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Kellie and Brad

By: drteetho



AUTHOR'S NOTE: I was inspired to write this story after watching a match at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts, the Canadian women`s curling championships. Curling is a great sport but I understand not everyone gets it, so I tried not to use too much jargon or make it too much of the focus. This is my first attempt at a genuine, romantic, redemptive love story. As always, please read and enjoy. 

*

Her form was perfect.

The concentration etched on her face. The strength uncoiling from her body as she powered out of the hack. The graceful follow-through as she extended her arm and let go of the rock.

The way her tight pants framed her ass as she delivered each practice shot.

Perfect. Every time.

He sighed as she delivered another rock and watched it settle into the rings, stopping right on the button. He wondered how things had come to this point in his life.

Curling was a major part of his life. He didn`t have a natural talent for the game; he was only ever good enough to play in the Sunday night beer leagues. But he was a friendly presence around the curling club, and the president appreciated his dedication enough to give him a job as a maintenance man on the grounds. He took to his position with relish, and over time he was given more responsibilities, eventually becoming the key assistant to the head icemaker.

Despite being around the game for so long, he loved it more than ever. He enjoyed the mental aspect of the sport, trying to match wits and strategy with the teams as he watched games unfold, whether it be at a local bonspiel or the championship matches on TV.

But most of all, it was the people. Curling athletes were the most down-to-earth of any sport, of that he was fully convinced. He attended several championship events and met the best players in the world, and all of them were genuinely nice, regular people. In no other sport would you see the athletes mingling so much with the fans, even having a beer with them, yet this happened in curling all the time because the whole community was so tight-knit.

He preferred to watch the women compete. Women generally relied less on sheer power and more on nuanced strategy and intricate shot-making, and he enjoyed that aspect of their game. And yes, if he was being completely honest, he found most female curlers to be very attractive. In his mind it was the perfect combination of athleticism and girl-next-door looks they possessed that he found irresistible.

But no one captured his attention more than Kellie, who was without a doubt the best curler this small town had ever produced.

Kellie usually wore her straight black hair in a ponytail when he saw her, which was nearly always at the curling club. Her brown eyes were focused and intense, and they were framed by functional yet stylish wire-rimmed glasses. This gave him a secret thrill, as he had a thing for women in glasses. Her breasts were no more than a handful, but they fit her body shape very well. Her hips flared out ever so sweetly, giving her a curvy, womanly frame that was very pleasing to his eye. He never saw her in dresses or skirts, only pants, so he didn`t have a good idea what her legs looked like when bare, but he was sure they were very strong and powerful after years in the sport.

But he thought her best feature was her ass, by far. It was tight and firm, two fleshy globes that he saw countless times when she was bent over, preparing herself to deliver yet another rock to its target. It looked great clothed, so he could only guess at how tremendous it would be in the nude. Many times when he was at home during the night, surrounded by nothing more than his own thoughts and fantasies, he asked himself if he had seen a better butt in his life. The answer was always the same. It was Kellie`s. Her ass was the best, the most rounded, the most succulent, the most desirable.

The most remarkable thing about Kellie, in his opinion, was it appeared she had no idea how sexy she was. No idea at all. If anything, that just made her more attractive to him, as if he were in on a titillating secret no one else knew about.

He thought about Kellie a lot more recently, if that was possible, and it was kind of making him crazy. He envisioned her slowly stripping her clothes and seductively walking towards him. He imagined how her legs would feel wrapped around his torso while they embraced as lovers. He wondered how soft her skin would be when he caressed her ass cheeks. He saw himself driving his...

"Brad!"

He sat up in a jerk and looked up. It was Russ, the head icemaker, his boss and, for all intents and purposes, his best friend. "Jeez, Russ, you scared me half to death! I`m sorry, did you need me..."

Russ softly chuckled and waved his hand in a dismissive though not unfriendly gesture. "It`s OK, we have some time yet." He sat down and cocked his head towards the ice. "Watching Kellie again, I see."

Brad softly nodded. "Yeah."

"You like her, don`t you?"

"God help me, I do."

Russ chuckled again. "You know, as good a curler as she is, I don`t think she`s good at mind-reading."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, you should ask her out."

Brad bowed his head. "I don`t know, man."

"Come on, you sound like a scared grade schooler."

"What if she says no?"

"What if she says yes?

Brad sighed in exasperation. "I just... I don`t know."

Russ put a friendly hand on Brad`s shoulder. "Well, I may not know much about love, but here`s what I do know. You can`t slowly waste away pining for her, it will drive you insane. Ask her. If she says no, it will hurt but at least you`ll know where you stand. If she says yes, then... who knows?"

Brad rolled Russ`s words around in his head. He knew his friend was right, of course, but acting on his romantic desires was always something he struggled with. He watched Kellie make another practice shot, thinking about recent well-publicized events in her professional curling life. He thought she could use some moral support and some love. The more he thought about it, the more he wanted to be that source of support and love. He also thought if the time was not right now, it never would be.

Finally he said, "You know Russ, you`re right. I will ask her."

"Good for you! You`d better get down there, her practice ends in 5 minutes."

"But what about work?"

"Don`t worry. I can handle things the rest of the afternoon, there isn`t that much left to do. Now go on, Brad, before you get cold feet!"

Brad shook his friend`s hand and patted him on the back. "Thanks Russ," he said. Then he left the lounge/observation area and hurried towards the ice.

****

She knew he watched her.

If it were anyone else, she was pretty sure she would be entirely creeped out. Somehow, though, he was different. He seemed completely without guile or hidden agenda, and his intentions seemed pure; he was just a regular guy who loved the sport as much as she did and wanted to be around it as much as he could. He was friendly and very well-liked and respected by all at the curling club, as well as by the townspeople at large.

And, if she were being completely honest, she found him to be a very good-looking man.

He was big and strong, years of physical labour toning his body. He had a square jaw, a barrel chest and broad shoulders. She thought about what it would be like to run her hands over his muscular frame. His face and demeanour were welcoming and friendly, and he was always nothing but a perfect gentleman towards her. Still, she sensed his face, and particularly his deep blue eyes, held more than a hint of mystery. She often wondered what thoughts lie behind those eyes.

Despite her thoughts of him, and the realization that, at least on some level, he held more than a passing interest in her, she never even considered the possibility he might be interested in a more intimate relationship with her. She never thought he would think of her as sexy. Why would he, she often thought. She never thought of herself as attractive so it didn`t occur to her that others might.

It was but one negative aspect of her life that, on the whole, she could feel crumble around her. Her day job was uninspiring. She had few friends outside of curling. In fact, other than on a sheet of curling ice, there wasn`t one area of her life in which she had any real satisfaction or confidence. Damn her unhappy childhood, she often thought when contemplating her fate.

Kellie`s parents divorced when she was young, and she shuttled between her father, who preferred her hockey-playing older brother, and her mother, who doted on her princess of a younger sister. She made few friends in her big-city grade school and was often teased and bullied by other girls. When offered the chance to move to the small town, with an aunt and uncle, to start high school, she jumped at it immediately, eager for a new start.

But she had a lot of trouble adjusting to the rhythms of small-town life, and her aunt and uncle did not provide a nurturing household, leaving her alone to deal with her own issues and insecurities surrounding boys, body image, and other typical teenage obsessions. She had few dates. She did have one boyfriend to whom she did lose her virginity. But the boy was selfish, more interested in his needs than hers, making it for her a fumbling, humiliating experience.

Being introduced to curling in her first year of high school was her saving grace, the only place she felt she belonged. She had a natural talent for the game which the coaches saw and developed in her. Otherwise feeling like a fish out of water, she found the curling club to be a true sanctuary for her. But as she grew into a woman and continued in the game, even that feeling started to desert her.

Kellie was developing a reputation as a "nearly woman" in the game. She lost in many semi-final and final matches in her junior days, and the pattern continued when she turned professional. She lost the provincial finals to the same team three times running. Last year she did win provincials, but only because her nemesis took the year off from the sport to help raise her family. Her team got hot at nationals and reached the semi-final, but she failed in her last shot and her team lost in heartbreaking fashion. Those in the know said she could never "win the big one". Her team was in turmoil; she managed to hold them together for now but she wondered for how long. She practiced obsessively for the upcoming season, but the pressure she put on herself to win was enormous, and it was starting to suck the joy out of the game for her. She cried many nights wondering if she could cope.

All these thoughts were swirling through her head after she finished practice. She was so distracted she did not see Brad waiting at the hallway entrance; she nearly literally bowled him over.

"Oh god, I`m sorry Brad! Are you OK? Oh I didn`t even see you there!" Kellie said.

Brad smiled and straightened himself out. "It`s alright, Kellie. No harm done. I imagine you have a lot on your mind right now."

"Yeah", she said, but did not elaborate.

"Did practice go well?"

"Pretty good, I feel I`m throwing well. How is work around the club?"

"Oh, busy as usual. You know how it is, always something to fix."

Kellie and Brad both nodded. An uncomfortable silence hung between them. Then Kellie said, "Well, I should really get going. It was nice talking to you Brad."

With that, she headed for the change room, and Brad saw his chance slipping away. Just as Kellie pulled on the door, he yelled, "Kellie, wait!"

Even from a distance Brad could see the look of shock on her face. "Is something wrong?" she asked.

"No, no, not at all," he laughed nervously. "I... I was just wondering, are you busy tonight?"

Kellie paused, wondering where Brad was going with this. "No, I`m free tonight. Why do you ask?"

"I thought maybe you and I could go out for dinner. What do you think?"

Kellie was not expecting Brad to make such a request, but she was flattered by the interest. Saying yes went against her natural instincts. Then again, it isn`t every day a man asks you on a date, Kellie thought to herself. What the heck, it might be fun.

She smiled; it was enough to melt Brad`s heart. "Sure," she said. "I`d like that."

Brad visibly exhaled. "Great! Meet you at the diner at 7:00?"

"Sure. See you then."

Kellie went to the change room. Brad left for home to get ready, with an extra little hop in his step.

****

They were incredibly nervous.

Kellie had competed in big curling matches, watched in arenas by thousands and on TV by millions, yet she was more nervous for this date than anything she had experienced before in her life. She nearly called Brad five different times to cancel. She even considered just not showing up but realized that would heartlessly crush Brad, and she desperately did not want to do that to such a sweet guy. She changed outfits several times, finally settling on a pretty floral dress that fit her well without being too revealing. A white pair of medium heels completed the ensemble. After taking several deep breaths, she finally felt ready to go.

Brad hadn`t fared much better in his preparations. He was so anxious he threw up soon after he got home. He finally felt well enough to shower and get ready. He shaved and prepped himself about as much as a man could before going out on a first date. Deciding on his best collared dress shirt and pair of khaki pants, he left his house hoping he would make a good impression on Kellie. He picked up a small, simple floral arrangement at the general store before getting to the diner, trusting Kellie would appreciate the gesture.

He reached the diner fifteen minutes early. He was restless, pacing back and forth. Meanwhile, she realized she would be late if she didn`t hurry up. She walked as fast as she could in her heels, all the while doubt creeping in whether he`d even be there at all, making her the butt of yet another cruel cosmic joke.

Brad saw Kellie first as she rounded the street corner. With her wearing a dress and a nicely coiffed hairdo, he almost didn`t recognize her at first. But once he knew it was her he was captivated all over again by just how pretty she was. His heartbeat accelerated as she got closer and closer.

Kellie was touched to see Brad holding flowers for her, a perfectly gentlemanly thing to do. She also couldn`t help but notice him shuffling his feet from side to side like a skittish five year-old. I`m glad I`m not the only one who`s nervous as hell, she thought.

They were both smiling at each other as Kellie stopped in front of Brad.

"Hi Kellie," said Brad.

"Hi Brad," replied Kellie.

Still smiling, time standing still, neither of them moved.

Finally Brad shook his head. "Sorry, kind of zoned out there for a second... these are for you."

"Thank you, that`s very sweet. They are pretty." Kellie gave him a small kiss on the cheek.

"Thanks, you`re pretty too."

Kellie smiled and blushed but said nothing.

Brad held out his arm. "Shall we?"

Kellie held him by the elbow and answered, "I`d like that."

They entered the diner and were given a semi-private booth in the back corner. They couldn`t help but notice the other patrons, most of them regulars, watching them as they took their seats. It made Kellie a little self-conscious, but Brad only thought, let them look, I`m with the prettiest girl around and I don`t care who knows it.

It turned out to be a wonderful dinner. It took a few awkward moments to break the ice, but before long they made each other at ease and enjoyed a stimulating conversation. Kellie in particular felt disarmed by Brad; he was funny and interesting, but more importantly was a good listener. She quickly found herself comfortable enough to tell him much of her life story, including things she shared with few other people. 

For his part Brad was sympathetic to Kellie`s situation. He was more impressed with her accomplishments than ever, given the challenges she had to overcome. More than anything else though he knew he was falling deeply and madly in love with Kellie.

They talked well into the night. The sun set outside, all the other customers left long ago, and the diner employees were cleaning up around them, yet still they talked and laughed and enjoyed each other`s company. Kellie saw the clock read 11:00 pm, looked around and said, "I think they`re going to kick us out of here soon."

Brad sighed and said, "Yeah, I guess we should let them lock up for the night."

They went outside, hand in hand, into the brisk, early spring night. They walked for a few minutes in a pleasant silence.

"Thank you so much Brad, I had a wonderful time tonight."

"So did I Kellie. I hope we can do it again real soon."

He leaned in towards her face. She tilted her head to accept him. Slowly, gently, they kissed. They agreed to see each other again soon before parting ways for the evening.

Kellie returned home in a state of turmoil. She`d had a marvellous time, but was still conflicted over her emotions. She wasn`t used to being in a close relationship, and the thought that she could find herself in one so quickly kind of scared her. She worried that something that was starting so well could only end badly. She ended up crying herself to sleep.

Brad went home walking on a cloud. He was grinning like an idiot the whole way, not that he cared. He kissed Kellie Ferguson, and it felt wonderful.

****

They went out again the next night.

And again the next night. And the night after that.

Pretty soon they were a regular item. The consensus among the townsfolk was that they made a cute couple.

Brad was thrilled that Kellie seemed to like him so much. The last six months when they were together were the happiest he`d ever had. He hoped the relationship could progress into something more intimate, because he longed to do more with Kellie than just chaste kissing. He wanted to touch and taste her, all of her. But he understood that she was fragile, and he did not want to jeopardize what he felt was a very special relationship. So he was fine with taking things slow for now, hoping to break Kellie out of her shell.

Kellie felt safe with Brad. She loved the sound of his laugh, the smell of his after-shave and the strong and protective grip he exerted when they held hands. She was still worried though, because she figured Brad would eventually want a more physical side to their relationship, and she wasn`t sure if she could handle that yet. She also agonized over the possibility that Brad would ultimately reject her, even though it seemed ridiculous because it was not in his nature to be cruel.

It was a glorious late summer evening. They were having a picnic in the park. Their conversation, as it often did, turned to curling.

"I have a good feeling about your team this year, Kellie," said Brad. "Your two front-end players are improving all the time, your vice-skip is strong, and, well, of course you`re an amazing curler. You`ll win provincials again, for sure. I can feel it."

"I don`t know," replied Kellie. "The Morriss team is back again. I just can`t seem to beat them."

"Sure you can. They are good, but you`re better. You just have to believe."

"You say it like it`s so easy."

"Well, I can only imagine it`s not easy, even for a naturally gifted curler such as yourself." Kellie couldn`t help but blush at Brad`s praise.

"But," Brad continued, "you won last year, and you almost won nationals, and there were some very strong teams there. You can win. You will win."

"I`m not sure. A lot of people say I can`t win when it counts the most."

"Says who?"

"People in the big city, in the media..."

"Them?" Brad scoffed. "Forget them. They have no idea what they are talking about. The people in this town say you can win." He gently held Kellie`s face in his hands. "I say you can win."


Kellie and Brad Ch. 02



AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is the second chapter to a multi-part story, I would suggest reading Chapter 1 before this one to understand the whole story. Please enjoy. 

*

She seethed in anger, again.

Anita Morriss had just pressed play on her remote control. She had already watched her DVD copy of the local access cable channel`s broadcast of last year`s provincial curling finals, during which she suffered the heaviest defeat of her professional career, more times than she cared to count. Yet here she was watching it again. She heard the announcers say how much her team had defeated Kellie Ferguson`s team over the years, and she couldn`t help but shake her head at just how different the outcome was that time around.

As difficult as it was for Anita to accept losing at all, never mind to a team from some Podunk little town she thoroughly dominated many times before, there were many reasons for the loss that she could rationalize in her mind, if she wanted to. Kellie and her team were just on that day. Anita`s team did not play well, herself included. They were probably overconfident, having beaten Kellie so often in the past. Sometimes the old law of averages just catches up to you. Just one of those days, really.

Except, none of them satisfied Anita. There was something else going on, maybe just under the surface, but it was there nonetheless.

Not that she thought Kellie cheated. That was impossible. The game and its competitors were too honest for that, though Anita wasn`t above playing some old-fashioned mind games to help gain a competitive edge. Besides, even if subtle cheating had any sort of "wink-wink" acceptance in curling, Kellie was far too naïve and clueless to do anything like that.

Perhaps it was better training, new coaching, something along those lines. Wrong again, Anita thought. Her information gathering network would have gone into overdrive if that happened. Her coaches and extended support group kept track of all her main competition; they charted everything about their training, their strategy, their coaches... anything and everything having to do with how they played the game. If one of them sneezed during a training session, Anita knew about it.

So while she knew Kellie`s team had played well leading into provincials, better than they had before, she also believed it was insufficient explanation for what happened that day. And no matter how often she watched this DVD, no matter how often she thought about what that missing element was, she had not yet discovered the answer. And that bothered her in a way nothing else ever had.

Anita fast-forwarded through much of the actual match play, stopping only where she thought she might see something that would solve her problem. As of yet she had gained no new insights. She continued fast-forwarding to the end. Usually she would shut it off at this point, often so angry she wanted to throw something across the room. But this time she kept watching, thinking there might be something, anything, that she could learn.

She watched the camera focus on the Ferguson team celebrating, the perfunctory handshakes her own team exchanged with theirs, their moving to the stands, all of them appearing to embrace loved ones...

Wait.

Anita`s eyebrow raised up as she paused the DVD. As far as she knew, Kellie was single and had a difficult relationship with her family; they rarely if ever attended her matches. So if there was a special new person in Kellie`s life, this would be an unexpected development. She wondered why she didn`t notice it then, and then thought back to the anger and bitterness she tried to suppress at that time. No, Kellie could have stripped naked right there on the ice, and Anita would not have taken notice, so consumed with the defeat she was.

Now, however, she realized this could be the final piece of the puzzle she was looking to solve.

She stopped the DVD and ejected it from the player, and went to her computer to view it on her monitor. She fast-forwarded to the same point, hit pause and took a screen grab picture of that frame. She zoomed in the left corner, where Kellie was hugging somebody. The picture quality was fairly poor, but she could tell it was a man Kellie was with. He looked around her own age, and appeared to be reasonably handsome.

In order to confirm her growing suspicions, Anita went to the stack of DVDs she kept next to her TV, and pulled one which was still unopened. Her coach had written on the packaging, "Watch this, for motivation for next year!", but she had left the package alone. She knew Kellie`s team had won the Canadian title as well, but she could not stomach to watch even a second of that tournament.

And, technically, she still wouldn`t. For what she was interested in was not the game itself, but the celebration afterward.

Anita fast-forwarded this DVD until she found what she was looking for. The professional camera work was much sharper than what the volunteers with ancient equipment could provide. So there was no doubt this time that Kellie`s celebratory embrace was with an attractive, muscular man.

"Huh, amazing," Anita said out loud to no one in particular. "That nerd Kellie managed to snag herself a man!"

And that had to be the answer, didn`t it? Anita knew from personal experience that when she was getting some action in the sack, everything else in her life was much better. While she was, for now, happily single, she had achieved more than her fair share of sexual conquests; men could never resist her blonde hair and blue eyes, her tight yet curvy body, nor her assertive (to the point of being aggressive) sexuality. In between these "trophies", she had no shortage of "friends-with-benefits" when she needed to scratch that itch.

Anita breathed a sigh of relief. It wouldn`t erase the past, of course, but there was at least a small slice of bitter satisfaction at having cracked the proverbial code. She sat back on her couch, deep in thought.

She knew this coming season would be pivotal in her curling career. It had been two years since she had been to the national finals. The first year she had to take time off from the game so she and her mother could help her sister, who was seriously injured in a car accident, raise her spoiled brat of a son. And, of course, there was last season`s debacle. So motivation was definitely not an issue. She would train and practice harder than ever, and she would drive her team to do the same. She would increase her film work on her competitors, and meet more with her various coaches to go over every possible strategic detail she could encounter.

Even with her control-freak tendencies, however, Anita knew that there were some things she could not make bend to her will. If Kellie Ferguson really did have a boyfriend, and if that really did help make her, and by extension her team, become a more formidable curling rink, there wasn`t anything Anita Morriss could do about it.

Unless...

******

They were deeply in love.

The past 18 months had been a whirlwind for Kellie. Brad`s courtship of her was sweet, like everything else about him, and his support and love for her helped her become a happier, more confident person. Without him, she was convinced there would have been no way she could be the kind of player and skip needed to lead her curling team to win the Canadian championship. It was the best period of her life in every possible way, and in truth it wasn`t even close.

The same kinds of feelings held true for Brad. Though he did not have the level of personal challenges over which Kellie had to rise, he did have the sense that his life was drifting away from him before he took a chance and asked her out for their first date. No longer; now it had structure and purpose, he had a reason to get up each and every morning and be the best he could be.

They had both found their best friend, their lover, their soul mate. Someone to share life`s highs, someone to lean on for support during its lows. They talked plenty about curling, but they also spent a lot of time talking about other things. Getting married. What their future might hold. Current events, and love and life in general.

Kellie and Brad expressed their love for each other in many ways. They said I love you to each other often. They made other simple gestures, like Brad holding doors open for Kellie and other such acts of chivalry, and Kellie helping to straighten Brad`s tie when they were going out for a fancy night out, and other such caring touches. They held hands in public almost constantly. Certainly anyone who saw them together could see how much they loved each other. 

And, of course, they also spent many nights making sweet, passionate love to each other. They enjoyed the process that all new lovers go through of exploring each other`s bodies, finding out what the other likes, what turns them on. Kellie loved running her soft hands over Brad`s powerfully muscled chest, and thrilled to feel his strong hands touching her all over. Brad loved how Kellie sighed blissfully when he gently nibbled on her earlobes, and of course took every opportunity he could to touch her ass, marvelling at how perfectly each cheek felt in his hands.

There was no doubt Kellie and Brad were deeply, madly in love with each other. They were absolutely convinced that, while there would be difficulties from time to time as life intruded, there was absolutely nothing that could stop this most perfect love.

Right?

******

It all started so innocently.

The late summer sun was powerful in the sky, and the heat and humidity hung heavy in the air. It was one of those days that you broke into a serious sweat just thinking about moving, Brad thought to himself. He was returning home after another hard day`s work. The curling club was embarking on a major maintenance program, so Brad`s days were extremely busy, both in helping Russ to oversee the project and in rolling up his sleeves to take part in some good old-fashioned manual labour. He was returning to an empty house for now, as Kellie was at a training session with her teammates and wouldn`t be home for another couple of hours. He looked forward to doing little more than grabbing a quick sandwich and an ice-cold beer and moving as little as possible until it was time to sleep.

He walked up to the front porch of the modest house he and Kellie now shared. He opened the mailbox and pulled out a couple of official-looking envelopes. Probably just bills, he sighed. He went to unlock the front door and go inside when something on the patio table caught his eye.

It was an oddly-shaped package, wrapped in festively-coloured paper. This was curious, Brad thought to himself. No one he knew would be sending any special deliveries to himself or Kellie. Would they? Very curious indeed.

Brad brought everything inside and pulled a beer from the fridge. He took two long, satisfying pulls from the bottle, savouring the taste and coldness of the alcoholic beverage. His immediate thirst quenched for now, he returned his attention to the peculiar package. He took the card that was stapled to the top of the package. It read, simply, in a standard typing font, "To Brad". Nothing else was on the card; no indication who it was from, no return address, nothing.

Even more curious, he opened the package, and revealed a miniature flowering bonsai tree. It wasn`t what he expected, but then again what would he expect in the first place from such a mysterious delivery? He picked it up and studied it. It looked nice enough, and was a lot less "girly" than a gift of flowers, for example. He smiled, thinking that it could only be Kellie teasing him with some elaborate plan that would lead to a romantic, maybe even sexual, evening. He gave the plant a little water and left it on the dining room table, quickly preparing himself a sandwich before returning to the couch to eat and drink the rest of his beer.

He planned to thank Kellie for the thoughtful gift, but by the time Kellie got home and they got to talking about each other`s day, he forgot all about the plant.

He didn`t think to mention it to Kellie until one week later, when he returned home from work and found another package waiting for him. Brad wondered just what Kellie`s plan was. Like the first delivery, this package had a card reading "To Brad," but nothing more. Curious-er and curious-er, Brad thought.

He knew Kellie had curling practice and would be home late, so again he could open this package without interruption. He opened the plain box, and this time found an oversized silver old-fashioned key. He inspected it closely and found some engraving on it; it read, "Brad, you hold the key to my heart!"

He smiled and shook his head, wondering what Kellie would think of next.

When Kellie returned home, Brad leapt off his chair. He playfully grabbed her, lifted her up off the ground and delivered a deep, long and passionate kiss.

"Well hello to you too, Brad!" Kellie exclaimed, laughing and still slightly out of breath. "What`s gotten into you?"

Brad hugged Kellie tightly and said, "I love you Kellie."

"I love you too Brad!"

"I just wanted to thank you and show my appreciation for the gifts you got me."

Kellie`s brow furrowed. "I`m sorry, what did you say?"

"Thank you for the gifts."

"What gifts?"

Brad looked slightly incredulous. "What do you mean, what gifts?"

"Bradley Galenchuk, what on earth are you talking about?!"

Brad recognized the tone of Kellie`s voice. She usually only used the combination of that particular tone of exasperation and saying his full name when she was either annoyed with him, or just pretending to be. He figured, correctly, that this time it wasn`t the latter. He asked Kellie to wait a minute and went into the dining room where he collected both of the items delivered to their house.

Kellie watched Brad retreat and return with a small plant and a shiny silver object. He handed them to her and she heard him say, "The bonsai tree came last week, the key was delivered today."

She looked at them both carefully. "I wondered what the heck this plant was," she said. She then raised an eyebrow when she read the engraving on the key.

Brad asked, "So, you didn`t send these, then?"

"No. No I did not." Kellie was clearly irritated. "Who did?"

"I don`t know."

"What do you mean, you don`t know?"

Brad produced the two cards. "See? No identifying information or return address."

Kellie looked at both sides of the cards and nodded. "You`re right." She shook her head. "This is very weird."

"So, you`re not mad at me, then?"

"No, Brad, I`m not mad at you. But I am worried about who is sending these packages, and what that person`s intentions are."

"Maybe it`s the guys at work, playing a prank on me. They can be such jokers sometimes!"

"Maybe," Kellie said, though she was far from convinced.

Brad read the concern on Kellie`s face and kissed her forehead. "Listen, I`ll just tell the guys that the joke isn`t funny anymore and has to stop. I`m sure they`ll understand."

"What if it`s not them?" Kellie asked.

Brad thought for a moment and replied, "I don`t know."

He suddenly wished he could find a better answer for what was quickly becoming a most unusual situation.

******

The packages kept coming.

One on the Wednesday of each week, just like the first two.

A box of chocolates on the third week. A charm bracelet the next.

Brad had no idea what was in the fifth package. Kellie got home before he did that day, and when he returned he found her visibly shaking and upset. In a flash of anger, Kellie flung the box to the ground, and Brad heard the contents smash into pieces. After trying to calm her down Brad picked the card off the now damaged package and found it addressed exactly the same as all the others.

If he didn`t know before, he certainly knew now that this foolishness had to stop. He promised Kellie that he would call the courier company and instruct them not to deliver anything that did not at least have a return address, and that they would not accept anything unless they signed for it first. She apologized for losing her temper and agreed with this course of action, and they expressed hope that it would work.

Brad made the phone call the next day and was assured by the person from the courier company that they would comply with the request. When nothing else was delivered for two weeks in a row, both Kellie and Brad sighed in relief. They accepted that they may never know who sent these items and why, but it seemed that this mystery was over.

Except it wasn`t.

The following Wednesday, a rainy October day, Brad found another package waiting for him in his locker room at the curling club. He let out an exasperated sigh and picked it up. He examined the card, which was addressed the same as the others, with one major difference; it was written in ink instead of typed out, and the writing was a flowery script, almost certainly a woman`s handwriting. Not Kellie`s though; Brad recognized her handwriting and knew this wasn`t it.

Brad walked over to the office of Russ, his boss, and placed the package on his desk. Russ arched an eyebrow and asked, "What`s this?"

"I was hoping you could tell me," replied Brad.

Russ shook his head. "Did you open it?"

"No."

"Then how should I know?" Russ read the card and chuckled. "And this sure as hell ain`t my handwriting!"

Brad sighed. "I know that. I guess I was, maybe, hoping you saw or knew who delivered this."

"Nope. Sorry Brad."

Brad nodded and frowned. Russ noticed this and decided to dig a little further. "Something on your mind?"

Brad thought for a moment and then sat down in the chair across from Russ`s desk. "The last several weeks, Kellie and I have had a lot of similar packages delivered to our house. All addressed to me, with no return address. We figured out how to stop it a couple weeks ago so I thought whoever was playing this joke on us was done." He tapped the package on the desk and continued, "Until today, that is."

Russ stroked his chin, deep in thought. He asked, "You sure Kellie`s not playing secret admirer?"

Brad smirked, thinking of Kellie destroying the package delivered on the fifth week, and replied, "Believe me Russ, I know for an absolute fact Kellie has nothing to do with this."

"I see. Have you asked anyone here if they did it?"

"Everyone I could think of. No one has fessed up yet."

"Well if I get a chance, I`ll ask around, but I wouldn`t hold my breath."

Brad shook Russ`s hand and thanked him for trying. He took the package with him and stuffed it in his locker, not wanting to open it. The rest of his day passed by without incident, other than word getting around about his latest delivery and him taking some good-natured ribbing over it.

Another package awaited him the next week. He stuffed it in his locker and slammed it shut. Brad hated to admit it, but this whole scenario was bothering him, upsetting his usually calm demeanour.

That night, both Kellie and Brad were tense and on edge. Both hardly said a word to each other, and when they did talk it was in clipped, sometimes harsh one-word sentences. They were both feeling guilty about speaking to each other so unkindly, which made them feel even worse, except they were so riled up they were too proud to call a truce to their hostilities.

They both went to bed still angry. Kellie turned off the lamp and lay on her side. After a couple minutes, she flicked the light back on.

"Brad?"

He sighed. "Yes Kellie?"

"Look, this is ridiculous. We`re both angry and taking it out on each other for no good reason. I`m sorry for being so upset with you."

"No Kellie, I`m the one who should be sorry. I was very harsh with you tonight, and that was wrong of me. Can you forgive me?"




Kellie and Brad Ch. 02



Kellie kissed Brad lovingly on the cheek. "Of course, honey. I`ll forgive you if you forgive me."

"Deal."

"Why don`t we talk about it? It might help us deal with what`s bothering us."

Brad hesitated. "I wish I didn`t have to tell you what happened to me though, because I`m sure it will upset you."

"You know what we talked about Brad. No secrets, right?"

Brad looked at Kellie and sighed again. Finally he said, "OK, well... over the last couple weeks, I have received two more mystery packages at work. Including one today."

Kellie`s face fell. "Damnit!" she cursed. Brad hated to hear that because Kellie didn`t swear often, and when she did she was almost certainly angry or upset.

"What was in those packages, Brad? Tell me!" Kellie demanded.

"I don`t know. I shoved them both in my locker and didn`t open them."

Kellie looked Brad in the eyes and knew instantly he was telling the truth. "Were they addressed the same?"

"Yes, with one exception."

"What`s that?"

"Instead of typing it out, the person who sent it handwrote the address on the card."

It was Kellie`s turn to sigh. "No other identifying marks?"

"None."

"And no one at work is doing this?"

"No one has admitted to it, anyway."

"Damnit!" Kellie swore again.

Brad winced, but continued. "And I`m not sure I can tell the courier to stop sending packages to the club, because we do get them often enough, and we need to for good business reasons. I really don`t know what to do, Kellie. I`ve thought of everything, but I`m at a loss here."

Kellie nodded. "I know you`re doing your best, honey. It`s just a stupid prank."

Brad caressed Kellie`s cheek. "Never mind that for now. Why don`t you tell me about your problems, baby?"

Kellie`s face scrunched up in disgust. "You would not believe who I saw at the gym tonight!"

"Who?"

"Anita Morriss!"

"Anita?" asked Brad in surprise. "Doesn`t she live in the big city?"

"Yes, she does."

"So why would she be here?"

"I don`t know and I didn`t ask."

"Did you talk to her?"

Kellie shook her head. "No, we didn`t talk to each other at all. I saw her across the room, she recognized me, and we just stared holes through each other."

Brad whistled a little. "Well, I know you don`t like her..."

"No, Brad, I HATE her!"

"OK, OK. I know it`s easy for me to say, but you shouldn`t let her get you upset. Remember, you have the upper hand on her now, right?"

Kellie nodded, fondly remembering her emphatic win in provincials last year.

Brad continued, "And who knows, maybe she`s just here for a day or two visiting someone or on some business, and then she`ll be gone and you won`t have to worry about her again until the Canadian finals next year. If she gets there, that is."

"Thanks Brad, you know just what to say to make me feel better."

"I love you, Kellie Ferguson."

"And I love you, Bradley Galenchuk."

They kissed each other good night, chastely at first but it soon became a full make-out session. Before long they were frantically removing their clothing and fondling each other. Brad kissed Kellie`s neck all over and nibbled on her earlobe, making her pleasurably sigh and lean her head back to offer up more of herself to him. His hands cupped and squeezed her firm ass, and then he let one feel up her slit, which he already found to be dripping wet.

"Feel how ready I am for you, baby?" Kellie teased.

"Oh yes sweetie, I want you so bad!" replied Brad.

From there Kellie took the lead, mounting Brad as he was on his back. She kissed and massaged his strong chest and abs. Her delicate hand found and held his strong erect penis; she stroked it sensually a few times, eliciting a satisfied groan from Brad. Kellie shifted to line up his stiff rod with her willing sex and guided it in. She soon engulfed it completely.

"Yes!" they both cried out when she hit bottom.

Kellie started moving slowly up and down but before long was bouncing enthusiastically. She relished the feeling of his hardness and the friction created as it rubbed against her inner walls. Over and over his member slid briefly out of her before filling her back up. His hands again traveled to her sexy butt. Their eyes locked and they smiled at each other as their breathing became more erratic and a sheen of sweat formed on their bodies from their combined exertions. He watched, mesmerized, as she closed her eyes, bit her lower lip and moaned happily while her breasts jiggled with the rhythm of their lovemaking. As he heard her scream and watched her body writhe in orgasm, he felt his shaft tingle, signalling his own impending release.

He had only one conscious thought as his thick semen flowed inside her: make-up sex was really freaking good.

******

The good feelings lasted about a week.

Brad woke the next morning refreshed and energized after having sex with Kellie followed by a restful sleep. He whistled on his way to work, and his mood improved further when he reached his locker and found no new deliveries had been sent his way.

He looked forward to another interesting, busy day at work. The renovations at the curling club were a long, drawn-out process but the results were really starting to be evident. A new refrigeration plant would provide better and more consistent ice. The locker rooms were expanded and furnished with better amenities. More spectator seats were added. The building as a whole was modernized and upgraded. Brad was proud of the hard work he and his colleagues put in to bring this project to fruition, and he was also proud of Kellie, for it was her talent, personality and compelling story that brought publicity and, more importantly, helped bring money for the project to be undertaken in the first place.

It wasn`t until the beginning of the following week when Brad noticed the envelope taped to the door of his locker. He sighed heavily when he saw it as it was ruining his perfectly good mood. He ripped the envelope off the door and studied it. The handwriting appeared the same as the last two packages delivered to him at the curling club. Only, this envelope was addressed, "To My Secret Crush".

Brad stared at the envelope, wide-eyed, not fully believing what he read. He took a quick look around to ensure no one was there, and then sat down on the bench. He considered just tearing the envelope into many pieces, but he also couldn`t deny the growing sense of curiosity, wondering just what was inside. He spent a few agonizing minutes debating the two choices, changing his mind about a hundred times in the process.

In the end, curiosity won out. He carefully opened the envelope and found a one-page letter, written in the same immaculate handwriting. He read the contents of the letter...

Brad,

You don`t know me yet, but I have been admiring you from afar for some time now. You are the sexiest man I have ever laid eyes on. I long to run my fingers over your powerful, muscled body, and I crave the sensation of your strong hands lovingly touching and dominating me. My pussy tingles at the mere thought of your hard cock filling me like no man ever has.

I hope you liked the gifts I`ve sent you these past weeks. They are small tokens of appreciation, but rest assured that I can give you more... so much more. More than you`ve ever dreamed of.

Soon, when the time is right, I will make myself known to you, and believe me, the wait will be worth it. For now, imagine the hottest woman you can think of offering her body to you, and know that all your dreams will cum true!

From, your Sexy Secret Admirer

Brad read the letter again, and then a third time. The words on the page dripped with wanton sexuality, and the brazen nature of the whole enterprise, starting right from the delivery of that damned little bonsai tree, really stuck with him. If the author of this letter really was the same person who had sent him all these other gifts, then it hinted at a knowledge she had of him that he found deeply unsettling.

Yet even with all that said, Brad also admitted to himself, somewhat ashamedly, that he was intrigued. The fact that another woman apparently found him sexy was, if he were completely honest with himself, quite an ego booster. He would never pursue this other avenue, however; he could not and would not ever cheat on Kellie, of that he was certain. Kellie was his soul mate and he loved her with every fibre of his being, so why would he ever throw that away? Still, there was no denying that he took some pleasure in knowing he had that same kind of effect on another woman.

All these thoughts, the unease, the intrigue and the guilt and shame that came with it, waged war in his head. The only thing he knew for sure right now is that Kellie would never know of the existence of this letter. Despite her recent reminder of their "no-secrets" pact, Brad decided there were some things she was simply better off not knowing. He crumpled the paper into a ball and casually tossed it in the waste basket.

As Brad left the locker room to begin his day`s tasks, Russ caught his attention and asked him to join him in his office. When Brad did so he saw that sitting next to Russ was an attractive young woman. Brad thought he vaguely recognized her but couldn`t quite put a finger on it.

"Brad," Russ said, "I`d like to introduce you to Anita Morriss."

Anita extended a small hand. "Hello Brad. It`s a pleasure to meet you."

Brad was startled but tried to recover his composure as quickly as possible. He tried to be as professional as possible in the circumstances. "Welcome, Anita," he answered, shaking her hand. "What brings you around these parts?"

"I`ve heard that your facility had some renovations done, and I must say from what I`ve seen so far it looks great! I also thought it would be good for my team to break away from the usual routine and go for some old-fashioned team-building."

"How long do you plan on staying?" Brad asked.

Russ answered for her. "She and her team have decided to visit our humble town and practice here for a few weeks. Anita decided to get here a day or two early. The rest of the team will be here on Monday and they will stay until mid-December so they can go back to the big city and enjoy Christmas with their families and all that good stuff. I`d like you to show Anita and her team our new facilities and make sure they are properly looked after while they are here. "

Brad nodded, but all he could think of was what Kellie`s reaction would be when she learned of this turn of events. He did not like where this was going. At all.

He spoke up. "Anita, I have to apologize, but I do have some other work-related issues I need to discuss with Russ in private."

"Oh, I understand, no problem at all Brad. I`ll just wait outside and when you two are finished we can talk about the rest of the preparations," Anita replied, smiling sweetly. She stepped outside and closed the office door behind her.

Brad started in on his boss immediately. "Holy crap, Russ, you`re killing me here. Do you have any idea..."

Russ held up a hand to interrupt. "Say no more, Brad. I know I`m putting you in a difficult position. I know Kellie won`t be happy to hear about this."

Brad scoffed. "That`s putting it mildly. She`ll freak out, trust me."

Russ continued, "Brad, you have to understand where I`m coming from. The board of directors have told me in no uncertain terms that we have to treat Anita`s visit with the utmost importance. They clearly told me that I had to put my best man on it. That`s why I chose you for the job. I hope you take it as a compliment, even if it puts you in a bind on the home front."

Brad sighed and shook his head. "OK, Russ, I`ll do it, only because you asked me to. But don`t be surprised if Kellie doesn`t send you a Christmas card this year."

"I`ll take my chances," Russ said. He then summoned Anita back into the office and they planned more of the logistics of her team`s visit and training time.

Later that evening Brad returned home to a very agitated Kellie. "Brad, I`m glad you`re home!" she exclaimed. "I`ve been hearing rumours all day that Anita will be staying in town for a few more weeks! Please tell me it`s not true!"

Brad`s face fell. "Sorry Kellie, I have bad news. I have first-hand knowledge that those rumours are indeed true."

"What? What do you mean?"

"I was formally introduced to her at work today. Apparently Anita decided to train with her team in town here for a few weeks to help test the club`s new facilities, for team bonding and stuff like that." Brad sighed. "Russ asked me to help take care of her team while they are here, help arrange their practice schedules and show them around, stuff like that."

Kellie drew her face up into a grimace, and balled up her fists. "Unbelievable!" she yelled. "That... that bitch! She has no place coming here!" She looked thoroughly miserable and nearly vibrated with rage.

"Shh, Kellie, it`s OK," Brad tried to soothe Kellie with his words and his touch, gently holding her and softly running his hand through her hair.

When he thought she had calmed down somewhat, he spoke again.

"Kellie? Can I ask you a question?"

Kellie did not say anything, only nodding for Brad to continue.

"Why does Anita upset you so much? I mean, I know she defeated you quite a few times before last year, and that probably wasn`t fun, but this seems to be so much on a personal level. I don`t get it."

Kellie looked down for a while before making eye contact with Brad. She said, "I guess I never did tell you the whole story, did I?"

Brad thought for a moment before shaking his head no.

"Well," Kellie said, "Anita constantly insulted and threatened me before our matches. She called me every insult she could think of, and she tried to turn the rest of my team against me a few times. She said very cruel and hurtful things, ridiculing me for my difficult family life, and... just so many other things that I can`t even bring myself to say, they hurt so much. I thought maybe I was over it, but seeing her in town the last few days and hearing she`ll be here for some time, it`s just bringing the bad memories, the pain, all of it back. And I hate it, Brad! I hate her, and I hate how that makes me feel!"

Kellie was sobbing now, and it killed Brad a little inside to see her like this. He held her and tried again to soothe her. She nuzzled into his shoulder, looking for support and comfort.

"Honey," Brad said, "everything will be OK. I`ll find out on Monday what their practice schedule is and I`ll tell you so you can arrange your team`s practice times around that. You won`t have to see her at all while she`s here. And yes I`ll have to work with her, but it`s just my job, strictly business. Kellie, we`ll get through this, before you know it she`ll be gone and this will be all over."

He kissed the top of her head and she snuggled even deeper into his strong arms. He lightly ran one hand through her hair and the other down her left shoulder and arm. Before long he heard her breathing slow into a rhythmic pattern. He looked closer at her and, sure enough, she had fallen asleep.

Brad carried Kellie into their bed, being careful not to wake her. He watched her beautiful face as she slept, still holding him tightly in a loving embrace. He kept watching her until he could keep his eyes open no longer, falling into his own deep slumber.

******

She was one demanding guest.

Brad found himself being ran ragged during Anita`s visit. She was a perfectionist and demanded nothing less than perfection from those around her. She wanted to learn about and use all the new facilities, she required different ice conditions so her team could practice different ways, and she wanted the biggest and best of everything and would not take no for an answer. She was seemingly doing her best not to be nasty and overbearing, however, and her presence had the full support of club management so it was hard for Brad to say no. All in all, it made for a lot of long days.

About two weeks in, there was another envelope taped to Brad`s locker. He opened it to find a letter and another envelope, plainly marked and filled with what felt like some moderately heavy papers. After ensuring the coast was clear, he read the letter.

My sexy, sexy Brad.

Each day that passes is agonizingly long and slow without you, yet it brings me one day closer to being in your strong arms. I walk around constantly horny, dreaming of you ravishing my hot little body over and over, me screaming your name in ecstasy as you fuck me and mark me as yours.

I hope these pictures tide you over until I give myself to you as the real thing. Look at them as you imagine plunging your hard cock into my wet pussy and making both our dreams cum true.

Your SEXY Secret Admirer.

"Pictures?" Brad said out loud. Was this really happening? Despite his better judgement, he opened the second envelope.

There were six photos in total, all in black and white, all of a nude woman. Tasteful nudes, yet nudes all the same. The expert use of shadowing and cropping meant that the woman`s face and thus true identity was hidden, but little else was left to the imagination. The woman`s body was lean and strong, yet very feminine. A pair of perky breasts with small button-like nipples sat on top of a tight and finely curved torso. Her legs looked long and finely sculpted, and the pictures taken from the rear displayed a firm young ass and just a hint of the treasure between her legs.

Brad found himself getting aroused. This woman wasn`t Kellie; the body lacked certain defining characteristics of hers that he had known very intimately. And he was pretty sure he would have known if she had gone to a studio and had pictures like these taken of her.

But damn if this woman wasn`t sexy in her own right. She had a similar body type to Kellie, the same type he naturally preferred in women. Lithe and athletic. Curvy in just the right places. Her ass looked particularly scrumptious...

Brad put the pictures down and rubbed his temples, trying to clear his mind. He knew it was wrong to feel this way about another woman. Everything about this was wrong. For a man who usually felt in command of the situations around him, the total lack of control he had over this game this mystery woman was playing with him was the most infuriating thing of all.

Just as Brad was doing a slow burn, Anita poked her head in. "Hi Brad!" she said.

"Huh?!" Brad sat up with a jump. "Oh, Anita, hi. Sorry, you just startled me a bit."

"Sorry about that," she giggled. "Hey, what are you looking at there?"

"What? Oh, it`s nothing," Brad said as casually as he could. He tossed the pictures into his locker and shut it with a bang.

Anita just shrugged and sat down next to Brad. He could detect a faint smell of baby powder and her fruity shampoo. "So what`s on the agenda today?" he asked.

"I`ve decided to give the girls a day off. I`ve worked them pretty hard so far and they could use a little break. Frankly so could I." At this Anita did a full-body stretch, appearing to put her otherwise fully-clothed body on full display. Brad was too polite to stare, but he did cast a sideways glance at Anita while at the same time admonishing himself for doing so.

Anita placed a delicate hand on Brad`s arm as she spoke again. "I just wanted to thank you Brad for your hospitality so far. I know I`ve been pretty demanding and I`ve asked a lot of you, but you`ve done really great work so far."

"Thanks. Just doing my job," replied Brad.

"I still appreciate it though. So does the rest of my team."

"Don`t mention it."

Anita paused and then chuckled a little, saying, "I probably shouldn`t say this without them knowing... but the rest of the girls think you`re pretty cute, Brad!"

Brad blushed and stammered, "Um... well, I... uh..."




Kellie and Brad Ch. 02



Anita then whispered conspiratorially, "You know, I have to agree with them. You`re pretty hot stuff."

"Well, I`m flattered, really," Brad said, recovering his composure and showing the engagement ring on his hand. "But as you can see, I`m already spoken for."

Anita nodded. "You and Kellie, huh?"

"Yeah," Brad answered, looking at Anita warily. "How did you know? I don`t remember mentioning her to you. Did I?"

There was silence for a long time, but it looked to Brad that Anita really wanted to speak her mind. Instead she exhaled and shook her head, eventually saying, "You know what, that`s not really any of my business. I think I`m going to go for a coffee. Thanks again Brad, see you soon."

And with that she was gone. Brad sat still, staring at nothing in particular for several minutes, trying to wrap his head around the conversation. He suddenly wished Anita and her team`s visit would be cut short so his and Kellie`s lives could return to some level of normalcy.

******

This was not what he needed right now.

Anita continued to be insistent on having things done perfectly, her way. That combined with his regular work duties made for long days for Brad. This meant less time for him to spend with Kellie, which made her even more on edge, which, considering her archenemy was in town for so long and how she found that so unnerving, was pretty seriously on edge.

Furthermore, Anita had been making other odd little comments to Brad whenever she had a chance. Dropping hints about the lack of available bachelors in town, and about how much she missed the men in her city neighbourhood. Subtle remarks that hinted at a possible attraction she had for him. Worst of all, she made a few comments that, while perhaps not outright insulting to Kellie, could leave the impression that she thought he could do much better than her. She timed these comments perfectly and never gave him an opportunity to respond. 

And now, at the end of another gruelling day, physically and mentally, there was another envelope taped to his locker door.

Another goddamned envelope.

He tore it off the locker and ripped it open, nearly shredding the letter inside in the process.

Whenever Brad looked back on this chapter in his life, he wondered what would have happened had he just destroyed the letter. Instead, with his heart pounding inside his chest, he read it.

Brad,

The time for playing games is over now. I must have you! This game of seduction has been very pleasing and thrilling for me, but I cannot bear the thought of another day without you. My pussy is on fire, begging for your touch.

I know you are with a woman now, but I also know I can take care of your needs so much better than her. Oh yes, Brad, you may not know my true identity just yet but I know so much about you. And I`ve been much closer to you than you could imagine. I`ve seen the look in your eyes, I know how much you want me, and it only fuels my desire for you.

Don`t deny yourself this ultimate pleasure. Don`t deny me. You know you want this. Let me make your dreams cum true.

Your Secret Admirer

P.S. Look up.

Confused, Brad did indeed look up. His breath caught in his throat.

"Anita," he gasped.

Anita Morriss stood at the entrance, wearing a long trench coat and black high heels. She had a small, seductive smile on her face. Then, with a dramatic flair, she pulled her coat open and let it fall to the floor in a pool around her legs. She was now covered in only a black lacy bra and matching panties that left little to the imagination. She strutted forward towards Brad, who was by now transfixed by the beautiful woman before him; the letter he had read moments earlier had since fluttered softly to the floor. She walked slowly in a circle around him, letting the fingers of one hand trail through his hair. The seductive smile had not left her lips, and she was making a satisfied noise that seemed to be a hybrid of purring and a deeper feline growl.

"Anita, what are you doing?" Brad asked.

She gave him a throaty chuckle. "Isn`t it obvious?"

Not waiting for him to answer, she sat in his lap, straddling him. He could feel his hard-on grow as she rubbed her panty-covered mound on his crotch and ran her hands over his chest.

He gulped and closed his eyes. Suddenly, he understood everything. He was upset at himself for taking so long to clue in, but then again she had laid out her plan so methodically. It was brilliant in a devious way, he supposed.

"You," he finally said as he opened his eyes. "It was you all along, wasn`t it? Sending those packages and leaving these letters for me to read. You did all this."

Anita giggled, bit her bottom lip and nodded her head. "I was wondering if you would ever figure it out before now. In a way I`m glad you didn`t though. Like I wrote, this chase has been a big thrill for me. And now, I have my ultimate prize."

She teasingly licked his cheek and his ear, causing Brad to sigh in pleasure. "So I`m just the goal of your fun little game, am I? Just prey you were seeking to capture?" he asked, his will power diminishing by the second from Anita`s expert seduction.

"Mmmm, you know you can be more than that, big boy," Anita whispered in his ear. "You can be my strong man, my knight in shining armour, and I can be the kind of woman you need, the kind of woman Kellie could only dream of being."

Kellie.

The sound of her name quickly jolted Brad back to reality. He gently yet firmly lifted Anita off his lap and sat her down on the bench. He was quickly up on his feet, pacing and nervously laughing. "Whoa, that was a close one," he said, more to himself than to Anita.

He then said to Anita, "Please listen carefully. I mean no disrespect, and I apologize if I have led you on in some way, though I really don`t think I have. In any case I have very nearly made the biggest mistake of my life. I love Kellie with all my heart, and I can`t risk throwing it all away for anything or anyone. You need to get dressed and stop trying to seduce me."

Anita was frustrated but she hid it as best as she could, trying to turn on the charm again. "But Brad, don`t you find me pretty?" she asked, playfully batting her eyelashes.

"You`re a beautiful woman, Anita. I`m sure you can have any other man you choose. Just not me. These games have to stop."

Her voice was edgy, aggressive. "I don`t think you understand, Brad. I`m the kind of woman who gets what she wants." She stopped herself before she came off as too angry and tried a different tack. She smiled and asked, "What would it take to convince you? Because I would do anything to have you as my lover. Anything at all." She took Brad`s hands and placed one on her left breast, the other on her sex. She humped his hand slowly, back and forth, back and forth, feeling the wetness spread within her. She stared into his deep blue eyes, practically daring him to refuse her offer.

Brad could feel Anita`s arousal, both her diamond-hard nipple and her quickly moistening pussy, through the thin lace of her lingerie. He swallowed and inhaled deeply as his cock twitched and hardened again. It would be so easy to give in to temptation, to indulge his carnal desires and fuck this beautiful woman who was basically throwing herself at his feet.

No. I must resist, he thought to himself. He removed his hands from her body and took two deliberate steps backwards. "I told you, I love Kellie. She`s the only woman for me, now and forever. There`s nothing you can do to get me to cheat on her."

He watched Anita begin to fume, her face growing redder by the second. It wasn`t an attractive look for her, Brad thought. He was starting to see why Kellie held Anita with such disdain.

But then her lips curled into the most devilish smile he had ever seen on anyone in his life. He was completely unsure how to react. Before he could ask her what she was so damn happy about, Anita embraced Brad and kissed him with as much hunger and passion as she could gather. He tried to break the kiss but she would have none of that. She took the lead again, holding on to him tightly and surprising him with her strength. She planted his hands on her ass and kissed him hard again, her tongue parting her lips and seeking entry into his. He barely responded to the kiss, but he didn`t break it either despite the voice in his head screaming at him to do so. His mind was a swirling mass of confusion and bewilderment.

Anita broke the kiss and looked into Brad`s eyes, still sporting the same grin from before, even breaking out into an evil little laugh. He was preparing to ask her just what the hell was going on.

Then he heard a very familiar voice from behind him.

"Brad?"

His eyes grew wide in shock and fear. He slowly turned around to see Kellie. Her lower lip was quivering and tears were rolling down her face.

"Why, Brad? Why?" she asked.

He was dumbstruck. He tried to speak, his mouth made speaking-like motions, but no words came out.

"Answer me, damnit!" Kellie yelled.

Finally he stammered, "Kellie, please... this isn`t what it looks like... I can explain..." He cringed at his own words, hating how weak and goddamned clichéd they sounded.

"Shut up, Brad! Just shut up! God damn you, you bastard! I never want to see you again!!" Kellie ran out of the room, sobbing all the way.

