for some fresh air when he heard a car pull up to the house. He started around the garage to see who it could be. Vickie had seen the car in the drive and could hardly contain her enthusiasm. She couldn't wait to see John's face. She also wanted to know what could have gotten into him to make him sell his car. She almost bounded into the house. Vickie had entered the house just moments before John had come around the garage to see "Bill's" Corvette in the drive. His heart leaped and crashed at the same time. He felt an intense joy, that his baby was now fully functional and he knew it would turn heads on the street. It was also salt in a fresh wound to know that that car no longer belonged to him. It took him a moment to realize that Bill was not to be seen and a look of confusion crossed his face. Vickie had searched the house for John, and almost missed the new computer. She had gone right by it looking for John, and had not spotted the new equipment until she had turned around and headed for the door again. She gasped and squealed in joy. There was a huge grin on her face as she walked to the front door. She watched John take his handkerchief out of his pocket and polish a spot on the corvette's finish. She watched him from the door for a moment. "How bout taking your girl for a ride in your new car?" John looked up to see Vickie standing in the door with a huge smile on her face. "My new car?" Vickie's eyes twinkled as she walked quickly toward him. "Your new car. I bought it back for you." "How?" She pulled her love into her arms. "I sold one of my novels, or rather Judy sold one for me. Now stop asking questions, kiss me, take me for a ride and then take me to bed!" What could a man do but obey his wife?