Brad ran into the hallway. "No, please Kellie, come back! Don`t go!" It was too late. Kellie was gone.

He walked in a daze back into the locker room and slumped on to the bench. He then felt Anita`s hands trailing over him again and heard her say in a seductive voice, "Well, looks like we`ll have time to play after all."

He didn`t feel arousal this time. Only burning, white hot fury.

"Get out," he said in a dead flat tone.

"Oh, I think we both know you don`t really want me to..."

"I SAID GET OUT!!" In a flash Brad stood up and whirled around, adrenaline coursing through his veins. He saw Anita put her hands in front of her in a defensive stance, and as he wondered why he realized his right fist was cocked back, ready to strike. This made him even angrier, and without thinking he turned and drove his fist into a metal locker with all his might, connecting partly with the door but more with the hard, unyielding frame surrounding it.

The pain was blinding, searing. He howled in agony. He didn`t even notice Anita pick up her coat and run away as fast as she could.

The anger drained from Brad, and all that was left was the pain of his mangled hand, which was nothing compared to the pain of his broken heart. He collapsed to the floor and wept bitterly.

******

He found him there about an hour later.

Russ had just finished meeting with Anita and her team. Anita had announced they were cutting their visit short immediately, two weeks early. Russ was concerned that this would reflect badly on the club as a whole, and more specifically his job performance. She assured him that they had no problem with the club or its employees and enjoyed their stay, but otherwise she was very vague about their reasons for leaving. After they left Russ decided he needed to find Brad to see if he could shed some light on the situation.

After a few minutes of searching Russ found Brad in the employees locker room. He was stunned at what he saw. There was a massive dent in one of the lockers. Brad was slumped on the floor and looked to be in a wretched state. One of his hands was bloody, broken and swollen to twice its normal size.

Russ managed to get Brad up and immediately drove him to the local hospital. En route, he asked, "Brad, what happened?"

Silence.

"Anita just told me her team had decided to leave now. Do you know anything about this?"

More silence.

"Brad, I really wish you would..."

"I don`t want to talk about it right now, Russ."

Russ suddenly felt very uncomfortable and decided to stop his inquiries for now. He drove the rest of the way to the hospital without saying another word.

After being told Brad would have to wait overnight to have an X-ray and surgery scheduled Russ went home for the night. He got a phone call the next night from the hospital`s head nurse who told him Brad`s surgery was done and he was being released, and since he helped admit him to the hospital would he please pick him up as well. Russ was even more curious now but he knew something had to have gone badly wrong if he instead of Kellie had to get Brad.

He found Brad in the waiting area, a large cast on his hand but otherwise looking just as miserable as before. Russ was about to speak but Brad interrupted him.

"Russ, I apologize for being rude to you yesterday, but in my defense, it was the worst day of my life. I promise I`ll tell you all I can but not right now. It hurts too much. Also, if I could crash at your place for a while I would appreciate that. I have nowhere else to go."

"What about Kellie, Brad?"

Brad just shook his head. "I can`t go back there," was all he could say.

It hurt Russ to see his friend so depressed so he agreed to let him use his guest bedroom until things got sorted out. He also allowed him to use a short-term medical leave from work as he would not be able to do much with a broken hand.

Brad barely spoke two words over the next couple days. That second evening, Russ, out of great concern, said, "Brad, I don`t want to force you, but it might help at least a little to talk about what happened."

Brad looked totally defeated. He sighed heavily and finally decided to tell his long-time boss and friend what happened. "Anita tried to seduce me."

Russ nodded. He had some suspicions, and this just confirmed that at least one of them were true. He tried to keep an open mind and not judge his friend until he finished the story.

Brad continued. "Remember all those packages and letters? She sent them all. It was part of her whole plan or game or... whatever. She finally revealed everything to me... almost literally... that night. I guess it was that same night she later told you they were leaving early. Anyway, the really scary part is it almost worked. Anita looked so hot and was pushing all my buttons, I damn near fucked her right then and there. But I resisted because I wouldn`t be able to live with myself if I cheated on Kellie. Kellie`s the best thing that ever happened in my life... you know that Russ, don`t you?"

Russ nodded again.

"And you believe me, right? You believe that I`m telling the truth when I say I didn`t cheat on Kellie, right?"

"Yes, Brad, I do believe you, absolutely."

"Thanks Russ. Anyway, all of a sudden Anita just kisses and gropes me out of the blue. I`m so shocked I don`t react. I just stand there like an idiot letting her do whatever the hell she wanted. It just happened that at that very moment, Kellie walked in." Brad started to sob and choke at this point. "She thought I was kissing Anita for real. Then Kellie... she... told me she... never wanted to see me again."

Wow, Russ thought as Brad bowed his head and sobbed harder. This was bad. Real bad. He took a couple of deep breaths before speaking. "Brad, I`m here for you. I`ll help you any way that I can." He didn`t know what else to say.

Brad looked up and nodded. He appreciated the support from Russ. But unless something drastic happened, he figured it was going to be a long time before he would recover from these deep emotional scars. If he ever would.

******

She was despondent.

Kellie missed having Brad around. Even with everything that had happened, she genuinely missed having him at her side. They had been through so much and did everything together. She felt his absence most keenly at night, when she was in bed; there was now open space where he had usually slept peacefully. She missed feeling his body heat keeping her warm under the covers. And, if she was being completely honest with herself, she missed the sex, too.

But every time she thought briefly about asking him to come back, and every time she saw his cell number or Russ`s number on the caller ID screen of her phone, her mind turned back to the sight of him making out with a half-naked Anita, and she became angry all over again. Bad enough that he could so casually toss away their relationship for some cheap sex. But with Anita! That witch! Kellie knew she could never forgive Brad for such a betrayal.

In the days afterwards, Kellie`s curling teammates and best friends had called her on the phone every day, asking and even begging her to either visit them or let them visit her, just so she could talk about it and maybe find a way to emerge from her funk. Kellie had successfully rebuffed them every time. She looked and felt a mess, her eyes red from constant crying, and she simply did not feel like moving on at this point.

This continued until a week later, when that evening Kellie heard the doorbell ring at the front door. At first she didn`t move, but whoever was at the door was insistent and would not take the hint. Reluctantly, she got up to answer the door. There stood her three teammates; Jennifer Janik, the vice-skip, Sandra Morgan, the second, and Jennifer`s younger sister Amber, the lead.

"Alright, skip," Sandra said, using their preferred nickname for Kellie," enough moping around and living like a hermit. We`re going to have a girls night in!"

"Oh I don`t know girls, you don`t really want to be around me, I`m not much fun right now," Kellie replied.

"Sorry skip, it`s all decided, we`re not taking no for an answer!" Jennifer said.

Amber excitedly chimed in, "Look! We got snacks and chick flicks! Come on, it will be great!"

Kellie relented and the three young ladies piled in to the house, giggling along the way. All four of them stuffed themselves with popcorn and laughed themselves silly during the movies. For the first time in a long while Kellie forgot about her troubles and had fun with her three best friends in the world. She did notice Jennifer looking at her smart phone and texting throughout, but she didn`t think much of it at the time as Jennifer was always playing with that darned thing.

After the second movie was finished, Jennifer checked her phone again and gave a small nod to Amber and Sandra. There was an awkward pause as the room grew quiet, before Sandra spoke up. "Skip, we need to talk..."

"There`s nothing to talk about," Kellie interrupted, knowing exactly what they were trying to do.

The other three ladies looked at each other, unsure of how to proceed. Jennifer looked at the other two with a nod and a look that said, I`ve got this.

She turned to Kellie and said, "Skip, we know what happened. We know the whole story about you and Brad, and Anita. More than you realize, actually."

Kellie was incredulous. "What?! How?! That`s impossible! I never told you what happened, but even if I did it doesn`t matter. I was there! I saw everything!! There IS no more to the story!! Brad`s a cheating bastard and that`s it!!"

Jennifer knew how furious Kellie was. If the plan she worked out with Amber and Sandra didn`t come off, there was no telling what their future held. They knew they had something special with Kellie, both in the strength and success of their curling exploits, but more importantly in their combined friendship, which had been tested at times but was now truly deep and long-lasting. Now their leader was in need and they had to be there for her. Despite Jennifer`s youth, she had a real self-confident attitude, and she used this belief to do what she and her other teammates knew needed to be done.

"Skip, do you trust us?"

Kellie eyed Jennifer, Sandra and Amber warily as she wondered what they were up to. She sighed and said, "Yes Jen, I trust you, I trust all of you, but..."

That was all Jennifer needed to hear. "Awesome! Just a sec, OK?" She sent another text message, and just a couple of minutes thereafter came a knock on the door. Kellie was confused as Jennifer told her, "It`s OK skip, I`ll get it."




Kellie and Brad Ch. 02



Jennifer went to answer the door and returned with a guest. Kellie recognized her. She was Heather Nelson, the lead player for Anita`s team and a good friend of Jennifer. Kellie never raised any objections to Jennifer being friends with someone from Anita`s team, especially since Jennifer and Heather were friends before Jennifer even met Kellie. But under these circumstances it didn`t feel appropriate for Heather to be here.

"Heather," Kellie said, "I mean no disrespect, but... why are you here? I don`t think it`s right, what we`re talking about is none of your business."

Jennifer opened her mouth to speak but Heather stopped her and spoke instead. "No offense taken, Kellie. Thing is, your teammates, your friends, they asked me to be here. I have something that they, and I, think you need to hear."

She reached into her purse, produced a small Dictaphone and handed it to Jennifer, who turned to her skip and said, "Kellie, what you do and the decisions you make in your personal life are normally none of our business. But this whole situation affects us all, and we think that, before you make any final decisions about you and Brad, you should have all the information possible to help you make the right ones."

Before Kellie could say anything else, Jennifer pressed play on the recording device. Kellie heard what sounded like a conversation between Heather and Anita. She guessed Heather had recorded it without Anita`s knowledge or consent. She listened closely once the initial small talk had finished.

Heather: "So what`s really going on, Anita? Why are we leaving tomorrow?"

Anita: "Ugh, haven`t you had enough of this shitty one-horse town?"

Heather: "Well, I do miss being home... but that doesn`t answer my question."

Anita: "Alright, if you must know. I had other reasons for coming here besides team building."

Heather: "Why am I not surprised? It wouldn`t have had anything to do with the guy from the curling club helping us out, would it?"

Anita: "Maybe. He`s pretty fucking sexy, isn`t he?"

Heather: "Well, yes he is, but Brad`s engaged. Jennifer told me about him and Kellie a while ago, and besides, that ring on his finger is a dead giveaway."

Anita: "Heather, you know I don`t allow fraternizing with the enemy..."

Heather: "Jeez, Anita, we`ve talked about this..."

Anita: "Besides, girl, you honestly think I didn`t notice the ring?"

(Pause)

Heather: "OK, if you knew that, then what were you trying to pull?"

Anita: "Trying to fuck the shit out of Brad! Duh!"

Heather: "Even though he`s engaged?"

Anita: (sighing) "What are you, a prude? Besides, who do you think a red-blooded male would really prefer? That nerd Kellie, or me?"

Heather: "Well, in case you noticed, I`m not a guy, so..."

Anita: "OK, whatever. Anyway, I had the whole thing planned. I sent a bunch of gifts to their house and then to the club. Once we were there I left him some secret admirer letters, and in one I included some of those nude pictures I had done..."

Heather: "That`s cold."

Anita: "... then finally I figured he`d be begging for me. I saw him in the employee locker room and got down to my bra and panties. He looked so fucking hot and delicious, I wanted to do him right there and then. I was putting all my best moves on him. But he didn`t take the bait! Can you believe that?"

Heather: "Hmmm, well you do usually get any man you go after, `cause you are kind of a..."

Anita: "Shut up, I know! But he was all like I can`t cheat on Kellie, she`s the only woman for me, I love her so much... puh-leeze! He must be just as big a nerd as she is!"

Heather: "So just because you struck out, we`re leaving?"

Anita: "No, just shut up for a second, damnit, and listen! It actually worked out in the end, I couldn`t believe my luck! Just as I was about to leave and try again another day, Kellie comes walking in! So I kiss Brad and he`s just stunned! Doesn`t move a muscle. It was kind of like kissing a wax dummy, actually, since he didn`t do anything back, but let me tell you, the look on Kellie`s face was priceless!"

Heather: "And what does that accomplish, exactly?"

Anita: "Oh come on Heather, do I have to spell it out for you? Even if Kellie just thinks Brad cheated on her, she`ll dump him and be a complete mess! Then our biggest competition will be out of the way and we`ll win the national championship again, hands down! Don`t forget the big picture here, that`s what it`s all about."

Heather: "Uh... yeah. Yeah of course."

Anita: (sighing again) "Too bad in a way, I really wanted to fuck him, he looked like he had a big cock and I haven`t been properly laid in a good couple months. But I achieved the main goal here. You`ll thank me later. I tell you, Kellie will be such a wreck she might never throw a rock properly again. Then everyone will know last year was a fluke and that I`m the best curler in the world and we`re the real team to beat!"

The rest of the conversation was inconsequential. After a few seconds of static Jennifer stopped the recording.

Kellie was stunned. She realized what that recorded conversation really meant. Brad was obviously too shocked by everything that happened to properly explain himself that day, but he really had been faithful to her all along. And she told him she never wanted to see him again! Now what? She sat down on her chair, hands over her eyes, and mumbled, "My god, what have I done?"

Heather then spoke. "Kellie, I wouldn`t be so hard on yourself. You got played by a manipulative, vindictive bitch. I`ve seen it happen before, you`re not the first and you probably won`t be the last."

Kellie looked up, smirked and shook her head.

"Besides," said Jennifer, "if the love you and Brad have for each other is as strong as we think it is, you two will get back together, put this whole mess behind you and become even stronger for it."

Kellie nodded as a single tear ran down her cheek. She realized they were right. She knew what she had to do, but there was one question she needed answered first.

"Heather, can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"What made you decide to do this? I`m just curious. I mean, I`m glad you`re doing it, don`t get me wrong..."

Heather interrupted, "It`s OK, Kellie. Jennifer`s a really, really good friend, and seeing what Anita was doing and how it would affect you and Jennifer and Amber and Sandra, I just couldn`t sit idly by and do nothing. Jennifer would have never forgiven me, and rightly so. Also I guess I`m just tired of Anita`s attitude. I mean, I want to win, for sure, I`m a competitor like you all are, and winning is very important to me. But not like this. Not this way."

"You know, Anita will probably kick you off the team for this."

Heather shrugged. "I`ve kind of come to terms with that. If she does, fine. If she doesn`t... hell, I might just quit anyway. Besides... I`m not sure whether I had a choice in the matter."

"What do you mean, Heather?"

"Well... Jennifer kind of made me tell the rest of you once I told her..."

Kellie looked at Jennifer. "And how did you manage that?"

Jennifer and Heather looked at each other with strange expressions on their faces. Kellie laughed and said "Actually, you know what? Never mind, I don`t need to know."

Jennifer and Heather sighed in relief at the exact same time, which made everyone laugh heartily.

Kellie hugged Heather and each of her teammates in turn. Eventually they all formed a big group hug. Kellie spoke to Heather first. "Thank you so much, Heather. You don`t know how much this means to me. You didn`t have to but you decided to do the right thing and reveal the truth. Because you decided to help me I`ll be able to get my life back in order. You`re obviously a special person, and any friend of Jennifer is a friend of mine."

"Mine too!" Sandra and Amber chimed in. Jennifer just smiled brightly.

Kellie then addressed her teammates directly. "And thank all of you, Sandra, Amber and Jennifer. You`re the best friends a girl could have, I don`t know what I`d do without you."

"Anytime, skip. We love you. We`ll always have your back, right girls?" Jennifer said, and Sandra and Amber enthusiastically agreed.

Kellie checked the time and said, "Thanks again girls, I love you too, all of you. But now I have to kick you girls out!"

Jennifer, Sandra, Amber and Heather all groaned.

Kellie smiled. "Sorry, but it`s getting late, and I`ll need a good night`s sleep so I can be well-rested enough to get my man back tomorrow!"

The women all cheered in delight.

******

It was an unfamiliar feeling for him.

For the first time in his life, Brad wished he could be anywhere on earth but the curling club.

Russ and his other friends at work had been a great source of support, but Brad knew some of them were too young or immature to understand. They had been telling him it was better to be single and play the field, and that he`d find another girl who would want to screw his brains out. But he didn`t want another girl. He wanted his soul mate back. He wanted Kellie. At least Russ, god love him, understood what he was going through. He talked to Brad at length trying to help him and give him any kind of advice he thought might help, and he allowed his friend to stay with him until he got back up on his feet and to take as much time as he needed before returning to work.

But Brad became bored and restless moping around Russ`s house all day. Kellie never answered any of his phone calls, and there was nothing for him to do during the day except watch lousy TV and wallow in his self-pity. He didn`t know if he`d be able to do anything constructive with his busted hand, but he figured anything was better than being enclosed by the four walls of Russ`s guest room.

Coming back to the scene of the "crime", however, felt more and more like a big mistake. He kept replaying the events of that fateful day in his head, over and over, until he was nearly emotionally overwhelmed.

He shook his head as if trying to empty it of its bad memories. He reached to open his locker and fumbled with the lock for a minute before realizing he was using his useless broken hand to do so. He sighed heavily.

Then he heard a very familiar voice from behind him.

"Hi Brad."

He turned around to see her, and his eyes brightened immediately. "Kellie!" he exclaimed, barely able to contain his happiness.

Kellie was about to speak, but first she noticed the cast on his hand and wrist. "Brad, what happened to your hand?" she asked with concern.

Brad`s face went red with embarrassment. "You`ll probably just laugh."

"Brad, I promise I will do no such thing. Tell me. Please."

He looked at her eyes focusing in on him, and knew he could not refuse her request. "After you left, she tried to seduce me again," he said while hanging his head, not wanting to say Anita`s name out loud. "I don`t know, maybe she figured if you thought I was cheating I might as well get my money`s worth. Anyway, I just couldn`t believe she had the nerve to do that after what she just did to me... I mean, to us. It just made me real mad, so I almost drilled her. That made me even more mad, and... I don`t know, I guess I just lost my mind. I punched the hell out of this," he said, pointing to the dented locker, "and broke my hand. Busted it up big-time."

He then looked up and said with a rueful smile, "Pretty smart, huh?"

"Oh, you poor baby!" replied Kellie. She tenderly kissed his hand all over, and it filled his heart with love for her all over again.

A naughty smile then crept over her face. "You know, I kind of wish you did drill her."

"Kellie! That`s not very nice!"

"Come on, Brad, you know you like it."

"I do, it`s kind of hot actually."

They looked at each other for a second and then laughed over their flirty conversation. Brad was filled with hope; it looked like things really would be OK after all. But he wanted to be sure.

"So," he asked, "you`re not mad at me anymore?"

Kellie locked her eyes on him. "No, Brad. I know the whole truth of what happened, and I know you were faithful to me. In fact, I think I need to ask for your forgiveness."

"What? Kellie, you cannot be serious."

"I am, Brad. I jumped to conclusions, and I didn`t trust you. I should have known better, that you would never intentionally do anything to hurt me. I`m sorry."

"Well, I can`t blame you, it must have looked for all the world that I really was going to have sex with her. She tried to break me down, and... oh god Kellie I can`t lie, it almost worked."

"But it didn`t. She tried to seduce you, she`s probably good at it too, she`s pretty on the outside and she always seems to get what she wants. But she didn`t get you. You stayed strong, you resisted and you proclaimed your love for me. You proved to me again how good a man you are and how right I was to give my heart to you."

"I still made a big mistake in how I handled this situation. I wasn`t very smart and I put myself in a bad position. I should have realized what she was doing earlier and stopped it before it got as far as it did. I almost cost us everything. Can you forgive me?"

"Yes, absolutely I forgive you."

"Will you take me back, Kellie? I want to be with you and only you, and I`d do anything to hear you say yes."

"Yes, Brad, please come back to me, I want you more than anything in the world!"

Kellie reached up on her tiptoes to plant a kiss on Brad`s lips. The two hugged each other passionately.

"I love you, Bradley Galenchuk."

"And I love you, Kellie Ferguson."

Kellie snuggled into Brad`s neck, realizing just how much she missed being wrapped up in his strong body and how safe it made her feel. Brad stroked the small of Kellie`s back, recognizing how much he missed the feel of her soft skin and how he could feel her breathing when their bodies were pressed tightly to each other.

Brad asked, "So how did you figure out nothing happened with Anita and me?"

Kellie looked up at Brad and replied, "I won`t lie, I had a little help. A lot of help, actually. I`ll explain later. Let`s just say that getting you to sleep with her was just a secondary goal."

Brad nodded, satisfied for now with waiting for a full explanation, and at the same time knowing exactly what Kellie`s last statement meant. "I can`t believe she`d stoop so low just to put you off your game."

"I can`t believe that little hussy almost got away with it!"

"Well, we`re going to make sure she goes oh for three," Brad said as he kissed Kellie on the nose. "Aren`t we?"

"What do you mean?"

"Simple. She didn`t get me to cheat on you. That`s strike one. She didn`t break us up and she won`t knock you off your game. That`s strike two. Strike three is going to be when Amber, Sandra, Jennifer and you prevent her from getting what she wants the most, winning the nationals."

A look of determination was now on Kellie`s face. "Damn right, Brad. Trust me, the girls and I will be ready and we`re going to make sure we do everything possible to win. That witch won`t know what hit her!"

"You go, girls! I`m proud of you, Kellie!"

Kellie nodded. The naughty smile she wore earlier returned.

"There`s something else, Brad," she cooed.

"Oh really? And what`s that?"

Kellie let go of Brad, walked to the door and closed it. She made her way back in front of Brad and sat him down on the bench. She then swayed her hips in a sensual dance, enjoying the surprised yet lustful look on his face. She removed her shirt and gave him an eyeful of her cleavage, enhanced by the push-up lacy bra she was sporting. She then faced away from him and slowly wiggled her jeans over her hips and down her legs, revealing a pair of sexy pink panties. She turned back and looked at him, a low moan escaping her lips as she fondled and shook her ass for her man. Kellie knew how much Brad loved her ass, and she loved teasing him with it, knowing he was staring at her with hungry eyes.

Brad loved the show Kellie was putting on for him, appreciating it even more than usual knowing how close he thought he was to losing her forever. He was by now uncomfortably tight in his jeans, so it was a relief when she undid his belt buckle and pulled his jeans and boxers down and off. His erection bobbed up and down with intent. He knew that somehow in the course of their relationship he helped unleash a wild side in her that neither of them knew existed, and he was about to enjoy some of the fruits of that discovery.

"Brad, I want you to tell me something," Kellie purred in her sultriest voice.

"Yes, Kellie?"

She leaned in closer to him and whispered in his ear. "Someone could walk through that door and catch us at any time. You know that, right?"

He nodded.

"It makes me feel so naughty."

Brad shivered with desire.

"Do you want to help me be naughty, Brad?"

"God, yes!"

Kellie removed her bra and panties, showing off all her womanly treasures. She straddled his lap and teased him some more by grinding on his leg, taking his rock hard member in her hand and stroking it lovingly. He grunted his approval and reached down with his good hand to feel the entrance to her womanhood dripping wet. He deeply inhaled her rich feminine scent, coming from her hot pussy and the wet, sticky spot she was leaving on his thigh.

Brad tried to pick Kellie up but ended up fumbling a bit because of his broken hand. He sighed in frustration, so horny he couldn`t stand it yet part of his body letting him down at the crucial moment.

Kellie stifled a giggle and said, "You poor dear, here, honey, let me help." She raised her hips up and adjusted her body until her slit was lined up with his hard shaft. She sank herself down on it and both lovers groaned with intense pleasure. She rocked up and down slowly at first as they took the time to kiss and hold each other tight. Before long however, their passions inflamed and Kellie quickly bounced on his member as Brad drove up into her on her downward strokes.

Feeling a sudden burst of energy Brad stood up and supported Kellie`s weight with his good hand and his other forearm. She quickly took the hint and wrapped both her arms and her powerful legs around him. From that position Brad thrust into Kellie`s tight entrance with all his strength. She squealed in delight as this new stance was hitting all the right spots.

"Oh yeah Brad, keep doing that, god that feels so good!"

"Kellie my sweet baby, I`m going to cum soon!"

"Yes, me too, honey, please give it to me!"

A few more strokes was all it took before Brad could hold back no longer. His orgasm erupted inside Kellie, hot strands of cum firing deep into her channel. She let out a joyful scream as her own climax shuddered through her beautiful body. They collapsed back down on to the bench, breathing heavily and clinging tightly to each other. Their eyes locked together and they stayed in that position for some time, kissing and silently enjoying the moment they came together as lovers again.

Before long Brad felt himself getting aroused again. Kellie could feel his erection grow and harden until it was poking her stomach.

"Mmmm, is this for me, baby?" she breathed.

"Yes, baby, it`s only for you."

She took his good hand and let him slide a finger into her moist entrance. "Feel how wet I am, baby? It`s all you, always for you."

She cradled his face in her hands as they kissed. He broke the kiss to take one of her breasts in his mouth. He kissed and sucked on it and toyed her nipple gently with his teeth. "Yes!" she hissed and bit her lower lip. She offered him her other breast and he happily obliged, giving it the same treatment as the first.

Kellie was too worked up for a slow session of lovemaking. "Oh god Brad I need you inside me!" she squealed.

Brad was only too happy to oblige. He laid her down on the bench, took hold of his dick with his good hand and aimed it at her wet slit. He sunk inside her depths again and marveled at the heavenly sensations. She locked her legs in a vise-like grip around his torso and plunged him further inside.




Kellie and Brad Ch. 02



"God, Kellie you`re so tight and hot, it feels good, so good!"

"Yes Brad, you fill me up so good! Do me hard! Don`t stop!"

"Oh baby you`re so beautiful!"

"My sexy stud!" Kellie grinned mischievously. "Tell me how nice my ass looks!"

Brad groaned and felt his hard-working cock twitch even more at her words. "Mmmm, Kellie, your ass is the sexiest ever, no woman has an ass like you!" He felt and squeezed her ass with his good hand and pounded into her harder.

She yelped in elation as his loving yet relentless manhood driving deep inside her.

"Oh god I`m going to cum again!" she yelled.

"Yes baby cum for me!"

Kellie`s juices coated his shaft. Her powerful orgasm rocked her body. Brad kept pumping into her as she rode out the aftershocks, until soon wave after wave of his seed shot out of him and flowed inside her.

They were still breathing hard when the door opened.

It was Russ. "Brad, there you are, I..." he started before realizing what was going on. "Oh! Shit!" he said in shock.

Kellie`s mouth opened wide and she clapped her hand to it in surprise. Brad blushed and said, "Uh, hi boss!" Not wanting to let go of Kellie, he reached down to the floor and quickly managed to grab her shirt so she could at least partially cover herself.

"I`m sorry, I should have knocked, jeez I`m so sorry," Russ apologized profusely, shielding his eyes so he could stop staring at the sexy scene before him.

Brad tried to break the tension. "Um, can you give us a couple minutes, Russ?"

"What? Oh. Yes, of course."

Russ turned to walk out. Then he stopped and said, without turning around, "Oh, and, uh, it`s good to see you two back together again." He finally left and closed the door on his way out.

Brad and Kellie looked at each other. The tension broke and they laughed heartily. Reluctantly they let go of each other and got dressed.

As they kissed goodbye Brad gave Kellie`s butt a firm squeeze. "Do you think when we get home tonight we can pick up where we left off?"

Kellie grinned and traced her finger over Brad`s chest. "I think that can be arranged."



Kellie and Brad Ch. 03



AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is the third chapter to a multi-part story, I would suggest reading Chapters 1 and 2 before this one to understand the whole story. Many thanks to those who have read, voted and commented on the first two chapters of this story. Special thanks to Mostera1, who has provided encouragement to continue and the spark for story ideas, some of which show up in this chapter, and others that will appear in later instalments. Please enjoy.




She felt they were at the top of their game.

After a short break to celebrate the Christmas holidays, Kellie, Jennifer, Sandra and Amber gathered at the curling club to resume preparations for the upcoming women's curling Canadian championship. They were in the homestretch, with only seven weeks to go until the tournament began. One of the unique benefits of Kellie's team winning the championship last year was gaining automatic qualification to the next year's tournament as "Team Canada" without having to navigate through difficult provincial playdowns. They would have to adjust to a different training schedule than normal, but Kellie had a plan that she felt confident would ensure they all used this lead-up time to their benefit.

"Great job tonight girls! Everyone had good touch on their draw and tapback weight shots tonight. We're in good shape for next week," Kellie said, full of praise for her teammates.

"Thanks skip, but I can't wait for the Skins Game at the end of the month, that's gonna be so much fun!" Amber chirped excitedly.

Kellie smiled. "I appreciate the enthusiasm, Amber, but first things first. We need to focus on what's happening now and not look too far ahead, that's the only way we'll be successful."

"You're right, skip. Don't worry, I'll be ready."

"It's hard not to get too excited, I have to admit," Sandra chimed in. "We're playing well, we're the defending champs, what's not to like?"

"We can't get overconfident though. When we start thinking 'we're all that', that's when we're going to get knocked down a peg or two," replied Jennifer. "Curling's funny that way."

They all nodded at her words of wisdom.

"Other than keeping focused and in control of ourselves and our game, we really only have one other problem right now. Where are we going to find another alternate?" Kellie asked.

The room fell silent as the four teammates contemplated the issue. All curling teams are permitted to carry a spare player, or an alternate. The player who had filled that role in past years had moved out of province to accept a new career opportunity, and the team struggled to fill the vacancy. The candidates they had considered were either unavailable or, for whatever reason, not the right fit. This was not a trivial concern, because if one of the players were to be injured (heaven forbid that were to happen, Kellie often thought), they would need someone who could step in to take her place without missing a beat.

High-pitched electronic beeping broke the quiet. "That's my cell, just a sec girls," said Jennifer. Kellie could only shake her head; it seemed that, other than during curling practice or games, that device was welded to her third's hands and head.

Jennifer spoke into her cell phone while her teammates stood by to hear the one-sided conversation. "Hello?... Hey Heather, how you doin' girl?... I'm great, just finished practice with the rest of the team... Yep, Kellie, Sandra, Amber, they're all still here... Oooh, I love it when you have news, girl! Come on, spill it!... Oh really?... OK hang on a minute, I'll put you on speakerphone."

Jennifer turned to her teammates and said, "Heather says she has news we all need to hear."

"OK," replied Kellie, "enough with the suspense, let's hear it." Sandra and Amber nodded in agreement.

Jennifer pressed a couple buttons on her phone. "Go ahead Heather."

"Hey Kellie, Sandra, Amber, can you hear me?" The voice on the other end was a little tinny but otherwise pretty clear, all things considered.

"Sure can, Heather, now what's this big news you have?" asked Kellie.

"I've been kicked off Anita's team."

The news wasn't entirely surprising to Kellie, considering how Heather already stuck her neck out to help reveal the truth about Brad's faithfulness to Kellie and resistance to Anita's advances, but it was a bit of a shock all the same.

Before she could ask what happened, however, Jennifer rather snapped at her friend. "Jeez, about time! You told me you were going to quit before Christmas!"

"Please don't be mad, babe, I'm sorry I waited so long!"

The exchange struck Kellie as rather strange. She looked at Jennifer with a raised eyebrow. Jennifer just shrugged and decided to quickly proceed in the hope it would cover for that awkward passage. "That's OK, you got it done, I'm still proud of you!" she told Heather.

"So tell us how it happened!" Sandra demanded.

Heather chuckled. "I'm sure this won't come as a surprise to you, but Anita's been on a rampage since we got back, she's been so angry and impatient with everyone. So yesterday we're practicing, and yet again she turns another routine disagreement into a big argument. She's in my face yelling, so I just snapped and told her how I taped that conversation and played it for you, Kellie, and as a result you got back together with Brad. Well, Anita was so enraged I think she turned purple! She hauled off and slapped me right in the face, called me a traitor and told me to get out."

The four team members gasped at this revelation. "Holy hell!" Jennifer exclaimed out loud. "What did you do in response?"

"Nothing. I just smiled and walked out the door."

"Nice!" Amber said, echoing what the others were thinking; Heather's response was perfect.

Kellie let this new development sink in for a moment, and then a broad grin spread across her face. It would be a rare chance to turn the tables on Anita by playing a mind game of her own, and she didn't think she could pass up the opportunity. She also thought the others would enjoy having Heather as part of the team, especially Jennifer. A win-win situation all around.

She looked at each of her teammates and asked quietly, "Hey girls, are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

It took a moment for the others to register, but when they did their approval was instantaneous. "Yeah, awesome, great idea skip!" they replied in unison.

"Hey, what's going on, what are you all talking about?" Heather asked.

"Heather, we have a proposal for you," Kellie said. "Our alternate had to move out of province a few weeks ago, so we have an opening on our team. Now, unfortunately you won't see as much playing time as you had with Anita, but otherwise you'll be a full member of our team in every way. Just take some time to think about it and you can call Jennifer and let her know what you decide, OK?"

"That's OK, I don't need time to think about my decision, skip. I'm in!"

"Great! How soon can you join us?" Jennifer queried.

"How does tomorrow sound?"

"Perfect!"

Jennifer then reached out to hug Kellie. "Thank you skip! This means so much to me, you have no idea how thrilled I am to have Heather on our team."

"Yes, Kellie, I can't thank you enough either, I'll be sure to give you a great big hug tomorrow!" Heather called out over the phone.

"You're welcome girls!" Kellie said. "But I'm not just doing this for you two, you know! I think this will be great for all of us. Right, Sandra and Amber?" The second and lead readily agreed with Kellie's sentiments.

Heather agreed to speak further to Jennifer to work out the details of the switch, any move, travel and/or living arrangements and so on. Once that was taken care of, everyone in the room grinned, one thought clearly on all their minds. It was Amber who gave voice to it.

"How do you think Anita will react when she hears this?"

"I don't know," Heather replied, "but I can't WAIT to find out!"

All five members of the team laughed long and loud. Things were definitely looking up.

******* 

One week later, things were looking up for Brad as well.

He and Kellie were at the hospital. He was sitting patiently in a treatment room, trying to stay still as the young-looking doctor was cutting the cast from his hand. After a few minutes the task was finally complete, and Brad's right hand was free of its plaster prison. He put both hands in front of his eyes, feeling the clamminess of the skin on his right and seeing how it had slightly atrophied compared to the left. He tried to squeeze his right hand shut but winced a little at the pain, unable to close it fully.

"Whoa, be careful, Brad," the doctor spoke up. "The bones have healed well, very well in fact, but the surrounding damaged tissue is still healing, and that will take time, several weeks for sure, maybe even as long as three months in total."

"But I will fully heal, right doc?"

"Oh yes, just make sure you follow the exercise and therapy plan we laid out for you, and soon enough you'll be right as rain. Just don't try to do too much and rush things. I'd hate to see you back in here with more damage and have to go through this all over again. Oh, and one more thing."

"What's that?"

"Try not to punch any more metal lockers."

Brad smirked at his doctor's dry humour. He thanked the doctor, awkwardly using his left arm to shake his hand. He knew it would be a challenge to be patient, but he resolved to try his best to follow the plan properly and otherwise let the healing process take its course.

Kellie and Brad returned home and ate dinner. Afterwards they talked while she packed her suitcase, as she and her team were leaving for the west coast the next day for one of their preparatory competitions.

"You must be glad to finally be out of that cast," Kellie remarked to Brad.

"Very," he answered. "It will still take me a while to get fully back to speed, but at least I'll feel like I'm doing more of my fair share again, both at work and helping out around the home here, instead of just being a spare part."

"Well, you're never just a spare part to me."

"Aw, thanks babe." He got up, kissed her and held her close, resting his forehead against hers. "I'll miss you when you're away."

"I'll miss you too, honey. I wish you could be there with us."

"Me too. But you'll be fine, Kellie, I'm sure you and the girls will play great."

"Thanks Brad. I feel confident we'll do very well."

"You know, I'm still sort of amazed there are all these other tournaments and TV events where you can actually make some money if you do well. It's pretty great, isn't it?"

"Sure is. Our sport has come a long way."

The couple turned quiet. To Brad it looked like there was something else on Kellie's mind that she wanted to say. Smiling, he reached into his left pants pocket, pulled out a penny and showed it to her.

"For your thoughts?" he asked.

Kellie laughed, a sound that always sounded like music to Brad's ears. She took the penny from him and put it in her own pocket, thinking about how silly this gesture was, but also how it was the catalyst that elevated their relationship from tentative dating to one of true love and commitment.

"Brad, you're ridiculous!" she teased. "But I was thinking about the wedding..."

Brad winced, but the smile never really left his face. "I was afraid of that. Maybe I should have kept my mouth shut after all."

Kellie playfully slapped his shoulder. "Stop it, you! I'm trying to be serious!"

"OK, OK, I'll try to behave."

"Alright, well you know it's been almost a year since you proposed, right?"

"Ah yes, I remember it well!"

"Best day of my life so far, Brad. I mean that."

"Mine too, Kellie. Mine too."

Still holding each other close, they kissed. Kellie broke the kiss reluctantly before she melted too far away into Brad's touch, as she wanted to speak her mind before she lost her nerve.

"Anyway, you know how much trouble we've had making all the plans and preparations, dealing with the families and all that, even something as simple as choosing a time and a place."

"Don't I know it! It's one of the few things we can't seem to figure out."

Kellie paused, unsure of what to say next. Her mind raced as she debated how to say what she was thinking, until Brad unwittingly gave her the opening she needed.

Shaking his head, he said, "You know, sometimes I think we should just go down to the courthouse and see the justice of the peace, have a couple close friends each as witnesses and just get it done!"

Kellie gasped. Brad misread her reaction as being upset. He kissed her forehead and softly ran his fingers through her hair. "I'm sorry, Kellie, I know it's a selfish reaction on my part. We can keep discussing this until we work it out. There's no hurry, you know. I'm not going anywhere!"

"Thank you Brad, that's very sweet. Truth is, though, I was going to suggest we do the very same thing."

Brad's eyes widened in surprise. "Really? I thought you wanted a fancy ceremony and a big reception. We still can, you don't have to change your mind just because of what I said. It's your day, I want it to be special for you, and I'll make whatever decisions and compromises I have to just to make sure you're happy."

Kellie shrugged and looked Brad directly in the eye. "I love you so much for being so concerned with what I want, but it's OK, really. I've thought about this for quite a while now. I used to want the big production so I could feel just like a fairy-tale princess, like just about every little girl does. But I've realized now that all the rituals and ceremonial trappings don't really matter to me. Falling in love with you and marrying you in front of my best friends and loved ones is my own fairy tale coming true. It's all I care about and all I need to be happy. I can't wait to be your wife, Brad, and I can't wait to tell the world I married the most wonderful man there is and I will love him forever!"

"Kellie, no matter what kind of ceremony we have, I'll proclaim it from every rooftop in this town if I have to, that I married the most beautiful and special woman in the world, that I love her and will love her until the end of time.

Their hearts were filled with love for each other all over again. The couple kissed tenderly; it was a long, slow, lingering, lovers' kiss.

"You're amazing, Kellie, you know that?" Brad exclaimed as he brushed a tear away from her cheek.

Kellie blushed a little but smiled as she said, "You're pretty amazing yourself!"

Brad reluctantly let go of Kellie to allow her to finish packing. He climbed into bed, and before long Kellie lay down behind him. She gently rubbed his chest, tracing small circles over his well-defined pectoral muscles. He let out a low sigh at the softness of her delicate touch.

"Brad?"

"Yes, Kellie?"

"Will your parents be OK with this?" she asked with a hint of worry in her voice. Kellie had met Brad's parents a number of times and liked them immediately. There was a sense of closeness, belonging and love that she rarely found with her own family. She didn't want to do anything that would upset or disappoint them.

Brad turned to face Kellie and brushed a stray lock of hair from her face. "They'll be fine. Don't worry about them." Brad was naturally a little worried, but he knew he didn't really need to be, it was nothing more than a reflex reaction. He was an only child, and his parents never refused him anything if they could afford it, yet they managed to not spoil him rotten and instilled the positive values in him that he held today. He often thought about how lucky he was to have such loving parents.

So the contrast between his family and hers was jarring. He didn't really want to ask the question, yet he felt compelled to do so. "What about... your family?"

"Ugh!" Kellie exclaimed in disgust, flopping her head on the pillow. She really didn't want to think of her own family at any time, let alone now. Brad immediately felt guilty for bringing this topic up in the first place.

He had only been introduced to both her parents and the aunt and uncle she boarded with when moving to their small hometown one time, at a family gathering that for some reason Kellie felt obligated to attend. He insisted on joining her to provide support even though she said it was not necessary.

The encounter with her parents was very awkward. The father couldn't stop talking about Kellie's brother, who was playing professional hockey in Switzerland, and how, if not for a bad break here and an idiot coach there, he'd be tearing it up in the NHL. The mother raved on and on over Kellie's younger sister, who was also in Europe, studying art at a prestigious university in Paris and doing some modelling on the side. Meanwhile they barely spoke two words to each other, part of the fallout of their difficult divorce, and they made little mention of Kellie or gave even the slightest hint they were proud of her. Nothing she said or did seemed right or good enough for them. Brad couldn't decide whether they were truly mean people or just so wrapped up in themselves and their favoured children that they didn't realize the effect their actions had on Kellie, before deciding he didn't care. The net effect was the same; they were hurting her, and he hated them for it. The aunt and uncle were better, and they seemed to care about Kellie in their own way, but they were standoffish and hard to warm up to.

He remembered being so heartbroken for her when she cried the whole way on the drive back home. He remembered holding her all night, wishing so badly he could do something, anything, to make this pain, this hole in her life, go away. What do you do when the love of your life has a problem that you can do nothing to solve? You feel helpless. Brad felt that way then, and he felt that way now.

"I'm sorry honey. Maybe I shouldn't have brought that up," he said.

Kellie sighed. As much as she hated to admit it, Brad was right to ask the question. It was the elephant in the room, the problem that could not be avoided. "Brad, it's OK. I do have to figure out what to do."

"So what's the plan?"

Kellie thought for a while before just blurting it out. "I'm just going to tell them. I'll call my parents and my aunt and uncle when I get back on Monday. I'm pretty sure Aunt Linda and Uncle Vic will be OK with this. I just hope my parents will be, but I'll tell them that's what we're going to do, regardless."

"And I'll support you, one hundred percent. It will take a lot of courage to stand up to them."

"Don't worry about me. I'm sick and tired of being afraid of my family, especially my parents. It's time I just tell them like it is. Besides, I'm not the meek little mouse I was when you first met me. I have some backbone now, thanks to you. I'm not looking forward to doing this, but as long as I have you, I'll be just fine."

"Kellie?"

"Yes Brad?"

"Have I ever told you you're so sexy when you're confident?"

Kellie rolled her eyes at Brad. "You're such a horndog, you know that?"

Brad pretended to be offended. "What? ME??"

"Don't even try to deny it. I'm on to you!"

"All right, all right. Guilty as charged. It's really your fault though, for being so damn gorgeous! Besides, I think you secretly like it."

Kellie smiled. Then in a flash she took Brad by surprise, straddling him and grabbing his forearms, pinning them down. "I love it, baby," she purred. "And I'll show my horndog how much of a hot little minx I can be!"

Brad couldn't help but laugh at how suddenly Kellie had pounced on him. The laughter soon turned to gasps and pleasurable moans as she kissed his chest and teasingly flicked at his nipples with her tongue. She intensely stared at him as she moved the pads of her fingers down his chest and abs with cat-like grace. His strong, muscled body and his masculine scent turned her on. If not for having to wake up early to make the long drive to the airport, she would have happily let him ravish her body all night long, but that didn't mean she couldn't have a little fun before going to sleep.




Kellie and Brad Ch. 03



She reached down and yanked his boxers all the way off, tossing them into the corner. His erect penis pointed like an arrow to the ceiling. She wrapped her hand around the base of his member and ran her tongue all over the sensitive, mushroom-like head.

"Oh yes baby, just like that!" Brad said, eagerly enjoying Kellie's loving attention. The tight seal her mouth provided and the heat of her breath on his inflamed cock made him even harder.

She started sucking in earnest now, taking more of him in his mouth while jacking him off with her hand. She reached down with her other hand into her panties, fingering her soaked pussy.

"God yes that's so hot! Play with yourself while you suck my cock! Yeah, please don't fucking stop!"

Kellie was getting off on orally servicing Brad, as well as his dirty talk. With her mouth full she moaned in pleasure, and the vibrations rolled over his stiff dick, making him groan in response. Her fingers flew faster across her clit. Her orgasm erupted from deep inside of her seemingly out of nowhere; it came much quicker than she had anticipated.

Brad watched in fascination as Kellie took his cock out of her mouth with an audible popping noise. She leaned to the side, her eyes shut tight, a squeal emanating from her throat, a look of bliss on her face. Her body tensed and her toes curled as the orgasm washed over her. The hand wrapped around his cock never let go, keeping just the right pressure on without squeezing the life out of it. She stayed that way until she was fully ready to finish what she started for her man.

She positioned herself at his groin again, a smirk on her face. With one swift movement she took his manhood in her mouth. Her head bobbed up and down as she sucked him to completion.

"Oh god Kellie, I'm gonna cum!" he yelled.

Kellie took his erect tool out of her mouth and leaned forward over him. She stroked him until he could hold out no longer. He closed his eyes, groaned, and came, strands of semen blasting out of him and coating her chest.

While he recovered she dashed to the bathroom to clean herself up. She returned to hop back in bed and give him a sensual good night kiss.

"Thank you honey, that was awesome. When you get back from showing everyone you're the best curler on the planet, I promise I'll return the favour to you," he murmured, softly nipping at her neck and shoulder.

"Mmmm honey, you know I'd love that," she cooed in reply.

"I love you Kellie Ferguson."

"I love you Bradley Galenchuk."

"Won't be long before I get to call you Kellie Galenchuk."

As she closed her eyes and started to drift to sleep, Kellie said dreamily, "Oooh, I love the sound of that."

*******

January and February were busy months.

Kellie's life during that time revolved around two upcoming events, both of which promised to be momentous occasions in her young life.

One was preparing herself and her team for the defense of their title at the Canadian women's curling championships. She felt very confident of their chances at a repeat success. All of them were healthy, fit and talented at all aspects of the sport.

Kellie had progressed as a skip in many ways, from reading the ice and knowing how different shots would react in different conditions, to knowing different strategies and how and when to use them, to being a team leader and knowing when to push the team and when to back off, when to praise and when to offer constructive criticism.

Jennifer, Sandra and Amber had all improved as well. They better understood what Kellie expected of them and how to execute their skip's game plan. They knew and could play all the shots, and they were all strong sweepers, a critical part of the sport to help ensure shots stayed on track and the rocks ended up in the right spots. Heather had also proven herself to be a talented player, and Kellie was starting to understand her game and where she might fit in when and if she had to include her in the team.

Probably the main reason they felt good about their chances, beyond everything else, was how well the women meshed as a team. Kellie, Jennifer, Sandra and Amber were all close and tight-knit before, but the addition of Heather took the team to that proverbial "next level." Adding Heather turned out to be a terrific decision, even better than everyone had hoped it would be. Jennifer was thrilled to have her very good friend on the same team, and Heather's personality complemented those of Kellie, Sandra and Amber as well. Despite being the alternate and having no guarantee of playing time when it mattered most, Heather was now an integral part of the team, and she was very happy to play any part she could to help the team reach their goals.

Kellie and the team worked out a schedule of practice and warm-up competitions that they felt was best suited to preparing them for nationals. She felt it was important that everyone played and competed enough to be sharp, including getting Heather in game situations just in case, but not so much as to be burnt out or peaking too soon.

Part of their schedule was dictated by their status as champions. They were invited to a couple of exhibition matches, including one which had proved to be very popular during its existence, the Skins Game, where each end was a separate mini-game, and if the team throwing last scored two points or more, or the team throwing first scored at all, that team would win a cash prize, known in this context as a "skin". Traditionally a men's event, for the first time ever the organizing committee saw fit to invite the Canadian women's champions. Kellie and her team were matched up against the current Canadian men's champions in the made-for-TV event. It was a dream matchup of sorts, the first time in living memory that the men's and women's champions faced each other in a competitive game of curling.

Kellie and her teammates enjoyed the experience immensely. It was a game they could treat as fun while at the same time continuing to improve and refine their strategy and approach for when it really counted. The other reason they found this an exciting opportunity was the chance to meet the men's team, who had won world championships and even the Olympics. They were considered to be the best team currently playing and quite possibly the best of all time. They turned out to be very friendly and sportsmanlike people, highly complementary of Kellie and her teammates, and they took the time to talk to them and give them some tips for success, something that Kellie appreciated and cherished very much. Because of the popularity of both teams and the novelty of the event, it drew a large audience both live and on TV, and the fans were treated to some good shotmaking and seeing the lively personalities of the players shine through. 

In contrast, the other events they entered were more intense and competitive. Especially the three competitions where Anita's team also participated. Over the course of those contests, both teams eyed each other warily but otherwise kept their distance and their tongues. The fans and the media wanted to see the consensus two best teams play each other, not only for the potential for a great match at that time but also perhaps for a chance to get some read on what would happen if they met at the Canadian championship. However, due to unforeseen losses by both sides and the quirks of scheduling, Kellie's team never actually faced Anita's at any of these three events, meaning all anyone could do was speculate at what the results of such a matchup would be.

******

Of course, curling, as important as it was to her, wasn't the only thing occupying her mind.

The first weekend Kellie was away with her team to compete in one of their lead-up tournaments, Brad went down to town hall and obtained a marriage licence. When she returned on Monday they scheduled the marriage for the one free weekend on her schedule, one week before nationals, and started to plan out all the other necessary arrangements. They each broke the news to their friends the next morning, who of course knew of their engagement but wondered when they would ever get around to selecting a date. Kellie received many excited squeals and hugs from Jennifer, Sandra, Amber and Heather, while Brad was subject to plenty of handshakes and hearty backslaps from Russ and his other friends and co-workers at the curling club.

That Tuesday night Kellie got down to the business of contacting her family to tell them of the upcoming nuptials. She started with the easy part, e-mailing her brother and sister who were each a half a world away. She didn't know her siblings as well as she liked but they did converse fairly regularly by e-mail, and the exchanges were upbeat and friendly, so she was glad to have that much.

Brad offered to sit with her as she made the calls to her aunt and uncle and her parents, to be there as a visible show of support. But she declined, explaining that this was something she needed to do on her own, and how she didn't want him to think any less of her in case there were arguments and she said something angry and insulting to her parents. He had misgivings about her decision, and thought the idea of him thinking less of her was patently ridiculous; in fact he'd hold her in even higher esteem if she stood up to her selfish parents and gave them a piece of her mind.

But he held his tongue. Something about the way she made the request made him think she would brook no argument with him. She wasn't angry or demanding in any way, but in her eyes he saw a hint of steely determination, one that he often saw when she was competing, but until recently he rarely noticed in her everyday life. She showed it more and more over the course of their relationship, however, and it made him feel proud of her all over again. He marveled over how much Kellie had changed since their first date, all for the positive, and he wondered at what other changes and secrets he would learn about her as time wore on.

He tried different things to pass the time while she attended to her task; reading, watching TV, pacing back and forth. Nothing seemed to work. A couple of times he heard her raise her voice, and it was all he could do to stop from running into the bedroom, taking the phone from her and berating whoever was on the other end. He silently cursed himself at how much he hated the feelings brewing inside him over his lack of control in this situation.

He didn't consider himself to be a domineering man, but he did see himself as a take-charge kind of guy, someone who prefers to be in control and dictate his own fate as much as and wherever he could. The one exception was with women and matters of the heart; it required the encouragement of his friend Russ for him to ask Kellie out on their first date, and he did everything he could to make the relationship he had with her one of equal partners, where love and mutual respect was the rule.

So to say that Brad now found himself in a very uncomfortable position would be putting it mildly. But he respected Kellie's decision and her privacy, so for now all he could do was wait.

And wait. And wait.

She finally emerged, a neutral expression on her face. He took that as a good sign, or at least as good a sign as could be hoped for under the circumstances.

But she didn't say anything for the longest time. She simply looked down, appearing to study her hands to see if she found anything interesting.

He could bear the silence no longer. "Kellie, is everything OK? Do you want to talk about it?"

She looked directly at him, her expression one of world-weariness. With a deep sigh she said, "Brad, I have good news and bad news."

"Well, I'm glad that there is good news."

"Yeah, my aunt and uncle will be there. They said they wouldn't miss it for anything."

"Oh honey, that's... wonderful!"

Kellie couldn't help but notice the hesitation in Brad's voice. "Yes it is, for real. Brad, I know you only met them that one time, and I know they didn't really open up to you as much as you hoped."

Brad tried to choose his words carefully. "They seemed fine, but it was so hard to read them, I couldn't tell if they liked me or not. Heck it was hard for me to tell if they liked YOU or not. I don't know what to make of them."

"Brad, I'll be honest. They are very stoic, it's true. They have real trouble showing their emotions to anyone. It wasn't easy dealing with them sometimes. They don't have any kids of their own, so they had a really hard time relating to me. I don't think they knew what to do with me, especially when I was going through all my teenage angst and the other issues in my life. But they allowed me to move in with them when they didn't have to, and they tried to help me as much as they could, they really did. I realize that now though I didn't see it at the time. They don't always say it or show it as much as I'd like them to, but I know they love me, and I do love them dearly."

Brad kissed Kellie's hand and held it in his hands, massaging it softly. "That's all I need to know. If they love you then they are all right in my book."

"Thanks honey. They are good people."

Kellie grew quiet and serious again. He didn't want to, but Brad knew he had to probe further. "Honey I hate to ask you this, but... there's bad news too. Isn't there?"

She sighed heavily. "Yeah. My parents... they don't know if they will make it."

Brad was incredulous. "What?! Their own daughter is getting married and they don't KNOW if they'll make it?!"

"Well we are breaking this to them a bit suddenly, and they do have their own lives and..."

Brad interrupted Kellie by shaking his head. "No, Kellie, stop it. Please. These people should be moving heaven and earth to be here, not feed you some bullshit line about how they MIGHT grace us with their presence!"

"Aren't you being too hard on them?"

"No way, in fact I'm not being hard enough! I at least understand your brother and sister not making it because they're all the way in Europe and in the middle of obligations they can't just drop out of, though it would be nice if they at least tried. But if your parents don't even make the effort to drive two fucking hours to see you get married then he's a selfish asshole and she's a selfish bitch!"

"Brad, please! They are my parents!"

The continuing mistreatment Kellie's parents inflicted on her, and her seeming acceptance of it, enraged him like never before, and he found himself unable to control that rage. "Then when the FUCK are they going to start acting like it?!" he thundered. "Christ, they've let you down every single fucking time, what makes you think that'll change now?!"

"Brad!"

"Come on Kellie, wake up and smell the damn coffee! They don't give a flying fuck about you and it's about time you figure that out! Fuck them, they can rot in fucking hell as far as I'm concerned!!"

"Brad, you're hurting me!"

Brad snapped out of his fury at those words. During the course of his tirade he had forgotten he had been holding on to Kellie's hand, and found to his horror that he now was crushing it. He let go immediately, and now that the adrenaline was wearing off he felt his own recovering hand pulse and throb with fresh pain. He turned away from her, so disgusted with himself that he felt like throwing up.

"Kellie, I'm so sorry. I don't know what's wrong with me," he whispered.

Despite his harsh words Kellie found it impossible to be angry with Brad. She knew in her mind that he was right, and she recalled the strong stance she had made in outlining her plan to him in how to broach this topic with her parents just a few days ago. But he just couldn't see that her heart wasn't quite ready to let her parents go just yet, not that she expected him to. It wasn't his fault, but his own happy experiences with his family meant he could never really understand what she was going through. 

She tenderly rubbed his back and said, "I think I know what the problem is, it's the same thing as when you broke your hand after that witch Anita tried to put the moves on you. You're so protective of me and when you see someone hurting me it makes you so mad you lash out. I love you so much for it but at the same time I'm worried something will happen one day... and you'll react just the wrong way... and then you'll be taken away from me. It scares me, it really does."

"It scares me a little also at just how easily I lose control of myself when I see you in pain. It brings out this anger in me that I never, ever have otherwise. But I'm also scared that I'll drive you away from me. I just don't want you to think I'm a monster. I've never loved anyone the way I love you, Kellie, and it's bringing all sorts of other emotions and things that I'm trying to cope with. It makes me sick to my stomach that I was careless enough to hurt you while popping off like that. Please forgive me. I almost lost you once and I can't bear the thought of that happening again."

"Brad, you're not a monster. I forgive you, I love you and I'm not going anywhere. This is new territory for both of us. We'll work through these things together and become better people and make our love stronger in the end."

"You're right, honey. I want to go through this process with you. I want to learn more about you and about myself so I can be a better person and be the kind of husband you need me to be."

"Yes, and I want to do the same to be the loving wife you need me to be. Can I tell you something?"

Brad turned to face Kellie. She put her hands into his and looked him squarely in the eye.

"Brad, I need your support and for you to be there for me, but you don't need to save me from danger every time. There will be times when I'll need you to be my hero, but there are some things, like my relationship with my parents, that I need to deal with more on my own. I'm a big girl and I can handle things and stand up for myself."

"OK, Kellie, I promise to respect your wishes. And I want you to know something about me as well. I need you to help calm me down like you're doing now when I get too angry if I think I see someone hurting you. I don't want to hurt myself again, but more importantly I don't want to hurt someone else, especially you. I also need you to promise to let me know when you need my help. You're a strong, independent woman now, and it's fantastic, but you don't have to take on the world by yourself. I love you so much, and there's nothing in the world I won't do for you, if you'll let me."

"Thank you, honey, I will take your advice. I love you so much too, and there's nothing that I wouldn't do for you if you need me."

"Thank you. Kellie, I hope I'm wrong about your parents, by the way. I really do hope they prove me wrong, I'll happily eat my words if they do."

Kellie nodded. The couple grew quiet as they tried to absorb the emotional impact of the last few minutes.

"Brad?" she finally asked.

"Yes Kellie?"

"Hold me?"

Brad wrapped Kellie in his strong yet gentle embrace. She hugged him tightly in return. They held each other like that all night long.

*******

Time for a road trip.

Kellie, Sandra, Amber and Heather all piled into Jennifer's mini-van on the Saturday exactly two weeks before nationals to make the three hour drive to the town playing host to the provincial playdowns. There were some good teams gathered there, and the semi-final match played that evening was proof. Both teams were relatively new to the scene and led by young skips, but their talent was undeniable. They lacked experience and thus made strategic errors, but these were mistakes that would be correctable with time and good coaching. Kellie thought about her own evolution in the game and recalled the time when she and her team were very much like these two. As much as she knew the competition would get even tougher in a couple of years, and it was plenty tough now, she had to admit it was kind of exciting to watch the future of the game on display.




Kellie and Brad Ch. 03



However, unless there was a major upset it looked like Anita's team was going to prevail. They had only lost one game all week and were waiting to play in the final on Sunday.

That night the five teammates had dinner at a local restaurant. The conversation eventually turned to Kellie's upcoming wedding, now just about one week away.

"I can't wait, Kellie! It's going to be a special day. You'll be a beautiful bride!" Amber exclaimed in her typically chipper fashion.

"Thanks Amber! It will be a special day, because I'll be marrying the man of my dreams and I'll have my best friends in the world at my side," Kellie replied.

"Awww!" the girls sang in unison.

"So who is coming from Brad's side?" Sandra asked.

"Well, his good friends from work, mostly. Russ is the best man. And of course his... parents." Kellie tripped over the end of her statement, only too aware of how her own parents had not yet committed to attend.

Her friends knew this as well, and tried to support her as well, offering soothing words and pats on the hand.

"How's Brad handling this? I know you said you two talked about them a few weeks ago and he got really angry with them," Jennifer wondered.

Kellie laughed, but it was a bittersweet one. "He's practically biting off his tongue trying not to say anything. I know he wants to just rip into them but he's doing his best to control himself because I asked him to, and I love him so much for it."

"He really is a great guy, isn't he?" said Heather.

"Yes he is. I can't really put it in words just how special he is and how much I love him. I hope one day all of you can find someone that loves you like he loves me, and that you love just as much in return like I do him, that you'll spend the rest of your life with."

All the others nodded quietly. Jennifer caught Heather's eye, and the two shared a quick but knowing glance. Jennifer then turned to her skip and said, "We're all so happy for you, Kellie! You and Brad are a great couple and we're sure you'll have a long and happy marriage. We'll do what we can to make sure everything goes smoothly on your wedding day." The other girls nodded in agreement.

"Thanks, I know I can count on you all." Kellie hugged each one of her friends in turn before they finished their late dinner and retired for the evening.

They returned to the rink the next day to watch the final match. Even from their relatively distant vantage point Kellie could read the body language of the young team preparing to face Anita and her players, and she knew they probably looked like deer in the headlights.

"Anita's team is going to win this easy, girls. Hate to say it but it's true," she said.

Amber's eyes opened wide. "How do you know?"

"Look at the other team, Amber. The rest of you, too. What do you see?"

"They look nervous," Sandra replied.

"Scared, even," Jennifer chimed in.

"Exactly, Jen," said Kellie. "It's one thing to be nervous. Nerves go away, and then you just focus and play the game like you've always done. These girls are scared, and there is no way they can play like they are capable of if they can't get over that."

Heather, with knowledge of her former skip's methods, added her own opinion. "And you just know Anita and the rest of her team are intimidating them. She'll smell the fear on these girls; don't doubt that for a second."

Kellie had her skip's hat on, so to speak, and she took the opportunity to talk to her teammates during the match, explaining what was done well, what mistakes the teams made and what she thought they should do if facing a similar situation. Jennifer, Sandra, Amber and Heather listened in rapt attention, trying to soak in all the knowledge and wisdom from their skip. Besides her natural talent for the sport Kellie had a terrific feel and mind for curling, and her teammates benefited from her ability to explain all of its nuances so clearly without being condescending. It was one more reason why they felt they were both a strong team and very close friends.

Just as Kellie predicted, Anita's team easily disposed of the competition. During the trophy presentation, the host of the event, a local television presenter, stepped to the microphone to interview the winners. "Congratulations to you and your team, Anita! Would you like to say a few words to the crowd?"

"Yes, my thanks to the organizers, the fans and to my team, we were awesome today. Now, I have it on good authority that Kellie Ferguson and her team are in attendance. Kellie, your win last year was a fluke and you know it. You're just keeping those Team Canada outfits warm for us. We'll gladly remove them from your hands in two weeks' time. See you there, if you have the guts!"

The crowd was stunned at the blatant trash talk. Curling was still a game where sportsmanship and respect were highly valued, and opponents publicly went out of their way to praise each other, even if in private they couldn't stand them. But Anita and her team looked like they didn't care one bit about the breach of etiquette or the reaction to it. They lifted the trophy high and paraded it around the rink.

Kellie's teammates looked upset, Heather especially, the memories of what she foolishly chose to put up with from Anita and the others for so long still fresh in her mind. The comments did bother Kellie as well but she tried her best to not let it show. She simply wore a small frown on her face and motioned with her head to the others that it was time to go.

As they were leaving, a news reporter ran after them. Kellie did not feel like answering questions but felt some degree of responsibility to do so, given her standing in the sport. She stopped, letting the high-heeled woman shuffle over to catch up, while the others waited a few steps behind her.

"Kellie, what's your reaction to Anita's comments and how will they affect you as your team prepares for the Canadian championships?" the reporter asked in her best serious-journalist voice.

"Well, she's obviously very excited, her team has just won provincials in what is a tough and competitive field," Kellie responded. "It's certainly not the way we would choose to act after victory, but that's their decision and they'll have to live with it. They are a very good and very confident team, but so are we. We welcome their challenge and that from all the other teams as well. We feel good about our chances to repeat, but we'll have to be at our best because the competition is so strong."

The reporter thanked her, and Kellie and her teammates left the arena. On the ride home she sat in quiet reflection while the animated conversation of her friends surrounded her.

In past years, knowing she would eventually face Anita's team would have bothered her tremendously, let alone having to listen to her rival's intemperate victory speech. Yet now this outcome didn't faze Kellie at all. She previously would have dreaded such a matchup, but now she welcomed it. Motivated by revenge over Anita's attempts to break up her relationship with Brad, plus her quiet yet fierce competitive streak and the need to prove herself against the best teams at the biggest tournament in curling, she looked forward to facing Anita's team at the Canadian championships, and indeed the event as a whole, more than anything to date in her professional career.

*******

But there was one more thing to take care of first.

And on that day, both Kellie and Brad were very nervous.

It was a snowy Saturday in February, one week before the Canadian women's curling championship. More importantly, today was the day of their wedding.

Kellie and Brad didn't spend a whole lot of quiet time that week. During the days, Brad was busy with work while Kellie was training and practicing with her team. In the evenings they were making whatever last minute preparations had to be made for the wedding. The constant activity left them with little energy, and so both would just crawl into bed for some much-needed rest.

When that Friday night came Brad and Kellie stayed apart, following the age-old tradition of bride and groom not seeing each other the night before the wedding. Brad stayed at Russ's house, joined by their mutual friends from the curling club and others from town; they drank a few beers and busted Brad's chops all night for giving up the "freedom" of bachelor life. It was all in fun of course as they knew he was truly in love, and some of them were even secretly jealous that he had found such a beautiful woman as his soul mate. Meanwhile Kellie hosted another girl's night in with Jennifer, Amber, Sandra, Heather and a few other women friends from town; they shared some wine and talked excitedly about love and life, and a little bit about sex, too.

The next morning Brad, his parents and his wedding party made their way to the courthouse. All the men looked sharp in their rented tuxedos, and Brad's mother beamed with pride knowing her boy was getting married today.

Brad was restless as he waited for Kellie and her wedding party to arrive. Russ noticed this and went to talk to his friend.

"Hey Brad, how are you feeling?" he asked.

"My stomach is doing backflips, Russ. It's a minor miracle I haven't been sick yet," Brad replied.

"You're not getting cold feet now, are you?"

"If you're asking if I'm going to leave Kellie at the aisle, no, I wouldn't dream of doing that. I am very nervous though, I'm worried that I will fail her somehow, that I won't be a good husband for her."

"Brad, you're over-thinking this. You've been so good for her since you started dating her, and I know you love her very much. I know you well enough to know that won't change anytime soon. Keep doing what you've been doing. Talk to her, keep the communication going, and listen to her. You do that and you'll be just fine. You two are perfect for each other. You'll be a great husband, Brad, I just know it."

"Thanks, Russ." Brad was heartened by his friend's kind words but he was still very nervous. He stood by a window, watching the light, fluffy snowflakes fall softly to the ground outside, trying to make sense of his thoughts.

While Russ and Brad were speaking, Kellie and her wedding party had arrived. Her friends were in a side room set aside for them, making last-minute adjustments to their hair and makeup, when they heard a knock at the door.

Jennifer answered, and then she turned to Kellie and said, "Hey Kellie, there's someone here I think you should see." She made a quick excuse for the other bridesmaids to step outside so Kellie and her guests could have some privacy.

When Kellie saw her aunt and uncle walk in, she beamed. "Aunt Linda! Uncle Vic! I'm so glad you could be here!"

"We wouldn't miss your big day, Kellie," Linda replied, hugging her niece.

"It's not every day a young lady gets married, after all," Victor chimed in with his deep baritone voice.

Kellie smiled briefly before her expression changed to one of lost hopes. She hesitantly asked, "My parents aren't coming, are they?"

Linda and Victor looked at each other before both sadly shook their heads.

Kellie looked downcast. A single tear ran down her cheek. Her aunt and uncle simply looked at each other again, clearly uncomfortable and not knowing what to say or do.

To their relief, Kellie seemed to quickly snap out of her funk, just as quickly as she got into it in the first place. "No," she said firmly. "I'm not going to let this ruin my wedding day. I just won't."

"Good for you!" Linda visibly exhaled. Wanting to turn to more positive thoughts, she continued, "Brad really is a good man, isn't he? You've talked about how good he's been to you so much. We hope to get to know him better and we're glad to see how happy he makes you."

"He is a wonderful man, Aunt Linda. I love him so much. Sometimes I worry that I won't measure up to what he wants, that I won't be a good enough wife for him."

Both Linda and Victor placed a comforting hand on Kellie's shoulders.

"Kellie," Linda said, "you're a wonderful young lady. I'm sure Brad knows that, but if he doesn't or if he ever forgets that then he's a fool. But I know that won't happen since I'm sure he's as good a man as you say he is."

Victor spoke up as well. "Kellie, I know it wasn't always easy for you when you moved in with us. Your aunt and I do not naturally express our emotions as much as we should. So we didn't know what to do when you were having troubled times in your life, and we probably weren't there for you sometimes like we should have been. But we're very proud of you and we always have been. We want you to know that we do love you and we'll be there for you if you need anything."

Kellie's eyes welled with tears of happiness. "Thank you Aunt Linda and Uncle Vic! It means so much to hear you say that. I know it wasn't easy for you but you did so much for me when I was growing up, more than maybe you even realize. I love you two very much!"

The three shared a hug until Jennifer knocked and opened the door to signal they were ready for their grand entrance.

Kellie, in a much happier tone of voice, said, "It occurs to me I need someone to walk me down the aisle and give me away. What do you say, Uncle Vic?"

"Kellie, it would be my honour!"

Victor offered his arm, and Kellie graciously accepted, holding him in the crook of his elbow. She took a deep breath before leaving the room, as ready to be married as she ever would be.

*******

He was captivated by her beauty.

Brad would later learn that Sandra had found her grandmother's old wedding dress soon after he and Kellie had announced their wedding date. After having it cleaned and touched up, she suggested Kellie try it on, and as if designed by fate, it fit perfectly.

All he knew at that moment, however, was that Kellie looked positively radiant.

The acute nervousness he had felt for the last hour or so vanished, replaced by a complete sense of calm. He knew this was meant to be. He was going to marry Kellie Ferguson, the most beautiful woman he ever saw, who looked like a vision in white as she walked down the aisle, and nothing in his life to date had ever felt so real or so right.

Kellie briefly scanned the room while she walked towards the front of the room, holding her uncle close. She smiled brightly at the sight of Brad. She thought he looked deliciously handsome in his tuxedo. The smile on his face and the composure he held himself with soothed her own anxieties. It felt like destiny to her. She was going to marry Brad Galenchuk, the man of her dreams in every way, and nothing in her life to date had ever filled her with so much happiness.

They were both in front of the justice of the peace now. Kellie folded her right hand into Brad's left and interlaced their fingers. He took her hand to his mouth and kissed her softly. They barely broke eye contact with each other throughout the whole proceedings.

The ceremony was elegant in its simplicity. The justice looked pleased to perform his duties; he had officiated other weddings that while legal were clearly bogus in some manner so it was a joy for him to wed two people together who were so obviously in love. Brad and Kellie spoke their vows to each other and exchanged rings. Soon after, the justice spoke those words that everyone gathered that day had longed to hear...

"By the power vested in me by this province, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

...and then a great cheer was raised when the newlyweds kissed for the first time as newlyweds.

After the ceremony everyone piled into the modest home of Brad's parents for a home-cooked dinner. Plenty food, drink and merriment was had by all. Everyone delighted in egging Brad and Kellie on to kiss several times over the evening. The newlyweds had fun with this, sometimes disappointing the crowd with chaste pecks on the cheeks, and other times nearly engaging in full make-out sessions.

Victor and Linda each read letters wrote to Kellie by her brother and sister congratulating her on her marriage and sending regrets they could not attend. They were short letters, nothing fancy, but she hadn't expected even that much, so the fact they took the time to write them touched her profoundly. Speeches were given by the maid of honour and the best man. Jennifer's was warm, emotional and moving, while Russ's was the right mix of funny, ribald and poignant.

Brad and Kellie were pleasantly surprised when their friends, his parents and her aunt and uncle announced they had pooled some money together to get them some thoughtful wedding gifts, including a week's stay at a popular summer resort that would serve as their honeymoon week, since as the girls were all eager to remind them, Kellie would be otherwise occupied in the next few weeks to come.

Brad stood up to say a few words. "Thank you everyone, from the bottom of my heart. You have helped to make this day memorable and special, and we can't thank you enough. We love you all and we look forward to your love and support now and in the future."

Kellie tried to speak as well but she was too overcome by her emotions. She cried tears of happiness before managing to say, "Thank you!"

Brad broke the tension by saying, "Sorry everyone, but Kellie and I have to leave now so I can go home and bang my wife!"

Kellie quickly recovered her wit in response. "I think what Brad means is, we have to go home now so I can bang my husband!"

Laughter, whistles and cheers followed. The married couple thanked everyone personally before taking their leave, while everyone else kept the celebrations going well into the night.

*******

"Brad, be careful!"

"Relax, Kellie, I'm fine! Besides, we have to make sure we cross the threshold properly! It brings good luck to any marriage, and that's what we want, right?"

Kellie could only shake her head and laugh. She prepared herself to be picked up by her new husband.

Brad held Kellie around her midsection with his left arm, supported her legs with the right arm, being careful not to squeeze too hard with his still-recovering hand, bent at his knees and effortlessly lifted his new bride. He walked them through the open door of their home, pausing to let her close it, before continuing to transport her through the house and past the added "threshold" of their bedroom. Once there he gently sat her down on their bed.

Kellie giggled. "I could get used to that, you know. I'd love for you to carry me around wherever I want to go!"

Brad rolled his eyes. "All right, let's not get crazy here!"

The newlyweds laughed and kissed each other affectionately. A second kiss deepened to one of passion, their tongues twirling and dancing together.

"Feels pretty awesome to be married, doesn't it?" Brad asked in a breathy voice.

"Yeah, definitely," answered Kellie, her own voice equally laced with desire.

"You look so beautiful in that dress. Like my angel in white."

"And you look so studly in your tuxedo, baby. My man of intrigue in black."

"I want to love you so much, Kellie."

"Oh yes! I'm going to change into something real sexy for you. Brad?"

"Yes?"

"Don't get undressed just yet."

"What?" asked Brad, surprised at her unorthodox request.

"Please. For me. I promise you won't regret it," Kellie purred.

With that, she went to the bathroom to change, leaving a puzzled, still-tuxedo-clad Brad to sit, and wait, on the bed.

Waiting on Kellie again. He had done a fair bit of that already since their relationship began, and he supposed he was in for quite a lot more of that in the future. He'd probably even complain about it from time to time, if for no other reason than to have fun watching her get riled up at him; she looked so cute when she got flustered. But deep down he didn't mind waiting for her at all. She never gave him any reason to regret waiting for her. And he loved her completely, of course he did. This was just another thing that people in love do for each other.




Kellie and Brad Ch. 03



So, he waited. And waited.

And when she finally emerged, the one rational thought in his head at that time was that this wait was going to be so worth it.

Kellie leaned against the door frame entering the bedroom, her head tilting at a slight angle. She struck a casually sexy pose, her eyes focusing in on Brad with a sultry look. She wore white babydoll lingerie. The top had a bra-like garment to cover her ample breasts but was otherwise sheer. White panties and white knee-high stockings completed the ensemble.

Brad was consumed with love and desire for Kellie. She looked classy, sensual and ready for hot and heavy sex, and he loved how she could perfectly pull off that delicate balance. But at that moment he couldn't find the words to properly express his feelings for her. "Wow," was all he could say.

Kellie simply smiled and walked directly in front of him. He was about to say something else when she put a finger to his lips to gently shush him. He raised an eyebrow in silent question. She softly, playfully giggled in response. He grinned and remained motionless, allowing her to start whatever it was she planned on doing.

She slowly moved behind him and removed his jacket one arm at a time, carefully placed it on a hanger and hung it up in the closet. She then bent down to untie his shoes. He lifted each leg in turn so she could remove his shoes and socks. She turned away from him and placed them in a corner of the room, deliberately bending over and just as deliberately standing up so he could get a good look at her firm, barely-covered ass. He sighed happily at the sight, and his mouth watered as he imagined rubbing himself against her ass. He felt his cock harden and strain against his pants.

She undid and removed his bowtie, tossing it behind her. She pulled the bottom lapels of his shirt out from his pants. She used her deft fingers on the buttons of the shirt, slowly unbuttoning them, one by one, until it was fully undone. She removed his cufflinks and carefully placed them on the nightstand. She then unbuttoned the cuffs of the shirt so they could slide over his wrists. To Brad's delight Kellie did all this while barely breaking eye contact with him.

Finally she eased the shirt off of him and dropped it to the side. She gently traced her fingers all over his muscular upper body; his broad shoulders, his biceps, his forearms, his collarbone, his powerful chest, his stomach, his defined abs. As her fingers skimmed across his surface, she planted several soft, ghostly kisses across his body, her lips barely touching him. He groaned as the light touch of her skin and her hot breath on his body sent ripples of pleasure coursing through him.

Kellie was thoroughly enjoying worshipping Brad's body. To her, he exuded strength, confidence and a virile sexiness that was impossible to resist. She took the time now to drink in these sensations and continue her game of seeing just how long she could tantalize him before one or both of them would snap and beg for more.

She moved behind him, this time leaving her delicate touches and kisses on his stout back. Feeling a little bolder now, she placed the flat of her tongue on his lower back, just above his belt line, and licked him all the way to top, standing on her tiptoes to reach his neck, before licking him all the way back down again. He gasped and moaned loudly at what his teasing vixen was doing to him, his cock seemingly growing harder and longer by the second.

Still behind him, she nuzzled into his back before reaching around to his waist to undo his belt buckle. She took the belt by the buckle and pulled it through the loops of his dress pants, discarding it when it was completely removed. She walked in front of him again, unbuttoning and then agonizingly slowly unzipping his pants. She looked deep into his cool blue eyes again as she slid them off. He stepped out of the legs of his pants and allowed her to cast them aside.

She dropped to her knees to kiss and caress his legs, starting at his calves and winding her way up to his tree-trunk-like quads. She inched up closer and closer to his manhood, covered only by a pair of black boxer-briefs. She massaged his hard member through the fabric and heard him groan again, feeling him revelling in her ministrations.

Kellie stood up and decided to prolong the tease by undressing herself, giving Brad a look at her naked body before removing the last of his clothing. She bent forward at the waist and removed first one stocking, then the other, allowing him to glimpse the cleavage of her breasts, as well as admire her bare, strong yet feminine legs. She eased the thin straps of her babydoll off her shoulders and arms and let the thin garment drop in a pool around her feet. He could clearly see her fine boobs, topped by diamond-hard nipples.

She turned around and bent over, wiggling her hips while she removed her thin panties. He growled hungrily as she wantonly displayed both her taut, wondrous ass and her pussy, which was puffy and slick with her arousal. He marveled yet again at this goddess before him, knowing that Kellie's confidence in her body and in herself made her more and more beautiful to him with each passing day.

Kellie twirled to face Brad and wickedly grinned at the long tent his cock was forming in his underwear. She approached him, exaggerating the sway of her hips, her breasts jiggling in time with the movement of her body. She took his briefs by the waistband and guided them down and off, leaving him just as naked as her. His hard dick stood proudly at attention, the mushroom-like head glistening with its own lubrication.

She reached up to kiss him fully on the lips. Her tongue sought and was granted entry into his mouth. He sucked on her tongue briefly before she broke the kiss. She bent her head down to lick and tease one of his nipples while she hugged him more tightly, trapping his cock against her stomach. She angled her body just so to keep teasing his confined member while at the same time grinding her sex against his leg.

It was Kellie who broke the silence between them as she leaned in closer to whisper in Brad's ear, "Feel how ready I am for you, baby?" 

That was it. Brad could take no more of Kellie's teasing.

"Oh god Kellie!" he groaned. "You're driving me insane! I need you so badly!"

Kellie stepped toward the wall, placed her hands on it and stuck out her rear end slightly, presenting Brad with the most alluring of targets. She looked back at him over her shoulder.

"I need you too, Brad," she said lustily. "Take me. Please."

There was no way Brad could refuse that request. He swiftly moved behind Kellie and placed his throbbing prick at the entrance to her womanhood. He took hold of her hips and plunged himself inside. "Yes!" they both cried out at their coupling.

He pistoned in and out of her now, each downward movement leaving just the head of his cock in her juicy pussy before burying himself fully inside of her once again. He kissed and lapped at her neck and nibbled her earlobes, finding her erogenous zones to add to the pleasures he was giving her.

Kellie whimpered several times before she spoke again. "Oh Brad! So good! Please... harder!"

Brad groaned and picked up the pace, pounding Kellie's pussy with purpose. "Yes!!" Kellie squealed. She craned her head back to look at him with lust-clouded eyes. They kissed deeply for several moments, lost in each other's love.

Each thrust lifted her up to her tiptoes, and he could feel her calves, hamstrings and glutes tense up with each stroke, the sensation of her hard muscles against his adding to the thrill of the moment. He felt his orgasm build up within his balls but he wasn't ready to cum yet. On her wedding day he wanted her to be first, the way he put her first in his life in every other way.

He felt her breathing become erratic and he saw her hands claw at the wall before reaching back for his waist to pull him deeper inside her, and he knew she was just as close to release as he was.

Brad nibbled at Kellie's earlobe again and whispered, "That's it baby, cum for me!"

As she felt him press his hard body into hers at the same time he drove his hard cock inside her hot pussy, Kellie's orgasm rocked throughout her. She screamed loudly, her body shaking and shuddering. Her juices bathed his cock and dripped down his legs.

Brad held on for dear life and slammed into her one last time, lifting her up completely off the ground. He came with a heavy grunt as he emptied himself inside her.

Kellie turned to face Brad after they recovered their breaths. She held his face in her hands and kissed him all over, briefly on the lips at first, then his nose, forehead, cheeks and chin before giving him a proper tongue kissing.

Brad took Kellie by the hand, walked them over to their bed and gently pulled her down on top of him. They continued kissing and holding each other tightly, neither wanting to let the other go.

He said the words they both wanted to hear. "I love you, Kellie Galenchuk."

She bit her lower lip and closed her eyes, her face glowing with joy as she let the words sink in. He burned that image into his brain, vowing to himself he would remember that look on her face for the rest of his life.

She opened her eyes to say the words he never tired of hearing. "I love you, Bradley Galenchuk."

Brad and Kellie kissed again, settling in for a long, satisfying night of erotic lovemaking.



Kellie and Brad Ch. 04



AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is the fourth chapter to a multi-part story, I would suggest reading the first three chapters before this one to understand the whole story. Please enjoy.



She hated airplanes.

She had ever since, as a seven-year old, she went on vacation to Florida with her family over March Break to visit Disney World.

The vacation itself was fine. Great, even.

But on the return trip, the plane carrying Heather Nelson and her family, among others, experienced significant turbulence. Buffeted by strong air currents and unexpected pop-up storms, the plane bounced and jerked around enough to make Heather sick to her stomach and complain to anyone within earshot of her.

That was bad enough. Then it got worse.

Just when it seemed the turbulence was over, suddenly and without warning the plane seemed, to Heather anyway, to dive-bomb straight downward for several seconds. The pilot later said over the loudspeaker that the plane only lost no more than a few hundred feet in elevation and they were never in any serious danger; he apologized for the discomfort and bumpy ride, but they were now in cleaner air and the rest of the trip would be smooth. Turned out he was right.

However, in those few seconds Heather was convinced she was going to die. She let out a blood-curdling scream that no one on that plane could ever forget. Despite the best efforts of the stewardess and her own family, she was inconsolable the rest of the flight. She cried in relief when the plane landed and she walked again on solid ground, and she made a vow to herself never to board a plane ever again.

She kept to that vow. Until recently.

Because, the further along she progressed in the sport of curling, the more she realized it would be impossible to fulfill this childhood vow. Canada is a massive country, and there are curling fans all over the land, so to be fair the officials running the sport had to schedule the events in every region of the country. And competing at an elite level requires getting on a plane and flying to these cities.

So because of her talent in and love of curling, Heather managed to overcome her childhood fears to get on these planes when required, but only just. The fear was still debilitating enough to reduce her to a nervous wreck each flight. Even the slightest bounce caused her to shake in terror.

She tried everything she could think of to cure herself of her fear of flying. Therapy. Medication. Hypnosis. None of it worked. It certainly didn't help her state of mind once Anita Morriss and her former teammates found out about her fear; they were either dismissive or insulting towards her for it, depending on their moods. She briefly wondered again why she agreed to join them in the first place.

'Thank goodness things worked out as they did,' Heather thought to herself as she tried to distract herself in any way possible. She was sweating out another flight, this time to the city of Calgary where this year's Canadian women's curling championships were being held. The rest of her new teammates... Kellie Galenchuk, Jennifer Janik, Sandra Morgan and Amber Janik... were also on this flight, along with several of their friends and loved ones who were there to cheer them on.

Joining Kellie's team really had been a godsend for her. Missing out on playing time was a setback, but she was young and had her career well in front of her, so if anything it was just a temporary issue. She was fast becoming true friends with her the new teammates she hadn't already known.

Heather felt Kellie was just as talented an athlete as Anita but was light years ahead as a skip in terms of passing on her knowledge to her teammates; she was learning so much from her skip and was starting to see her as a mentor in the game. She was also impressed with how Kellie led the team yet was just one of the girls at the same time. Sandra was serious about her physical fitness and her sport but was down to earth and a genuinely nice person to be around.

Meanwhile, Amber was bubbly and fun. Heather smiled as she recalled watching over time how Amber had grown from childhood friend Jennifer's annoying little sister to a fine young woman in her own right.

Her smile then grew larger in spite of her current surroundings as she thought more about Jennifer. The two were the same age and grew up in the same neighbourhood, becoming inseparable as they attended school and curling lessons together as kids. They remained the best of friends throughout high school, and as they progressed through university and throughout the junior and professional curling ranks, their relationship grew even closer.

Much, much closer.

Maintaining the closeness was difficult when Jennifer moved away to the small town where Kellie lived to join her team, but somehow they managed. Unfortunately, tension built up between the two of them soon after Heather hooked up with Anita's team. The two skips became heated adversaries, and the teams butted heads frequently. Jennifer hated how Anita bullied and intimidated Kellie, and she knew Heather was too good a person to condone these tactics.

Jennifer at times pleaded, and at other times angrily demanded, that Heather quit her position on Anita's team, but Heather didn't feel secure enough in herself to make that move. She also tried to rationalize her skip's behaviour, trying to convince herself it wasn't all that bad. It took Anita's attempted seduction of Brad for Heather to see the light and realize she had to take action.

The fact that Jennifer had threatened to completely sever all ties to their relationship if she didn't do so... well, that might have provided some extra motivation. Heather could never tell whether this was a promise or an idle threat, but she didn't want to risk taking that kind of chance. She loved Jennifer far too much to ever be without her.

Now that events and good fortune worked out in their favour, everything was right in their relationship again.

Well, almost everything.

Right now Heather wished that Jennifer would hurry the hell back from using the washroom so she could hold her and be close to her again. It was just about the only thing that kept her sane on airplane flights these days.

Plus, there was something on her mind that she really wanted to discuss.

As Heather was thinking of how to say what was on her mind, Jennifer was walking down the aisle. She returned to her seat to find Heather much in the same position as when she left: her eyes closed, her arms tightly hugging herself, rocking back and forth slightly, an ashen look on her face.

"How are you holding up, babe?" Jennifer asked.

Heather opened her eyes and shrugged. She then took hold of Jennifer's hand and laced their fingers together. "Better now that you're here with me."

Jennifer said nothing, instead softly kissing the back of Heather's hand to let her know she was there to support her.

The two were silent for a few moments until Heather was ready to talk.

"Jennifer?"

"Yes Heather?"

"I've been thinking."

"Is that good or bad?"

Heather gave Jennifer a questioning look. "I'd like to think that it's good!"

"Sorry. Please, go on."

"Well... Kellie and Brad's wedding was so wonderful, wasn't it?"

Jennifer smiled. "Yes, yes it was."

"And it's so great that they can proclaim their love so freely to everyone, right?"

"Uh... yeah." Jennifer didn't know exactly where Heather was going with this line of conversation, but she had a pretty good idea, and that made her nervous.

"Don't you want the same thing for us?"

Jennifer sighed. "Heather... we've talked about this."

It was Heather's turn to sigh. She rested her head on Jennifer's shoulder. "Oh Jen, I know. And I understand where you're coming from with this, really I do. I guess I'm just impatient. I want what Kellie and Brad have, and I want you to want those things too."

"Heather, I do want those things. For us. I'm... just not ready yet."

"Will you be ready soon?"

Jennifer's stomach churned at Heather's question. She truly loved Heather and would do anything for her. However, she was still worried about what the reaction would be when she admitted her true feelings to the world. Not so much about the public at large; haters gonna hate, as the kids say these days... or at least that's what Jennifer thought the kids said these days.

It was the reaction of the other important people in her life that concerned her. Namely, her parents, her sister Amber, and her other best friends and teammates, Sandra and Kellie. She didn't want them to think any less of her because of her life choices. She didn't think they would, but with some things you could never tell, and sometimes otherwise normal and well-adjusted people hid their hatreds and prejudices very well until forced to confront them.

At the same time, Heather deserved an answer to her question. She deserved to know that their relationship was real and honest and right, not one to be treated like a shameful secret. Truth be told, she wanted that as much for herself as she did for Heather's sake.

Jennifer knew she had to reconcile these two feelings in her mind. But she really didn't want to have to think about this right now. When the two had this discussion before, Jennifer asked to wait until after the curling season to do what she needed to, and Heather had agreed. It seemed the combination of Kellie and Brad's wedding and her usual emotional state when on a plane had brought Heather's desires back to the surface again and led to her putting Jennifer to the test.

And Jennifer found herself quite afraid of failing that test, because she had no idea what she was going to say at that moment. None at all.

At that moment, the light and chime went off to warn everyone to fasten their seatbelts, and the captain announced over the intercom to say they were beginning their descent into Calgary, there may be some slight turbulence as they fly through a pocket of wind but it should be no big deal and thank you for flying with us and so on.

Heather looked worried and applied a death grip on Jennifer's arm, her question forgotten for now. Jennifer winced but accepted the tight hold Heather had on her. She talked her companion through the whole descent, assuring her that she was here, she wouldn't let anything bad happen to her and everything would be fine.

The plane landed without incident. Heather exhaled deeply and relaxed her grip on Jennifer. With tears in her eyes, she turned to look at her life-long friend and mouthed the words "thank you". Jennifer kissed the top of Heather's head and cradled her in her arm.

She held her that way until the plane finished taxiing down the runway.

*******

She was a details girl.

When she wasn't curling, Sandra Morgan's day job was handling logistics for a local trucking company. She had a mind for minutiae and was always super-organized. She applied those organizational skills to everything she did, and she credited this as the key to her being successful at her job, an excellent curler at the second position, and a very fit, athletic woman.

While she was proud of herself for having these skills, she was at times a little miffed when people assumed there was no personality behind them. She knew that sometimes people with highly developed organizational skills were viewed as joyless fact freaks. Sandra was realistic; she knew she wasn't naturally bubbly and constantly outgoing like her teammate Amber. But she also knew that she had more to offer than her obvious detail-oriented skills and loved showing people that she wasn't just an emotionally cold number-cruncher.

Funny thing is, if she were completely honest with herself, she would admit that's exactly what she was tracking towards as a child.

It wasn't until her parents steered her towards curling that she started to break out of her shell. Sandra's parents figured her analytical mind would enjoy the angles and strategic elements of the sport, and they also figured that being placed on a team would force her to open up and develop her social skills by interacting with other people. They were right on both counts, and Sandra was eternally grateful to them for introducing her to this wonderful sport.

She had been with Kellie the longest, as both of them had grown up in the same small town. It was natural to pair them together as they were far and away the best curlers in town, first as girls, then as women. They practically grew up together, both on and off the ice, riding together the highs and lows. As close as they were to their other teammates, they leaned heavily on each other in particular. Sandra was especially gratified to be the one to tell Kellie, at a time soon after she first dated Brad, that her fears she was losing control of her team were unfounded; Jennifer, Amber and Sandra were as solidly behind Kellie as they ever were.

Naturally, the team took notice of Sandra's logistical strengths, and in one of a series of efforts to make everyone feel like an even more important part of the team, Kellie asked her to handle much of the details necessary to help an elite curling team function, such as travel arrangements and team registrations. She happily agreed, and did such a good job at keeping them on schedule the others often referred to her as their little drill sergeant. She accepted their good-natured teasing and returned it with interest.

Sandra was intensely proud of her success. She was part of a championship team seeking to repeat, with teammates that were also her best friends, in a system that on and off the ice allowed her to maximize her talents. She couldn't ask for much more than that, other than to demand of herself to do her part to see her team's success continue.

And so it was that Sandra, Kellie, Jennifer, Heather, Amber and their combined entourage boarded their flight to Calgary on Thursday morning, to give them two full days to acclimate to the admittedly minor time zone difference. In addition, after landing, arriving at the hotel and taking some time to settle in, she arranged for the team to take care of all registration with the tournament officials at the earliest opportunity. Sandra believed it would set the proper tone for the week if they were first to register, though she couldn't quite explain why; it was just a feeling she had.

So far, everything was going according to plan. Almost too well, Sandra thought, suddenly convinced something was about to happen to throw them off track.

As if on cue, out of the corner of her eye Sandra saw Anita purposefully stride into the room. Sandra leaned over towards Kellie, who was speaking to the head tournament referee and facing away from Anita, and warned her that the rival skip was here, using the words that started with a joke years ago.

"Code red! Code red!" she whispered.

Kellie turned towards Anita, hands on hips, ready to confront her if necessary. But Anita ignored her, instead stopping directly in front of Tom Brewster, the head tournament referee.

"I'm placing an official complaint and playing this tournament under protest! I demand you take action!" she barked.

Tom was born in Scotland, and despite living in Canada for nearly 20 years, still spoke with a distinctive Scottish brogue. He was fair and friendly but at the same time had a very no-nonsense attitude, and he detested people who lobbed frivolous accusations.

Safe to say, Anita was not his favourite person in the world.

"And what seems to be the trouble, Anita my dear lassie?" he replied wearily.

"Don't patronize me Tom! Kellie has an illegal player on her team and she needs to be removed immediately!"

Tom turned to look at Kellie. "Do you know anything about this?"

"No Tom, I have no idea what she's talking about."

Anita continued her protest, jabbing an accusatory finger towards Kellie. "Oh don't you play dumb with me! Tom, you know damn well Heather has been the lead on my team for a couple years now, and all of a sudden here she is with Kellie!"

"Uh, Anita, you fired Heather, remember?" Kellie responded.

"Yes, I do seem to remember hearing you rather unceremoniously dumped Heather from your squad, Anita," Tom chimed in.

Anita tried to lie her way out of the corner into which she painted herself. "I didn't want to do it; Heather was a big part of my team. I only felt I had to because her friend, and Kellie's third, Jennifer, kept tampering with my team, pressuring her to quit. I had no choice."

Kellie shook her head. "That's a total lie and you know it! Jennifer and Heather have been friends for a long time. If you really think we'd take advantage of that to get Heather to switch teams, don't you think we would have done that a long time ago?"

Out of the line of sight of everyone else, Jennifer and Heather shared a panicked look and moved closer together. Jennifer never told Kellie about her constant requests for Heather to quit Anita's team, because she was afraid something like this might happen and she didn't want to implicate her skip into any such charges.

Fortunately for them, no one thought to ask them what happened in their own words. Even more fortunately for them, Tom wanted no further part of this argument.

"Ach, Anita," he said, "Kellie's right, your complaints sound like a giant pile of shite to me! Bottom line is, you did not enter any sanctioned event in this season with Heather as part of your team before now, and Kellie has properly followed the rules in adding her as a teammate, so you have no right to ask me to disqualify her. My decision is final! Now, ladies, if you'll excuse me..."

With that, Tom left the room, intending to find a nearby pub with comfortable chairs and nice cold beers.

Kellie couldn't help but allow a small, self-satisfied smile to cross her lips.

Anita scoffed. "Whatever, you nerd. That fat bastard was practically kissing your ass. If he bothered to do his job, he'd know the truth, just like we all do. Isn't that right, Heather?"

Heather glowered at her former skip but said nothing.

Anita rolled her eyes and got right into Kellie's face as she continued her rant. "You know what, it doesn't matter. Do you honestly think I really cared whether or not I won that argument? If you're so desperate that you need to pick players from my discard pile, you go right ahead!"

Kellie returned Anita's glare with a boldness that shocked the brash blonde, though she tried her best to hide it. "You've always had a terrible attitude," Kellie said quietly. "Great curler, but terrible attitude. You've been able to get away with it for so long, but I always thought one of these days it would be your downfall. Well, this is that time, and Jennifer, Sandra, Amber, Heather and I will make that happen."

Anita was furious. She snarled at Kellie, "Stay the hell out of my way, bitch!" She then shot a look of disdain at Heather. "And keep that lezzie slut out of my sight!"

Kellie was pleased to see Anita so flustered. Usually it was her nemesis that riled her up, it was nice to have the shoe on the other foot for a change.

All of a sudden, her attention was distracted by a noise from behind her. She turned to see Heather crying and running out of the room, with Jennifer following closely. Amber and Sandra looked at each other, then at Kellie, who nodded at them as if to say go ahead, try and find them and I'll be right there. Kellie took one last look at Anita, who seemed to be enjoying the chaos she caused. Kellie just frowned and ran to catch up with her teammates, hopeful she could nip this mini-crisis in the bud.

Sandra shook her head as she ran with Amber in search of Heather and Jennifer. Not for the first time, she thought to herself, "Why do people have to be so damn... unpredictable?"

*******

"Heather? Wait up! Heather!!"




Kellie and Brad Ch. 04



Jennifer was chasing after Heather, who had bolted out the door after Anita so venomously insulted her. Heather appeared oblivious to anyone around her, and more than one person had to take evasive action to avoid being bowled over. Jennifer felt people staring and gawking at the two of them running through the hotel, and it suddenly made her feel very self-conscious.

Heather sped past the front desk and towards the elevators, apparently heading for their room. But she ignored the elevators and ran up the stairwell instead. Jennifer found herself glad that their room was on the fourth floor and not the twentieth.

Jennifer watched Heather reach their room, use the electronic card key to open it up, and, just before Jennifer could reach it, slam the door shut behind her. She cursed under her breath, wondering just what had gotten into her.

She pounded on the door. "Heather, come on! Dammit open the door right now!!"

After a couple of minutes the door opened and a tearful Heather let Jennifer in before slumping back down on the bed and crying some more. Jennifer would normally feel sorry for Heather when she was in this state, but this time she was so confused by her friend's strange behaviour that it left her frustrated and searching for answers.

"What the hell's going on here?" she snapped.

"God Jen, don't be so dense!" Heather replied incredulously. "You heard what Anita said!"

"So what? Do you think any of us put any stock into what that bitch says?"

"Doesn't matter. We... we have to tell them. There's no other way."

"What? Tell who what? What are you talking about?!"

"Dammit Jen you know exactly what I mean! We have to tell Kellie, Sandra and Amber the truth!"

"Christ Heather, how many times have we talked about this?! Don't go off and do something stupid just because someone insults you!"

"Oh, so it's stupid how I feel about you? It's stupid for me to want to say something about it? Is that how you feel?!"

The whole situation was spiralling way out of control, much to Jennifer's dismay. She closed her eyes and counted to ten before feeling ready enough to speak without flying off the handle. "I'm sorry Heather. I didn't mean for it to come out that way. It's just..."

Heather interrupted, but her anger had faded and her features softened again. "I know Jen. It's OK. I didn't mean to be so angry with you. But... I just can't do this anymore. I have to tell them. It can't wait anymore. Please... don't try and stop me."

With that, Heather dug out her cell phone.

*******

She had always looked up to her sister.

Amber Janik was pretty typical for a young girl who has an older sister. She idolized Jennifer and wanted to do everything that she did. From hairstyles to clothes to activities, if Jennifer tried it first, Amber would soon follow. They often dressed to look like twins, and some people thought they actually were. When Jennifer left for her first day of school, Amber cried all day, not understanding why she couldn't join her sister. It was a story Jennifer never tired of telling, and Amber would often pretend to be bothered by this, though she always smiled on the inside every time she heard it.

The desire to be just like her sister was the main reason why Amber got into curling in the first place. Mr. and Mrs. Janik were avid curlers and wanted to show their children the joys of the sport. They signed Jennifer up for lessons when she was eight. Once six-year old Amber heard about this, she begged and pleaded to be signed up as well. Inevitably, she got her wish. She struggled at first at such a young age, even with the junior rocks the kids used, but Jennifer loved it, so Amber was bound and determined to love it just as much, sticking with the sport at a time most kids in similar situations would have quickly dropped out.

Jennifer was happy to let Amber tag along and do the same things she did, until she grew into her pre-teen and young teen years. For a while she tolerated Amber, but soon she grew resentful of her little sister refusing to give her space and let her be alone with her friends. Amber was hurt by this rejection and this led to several arguments between the two.

But time passed and they both matured as they grew older. In this time they got over their sibling rivalry phase, and their relationship grew stronger again. Jennifer loved her little sister very much, and Amber continued to look up to her older sister and adopt her as a role model.

Amber learned a lot from her older sibling, and most of the time Jennifer was only too happy to pass on what knowledge she had to her younger sister. From curling, to school subjects, to their futures, sometimes even to just life in general, Amber would lean heavily on Jennifer's knowledge and prior experience as she carved out her own path in the world.

What was curious to Amber was that the one subject in which she didn't get a lot of guidance from her sister was that of boys. And it was the one subject for which she wanted guidance the most.

She didn't think it was because Jennifer was unwilling to help. Rather she seemed to be very inexperienced in that subject, surprisingly so. So Amber had to rely on other sources of information about boys; her mother to a limited extent (not because of relationship problems, but she didn't really want to tell her parents everything about her personal life!), her friends, and her own sense of experimentation.

And she did experiment some. Boys, and now men, fascinated her. She wasn't promiscuous by any means, but she enjoyed her fair share of sexual dalliances. Amber now had a steady boyfriend in her life who kept her very satisfied, sexually and otherwise.

The fact that Jennifer never seemed to have her own string of boyfriends struck Amber as very strange. She thought Jennifer was very pretty; she was a little bit taller than Amber, and her breasts were a little bit bigger, her legs a little bit longer, her butt a little bit rounder. So, despite her best efforts to avoid the thought, and despite not suffering herself in the looks department, sometimes Amber couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy over her sister's appearance.

So her appearance wasn't the problem. It also wasn't for the lack of boys trying. They tried every approach known to man to get dates with Jennifer, but she rebuffed them all at virtually every turn. Whenever Amber asked her about it, she would say things like it wasn't the right time, he wasn't the right guy, and so on and so forth.

Over time, Amber started to have some ideas and suspicions as to why her older sister didn't have experience with boys or men. One day, she had her suspicions confirmed.

The events that had transpired so far today led her to think of that incident as she stood in the hotel room Jennifer was sharing with Heather. They were on one side of the room, and she was flanked by Sandra and Kellie on the other.

Heather broke the awkward silence. "I'm sure you're all wondering what's just happened. There's something I need to tell you... actually it's something I should have told you a long time ago, but it just sort of happened to be triggered by what Anita said..."

Kellie interrupted her. "Heather, please, stop right there. I'm not angry at how you reacted. I think we all understand the effect her words can have, if we let them. But I think we need to learn to ignore what she says because she's just trying to get under our skin. What she does is wrong, but she's obviously not going to stop anytime soon, so we have to learn not to let it affect us."

"Thing is, skip," Heather replied, "this time, she's only half wrong."

Kellie blinked in confusion. "What? What do you mean?"

Heather took a deep breath before speaking again. "She called me a lezzie slut, right? I actually am one of those two things."

Another deep breath.

"I am a lesbian."

A hush descended over the room. Jennifer watched for any signs of reaction from Kellie, Sandra and Amber. None were visible just yet; she suspected they were still trying to digest this new information. Still, Jennifer found herself marvelling at Heather's inner strength at her attempt to turn an ugly scene into something positive. Her heart went out to Heather, and she felt her own fears and concerns melting away.

Not wanting to leave her hanging any longer, Jennifer put her arm over Heather's shoulders and kissed her on the cheek.

"I have something I need to say as well. I've known that Heather is a lesbian for some time, because she's been in love with another woman for a couple of years now."

She scanned the room again and took her own deep breath.

"Me. I'm a lesbian too."

Heather smiled at Jennifer's admission. A single tear rolled down her cheek. She turned to give her lover a brief but passionate kiss and stayed firm in her embrace.

Jennifer hoped for a reaction from somebody... anybody... soon, because the suspense was killing her. She knew she and Heather were dropping quite the bombshells on the rest of their teammates, but she wanted to know their thoughts so she could figure out how to deal with them.

It was Amber who reacted first, but not in the way Jennifer was expecting.

Her little sister laughed.

It wasn't a mocking laugh, but a soft yet knowing one.

"What's so funny, sis?" Jennifer asked.

"I was just thinking," Amber replied, in her own inimitable cheerful fashion, "it's about damn time! God, I thought you'd never admit the truth! Talk about living in denial!"

Jennifer was stunned. How could Amber have known? Wasn't she careful about hiding this from everyone in her life? "How... how did you know?" she finally asked.

Amber rolled her eyes, but her knowing smile never left her face. "Duh! Jen? I am your sister, remember? I've known you all my life. I probably know you better than anyone else in the world, even better than Heather does. Well, except for the sex part. Obviously!"

She shook her head and continued. "But anyway, I guess I got the idea in my head when you were about eighteen and I was sixteen. I started to realize then that you rarely went out with boys even though you're so pretty they should have been lined up around the block to be with you."

Jennifer smiled and blushed at her younger sister's words, but she let Amber keep speaking.

"I couldn't figure out why until I started noticing how you looked at girls, I could see you checking them out the way I check out guys! Then once you started university, you spent even more time with Heather than you did before, and of course being BFF's you already spent a lot of time together! And I could see the look in your eyes when you were with her, it's the same look you have now, a look of real love. Not just friendship love but love on every level, sexual, emotional, everything! You may have tried to fool around with Heather in private, and you may have tried to hide the true nature of your relationship with her from everyone else, but you can't fool me!"

"Wow, little sis, you figured all that out on your own? I'm impressed."

Now Amber looked a little sheepish. "Well... that and I did have a little help. I did... uh, see and hear you two... uh, doing it one day."

Both Heather and Jennifer's eyes widened in shock. "What?!" they yelled in unison.

"Please don't be mad with me!" Amber pleaded. "It wasn't on purpose. It was one day a couple of summers ago, I was out shopping with my friend Stephanie but her mom called her away for some family thing, I don't know what. I had nothing else to do so I came home, probably about a couple hours earlier than you two expected. Anyway, I heard some noises when I got home; it made me kind of nervous so I walked upstairs slowly and tried to keep quiet so I could investigate. Jen, you had left your bedroom door open just a crack... you probably figured no one would be home for a while so you weren't as careful as you probably were usually. Anyway, you two were on the bed and naked, and Jen your head was down by Heather's... well, you know, and it was kind of obvious what you were doing."

Amber then looked at Heather with a smirk. "Jen must have been doing a number on you, girl, 'cause you started screaming loud enough to alert the whole neighbourhood!"

Heather's face turned a deep crimson and her hands covered her open mouth, her embarrassment there for all to see.

"Anyway, Jen," Amber said, "I promise I went straight to my bedroom as soon as I could after seeing that. I don't want you to think I stared and watched the whole time like a pervert. Besides, I needed time to let what I saw sink in. I mean, I was pretty sure what was going on but it's another thing to see your theory confirmed in action. Not to mention seeing your own sister have sex, I can't lie, that did weird me out a bit."

Jennifer just slowly nodded at first, trying to make sense of what Amber was saying, which wasn't easy when she went a mile-a-minute like she was doing now. "So, wait," she finally said, "you knew all this time and didn't say anything?"

"Well, what could I say? I wasn't sure how to bring up the subject with you. I didn't think I could say anything until you opened up and admitted the truth, and you never seemed ready to do so until now. I'm not sure how I could have talked to you without scaring you or putting you off, and I can only imagine how angry you'd be if I told anyone else when you weren't ready to come out!"

"But, I don't understand. You're not sad, or upset, or angry at me?"

"Don't be silly Jen! Why would I be? I guess if anything I could be disappointed that you didn't feel you could confide in me sooner... but I guess I can kind of understand why, and anyway it might be more my fault than yours."

Jennifer bowed her head for a moment, and when she raised it Amber was surprised to see them well up with tears. "I'm sorry Amber. I thought maybe you'd hate me or think of me as a freak because I am a lesbian."

It broke Amber's heart to see her sister so upset. She immediately got up and hugged Jennifer tightly. "No, no Jen, don't say that, don't even think that, please! I love you, Jen! I always will. I've always looked up to you; you're my smart, strong, brave, beautiful big sister! You've always been there for me and have helped me in so many ways. Nothing can change how much I love you, big sis! It doesn't matter to me that you're a lesbian. I'm just happy you are in love, and that you finally were ready to admit this to us and can start living your life without any more secrets."

Amber gave her sister an extra squeeze, released the hug and then approached Heather.

"Heather," she said, "I know you're a good person, you've been a good friend to Jen for a long time. But now that I know that you're not just friends, but lovers too, I'm even happier you're a part of Jen's life. You're so good to her, and I can tell Jen loves you so much. Thank you for all you've done for her. I hope you two can stay together for a long time."

Heather pulled both Amber and Jennifer together and gave both sisters a big hug, saying "Thanks Amber. You're a very special young woman and a great and very understanding sister. Don't worry, you're not going to be rid of me that easily!" She then reached over to Jennifer and kissed her. "I love you, Jen."

"I love you too, Heather," replied Jennifer.

The three ladies sighed happily together. Then they felt two more join them in their embrace.

"Oh!" Amber squeaked. "Sorry, Sandra! Sorry, skip! In all that family drama, I almost forgot you two were here!"

"That's OK," answered Kellie. "We didn't want to interrupt the moment."

Jennifer and Heather held hands together and looked at their other two teammates. "We need to know you're both OK with this, too," Jennifer said. "We're so glad and relieved that Amber accepts us for who we are, but both of you are very special to us too, and we need to know what you think."

Sandra spoke up. "Don't worry, it makes no difference to me what you two do together in private. You're still my friends and teammates, and that will never change."

Everyone now looked at Kellie, who smiled back at all of them. "Jen, Heather, you two are special to me. You are wonderful women and great friends to me, and you being lovers doesn't change that one bit. I'm happy you confided in us, for your own sake as much as ours. First, you can be free to express your love for each other around us. Why shouldn't you have that same joy that people like Brad and I have? Also, I can only guess that this must be a huge burden off your shoulders."

The relief was evident in Heather and Jennifer's faces. "Like you wouldn't believe!" Jennifer exclaimed. "There are still other people we have to share this with, but as long as Heather is by my side, I can get through anything. She was so brave in telling you today... I didn't want to do it at first, at least, not now. But once she did I knew I had to be strong for her... for us."

The room grew quiet again, but it was the contented silence of friends who had just shared a special moment, one that would make them an even closer unit. The quiet was broken, almost predictably, by the giggling of the youngest and most excitable of the five, Amber.

"Alright, little sis, now what's so funny?!" asked Jennifer.

Amber stifled her giggles just enough to answer. "This is twice now in the last few weeks that Anita has done something that she thought would screw with one or all of us but is actually going to help us. It's like she secretly wants us to win!"

The others couldn't help but join Amber in laughter.

Kellie pulled them all together. "Listen everyone, what just happened here was very important, and I don't want to diminish that at all. But I have to be honest. I really hope that's the last of the personal drama for a while. We do have, shall we say, other pressing matters to attend to."

Jennifer, Sandra, Amber and Heather all nodded. "Don't worry, skip," Jennifer said with an air of determination. "We're in this thing to win it, all the way, more than ever!"

*******

He listened to her intently.

Brad was in bed with Kellie in the hotel room they were sharing for the week. While he had been able to spend time checking out the arena and other surroundings with other members of the travelling party, she was trying to wind down after what had been a long, emotionally exhausting yet ultimately satisfying day.

He had listened for the several minutes it took for Kellie to tell the whole story of what happened. He didn't speak or interrupt, just nodding at the right places and maintaining eye contact to ensure she knew he was carefully paying attention.

He let out a low whistle when she had finished. "Wow, that's a lot to take in all at once."

"Yeah," she replied. "What do you think of it all?"

Brad gave the matter some honest thought before speaking. "I think it's a good thing that they revealed their secret to you, for a lot of different reasons. It sucks that they were essentially forced into it and couldn't do it on their own time frame, but in the long run it's great for them and good for all of you."

Kellie nodded. "I never asked you this, probably because it never came up, but it feels important to know now. What do you think..."

"What do I think about gays and lesbians?" Brad finished the question for her, and waited for her to acknowledge that's what she wanted to know before answering. "I have honestly never thought about it. I haven't had to. Before now I've never known or met anyone who was gay or lesbian."

"And now that you do?"

He shrugged. "I don't think it makes them bad or otherwise not deserving of the same respect as straight people just because they are attracted to people of the same sex. You can't control who you fall in love with, right? So what if Jen and Heather are lovers? Why would I hate them just for that? It's kind of weird knowing people think like that, to tell you the truth."




Kellie and Brad Ch. 04



Kellie smiled. "That's exactly what I was thinking. I'm so happy and proud of you that you're so understanding."

"Thanks, Kellie. To me it's not really that big a deal, or at least it shouldn't be. I know Heather and Jen are great friends of yours, and I really like them too. I hope everyone else accepts them for who they are, but unfortunately, some people probably won't."

Kellie sighed and concurred. Brad was right; as far as society had come in accepting homosexual lifestyles, there were still plenty of ignorant and, worse, intolerant people out there. She sincerely hoped Heather and Jennifer would not encounter any of them, knowing that was likely impossible.

She then had a funny little thought and decided to share it. "Just curious, Brad, what would you do if a gay man told you he thought you were hot?"

Brad did a double-take. "Uh... well Kellie I can't lie, I would feel pretty awkward about it. In the end I hope I would be mature enough to just let him down gently and tell him no. But one thing is for sure. You're the only person, man or woman, for me."

Kellie blushed as Brad sealed his words with a gentlemanly kiss to her hand. "One more question, mister suave-and-debonair. What would you think if a lovely young woman hit on me?"

Brad broke out into a wolfish grin and wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, which caused Kellie to roll her eyes. "Two words, buster. Hell and no!! Not that there's anything wrong with that, of course, but you know I'm not that way. Ugh, Bradley Galenchuk, you have one dirty mind!" she yelled, trying to sound angry but not quite succeeding.

He couldn't help but laugh at her display. "Oh Kellie, I love it when you get all riled up! I was just teasing. I would just hope and pray you turned down that lovely young woman because I couldn't share you with anyone else."

"Well, even though you are a typical man," Kellie said in a teasing voice before getting serious, "you won't have to share because I would just tell that young woman no. You're the only one for me."

The couple kissed and cuddled; content to quietly express their love for each other.

*******

He watched her in action.

And, yes, her form was perfect.

But not on the curling ice. At least, not this time. That would start tomorrow, Saturday.

Today, Friday, was media day. And it was a grueling enough day in its own right.

Each team and player subjected themselves to rounds of interviews with various members of print and electronic media, and the host broadcaster also recorded in-depth interviews and conversations with the players, segments of which were used during telecasts as deemed timely and appropriate.

In addition, as part of the efforts of the officials to make the tournament as fan-friendly as possible, each team was designated a time where they would host an autograph session and a special question-and-answer session for the fans. As luck would have it Kellie and her team were scheduled to take part in their sitting that evening.

As tiring as the day had been so far Kellie, Jennifer, Sandra, Amber and Heather were happy to take part in this initiative. They knew without the fans none of what they had in curling would be possible and they were proud to give back to them.

Brad had offered to leave and do his own thing while Kellie made her media rounds, thinking he would be little more than a distraction. However she insisted that he stay around, as she valued his company, wanted his moral support and also wanted him to see more of this side of big-time curling. He was more than happy to do so. He tried to enjoy the experience as much as possible, though it was difficult at times because it seemed Kellie and the others were being put through the wringer with the non-stop barrage of questions. He imagined it had to be similar for the other teams but not as intense as for Kellie and her team; they were the defending champions after all.

He admired Kellie's skill and professionalism in answering the various questions thrown her away. He shared secret laughs and eye rolls from her when she received a question she had answered several times already. He found it difficult not to get choked up when, during the extended interview with the host broadcaster, she praised him for the positive impact he had on her life.

Now, in the break for dinner they had until the autograph and fan Q & A session, he could see the fatigue on her face. He could certainly understand it; heck he was tired just from watching her being under the microscope all day.

"How are you holding up?" he asked.

"Ugh," Kellie groaned. "Brad, I think I'm going to see microphones in my nightmares tonight."

Brad laughed, even as Kellie rolled her eyes. She then sighed and said, "Oh it's not that bad, really. It's just tiring and intense, answering so many questions, being careful to say the right things all the time. It makes for a long day."

"And you still have the autograph and fan Q & A to go tonight."

Kellie smiled and seemed to get a jolt of energy as Brad mentioned the upcoming session. "Yeah but that's fun! It's so much less stressful. It's off the record for one thing, not that I would say anything on purpose that might get me in trouble. And it's going to be filled with people who support us and have no agendas, other than to hear us talk curling. How cool is that?"

"Very cool," Brad agreed.

He took a seat towards the back of lounge just as the autograph signings were about to take place. He gave the ladies a wave and they all waved back, pens and Sharpies in hand. The line-up snaked through the room and well out the door. 'Hope they don't get writer's cramp too bad,' Brad whispered aloud to no one in particular.

The evening was going without a hitch. The fans waiting for autographs were patient and orderly, and looked only too happy once they finally met Kellie and her team face to face. Brad could see the women were relaxed and enjoying themselves as well. He saw many grins and laughs coming from Kellie, and it made him smile.

Soon everyone was seated for the question and answer session. It, too, was progressing rather smoothly. For the most part, the fans were lobbing softball questions, mostly about how they got started in curling, who their heroes were, what advice they had for young people, and so on, but that was perfectly OK with everyone. The fans appreciated the honest answers in such an intimate setting, and Kellie and her teammates were happy to please their fans in a stress-free environment.

It wasn't until the last few questions when things got really interesting.

A middle-aged man approached the microphone and asked, "I believe everyone here is well aware that your team and the Anita Morriss rink have developed quite the rivalry over the last couple years. It looks like it's very heated, which leads me to wonder if there are any personal animosities, or anything that has happened off the ice that's led to this appearance of bad blood. Care to comment?"

The crowd seemingly leaned in as one to listen, the mood having changed from laid back to something more expectant, knowing they might possibly become privy to some very delicious gossip-y info. Kellie thought about how she should answer this question for a long time before finally speaking.

"Wow. I had expected to get a question or two about the competition, but I didn't think I'd get one so... direct. OK, here's the story. Defeating Anita's team at provincials last year really has made this a true rivalry, and having Heather move from her team to ours brings an extra dimension to the whole thing, as I'm sure you'll agree. To be honest, Anita doesn't like me and I don't like her. I suppose that much is obvious. There isn't much love lost either between the rest of her team and my friends and teammates you see here next to me. There have been incidents off the ice that have led to the level of dislike being so high. But I don't think it is right to disclose the details of these incidents, not even in this kind of setting. I have too much respect for myself, my teammates and my sport to talk about that kind of stuff, and I'd rather concentrate on the positives that are all around me. I hope you understand and respect my decision."

The man who asked the question stood up to respond. "I admit, part of me did want to hear all of the juicy details, whatever they were. But I certainly respect your decision, and I appreciate the grace and class with which you answered my question. All of you have a big fan in me, and when you do play the Morriss team this week I hope you beat them."

The whole crowd cheered at his words. When the cheering died down Kellie replied, "Thank you everyone, I think I can speak for the team when I say we appreciate your support. We look forward to that challenge."

A teenage girl was the next to ask a question. "This is for all of you, if you don't mind me asking. Of the male curlers out there, who do you think is the sexiest?"

Gentle laughter rolled through the audience. Amber, Sandra and Kellie smirked at the audacity of the girl for asking the question and thought of how they could best answer the question in a fun way. But Jennifer and Heather were taken aback by the question. This wasn't the sort of question a lesbian could answer convincingly, and only having just come out to the rest of their teammates (and for Jennifer, her sister), they weren't ready to announce it to the whole world just yet. Amber noticed the predicament her sister and lover were both in and leaned in to whisper something in their ears. It was genius, really; to the crowd it would look like they were just comparing thoughts, but Jennifer promised herself she'd thank her little sis later for offering what for her and Heather would be a believable answer and so helping them out of a tight spot.

"That's a good question," said Jennifer. "I honestly haven't given this a lot of thought, though, and I'm not sure I can come up with one off the top of my head right now."

She shrugged and passed the microphone to Heather, who added, "I'm afraid I'm in the same boat as Jen is. I can't really give you a good answer. I'm sorry our answers so far are so boring!"

Amber smiled brightly. "I'll give you a good answer! Kevin Mann!" she exclaimed, referring to the world champion skip and the leader of the team that faced Kellie's a few weeks earlier at the Skins Game. "I know that, technically, he's old enough to be my dad, but he's still way hot!" The crowd smiled and laughed kindly as they were caught up in the young woman's enthusiasm.

Sandra was next to answer. "Marc Cornish," she said simply. There were several audible sighs of approval from the women in the crowd. Marc was the second on Kevin's team who had legions of female fans, which was no surprise considering he was such a strong, fit, personable and very handsome young man.

Kellie now took hold of the microphone. She scanned the crowd until she found Brad. She gave him a wink that she hoped he noticed. Just as she was about to answer, he took her by surprise when he stood up and approached the mike in the crowd.

"Young lady," Brad said, addressing the teenaged girl who asked the original question, "before Kellie answers your question, I have one of my own I'd like to ask her teammates. Is it OK if I do that?"

The girl quietly said yes, handing Brad the mike.

"Thank you," he said, nodding his acknowledgement at her before turning to the stage. "Jennifer, Sandra, Amber and Heather, please pardon my interruption, but I'd like to ask you if it's ever been an issue for you to know that your skip is the most beautiful woman in the world!"

The crowd was not sure how to react at first, but they soon relaxed when they saw Kellie smiling despite her cheeks turning bright red from blushing, and her teammates who were applauding Brad and laughing so hard they were crying.

Kellie finally recovered enough composure to speak. "As some of you may know, I was married last week." Her speech was interrupted by applause, which she received graciously.

"This man, who for some reason has decided to thoroughly embarrass me, and will pay for that later if I have anything to say about that," she continued as she tried hard to stifle her own laughter, "is my wonderful husband, Brad. He works at the curling club in our hometown."

Kellie turned her attention to the teenaged girl. "So, young lady... what is your name?"

Brad held the mike for her to speak. She cleared her throat and answered, "Claire."

"Well, Claire, my answer to your question of who is the sexiest man in curling, is my husband!"

Claire looked at Brad before speaking again, in a very shy, nervous voice. "Kellie, I hope you don't mind me saying this, but your husband is pretty yummy-looking!"

It was Brad's turn to blush. Kellie and her teammates all broke into laughter as Claire returned to her seat with a small yet confident and satisfied grin on her pretty face. The crowd joined them in loud, long applause, having thoroughly enjoyed the candid exchanges of the last few minutes.

It seemed a fitting end to the night's proceedings.

*******

It was possibly the most anticipated such tournament in its history.

The field in this year's Canadian women's curling championship was very strong, and Kellie, Jennifer, Sandra, Amber and Heather knew they could not take any team lightly.

But the rest of the curling world saw things differently. The vast majority of both the media covering the event and the curling fans focused most if not all their attention on the teams skipped by Kellie and Anita. Not just because they were the consensus two best women's curling teams in the country, but even more so because of the mutual enmity and intriguing backstory. How results had been one-sided for Anita before the stunning turnaround from Kellie's team last year, how Heather had left Anita's team for Kellie's a few short months ago, how both sides, while holding a grudging respect for their talent, openly admitted their dislike for each other, a rarity in such a sportsmanlike game. All of this added up to very compelling drama. The curling world at large did not know the whole story behind these basic facts, and they never would; everyone on both teams had learned the media game well enough to know what to say and more importantly what not to say. The in-depth media coverage of both teams did allow fans to learn enough about Kellie, Anita and each of their teams to know that there was a real rivalry between them. That combined with their extraordinary skill levels made it a must-see matchup.

The intense spotlight on these teams also had the effect of making them targets for all the other squads. No true competitor likes to be disrespected, and the ten other teams who qualified for this championship felt slighted by the lack of attention paid to them. They had no animosity towards Kellie's team; in fact those who knew Kellie and their teammates genuinely liked them and considered them friends and mentors. However the combination of their own competitive pride and sporting goals, their desire to prove everyone wrong and earn the respect they thought they were due, and the fact that defeating the defending champs would be a feather in the cap of any team meant they would all give Kellie's team their best game and go all-out for victory. It would be a similar story for these teams against Anita, except she was a past champion and not defending the title... with the added factor that they couldn't stand her!

For their part everyone on both Kellie and Anita's teams did the best they could to take the intense attention, distractions and the bulls-eyes the other teams put on their backs in stride. But that would prove to be far from easy.

*******

They didn't take the loss well at all.

The matchup between Kellie's and Anita's teams took place during the prime time television viewing hours on Tuesday night. Never let it be said that the tournament organizers didn't understand how to cater to the fans watching on TV, Kellie thought to herself when she reviewed the schedule. 

Both Kellie's and Anita's teams had a record of four wins and two losses at that time. Both teams had felt the nerves and the pressure of all eyes being on them, which helped explain why both had a couple of stumbles along the way in the early part of the schedule. Most fans and media members thought it represented nothing more than a blip in the proceedings, but it did send an extra spark of interest, as it added some unpredictability to what had so far been a competitive and very well played tournament.

The fans certainly got their money's worth that night. It was a well-played game by both sides, with lots of rocks in play, lots of scoring, plenty of decisions that people could debate and second-guess (one of the aspects of curling fans of the sport love most) and more than a hint of the frigidness between the two teams.

It came down to the final shot. Kellie was trailing by one point, but Amber, Sandra and Jennifer had made their shots perfectly, so she was in position to score two and give their team a hard-earned victory.

Unfortunately, halfway down the ice, Kellie's rock picked, running over a small piece of debris that sent it spinning off track. Sandra and Amber brushed the ice in front of the stone hard to try and save it, but it just wasn't possible. The shot missed the mark by a few inches, allowing Anita's team to steal the victory.

During the final handshakes, Anita whispered something in Kellie's ear, being careful to keep her voice low so the TV microphones wouldn't pick it up. Kellie shrugged it off and made a beeline for the interview room to fulfill her media obligations.

The rest of her team trudged off to their locker room. Jennifer was the first to enter. Her frustration over the late turn of events got the better of her, and she angrily fired her brush into a corner, the sound of it clattering against the wall echoing throughout the room. Sandra, Amber and Heather followed in soon behind, too stunned to react to Jennifer's outburst.

After an uncomfortable few moments of silence, Sandra said, "I still can't believe that rock picked."

"Maybe it wouldn't have picked if someone had done their job properly," Jennifer hissed in an almost malevolent whisper.

Sandra whipped her head around towards Jennifer. "What did you say?!"

"You heard me," Jennifer replied huffily.

"Hey, come on Jen, that's not fair!" Amber piped up.

"Oh Amber, stop it, this is not a good time for you to butt in!"

"Please stop fighting everyone, this isn't helping," said Heather, concerned with the direction this conversation was going.

"Shut up Heather, this doesn't concern you!" Sandra barked.

Things further degenerated from there, until all four were yelling and pointing fingers at each other. It took several minutes before they realized Kellie was in the room with them, banging on the metal door, softly at first, then louder and louder until she was banging on it with all their might.

After the four women quieted down, Kellie said in a quiet yet strong voice, "Now that I finally have your attention. All this petty arguing and yelling at each other, it stops right now. Do I make myself clear?"

Kellie's teammates bowed their heads in embarrassment. They apologized to Kellie and each other. The scene vaguely resembled a school headmistress trying to discipline an unruly group of fifth-graders.

"Thanks girls, that's better," Kellie said. "I understand your frustration, even if I don't agree with how you handled it. It looked like we had the game won, then luck turned against us. That's the way this game goes, it happens sometimes. Forget about the outcome for a moment. Think back to the game as a whole. What do you remember?"

Everyone sat in deep thought for a while until Sandra spoke. "I think we all played really well today. Every one of us."




Kellie and Brad Ch. 04



Heather nodded. "It sure looked from my vantage point that you all had a strong game."

"Exactly!" Kellie exclaimed. Jennifer and Amber seemed to acknowledge this as well as Kellie went on. "I'd go so far as to say it was our best game this week. We've had a bit of an up and down start but we're improving and starting to peak at the right time. Even Anita knows it!"

"What? Wait, Anita whispered something to you right after the game ended. What was it?" Amber asked.

Kellie smiled. "She just said karma's a bitch. That's it!"

"I don't get it," Sandra said. The others looked confused as well.

"Well," Kellie replied, "in her own backhanded way, she basically admitted she was lucky to win, and that we were the better team! And we were. Now we just have to keep playing like it. We're now at four wins and three losses, but if we play the next two days like we did tonight we'll finish at 8-3 and make the playoffs. It's all still in our hands, girls!"

Jennifer, Sandra, Amber and Heather started to perk up and get excited again as they realized just how right Kellie was about their situation. If they played like they were capable of they had nothing to worry about.

Kellie focused on really delivering her message home. "I need to ask two things from you. I have total trust and confidence in myself and all of you, and I need you to have just as much confidence in yourselves and all of us together. Second, once we leave this room, this loss is completely forgotten. Will you promise to do these two things?"

All five women formed a group hug in the centre of the room. "You can count on us, skip," Jennifer spoke for the rest. "Consider it done."

They all went back to their hotel rooms for the night. Brad was waiting for Kellie once she returned. He gently kissed her forehead. "Sorry about your loss tonight. What rotten luck, and of all the people to have it against," he said.

"Thanks, Brad, but it's OK. The girls and I had a little bitch session about it, I had to rein them in a little, they were upset and frustrated and they let it control them."

"It's lonely at the top sometimes."

Kellie sighed. "Yeah. I don't want to complain but there are times when our position, and mine in particular, is a challenge. But it certainly beats the alternatives. We're fine now, really. We played well and we still control our fate, that's the main thing."

"You're right, Kellie. You'll make the playoffs and get another crack at Anita, and that time it will be different. I just know it."

"Thanks again, honey." She yawned. "I'm sorry I can't be good company right now but I'm just so tired, and we have another game tomorrow morning..."

He kissed her forehead again. "Say no more. You get your rest. I love you, Kellie Galenchuk."

"I love you, Bradley Galenchuk."

*******

She was proven right.

Spurred on by Kellie's pep talk, she and her team rolled through their next three matches, and if they won their fourth in a row they would finish the round-robin portion of the tournament with eight wins and three losses, good enough to make the playoffs.

Things were rounding nicely into shape, Brad thought from his seat in the stands. It was Thursday night and he was watching the last round-robin draw. It was the seventh end of ten and Kellie's team was leading by four points and in no danger of losing. He hoped they could take full control of the tournament from here and cruise in on their way to a repeat championship.

He knew that, unfortunately, things are never that easy, and life has a funny way of intruding on things when you least expect it. Just as he had that thought, he saw it proved again in real life.

When Sandra threw her second rock of that end, she extended her lead leg a little farther than usual, and this hitch in her delivery eventually caused her leg to twist and collapse underneath her. She screamed and writhed in agony at the pain. An audible groan was heard in the crowd.

After the rock stopped a medical timeout was called and first aid attendants and Sandra's teammates rushed to see her.

"What happened?" Kellie asked as the attendants were helping Sandra up.

"I felt something pull in my leg," Sandra said through gritted teeth. "It hurts pretty bad."

The first aid people led Sandra off the ice and to the hospital. The crowd gave her a round of sympathetic applause. Kellie ran a hand through her hair, wondering what else could possibly happen this week.

'No time for that now,' she thought to herself. Nothing she could do but summon Heather from the bench to fill in.

Heather had the classic deer-in-the-headlights look on her face as she ran out to the ice to gather with Kellie, Jennifer and Amber.

"Heather, we'll have you slot into Sandra's position, it's the easiest way to deal with this," she told her.

"Skip... I've never played second before."

"It just means you'll play a few more hits instead of draws. Follow my instructions and you'll be fine."

Jennifer put a shoulder on her girlfriend. "You're a good player, Heather. You can do this."

Amber encouraged her as well. "I'll help you with all the brushing calls. Come on, breathe, and have fun!"

Heather swallowed and nodded. Now was not the time to worry... or even think. She told herself to rely on both her teammates and her instincts and just play. It would get her through this game, and from there they could think about what happens next.

They did end up claiming the win, much to Heather's relief. Their 8-3 record put them in third place. Rounding out the four-team playoff field were Anita's team, finishing first at 9-2, and two up-and-coming young teams, one from out East, the other the local hometown heroes.

But that wasn't Kellie's concern right now. After a quick late snack and a brief chat with Brad, she went with Jennifer, Amber and Heather to the hospital to visit Sandra.

They met the doctor when they were gathered in the room, where she told them the news. "She's strained some of her knee ligaments. Her injury isn't serious, and she will absolutely make a 100% recovery, but it will take at least four to six weeks. Her tournament is over, I'm afraid."

The doctor excused herself to make the rest of her rounds. The rest of the team commiserated with their friend, her tear-streaked face evidence of her disappointment over her injury.

"I'm sorry this happened to you Sandra," said Kellie.

Sandra shrugged. She had her cry over it but was now resigned to her immediate fate. "It sucks, but there's nothing I can do about it now. I'll do what I can to help you off the ice, and I'll be in the stands cheering for you. I'll get over this disappointment. Don't worry about me."

She then looked at Heather and addressed her directly. "It's a good thing we have such a good player to fill in for me."

Heather looked nervous enough to vomit. Playing the last few ends of the last game on short notice was one thing, but being asked to replace Sandra with everything on the line... could she handle it? "Oh god I don't know everyone, I mean of course I'll try, but..."

Sandra gently but firmly grabbed Heather's wrist. "Heather, please relax. You're a good player and you can do this. I'll help you off the ice as much as I can. On the ice Kellie will guide you and Amber will help with the sweeping calls. And of course you have Jennifer to lean on anywhere and anytime you need her. Believe in yourself and play, we'll help you do the rest."

Jennifer put an arm around her lover's shoulder and kissed her cheek, and Kellie and Amber each held one of her hands and nodded to affirm Sandra's declaration of support. Heather took a deep breath and tried to calm her nerves. She felt the outpouring of love and support and did her best to return it in kind. She knew instantly, if that is she hadn't already known, she'd do whatever it took to help ensure her friends and her lover earned the victory they deserved.

*******

The dream final matchup was set.

The teams led by Anita Morriss and Kellie Galenchuk, the two best teams in the country, the two biggest rivals, were going to compete for the Canadian championship of women's curling.

Both semi-final matches were remarkably similar. Both of the young teams Anita and Kellie faced had great tournaments to date; they were untested in contests at this high level but they were clearly very talented and seemingly fearless. Both experienced teams had nervous starts, as if they were only too aware of what was at stake, and fell behind to the young upstarts halfway through their matches. But both skips settled themselves and their teammates down, allowing them to recover and come from behind to win.

After dinner and a final discussion on the task at hand, Kellie, Jennifer, Sandra, Amber and Heather all retired to their hotel rooms. The last words Kellie spoke before they left were to try and relax and do something that night to help take their mind off tomorrow's big game before getting a good sleep, so that's what they all tried to do.

Amber and her boyfriend watched a chick flick, at her request. She rewarded him for tolerating her choice of movie by giving him long, slow and sensual oral sex. They both fell asleep with satisfied smiles on their faces... his being slightly wider than hers.

Sandra sat in front of her notebook computer and chatted with the man with whom she had just recently started a long-distance relationship. They had met each other for the first time in person a few weeks ago, and both immediately fell hard for the other. They had been restricted to phone calls and Skype chats since then, but it hadn't lessened their mutual attraction. This evening, Sandra's love interest consoled her over her untimely injury. He decided to go through with his surprise anyway, which was to drive from his home in Edmonton to Calgary early the next morning to see her and watch the final in support of the rest of her teammates. Sandra reacted joyfully, and when they ended their chat later that night, she thought about seeing him in person again. Not being able to resist, she masturbated herself to climax with her fingers before settling into a serene sleep.

Jennifer and Heather were finding their own way to wind down.

Jennifer knew her lover was still a little tense so when they returned to their room she told Heather to undress and lie on the bed. She waited in the TV room while Heather cleaned herself up for the evening and disrobed, then she went into the bathroom to do the same.

Heather saw Jennifer as she emerged, her form silhouetted against the light from the bathroom.

"You're my angel, Jen. Where would I be, what would I do, without you?" she sighed.

Jennifer walked towards the bed on which her lover lay, slowly but with purpose, ignoring her rhetorical question. She bent over and gave Heather the softest of kisses, their sets of lips barely touching the others.

Then she leapt on to the bed and straddled Heather, who let out a surprised squeal. Jennifer took hold of Heather's face with both hands and kissed her aggressively and passionately. Their tongues locked and dueled, and both naked bodies pressed into each other. Heather whimpered and moaned into the kiss. Jennifer always seemed to know what Heather needed each time they made love, and Heather thanked the forces of fate that brought them together.

Jennifer momentarily broke the kiss. "I am your angel, Heather, and you are mine. But right now I feel like a devil!"

Heather groaned. "That's so corny, but I don't care. I need you so bad. Fuck me, Jen!"

They kissed deeply again. Jennifer then laid kisses on one of Heather's cheeks, trailing to nibble at her neck and earlobe, first one side, then the other. Heather shuddered at each touch. She was flush with heat and desire, and the wetness from between her legs started trickling down her inner thighs.

Jennifer slid further down Heather's body and caressed both firm breasts in her hands. She kissed and suckled on the nipple of one while fondling and tweaking the other. She went back and forth between each enticing breast, showering them equally with love and attention.

"Ohhh yes!" Heather whispered, her voice nearly choked with lust.

Jennifer placed gossamer-like kisses down Heather's taut stomach. She raised herself up to drink in the sight of her lover's body. She usually loved teasing Heather before licking and fingering her to orgasm, but she thought maybe tonight was a good night to switch it up a little.

So she dive-bombed directly into Heather's pussy, bathing it with her tongue.

"Oh FUCK!" Heather screamed at the unexpected yet very welcome attack on her sex.

Jennifer devoured Heather's pussy, kissing, licking and sucking every bit of her engorged womanhood. Her nostrils were filled with her scent, and it pleased her to no end. She slipped one finger inside of Heather, followed soon after by a second. She plunged her digits inside her lover with all the speed and energy she could muster.

Heather propped herself up on her elbows to watch Jennifer ravage her. Her pants and moans grew louder and erratic as the release she had longed for all day came closer and closer to fruition.

Without warning, Jennifer swiped at Heather's exposed clit with her wet tongue, sending sparks of electricity through every part of her.

"Ohmigod yes Jen, please don't stop!" Heather yelled.

But Jennifer did stop. She looked up into Heather's face, her lips and chin wet with her lover's essence. "What do you want me to do to you, Heather?" she asked. She then softly blew hot air on Heather's pussy and grinned wickedly as Heather writhed and wriggled beneath her.

Heather desperately replied, "Make me cum Jen! Please fuck me with your tongue and your fingers! Mark me as yours! Please!!"

Jennifer said nothing; her actions did all the talking for her. She redoubled her efforts on Heather, furiously pounding her pussy with her fingers and flicking her tongue over her clit at a blinding speed.

Heather, too, said nothing; she could only scream incoherent sounds of joy as her orgasm exploded from within. Her juices rushed freely from inside her, bathing her lover in her sweet nectar. They remained motionless for a few moments. Heather wiped some of the excess sweat from her brow as Jennifer climbed up closer to her. They kissed each other. Heather could taste some of her juices on Jennifer's face and chin; it was one of her most favourite sensations.

"I need to return the favour," Heather said.

Jennifer smiled and kissed Heather on the forehead. "I thought you'd never ask."

She turned around to face away from Heather and positioned herself so Heather had a great look at her ass and pussy hovering just above her. Heather grabbed an extra pillow to support her neck. She then lowered Jennifer to her and playfully licked and nibbled at her meaty pussy lips.

"Oh yeah, just like that, baby. Come on, fuck me good," Jennifer encouraged her partner.

Heather dipped her tongue inside Jennifer's honeypot and tasted her arousal. She gripped her lover's butt and hips and pushed them downward to achieve closer contact with her tongue. Jennifer ground her sex on Heather's face, trying to accelerate her orgasmic joy but taking care not to hurt or suffocate her girlfriend.

Jennifer looked down at Heather's pussy, still slick from her recent orgasm, her lips still puffed out invitingly. She was practically addicted to the smell, feel and taste of Heather, so despite just getting her off mere minutes ago, without any further hesitation she leaned down, grabbed the back of Heather's legs, clamped her mouth tightly on her womanhood and dipped her tongue in her slit.

Heather moaned happily. Her girlfriend was going to give her a second orgasm while she had yet to receive one of her own. Loving her even more for her selflessness, Heather thought to herself that, if she was to only get Jennifer off once tonight, it was gonna be a damn good one.

She tongued Jennifer's pussy even more furiously and wormed her hand in position to strum her clit with her fingers. Jennifer yelped and arched her back.

"Yes... Heather... please..." Jennifer whispered breathlessly. She rubbed her fingers over Heather's pussy to give her some stimulation but was otherwise far too distracted with her own oncoming orgasm to do any more.

She came suddenly and intensely. Her mouth formed a silent scream as she shuddered and quaked. Her own juices bubbled over into Heather's eager and talented mouth.

Jennifer's chest heaved in and out as she regained her breath. She looked back at Heather with predatory eyes. Before Heather could respond Jennifer bent back down to finish the job she started earlier. She lapped at her girlfriend's moist and fragrant love tunnel. Then she wet a finger with a mixture of her saliva and Heather's juices, and she ran that finger down Heather's sensitive underside until she reached her crinkled bum hole. She massaged that hole as she maintained her unrelenting ministrations on Heather's pussy.

"Oh shit Jen, I'm gonna cum again!" Heather yelled.

"Do it, Heather! Give me your cum!" Jennifer ordered. She gently eased her fingertip into her lover's anus in order to push her over the edge.

With that, Heather complied with Jennifer's demand. She tensed up and grabbed two fistfuls of bedsheet before she released and spectacularly came. Jennifer kept licking at Heather's overheated pussy as she came down. Heather soon gently pushed her away as she was too sensitive to continue. 

They lay down on the bed together, each on their side, kissing each other and softly stroking each other's hair. Their kisses were slow, unhurried, and filled with love.

"Thank you Jen," Heather whispered. "You were fantastic."

Jennifer blushed. "You weren't so bad yourself, honey."

"I love you, Jen."

"I love you too, Heather."

They spooned into each other, Heather with her back turned curving into Jennifer, who draped an arm around her lover. Just as Jennifer was about to fall asleep, Heather turned to face her.

"Jen?"

"Mm-hmm?"

"You still awake?"

"I am now." She stifled a yawn. "What is it, Heather?"

"Would you really have done it?"

"Done what?"

"Would you have broken up with me and left me forever if I didn't quit Anita's team?"

Jennifer seemed to consider this question for a while, before deciding to answer it with a question of her own.

"Aren't you glad you don't have to find out for real?"

She kissed Heather on the nose and closed her eyes. Almost immediately, she fell asleep.

Heather remained awake for several minutes, racking her brain, wondering just what Jennifer meant by her cryptic answer. Finally, she decided that some questions really are better left unanswered. She spooned herself back into Jennifer's warm body and fell into a peaceful sleep of her own.

*******

Meanwhile, she was having trouble following her own advice.

Brad sensed the tension in Kellie right when it set in, which was soon after she returned from dinner to their hotel room. At first he thought he'd do nothing but wait and see if she could find a way to relax herself. But now, as she alternated between pacing back and forth in the TV room and restlessly bouncing her leg up and down as she sat on a chair, he figured he should try and help Kellie before she had a complete nervous breakdown.

"How are you feeling, Kellie?" he asked.

"Oh... you know... OK. I guess."

He raised an eyebrow. "And just who do you think you're trying to fool with an answer like that?"

Kellie sighed and slumped on the couch next to him. "Oh Brad, I can't lie. I feel like I'm going to throw up."

She held her hand in front of her, trying to keep steady. To Brad it looked like she was vibrating. "Brad, look at me! I can't stop shaking!" she cried.

Brad held his arms out and Kellie dived into him. He hugged her and held her tight. "It's OK, honey, you'll be fine. Just a few pre-match jitters, nothing more. A good night's sleep is all you need, you get that and you'll be ready to go tomorrow."




Kellie and Brad Ch. 04



"But what if I'm not? Brad, I'm scared. I'm worried I'll fail, that I'll let everyone down."

"Honey, please don't do this to yourself. It won't help if you beat yourself up over what might happen tomorrow. No matter what the outcome is, the sun will still come up tomorrow. Your friends will still be there for you. And I'll still love you."

"Brad you don't understand. I have to win tomorrow. The world will be watching. I have to put that bitch Anita in her place! But I don't know if I can. I'm so damned nervous right now!"

Kellie started sobbing and buried her face into Brad's shoulder. He held her for a while, until he came up with an idea that he hoped would work. He hated to think what would happen if it didn't.

"Kellie, come with me," he said.

They got up and he walked her towards the bedroom. He motioned for Kellie to sit on the edge of the bed. She did so and he moved to sit behind her, stretching his legs to encircle her body. He moved his hands over her shoulders and neck, trying to massage the tension away.

"OK, Kellie, you need to try and relax. You are so stiff right now! You'll never get a proper night's sleep like this," he said.

"I'll try, baby. I just want this so bad though!" Kellie replied.

Brad used the most soothing voice he could produce. "I know honey, just try not to think about it right now, let your mind go free and think about being totally relaxed."

Kellie closed her eyes and concentrated on the feel of his strong hands and his sensuous touches on her upper body. She practiced some of the deep breathing techniques she learned in the past to help relax her even more. It took some time, but slowly, minute by minute, she felt the worst of her stress ebbing away.

"Take your shirt off for me?" Brad asked. Kellie said nothing, instead simply lifting her arms. Brad took her cue and lifted Kellie's nightshirt off. He discarded it in the corner of the room and took in the sight of Kellie's bare back.

Brad dug his hands again into her shoulders and upper back. She wasn't saying anything, but he could feel and hear her breathing slow and become more regular, and he knew that his massage was working. He was getting something out of this deal as well; it was another chance to touch her fantastic body, and opportunities like these were impossible for him to pass up.

"How does this feel, Kellie?" he asked.

"Mmmm, this is helping, it feels so good. Please keep going, I'm not ready for you to stop yet."

"Don't worry, honey, I have no intention of stopping right now."

His hands traveled down to her back. He rested a forearm on her while he kneaded her lower back muscles and the tops of her firm buttocks. He was finding the massage he was administering to be very erotic. His penis had stirred into life soon after he started; now it was making his sweatpants uncomfortably tight. But he had resolved that tonight was all about relaxing Kellie and preparing her for her match tomorrow, and not for his own wants or needs. If it meant he had to put up with a little discomfort to achieve his goal, then so be it.

"Lie down on your back," Brad said after a few more minutes. "Let me work on your legs."

Kellie did as he suggested. He carefully removed her socks and pyjama pants, leaving her clad in only a pair of plain white panties. As he lovingly regarded the form of Kellie's near-naked body, he massaged one foot, then the other, switching back and forth to pay equal attention to each. He moved up to her calves, using his hands to work out the knots in her feminine yet strong muscles. He heard her give several small satisfied moans. It made him smile to know he was making her feel so good.

Kellie was melting under Brad's touch. "Mmmm, remind me to ask you to do this more often," she said dreamily.

"I'm glad you like it, baby."

"I'd suggest you become a masseuse, Brad, except I don't think I can stand the thought of you touching anyone else like this."

"Kellie, baby, no one else would feel this, you're the only one I'd ever massage." She let out another soft contented purr at his words.

Brad straddled Kellie's lower legs and reached for her thighs. He vigorously kneaded each powerful quad muscle. Kellie enjoyed this sensation as much as the rest of the massage. However, she couldn't help but notice something else hard poking her legs. She craned her neck upwards and gasped when she saw the obvious tent protruding from Brad's pants.

"Oh Brad, you're so hard," she giggled.

Brad smirked, only too aware of how much his groin ached from his arousal. "Sorry Kellie, I can't help it, you just have that effect on me."

She licked her lips and looked back up at him. "I can... help you with that."

Brad just shook his head. "Normally, Kellie, I'd say yes, a million times yes. But not tonight. I don't want you using any of your energy unnecessarily before your big day tomorrow."

"Really, Brad? Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure. It's OK, you need your rest tonight. Just roll over and let me finish."

Kellie lay on her stomach and felt Brad's strong hands apply just the right pressure to her hamstrings and glutes. She sighed happily. She couldn't remember ever feeling this peaceful.

"You relaxed now?" Brad asked.

"Very relaxed," Kellie replied. "Thank you."

"Great. Now just think about this as you fall asleep. Think about how far you and your team have come in the last couple of years. Think of how good it felt to beat Anita and of how good it felt to be national champions last year. Don't think of the pressure, think of the opportunity. Think of how much fun you and your best friends will have tomorrow on the ice."

Kellie closed her eyes and visualized everything Brad talked about, smiling brightly all the way. She started to think about what she was going to do to thank Brad for what he did for her tonight, win or lose, and her smile widened. She said softly, "This was wonderful, Brad. Thank you so much."

She then winked and whispered, "I'll make it up to you tomorrow night. I promise."

"OK, sounds good honey," he said. He kissed her good night and then watched TV with the volume down low while she fell asleep. His erection hadn't subsided much. He considered masturbating to relieve the pressure, but he decided against it. Though he could only guess what Kellie really meant by her whispered promise, he thought he'd save himself for tomorrow night.

Just in case.



Kellie and Brad Ch. 05



AUTHOR`S NOTE: This is the fifth chapter of a multi-part story. Please read the first four chapters before this one to understand the whole story. Please enjoy. 

*

She felt like a million bucks when she awoke.

Kellie beamed as she reflected on how, once again, Brad knew just what she needed and selflessly gave it to her. Gone was the paralyzing, crushing anxiety that, just last night, had threatened to consume her. Her husband (and how she loved referring to Brad as her husband!) had massaged it all away. She had a great night's sleep and woke up feeling refreshed, energized and confident that she and her team would succeed in the challenge that lay before them. She was still nervous, but this was no more than her typical pre-game reaction; she was once told if she didn't get nervous before big matches she should quit curling immediately, and she believed that statement to be the truth. It was a sensation she knew she`d have no trouble using to her advantage.

Kellie's teammates, as they so often did, took their cue from her. Jennifer, Heather and Amber did not have the same problems unwinding and resting at night that she had at first, but to some degree they were all pretty anxious this morning. But Kellie's confidence dispelled their fears and fuelled their own self-assurance. Over a power breakfast they chatted eagerly about the match, how they got there, and what might happen that night. They realized that defeat was still possible but they put such thoughts to the backs of their minds and focused on what they each needed to do to be successful.

For the rest of the day they prepared themselves for battle, metaphorically speaking. They took their practice time on the ice, in an empty arena, making note of how the rocks reacted on the ice and how that might change when the arena was packed full of people and television lights. They kept themselves loose, both physically by stretching and doing some light exercises, and mentally by talking, joking and just hanging out like good friends do.

4:30pm was the starting time for the match. Kellie, Jennifer, Amber and Heather were as ready to go as they would ever be, and couldn't wait for the appointed time to arrive.

*******

He felt exactly the same way.

But for entirely different reasons.

Brad was preparing himself for a torturous day. There was nothing he could do at this point to help Kellie, except to just stay out of her way. So he got up early while Kellie showered, and after giving her a quick kiss he watched her leave the hotel room. He knew he wouldn`t see her until he was in the arena crowd watching the match unfold on the ice.

It was as if his massage and words of encouragement last night transferred all of Kellie`s anxiety on to him. He felt sick, and knew he would all day, at least until the final match was decided tonight, one way or the other. Yet he welcomed the feeling and would do it again if given the chance every time, because he knew his actions helped give Kellie the calm she needed to perform at her best.

In the meantime he looked for something, anything, to do to pass the time.

After completing his own personal hygiene rituals and getting dressed, he used the hotel room's phone to call his friend Russ. He asked him what his plans were to watch the match that night.

"You should see it, Brad," Russ responded. "The Sports Network has set up a big screen and all sorts of cameras and lights in our lounge. They want some reaction shots from the hometown fans during the game, so I'm packing as many people as I can in here so we can all watch. If you see her before she starts tell her we're watching and we are all supporting her 100%!"

"For sure Russ, I will," said Brad, choosing to tell a harmless little white lie instead of saying she had already left to prepare. "I wish you were here in the stands with me, though, I could use another friend in the crowd to be nervous with."

"You'll be fine, Brad. I belong here with everybody else in town. More importantly, she'll be fine. They all will, the whole team looks spectacular. I can't wait to see them win."

"Same here. Make some great TV for the people, Russ!"

The two friends laughed and said their goodbyes. Brad tried to kill some more time, but there was nothing to read or watch on television to hold his interest. He checked the clock and was dismayed to see it read only 9:30am. After debating for a few minutes whether to leave or stay, he impatiently grabbed his coat and dashed off to the arena.

As he sat in the lounge reserved for family and friends of the competitors, drinking the second of what would be at least five or six coffees before the start of the match, someone very familiar took a seat across from him.

"Sandra?"

"Hi Brad."

"Hi, yourself."

'I must really be out of it', he thought. He didn't even notice Sandra until she sat down, and it's not like she could sneak up on him what with her having to move around on crutches, and rather awkwardly at that.

He cleared his throat. "Sorry, you caught me off guard. I wasn't expecting to see you here. I thought you'd be..."

"With Kellie and the others?" Sandra finished the thought for him. He nodded. She shrugged. "There's not really much I can do now. They're pretty well into full-out preparation mode. I felt I'd just be getting in the way. I didn't want to be a distraction, so I thought I'd hang out here."

"Sorry to hear about your injury, by the way."

She sighed. "Thanks. I hate the timing of it and all, but there's nothing I can do about it now. Just try to stay positive and cheer on the girls."

Brad smiled ruefully. "And feel your guts rot from the inside out from the nervousness."

"Tell me about it!" she exclaimed and rolled her eyes. "I'm a million times more nervous than I would be if I were playing. I don't know how you do it."

"Neither do I."

They both chuckled. Both Brad and Sandra quietly drank their coffee for a few moments. Then, rather unexpectedly, he watched her face light up in happiness.

"I'll be right back!" she chirped.

"OK, no problem."

Sandra hurried away from the table as fast as she could carry herself on her crutches. Brad heard her squeal behind him a few seconds later. Then she returned to the table with a very handsome young man. He helped her back to the table and showed himself to be a gentleman when he pulled a chair out for her to sit in. When he took his own seat, Brad recognized who it was.

"Hey. You're Marc Cornish," he said.

Marc had a broad, toothy grin on his face. "Yes sir, that's me!" He extended his hand, Brad took it and both shared a firm, friendly handshake. Marc's eyes then narrowed. "Man, I have to say, you look... familiar somehow," he said.

"Well," Brad answered, "I have been to a lot of events over the years. I've been a fan of the way you, Kevin and your team play, so I've probably met you at autograph sessions before. You know, that kind of thing."

Marc nodded, trying to remember even one of those encounters with more detail, which wasn't easy. While he wouldn't want to brag about it, he and his teammates did have a lot of fans so it was difficult to remember each and every one of them. Still, Marc knew he had met this man before, and the impression he had of him was that of a normal, all-around good guy.

Sandra watched the exchange with a bemused look on her face. "Looks like you two sorta, kinda know each other, but maybe I should make a formal introduction. Marc, this is Brad Galenchuk, Kellie's new husband."

Marc's eyes lit up. "Wow! So, it's true, you do exist!"

"Uh... beg your pardon?"

Sandra and Marc shared a laugh before she dealt with Brad's confusion. "Let me explain, Brad. Kellie, the other girls and I, we all talked with Marc, Kevin and the rest of their team a lot the weekend of the Skins Game. We had a lot in common and got along really well. Anyway, Kellie couldn't stop talking about you, so Marc made up a joke that you were too good to be true and so you couldn't be real. It became kind of a running theme for the weekend."

Brad laughed quietly as he pictured in his mind's eye Kellie doing just what Sandra described.

"Yeah." Marc smiled, but the tone of his voice turned serious. "It was funny to joke about it with everyone, but after that weekend it kind of made me think a little, too."

"How so?"

"Well... I have to tell you, man, it was obvious then how much she was in love with you, and Sandra says nothing's changed in the meantime. If anything her love for you is probably stronger now that you two are married. You must be doing something right, something really amazing, for her to be as madly in love with you as she is."

Brad blushed and bowed his head. "Ah, I don't know about that. I don't really know what I'm doing; I'm just trying to figure things out as I go. I don't feel I'm anyone special or anything like that."

"I think you underestimate yourself, Brad. Seriously. If I can do even half of what you're doing for Kellie, then maybe I can be the kind of man Sandra deserves."

At that moment, Brad looked up and saw the mutual look of admiration between Sandra and Marc, and he couldn't help but smile. "I guess you two are kind of an item, then?" he asked.

Marc nodded. "We really hit it off that weekend... and then one thing led to another... you know how it goes."

"I have a pretty good idea," Brad said, smirking. He then turned toward Sandra. "Do you realize how many broken hearts you'll cause if and/or when this goes public?"

Sandra giggled. "Yes, but I don't care. I've fallen really hard for Marc and I want to make this work. I just wish we didn't have to deal with the whole long-distance relationship thing."

"Yeah, I can only guess how difficult that is. But if you two care for each other as much as you appear to, I'm sure you'll find a way to overcome it."

"Yes," Marc said confidently, "that's exactly how I feel."

"Me too," added Sandra.

The two long-distance lovers looked directly at each other, forgetting about Brad's presence for the moment. Sandra regarded Marc lovingly while he brushed a stray lock of hair from her face.

"Of course," Marc whispered, "one thing people in our position have to do is take advantage of the times they have together."

He then planted a searing kiss on Sandra's lips that caused her to softly moan and swoon. When the kiss broke, she caught the sight of Brad out of the corner of her eye.

Brad was looking away from Marc and Sandra as they kissed, not wanting to stare and ruin their moment. After a few moments he looked over and saw Sandra looking at him. He tried to smile naturally, hoping to reassure her that he wasn't uncomfortable with their public display of affection.

"Brad," Sandra said, "I don't mean to be rude, but I think Marc and I need some alone time, so..."

He held his hand up to silence her. "Please, say no more, Sandra. I understand completely. I'll see you both later tonight?"

"Absolutely," Marc and Sandra replied at the same time.

Brad waved to them as they slowly left the lounge. Sandra was unable to do little more than shuffle around on her crutches, and Marc was trying his best to help her instead of obstruct her progress. Once they finally left the room, Brad stared into his coffee cup. The words that Marc spoke earlier as he was relaying how Kellie praised him so readily and effusively to people she had just met, echoed in his brain.

He sat silently, lost in his own thoughts.

*******

Finally, it was game time.

The final match was sold out to a packed 15,000 seat arena, and a record TV viewing audience was expected. It was the dream matchup everyone was hoping for. The match earlier in the week between Kellie's and Anita's teams was very good, but the bad break Kellie suffered at the end left a feeling of unfinished business. That feeling only added to the fever pitch of anticipation for the finals rematch.

The sound of the marching band playing a traditional Scottish tune signified the start of the pre-match ceremonies. Both teams were introduced to the crowd by the booming voice of the public address announcer, and all the players joined the fans in rhythmic clapping along with skirl of the bagpipes.

Brad was fairly high up in the stands, in one corner of the arena. On his left side sat Marc, who had guided Sandra to the seat near the ice usually reserved for the team's alternate. To his right were Kellie's Aunt Linda and Uncle Victor. They were all surrounded by friends and family members of Sandra, Jennifer, Amber and Heather. Everyone gathered in those few rows shook hands and hugged each other in support and in hope that their loved ones on the ice would emerge victorious.

The opening exchanges between the two sets of rival teammates were as tense as would be expected. The women all silently shook hands with each other and generally avoided eye contact. That changed when the last two, the skips for both teams, Anita and Kellie, met at one end of the ice, in the middle of one of the sets of target rings.

Ensuring no cameras or microphones would pick up the conversation, Anita whispered trash talk into Kellie's ear. "There's no shame in forfeiting, you know. Might as well, we both know you're going to lose anyway. That trophy`s mine!"

Kellie didn`t back down from her nemesis, not even an inch. A small smirk curled from her lips. "Just bring your best game, Anita, so the world will know I beat you at your best!"

Not for the first time this week, Anita was taken aback by Kellie's new-found confidence. Clearly, this wasn't the same meek little mousy girl she used to beat like clockwork. 'Oh well', Anita thought to herself, 'it just means I'll crush her spirit that much worse when I win!"

But if Anita thought it would be easy, she had another thing coming.

Kellie backed up her recently-discovered bravado with action. She and her team started with a good game plan, and they made the shots required to put the pressure on Anita, who was forced to take only one point with her last shot in the first end. 

The second end went equally as well for Kellie. She made the shot to score two points in an end that Amber, Heather and Jennifer had expertly set up for their skip. Once her rock settled in the blue, four-foot ring, Kellie stared daggers at her rival, letting her know that the game was well and truly on.

*******

The match was as close, well-played and intriguing as everyone expected it would be.

Anita and her team recovered from their slow start to score two points in the fourth and hold Kellie to one in the fifth to reach the mid-game break tied at 3-3. Both teams gathered for a quick discussion as well as to refuel with protein bars, bananas and water.

"Whew, glad to have this break now, I need a bit of a mental reset," said Heather.

"Yeah, it's so intense and the crowd is so loud, even more so than last year," Amber added, with more than a touch of awe in her voice.

Jennifer was the first to notice the grin on Kellie's face. "What's on your mind, skip?"

"Just enjoying the moment," Kellie replied. "This is why we put in all those hours of practice and physical training, girls, it's for moments like this. I hope you're all remembering to soak this in and have fun with it."

"Oh, we are, skip, no doubt!" Jennifer exclaimed, and Amber and Heather nodded in agreement.

"OK," Kellie said, turning to matters strategic. "This game is going pretty much how we all thought it would, right? Very close, they're playing well, we're playing well. Keep focused, keep putting the pressure on them, and make good shots. If we do that we'll find a way to win."

The second half of the match was just as well-played and closely contested as the first. Both teams traded deuces in the next two ends, and then Kellie's team held Anita's to one point in the eighth, giving the latter a lead of six points to five going into nine.

Anita was fully convinced that this would be the time that she stifled Kellie`s attempt to score more than one point and quite possibly steal a point for her side. From there she figured she would be able to ride things out in the tenth and final end and, if necessary, score the winning point herself and be the hero.

These thoughts were running through her head as she slid on the ice towards the hack in preparation to throw her final shot of the end. The way this end had played out so far was more than a little nerve-wracking for Anita. After her lead placed her first rock in the centre of the rings, her team spent the rest of the end defending, trying to keep Kellie's team away from that area. Their red-handled rocks surrounded her lonely-looking yellow-handled stone, but they hadn't quite been able to move it out. Now Anita had a chance to guard her team's scoring rock by putting hers in front of the rings to close off the path. 'Now', she thought, 'this is my big chance to shove it in that prissy bitch Kellie's face!'

But her attempted guard was just a little bit off target. It left a small chance for Kellie to make a great shot to pull off a big score and take complete control of the match. Anita tried to convince herself that Kellie would either not see the chance or would be unable to execute, but she was more than a little worried about the final outcome.

Kellie surveyed the scene in the rings. The area in front of the house was littered with granite. She did not see any easy, obvious choices. She called time-out and gathered her teammates together to discuss the options.

"Not a whole lot here, girls. We could just go around this way to take our one point and tie it up and try to steal it in the tenth," she said.

Jennifer pointed to a rock just outside the edge of the rings and then to the one from Anita`s team that currently was the scoring point. "How about chipping it in off that one, skip?"

Kellie took a quick look at Jennifer's suggestion and whistled. "Tough shot, Jen."

"Yeah, it is, skip. But if you hit that front one just right, you`ll bump hers far enough over and we score four. This might be our chance."

Kellie measured the angles from several viewpoints on the ice. Jennifer was right; the shot was definitely there. But it was fraught with risk. Missing it meant giving up a point and trailing by two... or worse.

"It kind of looks like a shot we tried last year against Ontario, doesn't it?" Kellie mused, still deep in thought.

"And you damn near made that one," Jennifer pointed out.

"Yeah, damn close. But not close enough."

"Doesn`t matter, skip. You`ll make this one."

Kellie took a deep breath. She looked at Heather and Amber and asked, "What do you think, girls?"

Amber replied, "I say go for it skip! You got this!"

"It`s your call, skip, but I like taking the chance here," Heather added.

"Just like someone we know said, we practice and train for moments like this, right?" Jennifer asked, and Kellie couldn't help but smile at how her third had used her own words from earlier to provide the last bit of motivation.

Kellie started to clearly see the shot in her mind. The visualization and the ultimate confidence her teammates had in her made her believe and commit to the shot.

"OK girls, let`s do it. Be ready, I`ll be throwing the high, hard one here. Peel weight."

They nodded. Kellie held her broom down to indicate where she needed to aim the shot, and Jennifer put hers on the same spot. Kellie went down to the other end of the ice with Heather and Amber, the two younger players readying themselves for possibly the brushing effort of their lives.

The crowd cheered as one as they sensed that this was going to be the turning point of the match, that Kellie was about to try a spectacular shot in the hopes of essentially claiming victory right here and now. Brad, Victor, Linda, Marc and all the other friends and family members of Kellie and her teammates leaned forward. They were all extremely nervous. A few of them were silently praying for a favourable outcome, and one or two were even not so silent in their prayers.




Kellie and Brad Ch. 05



Kellie settled down into the hack, rock in hand. She closed her eyes and again visualized the shot producing the desired result. She opened her eyes, brushed off the bottom of the rock to ensure there was no debris to interfere with the throw, and focused on her target. After a couple deep breaths, she powered out of the hack and let go of the rock.

Her form was perfect.

Well... almost.

Kellie released the rock no more than an inch or two narrow of the target, but it was enough that if it curled as much as she thought it might, the result would be a glaring miss. The crowd was hushed. The high-pitched yells of Kellie and Jennifer, who were imploring Heather and Amber to sweep hard to keep the rock on the proper path, pierced the air in the arena. Heather and Amber's legs were burning as they pushed and slid as hard as they could to keep up with the stone. They pressed their brooms back and forth furiously, willing the rock to hold on line, sweat rolling down their faces.

The red rock steamed towards the rings at a furious pace. It chipped off the target rock at about a 45-degree angle. It drifted into the middle, hit the yellow rock in the centre of the rings and stopped dead in its tracks. The momentum of the hit sent the yellow rock spinning to the outer edge of the rings, far enough out of the way. Four red rocks were now the four closest to the centre pin.

With a true and total team effort, Kellie, Jennifer, Heather and Amber scored four points to lead the championship match 9-6 with only one end remaining.

The crowd roared in amazement, having witnessed a candidate for one of the best curling shots in recent memory.

Brad leapt out of his seat, feeling as if his heart would burst out of his chest in sheer joy. He shared elated hugs and high fives with Marc, Victor, Linda and everyone else within reach.

Anita could only stare, dumbfounded, as she saw her dreams of winning slip away. She knew as well as anyone that the game, for all intents and purposes, was over. Teams at this level just did not give up three point leads with one end remaining. She slid towards the other end of the ice in a daze, still in shock over how this one slipped away.

Jennifer, Heather and Amber were jumping up and down, shrieking in joy. They all pointed and waved at Sandra, who was standing balanced on her crutches, tears of happiness streaming down her face as she clapped for her teammates.

As for Kellie, from her vantage point halfway down the ice, she gave an exuberant double fist pump and hollered towards the sky, showing a depth of emotion no one could ever remember seeing from her during a curling match.

The last end was a mere formality; nothing Anita's team tried came close to working as Kellie and her teammates executed the defense of their lead flawlessly.

For the second year running, Kellie Galenchuk's team stood atop the women's curling world as Canadian champions. Throughout the celebrations and ceremonies, Kellie, Jennifer, Amber and Sandra were thrilled and proud of their achievements, but as much as they were enjoying themselves they took equal, if not more, delight in seeing Heather celebrate her first opportunity to be a key member of a championship team.

******

She was inconsolable.

Anita had long since dismissed her teammates. She really wasn't in the mood for company right now.

Usually when this happened she was seriously pissed off. They didn't play well or didn't follow the game plan or just missed a key shot or whatever. It didn't matter; it was always their fault in Anita's mind.

This time it was different.

She couldn't blame her teammates. They played the game of their lives. What's more, she actually told them that. The look of shock on their faces was evident; Anita rarely dished out compliments that sincere. That combined with the loss meant they didn't know whether they were coming or going.

No, this time Anita knew in her heart that it was her fault and her fault alone. She played well in spurts but overall just wasn't sharp. And she missed the key shot in the ninth, leaving the opening for Kellie and her team to pull off that miracle to win it.

The loss was still too fresh in her mind, so she didn't really have a good idea as to why she wasn't at her best. All she knew was that the loss was eating her up inside.

She was clutching her silver medal in her hand, squeezing it in a death grip that turned the tips of her fingers white. She got up off her chair and opened the window to her suite, bracing herself against the cold.

Anita stood in that position for several minutes. She nearly reared back about a hundred times to toss what was to her the nearly worthless silver bauble out the window. Instead she snapped the window shut and shoved the medal into her overnight bag. She then raced out of her suite and headed for the hotel bar.

Right now, she badly needed a drink. Or ten.

******

It was party time!

The public portion of the celebrations was over. The gold medals were worn proudly around their necks, the trophy presented, posed with, and paraded around the ice. The photo ops were completed and all the other immediate media responsibilities were fulfilled. Now it was time for Kellie, Jennifer, Sandra, Amber and Heather to celebrate in private with all their loved ones and friends who were in attendance and supporting them all week.

The whole crew gathered at a popular pub to exult over the ladies' latest accomplishments. They ate their fill, the drinks were flowing and everyone was having a great time.

As the night grew late, one by one the crowd gradually thinned. Each member of the team received enthusiastic handshakes and hugs from the departing guests. Eventually, the only people remaining were Brad, Marc, Amber's boyfriend Jamie, and the "fabulous five", as Mr. Janik, Jennifer and Amber's father, had nicknamed them.

Kellie was happily watching and enjoying the proceedings. She was feeling a very pleasant alcoholic buzz, but she was concentrating on slowing her consumption down. If things worked out later tonight the way she thought they might, she would feel celebratory sensations much more glorious than anything alcohol could give her.

She spoke to Brad across the table in a louder voice, trying to be heard above the din of the crowded pub. "Brad, the waitress is busy and hasn't come around our table in a while. I and the girls are fine for drinks for now, but why don't you go up to the bar and get a round for you and the guys?"

Brad nodded and replied, "Good idea, Kellie!" He noted what kind of beer Marc and Jamie were drinking and made his way through the throng of people to the bar. It took a few minutes, as quite a number of people were lined up ahead of him, but eventually he made his way back to the table, where he saw the two guys and five empty seats.

"Where are the girls?" Brad asked.

Marc answered, "They all went to the washroom together."

"You know, as women are wont to do when out on the town!" Jamie added.

Brad chuckled. He raised his beer to propose a toast. "To all our ladies and their success!"

"And to getting lucky tonight!" Marc exclaimed. The guys all laughed and each drank a big satisfying mouthful of cold amber lager.

"Speaking of which," Jamie said with a smirk on his face, "I don't know about you and I, Marc, but I'm pretty sure Brad here's going to be a pretty happy guy before the night is through."

Marc clapped a hand on Brad's back. "Oh yeah, no doubt. Hope your stamina is up to par, Brad, my friend, 'cause I think you might need it!"

Brad rolled his eyes. "Oh come off it, guys! You both should be concerned with whether you can keep up with your own woman instead of worrying about me, because I know I can please mine!"

The guys laughed at Brad's boast. "Sure, you say that now!" Jamie exclaimed. "But Kellie let us in on a little secret when you were at the bar getting our beers!"

"What?! Come on, a little help here, us guys have to stick together, right? Tell me!"

Marc shook his head. "No way, man, Kellie swore us to secrecy. She didn't give us a lot of details, but she told us just enough to know that, as long as you don't screw things up, you're gonna be in for one hell of a night!"

Just as Brad was about to press Marc and Jamie for more details, the five ladies took their seats at the table. Brad nodded at their return and took another drink of his beer. He felt Kellie softly caress his hand and he smiled as he looked up to speak to her.

Except it wasn't Kellie stroking his hand. It was Sandra.

She stood up and braced herself on the table. She leaned over to speak to a very shocked Brad. "You are a very, very sexy man, you know that Brad? I'm a little jealous of Kellie, she's so lucky to have such a stud like you!"

Sandra's voice was smooth and sensual, and it rendered Brad speechless. He looked over at Kellie; she was wrapped up in some conversation with Jennifer, but he thought it possible, probable even, that she saw what happened. He was so dumbfounded by both Sandra's suggestive behaviour and Kellie's lack of response that he didn't register Amber moving out of her chair until her tight little frame jumped onto his lap.

Amber rested her arms on Brad's shoulders, playfully wriggled her ass into his crotch and felt it harden beneath her, despite his best efforts to chide himself for this reaction. She giggled at his stunned expression.

"I hope you and Kellie stay happily together for a long time," she whispered in his ear. "But if that doesn't happen, I'll be the first to replace her in bed, and believe me, I'd rock your world!"

She winked at Brad and happily climbed off his lap and skipped over to her seat. In a panic he looked over at Kellie. Once again if she saw anything that had just happened she gave him no indication.

Brad tried to adjust himself as the growing erection trapped in his pants was becoming increasingly uncomfortable. He excused himself to go to the washroom, hoping a couple minutes breather and a splash of cold water to the face would calm him down. In doing so he nearly ran into both Jennifer and Heather. In his state of confusion he never noticed them rising from their seats and moving to block his path.

"Sorry Jen, Heather, please excuse me," he said. But instead of immediately letting him by, they engulfed him in their embrace. The two women kissed each other in front of him, softly at first, then upping the ante by going for maximum passion. Their hands softly rubbed up and down each side of his back, even daring to palm his ass. When they broke the kiss they smiled at him and lewdly licked their lips, proud of the obvious effect their little show had on him.

"Brad," Heather said in a sultry tone, "if there is a man out there that could turn us straight..."

"... that man would be you!" Jennifer concluded.

Giving him a final pat on his rear end, Heather and Jennifer went back to the table. At some point after that Brad realized he had been holding his breath for a long while. He gasped and stumbled to the men's restroom.

He stood in front of the mirror, washed his face with the frigidly cold water and tried to will his erection to subside. 'What the hell is happening?' he asked himself. Kellie's friends were seriously teasing and tempting him, and she either didn't know, noticed and didn't care, or was somehow encouraging this. Could that even be possible? He shook his head and dismissed that last possibility his mind conjured up; it was too much for him to properly deal with.

After he returned, Brad tried to appear normal, as if the events of the last few minutes had not affected him. That self-deception did not last long, as he noticed Kellie's friends continue to occasionally eye him up and down and give him sly little winks and giggles. He tried to chalk it up to the effects of the heady celebrations and alcohol... except Sandra and Amber didn`t seem to be overly flirtatious with Marc and Jamie, respectively... which was more than a little strange. Even stranger, however, was Kellie continuing to not participate in these games. In fact, she seemed to be doing her level best to not even look at him. Brad could not ever recall being so confused.

Finally, much to Brad's relief, Kellie signalled to everyone that she was ready to leave. Kellie got up and hugged each of her teammates and friends, giving them special thanks for all they did to help them be so successful, while Brad shook both Marc and Jamie's hands, wished them well and expressed his hope they'd meet again soon.

When that was done, Jennifer, Sandra, Amber and Heather made it a point to surround Brad, their faces beaming in knowing smiles. They briefly looked at each other before looking back at him, ready to offer him a final, tantalizing farewell.

"Have fun tonight, big boy!" they said in unison in playfully seductive voices. All four hugged him tightly, and he felt four young nubile bodies against his, eight pert young breasts pushing into his chest and sides. They kissed him, four sets of luscious young lips on his cheeks, before giggling and sitting back down. Brad`s face was bright red and hot, he was blushing so much. He looked toward the other two guys, who merely shrugged while trying their damnedest to hide the growing smiles on their faces.

Then he looked at Kellie, who maddeningly did not even flinch. Instead she simply said "Let`s get a cab back to the hotel, OK?"

"Uh... yeah, right. Of course," he stammered.

As they climbed into the taxi they were able to flag down, Kellie thought about what had transpired at the pub. Throughout the night it was all she could do to not react to anything that had happened. Her plan had worked to perfection. The teasing she asked her friends to do on her behalf was having exactly the effect on Brad she wanted. He looked positively ready to explode.

As far as she was concerned, the ride back to the hotel couldn't be fast enough.

*******

He thought he had a way with the ladies.

In truth, Peter McInerney's frequently clumsy attempts to pick up girls almost always ended up in failure. Most were polite enough to just say no and keep quiet until he was out of earshot. Some laughed in his face. A few even slapped him.

Unfortunately for women everywhere, Peter possessed two things; a sense of relentless optimism, and success with a small handful of women desperate for companionship. Just enough success, in fact, that it kept Peter happily on the prowl.

Tonight, his target was the pretty blonde sitting at the hotel bar.

Most guys would have noticed her pounding back the drinks and thus cross her off their list of potentials. If they didn't notice that they'd surely see the look of her body language, which practically screamed 'stay the hell away!', and decide they didn't need that kind of drama.

Not Peter. To him it just meant that she was in need of his special kind of 'loving'.

So he boldly crossed the floor and took a seat next to the pretty blonde. She briefly looked his way but said nothing, returning her cold stare to her half-empty glass.

The bartender was giving Peter several signals to avoid this situation, some covert, others much more obvious. The blonde was clearly drunk and looked like a man-eater. When he noticed Peter ignore him completely, he shrugged and returned to his job. 'If this guy really wants to step in that lion's den,' the bartender thought, 'that's his problem, and it ain't my job to stop him if he don't want to be stopped.'

"A drink for the pretty lady, barkeep," Peter said confidently. "What's your name, babe?"

The blonde regarded Peter with disdain, but answered anyway. "Anita," she mumbled.

"Ah, Anita, a pretty name for a pretty lady! But tell me, why are you sitting at this bar, so alone and looking so sad?"

Peter didn't know the first thing about the sport of curling; to him, curling only meant what some women, and a few guys, did to their hair. So he had no knowledge of her crushing defeat earlier this evening. She decided not to enlighten him any further, giving him no answer to his question.

"You're the strong, silent type, I take it?" Peter asked, unmoved by her silence. "That's OK, I know that, if you let me, I can ease what's troubling you."

Anita took another look at Peter. She eyed him up and down, doing little to give away what was on her mind.

Then she pounced.

Before Peter could figure out what was happening, Anita leapt off her chair, straddled him and hungrily kissed and nipped at his face.

Peter was stunned. Usually he was the one initiating the action... when there was action to be had, that is. Being the receiver this time felt... different.

Anita boldly reached her hand down to Peter's crotch and fondled his package. "You'll do," she growled. With a level of strength that shocked him, she grabbed his hand, pulled him out of his chair and practically dragged him toward the elevators. 

As an elevator opened, Anita pushed Peter inside and assailed him again, biting his lower lip hard enough to nearly make him bleed.

"Anita, baby," he breathlessly said, "don't you think maybe we should slow down a little?"

"Shut up!" she barked, and shoved her tongue in his mouth and her hand down his pants to ensure he would do just that. "I'm gonna take you to my room, and we're gonna fuck each other's brains out. You got a problem with that?!"

Too shocked, and suddenly too horny, to respond otherwise, Peter McInerney simply nodded. For the first time that he could remember since he became interested in girls, he thought that maybe, just maybe, tonight he had bitten off a little more than he could chew.

*******

They were back in the hotel room.

Kellie had barely said two words the whole trip back. Brad could barely stand it any longer; he was bursting with curiosity.

"Alright, honey," he said, "what's going on here?

"Why Brad," she replied in mock innocence, "whatever do you mean?"

"Ha, very funny! You can't play that game with me! You`ve been way too quiet tonight. And what about everyone else? Marc and Jamie were giving me the business after I went to the bar and bought us a round, and the girls were flirting with me all night long after that! You're really going to tell me you don't know what's going on?"

Kellie traced her finger over Brad`s chest. "Well, OK, I guess I should 'fess up. I didn't tell the guys too much, but I did ask them to wind you up a little. But I might have let it slip to the girls how I planned to keep my promise to repay you for your massage last night, and they might have thought that it was pretty hot stuff!"

"Oh really?"

"Yes, really! So then I might have asked the girls to tease you a little bit!"

"A little? I'd say they did that and more! So... when were you planning on disclosing this information to me?"

Kellie put her fists on her hips and huffed in faux-exasperation. "Tsk tsk, Bradley Galenchuk, so impatient!"

She looked at Brad with a knowing smile, but didn`t elaborate.

"Well?" he asked. "I`m waiting!"

"Fine, if you MUST know!" Kellie cleared her throat, rather theatrically. She wrapped her arms around Brad and decided to drop all of the flirty pretense. "Brad, tonight, I don`t want you to make love to me. I don`t want you to have sex with me."

She raised her eyes to meet his.

"I want you to fuck me."

Brad`s eyes grew as wide as saucers. He raised his eyebrows in a silent question, to ask if he was hearing Kellie correctly. She just smiled and nodded.

He closed his eyes, hardly believing his good fortune. It was really going to happen!

He thought back to the day they reconciled and got their relationship back on track, after all that sordid business with Anita. He thought about how incredible the sex was in the curling club's locker room. He thought about later that night and how they made love twice more. Afterwards Kellie told him that he helped her realize one of her biggest fantasies by having sex in a public place. The possibility of getting caught in the act was for her a huge turn-on, and the fact that Russ actually had seen them naked did not diminish the thrill she got from it in the least.




Kellie and Brad Ch. 05



She then told him she wanted to return the favour and help fulfill one of his fantasies. He was nervous about how she would react, but he admitted that his deepest, darkest sexual desire was to dominate his lover. He made it clear he wasn`t into things like extreme BDSM-style pain, degradation or humiliation; he had too much love and respect for Kellie to even think about those sorts of acts, and his intentions were always to make it a satisfying experience for the both of them.

He also made it perfectly clear, however, that since they had been intimate, he had longed for an opportunity to really take control of her, to be the strong, alpha-male dominant while she played the submissive role.

She had several questions. He tried his best to be as honest and direct as possible in answering them. He established ground rules, codes and safe words, and explained that despite appearances she had real control, since he would not do anything she did not feel comfortable with, and he would immediately stop or ease off a particular action in progress if she used a safe word.

After their discussion, she didn`t say no, but she wanted time to think about it as it was a more serious commitment than she was anticipating... or maybe that was just a story she sold him while she waited for the right time. In any case he agreed to let her have the time and space to decide, but since then she made no mention of it, so he assumed she wasn`t ready. Indeed, he had nearly given up on the idea altogether.

Except now, by using the specific code-phrase 'I want you to fuck me', she was saying she wanted to fulfill his fantasy after all.

He thought of all the times he dreamed about this happening, of all the things he would do to please Kellie, to make it as wonderful for her as he knew it would be for him. He thought about the fine line he`d have to walk to prevent a pleasurable experience from becoming painful. He thought about all the doubts he`d had that he could pull this off.

But now, in the moment, a deep sense of calm settled over him. He knew he could, and would, do this right. He pictured Kellie blooming fully as a sexual creature, screaming in ecstasy, over and over and over again.

He opened his eyes.

In those eyes Kellie saw a look of raw lust the intensity of which she had never seen before. Knowing that she was the object of Brad's desire shook her to the core and weakened her knees.

Brad caught her before she could fall. He kissed her with a fierce passion, his tongue immediately invading her mouth. The kiss felt like Brad was trying to take ownership of her very soul. But Kellie welcomed it. She trusted him fully and implicitly, and tonight she would let her husband take whatever he wanted.

Brad continued to kiss her hungrily for several minutes, stopping only occasionally for breath. He finally broke the kiss with a gentle nip and twist at her lower lip. He trailed kisses and love bites along her neck and up to her earlobe, drawing from her sweet moans and sighs of pleasure.

He stepped back slightly, resting his hands on the lapels of her blouse. Then, with a low, guttural growl, he balled his hands into fists and tore her blouse off, sending a spray of buttons across the room. Kellie gasped, too shocked to say anything as he finished removing the offending garment.

"All your clothes off, my pet. Now." Brad`s voice was deep and husky. Kellie shuddered with desire at his new term of endearment. She quickly removed her pants and lingerie and stood before him completely naked and filled with anticipation.

He moved towards her and took hold of her ass with his powerful hands, groping and pawing at the firm globes of flesh. He pulled her up until she was standing on tiptoes, bending forward to take one of her breasts in his mouth. He sucked as much tit flesh as he could, his mouth enveloping her whole areola, before drawing back to suck, pull and tease at her nipple. "Oh yes... yes!" she cried as he repeated his actions on her other breast.

While he continued to play with her breasts, he moistened the fingers of one hand with his own saliva and then moved it down to her slit. She parted her legs slightly to allow easier access. He massaged her outer pussy lips and folds, before boldly inserting a finger inside of her. He smiled at what he found.

"Mmmm, my pet is wet for me already!" he whispered into her ear. She could only groan and nod as a second finger joined the first inside her pussy. He pumped his hand up and down into her depths, feeling her inner walls grip his digits. He kissed and suckled ravenously at her neck and earlobe as he continued finger-fucking her.

Brad felt for Kellie`s clit with his thumb and briefly flicked over it when he found it exposed and aroused. She caught her breath and jerked slightly at this newest sensation. "Oh yes, please, do that again!" she said. He ignored her plea for the moment and just glared at her, looking to firmly establish that he was in control tonight.

Kellie was eager to cum and started meeting the thrust of his fingers with her own movements. It was getting her close to climax but not close enough. "Please?" she asked in a low breathy whisper. Brad just smirked and brushed her clit again, making her yelp and twitch. Her reaction made him grin and feel heady with the power that he quite literally held her orgasm in his hands.

He massaged her clit more often and at random intervals, sometimes just once, sometimes sustaining it for several seconds, but always doing just enough to bring her to the edge without toppling her over. She was frantic to cum now, her eyes shut tight, her breathing shallow and rapid, her face a study in concentration as her athletically sexy body bounced on his fingers.

"Look at me, my pet." It was an order from Brad, not a request. Her eyes flew open.

"Does my pet wish to cum?"

"Yes!"

He laughed and shook his head, making no other changes to his motions. "Yes what?"

Kellie furiously racked her brain, searching for the right answer. Finally it came to her. "Yes, Master!"

A satisfied groan came from Brad`s throat. He leaned in until his lips nearly touched hers and whispered, "That`s my good girl." He fingered her even faster and manipulated her clit at the same time. Kellie bucked and thrashed on his skilled hand. The orgasm hit her hard. "Yes, god YES!!!" she yelled as her body surrendered to a very satisfying climax.

Brad held Kellie protectively in his other arm as he withdrew his fingers from her hot, soaking pussy. He brought them to his face, deeply inhaled her scent and carefully licked them clean. "Mmmm, delicious!" he pronounced. He then held her face in his hands and kissed her deeply again. She softly moaned into his mouth, and when they broke the kiss she kept her eyes locked on his and bit on her lower lip, which just powered his desire for her to even greater heights.

"Oh my pet, my sweet precious little pet, we're just getting started," he said. He snaked his tongue into her ear and she nearly melted into a pool of sexual yearning. She couldn't recall ever in her life wanting anything or anyone more than how much she wanted Brad right now.

Brad`s lips curled into a sneer and he gently yet firmly pushed on Kellie's shoulders. "On your knees, my pet," he demanded. "Now."

She did as he asked and watched him carefully as he bent over to pick up her ruined blouse. He tore it into two strips and approached her with purpose. With one strip he tied her wrists together behind her back, and with the other he bound her at the ankles. Kellie was a little surprised by this provocative action but she did not fight him, nor did she speak out in any form of protest.

His handiwork done, Brad paced around Kellie, stalking and eyeing her as a starving lion would a wounded zebra. Kellie, sitting back on her heels while on her knees, could only watch him, the look on her face a combination of wonder, love, lust, and just a hint of awe and fear. Her breathing was shallow and rapid, and her heart thrummed in her chest. He kept pacing long enough to heighten her anticipation; she squeezed her thighs together, trying to find some relief for her fevered, horny state.

At last he stopped directly in front of her. He drank in the sight of Kellie. So vulnerable, so subservient, so... perfect. His mind raced at all the ways he thought of and wanted to pleasure her before he took a few deep breaths to slow himself down. It took all his effort to appear to be the dominant alpha-male as his fantasy demanded, while his brain insisted on showing flashes of all the ways he pictured coupling with her, creating a blur of an erotic slideshow in his imagination. But he finally got control of himself again. He smiled down at Kellie as he figured out exactly what he was going to do next.

Slowly, deliberately, he began to disrobe. His shirt was removed first, giving her a good look at his mighty, well-developed physique. His socks and pants soon joined the pile of clothes in the corner of the room. His erection looked like it was about to poke a hole through his boxers. Kellie couldn`t help but stare at his crotch and the thin layer of fabric hiding his manhood from her. She was desperate to see the long, thick tool which had provided her so much pleasure in the past and promised untold joys in her near future.

Brad stepped a little closer and quickly removed his boxers. His cock bobbed in the air mere inches from Kellie`s face. She squealed and her mouth watered at the sight of it. Whether it was the vantage point or the eroticism of the setting, she thought his cock looked even harder and larger than she had ever seen it before.

"Suck on it, my pet, I can see in your eyes how much you want this. Take me with your mouth," Brad commanded.

Kellie stuck her tongue out and ran it down the sensitive underside of Brad`s penis. He groaned in satisfaction at her touch. She lapped at his testicles before sliding her tongue over the top of his cock. His strong musk tickled her nose and excited her senses. She saw a drop of pre-cum start to leak from his dick so she slowly licked the mushroom-like head to capture it and taste its salty essence.

"Yes, my pet. Yes!" Brad moaned, willing her to continue.

Kellie opened her mouth wide to accommodate his large member, engulfing several inches before wrapping her lips around the shaft. She sucked his cock slowly at first. When she looked up to see the look of utter bliss on his face, she increased her pace, sucking him harder and deeper, keeping a vacuum-like pressure with her lips to heighten his pleasure.

"So good, my pet, so good!!" Brad placed his hand on Kellie`s head and played with her hair, putting enough pressure to encourage her but not so much to force her down uncomfortably on him. She varied speeds, alternating between slow and fast, sometimes just holding his big cock deep inside her mouth, as far as she could take it without choking, before eagerly blowing him some more.

Brad groaned louder as he felt the orgasm boiling within him. Kellie felt his cock twitch a little and sensed how close he was to release. A wicked smile crept over her lips while his cock was buried in her willing mouth. She released his cock from her lips, a single strand of saliva briefly connecting them, her eyes never leaving his. "No, my pet, don`t stop, don`t ever stop," he growled in loving protest.

Kellie tongued his shaft slowly, keeping him on edge. She placed delicate kisses on the head, and then nuzzled into his groin on either side of his cock, his spit-covered length leaving small trail marks of wetness on her cheeks.

"Very good girl, now take your Master`s cock again and make him cum!" Brad said, compelling her to give him the orgasm he craved. Kellie drizzled saliva on his cock before once again taking it inside her mouth. She hummed and moaned around his cock, the vibrations providing him extra stimulation. She lovingly stared up at him, showing him with her expression how much she was enjoying giving him true oral pleasure.

But just as he was about to warn her he was ready to come, she pulled back again and left his aching cock to dangle in front of her.

"You naughty, naughty tease!" Brad scolded her and held a handful of her hair. His tone was part playful but part frustrated as well.

Kellie batted her eyes to play the innocent. "Will I be punished, Master?" she asked in a little girl voice, pretending to strain against the cloth binding her wrists and ankles.

Brad almost blew his load right then and there. Kellie was really getting into the submissive role now and it was seriously turning him on. "Oh yes, my naughty pet, I will need to teach you a lesson! You will be severely punished for your transgressions!"

The mere thought of what the punishment might be was enough to make Kellie cry out, his words seeming to zap an electric jolt to her pussy, the sensations of which rumbled through her body.

Brad bent over and place a finger on Kellie`s chin to lift her head up to him. Grinning, he said, "But don`t worry your pretty little head about that right now. You have a job to finish, and I expect you to finish it this instant!" He stood up straight, ready to feed her his throbbing cock again.

Kellie's eyes shifted back and forth between Brad's face and huge erection. "Does Master wish to cum now?" she asked in the same sing-song voice.

"Yes!"

"Will Master cum in my mouth?"

Brad grinned wickedly, trying to hide his disbelief at her question; she certainly had never seemed interested in doing THAT before. "Is that what you desire, my pet?"

"Yes Master!"

"Will my pet swallow everything I have to give her?"

"Yes Master! Every drop!"

"Ohhh yes, then do it!!"

Kellie opened her mouth wide to accept Brad`s cock. With one smooth motion he entered her and felt her lips wrap around his shaft. She greedily sucked his rock-hard cock, trying desperately to draw his cum out of him.

It did not take long before Brad was ready. "Going to cum, my pet!" he groaned, warning Kellie of his impending release.

She kept sucking his cock, eager to please him, loving the feeling of his hard organ on her lips and tongue. A few seconds later he roared and released loads of his hot semen in her willing mouth. She relaxed as much as she could and breathed through her nose as she swallowed streamer after streamer of cum down her throat. She milked his sensitive cock for the last remaining drops and licked him clean.

"Thank you Master," she said quietly after finishing. Brad's eyes were still glazed over in the exhilaration of his massive orgasm. He felt the warmth of her loving visage looking up at him. His breathing slowly returned to normal. Finally he bent down to untie the cloth from her ankles, choosing to keep her wrists bound for now.

"Stand up," he said.

Kellie struggled to her feet. Brad softly brushed back the hair from her eyes and caressed her cheeks. He tenderly kissed her, tasting a bit of his residue on her tongue but not really caring.

"You have done well, my pet. Your Master is very proud of you," he whispered. She smiled and blushed at his words of praise.

"Come with me," Brad beckoned Kellie towards the hotel room`s king-sized bed. She climbed on. He untied her wrists and bade her to lie down on her back. When she did so, he spread her legs open, and then pulled her arms over her head and re-tied her wrists together. He licked his lips at the enticing embodiment of womanly perfection displayed before him.

Brad used his large, chiseled frame to straddle Kellie, his legs over her hips and his hands at either side of her head. He leaned in close and stated in his husky voice, "My pet, you look good enough to devour, and that`s exactly what I`m going to do!"

He kissed her and wrapped his tongue around hers. He broke the kiss to lick her cheek and neck. He took the time to nibble softly at each earlobe, a sensation that never failed to arouse Kellie, especially now; every little nip on her ears shot little sparks of fire to her pussy.

He kissed his way to her collarbone and upper chest, and caressed her right breast, feeling it as its size fit perfectly in his hand. He took the hard little nipple in his mouth, sucking it, tasting and teasing it with his tongue, lightly tweaking at it with his teeth.

"Ohhh!" Kellie sighed, enjoying Brad`s ministrations on her aroused nubs as he switched back and forth between both breasts now, kissing and suckling on one as he played with the other in his hand. As much as he was enjoying playing with her boobs, he wanted more.

He kissed the underside of both breasts, then down her stomach and abs. He lapped at her belly button, making her wriggle and squeal. He kept slowly trailing kisses downward, coming oh so close to her pussy. She held her breath in anticipation.

But she could only utter a low moan of disappointment as he ignored her pussy completely for the moment. Instead he took one of her legs in his hands. He kissed her delicate foot all over before deliberately moving up her calf. He brushed his fingers lightly up her strong, meaty thigh. He then kissed her up that thigh, moving ever so closer to her precious jewel. She was panting with eagerness, pleading with him with her eyes, willing him to ravage her wet pussy, to extinguish the fire burning down below.

Once again, just as he got tantalizingly close enough to her womanhood, he retreated, this time to make the same journey up her other leg. Kellie whined as she was denied the prize of his tongue on her pussy. Brad chuckled at the sound, knowing how he was driving her mad with desire. It was her own fault, really, he thought jokingly to himself, for teasing him so much tonight.

He finished kissing her other thigh and moved to eye-level with her pussy, neatly shaved and bare other than the landing strip of trimmed hair just above. "So beautiful," he whispered. He licked all the way around her pussy without actually touching it. He stopped and hovered just above her dripping slit. He looked up to her eyes and grinned at what he saw.

Kellie wore an anguished look on her face. She was frantically searching for relief. She arched her back and lifted her hips, trying to initiate contact, but he only laughed teasingly and moved his head just high enough to stay out of reach. Feeling his hot breath over her inflamed area only increased her need.

"Please, Master, oh god, please!!" she begged.

"What do you want, my pet?"

"Please make me cum, Master! Please?!?"

Brad couldn't help but tease her a little more. "And how should I do that, my pet?"

"Oh god! Eat me! Master, please use that wonderful tongue of yours to lick my pussy and suck on my clit! I can't take it anymore, my pussy's so hot for you, please lick me now!!"

He waited a few more seconds without reacting, which to Kellie felt like a few hours. Just as she was about to plead some more he asked, "Like this, my sweet pet?" He then placed the flat of his tongue at the bottom edge of her pussy and dragged it slowly across her honeypot until he reached the top.

"Ohhhhhhh god, ohhhhhh SHIIIIIIIIIT!" Kellie screamed, as that simple touch combined with the lengthy buildup made her cum hard. She looked through unfocused eyes at her man and wondered what he was going to do to her next.

Brad simply smiled and then gleefully plundered her pussy with renewed vigour. He licked and nibbled at her pussy lips and penetrated her with her tongue. He drank her sweet, copious juices. Her clit peeked out and he lapped at it a couple of times, feeling her body jerk underneath him each time. He ran two fingers across her drenched slit to cover them in her juices and eased them inside her pussy again, sawing them in and out as he licked her.

"Oh god... feels so good, Master, so good!" Kellie cried. She had always loved the way Brad performed oral sex on her but tonight was even more incredible; he was going down on her like a man possessed. Every touch sent shockwaves of pleasure coursing throughout her body.




Kellie and Brad Ch. 05



Brad continued to finger fuck and lick Kellie`s pussy. If not for his own urgent need to play out the rest of his fantasy he would be more than happy to lick and suck her all night long. He reveled in the thrill of the pleasure he was giving her, the taste of her sweet juices and her lovely, feminine scent filling the room. "Mmmm, my dear little pet, you smell and taste so good," he said.

"Thank you Master!" Kellie replied breathlessly. "May I please cum again?"

"Yes you may, nothing pleases me more than to see my pet cum like the horny little minx she is." Brad reinforced his verbal response by quickly and repeatedly licking her clit.

"YES MASTER, GOD YES!!!" she yelled in ecstasy as the stimulation on her clit and the fingers in her pussy sent her over the edge. She let out little mewls when he flicked over her sensitive lips with his tongue, bringing her back down from her high. She strained to sit up, the task made more difficult by her bound wrists and aching shoulders.

But Brad wasn`t finished with her in this position yet. He pushed her back down and said, "No, my pet, don`t move, not even a muscle."

"Master?" Kellie asked, not sure what he was up to.

He ignored her question. His fingers were still inside her, and he gently probed until he found what he was looking for. He started wiggling those fingers in a "come here" motion. He grinned roguishly, confident he had found the right place, the legendary g-spot.

Kellie's confusion was replaced by the feeling that her body would soon explode in a million pieces from this new kind of pleasure. She pressed her bound hands tightly together, and her fingers gripped and pulled on the bed sheets. She tensed up, unable to make sense of the overwhelming sensations coming from deep within her sexual core.

"Do you trust me, my pet?" Brad asked.

Kellie could barely speak, uttering a very shaky "Y-y-yes..."

"Then just relax, my pet. Let yourself go. Cum for me." Brad`s voice was calm, smooth and reassuring as he tried to guide her through this new experience.

The intensity of the reactions her body was producing to Brad's stimulation inundated Kellie's frantic mind. Her breathing was erratically rapid, her eyes clenched shut, her mouth open in a large "O", her vocal cords currently incapable of producing sound. His fingers were gentle yet relentless, pushing her to the brink.

Brad`s fingers were completely drenched. Despite the constant throbbing ache in his hand, which had nearly recovered from his recent self-inflicted encounter with the metallic locker door but not quite yet, he kept applying light pressure on her g-spot. He was completely focused on his task, absolutely determined to give her the most incredible climax she ever had. She was so close; there was no way he could stop now.

"That`s it my pet, you`re almost there. Cum for me now! Do it!" he implored.

The orgasm hit Kellie like a freight train. Her scream was ear-piercing. She bucked and writhed as her body tried to expel Brad's fingers from inside of her. A stream of milky liquid shot up from her overheated pussy. He tried to capture as much of the nectar in his mouth as he could; it tasted like elixir of the gods to him. Despite his best efforts, plenty of her secretions were left dripping down his chin and her thighs.

Brad gently untied Kellie`s wrists. He watched in quiet satisfaction as she wrapped her arms around herself, almost a self-administered bear hug, not quite knowing what to do or how to react to the amazing orgasm he coaxed from her. Her legs were shaky and quivering as she rode the aftershocks still rolling through her system. When it finally seemed she had recovered, he patted the bed.

"Hands and knees, my pet," he said.

Her mind still in a fog, she slowly assumed the position he requested.

"Did you enjoy that, my pet?"

"Mmmm, yes, so much. I came so hard. You were incredible. Thank you Master."

Brad lightly traced his fingers down Kellie`s back. His hands landed on her beautiful ass, the part of her body that ignited his initial attraction to her, and still her best physical feature in his own rather biased opinion. He caressed and massaged both cheeks, feeling the soft skin and taut muscle underneath. "So pretty, so beautiful," he whispered warm breath directly on her firm ass.

The intense orgasms she'd just had, and the light touches Brad was giving her now, left Kellie smiling in a very contented daze. She was very glad she could help him fulfill his fantasy. Her eyes closed, and she started to let her mind wander...

SMACK!!

The sharp sound of skin connecting with skin and the stinging on her right buttock quickly jolted Kellie back to reality. Her eyes nearly bugged out of her head as she looked back at Brad, who had a hungry grin on his face and his hand pulled back, ready to deliver another blow.

SMACK!!

Kellie yelped at the twinge of pain she felt, this time on her left cheek. Brad hadn`t hit her with all his strength, but it didn`t tickle, either. She kept looking back at him, nervous and questioning.

SMACK!!

"M-master? What are you...?"

SMACK!!

His breath was hot in her ear. "I`m punishing you, my pet, as I promised I would, and as you truly deserve. Or have you already forgotten how much of a naughty tease you`ve been?"

"No, Master, please, I promise I`ve been a good girl!"

To Brad's surprise, it appeared as if Kellie was trying to stifle a smile. Taking it as a challenge, he decided it was time to up the physical intensity.

SMACK!! SMACK!!

The spanks were definitely harder this time. Kellie winced and whined a little; the sound was magical to Brad`s ears. He also happily noticed the growing pinkness of her ass and how hot it felt to the touch.

He leaned back in to menacingly whisper in her ear again. "Such insolence! Naughty girl! You were teasing me only minutes ago, when you were pleasuring me with your mouth! I don't recall giving you permission to decide when to finish!"

"But... but Master..."

SMACK!!

"And did you really think you`d get away with that little stunt you pulled with your friends at the bar? You're lucky I didn't pull your bratty ass over my knee right then and there!"

SMACK!!

"Oh Master, you are right. I've been such a bad girl! I'm so sorry!" The schoolgirl voice again. Kellie leaned down, her head directly on the bed, put her thumb between her teeth and looked up at Brad in a feigned expression of innocence.

Brad would have normally softened at this look. But "Master" wasn't buying it. Not for a second.

SMACK!!

"Ohmigod," Kellie moaned again, almost too quiet for Brad to hear. He looked down at her ass, which was now a bright shade of pink, almost red. He figured he was making his point and decided to ease off on the rest of the spanking; he could cup his hand a little, the sound would be just as satisfyingly loud but it wouldn't cause as much pain, he didn't want to really hurt her after all, that was never part of the deal...

He blinked repeatedly, his thoughts to use less force for the remainder of the spanking completely vanished. He just could not quite believe what his eyes were telling him. Was he seeing this right?

SMACK!!

He was!

A fresh trail of juices was trickling out of her pussy and down her thighs.

Kellie was getting off on being spanked.

Brad's already semi-stiff cock hardened to full power.

"Oh my sweet yet naughty pet! You're enjoying this, aren't you?" he asked teasingly.

SMACK!!

Kellie did not say a word, but her moans and panting breaths gave away her true feelings. But Brad was not about to let her off the hook that easily.

"I asked you a question, pet, and I expect an answer!"

SMACK!! SMACK!!

"Now, tell me, are you enjoying this?!"

SMACK!!

"Ohhhhhhh! Yes!!" Kellie croaked, her voice choked with lust.

SMACK!!

"Yes, what??!!"

"YES MASTER! I love your punishment! I deserve it! I crave it!"

As if this night wasn't incredible enough, Brad thought to himself. She was pure sex at this moment, her reactions and role-playing all night nothing short of perfection.

"Do you want me to spank your ass all night long?"

"Yes Master, if that's what you desire!"

"Mmmm, sounds very tempting, my pet."

Brad leaned forward and gently held a handful of Kellie's hair. He whispered teasingly in her ear, "But I want more than that. And I know you want more than that. Don't you?"

Her voice was no more than a plaintive whisper. "Yes. If my Master allows it."

"I will allow it, my pet, if you heed my wishes as I complete your punishment. I will administer five more blows to your gorgeous, tight little ass. If you take these without making a single noise, and if after the fifth blow, you sincerely thank me for giving you your deserved punishment, you will be rewarded. Do you understand, my pet?"

"Yes, Master."

"Very well."

SMACK!!

Kellie gritted her teeth together, determined not to make a sound. She didn't think Brad would really fail to "reward" her, whatever that meant, if she didn't follow his instructions, but she didn't want to take a chance.

SMACK!!

No, she was certain the "reward" would be more than worth it. The whole night had been wonderful so far. Why ruin it now?

SMACK!!

Her ass was on fire from the "punishment" he was meting out on her. Her pussy was on fire, too, but for entirely different reasons.

SMACK!!

'One more,' Kellie thought, 'oh god just one more then please Brad give it to me I need it so bad I need YOU so bad oh my god..."

SMACK!!

Brad listened to Kellie exhale, and then whisper "Thank you, Master, for disciplining me." With a wide grin plastered on his face, he reached into her overnight bag and found het tube of aloe lotion. He squirted a generous amount on her body, and she gasped at the contrast of the cool cream touching her tender skin. He gently massaged the lotion into her butt; she sighed in pleasure at his touch. He planted several soft kisses and licks on both firm cheeks of her beautiful ass.

He had done nearly everything he wanted to, checked off nearly every box in his plan to give her ultimate pleasure this night. Except for one thing. 'Time to seal the deal,' he thought.

"Well done, my pet," he said to Kellie, "your Master is again well pleased with you. Now, how shall I reward you?"

Kellie turned her head to look back at Brad. She bit her lower lip, and her eyes shifted back and forth between his handsome face and his long, hard cock. The hungry, desperate look on her face made her look even sexier to him.

"Master, please," she pleaded. "I want you so bad! Your pet wants your big cock inside her tight little pussy. Please?"

He leaned forward until his lips were nearly touching her ear. "Mmmm, such a good girl," he snarled. "And what a coincidence; that's exactly the same thing I want!"

Brad positioned himself behind Kellie and guided his cock to touch the outer lips of her juicy pussy. He held on to her hips and with one fluid motion took her from behind, sinking himself all the way inside.

"Ohhhhhhhhhh!" she moaned. The waiting and the build-up leading up to this feeling of fullness in her pussy, courtesy of his cock deep within her, gave Kellie another orgasm.

But Brad wasn't done with her yet. Not by a longshot.

He started sawing into her, back and forth, pulling out until just the head remained in her pussy before plunging all the way back in. Slowly at first, then gradually picking up speed, but in no hurry to go full out just yet. She was tight, hot and oh so very wet.

He had planned how the night would end if ever given the chance to live out his fantasy, right down to the very specific last details. But it would be difficult to control his urges with the heavenly sensations her pussy was giving his cock. It would take all his willpower and concentration not to finish before the moment came, but he'd be damned if he wasn't going to succeed.

He fucked her a little faster and she whimpered in response. His hands glided forward until they reached her breasts. He first held them in the palms of his hands, then he used his fingers to tweak both nipples. "Oh, yes Master!" she yelped. Her reaction fueled him, and he accelerated his pace even further, until his thighs were slamming and slapping into the back of her legs.

Kellie could feel another powerful orgasm welling up within her. She'd lost track of how many times Brad made her cum tonight. She had a feeling, though, that this would be by far the biggest and best of them all. Brad was expertly fucking her; his big cock was touching her insides in all the right places. She surrendered herself to the impending release.

But just as it was about to be delivered, he slowed right down so his hips were barely moving. She let out a confused groan, not sure what he was up to. He said nothing, and to her it didn't feel appropriate to speak up so she waited patiently and focused her mind to feel the enjoyment over his slow, languid strokes.

Eventually he sped up again. She figured he just needed to adjust to a more comfortable finishing position. Again she felt the wave about to crash.

Once again, however, Brad eased off. Kellie whined loudly but to no effect. She was more than ready to cum really hard but he seemed insistent on torturing her. It was sweet, beautiful, exquisite torture... but torture nonetheless.

Just as she thought this he began rapidly pounding her again. She felt his hard-as-steel, throbbing rod deliciously ravage her frothing pussy. "Yes, oh god yes!" she yelled, arching her back in anticipation for the climax to come.

It didn't come. Brad mercilessly pushed her to the brink only to tease her again. Cruelly, he relaxed his pace until he was completely immobile.

Kellie looked back at him and screamed "NO!! DON'T STOP!" Her eyes were aflame with frustration over his insistence on denying her release.

Brad felt Kellie's inner walls squeeze and tighten, trying to milk his cum. With some effort he eased his way out until just the tip remained inside her. He leaned forward and possessively, though not violently, held her by the throat.

"Have you forgotten your place, pet?!" he hissed. "Maybe I should just stop and deny you, order you to finish me with your wicked mouth. Then maybe after that I'll really punish you, what do you think about that, my naughty little one?!"

"No, Master," she gulped. "I'm sorry! Please!"

He could feel her shaking and vibrating beneath him. 'Almost there, honey,' he thought to himself, 'just do this one thing for me Kellie and I promise all this will be worth it.'

Brad gave Kellie one single thrust of his cock, sheathing himself fully in her willing pussy. "Ohhhhh!" Kellie squeaked as she bucked forward from his impact.

"Count yourself lucky, my pet. Your Master is in a very forgiving mood. Now... what do you want?"

Kellie nearly blurted out how badly she wanted to cum. She stopped herself just in time as a question formed in her mind: what would a real submissive say to her dominant lover? She realized the answer right after that.

"I want you to cum inside me, Master."

"A wise answer, my pet. But that is a given. And I know that's not all you desire. Tell me, what else do you want, pet?"

"I can't lie, Master. I want to cum too, if you'll let me."

"Tell me how bad you want it, pet!"

"Please Master, I want this so bad! I want... I NEED your cum in me! Please!"

"Not good enough!" Brad growled. "Beg for me! Now!!"

Kellie was panting in desperation. She summoned the deepest breath she could and let out the words they both longed to hear.

"Master, FUCK me until you cum! Mark me as yours! Your pet's pussy NEEDS your cum! Use me for your pleasure! Please cum inside me and I'll take it and cum hard for you, Master, like a good pet should! Please, please, PLEASE FUCK MEEEEEEEEEE!!!"

Brad laughed a throaty, satisfied, devilish laugh. He nibbled her earlobe and exhaled hot breath in her ear. "Good girl, my pet," he whispered.

Then he took hold of her hips again and drove his hard cock into her waiting pussy with wild abandon.

"Oh! Master! YES!! F-U-C-K!!!" With each passing word Kellie's screams became more and more strained. At the same time, with each passing moment Brad's breathing became shallower and more laboured as he tapped into the last of his physical reserves to complete his dream night.

Kellie's last rational thought was that he was rewarding her for enduring the teasing and playing her role so well by giving her the fucking of a lifetime, and it made her love that fucking even more. Brad's last rational thought was hoping he'd have enough stamina to last as long as he could before the inevitable climax; he was sure that even a little bit longer would be enough to ensure he gave all of himself to her and give her the night of ultimate bliss a goddess like her deserved.

Then the pleasure overwhelmed them.

With an animalistic roar, Brad slammed into Kellie one last time and held on for dear life. He fired his seed inside of her, bathing every inch of her inner walls. Kellie's own orgasm came with a silent scream and with a gush of juices that splashed onto Brad. She tensed up, and then all her strength left her in an instant. She collapsed and pitched forward, rolling onto her side. With the last of his strength Brad braced himself with his arms on either side of Kellie to avoid crushing his weight on her. He fell on his own side beside her, close enough so his spent cock would not have to leave her pussy just yet. They silently welcomed the darkness, for it was a pleasant one, and it overtook them and covered them like a warm blanket.

*******

Little by little, she awoke to the feeling of cold dampness on her forehead.

Kellie slowly opened her eyes. She had trouble focusing on her surroundings, even momentarily forgetting completely where she was.

"Welcome back, baby," Brad whispered.

She blinked once, and then it came to her. She was lying on the king-sized bed in their hotel room. Brad was leaning over her, gently applying a cool wet washcloth to her face with one hand while he flexed the other, the one he broke just a few weeks ago, testing his pain level. She was gradually coming to after having passed out, or at least she assumed she passed out.

And no wonder, Kellie thought to herself. Brad had just given to her the most passionate, the smoking-hottest, the most mind-bending and amazing night of sex ever. Apparently the beast within him was sated, for now. She hoped it wasn't satisfied forever. She knew she'd never forget this night for as long as she lived, and what's more, she knew she wanted... no, needed... to experience similar heights of ecstasy in the future.

But right now she had a question she really wanted to have answered.

"How long...?" she struggled to ask.

"How long were you out for?" Brad finished for her. She nodded and he shrugged. "Not sure. To be honest, I was out of it for a little while myself. I just woke up a few minutes ago."

Kellie nodded a second time. She fought through her hazy feelings to sit up and lean against the bed's headboard. She directed her gaze squarely at her husband.

"Brad?"

"Yes, Kellie?"

"What the HELL did you DO to me????"

Brad couldn't help himself; he had to laugh at Kellie's question. He shrugged again before answering, "I fucked you. Just like you asked me to."

"Oh, no! No way!" Kellie said incredulously while smiling at the memory. "That was no mere fuck. That was... my god, I can't even find the words to describe..."

"So... it was good for you, then?"

"Yes, absolutely!" The fire in Kellie's eyes was unmistakeable. "We are definitely doing that again!"

"I wasn't too hard on you then? I thought there may have been a couple times I was close to going over the line."

"You were amazing, baby. All the things you said and did, I loved it all. Not once did I even think about using a safe word."




Kellie and Brad Ch. 05



"Wow. You're incredible. But be warned. Next time I might have some other ways to test your limits!"

"Oooh, sounds hot! And I may even have a suggestion or two for you! But... let's wait a while for the next time, OK? This poor little pet needs some recovery time!"

"I understand, honey. I don't want to overdo this. I want it to be special each time. I meant for it to be an awesome, intense experience for both of us. I'm happy that you enjoyed it so much, I know I certainly did! And I don't mind waiting, I know I could use some time to recuperate, myself!"

Her gaze shifted momentarily to the floor, where she caught a telltale glimpse of fabric. "Oh and one more thing. You owe me a new blouse, mister!" she teased. "A nice one, too! I liked that one, you know."

He laughed and nodded. "Of course, Kellie, I gladly agree. It's a small price to pay in return for you allowing me to live out my fantasy."

"Was it everything you thought it would be, Brad? Was I the submissive little pet of your dreams?" she asked playfully.

Brad's expression turned very serious. "It was perfect. You... were perfect." He looked right at Kellie, fighting a losing battle to contain the tears spilling down his cheeks. "Just like everything else about you."

"Brad?" Kellie asked, confused by his change in tone.

He sighed and shook his head. "This is probably going to sound ridiculous."

"I don't care, Brad. Please tell me!"

He sighed again before speaking. "I just can't get over sometimes how amazing you are, in every respect. You're a stunningly gorgeous woman. You're the best and one of the most successful athletes and leaders of all-time in curling... hell in all of sports, period. But more important than all that, you are the smartest and most wonderfully caring and loving person I've ever met.

You know, Sandra was telling me earlier today how you had so many good things to say about me when you met Kevin and Marc's team at the Skins Game that weekend. Imagine that, you have the chance of a lifetime professionally and you spend most of it talking about how much you're in love with me. It's just one example of many that proves to me how beautiful you really are, on the inside.

Sometimes... sometimes I wonder how I got lucky enough to get you to fall in love with and marry me. I mean, who am I? I'm just a guy, nothing special. I know it's probably just my mind playing tricks on me, but part of me thinks that one day you'll wake up and realize you can do better than me, and then you'll leave and break my heart forever."

He bowed his head and his cheeks flushed in shame. He felt he had to open his heart and tell Kellie what was on his mind but it still felt alien to him to put himself out there to such an extent and be so vulnerable, especially after just having played the role of the ultimate dominant.

Kellie's heart was touched by Brad's kind words, but she couldn't believe he was feeling so down about himself all of a sudden. He looked like a lost little boy. She was going to change that right now and make sure that he understood in no uncertain terms that he was wrong to feel that way.

"Bradley Galenchuk!" she said. "Look at me and listen to what I have to say, right now."

He did look up and saw the love and tears in her own eyes.

"Don't you ever think so poorly of yourself ever again!" she pleaded. "You are not 'just a guy'. You are a strong, handsome, loving, giving, caring man. I should be the one wondering how I got lucky enough to find you and for us to fall in love and marry. All of those beautiful things you say about me... none of them happen without you in my life! Don't you understand? I love you with everything I have and I will never leave you, and I know you feel the same about me. So, please, don't think such negative thoughts! You're so much better than that. Our love is true and forever!"

Brad smiled the true contented smile of a man in love who knows his love is returned back to him in kind. With a rueful smirk he said, "Told you it would be ridiculous."

Kellie chuckled and shook her head. "Just shut up and hold me," she replied lovingly.

"I love you, Kellie Galenchuk."

"I love you, Bradley Galenchuk."

They lay together on the bed in an exhausted but loving embrace. Kellie, in particular, felt tired enough to sleep for days.

********

But she couldn't sleep right now. Not just yet.

Too much had happened to Kellie this week, and especially these last 24 hours, and there was too much for her mind to process to allow her to properly rest.

So after an hour of trying to fall asleep yet failing, she extricated herself from Brad's gentle grip to use the washroom.

When she returned she checked the room's alarm clock and was a little shocked to see it read just past 4:00am. She realized she would have to sleep in late in order to have a proper night's rest, but she found herself not worrying about it. If being the two-time Canadian women's curling champion brought about any perks (and it certainly did), she figured at the very least it meant she could sleep in late guilt-free.

She briefly watched Brad sleep. His chest slowly expanded and contracted as he breathed, and the smile on his face told her he was having very pleasant dreams. He looked so handsome and strong, even while asleep. His strength made her think of the things they did fulfilling his sexual fantasy, and she shuddered in delight.

She climbed back into bed and spooned herself into Brad's arms. She thought about the journey they shared together. She thought about the first time he awkwardly asked her out to dinner, and how she even more awkwardly accepted the invitation. She thought about how they first consummated their love, about how Anita Morriss had almost stolen all that away from them, and about how they recovered and fortified their love afterwards. She thought about everything she could remember that led to where they were now, all the lows and the highs, and how, despite how awful those lows were, she wouldn't change a thing about the journey, because it led the two of them to such a blessed place.

She thought about it all, and she smiled.

Then she looked into a place deep inside her very self, and she came to a sudden realization. She didn't know how she came to that conclusion, but it was inescapable all the same. And her smile grew even wider.

There was an extra little gleam in her eye.



Kellie and Brad Ch. 06



AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is the sixth chapter of a multi-part story. Please read the first five chapters before this one to understand the whole story. Please enjoy.



There was an extra little gleam in her eye.

Because Kellie knew.

As soon as the flash of insight hit her, as she was finally falling asleep after a long but joyful day that included a second Canadian women's curling championship with her best friends, and inconceivably hot sex with her husband Brad, she immediately knew.

She didn't know why she knew, or how she knew. But she knew, all the same, just as she knew the sky was blue and the sun rises in the east and sets in the west. She never questioned it, she just accepted it, and that was that.

So, when the wind, cold and snow of another harsh Canadian winter started to give way to the cool rains and fresh rebirth of spring, the sickness and bouts of vomiting in the mornings did not surprise Kellie at all. Neither did the soreness or tenderness of her breasts or the battles with fatigue she sometimes waged.

Brad doted on her as much as he could afford to during this time; that and his work duties combined to make him one busy man. 'Bless his heart', she would often think to herself, because he didn't know yet. He would, though, in due time.

Before he, or anyone else for that matter, would know, she thought it prudent to see a specialist to make sure there were no issues and to learn everything she could health-wise about her condition. As a result, one day in early spring she called the town doctor to explain the situation. She was not surprised to hear him say that his ability to run all of the necessary tests was hindered by the limited facilities and equipment the small town's clinic carried. The doctor was kind enough to place a call and pull a couple of favours to ensure that in early May, only a couple of weeks away, she would have an appointment with the specialist who operated in a medium-sized city one hour's drive to the west, and who came highly recommended. Kellie thanked him profusely before hanging up and making plans for the trip to come.

Those plans included asking Sandra to give her a ride to the hospital out of which the specialist worked. Brad needed their vehicle for work, and Kellie did not yet want to reveal her news to him until everything checked out OK. On the day, Kellie thanked Sandra again once she climbed into her car.

"Oh, it's no problem at all," Sandra replied. "I've worked some overtime since we got back so my supervisor promised me a favour in return, so I just called it in for today."

They rode in companionable silence for most of the trip. Kellie read out the directions to her final destination once they reached the outskirts of the city. When Sandra pulled into the parking lot she couldn't help but let an excited and knowing smile cross her face, which Kellie couldn't help but notice.

"So I'm guessing you know why I had to go here today?" she asked her friend.

Sandra nodded. "I've got a pretty good idea, skip."

"I need to ask you a really big favour, Sandra. It's important."

"Of course, Kellie. "

"Please keep this a secret for now. I have no reason to suspect anything is wrong, but I want to be sure. I just don't want to jinx anything. You understand, right?"

"Absolutely. Your secret is safe with me."

Kellie hugged Sandra and they walked in the large brick building together, moving through the town's hospital until they found the clinic they were looking for, at the other end of the health campus. While Sandra sat in the waiting area, Kellie went to the front desk to advise the receptionist of her appointment. After a typically long hospital wait, the specialist was finally ready to receive her.

"Kellie Galenchuk?" she called out to the waiting area.

"Yes, I'm here," Kellie said as she stood up.

"Hi Kellie, I'm Dr. Holland. Please come with me and we'll see what we can see."

Kellie sat in Dr. Holland's office and listened to the litany of tests and procedures that she would need to perform on her, just as she performed them on all her patients. The doctor reassured Kellie whenever her face showed her surprise, nerves, even outright confusion over the nature of the tests, explaining that they were all part of the routine and that due diligence and care had to be taken at each step of the process.

Dr. Holland then answered all Kellie's questions with patience and an impressive depth of knowledge. Kellie understood quickly why the doctor was in such high demand. She felt very much at ease and ready to trust Dr. Holland with her delicate health condition.

Even with that level of trust she soon wished the process wasn't quite as exhaustive as it turned out to be. By the time Dr. Holland was finished with the battery of tests, Kellie felt very much like a human-sized lab rat, poked and prodded more times than she cared to count.

"Phew!" she exclaimed to the doctor once everything was complete. "I'm glad that's done!"

"I appreciate your co-operation," Dr. Holland replied. "I know it must seem overwhelming, and that all these tests are maybe a bit of overkill. But we can't be too careful with this; we have to do everything by the book, as I'm sure you can appreciate."

"I do, I understand completely," Kellie nodded.

Dr. Holland collected the papers on her desk and placed them into the file created for Kellie before closing it and placing it down with a flourish. "I will contact you as soon as I can with the results of all the tests and what else to expect the rest of the way, but for now let me say this. With your athletic, healthy lifestyle and the family health history you've outlined for me, I'm confident that everything will work out just fine!"

Kellie thanked the doctor and went back to the waiting room, where she rescued Sandra from a boredom-induced doze. She thought of the road ahead in the next few months, and speculated on all the possible ways her and Brad's lives would change.

Two weeks to the day, Dr. Holland called Kellie with good news. The doctor wanted to bring Kellie in to discuss all the findings in more detail and to field any additional questions she may have, but she reassured her patient that all was normal and healthy so far.

It was only a few days later that Kellie was able to enlist Sandra's help once again to drive her to the health clinic, this time just to drop her off. Dr. Holland welcomed Kellie into her office relatively quickly this time.

"Before I get too far into the details," the doctor said, "is there perhaps someone you'd like to call over to share in the news?"

With a wide, beaming grin, Kellie took the phone Dr. Holland extended to her and dialled the number, making the call she had wanted to make so badly these last few weeks.

*******

"Hey! Brad!"

Brad was still hard at work. He was currently poking around the supply cabinet, looking for the materials required to complete his latest repair task, when he heard Russ's voice echoing down the hallway.

"What's up, Russ?"

"Phone's for you. It's Kellie."

Brad briskly jogged the short distance down the hall to Russ's office and plucked the receiver from his hand. Russ pretended to busy himself with something else as he half-listened to Brad's side of the conversation, mentally scolding himself while at the same time letting his curiosity get the best of him.

"Hi Kellie! What's going on?... Oh yeah? What's the news?... Why can't you tell me over the phone?... Oh, OK, no problem, I was just... Wait, you're where?... Is everything OK?... You're sure?... No, it's just a bit of a surprise, I didn't expect to hear you say that's where you are right now... Let me ask Russ... He's already nodding at me, so it shouldn't be a problem... OK, honey, I'll leave as soon as I can... I love you too, see you soon, bye!"

"Everything OK?" Russ asked as Brad ended the call and placed the receiver back on the phone's cradle.

"I think so, Russ. She said she's at the health clinic attached to that new hospital. You know, the one they just built west of here."

"Oh yeah, I've heard of it. She's not having any health problems, is she, Brad?"

"She said no, everything's just fine, but she wouldn't tell me exactly what's going on. Said she wanted to tell me in person."

"If you need to leave now, it's no problem. Your shift's almost over as it is."

"Great, thanks Russ! Not sure how much good I'd be the rest of the day anyway, I'm so damn curious! What kind of secret could she possibly be hiding from me?"

Russ had a fairly good idea what it was, recalling Brad's stories of Kellie's recent bouts of sickness, knowing one of the main reasons they built the new medical campus in the first place, and putting two and two together. He thought if Brad wasn't so wrapped up with keeping up with work and taking care of Kellie at the same time, and that if he wasn't so close to the situation, he'd have figured it out too.

"Well, don't keep her waiting now, get going! I'll see you tomorrow Brad."

"You bet. Thanks again Russ!"

*******

He made the one-hour trip in just under forty-five minutes.

Brad hurriedly parked the truck and dashed to the end of the clinic as Kellie had directed him to. He introduced himself to the receptionist when he arrived.

"Yes, Mr. Galenchuk, your wife is in Dr. Holland's office, you can go right in," the blonde receptionist said with a smile.

He found Dr. Holland's room and knocked on the door. He saw a plump woman of average height, wearing stylish glasses, greying hair pulled back into a ponytail and a white lab coat. "Hello, sir, you must be Brad," she said by way of introduction and extended a hand to him.

"Indeed I am, doc," Brad replied, shaking the doctor's hand quickly and firmly.

"Please do come in, your wife has been anxiously waiting for you."

Kellie hopped up from her seat and flashed an excited grin. Brad returned her smile, and the couple hugged and kissed.

Dr. Holland asked them to sit down, and as they did so, she went right down to business. "Brad, I understand you rushed right here from work and Kellie has told me that you've been busy as of late so I'll give you some context you might not otherwise have. Kellie's first appointment with me was just over a couple of weeks ago..."

Kellie saw the look of shock register on Brad's face. "What?! You never told me about this!" he blurted out.

"Hush, Brad. Let the doctor finish," she admonished him, even though she knew it would be difficult enough for her to do so. She was so eager to share her secret with him now that she was positively giddy.

"As I was saying," Dr. Holland resumed, "that first appointment was to run a full battery of tests and answer any questions Kellie had. This meeting was to follow up with the results, which we did while waiting for you to arrive."

The doctor then removed her glasses and smiled at the couple. "Now then, Kellie, I will let you do the honours."

Kellie glowed as she eyed her husband and held his hands in her lap.

"Brad?"

"Yes, Kellie?"

"I'm pregnant!"

Brad was stunned by this revelation. Not because he was disappointed or angry with the news. Far from it, in fact. He had always envisioned himself raising children someday, especially since meeting and falling in love with Kellie.

He just never expected it to happen now.

His eyes scanned around the room and found the doctor's certificate, making careful note of the letters OB-GYN after her name. It occurred to him that he hadn't done much to inquire as to why Kellie was at this hospital and wanted him to meet her there, nor had he thought to ask her if there was any other reason behind her recent morning sickness and other symptoms, other than simple flu. He was momentarily upset with himself over this lack of insight, and he hoped she didn't feel the same way.

As Brad was piecing together all the clues that he missed along the way, he felt Kellie squeeze his hands firmly in an attempt to break him out of his reverie.

"Brad?" she asked, still smiling but with just a touch of worry in her eyes.

He softly returned her smile and gently kissed the back of her hand. "I... wow, honey... please bear with me, I'm just trying to let this news soak in."

"That's OK. I know I've really surprised you."

"You can say that again!" Brad took a deep breath as he tried to take the edge off his voice to more properly verbalize his thoughts and emotions. "I mean, you... we... god, Kellie, this is really happening, isn't it? We're really gonna have a baby?!"

"Yes! Brad, you're going to be a daddy!"

Tears started to well up in Brad's eyes. He kissed Kellie on the cheek and swept her up into his embrace for a fiercely loving hug.

"I love you, Kellie Galenchuk."

"I love you, Bradley Galenchuk."

Dr. Holland cleared her throat rather theatrically. Brad and Kellie both turned their heads toward her at the same time, both of their faces blushing bright red as they realized how they had temporarily forgotten the presence of the other person in the room.

While the doctor did want to keep some control over this appointment and keep it moving, she was very pleased to see the young married couple have their private (well, almost private) moment of joy. Reactions like this were one of the best and most rewarding parts of her chosen profession. 

The doctor reflected on how this scene contrasted to another one that her best friend from med school, whose practice was in the big city, had just described to her yesterday. A pretty but lonely looking blonde woman had wept bitterly over the news that she was pregnant. Dr. Holland's colleague had tried her best to ease the blonde's mind and offer information on support and other community resources to help her deal with her pregnancy, but she wasn't sure she was overly successful. Dr. Holland could sympathize, she had seen her share of reactions to unwelcome pregnancies, and she was relieved she didn't have to relive that experience today.

"Anyway, Brad," Dr. Holland said, "I explained all this to Kellie, but you'll be happy to know that everything looks good so far with the pregnancy. Kellie is very fit and healthy, the baby is developing normally and with no complications, and all the tests came back with very positive results. Of course we'll need to schedule further appointments at important check points along the way to ensure that this continues to be the case, but all signs are pointing to a very safe and successful pregnancy."

Brad nodded happily and breathed an audible sigh of relief.

"I've also done some quick calculations and can give you my best estimate as to when you conceived. It's a simple enough task, I can show you how it works, but I can tell you the date I came up with right now, if you are interested," the doctor offered.

"Oh cool! Please do tell," Kellie replied.

"OK, February 19th or the 20th, those are the mostly likely dates my calculations show me. Say, Kellie, wasn't it on the 19th that you and your team won the curling championship again?"

"Yes, Dr. Holland, it was!"

The doctor smiled at Kellie and Brad. "Must have been some celebration, I guess."

A sweetly devious grin crossed Brad's face. He kissed Kellie on the cheek and growled in her ear. "Oh yes, it certainly was. Wasn't it?" he asked. He very badly wanted to add the word "pet" to the end of his question, but he held back for fear of going too far and giving away in public some of their bedroom secrets.

Kellie softly moaned, bit her lower lip and nodded.

Dr. Holland kept her reaction to the couple's latest exchange low-key and discreet. She wrapped things up then by informing them that her receptionist would be in contact as soon as possible to set follow-up appointment dates. She congratulated the couple again, shaking Brad's hand and giving Kellie a quick hug.

Brad and Kellie left the hospital, hand-in-hand. Kellie was so happy it felt like she was floating. "This is amazing!" she exclaimed as they climbed into their truck. "I've wanted to have kids for a long time now. You're going to be a great father!"

"And you, Kellie, will be a wonderful mother!" Brad replied. He tried his best to sound happy; it wasn't totally an act, for he was very happy that his wife was with child. Still, the touch of sadness he felt earlier for not noticing this earlier had returned, and he hoped she didn't notice.

But she did, and the look on her face told him she wasn't going to let this go.

"Brad, what's wrong?" she asked.

"You're not mad at me honey, are you?"

"No, baby, not at all! Why in the world would I be mad at you?"

Brad sighed. "I feel bad that I didn't notice earlier that you were pregnant. I didn't think to ask what kind of doctor you were seeing when you called me to meet you here today. I didn't even think that when you were sick it could have meant your pregnancy was just starting. I thought that maybe you'd be disappointed in me that I wasn't more observant."

Kellie leaned across to hug Brad. "You worry too much sometimes. I'm not disappointed or upset with you at all. I actually kept it quiet at first on purpose. I didn't tell anyone except Sandra because I wanted to make sure everything was OK before I let you know. I only told Sandra because I asked her to drive me here as a favour. It may sound like a silly superstition but it felt like the right thing to do, you know? So just relax and be happy that soon you're going to be a daddy!"

Brad smiled and kissed Kellie. Somehow, he thought, she always knew what to say to make things better. "You know what? You're right," he said. "I'm just really happy. In fact, so happy that I say, this calls for a celebration!"

"Absolutely! But, if I remember correctly, Brad, that's how we got here in the first place," Kellie teased.

"I know, Kellie, but that's even more reason we can celebrate now. We don't have to worry about getting you pregnant, I've already done that! Mission accomplished!"

Brad laughed while Kellie just rolled her eyes in mock annoyance.

They kissed lovingly. Brad started up the truck, guided it out of the parking lot and pointed it home. He drove extra carefully this time, staying only to posted speed limits. It wasn't something he always did; at times his driving was too fast even for Kellie's liking. But this time it felt good and right to take it slow and easy.

After all, he had even more precious cargo to safely deliver home.

*******

Everyone was thrilled to hear the news.

After work on Friday, Brad and Kellie invited his parents, Marilyn and Al, and her Aunt Linda and Uncle Vic to their house. They told them the news over dinner. Plenty of hugs, kisses and handshakes were shared, and even more tears of happiness were shed. Both his parents and her aunt and uncle volunteered to offer their babysitting services, and Brad and Kellie promised them all that they would occasionally call on both couples to take advantage of their generous offer.

Brad's peaceful Saturday morning was jarred by the arrival of Jennifer, Sandra, Amber and Heather, and their girly squeals of excitement. He was not angry, however; he was expecting this to happen. He was happy to hear all the commotion as they planned the baby shower and talked about all sorts of things, even if they were loud enough to give him a headache.

He decided he could use a break from the noise, so with both permission and a kiss from Kellie, Brad said goodbye to her friends, though not without a big hug of congratulations from each of them. He stepped outside into the warmth of the sunshine on a glorious late spring day and walked to Russ's house. Russ welcomed him in and, when Brad shared the news, gave him a vigorous handshake and several "atta-boy" backslaps. Russ then broke out his bottle of 15-year single malt Scotch whisky that he was saving for special occasions as this, and shared a couple glasses with a very appreciative Brad.




Kellie and Brad Ch. 06



Brad told the rest of his friends at work on Monday, and they all gave him their best wishes. Some of the younger guys congratulated him on his lovemaking prowess and "accuracy", which made Brad groan even while he laughed.

That same evening Kellie happily read the replies her brother and sister each sent to her e-mail announcing her pregnancy. She was disappointed that they found it so difficult to set aside time to chat online via Skype, but she didn't hold it against them because their schedules were so very busy. She treasured the words her siblings sent to her and she promised each of them to e-mail pictures of the baby as soon as she could after the birth date.

Soon enough word had spread throughout the little town, and most everyone gave Kellie and Brad a friendly wave and best wishes and congrats on the upcoming addition to their family. The young couple were appreciative of all the positive vibes being sent their way.

It was only after the initial excitement and flurry of activity died down that Brad and Kellie really thought and talked together about how the baby would change their lives. They realized they didn't exactly have a lot of guidance or places to turn to for advice in that regard. Brad's parents could describe their experiences, which Kellie also teasingly admitted she'd enjoy because she'd get to hear his embarrassing childhood stories. But Kellie's aunt and uncle never had children, and none of their friends had kids either. They decided they could do their own research and ask Dr. Holland for help, but otherwise they would just have to learn on the fly.

They found that prospect both exciting and more than a little bit daunting.

*******

She woke up and stretched, clearing her head after a good night's sleep.

On a crisp late August morning Kellie climbed out of the king-sized bed she and Brad shared in the honeymoon suite of the fancy spa and resort at which family and friends had so generously gifted them a week's stay as a late honeymoon vacation.

Kellie had been looking forward to this trip for quite some time. Now that she was here, she saw even more clearly what all the fuss was about. The resort was as wonderful as advertised. The grounds were well-manicured, the hotel was stately and dignified yet did not lack for any amenities, and everyone employed at the resort they had met so far were extremely courteous and professional.

She didn't know if it was the influence of the resort, coincidence, or some other reason, but Kellie couldn't help but notice one other feature. Everyone she saw here, from the minute she stepped into the resort's grand foyer at their arrival yesterday afternoon, through to the fancy dinner they shared at the resort bistro, was beautiful. Guests and staff alike were beautiful. Hell, even many of the men were "beautiful", as opposed to being rugged and handsome like Brad.

Kellie heard the sound of shower running and smiled, picturing Brad's strong, manly form glistening with the hot water that would run in rivulets down every square centimetre of his body. She stretched again and slowly shuffled to the mirror. She took a long look, training her mind to appraise herself critically but not unduly so. Some days this was very difficult; one thing both she and Brad had learned about her being pregnant was the presence of the hormones running through her. The last time she could remember having so many emotional ups and downs was just after entering adolescence.

Today, however, was a good day, and Kellie liked the reflection looking back at her. Sure, she thought to herself, right now the nightgown she was wearing was unflattering, even if it was also very comfortable. Despite that she considered herself to be one beautiful woman. Even with, or maybe especially with, her pregnancy, which was now rather obvious to everyone as she was well into her sixth month. Later tonight, after a day spent in the spa and being pampered with a manicure, pedicure, massage and whatever else she could want and/or afford to have done to her, she figured she would look even better.

"Just try and resist me tonight, Brad," she said to herself.

In most ways, Brad had been an ideal partner during her pregnancy. Comforting her when she had a worrying spell, letting her relax when she was tired, dealing with her mood swings and unusual food cravings... almost anything she could have asked for, he had done. But for some, strange reason she could not understand, Brad seemed reluctant to have sex with her.

Certainly this had never been a problem before. He was always ready and willing to make love to her when she wanted; sometimes she even had to ask him to keep his libido in check when she wasn't in the mood.

Which wasn't that often, if she were being completely honest with herself. One of the things she learned about herself that had surprised her most during her time together with Brad was how strong her sex drive really was. Being without a partner for as long as she was meant those desires were suppressed, but once her relationship with Brad had become intimate that all changed, and in a big way.

Now, at this stage of her pregnancy, and just as Dr. Holland had suggested could happen, her craving for sex had increased even more.

Kellie made up her mind right then and there. She was going to discuss this with him tonight, whether he was ready to hear it or not. She had needs, after all.

Just as she was planning exactly what she wanted to say, she heard the bathroom door open. Brad walked out, his hair still damp, a towel wrapped around his waist. Seeing him provided another reminder of just how easily she became aroused these days; she immediately felt herself moisten down below.

Brad kissed her on the cheek and said, "Shower's all yours, babe."

"Thanks honey." Kellie then smiled mischievously. "You sure I can't convince you to join me and get your own mani-pedi treatment?"

He laughed and shook his head. "No, thank you, that's quite all right. But I hope you enjoy it, and make sure they take good care of you. I'll be fine with sticking to my original plan."

Kellie rolled her eyes. "I guess I can understand you not going with me, somehow I don't think a manicure would really suit you. But golf? Really? I mean, I like sports as much as any girl, maybe more, but that is one game for which I've never understood the appeal."

Brad just shrugged. "Well, that's OK. You do lots of things I don't understand."

"Oh yeah? Like what?" Kellie huffed.

"Well, like your constant craving of pickles all of a sudden, for one thing. It's getting so I can't even stand the smell of dill anymore."

"Hey, baby wants pickles," Kellie smirked, rubbing her stomach. "Who am I to argue with that?"

Brad smiled and decided not to push the issue. "I guess if you put it that way..." At that moment he looked at the clock. "I should get going. Have fun today, honey, see you tonight."

They kissed briefly again before Kellie entered the bathroom, leaving Brad to get dressed and make his tee time. Kellie disrobed and set the water at a nice warm temperature before stepping into the shower. She noticed the shower head was detachable, so she took hold of it for a closer look. It had a number of different settings, including a pulsating spray.

A naughty smile crept across Kellie's face. Whether she had to put this feature to use all week just to get off, or whether it would serve as an appetizer to tonight's main course with her man, she decided it was time to get up close and personal with the shower head. Modern plumbing truly is a wonderful thing, she thought to herself.

********

He had an even better time golfing than he expected.

Brad was relaxing in the "19thhole" lounge attached to the golf course where he had finished his round. He was a little worried at first about being matched up with people he didn't know; nothing ruined a round of golf more than being forced to play with people you didn't like. But he had few problems with the three guys currently joining him at the table. They were a little younger than he was, just in or barely out of college he suspected, and while they were better golfers than he was, the margin was not that wide. They were fun to be around and generally good-natured, even if two of them were a little on the crude side. They joked and laughed a lot, and they encouraged his good shots while not acting too condescendingly at his bad ones. They convinced him to have a drink with them at the lounge, so that's where he currently found himself.

While the three guys continued to talk amongst themselves, Brad quietly nursed his light beer and slipped further into his thoughts. And as they often did when he had time to himself, his thoughts revolved around Kellie.

He had never failed to find Kellie beautiful. Even on her most difficult days, when she was sick or otherwise not feeling her best, he thought she was a stunning representative of the female form. Now that she was pregnant, Brad believed she was even more beautiful, in a way that he could never hope to properly describe. She had a glow to her, and the confidence and "joie de vivre" she had come to carry herself with since they started their relationship increased tenfold. It made him happy. It made him proud of her.

It made him horny.

But Kellie being pregnant also put some strange ideas into his head. At first the concept of him having sex with the mother of his child unnerved him. He soon got over that, only to somehow convince himself his wife didn't want any sexual contact at all while she was pregnant. Walking in on an unsuspecting Kellie while she masturbated, and almost doing a faceplant while he tried to escape without her noticing, quickly disabused him of that notion.

His most recent concern was that sex would harm the baby. He didn't know why he thought that, he just did, and he had trouble getting the idea out of his mind. He thought about calling Dr. Holland to ask if his belief was true but felt very self-conscious about doing so. Still curious, he ended up doing his own research, just before they left for this vacation. And everything he learned said that, assuming there were no medical problems, and Kellie had said all along that both she and baby were doing very well, it was safe for pregnant women to have sex.

Brad decided that tonight he was going to do what he should have done a long time ago; talk to Kellie about their desires and how to handle being intimate and pleasing each other before she had to give birth. Too much longer and the sexual tension would be too much for him to bear, not to mention how Kellie might be handling it.

He was planning how to word his apology when he was interrupted by the snapping of fingers mere inches from his face. Startled, he nearly jumped out of his chair, and then relaxed when he heard the sound of the other three guys laughing.

"Hey man, there you are, thought we lost you there for a minute," the blond one said.

"Sorry guys," Brad replied, "I just have a lot on my mind right now."

"Maybe another beer would help," the squat, curly-haired guy suggested as he looked to grab the attention of a waitress.

Brad shook his head. "Thanks, but no thanks. I've had a good time, but I'm here with my wife and I really should get back to see her soon."

"Ah, come on!" the blond one yelled. "Vacations like these are supposed to be about getting away from the wife, not spending more time with her!"

"This is different; it's our honeymoon, actually."

"Oh, well then what the hell are you doing here, you should be all over her right now!" Blond Guy joked.

"She's getting a manicure and pedicure and all that girly stuff. Great for her, obviously, but not really my kind of thing. As you can probably guess."

"Isn't that sweet, she's getting herself all pretty for you!" Curly laughed, and Brad just groaned.

The third golfer, a tall, thin man who even sitting down towered over his compatriots, elbowed Curly in the ribs. "Hey, have some respect! This is the man's wife you're talking about!" He rolled his eyes and looked at Brad. "Sorry about that man, these two are good guys but sometimes they just don't know when to stop."

Brad shrugged it off. "Don't worry about it."

"So what does your wife do, if you don't mind me asking?" Tall Guy queried.

Brad smiled and couldn't help but be a little boastful. "Oh, she's only the skip of the Canadian champions in back to back years and the best curler on the planet!"

Blond's eyes widened. "Ohmigod, your wife is Kellie Galenchuk? You lucky bastard! She's so damn hot!"

"Oh yeah," Curly enthusiastically agreed, "I'd hit that in a heartbeat!"

Tall Guy shot his friends a withering look that immediately shut them up, and then buried his head in his hands. "See what I mean?" he grumbled.

Brad could only laugh, taken aback as he was by Tall Guy's friends' lack of tact.

"Listen, I hope you don't mind me saying this," Tall Guy soon added, "but even if my friends were rather rude in expressing themselves, they do have a point. Your wife is very talented and beautiful and you are very fortunate to be married to her."

"Don't I know it!" Brad exclaimed. On that note, he took his leave and wished the three guys well. As he walked away he briefly doubted if the blond and curly-haired guys had ever really been with any women for any length of time. He also wondered how many times their tall friend bailed them out of bad situations.

He entered the suite and looked around for Kellie. He didn't see her but the bathroom door was shut so he assumed she was in there.

"Hello?" he shouted.

"I'm in here Brad!" Kellie yelled back from inside the bathroom, just as he suspected. "I'll be out in a minute!"

Brad listened to her rummage around and patiently waited. As he heard the doorknob turn, he said, "Kellie, I need to talk to you. I..."

The rest of what he was going to say was stolen from his throat when he saw Kellie emerge. She was wearing nothing more than sunglasses and a bikini that would have been daring on most women, but on a pregnant one such as her was on the verge of scandalous. The top seemed to barely contain her now heaving breasts, and while the bottom did keep her sex covered well enough, a twirl from her soon revealed that a healthy portion of her rear end was exposed to the world.

What was more, the spa treatment she had during the day had really agreed with her. She looked relaxed yet vibrant. Brad had never been one to harbor a foot fetish, but he soon became drawn to Kellie's feet and how pretty they looked as they were freshly cared for, scrubbed and the nails decorated with mauve nail polish.

"Lord have mercy," Brad whispered in awe. Kellie giggled, and her eyes sparkled with life at his reaction to her skimpy attire and overall appearance.

"I'm glad to hear I still have that effect on you, baby," she said in a naughtily teasing voice. "I was beginning to think I had lost my touch." She lightly brushed her lips over his cheek and stroked her hand over the part of his chest that she knew so well how much it turned his crank. She sauntered in the direction of the large outdoor patio deck that made up part of the honeymoon suite. Looking back over her shoulder, she cooed, "It would be such a waste to not use the deck and catch a bit of sunlight while we're here. You'll come out and join me, won't you?"

Brad whipped off his golfing clothes and scrambled to the bathroom to quickly wash up. He rummaged through the dresser drawers until he found his swimsuit. He tried to put it on as fast as possible, a process made more difficult by his erect penis, which obscenely tented the front of his trunks once he had them secured. He ran out to the patio door and, trying to maintain some semblance of cool, slowly opened it and walked out to sit in the deck chair next to his gorgeous pregnant wife.

Kellie looked down the edge of her sunglasses and ogled Brad's body, then giggled when she noticed both the tent in his shorts and how he was trying to play it cool and miserably failing. His quick breaths made it obvious both how much he hurried to be out here with her and how hot he really was for her.

"Can you put some sunscreen on me, honey?" she asked him sweetly.

Brad took the bottle from the patio table and squirted a generous amount on each leg. His strong hands rubbed each of her feminine but strong leg muscles. He took plenty of time to massage and plant several kisses over each of her pretty feet. He applied another dollop of sunscreen to her stomach and gently caressed all over her torso, taking care to not apply to much pressure to where she was carrying their unborn child. He could smell the rich aroma of her arousal cutting through the coconut oil in the lotion and it was enough to drive him nearly out of his mind.

Kellie sighed in pleasure. She had been well cared for and pampered today, subject to the ministrations of experts well-trained in their fields, but the way Brad touched her was just different. His touches were filled with love, something that no one else could ever replicate. They sent shockwaves through her body, and the sexual being within her demanded attention.

"God I missed this so much," she breathed.

"I know, baby," Brad said with more than a hint of shame in his voice. "It's what I wanted to talk to you about tonight. Instead of communicating with you like I should have, I just assumed that you being pregnant meant you didn't want to have sex, or that we couldn't or shouldn't because it might harm the baby. I don't know why I thought those things, and now I know that I was wrong."

Kellie felt sympathy for Brad; he was trying to do the right thing all along and was just confused, as men sometimes get, about what the right thing really was. A naughty idea then invaded her thoughts, and smiling, she decided to run with it.

"Clearly you weren't thinking right, Brad," her husky voice rumbled through the late summer air.

"I know, Kellie."

"A woman has needs, you know."

"I know. I'm sorry. I'll be a better husband and make it up to you, I swear."

"I don't know... maybe I should trade you in for a newer model." The words sounded harsh, but the hint of a smile on Kellie's face gave away her true meaning.

"Well, if that's the way you feel," Brad replied, pretending to be hurt. "It hurts me to say this, but maybe one of the guys I played golf with this morning would be more to your liking."

"Is that so?"

"Oh yes. I mentioned your curling exploits, and they knew instantly who you were and said they were big fans of yours."

"Oooh, cool! My own set of groupies!"

"Yeah, they all thought you were hot, and one of those fine young gentlemen even said, and I quote, I'd hit that in a heartbeat."

Kellie laughed long and loud after hearing this. "Bradley Galenchuk, you are a liar!" she finally said, wiping tears from her eyes.

"Am not! I swear to you, I'm telling the truth!" Brad said through a wide grin.

Kellie giggled some more. In Brad's opinion those peals of laughter sounded better than anything he could have possibly imagined.

She leaned down to kiss him full on the lips. "Mmmm," she said, "you taste delicious. On second thought, maybe I'll keep you after all."

"Phew! That's a relief. Thanks, honey, I'll do everything I can to make sure you won't regret it."

"I know you will. Brad?"

"Yes Kellie?"

"I'm so horny right now."

"Oh god... me too!"

"We have to make up for lost time. You have a lot of work to do to get back in my good books, if you know what I mean," Kellie said with a wink.

Brad grinned. "That hardly sounds like work, you know."

Kellie giggled. "All right, all right. Let's just do it already!"

"You got it!"

"Right now!"

"Of course, baby!"

"Out here!"

Brad paused. "Out here?"

"Yes!"





Kellie and Brad Ch. 06



"Won't... somebody see us?"

Kellie reached for Brad and held his head in her hands. "One, we are high enough up and surrounded by trees, so it shouldn't be a problem; and two, I want you so bad right now that I don't care if everyone in the whole world sees us!"

Brad gazed into Kellie's eyes and decided that if she didn't care, neither did he.

"Now," she whispered huskily, "what say you use that tongue of yours for something other than talking?"

Brad didn't hesitate any longer. He quickly removed Kellie's bikini and grabbed her underneath her upper thighs to position her in just the right spot. It allowed him to easily dive right in and feast on her juicy pussy. He sucked and nibbled on her puffy lips, licked her clit and savoured the familiar sweet taste of her female nectar. One of his hands roamed upwards to play with her breasts, which were engorged with the means to produce the precious milk their child would require. Currently, however, they served the function of igniting Brad's libido.

"Yes baby... my god... so good!" Kellie cried out, her body finally getting a measure of erotic relief she could only get from Brad's talented touches.

He wet two fingers with his saliva and eased them into her sheath. They both gasped at the same time, he at the heat radiating from her core, her from the feeling of penetration and the anticipation of what was sure to follow. He sawed his digits into her, slowly at first, then picking up speed until he was really finger fucking her, continuing his oral assault on her pussy all the while.

Kellie gripped the back of Brad's head, trapping him between her legs. Her body tensed, just on the edge of release, until finally the dam burst. She came with a yelp loud enough for anyone within earshot to hear, and clear enough that anyone thinking along those lines would easily recognize what it signified.

As she was recovering, Brad was catching his own breath after her climax freed his face from being tightly mashed against her pussy. Other than the having-trouble-breathing thing, it was a pretty nice place to be, he thought. Still, it took a few moments until he was ready to move again. He finally stood up and carefully pulled an unsteady Kellie to her feet before he started to speak to her.

"So, baby, was it good for... hmmph!"

The end of his sentence was cut off as Kellie forcefully grabbed Brad and kissed him hungrily. In one move she broke the kiss by biting and twisting his lower lip while reaching her hand down and inside his swimsuit to stroke his hardness, providing him a mix of pleasure and pain.

"I want you!" she snarled.

It was a show of force from Kellie that Brad almost never saw from her. Assertive, yes, she often was that, but rarely this aggressive. It was as if this first orgasm at his hands lit a fire within her that he would struggle to douse all week. But he knew he would enjoy the challenge to keep up with her now-ravenous sexual appetite. 'Damn, will I ever!" he thought to himself.

Kellie led Brad inside their suite, gripping him by his erection. She sat on the edge of the bed and yanked down his shorts; he stepped out of them and kicked them aside. He groaned as she took his cock into her warm, willing mouth. She sucked it for a while and savoured the taste, but before long she let it out of her mouth with a pop and lay in the centre of the bed. She propped her head on the pillows and spread her pussy lips, presenting herself to him.

"Oh, baby," she breathed, "I just can't wait anymore. I need you inside me!"

Brad took another pillow and placed it, after some careful manoeuvering, under Kellie's hips, in order to create the perfect angle. On his knees, he placed himself between her legs, the tip of his cock just brushing her slit. He rested her legs on his shoulders, took hold of her thighs and with one thrust he smoothly entered her.

Kellie's eyes rolled in the back of her head; she nearly reached orgasm, again, right then and there. "Fuuuuuck!" she moaned in ecstasy.

Her red-hot pussy tightly gripped his shaft as he slowly slid in and out of her. He was taking care to go slow and easy, reluctant to go any faster for fear of hurting her or the baby. She sensed this reluctance and leaned up to grab at his forearms, directing his eyes into hers.

"Don't worry, Brad. You won't hurt me or the baby in this position. Now give it to me! Do me like you mean it!"

Spurred on by Kellie's words, Brad enthusiastically pumped into her pussy. She kept hold of his forearms and they shared a look of intense bliss and deep love.

"I love you, Kellie Galenchuk!"

"I love you, Bradley Galenchuk!"

"I'm going to come now!"

"Me too!"

Brad stiffened and, with one last thrust, planted himself into Kellie with a powerful orgasm. He braced his hands on either side of her as he leaned forward so as not to crash into her. Kellie's yell was just as loud as his as she shook from her own climax.

Before Brad emerged from the other side of his post-coital haze, Kellie shook his shoulder to get his attention.

"Lie on your back for me baby," she whispered.

He did so, moving more out of instinct than conscious decision. Through half-lidded eyes he watched as she crawled from the head of the large bed to between his legs. Those eyes soon grew much wider, and he gasped when she took his dormant cock in her mouth and eagerly sucked on it until it reached full hardness. She then straddled him and sank herself deep on to his erection, which had been pointing straight up to the ceiling.

"Again?" Brad asked incredulously.

"You're not complaining, are you?" Kellie retorted, even more incredulously.

"No! Why would I complain about making love to the most beautiful woman in the world? It's just... you are really on fire today!"

"It's like I told you," she said, panting from her exertions, "we have to make up for a lot of lost time. Besides, how could I possibly resist when I have so much delicious man right here with me?"

Brad was fascinated watching Kellie's curvy body jiggle and bounce as she rode him. He grasped her enlarged breasts and she sighed as he did so. He gently massaged, squeezed and played with them to his heart's content, like a child experimenting with new toys. "Careful," she started to say, "they..."

Before she could finish, Brad was startled by the feel of liquid dripping on to his face. He noticed her nipples looked wet and shiny. He softly squeezed her breasts again, saw another drip coming towards him, and captured it with his tongue.

"You're... leaking!" he smiled.

"I know," she said softly. "I tried to warn you, but you were too impatient!"

"That's OK. I'm glad, actually. I find it... sexy."

"Really?"

"Yeah. And I'm already jealous of our baby. You're sure going to feed our kid real well!"

She laughed and play-punched his shoulder, and then squealed as another thrust hit her in just the right spot. "Stop it, you! Just... oh god, fuck me harder!"

He did so, driving upward to meet her downward motions, until they both came in unison.

Kellie and Brad both stared lovingly into each other's eyes and tried to recover their breath as sweat dripped off of their bodies. She slipped off of him and carefully lay on her side. They lovingly and wordlessly touched and caressed each other without breaking eye contact, remaining that way for several minutes.

"Wow," Brad finally spoke. "That was incredible."

"It was pretty good, wasn't it?" replied Kellie.

"Pretty good?! God, Kellie, that's an understatement! You are amazing!"

"You're just as amazing Brad!"

"I mean it when I say this; every time I think our lovemaking is as good as it gets, honey, you blow my mind again."

"That's not all I'm going to blow, baby," Kellie whispered and playfully giggled in his ear.

"Mmmm, honey I'd love that, but maybe later. I think you've broken me right now."

"Oh, you silly man, you shouldn't underestimate me. I think you'll find my healing powers to be quite... persuasive."

Brad moaned as Kellie continued to taunt and tease him with her words and her soft, sensual touch. "Dammit, woman, you're going to be the death of me!" he panted.

"Nuh-uh," she said tantalizingly. "I'm going to keep you alive so you can keep giving me that gorgeous cock of yours! I'm going to..."

She suddenly stopped and loudly gasped.

Brad's eyes grew wide with shock and concern. "Kellie! What is it? What's wrong?!"

Kellie didn't say anything, instead simply holding Brad's hands and placing them on her stomach while she looked at him with pure excitement. He was confused over her actions... that is, until he felt it. It was nothing more than a couple of taps against her skin, but the sensation was unmistakeable.

A crooked, goofy smile swept across his face. "That's... that's our baby kicking in there!"

"Yes! Isn't it wonderful?" she exclaimed as tears of joy ran down her face.

"Probably wondering what all the commotion is about!" he joked.

"Yeah, probably," she agreed.

He put his face to her stomach and "spoke" to their baby. "Kid, you won't understand what Mommy and I were doing for a long time, but trust me, it's a lot of fun!"

"Oh yeah, a LOT of fun!" a giggly Kellie agreed.

Their sexual desire momentarily forgotten, Kellie and Brad snuggled together and felt their baby kick and wriggle inside her womb until the movement ceased. They said to each other that the baby must have become tired and decided to go for a nap.

Eventually, they ended up doing the same thing.

*******

The rest of their honeymoon week, they made love, had sex, or just plain fucked, as often as they could.

Basically, they stopped only to eat, sleep, and otherwise recharge.

To their disappointment, the week soon came to an end, and back to reality they had to go. For Brad, this meant returning to work. For Kellie, it meant being with her teammates as they started to prepare for the upcoming curling season, but in a different role than she usually played.

She sat in on practice sessions with Jennifer, Sandra, Amber and Heather, but the advanced state of her pregnancy prevented her from participating directly. She encouraged them to keep working on their game and to enter competitions as a team with Jennifer acting as skip and everyone else moving up a spot. They were glad to know that the Canadian championships this year were being held in their province's largest city, just a two-hour drive away.

Certainly it was a relief for Heather, whose fear of flying was well-known. But it was also a relief for Kellie, not only because flying with such a young newborn would be very difficult. She truly believed if all went well she would be able to return to active competition and help lead her team in defense of their title, though it would be difficult to know how effective she would be just coming off childbirth. But Kellie's teammates wanted her there with them, no matter how much or little game preparation she had going in. What they cared about was to have Kellie in place as the team leader, providing them with all-important strategic guidance and the calming influence so important for elite teams to possess. And even if the team as a whole, because of the disruption to their normal routines, wasn't the best it could be, they knew they would still have fun and enjoy the process of once again defending their title and competing against the best teams in the country.

Summer kicked over into fall. Kellie and Brad's renewal of their busy schedules left precious little free time for the two of them together. They did their best to maintain the frequency of their lovemaking that they established on their honeymoon. Their activity was curtailed somewhat as Kellie got closer to her delivery date due to the increased fatigue she experienced. During those times they satisfied their need for intimacy with plenty of kissing, massaging, and lovingly holding each other.

What remaining free time they shared was focused on completing the preparations for the baby's bedroom. They managed to find suitable second-hand baby furniture for a reasonable price. Brad spent the better part of two weekends painting the room, moving in and assembling the furniture, and adding any required finishing touches, under Kellie's careful direction.

As the expected delivery date grew closer, Brad and Kellie were able to do everything necessary, everything they could think of, to prepare for the baby's arrival. Now, it was just a matter of letting nature take its course and allowing the child to properly announce its arrival to the world.

*********

She couldn't sleep.

Kellie eased herself up out of bed, trying her best to keep quiet and not wake Brad from his slumber. Her eyes adjusted to the dark as she checked for the time on their bedside alarm clock.

12:30am.

She groaned a little louder than she meant to. After checking to ensure Brad was still asleep, she waddled to the bathroom to relieve herself for what to her felt like the two hundredth time in the last 24 hours. She looked at herself in the mirror. She thought she could notice her belly sitting lower on her body compared to only a couple days ago, but she wasn't entirely sure.

Sighing, she eased her way back to the bedroom. Even travelling distances this small sometimes left her feeling short of breath. And these days they always left her feet feeling swollen and achy. She reflected on how unfamiliar these sensations were, given her athletic background and how much she usually enjoyed long walks and, indeed, all forms of physical activity.

She squinted in the dark to check the calendar hanging on the wall. It was early in the morning of November 25th, she realized. Nearly a full week past her expected due date. She sighed again in frustration. She was more than ready to give birth by now, tired as she was of lugging all this extra weight around on her smallish frame.

Kellie decided she wasn't about to get any sleep any time soon, so she went to the living room and carefully sat herself down on the couch. She turned the television on to a low volume level, still conscious that Brad needed a proper sleep to function well at work that day. She channel surfed for a while until she eventually settled on the weather channel, just in time to hear the forecast for their area.

"A large low pressure system has rolled into the area and will stay for some time. There is a lot of precipitation within this system, and the recent drop in temperatures makes it very likely that this will be a significant freezing rain event. Reports from the local field offices indicate that the rain has already started to fall, so there could well be significant accretions of ice on the roads within the next hour or two. Temperatures will rise above freezing by around the noon hour and should stay well above zero for the next 48 to 72 hours afterwards, but before then driving is likely to be very treacherous. Don't drive if you don't have to, this will be a good day to bundle up and stay warm inside your homes. Please check in regularly to the Weather Network for the latest updates..."

Kellie flicked off the TV and walked to the window to take a look outside. She could see a steady rain falling from the sky, and the streetlights illuminated the icy sheen that was already forming on the ground below.

Well, she thought to herself, I guess there wouldn't really be much for her to worry about. Even though it was a short drive for Brad to work, she felt she could convince him to call Russ to tell him he'd stay home for the morning, at least until the weather improved. And she certainly had no indication that the baby was ready to come out soon. Hell, there were times when she felt like it would never come out, that she'd be left in this pregnant state forever. A ridiculous notion, to be sure, but the way her mind wandered sometimes...

Then, out of the blue, she felt it happening.

A strong contraction, stronger than any she had felt previously, strong enough to take her breath away.

This wasn't like the slight, intermittent contractions she felt soon after her water broke. This felt like the real thing!

She looked out the window again, at the rain driving down, it seemed to have intensified from even a couple minutes ago, and the wind had picked up too, and the ground looked icy enough to resemble a sheet of curling ice.

"Not now, kid," she moaned, but it was no use. They couldn't wait much longer, they had no choice but to brave the conditions and hope they made it to the hospital on time.

Not to mention, alive.

Kellie hurried to the bedroom as fast as her legs would take her. She shook Brad on the shoulder roughly. "Brad, wake up," she said.

"Mmmph. Sleep," he mumbled.

"Brad! Come on, wake up!" Louder, more insistent this time.

Brad shook his head to clear the cobwebs and checked the clock. "Jeez, Kellie, it's not even 1:00 in the morning yet, what the hell?"

"It's time, Brad. I..."

Another contraction gripped her, forceful enough that she had to brace herself against the wall. 

Brad let the sight before him sink in, for just a moment. Then he was out of the bed in a shot. He threw on a shirt, a pair of jeans, and a baseball cap to cover his ruffled hair. He grabbed the bag they packed for her to use at the hospital in one hand and her hand in the other.

"OK, hon, let's go!" he said.

As he led her to the front door, she said with a note of caution, "Brad, before we get going, there's something you need to know."

He shrugged off her statement. "What else do I need to know?" he asked as he slipped on his coat and running shoes. "You're going to give birth soon so I have to get you to the hospital so they can take care of both of you and make sure you're both healthy!"

"But... Brad, wait..." Kellie stammered, but it was too late. Brad threw open the door, ran outside and took one step on the driveway before his foot gave way on the ice. He flew up in the air and landed with a thud on his rear end. He grunted in pain, felt the cold sting of the falling rain and cursed loudly at the indignity visited upon him.

"Why didn't you tell me there was freezing rain out here?" his loud yell cut through the howling wind.

"I tried to warn you, but you were too impatient," she replied.

'Now where have I heard that before?' Brad asked himself, but he dismissed the passing thought. He carefully stood up and stretched out his sore backside before gingerly moving to the front doorway to help Kellie. After a couple minutes of slow, deliberate movements, they were safely belted inside their truck.

Brad started the engine with a roar. He knew the four-wheel drive would help some but driving would likely prove to be very dangerous. He silently thanked his having the foresight of filling up the gas tank the evening before.

The driving was as bad as he thought it would be. The sudden onset of the freezing rain storm caught everyone off guard, so no salt trucks were out to help clear the roads. Each application of the brakes was an adventure. Every ounce of his energy had to go into concentrating on the frozen pavement ahead of him. That task was made more difficult by the distractions resulting from Kellie's contractions.

He lost his breath after what sounded like a particularly strong one. "Kellie, are you OK?" he asked.

She gripped him briefly on the shoulder and tried to sound reassuring, which was nearly impossible given her current state. "Don't worry about me, Brad," she yelled, "just worry about getting us there in one piece!"

He nodded and kept driving. It was agonizingly slow going, and it was a minor miracle they hadn't crashed or slid into a ditch yet, but somehow they were making progress.

Until, in the distance, Brad could barely make out a collection of cars with flashing lights. As he got closer he realized those cars were police cars. As he got even closer than that he realized the police cars were surrounding a downed hydro pole, which occupied his entire driving lane and about half of the oncoming lane. He pumped the brakes repeatedly until he safely stopped in time.




Kellie and Brad Ch. 06



"Oh god, Brad, what are we going to do?" Kellie asked in between contractions.

"I don't know," he answered, just as one of the police officers, an older but fit looking gentleman, tapped on the driver's side window with his flashlight.

"Sir, miss, you shouldn't be out on the roads right now, it's very unsafe. We're closing this road because of the hydro pole." The officer's voice was strong and authoritative, but not harsh or unkind.

"Constable, please, you need to help us!" Brad pleaded. "My wife is in labour with our first child, and we really need to get to the hospital!" Kellie leaned over to look at the officer as well, with a pained expression on her face.

The constable sighed, as if he was wondering how he managed to get into this mess. "Just a moment," he said. He shielded himself against the elements and climbed into his squad car.

Brad and Kellie tried to remain patient, but the minutes ticked away and the wait was excruciating. But finally the constable emerged and spoke to them again.

"I've arranged for a salt truck to clear some of the road ahead, he can only start about a kilometre or two ahead of us but it should help some. I've also radioed the hospital and told them to expect you soon."

"Thank you!" Kellie exclaimed. She just realized that, in their haste to leave, neither she nor Brad had alerted Dr. Holland or any of her colleagues that they were on their way.

"No problem, ma'am," the constable said. "In the meantime, drive carefully and follow me!"

The constable returned to his car, lit up the flashing lights and slowly eased his way around the downed pole, the driver's side tires rolling well on the shoulder of the road in order to avoid the obstacle.

Brad was shocked at this new development. He shook the feeling off quickly enough to throw the truck into gear and followed the police car's tracks.

"Amazing," whispered Kellie between short breaths. "We're getting a police escort to the hospital."

"Yeah," Brad replied. "Gonna be a hell of a story to tell our kid when he or she grows up."

The normally one-hour drive ended up being close to three this time. Brad and Kellie sighed in pure relief as they turned into the hospital parking lot and rolled to the emergency laneway.

A nurse was waiting to help Kellie into a wheelchair. Brad and the constable helped her with that task. Brad vigorously shook the policeman's hand in appreciation.

"I can't thank you enough, Constable..." Brad started to say.

"James," the policeman stated his name with a smile on his face. "Constable Eric James."

"Well, Constable James, you will always have our gratitude!" Kellie said before another contraction hit her.

He shrugged and said, "Just doing my job. Congratulations to you two and best of luck!"

Brad waved back and hurried to be by Kellie's side. He eagerly awaited the delivery, but at the moment he was more relieved to not have to drive right now; the length and danger of the trip combined with the intense concentration he poured into the task had left him with a stress headache. He didn't want to complain about that, though, not with what still lay ahead for his wife.

Kellie was wheeled into a delivery room where Dr. Holland was waiting. After some diagnosis of the situation, the doctor determined that Kellie was well into labor, but it being her first child it could still take some hours to complete the process.

Brad stood by Kellie and squeezed her hand. "I'm here for you, baby. I don't know what I can do to help other than to give you moral support. I hope it will help."

"Brad, honey," she replied, "you being here means so much to me. Just stay here by my side, please don't leave me."

He kissed her hand tenderly. "I'll be right here all the way. I'm not going anywhere."

It tore Brad up inside to see Kellie deal with the exertions and pain of delivery, but as difficult as it was for him, he held his tongue the rest of the way. While he didn't think she would go over the top with spontaneous yelling and screaming like they showed on TV sometimes, he didn't want to distract her or ask a dumb question that would give her real reason to be irritated. He continued to hold her hand and occasionally brushed his free hand down her arm to remind her he was there. When she pushed, he dealt stoically with the reflex action of her squeezing his hand in a white-knuckle death grip.

They were the longest hours of their lives. But at long last, it happened. With the care and coaching of Dr. Holland and the attending nurses, and the support of her husband Brad, Kellie pushed twice more and gave birth.

"Congratulations, Kellie," Dr. Holland said, holding the baby. "At 4:03pm this afternoon, November 25th, you have given birth to a baby boy!"

The doctor and the nurses performed some simple tests to ensure the baby was healthy, and cleaned and prepared him as required. They weighed him in at eight pounds and seven ounces, a very healthy size indeed. Wrapping him in soft, warm blankets, the nurse happily and proudly handed the baby to the new mother.

Tears of happiness rolled down Kellie's face as she got to hold her little bundle of joy for the first time. She felt Brad touch her cheek and watched him stare in wonder at their newborn son. It was a moment she would remember for the rest of her life.

"Honey, you... I..." Brad struggled to find the words to express his deep love for Kellie. He stopped trying; instead he placed his hand gently on her shoulder and felt his eyes well up with tears.

"I know, honey. I know," Kellie replied with a smile. She knew exactly what he meant and how he felt. She couldn't form the words to explain her feelings either, but she was just as in love with him as he was with her.

"So, just out of curiosity," one of the attending nurses asked after giving the new family their moment together, "have you decided on a name for your son?"

It was a question that had vexed Brad and Kellie all along. They had difficulty coming to an agreement; a name she would like, he would reject, and vice versa. But when they looked at each other this time, it was like they could read each other's minds; they knew immediately what to choose.

"Eric James Galenchuk," Kellie said.

"That's a great name," the nurse said, smiling. "Sweet dreams, little E.J.," she added, and blew the baby a kiss as she left the delivery room.

"E.J.," Brad mulled aloud. "I like that."

Kellie nodded. "It does seem to fit, doesn't it?"

Just like that, the die was cast. For the remainder of his life, Eric James Galenchuk would be known by everyone he met as E.J.

Brad sighed and smiled. "We're a little happy family now."

"Yes, we are," answered Kellie.

"Kellie, I'm not too proud to say, I'm a little scared. I want to raise our son to be a good boy and good man, but I don't know how to do it."

"I'm scared too, Brad. But we have friends and family to help us. And we have each other. We'll find a way."

"OK, honey. I know you'll be a great mother."

"And you'll be a great father, baby. Trust in yourself. We can do this."

"I love you, Kellie Galenchuk."

"I love you, Brad Galenchuk."

Each new parent kissed their newborn son. "And we love you, E.J. Galenchuk," they said in unison.

They took advantage of a few minutes of silence to help bond with little E.J.

"I was thinking," Brad finally spoke, "we could have a little more quiet time together, and then later tonight we can call everyone to come and visit. Would that be OK with you, hon?"

"Mmmm," Kellie responded, "I'd like that."

**********

That same day, in the city that elsewhere in the province was colloquially known as just "the big city", another birth had just taken place.

The mood and circumstances, however, were far different.

Anita Morriss had a stony look on her face as she held her newborn son, Johnathan. Not for the first time, she thought about how her life as she previously knew it had gone completely out the window.

It started the day after the most painful loss of her curling career, to her hated rival Kellie Galenchuk in the Canadian championship final match. She remembered going to the hotel bar that night, and then remembered nothing until the next morning, when she woke up with a wicked hangover and a strange man in bed next to her. It was easy enough to get rid of him, but more difficult to clear away her blinding headache.

Even harder still was dealing with the shame she felt in losing control of her surroundings and allowing herself to have sex with that random guy without any form of protection.

Later that day, she flew back with her teammates. She barely spoke two words to each of them the whole trip back. One week later, those same teammates told her they were quitting en masse. They were tired of the mind games and the constant unyielding criticism, they told her, and they were going to form a team together that didn't have any of that drama. Just like that, her curling career was in ruins.

Once the morning sickness hit with a vengeance, however, the state of her curling career was the least of her concerns. The home pregnancy test told Anita that she was with child. She met with her mother and sister to break the news. Her mother and sister had concerns over Anita's questionable decision-making and choices in life. They had attempted to gently broach this subject with her, but Anita took offense to their words. It led to an intense screaming match and her walking out on them, loudly slamming the door behind her to punctuate her belief that she didn't need them telling her how to live her life.

Soon after was her medical check-up, and her doctor confirmed that she was, indeed, pregnant. It hit Anita at that moment that she had no one to help her deal with this. The man who impregnated her was a mystery and long since gone. She had ostracized herself from her family, and any friends she had were gone as well. The only thing she remembered about the rest of her time in that doctor's office was putting her head in her hands and weeping bitterly.

Anita considered giving the child up for adoption. She gave even stronger consideration to having an abortion. Twice she found herself driving to the city's abortion clinic, only to have something change her mind at the last minute each time. For better or for worse, she decided to keep and raise the child.

She worried that she was making the wrong choice, that she couldn't be the kind of mother her child would need, that she didn't have the resources needed to help her along the way, that she would continue to be too proud to go back to her family and former friends to ask for the assistance she desperately required. But here she was, in the delivery room, holding her newborn baby boy. Too late to change her mind now.

"It's you and me against the world, kid," Anita whispered to her son. She kissed him on the forehead and sighed. She felt far less confident than her barely audible words of bravado suggested.

**********

The scene unfolded before his eyes, just as he planned it.

He had just opened the locker room door at the curling club, which he proudly helped run and where he spent so much of his time. What he now saw, however, had nothing to do with curling.

Brad and Kellie were naked on the bench. She was on top of him, straddling him. They both had a "freshly fucked" look to them.

But while Brad had looked satisfied, Kellie appeared distracted and unfulfilled. That is, until she took a good look at him, the man who had just entered the room and interrupted the scene.

She gave a disparaging look to Brad and immediately rose up and shoved him away. Brad fell away to... well, he couldn't actually say where. Brad could have disappeared into the ether, for all he knew... for all he cared, really. All he knew, all that was important, was once she pushed Brad away from her, she only had eyes for him, this mystery man.

And those eyes were hungry.

His own eyes roamed over her and ogled her naked body approvingly. His cock also approved, proving so by how it hardened and strained against his pants. When he spoke, his voice was teasing and demanding all at once.

"Are you done playing with little boys, Kellie?"

"Oh yes. I am ready for a real man," came her breathy reply.

Her walk was sexy and bouncy. Her pretty breasts jiggled with every step. Halfway there, she turned around and bent over, giving him a good look at her tight ass and her gorgeous pussy. She faced him again and continued her seductive strut.

He possessively took hold of the back of Kellie's head as she got in range and kissed her with all the skillful passion of a man half his age. The whimpers he heard coming from the back of her throat were fuel to his fire. He broke the kiss and pushed down on her shoulders. She immediately took the hint and dropped to her knees. When she swiftly undid his belt and unbuttoned his pants he ran his fingers through her hair and said, "Good girl."

Kellie removed his pants and boxers and regarded his cock with reverence. It was long, thick and hard. The crown appeared angry and red, and it demanded attention.

He groaned when she took hold of his shaft and looked at him longingly, seeking permission to do what he knew they both wanted her to do. A domineering smile curled across his lips.

"Are you ready to pleasure a real man, Kellie?" he asked.

"Yes, I am, Russ. Please let me suck your cock, Russ," she answered. With a nod of his head, Kellie opened her mouth and prepared to make love to Russ' erect member with her tongue. 

A ringing noise threatened to break his concentration over the scene before him, but he tried to block it out. He couldn't do so despite his best efforts; it grew louder, more urgent. "Why the fuck doesn't someone turn that damned thing OFF?!" he thought.

The telephone kept ringing. It awoke Russ from his daydream with a start. When he realized what had just happened, he buried his head in his hands, then balled those hands into fists and violently pounded them on his kitchen table.

"What the hell is wrong with me?" he yelled loudly to his empty house.

Ever since he accidentally walked in on Brad and Kellie having sex in the locker room a few months ago, Russ could not get the image out of his mind. Sure, Brad did quickly hand Kellie her shirt so she could partially cover up, and sure, Russ did cover his eyes before he stared too long.

But he saw enough. Oh Lord, did he ever.

The two seconds or so that he glimpsed the side view of Kellie's breasts, one of her shapely legs and plenty of silky smooth skin was enough to burn the image permanently in his brain. His sex-starved mind filled in the blanks.

It also kicked his fantasies into overdrive. First he dreamed he was merely an observer, watching his best friend screw his, at the time, fiancé. Later he was joining in, making it a threesome. And now, his visions were eliminating Brad altogether, leaving Kellie for Russ and he alone to ravish as he saw fit.

Russ knew it was wrong. SO wrong. "Goddamnit," he told himself more than once, "this is your best friend's wife! How can you be so fucking perverted? Don't do this to yourself, or them!"

Still, the fantasies didn't stop.

The ringing of the phone wasn't stopping, either. Russ finally answered it.

"Hello?"

"Russ! About time you answered!"

Russ winced at the sound of Brad's voice. He almost didn't want to talk to him given what he was just dreaming about. Then he remembered hearing that Brad had taken Kellie to the hospital that morning because she was in labour, and his mood lifted.

"Yeah, sorry about that, Brad, I was... uh, busy doing something and away from my phone. So? What's the word?"

"It's good news, Russ! It's a boy!"

Russ couldn't help but smile at the elation in his friend's voice. "Congratulations Brad, that's awesome! How's everyone doing?"

"Mommy and baby are resting quietly and comfortably and doing very well. Me, I'm wired like you wouldn't believe!"

"Yes, I can hear that! By the way I'm so glad you got there safely, the weather this morning was awful."

"Damn, man, you have no idea! That's a story for later though. Right now Kellie and I want you to visit and see E.J.! When can you be here?"

"E.J.?"

"Yeah, E.J., short for Eric James, that's what we named him!"

"I like that name a lot, Brad. And I have one thing to finish at home here, but I can probably be there in an hour and a half or so."

"That's perfect! There will still be enough of the visiting hours left, and the timing will let Kellie have a little more rest before everyone comes over. My parents, her aunt and uncle and her friends-slash-teammates will all be visiting, but I'll make sure you get a chance to see E.J. too!"

"Can't wait! See you soon, and tell Kellie I'm looking forward to seeing her and the baby."

"You bet! Thanks so much, Russ, see you soon!"

They exchanged goodbyes before ending the call. Russ thought that the excitement and chaos that would ensue with everyone else at the hospital visiting the baby and the new parents would be good for him. It would take his mind off Kellie and her hot body, or so he hoped. What he would do to distract himself in the future, or, preferably, end these thoughts altogether, was a mystery to him, but he knew he needed an answer soon.

Russ couldn't stop dreaming about Kellie, and it was driving him insane.



Kellie and Brad Ch. 07



AUTHOR`S NOTE: This is the seventh chapter of a multi-part story. Please read the first six chapters before this one to understand the whole story. Please enjoy. 

Excitement and chaos were defining this evening.

But it was a happy chaos, Brad thought, so that made it not as bad as it could have been. He quickly drew a deep breath as he recounted the events of the last couple of hours.

His parents, Marilyn and Al. Kellie's Aunt Linda and Uncle Vic. Jennifer, Heather, Sandra and Amber. And, a short while later, his friend Russ. All of them had showed up to the hospital and each took their turn visiting with Brad, Kellie and baby E.J., ooh-ing and ah-ing and doting over the newest member of the Galenchuk family. The nurses and hospital staff were gracious in handling the influx of visitors, only occasionally feeling the need to remind everyone to tone the noise down as a courtesy to the other patients. Meanwhile, other than the odd moments when he twitched and fussed, the baby had slept through the whole evening, which Brad found to be nothing short of amazing.

He sighed as he went to the lounge to get some coffee. Even with the chaos being happy, he needed a break from it. He didn't always function well in larger, loud gatherings within tightly confined spaces. When Kellie asked him how he could stand being in massive crowds stuffed inside arenas watching her compete in major curling tournaments, he shrugged and said he could justify it to show how he would do anything for her. Depending on the context, this either earned him an eye roll and a sarcastic comment, or the scoring of major points in his favour. He also was quick to point out that even large curling crowds were rarely boisterous. Similar to how the players were (usually) polite and sportsmanlike on the ice, curling fans were (usually) well-mannered and respectful from the stands.

Brad sipped from his cup of coffee. It tasted lousy, but it was helping to calm his nerves, a little bit at least. He closed his eyes and started mentally preparing for what he would have to do when the time came to take his new family home.

"Thought I might find you here."

With a start, Brad opened his eyes to see Sandra had joined him. He smiled at her gently. He genuinely liked all of Kellie's teammates and friends, but he got along best with Sandra because she seemed to understand him in a way the others couldn't quite match.

"Yeah. Just needed to take a quick breather," he replied. "This is all a little..."

"Overwhelming?" Sandra suggested.

Brad nodded. "Exactly."

Sandra got a cup of coffee for herself. "You and Kellie will be fine. You'll have lots of love and support from all of us, that's for sure."

"I think we'll need every bit of it. I know I will."

"You and Kellie are good, loving people. You'll both be great parents."

"I wish I shared your confidence. Even with talking to Kellie I'm still so nervous. I'm worried about how I'm going to deal with fatherhood."

"Brad, you'll figure it out. You'll do it just the same way we all deal with everything in life. One day at a time."

"That's such a cliché, Sandra."

"Yes, I know. It also happens to be true."

Brad sighed and nodded again, not knowing what else to say.

"Anyway," Sandra said, "I really came down here to tell you that we have to go now; visiting hours are over. And Kellie wants you back with her."

"OK." Brad tossed out the rest of his lukewarm coffee and gave Sandra a friendly hug. "Thank you. For everything."

"Anytime," Sandra replied. She patted him on the back before they went their separate ways.

Brad went back to the delivery room to see the nurse giving baby E.J. a sponge bath while Kellie carefully watched.

Brad took hold of Kellie's hand. They watched the nurse wash E.J. in comfortable silence. When she was finished the nurse carefully wrapped the baby in a blanket and handed him back to Kellie. She held him softly to her chest while Brad protectively looked on, alternating his caresses of Kellie and E.J.

It was the perfect tableau of a new, young, loving family.

***********

Two days later, mother and baby were discharged from the hospital.

Both Kellie and E.J. were deemed healthy enough to go home early on the morning of November 27th. She and Brad met with the pediatrician, who gave the first-time parents some supplies and reading material to help them deal with what to do if the baby became ill or experienced some health problems, and otherwise keep track of their baby's progress. The doctor also scheduled appointments to see E.J. during his first year to perform checkups and ensure he was growing at the proper rate and was otherwise healthy and normal in every respect.

Brad carefully drove his wife and baby son home. They spent most of that first day at home taking turns holding him, keeping him close and safe in their arms. Kellie fed him when he got hungry, otherwise he slept most of the time. When they felt themselves get tired later at night they placed E.J. in his crib and went to bed.

For a little while, anyway.

The couple soon learned what all new parents think they know in theory, but REALLY learn in practice; newborns operate on their own schedule. E.J. awoke every two or three hours overnight, and it was a struggle for Kellie and Brad to cope.

The month of December, including the Christmas season, was a blur. Trying to get used to E.J.'s needs and the frequency with which he woke up in the middle of the night completely messed up their own sleep cycle. They counted themselves very fortunate to have plenty of help from their friends, his parents and her aunt and uncle; without that they didn't know what they would have done.

As it was, Kellie did suffer from a case of the "baby blues", experiencing periods of anxiety, mood swings and crying spells. Brad did his best to help her through these feelings, assisting with the housecleaning and caring for E.J. to give her some relief, and being a shoulder to cry on and giving encouraging words of love. After doing some research, consulting with their doctor and sharing her experiences with her mother, the only person in her immediate circle she knew that also had a child, Kellie felt very lucky that what she was going through was rather commonplace and not nearly as bad as the more serious condition of postpartum depression. All the same she was relieved when these "blues" were over.

Through it all, Brad and Kellie's love for E.J. increased, and they marvelled at how he physically grew and changed even in that short period of time. They were very grateful to see that, all along, E.J. developed properly and was in all respects a completely healthy baby. When the calendar turned to the new year, they found themselves more accustomed and attuned to their son's needs, and felt a sense of settling in to a "new normal".

Before long, Kellie had recovered and healed well enough from the birthing process to think about competing again. She called for a team meeting the week after New Year's Day, and Jennifer, Sandra, Amber and Heather gathered that day at Brad and Kellie's house. Kellie held court while holding a peacefully sleeping E.J.

"You sure you girls won't mind being handicapped by a rusty skip not at the top of her game?" she asked half-jokingly.

"Don't be ridiculous, skip. There's no one we'd rather have leading the way than you," replied Jennifer.

"We know you won't quite be where you normally are with your game... not because you're not a great player, but for excellent reasons you haven't been able to put in the practice time like you usually do," added Sandra.

"I'll get as much practice time in as I can between now and the start of nationals, girls. Brad's offered to help watch little E.J. here so that will help me focus on that."

"That's so wonderful, what a great guy!" Heather exclaimed, and all the girls including Kellie nodded in agreement. Brad, observing the conversation quietly in the corner, blushed and said nothing.

"I think we're going to have a lot of fun, girls!" Amber chirped. "Sure, we'll be the target of everyone since we won the last two, and it won't be easy for us to win again, but let's just play our best, have fun and see what happens!" She turned her head to Kellie and added, "That means you too skip, and no being too critical of yourself because you're not perfect like you usually are!"

Kellie just shrugged and said, "I'll try my best."

So it was decided. There were six weeks from that meeting until the start of the Canadian championships, and Kellie and her team were determined to not waste any precious time. During the week, Kellie stayed home to care for E.J. while Brad went to work at the curling club. In the evenings, Kellie brought the baby to the club for Brad to watch over while she worked out and practiced; sometimes with her teammates, sometimes just on her own.

Saturdays, where possible, Brad and Kellie got help from his parents or her aunt and uncle to babysit while Kellie and her team worked on their game some more. They even managed to find a local bonspiel to get some actual competition under their belts, and even though they were at less than their best they enjoyed the process of competing and slipping back into their traditional team roles.

The rush to get ready reminded Kellie in some ways of cramming for final exams in school. She really wanted to win again; as an athlete and competitor, few things she had experienced in life felt better than the thrill of ultimate victory. But with everything that she had going on this year, she thought she would be satisfied if she didn't embarrass herself.

Before anyone knew it, it was mid-February. Jennifer, Heather and Amber had all moved to their home province's largest city, this year's host of the Canadian women's curling championships, some time ago, so the caravan driving up from their small town only consisted of Brad, Kellie, E.J. and their family, as well as Sandra and her parents.

Brad and Kellie pulled into the driveway in front of the large house belonging to Mr. and Mrs. Janik, Jennifer and Amber's parents, where they would be staying during the tournament to avoid paying for a hotel. Everyone smiled as Amber jumped up and down while holding hands with her long-time boyfriend, Jamie. Sandra excitedly told everyone that Marc, her long-distance beau and a very talented curler in his own right, had arranged for vacation time from his full-time job so he could see her and watch her team compete that week. And, Brad thought, of course Jennifer and Heather had each other. He smiled to himself as he thought Kellie and her teammates would soon be all together with their loved ones; their extended team, if you will. It felt wonderful that, one year removed from their greatest triumphs, the whole gang was to be reunited once more.

This year's championship tournament, in terms of the media and fan meet-and greet responsibilities, was set up very similarly to last year's, the organizers obviously deciding if something wasn't broke, don't fix it. The one major change was a special TV ad that the major corporate sponsor wanted to have filmed just in time for this event. The reps from the sponsor wanted a simple commercial to showcase the multiple talents and responsibilities these extraordinary women had, how the joys of the sport of curling were the sportsmanship and camaraderie of its players they displayed while maintaining a sharp competitive spirit, and how proud the company was to be associated with both the athletes and the tournament.

The announcement was made at a dinner hosted by the sponsor on the Wednesday night before the start of the championships, with all the competitors and guests invited. The four women selected for the honour of appearing in the commercial were the lead from the Quebec team, a young grade school teacher, the second from the Manitoba squad, a marketing representative and mother to two "tween" aged children, the third from Nova Scotia, a university student and volunteer for the local branch of the Canadian Cancer Society, and Kellie.

She blushed furiously when she heard her name announced and tried to deny she was deserving, claiming that many others, not the least of which were her teammates, merited the honour more, but Kellie's protests were quickly drowned out by the happy and excited wishes of congratulation from everyone sat at their table.

The filming took place the next day. The concept seemed simple but proved to be deceptively complex in its execution. All four women were to stand in front of a plain black background, at first each of them separately before all four stood together in the last shot; the voice-over narration would be added in later. In any case, the crew filming the commercial were perfectionists, so they fussed over every little detail. Hair, make-up, placement of the sponsor's crest on the women's curling gear, facial expressions, how they stood, where they stood... no detail escaped their eye. It made for an educational yet exhausting experience. At least, Brad thought to himself, he got to meet the husbands and boyfriends of the other three participants, who were just as proud of their respective partners as he was of Kellie, and were good guys to boot. In any case, it was a long day, and Kellie breathed a sigh of relief when the filming was finally complete.

One night, later in the week, Kellie's team had the night off and she and Brad were watching TV while E.J. slept. When the commercial came on, Brad smiled and told her how proud he was of her, and how great she looked. Kellie thought she didn't look her best, but instead of protesting she silently accepted his praise with a gentle kiss.

Kellie, Jennifer, Sandra and Amber (and Heather, in the limited playing time she received) competed as hard as they possibly could in the tournament. Even though they did not expect to win because of the lack of practice and match time leading up to the event, they had a lot of pride and were bound and determined to defend their championship with everything they had. The absence of match sharpness, however, was evident. Their play was inconsistent. They would look like the champions they were one game, while the very next match they would feel they couldn't make a shot for love nor money. They battled to a record of 5 wins and 6 losses, very respectable under the circumstances, but ultimately not enough to qualify for the playoffs.

Kellie and her teammates knew their fate before their last game. They were facing another team who would also miss the playoffs, so in a lot of ways the pressure was off. They curled for the sheer joy of it, and they were all reminded how much they loved this sport. It helped them to win what turned out to be a very entertaining and competitive match, thanks to Kellie's final draw to the button.

Her form, below her usual standard all week, was, in this case, perfect.

When the match was over, their opponents congratulated them and showered them with praise. Kellie and the others could hardly believe it when these young ladies referred to them as their role models, even though their words echoed the sentiments of all the other teams they had competed against over the course of the tournament. Furthermore, the capacity crowd gave them a long and rousing standing ovation, showing them how much they appreciated their championship run and the skill, sportsmanship and wonderful personality they put on display.

Kellie, Jennifer, Sandra, Amber and Heather forever remembered and cherished these moments, because it proved beyond doubt they made a positive impact on this great game, and they genuinely tried their best to accept the praise with grace and humility.

All of their closest family members, friends and loved ones were in one corner of the arena, participating in the ovation louder and more passionately than anyone. Among Brad, Marc, Jamie and the others, there wasn't a dry eye among them.

***********

He was feeling particularly amorous that day.

It had been months since Brad made love to Kellie. What with her body healing after giving birth, her rushing back into curling in time to compete at nationals again, and all the changes in lifestyle rhythms and sleep patterns necessitated by E.J.'s presence, the conditions were rarely right for the couple to participate in sexual activity. And during the small number of instances that either his parents or her aunt and uncle agreed to watch over E.J., they either had too many errands to run or not enough energy to do anything but cuddle and nap.

In the intervening period he got close to Kellie however and whenever he could without pushing her for sex. He held hands with her, hugged her and kissed her. The lack of ultimate intimacy, however, had him really bouncing off the walls.

But now, on what was a rainy Friday night in late April, he had a small window of opportunity. E.J. was sleeping. Anything that needed doing around the house was done. They had nowhere they needed to be, and no one needed to visit them.

Brad knew time was of the essence. However, despite being barely able to restrain his rampant horniness, he resolved not to rush this, either. Kellie deserved better than that, so he was determined to do this right.

"Oh Kellie, you're so beautiful," he whispered into her ear. "Will you let me make you feel good, baby?"

"Yes, baby, love me Brad!" she replied, eager to feel his strong hands roam all over her body.

Brad gently pressed on Kellie's chest. She took the hint and lay down on their bed. He wrapped his arm around her body and kissed her deeply and lovingly. Their tongues twirled together in a familiar dance of passion. He licked and kissed the sensitive areas on her neck and ear, and savoured the sounds of her soft moans and whimpers.

Kellie sighed as Brad moved his talented lips and tongue down her neck, over her collarbone before landing in the valley between her breasts. He paused momentarily to drink in the sight of her bare boobs, groaning in appreciation as she willingly offered them up to him. Then, one sudden, swift movement was all it took for him to capture the right one in his hungry mouth.

"Ohhh, god, yes!" Kellie wailed as she arched her back to further increase the contact between her and her sexy stud of a husband.

Brad turned his attention to her left breast, covering it with love, attention and saliva, just as he had done with the right breast. His hands cupped her supple ass. Kellie squirmed and moaned and felt fluids spurt from her pussy over his ministrations. Her breath caught in her throat when she felt one of his hands slide from her rear end to her heated, juicy slit. She whined in disappointment when he pulled off her nipple with an audible pop, but the twisted little grin on his face made her wonder what his kinky mind was thinking of right now.

Kellie watched as Brad made a show of licking two fingers on his right hand, getting them nice and wet. He slid those fingers up and down her love hole, and without any further ceremony plunged them inside.

"Ohmigod!" Kellie squealed with delight. The long period of having to go without sex had her almost as worked up as Brad was. The fact that he was seeing to her needs before satisfying his own reminded her again just how much she loved him.

Brad feasted on her breasts as he continued to pump his digits in and out of her pussy. His cock ached and strained against the fabric of his boxer shorts.

"Yes, Kellie, baby, come for me," he cooed in a soft whisper in her ear.

Kellie screamed loudly, momentarily forgetting about not wanting to make so much noise as to wake E.J. up. She gripped Brad's wrist and held him inside her as her orgasm powered through her body. Brad felt her hot velvety pussy pulse and clamp down over his fingers, and soon the rest of his hand and wrist was warmed by the gush of her female orgasmic juices.




Kellie and Brad Ch. 07



Once she calmed down enough Brad slowly withdrew his hand from Kellie's slit. He put on another display for her, sensually licking his fingers, making sure he tasted and savoured every drop of her nectar.

"Delicious," he announced. "I'd like to fuck you now."

"God yes, please, baby!" She wanted this so bad she was nearly begging him.

In record time Brad whipped off and discarded his boxers. He knelt between Kellie's legs, held his steely hard-on and rubbed the tip up and down her pussy, mixing her wetness with his pre-cum. When he felt they were both ready he looked deep into her eyes and sank himself inside her.

"Ohhhhh baby!" he groaned. "I missed this so much."

"Me too," she replied. "Fuck me, Brad!"

He kissed her fiercely and reveled in the feeling of his engorged member fitting perfectly in her snug pussy. "I love you, Kellie," he proclaimed.

"I love you too, Brad!"

He pumped in and out of her, keeping his thrusts slow and deliberate for now, wanting to make the moment last as long as possible and have it be just as pleasurable for her as it would be for him. But one cry of "Harder, Brad, please!" from Kellie put paid to those thoughts quickly. He accelerated the pace, frantically driving himself faster and deeper inside her. 'God, so close now,' he thought, he was going to erupt soon and it was going to be a BIG one...

The red lights of the baby monitor on the night table started to flash randomly. Soon behind it they heard E.J. crying from his crib in the other room.

Brad froze immediately. "No!" he moaned quietly. "No, please, not now!"

Kellie flashed a nervous grin at Brad in recognition of the awkward situation. She had wanted to finish this red hot sexual encounter too, almost as much as Brad did. But hearing E.J.'s cries put those thoughts out of her head, as her maternal instincts strongly kicked in.

"Sorry honey," she said, "but E.J. sounds like he's hungry. It is about time for his feeding, too. I need to go get him."

"Of course, honey," he replied with an air of resignation. Privately, Brad was seriously cursing his bad luck. But he would never consider selfishly putting his desires ahead of the needs of his baby son. He eased himself out of and off Kellie and watched her leave the bedroom before retrieving his boxers and putting them back on, wincing as they made contact with his still erect, aching member.

Kellie re-emerged as he reclined on the bed, carefully cradling little E.J. in her arms. She sat down next to Brad on her side of the bed, smiled and gave him a peck on the cheek. He smiled right back at her.

Kellie allowed E.J. to latch on to one of her nipples and the young infant began happily and noisily feeding. She beamed with motherly love as her son looked up at her with his wide, innocent eyes. The joy of parenthood was greater than she even thought it would be.

Brad couldn't help but smile at the tender, loving scene before him. He stroked the wispy hair on his young son's head and laid a gentle kiss on his cheek. The infant turned his stare to his daddy and briefly smiled at him before looking back up at his mommy and feeding again. Brad chuckled, kissed Kellie on the cheek and laid his head on her shoulder until E.J. had his fill.

As satisfying as this was, the unintentional denial of his sexual release still weighed on his mind.

"You know, Kellie," he said, "there's one reason I can't wait for E.J. to grow older."

She gave Brad a curious look. "Why's that?" she asked.

"So I can teach him about the concept of blue balls."

Kellie laughed out loud as she gently burped E.J. "Bradley Galenchuk, you are terrible!"

He grinned and shrugged. "I'm only a man, a man with needs."

A mischievous grin lit up Kellie's face as an idea came to her. She held E.J. in front of her and spoke in a very child-like voice. "I'm sorry, daddy! I didn't mean to interrupt your fun with mommy! But I was soooo hungry! And I'm a baby, I don't know any better. Oh, I know you will forgive me. Look at my cute little face, how can you stay angry at me? Oh, and I have a question daddy! What do you do to mommy with that big thingie down there, and when I grow up will my thingie be that big too?"

Brad reached down to grab for his sides, they hurt so much from laughing so hard. When he calmed down he gave Kellie a soft kiss. He tickled E.J. gently, raising a smile on his pudgy face.

"No, E.J., I'm not mad at you," he said, "you're too adorable for that. As for your question... let's just say your mommy loves my big thingie, and someday you'll find a lovely young lady who will love your big thingie too!"

Kellie giggled before turning more serious and looking over her husband. "Brad?"

"Yes, Kellie?"

"I love you so much. You're so wonderful with E.J., and you're too good to me. To both of us."

Brad shrugged. "Thanks, honey. I know I'm not perfect, I just try my best and hope that it's enough for the two people I love most in the world. You're just as good to me, if not better. And you are a great mother, too. I love you more than I can express in words."

Kellie kissed Brad on the cheek and whispered in his ear. "I'm going to make it up to you. The interruption from earlier, I mean."

Brad perked up at those words. "Really? How?"

"Aunt Linda and Uncle Vic asked me yesterday if we needed them to babysit E.J. this weekend. I'm going to ask them tomorrow morning if they can watch him from lunch time to Sunday morning. That means we'll have the whole day and night free, and I'm going to show you just how much I love... your... big... thingie!"

With a groan, Brad replied. "Oh god, I love you, Kellie Galenchuk."

"And I love you, Bradley Galenchuk."

They kissed their son and said in unison, "And we love you, E.J. Galenchuk."

Kellie took a sniff of the air around E.J. and her face crinkled. "Whoa!" she exclaimed. "Before little E.J. does anything else, I think it's time for daddy to go on clean-up duty!"

She handed the baby to Brad who carefully held him, but not before nearly gagging from the stench. "Damn, honey, really?!"

Kellie just rolled her eyes. "Oh, stop whining, you big baby! It's just a little dirty diaper."

Brad walked briskly towards the nursery room, holding a wriggling, kicking and smiling, but very dirty, baby as far out in front of him as his arms could extend. As much as he adored little E.J., he was eager to finish this unpleasant task as quickly as possible. He coughed after another smell of foul air. "I told you we should have bought a hazmat suit!" he jokingly complained.

***********

Little did he know it, at first.

But today was the day that would herald the start of how his life, and that of his family, would change forever.

Some of the changes did not surprise him. Others, however, he would have never foreseen happening. Not in a million years.

Brad kissed Kellie and a wriggling, happily gurgling E.J. before hopping into his truck and making the short drive to the curling club. It was a beautiful Friday in September, just after the Labour Day weekend. The air was pleasantly warm without the stifling humidity summer usually brought, this last one being no exception.

The summer had been a pleasant one. He and Kellie spent plenty of time outdoors, walking E.J. all around town and smiling whenever townspeople showered him with attention. Their son had grown enough to start moving and crawling around, and they had fun watching him learn and explore the world all around him.

In Kellie's spare time, she did one of two things. One was to follow her exercise plan relentlessly until she was even fitter, more athletic, and back, mostly, to her pre-pregnancy shape. The other thing, much to Brad's delight, and probably hers as well, was to make hot, sweet love with him as often as possible in the hopes of giving E.J. a little sibling.

Brad turned his mind back to the present day. He drove with the windows rolled down and enjoyed the feeling of the breeze blowing through his hair. He started planning out his work schedule, itemizing the tasks he had to complete that day. It was shaping up to be a very average day at work; nothing too urgent, busy enough to avoid boredom but not so busy as to be stressful.

He said hi to all his co-workers, stopping to shoot the breeze with some of them. The subjects of the light-hearted conversations were typical; how the families are doing, sports and weather talk, what was planned for the upcoming weekend and so on. The mood was fun and pleasant, and there was nothing Brad could find that changed his opinion about the day that lay out before him.

Brad finished his day's work efficiently and with only minimal complications. Before he got ready to wrap up for the day, Russ asked him to join him in his office. Brad thought this request to be nothing out of the ordinary; his supervisor and friend often called him into his office to speak. Naturally they discussed work-related items, but just as often they spoke about personal subjects or laughed and joked around as best friends do.

The first inkling Brad had that this time might be different was when Russ asked him to close the door behind him. The second clue was when his head turned to see another man standing in one corner of the office, next to the desk. He was sporting a blue dress shirt and black dress pants, and he bore a familial resemblance to Russ.

"Brad, I know I've talked about this guy here quite a lot," Russ said, cocking his head towards the other man. "Now, finally, you'll get to meet him. This is my younger brother, Glenn, big city slicker and the general manager of the famous Blue Granite Curling Club. Glenn, this is who we've talked about, my good friend Brad."

Brad shook Glenn's hand firmly. He took note of the unreadable look on Russ's face before taking his seat.

"A pleasure to meet you, Brad!" Glenn said animatedly. "Russ has told me so much about you!"

"All good, I take it?" Brad asked. He tried to keep the mood light, hoping to hide his growing nervousness.

"Well... mostly good, I'd say!" Glenn winked and then laughed. Brad smiled right back at him. Russ had told him about his brother quite a lot, calling him relaxed, happy and enthusiastic, almost to a fault. So far he was in complete agreement with his friend. Glenn looked like there was nowhere else he'd rather be than right here.

Brad's eyes shifted towards Russ, and he saw that his friend wasn't sharing the same level of happiness his brother seemed to be enjoying. A stronger pang of nerves hit his stomach as he wondered even more just what really was going on here.

Russ cleared his throat and spoke again. "Brad, Glenn has a proposition for you. I'll let him explain."

Glenn noticed Brad's eyebrows arch in curiosity. "Hear me out, Brad. I think this might be something that will be of great interest to you."

Brad swallowed and said, "OK Glenn. Lay it on me."

"Well, let me start by saying, Russ here tells me that you're his best employee!"

Brad shrugged. "He might only be saying that just because he's my friend," he said with modesty.

"No, I say it because it's true!" Russ admonished him but a smile crept across his face anyway. "Please continue, Glenn."

"Right, well, he also said you've learned a lot about ice-making, and that you have a natural aptitude for how it works. We were guessing that with some additional experience and training you'll be able to set up the ice at all the big bonspiels just as perfectly as the experts today. You know, guys like Shorty Jensen."

Brad was almost awestruck at hearing the name of Shorty Jensen. He asked himself if he really could ever be considered on that kind of level one day. After all, few things are more important in curling, from operating the small-town local rinks all the way up to successfully running major competitions, than having good ice. And no one made better ice than Shorty. In the world of curling, he was a living legend.

"I do have to admit, ice-making is an area I've taken an interest in," he finally answered.

"Excellent!" Glenn exclaimed. "Brad, let me get down to brass tacks. My club's icemaker and director of maintenance is leaving at the end of October. He's one of the best in the business, but he's decided to take a much-deserved retirement. The last few weeks I've been busting my hump trying to find a replacement, without any success. I didn't want to immediately raid my big brother's territory, but the more he's talked about you and told me about the quality of your work, not to mention the quality of your character, the more I'm convinced you're the right person for the job!"

As he finished speaking, Glenn opened up the briefcase he had with him and presented Brad with a folder of documents. Brad took the folder and exhaled a deep breath he hadn't even realized he was holding in. "Wow," he said quietly, his eyes still wide with shock. "I was not expecting to hear something like this today."

Glenn shrugged off Brad's uncertain reaction. "Hey, I understand. I just dropped some pretty big news in your lap. Don't worry, I'm not expecting you to make a decision right now. You need time to read over the employment contract and everything else I've given to you. Plus I know you'll want to think it over, whether you want to make the move to the city, what's best for you and your family, stuff like that. I'm sure you want to talk to your pretty and talented wife about this, too."

Brad was a little taken aback at those words. They sounded a little personal and close to home from someone who didn't know him or Kellie. He was about to say something until Glenn put his hand up to explain himself. "Sorry, Brad, I meant no disrespect! But, let's be honest, only blind people can't see her physical beauty, it shows through even when you watch her curling matches on TV."

'You have no idea,' Russ almost said out loud, before being thankful he didn't make such a careless mistake.

"And," Glenn continued, "anyone with any knowledge of the game knows how good Kellie and her team is. Her technical skills and leadership ability are immense. Heck, she's beaten the best curlers our club has had to offer, and we've had a lot of damn fine curlers in my time, including Anita Morriss, not that long ago a champion in her own right."

Saying Anita's name caused Glenn to hesitate. He turned to his brother and asked, "Say, whatever happened to her, anyway? I haven't seen or heard from her in over a year now."

Russ just shook his head and said he didn't know. Brad had no idea of Anita's whereabouts either, and even if he did he was not about to volunteer any information, out of respect for his wife and her enmity towards her fiercest rival.

Glenn appeared to easily shake off his curiosity and resume smiling his broad grin. "Anyway, as I was saying before I so rudely interrupted myself, I want you to think about this before you make a decision. But I will say this. If you do decide to make the move, not only will we welcome you with open arms, but I'm sure that everyone will end up winners at the end of the day! Well, with the possible exception of my big bro over here!" He gave Russ a hearty pat on the back, and Russ wordlessly responded with a half-hearted smile.

Brad stood up to shake Glenn's hand again and promised that he would give his offer all due consideration. He watched Glenn casually walk out of the office and head back towards the big city before slumping back down in his chair. This new development hadn't really sunk in for him yet.

Russ was conflicted. He was great friends with Brad and part of him somewhat selfishly wished he would stay, but at the same time he knew this was a tremendous opportunity for him to expand his horizons and better provide for Kellie and E.J.

"So," he asked Brad, "what do you think?"

Brad shook his head. "I don't know what to think. I always imagined myself living in this town forever. I love it here. But... if Glenn's right..." He left the rest of the sentence unspoken, only just now coming to terms with the possibility that making this move was something he should at the very least strongly consider.

Russ reached across the desk to clap a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Brad, I think you need to take the weekend and seriously think about Glenn's offer. Discuss it with Kellie."

Brad nodded, and then asked, "Russ, will you stop by sometime this weekend? I could really use your input on this as well."

'Oh sure,' Russ thought to himself in frustration, 'let me come over so I can ogle your hot wife and be overwhelmed with the desire to fuck her.'

Out loud, he actually said, "Sorry, I don't think I can. I'm... uh, pretty busy, I'm afraid."

The disappointment was evident in Brad's voice. "Come on, man, seriously?"

Russ knew he needed to think fast. He came up with a brilliant response before too long. "Of course, normally I'd want to help you, Brad, you know how good of a friendship we have. But in this case I'm also your boss, so I can't really be neutral and give you the right advice, now, can I?"

Brad sighed. "Of course, you're right. I don't know why I didn't think of that." He shook his head. This unexpected job offer really was messing with him, maybe more than it should have been.

But besides that, there was still something nagging at him. "Russ, I need to ask you a question," he said. "You haven't visited both Kellie and me together for a long time. You know you're always welcome, we've told you that a hundred times. But when we invite you, you either say you can't make it or you're only free whenever Kellie's busy. What's going on?"

Russ gulped. "Listen, it's no big deal, it's just... I've had some things I've had to take care of, and it's just the way our schedules worked out, I guess," he lied. Before Brad could respond, he recovered his composure. "Look, you've got enough on your plate this weekend without worrying about me. I'm fine, we're fine, there's nothing to worry about between us. Go home, buddy, you have a lot to think about. I'll see you on Monday, OK?"

A few seconds passed by in silence, during which Brad considered what Russ had to say, while Russ felt a brief wave of paranoia. He was afraid Brad would call him out on the real reason for his reluctance to see Kellie, even though he was sure he hadn't given himself away.

But Brad just nodded, said his goodbyes, and left for home.

Russ remained in his office for a few minutes after Brad left. He breathed a sigh of relief, somewhat confident that another day passed by without accidentally sharing his dark, dirty secrets about his friend's wife, and without putting himself in the presence of the source of that temptation. He took a walk through the curling club facilities, scanning all the way to make sure no one was trespassing, a task made more difficult as he started thinking more about touching, feeling, and tasting Kellie's sweet curves. Finally satisfied the building was empty, he locked up for the night.

He drove home quickly and headed inside his modest home, straight for his bedroom, stopping only to grab a washcloth from his linen closet. His dick was rapidly hardening as he imagined what it would feel like to enter Kellie's sweet pussy from behind and pound her until they both came in screaming climax. He disrobed, lay back on his bed, wrapped his aching cock with the washcloth and started stroking himself to oblivion.

***********

As desperate situations go, she could think of few worse.

Anita held her crying infant son, Johnathan, in her arms as she stood in line at the social assistance office. She was in an unfamiliar city, thousands of kilometers from home. "How did I end up here?" she asked herself quietly.

But she knew better. She knew damn well why she had ended up here.

A professional therapist might have described her plight by saying personal immaturity and a general failure to deal with normal adversity in her professional life led her to make several questionable decisions in her personal life.




Kellie and Brad Ch. 07



In layman's terms, Anita lost another high profile curling match to Kellie's team. She couldn't handle it, so she lost her mind.

She got drunk, had unprotected sex with a stranger, and became pregnant. Her pattern of domineering behaviour cost her the support and presence of her teammates and friends. Her stubbornness led her to fight with her mother and sister, the only family she had left.

What's worse, her pride led her to not only shut her family out of her life and ignore any of their attempts at reconciliation, it also drove her to take everything she owned, pile it and Johnathan into her car and travel far away on some misguided effort to prove she could provide for them both on her own, without any help from anyone.

Not for the first time, she thought about how monumentally rash... and, well, stupid... that decision was turning out to be. Unfortunately, it wasn't occurring to her that if she simply reversed her decision, retraced her steps and went back home to apologize and make amends with her mother and sister, that all would be well. She genuinely thought they would not ever forgive her, and thus thought she was stuck here.

So, for all intents and purposes, she was.

After a long wait she finally made her way through the line and filled out the paperwork to apply for social assistance payments. It was humiliating to Anita to have to do this, but she didn't know how else to support her child. She didn't know anyone in this city she could trust who could babysit Johnathan while she worked, and whatever life savings she had were dwindling rapidly.

Concentrating on keeping hold of her squirming baby son, and thinking about her dark fate, Anita didn't see the man standing before her until she bumped right into him.

"Oh god, I'm sorry sir!" she exclaimed.

"No, don't you worry about it, this was totally my fault. Please excuse my clumsiness."

The man's voice was soothing to Anita, almost hypnotic. She got a good look at him for the first time. If any man met the proverbial description of tall, dark and handsome, she thought, it was this man. He towered over her, and his skin maintained the deep tan he obviously acquired during the summer, even as the calendar ticked ever closer to fall. He was also one of, if not the most, handsome men she could ever remember meeting. She could easily envision herself becoming lost in his emerald-green eyes.

Those very eyes seemed to be probing her very depths. Then he smiled and extended a hand to her. "You and your son... you're new around here, aren't you?" he asked.

Normally very confident and assertive, the events of the last several months, not to mention the magnetic personality this man was exuding, blunted those qualities that had served to define Anita's past. She could only nod in the affirmative.

"Your son is adorable. And, if I may be so bold, you are a very pretty woman."

Anita blushed but said nothing.

The man smiled and spoke again, his arm still extended to her. "You look like you could use a friend. My name is Paul."

'There's something about this man', she thought. 'What is it?' Whatever it was, it got her to lower her defenses. She reached out with her free arm and felt her small hand be enveloped within his. "I'm Anita," she said, "and this is my son Johnathan. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Anita, the pleasure is all mine," Paul cooed. He took Anita's hand and gently kissed it, and she felt her heart flutter.

"If I could, I'd like to take you and Johnathan for dinner," Paul said. "I know a place that serves good comfort food, and would even have something appropriate for your son to eat. Please say yes."

Anita smiled. She definitely could use a friend. "Thank you Paul. I'd like that."

As Anita made sure she had everything together and ready to go, Paul took another look at the pretty blonde. The child was a bit of an unwelcome accessory, in his mind, but he thought there may be some instances when he could use him to his advantage.

Otherwise, this Anita, if that was her real name? She was perfect.

In every way.

***********

Her ears perked up at the sound.

Kellie was playing with E.J., trying to keep up with him as he crawled all over the place, when Brad returned home from work. She gave him a welcome-home kiss and asked, "How was work today, honey?"

It was, by now, a pat question that was usually returned by a pat answer. Not today, however.

"Something interesting happened today. We need to sit down and talk," he replied.

"Oh. OK. Is it bad?" she asked nervously.

His smile was reassuring and set her at ease. "No, it's not bad. At least, I'm pretty sure it's not."

Kellie retrieved E.J., who thankfully didn't complain about being held by his mother. She bounced him on her knee as she listened to Brad explain his meeting with Russ's brother Glenn and the subsequent job offer extended to him.

"Sounds very promising honey!" Kellie exclaimed. "How much do you know about the offer?"

"Not much other than what Glenn told me," Brad replied, "but he did give me a draft copy of the employment contract and some other stuff to read over. I just haven't had a chance to look at it yet."

He pulled out the folder Glenn had provided him so they could go over the material together. Brad pored through the employment contract. His eyes widened when he read the compensation section of the letter. Kellie peeked over his shoulder to see what caused his reaction, and she immediately understood why.

"Wow, honey, that's a big raise!"

"Yes, it would be. Of course, Kellie, cost of living is higher in the city..."

"... but this raise will help us cover those costs and put money away for savings and a college fund for E.J."

Brad couldn't help but agree. They finished reading all the documents, and Kellie asked questions of Brad to help fill in any blanks. It became clear to Kellie that this was an incredible opportunity that her husband should jump at.

"Oh honey, I'm so proud of you! This is what you've wanted, isn't it? You've worked so hard for this, and you deserve it!" Kellie was gushing with pride and happiness over her man's achievements.

But whether he was just playing devil's advocate or still really needed some convincing, Brad seemed less enthused than Kellie thought he would be.

"Are you OK with moving to the city?" he asked.

"Why not? I used to live there, remember?"

"I know that. I remember you telling me it wasn't a good experience."

"I was just a kid then. It will be different with you and E.J."

Brad nodded. "OK. What about your team?"

"No problem. Jennifer, Heather and Amber moved up there already, don't forget. And Sandra has told me her company has offered to transfer her to their city location a couple of times now."

"OK." Brad nodded again, mentally checking off another point on his list. "I know this may not come up for a while yet. But if I get good at ice making, I might well be asked to travel to set up some tournaments. What will we do if one of those chances conflicts with your competition schedule? How would we work that out and ensure at least one of us is here for E.J.?"

Kellie understood the logic behind the questions, but part of her was a little exasperated that he didn't seem to be as excited as she was. "Well, honey, we'll figure that out when the time comes. I'm sure we'll be able to talk and plan our schedules so everything works out and we all get what we want."

She ended her answer with a penetrating look in her eyes that Brad couldn't quite read. "What?" he asked.

"I don't get it," Kellie replied. "You're being offered a great opportunity here, yet all you seem focused on is the downside. Aren't you happy?"

Brad shrugged. "I just want to make sure that everything is looked after, especially with E.J. And I want to be sure that you're OK with all this."

"Why wouldn't I be OK with it, Brad? So far, it's been you that stays back to take care of things at home while I get to travel and do what I want and get the glory for it. What about you? I say it's OK for you to be a little selfish and look after your own needs this time."

"I won't lie, Kellie. Part of me is really nervous about this. It's the unknown of it all, you know? I enjoy what I do now, it's comfortable and I'm good at it. And I love living in this town. If we leave, I'll really miss it."

"That's understandable. But... what does the other part of you say?"

Brad thought for a few moments. The more he thought, the more he realized Kellie was trying to get him focused on the positives of the move. And they were many.

He curled a little smile on his lips and said, "It's an exciting challenge, isn't it? I think I really want to do this."

Kellie squealed. "That's great, honey!"

"Thanks. I still want to talk to my parents, your aunt and uncle and everyone else, too, just because I'd like to hear their input. But, yeah, I'm pretty sure I'm going to tell Russ on Monday that I'm going to accept Glenn's offer."

"Oh, Brad, I'm so... hey, look."

The last part of what Kellie said came out in a whisper. Brad looked closer and saw why. Little E.J. had fallen asleep on his mommy's knee.

Very carefully, they got up and placed E.J. in his crib. Satisfied he was still asleep, they quietly backed out of the baby's room. Brad was on his way back to the living room until he felt Kellie divert him to their bedroom. She sat him on the edge of their bed.

"What are you doing?" he quietly asked.

Instead of speaking, Kellie knelt down before her husband and wordlessly unbuckled his belt. She tugged down at his pants and boxers, and he unconsciously raised his hips to ease her task. She pushed both pieces of clothing down around his ankles. Licking her lips, she eyed his cock. Taking it into her hand, she licked it up and down, and before long it was hardening rapidly under her touch. He gasped when she started sucking him, bobbing her head slowly up and down.

"Kellie..." Brad said breathlessly.

She removed her mouth from his now fully erect missile with an audible popping sound. "I'm so very proud of you, Brad," she spoke with affection and reverence. "Let me show you just how proud I am."

Kellie dove back on to Brad's hard cock, taking almost all of it into her mouth. He groaned in pleasure and through hooded eyes watched his gorgeous wife act out the love and pride she felt inside.

***********

After the weekend, Brad's decision was made.

He figured he was about 99% sure he was going to accept Glenn's job offer to move to the Blue Granite by the time he fell asleep on Friday night, not long after Kellie made sweet love to him. 'If that's how proud she is of me from getting a promotion', he thought as he showered the next morning, 'I'm going to have to do that more often!'

He still wanted to speak to the other people he trusted before the weekend was out. He had always loved and trusted his parents, and he had grown closer to Kellie's Aunt Linda and Uncle Vic as well. He trusted their counsel very much. When he invited all four of them over on Saturday afternoon, they all expressed their great pride and happiness for his achievements, and impressed upon him that, in essence, he'd be crazy to turn the job down. They did admit they'd miss having Brad, Kellie and E.J. in the same town as them, but promised to make the relatively short drive to visit them as often as possible, as long as they reciprocated in turn, which Brad and Kellie readily agreed to.

Kellie broke the news to Sandra later that evening. She came by their house with a celebratory bottle of wine. "Congratulations, Brad!" she exclaimed as she gave him a big hug. Sandra also admitted some relief, because her bosses were putting more pressure on her to transfer to the city due to personnel requirements at that location.

"Now that you guys are moving," she announced, "I don't really have much reason to stay back. So, I'm going to move too!"

She and Kellie jumped up and down and hugged in excitement. They called Jennifer, Heather and Amber and celebrated all over again when they learned they'd all be reunited, living in the same city once again.

Brad was holding E.J. at this point. He whispered in his baby boy's ear. "Women are crazy sometimes; don't let them tell you any differently. But you know what? They are sooooo worth it. Trust your dad on this one." He sealed his words with a kiss on E.J.'s forehead.

He knew he would be sad to leave this small town, the only home he'd ever known. He knew he'd miss the easy camaraderie he had with his co-workers at the town's curling club, and he especially knew he'd miss his good friend Russ. But he also knew he was making the right decision, for his future and that of his family. Secure in this knowledge, Brad entered Russ's office first thing Monday morning.

"I've made my decision, Russ," he said. "I'm accepting Glenn's offer."

"Congratulations, Brad," Russ replied, shaking his hand. The two friends then embraced in a big hug and shed a couple of tears. They knew they would still be friends for the rest of their lives, but Brad leaving meant things would never quite be the same.

Using the phone in Russ's office, Brad called Glenn to inform him of his decision. Glenn was understandably very pleased. He pledged to drive down later in the week for Brad to sign and finalize all the arrangements and paperwork. Russ gathered all the staff together to announce Brad's decision, and he accepted the well wishes of all his other friends and co-workers.

The next few weeks went by in a hurry. Instead of driving down, Glenn had someone pick Brad up one day to drive him to the city. After signing all the documents, Glenn took Brad for a tour of the facilities and surrounding areas, which Brad found to be very impressive. They enjoyed dinner and more than a few cocktails at a fancy restaurant, and Brad was pleasantly buzzing when the driver chauffeured him home.

A couple of weekends were spent by Brad and Kellie looking for accommodations in which to move. They felt fortunate to find a nice townhome at a reasonable price that was also large enough for their and E.J.'s needs. Most of the rest of the time was spent packing, getting things ready for their new digs and tying up loose ends for their affairs in the small town in which they called home for so long.

During their last week in town, Brad and Kellie held goodbye gatherings before their move the next Monday morning. Wednesday they hosted Sandra, who was making her own move to the city on Saturday. Thursday saw his parents and her aunt and uncle visit. For good measure, his parents offered to babysit E.J. on Saturday night and Sunday morning to give them either a chance to finish packing or a night to spend together doing whatever they desired.

On Friday, it was Russ's turn.

**********

He was practically shaking with fear.

Russ had thought of many different ways he could get out of his dinner date with Brad and his family that Friday night. Multiple times, he almost picked up his phone to call and cancel. But he found it impossible to come up with a valid reason to no-show without looking like a complete jerk.

No, this would be the last time he saw Brad, Kellie and E.J. together before their move. He had to do the right thing and properly see them off and wish them well. What kind of a friend would he be if he didn't do at least that?

He then thought what kind of a friend he really was seeing that he lusted so badly after his friend's wife, and he shuddered.

Russ decided to walk to Brad and Kellie's place. He stuffed his hands in his jacket pockets as he moved through the brisk air. As he reached his destination, he paused, breathed in and out, and knocked at the door.

A smiling Kellie answered. "Hi Russ!" she said brightly.

Even though she was wearing a simple black turtleneck and a worn pair of blue jeans, to Russ she looked like an angel descended from above. His breath momentarily caught in his throat. Just then E.J. wailed loudly enough to distract Kellie. She looked back quickly and said, "Well, don't just stand there, come on in!" He did so, glad for the momentary reprieve.

Brad welcomed him in. Russ got a chance to hold E.J. before Brad and Kellie put the baby to bed, for it was already fairly late in the evening. When that was done, Brad and Russ sat down and had a beer while Kellie prepared dinner. Russ relaxed and enjoyed himself. Dinner was delicious, the beer and the wine flowed and he found himself feeling very mellow, if also a little wistful, considering that it might be a long time before they could be together again to enjoy each other's company.

Then the phone rang. Brad answered it and talked for a moment before covering the receiver. "It's just my parents. They want to confirm what time they should pick up E.J. and other stuff like that. It'll just take me a couple of minutes." 

"OK, honey," replied Kellie.

Brad stepped into the bedroom to finish fielding the phone call, leaving a now suddenly nervous Russ alone with Kellie. After a few awkward moments of silence, Kellie asked, "Russ, are you OK? What's on your mind?"

'God, please, please let me control myself', Russ prayed. He answered Kellie's question by saying, "Uh... just thinking about how it won't be the same without you, Brad and E.J. still in town."

"Awww, that's sweet!"

He blushed at Kellie's compliment. His heart was racing a million miles an hour. "Are... are you looking forward to the move?" he asked, hoping that some friendly, innocuous conversation would somehow distract him from her radiant beauty.

"I am, absolutely! I look at it as another adventure, the next chapter of our lives together. I've really come to love this town, Russ, but I am originally a city girl, so part of me is definitely happy to go back. I'm looking forward to the experience!"

"That's great, but I hope you also know how much you will all be missed. E.J. is a wonderful baby boy and he has great parents. You are lucky to be able to watch him grow up and mature. Brad's been my best friend for a long time so it will be difficult to not have him around. And as for you... you know everyone in town is proud of you, don't you? Proud of your accomplishments and how well you've represented us."

Kellie's face turned red and she looked almost embarrassed. "Oh, stop it!" she said with a smile. "You're going to give me a big ego with all these nice things you're saying about me!"

Fuck, she's so beautiful when she blushes like that, Russ thought. He briefly shook his head and tried to clear images from his head, images of a naked Kellie begging for his cock. It was a battle he was slowly losing.

"Kellie, I'm sure you won't let your ego go crazy!" he stated, still trying to focus on their chat. "Even so, everything I've said is true! You're going to get even better and more successful and famous, and it will be all deserved because I know you're going to keep being the same genuinely good person. That part of you will never change. I just hope you don't forget about us little people when you're living it up in the big city!"

Kellie laughed; it was like the sound of an angels' choir to Russ. "No way!" she answered. "You've done so much and have been such a great friend to both of us. We'll never forget you. We'll keep in touch and visit often. I bet Brad's already planning the first road trip to see you again!"

"You know you'll always be welcome here."

"I know. Thank you Russ."

Kellie stood up to give Russ a hug. Again he was momentarily breathless at her touch. He told himself it was only going to be a brief, friendly hug, nothing more.

But as he melted into her body, the dark, twisted part of him noted the softness of her skin, the feel of her wonderful breasts pressed to his own chest, and her smell... oh god, her heavenly, womanly scent. And at that moment, he disengaged from the rational part of his mind and acted on pure desire and needful lust.




Kellie and Brad Ch. 07



So he held on to the hug for a long time, much longer than he had originally intended, and much, much longer than Kellie felt comfortable with. 'This is so unlike him', she thought to herself.

"Uh, Russ?" she asked nervously.

Instead of releasing Kellie from the hug, he didn't let go of her at all. He clamped his hands on her butt and squeezed, savouring its fine lushness. He groaned with pleasure and drew her in closer, hoping she could feel his hard, growing arousal. He leaned his upper body back to regard her with a look that was definitely not warm and friendly.

It was almost... predatory.

"God, Kellie, you're fucking gorgeous, do you know that?" Russ asked her with a throaty voice.

"Russ, what are you...?"

Before Kellie could complete her question, Russ added, "So gorgeous, it fucking hurts." He plunged forward and engulfed her mouth with a deep, soulful kiss. Too stunned to react, Kellie felt Russ's tongue pry her mouth open and explore inside. One of his hands remained locked on her ass while the other traveled over her body and landed dangerously on her right breast. He growled as his fingers sought, and then found, her nipple. His growl rumbled louder when he playfully flicked at the hard little nub.

Kellie's eyes nearly bulged out of her head, she was so shocked. She made urgent noises, trying to signal to Russ in no uncertain terms that he had to stop immediately, but in his feverish state he completely misinterpreted her wishes. He didn't stop at all; instead he locked his arms around her waist and, if anything, kissed her even harder.

She didn't want to hurt Russ, but she had to get him off of her.

Like, right now.

That was the only thought in Kellie's head. She couldn't let this go on, couldn't let him keep kissing her, could not allow him to continue touching her in both ways and places meant only for her husband. She didn't even want to THINK about what Brad would do if he caught them like this.

Kellie shoved Russ as hard as she possibly could. He didn't let go; his surprisingly strong arms even tightened their grip around her waist. The force of her push caused them to stumble a few steps until they landed on the couch, her on top of him. There was no doubt for Kellie about Russ's stimulated state, not with the sensation of his rampant hard-on threatening to poke a hole in her stomach. The look of spaced-out bliss he had throughout the kiss remained on his face.

It was only when he felt Kellie's fists thump on his shoulders and heard her hiss, "Russ, what the hell?!" that his expression changed.

He opened his eyes. And saw her look of bewilderment.

And realized exactly what he had just done.

"Oh... oh god! NO! No, no, no, no, no! God, no! Shit!!" he moaned loudly. He scrambled out from underneath her and wrung his hands while he paced back and forth in fear. "Kellie, I'm so sorry... I can't believe I just did that... you must hate me right now... fuck I'm such an IDIOT!"

Kellie was more than ready to round off on Russ. She didn't care how out of character this was, she was just scared and angry that he had the gall to do this to her in the first place.

But the look of abject horror on Russ's face and his rambling laments were enough to give her pause. She could tell he was genuinely emotional and guilt-ridden. She reasoned that, if he was really intent on forcing sex upon her against her will, he would have ignored her demands to stop and just kept kissing and fondling her. And more. Instead, it looked like he wished the earth would swallow him whole.

So she concluded Russ's transgressions were forgivable, not criminal. Any traces of anger she had towards him were removed, and she didn't yell or otherwise attack him, knowing anything that she added would only be piling on.

Trying to be helpful, she said "Maybe we should see if Brad is done talking on the phone." Almost instantly she cringed, recognizing too late that bringing up Brad's name was probably THE worst thing she could have done.

Sure enough, just hearing his friend's name exponentially increased Russ's state of panic. "SHIT! Brad's gonna fucking KILL me!" he wailed.

Russ turned and ran out of the house, breaking into a dead sprint, just as Brad stepped out of the bedroom and was hanging up the phone. Only some quick reflexes by Brad prevented the two of them colliding heavily with each other.

Brad's head whirled toward the sight of his friend bolting out the door, and then spun back towards Kellie.

"What the hell was that all about?" he asked, sounding very perplexed indeed.

"Um... nothing?" In her head Kellie was convinced she'd be able to keep cool, but her attempt was foiled by her shaky voice, her statement coming out in the form of a question.

Brad shook his head. "Uh-uh. No way. You cannot expect me to watch my best friend race out of here as if he was on fire and then hear you give that kind of an answer and have me believe it's nothing!"

Quietly, fearfully, Kellie said, "Brad... I think you should... you need to sit down."

Fear and anger slammed into Brad like a bolt of lightning. His guts twisted inside him. The rational side of him wondered just what could have possibly happened... after all, he wasn't on the phone for THAT long... but the jealous man inside him was quickly shouting it down. If his total trust in Kellie wasn't enough proof for him to believe she wasn't at fault, the 'deer-in-the-headlights' look to her sealed that deal. That left only one possibility.

Russ.

Brad didn't like where this was heading.

"Alright," he said in a short, clipped tone as he sat on the edge of the chair nearest to him, across from Kellie. "I'm sitting down. Spill it."

Kellie took in the anger in Brad's voice, the look of intensity on his face, the way his nostrils flared, and how he slightly rocked back and forth in his chair. It was already a bad situation. Knowing this would probably get worse before it got better, she closed her eyes and swallowed, trying to find some resolve within.

There was nothing left for her to do but tell the truth.

She avoided all eye contact with him and said in a soft, shaky whisper, "Russ kissed me."

Brad gritted his teeth together and balled his hands into fists. His voice continued to be flat, emotionless and unreadable. "Kissed you... kissed you how, exactly?"

She breathed, "Well... he used a lot of... uh, tongue, and he... he touched, uh, my... breast... and my... my ass, too." She looked up to see his eyes widen in fury, and before he could completely explode she quickly yelled, "It just happened, out of the blue, OK?! I wasn't expecting it and I didn't ask for it! Please, Brad, I'm telling the truth, you have to believe me!"

Brad barely even heard Kellie's last pleas. He was hung up on the fact that Russ, his best friend, had kissed and put his hands all over his wife. 'What the fuck?! This guy's my best friend and he does THIS?! How could he fucking DO that??!!' were the words that ran through his brain, on a seemingly endless repeat cycle. His jealousy and rage were threatening to become all-consuming.

The room was silent, the tension thick enough to choke on. The longer Brad went without speaking, the more fearful Kellie became. Never had she seen him this angry before. She could practically see the rage coursing through his veins. She always trusted and believed him when he said he'd never hurt her, and she still did, but in this state she thought he might be capable of almost anything.

Something inside of Brad gave way. In the blink of an eye he leapt up from his chair and stalked towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Kellie asked with a rising note of dread.

"Going to have a chat with Russ," Brad answered in the same dead, creepy tone.

Kellie swallowed hard. She set aside her considerable fear to speak one word in a clear voice.

"No."

Brad froze. He released his hand from the doorknob and looked at Kellie incredulously. He tried to speak, but disbelief and anger combined to short-circuit the connection between brain and mouth. Finally he shouted at the top of his lungs, "WHAT??!!"

Confident she was doing the right thing, Kellie's anxiety slowly diminished, and she replied to her husband in a tone that proved she would brook no argument from him. "You heard me. I said no. You're not going to see Russ right now."

For a brief, flickering moment of sheer insanity, Brad thought he might actually punch Kellie in the face. Instead he ran his hands through his hair and barked out a crazy sounding laugh. "Unbelievable," he yelled. "This must be my biggest fucking nightmare come to life! Are you telling me that my supposed best friend kisses you, gropes you, practically fucking dry humps you, and then I'm supposed to just sit here and take it like it's no big fucking deal?!"

"Don't be a jerk!" Kellie snapped back, causing Brad to flinch ever so slightly. "That's not what I said at all! I said you're not going to see him right now." She made sure her emphasis on the last two words was obvious.

"And why not?!"

"Because you're angry and not thinking straight, and you might do something stupid, something we'll all regret!"

"So instead, you want me to, what, wait until tomorrow so I can give him a beer and a high-five?!"

Kellie bit her tongue and silently counted to ten before she said something to fan the flames even further. She forced herself to remember that, if the situation were reversed, she would be mad as hell, just as Brad was. Hell, hadn't she broken up with him when she thought she'd caught him making out with Anita, even though he really was innocent of that particular crime? So, yes, she understood his anger. But she knew she had to be the one strong enough to cut through it and prevent the situation from spiralling out of control.

"Listen to me, Brad, and listen good, because I'll only say this once," she said, calmly but firmly. "It all started innocently at first. He was just making conversation. He told me he'd miss us, and we ended up hugging. Then it was like a switch went off, and something in him changed. That's when he kissed me. You may find this hard to believe, but I don't think he was fully aware of what he was doing. Yeah, he flirted with really crossing the line but I made him stop before anything really bad happened. And then when he came back to... you should have seen him when he recognized what he did. He felt so guilty and scared. In fact... oh god..."

Brad watched, stunned, as Kellie dialed a phone number and waited impatiently for the person on the other line to pick up. Her relief was evident when that person finally did.

"Hi, Ben, it's Kellie... Actually, I need your help... Can you check in on Russ?... He was here having dinner with us and then he had to leave in a hurry, I don't think he's feeling well... I don't know, I can't tell you any more than that... Please?! God, I'm so worried about him... Oh, thank you so much, you're a lifesaver!... I owe you one... Thanks Ben, bye now."

Brad waited for Kellie to hang up before speaking, now more confused than ever. "So you called my co-worker Ben to check up on Russ because..."

"Because I'm worried for him. He was having a major panic attack, Brad. I'm telling you, it was that bad."

"You... you don't really think he'd... do anything to himself... do you?"

"I sure hope not. I mean, I don't think he really would harm himself deliberately, but what if he gets drunk and does something crazy? I don't want to take any chances."

"But... goddammit, never mind about him for now! What about you, Kellie? I mean, you know that you're the victim in all this, right?! Are you telling me you're not even a little angry or upset?!"

"Well of course I wish it didn't happen. Don't get me wrong. It's just... I don't know, in my mind it doesn't feel like it's as serious as you think it is."

Brad looked like he was about to be sick. Kellie hugged him tightly and tried to pacify him with her words and soft feminine voice. "I know you'll want to talk to Russ tomorrow, and you should. I hope by then both of you will be calm enough to deal with this like adults. He's your best friend, Brad, and has been for a long time. It's a wonderful thing. Don't throw that friendship away just because of one lapse in judgement."

Brad sighed. By this point, he didn't know what to think. Kellie sensed this, and decided to give him the time and space to deal with his thoughts and emotions.

"Good night, baby. I love you. Don't stay up too late." With a soft kiss on his cheek, Kellie went to bed.

Contrary to her wishes, Brad did stay up for a long time. His mind was constantly spinning. He repeatedly tried, and failed, to make sense of what happened. Finally, hours later, he gave up and dragged his mentally exhausted body into bed. He spooned in behind Kellie and watched her sleep through teary eyes. He hadn't stopped seething over his friend's advances on her, so it mystified him that she seemed to be over it so quickly.

All he knew was that he loved Kellie so much, it hurt.

He held her possessively and fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

************

There was a knock on the door.

And another. And another.

Russ tried to will the person on the other side to go away. The person wasn't listening.

He sighed and opened his front door. He wasn't surprised to see Brad standing there. He bowed his head, ready to accept his fate.

"Hey Russ," Brad said quietly.

Russ didn't speak, nor did he move.

"Russ?" Brad asked.

Once again, his friend didn't respond.

"Russ!!" Brad yelled, not out of anger, but just to get Russ to snap out of his funk.

"What?!" Russ snapped back. His stomach churned, and he wondered why Brad didn't just end this mental torture, get it over with and punch him out already, like he deserved.

"Can I come in?" For the first time, Brad thought he at least partly understood what Kellie was talking about when she said he was guilt-ridden.

"Oh, yeah. Right. Of course." Russ stepped aside so Brad could enter his house. They both took a seat at the kitchen table.

"So, Ben was here, I guess?" Brad asked, temporarily ignoring the elephant in the room.

"Yeah," Russ answered.

"How's he doing?"

"Oh, not too bad."

They both nodded and fell quiet. After a few moments of deafening silence, the tension snapped like a cable at the breaking point.

"God, Brad I'm sorry..."

"What happened, Russ..."

Both men exhaled deeply and laughed nervously over how they each blurted out their words at the exact same time.

"I guess you're not going to kill me, after all," Russ spoke, relieved that they were finally going to get down to business.

Brad's reply was mumbled, but his eyes were fixated on Russ. "If I had shown up last night like I originally planned, I might well have."

Russ searched Brad's face for any indications that he may have been at least partly joking. He found none. Brad could feel his friend studying him and expanded upon his answer.

"I'm serious, Russ. When Kellie told me what happened between you two last night, when I was on the phone, I was fucking livid. If she hadn't calmed me down, I... shit, man, I don't know what I would have done."

Russ buried his face in his hands. He couldn't believe he put himself in this terrible position, and he cursed the apparent weakness in his character. "Part of me thinks you should beat the shit out of me," he said. "I betrayed you, Brad, when I made out with Kellie. I know how you feel about her and what she means to you. I don't think I could have hurt you more if I had stuck a knife in your back."

He took a deep sigh and looked Brad in the eye. "Some friend I am, huh?"

Brad shut his eyes and ran his hand through his hair, frustrated with the whole situation. Part of him still threatened to explode in anger and violence, but he couldn't help but feel for Russ and how wracked he was with guilt and turmoil. He didn't quite know what to do yet, and he hated the feeling of powerlessness that left inside him. Sighing, he decided there was nothing else to do but plunge forward.

"I need you to answer a question for me," Brad said.

"OK. I'll try."

"What... I mean..." Brad stumbled for the right words to say until they finally tumbled out of his mouth.

"Goddammit, why'd you do it, Russ?"

Russ nodded and took a deep breath before responding.

"Remember when you and Kellie reconciled after that business you had with Anita? When I walked in on you two... uh, doing it?"

"Yeah, sure I do. It's pretty unforgettable for me, as you can probably guess."

"Well, before you helped cover Kellie up, I did see her... naked, from her side profile. I always thought she was beautiful, but my thoughts were always innocent around her, never sexual. Until that day. Then... I don't know, over time I just started thinking about her, imagining her naked, wondering what it would be like to be intimate with her. I daydreamed about smelling her, about touching her everywhere. The visions kept getting more and more frequent, more and more intense..."

"That's why you stopped visiting. Isn't it, Russ?"

"Yes, Brad, that's exactly it!" he answered, nodding vigorously. "I thought if I wasn't in her presence, my thoughts of her would just fade away and I'd be back to normal. Only it didn't happen. Not only that, I wanted her more. Then last night, you left the room and she was there in all her glory. I just... hell, Brad, I lost my fucking mind. I crossed the line, and betrayed the trust you both had in me."

He sighed and turned to look at his friend with pleading eyes. "Brad, I don't know if you can, and I don't know if I deserve it. But if you could find it in your heart to forgive me, even though I did these horrible things and have been such a terrible friend to you..."

Brad watched Russ drop his head in shame and disgust, his unfinished request hanging in the air between them. He never would have guessed this last night, but he could feel the anger draining away from his body. He recalled the time before their wedding day when Kellie told him how scared she was that he was so capable of quickly lashing out at anyone who hurt or otherwise wronged her, and his eyes watered as he realized just how right she was in her assessment. How close was he last night to committing unspeakable atrocities on Russ? God only knew.

A sudden flash of insight hit Brad. Much to his surprise, it actually caused him to laugh a little.

"Russ?"

"Yeah?"

"When's the last time you got laid?"

Russ's jaw dropped. Did Brad really just ask him that? "Uh... what?!" he asked in disbelief.

"Just work with me here, I'm going somewhere with this. Go ahead, answer the question."

Russ thought for a while. He briefly considered telling his friend the truth, but he couldn't do that. It was still too painful. He settled on another answer that, technically, was still true.

"It's been a long time, Brad. Too long."

Brad nodded, and then shook his head ruefully. "That's the answer, isn't it? Damn. I can't believe I never noticed this before!"

"Noticed what?"

"That you need some female companionship! I'm guess I'm probably not the greatest friend in the world either for not doing something to help, or at least talk to you about it, now am I?"

"Oh, I don't know about that..."

"Come on Russ, it makes sense, doesn't it? You're not getting any, so you start fantasizing about someone you know, someone kind of close to you, right? Unfortunately that someone happens to be Kellie. So we have to find you a woman so you can stop thinking of fucking my wife."

Russ cringed at his friend's painfully direct words. But he had to agree that there was actually some logic to Brad's assertions, somewhat twisted though they were.

"Now," Brad continued, "think for a moment. Is there any single woman in town you can think of that you might like and she might like you back? Anyone that would not only help you get Kellie off your mind, but you could also maybe see yourself spending quality time with?"




Kellie and Brad Ch. 07



"Well... there is that new person at the post office... I think she's single... she's said hello to me a few times, she seems quite nice..."

"Awesome! Ask her out."

"Brad, I can't do that."

Brad just smiled. "Russ, I remember a wise man who once told me this. Ask her. If she says no, it will hurt but at least you`ll know where you stand. If she says yes, then... who knows?"

Russ smirked in spite of himself. "You bastard. How dare you give my own advice back to me!"

After a beat or two, the two men did something Russ would have believed impossible mere minutes ago. They shared a long, hearty laugh. When they calmed down, they were quiet for a long time, and Brad's face turned serious again. He broke the silence with a calm, measured tone that belied the swirling mass of emotions he was still trying to process.

"Russ, we've been very good friends for a very long time. But you also hurt me very badly with what you did to Kellie. You know that, right?"

"Yes, Brad, I know. I can't tell you how sorry I am and how much I regret my actions."

"I know. I want to forgive you. I really, really do. And I will. It will take some time, though. I can't just snap my fingers and pretend everything is OK. It will take a while for the pain and anger to fade away. You understand, right?"

"I do, totally. Take as much time as you need."

"You also need to promise me two things, Russ."

"OK, name them."

"One, you have to stop fantasizing about Kellie. I trust I don't have to explain why."

Russ figured it would be very difficult, but for his sake, he knew that not only did he absolutely have to fulfill this demand, complaining to Brad about just how difficult it would be was a really dumb idea. "No, no explanation necessary. I promise I'll stop thinking of her that way. What's the other thing I need to do?"

"Promise me you'll ask that lady at the post office for a date."

"Seriously?"

"Yes, I'm totally serious!"

Russ sighed and held his hands up in resignation. "OK, OK. I'll ask her."

Brad smiled at his friend. Things might still be rocky between them for a while, but in the long run he was confident their friendship would survive.

The two men stood up and shook hands before breaking down and embracing in a tight man-hug.

"I'll miss you, Russ."

"Me too, Brad."

************

'I need to cheer him up,' she thought to herself.

While Brad was having his heart-to-heart with Russ, Kellie had taken E.J. to his parents' house and spent a bit of time talking with them before returning home and attending to the rest of their last-minute packing.

Brad returned some time after. He was melancholy and spoke only in one-word sentences when spoken to. From what she gathered his encounter with Russ went reasonably well, but everything about the whole incident, from last night to today, the resulting turmoil... all of that combined with the normal feelings just before a major move and life change were clearly taking an emotional toll on him.

It broke her heart to see him this way. She had to think of a way to make him feel better and she had to do it fast.

When the idea hit her, she smiled devilishly. 'Of course', she thought. It was perfect, and not least because it would also satisfy cravings of her own.

"I'm going to have a shower, honey. I'll be out in a while," she told Brad.

"OK," he replied.

She took her time, both to clean, primp and groom herself physically, and to prepare herself mentally. When she was finished, she admired herself in the mirror. If this wasn't going to completely devastate him, in a good way, then nothing would.

Kellie walked out of their bedroom to find Brad staring out the front window. She snuggled in close to him, clad in her short kimono-style silk robe. She placed her hand on his chest and laid her head on his shoulder. "I'm sorry for all that I've done, especially for last night," she said.

"Honey, don't be ridiculous," he gently rebuked her, his eyes still gazing far away into the distance. "You did nothing wrong. You know better than that."

Kellie stepped back and gently turned Brad's face in her direction. In one sensual, fluid motion, she removed her robe and watched it slowly flutter to the floor. She took great delight in how Brad's eyes widened and in his clearly audible gasp when he saw that she was now wearing nothing but the skimpiest of lacy black thongs. She dropped down to her knees, hugged one of his legs tightly and caressed his groin, feeling his hardness grow from behind his jeans.

"I've been a very naughty girl, Master," she whispered. "I teased your friend so badly. I dressed like a sexy vixen so he'd stare at my tight little ass. I made that poor man so hot and horny he had to kiss me. It was very wicked of me, and I need to be disciplined, Master." She kissed Brad's now rock-hard bulge, hidden as it was behind a barrier of denim fabric. She craned her neck upwards and fixed him with the doe eyes of an innocent. Inside, however, she felt like anything but.

Brad closed his eyes, threw his head back, and groaned in lust and disbelief. He just couldn't fathom it was possible that this was happening. Was she really going to offer herself up like this?

He stared holes through Kellie. She didn't recoil at all, just keeping her loving gaze trained right back up at him. She looked like a young naïf, though he couldn't honestly say how many young naïfs would be tracing circles over his inner thighs and throbbing cock like she was. He felt his primal urges swell up inside him, scream at him, tell him how much of an absolute idiot he would be to turn down this golden invitation.

'She's mine,' this alter-ego roared at him. 'Mine! And she wants this. Take her!'

Brad bent down and took hold of Kellie's hair. He delighted at the sexy whimper that came out of her throat. He placed his free arm around her and pulled her up to her feet. Then he marched her backwards towards the main hallway until she bumped up lightly against the wall. Her breath came in shallow pants as she met his intense stare and wondered what he had in store for her tonight.

With one hand Brad grabbed both of Kellie's wrists and pinned them to the wall above her head, and with his other he held her by the nape of her neck. He pushed his knee between her legs and thrust it upwards, forcing her sex to rest on his muscular thigh. He aggressively kissed her and forced his tongue inside her lips. She welcomed the invading appendage and let it explore the depths of her mouth. She rubbed her dripping, white-hot mound on his leg to give him a small taste of just how desperately she desired him. That motion alone was enough for her to go off like a rocket, for the first of what she hoped would be many, many times. Just when it felt she would pass out from lack of oxygen he broke the embrace and she exhaled with a shudder.

"Damn right you need to be disciplined, my naughty wayward pet!" Brad growled, his face mere inches from hers. "You're going to get the punishment of a lifetime, and you're going to like it! You're going to get every... last... thing... you... deserve!" He accentuated each of his last few words with a resounding smack on her ass. She gasped, not only at the suddenness of his actions, but also how her intense arousal spiked even higher as a result.

"And, if you behave, and if you're very, very lucky," he continued, "I'll even let you pleasure me!" The sneering smile curling outward from his lips was almost evil in its countenance.

"Yes Master, as you wish," Kellie said in a small, squeaky voice almost too quiet to hear. She shied away from his gaze and pretended to hide into the wall. She was playing the naïve ingénue, but Brad was having none of that. He redoubled his grip on her wrists and held her in place. Taking hold of her chin, he turned her face to him and dove in for another explosive kiss. More sensual moans came from inside her; they were quickly inhaled by his possessive mouth.

When the kiss ended Kellie stared lovingly, lustily, breathlessly into Brad's cobalt blue eyes. She ingrained the image in her mind of her husband's handsome, expressive face looking back at her with unabashed sexual hunger. She shuddered and whimpered again as he inhaled deeply and breathed in her desire, her very scent that wafted from the copious juices drenching the gusset of her thin undergarment. She wanted to truly experience and remember everything he was going to do to her. If it was even half as good as it was the last time they role-played like this, it would be a night she would not soon forget.

"Bedroom, pet. Now." Brad's order was muttered menacingly in her ear.

Kellie quickly pivoted and took two steps forward.

"NO!!" Brad barked.

She stopped immediately, turning around to look at him, eyes wide with alarm.

"NO!!" he barked again. He moved in quickly and laid another thundering slap on her rounded, supple rear end. This time she couldn't hold back her squeal, one of delight mixed in with just a little pain. She whirled her head forward to prevent further incurring his "wrath".

He let go and fell silent behind her. Nothing was said for maybe a couple minutes, though for Kellie it felt like a couple hours, such was the level of her anticipation. Again her breaths came in quick, panting gasps, and her heart felt like it would burst right out of her chest.

"Get on your hands and knees, and don't you dare disobey me again, you naughty pet," he finally ordered. Kellie did as he commanded. She could almost feel his eyes roam all over her. She instinctively knew he was staring at her ass, the part of her body he lusted after most. She was also keenly aware that only the thinnest and flimsiest strip of fabric was barely hiding her most private and aroused pink jewels from view.

"Crawl," Brad drew out the single word instruction with a snarl.

Kellie couldn't even imagine agreeing to such a demand from anyone else in any other set of circumstances. Hell, most times she probably would have hauled off and slapped Brad for even thinking of asking her to do such a thing.

But this... this was completely different.

Kellie blushed hotly. She couldn't stifle the smile on her face. Every move she was making was on shaky limbs, a sensation caused by maybe one per cent fear and anxiety, but definitely 99 per cent sexual excitement. She was more than ready to take whatever Brad was ready to dish out.

Brad stood mesmerized by the sight of Kellie submissively crawling on the floor. He wiped away a thin line of drool from the corner of his mouth as his gaze was fixated on the seductive back and forth swaying of her ass caused by her slow trek forward. His cock was a long, hard steel bar that strained forcefully against his jeans. He adjusted its position as he followed her more closely when she turned the hallway corner. He prowled behind her and watched her enter their bedroom. She climbed up on their bed and assumed a position with her arms behind her, her head lying on the mattress, the toes of her delicate feet curled inward, and her fantastic ass, reddened from his earlier spanking, sticking up in the air. Seeing her in that pose nearly caused him to explode.

Oh yes, he thought to himself, playtime tonight is going to be exciting.

Very exciting, indeed.

************

He knew it was slightly mean, but he couldn't help it.

Brad was leaning against the kitchen counter, clad only in a pair of boxers, savouring his first morning cup of coffee. He was chuckling at the sight of Kellie walking from their bedroom to join him.

Well, not so much walking, actually, as shuffling.

He poured a cup of coffee and offered it to Kellie, who silently accepted it with a smile. Brad took a seat at the kitchen table. Kellie chose not to sit, instead standing across from him. He thought she looked resplendent in her silk robe, even with her bed head and small, tired eyes. He let out another small laugh which she did not outwardly react to.

They drank their coffee in silence. There wasn't much that needed to be said, in truth. That is, until Brad could go no longer without satisfying his curiosity.

"How are you feeling?" he asked Kellie.

"A little sore," she replied with a grimace.

Brad figured "a little sore" actually meant "a lot sore", except Kellie, for some reason he couldn't guess at, just didn't want to admit that that was the case.

"You know, Kellie," he said, sounding like a parent having to explain some elemental truth to his child, "we do have safe words".

"I know, Brad. I just didn't feel like using them, that's all."

He shook his head. "But what if I go too far one of these times? I'm scared that I'll really hurt you."

She tenderly kissed his forehead. "I trust you, completely. I know you'd never really hurt me. Besides, whatever pain I have one minute, I soon forget about it because it's so small compared to the intense pleasure you give me the next minute."

"Oh yeah? What kind of pleasure?"

"Well," she breathed into his ear, "for one thing, I never knew it would feel so amazing when you... you know... licked... and, uh, played with me... uh, back there."

A cheeky grin spread over his face. "I love your ass, honey. I always have. Last night I took advantage of the opportunity you gave me to play with it in some of the ways I've always wanted to. I know it's kind of perverted... but I don't care. I'd do it again, if you let me."

She trembled in pleasure before she replied. "Anytime you feel like, honey. Just give me some advanced warning, and if I'm up for it I'll make sure I'm super clean back there and horny for you."

He smiled and groaned simultaneously. Feeling bold, he ventured a little further. "You don't suppose you'd ever feel like... you know..."

"With what you're packing down there?" she interrupted with a smirk. "Don't push your luck!"

Brad laughed ruefully, nodded at Kellie, and added, "A man can always dream, right?"

They giggled and sighed in unison, both thinking again about the carnal delights they enjoyed last night. After a few beats of silence, Brad asked, "And what gave you the idea to give me this gift in the first place?"

"You needed it. You looked so sad last night, and it made me sad. I wanted to cheer you up. And what better way to make us both feel better than to fuck each other's brains out?"

"I love the way you think, honey. But I still can't believe you didn't use any safe words last night. Didn't you need to use one? Or even just think about using one?"

"No. I told you, I trust you, and you never went anywhere I didn't want to go. And, to be honest, I like the challenge of lasting the whole night without using a safe word. It appeals to my... competitive nature."

Brad's heart ached over the unbelievable revelations Kellie just shared with him. "Why are you so good to me?"

"Because you're so good to me. You're my husband and I love you."

She sat on his lap, ignoring the soreness on her rear end, and hugged him. He rested his head in her bosom.

"Tell you what, honey," Brad spoke after several minutes of the couple sharing another contented silence. "Why don't I run you a bubble bath? You can relax and soothe that pretty little bottom of yours after all the... uh, liberties I took with it last night."

Kellie giggled at that line before pausing. "What about E.J.?" she asked.

"I'll pick him up. It will give me a chance to talk to my parents. I needed to discuss a couple of things with them before we leave tomorrow, anyway."

They kissed. It was a soft, unhurried kiss, filled with love. Taking her by the hand, Brad led Kellie to their bathroom. He filled the tub with hot water and a capful of lavender-scented bubble bath lotion. She gingerly stepped into the tub and sighed at how good the water felt on her skin. With another kiss and a look of longing at her naked form, Brad reluctantly left so he could get dressed and ready to see his parents and pick up E.J.

Kellie luxuriated in the bath. The thoughts of what she and Brad did last night, when he again physically and worshipfully dominated her body and ripped orgasm after orgasm out of her until she thought she'd shatter into a million tiny little fragments, caused her to quiver and moan. She briefly touched her pussy and gasped at how sensitive it was, which just made her laugh with delight over the memories of how it got that way. Meanwhile her heart burned for him when she recalled what they spoke about this morning and what he was doing for her and her child, now and in the near future. Not for the first time she daydreamed about just how much she loved Brad and E.J. and how they were her world, her universe, her everything.

She reminisced about what happened the last time they role-played Master and submissive. It led to one of the happiest moments of her life, when she learned she was pregnant with E.J. She briefly wondered if lightning could strike twice.

In time, she had her answer.



Kellie and Brad Ch. 08



AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is the eighth chapter of a multi-part story. You should read the first seven chapters to help you understand the whole story. Fair warning... there are some intense, non-consent scenes, but they are not gratuitous and are only done in service of the story. Please enjoy.

He remembered both events as if they happened yesterday...

Event #1

It was early springtime, a time for renewal and looking forward to a better future. But not for Russ. He was not in the right frame of mind to think about such nice things.

With Brad gone, Russ tried to replace his friend's presence at the curling club. All his efforts had so far been unsuccessful. The remaining employees were eager and hard-working, and they tried their best to follow Russ's instructions. However, they didn't have the skills, experience or patience of Brad.

So some things that Russ could always count on to be taken care of before weren't being done to the same standards, and the townspeople noticed. They weren't angry yet, but they also weren't afraid to tell Russ that they hoped for better as soon as possible. He was feeling pressure from the board of directors to rectify the situation.

Matters of the heart weren't providing Russ much respite. He did fulfill one of the last requests Brad made of him before he and Kellie moved away. He screwed up the courage to ask Rachel, who had recently moved to the small town and worked at the post office, out on a date. She accepted, the first date led to a second and so on. They dated fairly regularly for the past few months. But Russ felt that whatever spark there was initially was now fading away, and he thought the relationship was drifting with no clear sense of direction. He didn't want to hurt Rachel, but he could not come to a decision regarding where they should go from here.

Fortunately, the visions of he and Kellie having sex were fading away, slowly yet surely. Thank God for small mercies, he thought to himself.

Why it was happening, though, didn't exactly make him feel any better. Russ carried within him a large reservoir of pain that he had mentally held at bay for a long time. Brad unintentionally broke down those barriers when he asked, during that fateful showdown the day after the "forbidden kiss", as he had come to call it, when was the last time Russ had sex. Through no fault of his friend, Russ was plagued by memories he hadn't allowed himself to contemplate in years. While it was leading to the eventual end of his fantasizing about Kellie, it also contributed to the difficulties he had in trying to make real progress in his relationship with Rachel.

These were the thoughts on his mind when the phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Hey Russ, it's Brad!"

"Hey Brad! Man, it's so good to hear from you! How's life in the big city treating you?"

"It's been great! Work has been going well, it's interesting and the people here have really helped me fit in."

"Glenn's not working you to the bone yet?"

"Haha, no, he's been good to me so far! He's throwing a lot of responsibilities at me but it's nothing I can't handle. He's almost as good a boss as you were!"

"Oh, stop it, Brad, you're just trying to kiss ass! I'll have to tell Glenn to start cracking the whip!"

"Come on Russ, we both know you don't have the stones to do that!"

The two friends shared a laugh over their practiced and easy banter. Russ shook his head as he briefly recalled again how close he came to destroying their friendship once and for all.

"How's the wife and kid?" he asked.

"Fantastic!" Brad answered. "There are a couple young families with kids E.J.'s age in the neighbourhood so he's had lots of play-dates and is making friends already! And Kellie loves being back in the city. She's close to her teammates again, which cuts down on the travel needed to gather together for practice and training and so on. Plus, she's making friends with the neighbours as well!"

"That's great to hear."

"Yeah. Don't get me wrong, we miss you and everyone else back there but we're really happy we've made the move. The only disappointment we've had is seeing her and the team not make it to the nationals this year, but you know how hard it is to win this province."

"Absolutely, there is no shame in losing to the Schneider rink; they are a very good team."

"For sure. Enough about us though, I want to know what's new in your life!"

"Oh, I'm fine, Brad, not much new with me."

"Yeah? How about you and Rachel? Come on, don't hold back, buddy!"

"We're... OK."

"Just OK?"

"It's... kind of hard to explain."

"Well... if you say so. Hey, I hope you can tell me more about it this weekend! We're planning to drive down to visit with my parents and her aunt and uncle, and we wanted to see you as well, if you're not too busy."

"Sounds great! I'd love to see you all again!"

"Excellent! Listen... there's something else we need to talk about. I don't want to do it over the phone. We'll discuss it when I'm down there. It's important."

Russ gulped. What could he be talking about? "OK, no problem. See you soon, then?"

"Yeah, see you in a few days!"

Russ hung up the phone and checked the calendar on his desk in his home office. He noticed that six months had passed since Brad, Kellie and E.J. had made their move to the big city. 'Six months?' he though incredulously. 'Where has all the time gone?'

But what really occupied his worried mind was Brad saying they needed to talk. Russ hoped it wasn't any bad news for Brad and Kellie; he had a feeling it wasn't but he couldn't be sure. What could be so important for Brad that he needed to tell him about it face to face? Did it have to do with the "forbidden kiss"? The last time they spoke Brad promised he'd never bring it up again. Why would he go back on his word, if that was what he intended to do?

He didn't know the answers to these questions, so Russ was nervous for the rest of the week. He was happy that Saturday finally rolled around so he could see his friends again, but he was especially eager to get down to the matters at hand.

Russ hopped up at the sound of the doorbell. He opened the door to see a smiling Brad holding E.J. in his large arms. "Hi Russ!" Brad exclaimed. "E.J., say hi to Uncle Russ!"

"Russ!" E.J. yelled, filled with pride at being able to follow his dad's instructions.

Russ laughed and greeted his friend. He took hold of the mop-topped toddler with the impish grin so Brad could get the "baby bag". Russ stepped out on his front porch and his eyes widened in surprise as he took in the sight of a very happy and very pregnant Kellie.

"Hello Russ, how are you?!" Kellie asked. She laughed brightly when she saw the look of astonishment on Russ's face.

"Oh, wow, Kellie, congratulations, you look wonderful!" Russ gave Kellie a big hug, and he smiled when he saw E.J. reach forward to eagerly grasp on to his mother. Kellie turned away for a moment with her son, and Russ closed his eyes. His mind began to bring up an image of Kellie naked, but instead of allowing himself to concentrate on that image he forced himself to think about Rachel. He breathed a quiet sigh of relief in the knowledge that his tactic, which he had practiced repeatedly, was working. In the end he didn't really feel anything in hugging Kellie other than the joy of seeing a good (and platonic!) friend after a long absence apart.

Everyone gathered inside Russ's living room. Brad and Kellie sat on the sofa across from Russ, and E.J. amused himself by noisily scooting on the floor with some of his toys.

"So, Brad," Russ asked, "why didn't you tell me before that you and Kellie were expecting another child?"

Brad shrugged and gave a crooked little smile. "I wanted to surprise you."

"Well, you certainly did that!"

"Good, I'm glad! Plus...", and here Brad paused and looked to Kellie for support, "it has to do with what we wanted to talk to you about today."

"OK," Russ said somewhat nervously. "What is it?"

Brad hesitated, looking for the right words to say, but he didn't look upset in any way. Russ was hopeful that this was a good sign.

"Russ," Brad finally said, "I know I promised we'd never bring up... you know, that day again, but I need to mention it as a reference point."

Russ swallowed hard but nodded for his friend to go on.

"After we cleared the air the next day, Kellie and I talked. Then, one thing led to another, and... well, let's just say that was the night Kellie became pregnant again." Brad and Kellie smiled tenderly at each other and held hands.

Russ was now confused. "Listen, I'm so, so happy for you... but if you don't mind my asking, what does this have to do with me?"

"Well, see, how I figure it," Brad answered with a hint of mischief, "in a round-about way, you're at least partially responsible for our good fortune! The whole sequence of events that led up to this was unorthodox, to say the least, wouldn't you agree?"

"That's one way of putting it!" Russ exclaimed.

"Right, so Kellie and I thought about finding an equally unorthodox way to thank you. The more we thought about it, the more we came to the conclusion that it would only be fitting to ask you to name our second child." Brad gently rubbed Kellie's pregnant stomach, and the two shared a brief loving kiss before movement from E.J. distracted them.

Russ's breath was taken away. To say that he was stunned wouldn't even begin to describe how he felt at that moment. To the extent that he thought about it at all, he considered naming children to be a privilege and responsibility strictly to be enjoyed by the parents. So the fact that Brad and Kellie were offering this privilege to him, especially with everything that led up to it, was mind-boggling.

"I don't know what to say," he replied. "Are you sure about this? I don't know if I can accept this honour you're offering to me."

"Russ," Kellie said, "we know we've probably shocked you by making this request of you. But we really do hope you'll say yes. It's up to you, though, and we'll understand and accept your choice either way."

Russ nodded and thought hard about what Brad and Kellie had to say. He fought with his feelings briefly, but the longer he thought about it, the more he realized that he really only had one answer to their question.

"OK," he said. "I've made up my mind. Please don't try and change it."

"We won't," replied Brad. "We promise," Kellie added.

Satisfied, Russ continued. "OK, here goes. If you have another boy, I will decline your offer to name him. I'll leave it to you to come up with a good name, and I'm sure you will. However, if your child is a girl..."

Russ sighed and breathed deep. Brad and Kellie looked at each other, and knew what the other was thinking; for some reason which Russ had not yet chosen to share with them, this was a very emotional decision for him. They remained silent, giving their friend the time and space to say what he needed to say.

"If your child is a girl," Russ spoke quietly, "I would be honoured if you named her Kaitlyn."

"Kaitlyn," Kellie repeated. Russ saw the bright smile on Kellie's face and noted the shine of her eyes as they welled with tears. "It's a beautiful name."

Brad also saw his wife's reaction, and knew there could be no other direction to take. "You have a deal, my friend," he said to Russ.

Russ extended his hand to his best friend, and Brad shook it enthusiastically before pulling him into a warm hug. Kellie joined the hug and cried her tears of happiness. "Thank you, Russ," she said.

Not to be outdone, E.J. wormed his way into the adults embrace. He hugged each of them in turn around the legs and sighed, "Ahhh," each time.

Kellie, Brad and Russ all laughed and enjoyed the little boy's show. Not only was it one of the cutest things they ever saw, it was also perfectly timed to release the built-up tension around them.

Event #2

It was now three months later. A hot July day.

Russ was in the hospital visiting Brad and Kellie. He thought about that earlier conversation in the springtime that he shared with his good friends. He also thought about the changes in his own life in that intervening period.

Brad's voice brought him out of his reflections. "Come on, Russ! We're all waiting for the godfather to see the new arrival!" he said as he poked his head out of the maternity room.

"OK, I'll be right there!" he replied. He turned to Rachel, who was sitting next to him, and gave her a kiss. "I'll try not to be too long," he told her.

"Nonsense," Rachel said. "This is something special. You take as much time as you need. I'll be here, waiting for you."

Russ looked back at Rachel with real affection. Soon after he gave his answer to Brad and Kellie's bombshell offer to name their next child, he shared some of the feelings and challenges he was having in his relationship with Rachel. They suggested he should try to stop putting so much pressure on himself over his and Rachel's future, and instead decide to let things happen and see where it took them. Russ took their advice and tried to carry it through to the best of his ability.

And it was working.

He and Rachel were now closer than they ever had been, and, though he had yet to talk to her about the upsetting memories of his past, he thought he would soon feel comfortable enough to do so. It made Russ smile that he had someone who could possibly help him finally deal with this burden. More and more, he realized, he was falling in love with her, and he could sense the feeling was mutual. He saw himself being together with Rachel for many, many years.

He left aside the future for a moment and returned to the present. A joyful scene lay in front of him in the maternity room. Kellie was lying in her bed, tired from her exertions. Upon seeing Russ, though, she smiled and allowed him to carefully take hold of his goddaughter.

Brad was holding his 20-month old son E.J. The little boy was uncharacteristically quiet. The proud father smiled as he watched his son's wide eyes of wonder. E.J. was staring at the little bundle of joy now in Russ's arms. It was his new baby sister, Kaitlyn Eve Galenchuk. The healthy infant girl yawned and wriggled in Russ's careful embrace.

"She's beautiful," Russ whispered as he gingerly returned Kellie's daughter to her arms.

"And she has a beautiful name," Kellie replied.

"Yes, she does," said Brad as he looked at Russ. "Thanks to you."

Russ smiled but said nothing more. He wanted to say more; a lot more as a matter of fact. But his choking up with emotion and the copious amount of tears welling up in his eyes rendered him temporarily speechless.

*******

She was feeling housebound and restless.

Anita understood that, in ideal circumstances, she wouldn't have been able to enjoy the same carefree lifestyle she used to have. Her first priority was her son, Johnathan. Anita knew she had made several bad decisions and careless mistakes along the way, but she was determined that she would do everything she could to care for her boy and do right by him.

And she found it difficult to complain too much about Paul's generosity. She had met him purely by accident, literally running in to him. Out of the blue, he invited her and her son to lunch, and then offered them a place to stay. There was a part of her that warned he had to have some hidden agenda, some ulterior motive, for making such a gesture. The fact that, in her mind, she had zero other reasonable options overruled that warning. In a very short time Anita found herself and Johnathan settling in with Paul.

Months had passed, and they had settled into a routine. On the surface it was as if they were a young family like many others. She and Paul were like husband and wife, only without the sex. She was the "stay-at-home mom" while he was the "breadwinner", going to work during the week. To the outside world, the arrangement seemed to be working well for all involved.

But something nagged at Anita. That part of her that sternly warned her not to move in with Paul was still speaking to her. It was setting off alarm bells, and they were stronger than ever. It was telling her that something was not right.

Paul seemed to have an irrational hang-up over her leaving the house without him. Every time Anita tried to go out and do something, whatever it was, even if it was something simple like running an errand or taking Johnathan out for a walk, Paul reacted in one of three ways. He either insisted on doing it for her, convinced her not to go out altogether, or he joined her to prevent her from going alone. Being an independent woman, Anita wasn't used to this at all, and she found the behaviour very weird.

There were also a number of times Anita felt Paul was undressing her with his eyes. It was an unnerving sensation. Paul was a handsome man, and in the first few days of their relationship Anita idly wondered what having sex with him would be like. But it was never a serious consideration. As time went by she was more and more put off by his generally cold, detached demeanour. She also couldn't help but think he was expecting her to submit to his desires, and she still felt strong enough in her belief that she was not the submissive type. If he really did think that way, however, he was doing a great job of not showing it, not tipping his hand. What were Paul's true thoughts and motivations? Right now Anita could only guess at them.

Today, on a crisp, autumnal Saturday morning, Anita decided solving that puzzle was for another day. She took a chance at striking out on her own. If Paul had a problem with that, well, that was just too bad.

"Paul," she said to him as he sat at the kitchen table, reading a newspaper, "I'm heading out for a little while. I'll be back later this evening, OK?"

"What?!" he asked with some level of exasperation. "Where do you think you're going?"

"Relax, Paul, it's no big deal! I just need some 'me' time. I feel like you're smothering me."

"Ridiculous! I take you and your son in from off the street, give you both shelter and food, and this is the thanks I get?!"

Anita groaned and rubbed her temples. This was not going well at all. "I've told you before, I appreciate what you've done for me and little Johnny, and I mean that! But you being so controlling of me and my life, deciding where I go and what I do... that was never part of the deal!"

'Oh yes it was, my pretty little thing', Paul thought to himself, 'you've just chosen to ignore the obvious signs.' He then heard Anita say something but, lost in his thoughts as he was, he didn't hear it. "What was that?" he asked her.

Sighing, she repeated, "I told you I was a curling athlete, right? A very, very good one, even if I do say so myself. Even a Canadian champion not that long ago, almost... twice." Anita trailed off at the end as memories of her loss in the finals to Kellie, something she hadn't thought of in a long time, and, really, the start of this whole damned mess, came flooding back to her.

Paul just shrugged. She might have told him that, but he didn't really care. He'd hoped to get her turned around to his way of thinking without spelling it out, however that seemed to be less and less likely with each passing moment.

Anita shook her head to regain her composure and continued. "I've been out of the game for a while with everything that's happened to me, and I need to get back into it. My son is obviously number one in my life, but curling is my other love, my other passion. So I've decided to go down to the local curling club to practice. If you're really my friend like you keep telling me you are, you'll let me go!"

"No way!" Paul yelled. "I don't care what you want, it's not happening!"

Anita had an incredulous look on her face, which Paul intended on removing in short order. Then she did something he never would have expected.




Kellie and Brad Ch. 08



She laughed.

It was a long and full-bodied laugh, one that released a lot of tension within her. It may have sounded joyful, but it brought no joy to Paul. Only a slow-burning yet dangerously growing anger.

"Sorry, Paul, I don't mean to be insulting!" Anita said when she had calmed down, finished wiping the tears from her eyes and saw the sour look on his face. "It's just that I think I've figured out what you were thinking, and... I don't know, it just struck me as funny, that's all."

Paul arched an eyebrow, curious as he was to hear her reasoning. Maybe she had figured things out after all. "Please, do tell," he said.

"You're worried I'm going to leave you alone to look after little Johnny!" Anita exclaimed. "I mean, you don't exactly strike me as having a lot of experience looking after young kids all by yourself, am I right?"

Paul plastered a fake smile on his face. He stood up to briefly check on the kid, ensuring he was still asleep in the living room, while she continued to talk. "It's OK, Paul, you don't have to worry about that. There's a daycare centre across the street... kitty-corner, really... to the curling club. I called them and they said they have space available. So I can leave Johnathan there, he'll be well taken care of while I practice, and you can do whatever you wanted to..."

Anita was suddenly cut off when Paul quickly and violently grabbed her by the arm. She gasped in shock, but before she could protest further Paul clamped his other hand over her mouth and menacingly whispered in her ear, "Not one fucking word!" He dragged her upstairs into his bedroom, dumping her carelessly on the bed. Anita was too stunned and afraid to say anything in response.

Paul regarded Anita with an intense, cutting gaze that made her even more fearful. "I'm tired, Anita," he said threateningly. "Tired of your obliviousness. Tired of you being so ignorant of my needs!"

"Wh-what?" she asked in a meek, shaky voice that was completely unlike her usual self. But what was her normal self, anymore? For the first time she could remember, she had real doubts.

"Fine," Paul said simply and unbuckled his belt. "I'll spell it out for you in plain terms. I was kind enough to invite you and your son into my home, but I will not allow you to freeload off me for as long as you please!"

"Dammit, Paul, why didn't you say so?! I'll get a job! I'm not too proud to find work and pay for my share!"

Again Anita's pleas were cut off, this time with a hard backhanded slap to her face. She whimpered and moaned in pain and fear.

"NO!" Paul yelled. "I don't want your money!"

"What?! What do you want?" Anita asked in a high-pitched voice, as she was now in full panic mode.

Paul rolled his eyes, dropped his pants and presented his naked lower half to Anita. Later that night she realized that his penis was unimpressive in its size, but at the time she cowered as he pointed it at her. "Service me," he ordered. "Suck my cock!" She hesitated, only to have him grab her by the hair, drag her towards him, and growl, "Now!!"

Scared of the possible consequences of disobeying his command, and unsure of what other options she had that didn't involve her and her son being thrown out onto the street, or worse, Anita did as she was told. 

********

Kaitlyn was a different baby than E.J.

Not that Kellie and Brad were surprised by this. The surprise was just how marked the differences were.

E.J. was an active baby and grew to be even livelier and more rambunctious as a toddler. This was not to say that E.J. was nothing but a problem child. There were moments of misbehaviour, but no more so than the average child. What he did have was a non-stop motor. At this stage in his young life the boy wanted to do anything and everything, and required nearly constant interaction and attention. Of course, Kellie and Brad were happy to give it to him, but it sometimes proved to be exhausting for both parents. 

Kaitlyn, meanwhile, was a much calmer baby. She did bask in the love and attention Brad and Kellie showered on her, but she was often content to play or explore quietly on her own. The family doctor and young child development specialist the Galenchuks consulted with reassured the young couple that nothing was wrong with Kaitlyn. All the tests and check-ups confirmed that she was developing normally and was a happy, healthy baby in every way. She was just of a different temperament than E.J. It wasn't any more complicated than that.

Other than when he would (finally!) settle down for sleep, there were few times that E.J. would be as calm and quiet as his baby sister. To the wondrous delight of Kellie and Brad, those few times centred on being in the direct presence of Kaitlyn. He would sometimes point at her when one parent held her in their arms and softly say, "Baby!" or "Kaity!", and Kellie and Brad would praise him for pointing that out. Other times he would sit and watch for minutes at a time while she wriggled on the floor, learning to move her tiny body around, or while she quietly slept.

"Look at that," Brad said to Kellie one day as they observed their children. "Big brother E.J. is already looking out for little sister Kaitlyn!"

"I know!" Kellie softly exclaimed. "It's so adorable!"

One incident really stuck out in the minds of Kellie and Brad. It was a particularly hectic day for both of them, and in the confusion they both forgot to close the lock on the gate they installed on the stairway. Kaitlyn, in her typical, quietly inquisitive way, crawled toward the staircase, smiling as she sought to reach the previously uncharted territory. Both parents were standing in the kitchen at the time; they both saw what was about to happen but were too late to stop it. Visions of Kaitlyn, still uncoordinated and getting used to moving her small body, falling down the stairs and seriously hurting herself filled their panicked minds.

At that moment, E.J. swiftly ran across the room, past Kaitlyn, and planted himself at the edge of the stairs. The young boy kept his sister happily occupied until Brad reached the gate and locked it. He and Kellie worked to keep calm so they wouldn't unnecessarily alarm their children, but later that night, when everyone was in bed, they held each other tightly. Both were shaking in relief over the close call.

"Oh, Brad, that was so scary!" Kellie exclaimed.

"I know, I'm just glad little Kaity didn't get hurt!" Brad replied.

"Thank goodness for E.J. I think he really is going to be a good big brother for Kaitlyn."

"I think so, too. Come on, Kellie, we should try and get some sleep."

"OK."

They kissed and Brad shut off the bedside lamp. They knew it would not always be so perfect. As the two kids grew up, they would certainly get into their share of disagreements and arguments. But for now, they would continue to enjoy the sight of young E.J.'s obvious love of his baby sister Kaitlyn while being thankful for his protective instincts.

********

"Oh, Johnny," she quietly asked her sleeping son, "what are we going to do?"

Anita sighed, leaned down to kiss Johnathan's cheek, and then slumped into her own bed in Paul's guest bedroom.

Having Paul force oral sex on her that evening had certainly scared Anita deeply. Late into the night, she continued to toss and turn in bed. She wrestled with the decision of what she should do. She couldn't stay with a man who acted this way, could she? She couldn't have become so weak-willed that she could stay with someone capable of such depraved actions, who treated her with such disrespect, and, quite possibly worst of all, someone who could expose her son to that kind of environment and thus poison his young mind. Could she?

But where else could they go? She knew where they SHOULD go... but she didn't think she'd be welcome there anymore.

Fatigue overtook Anita before she could come to a decision. Her sleep was thin and uneasy. She awoke to find Paul towering over her, staring down at her from above. She screamed and jerked up to a seated position, using the blankets to cover her half-naked form.

"Holy shit, Paul, what the fuck?!" she yelled in sheer terror.

But Paul said nothing, at first. Anita peeked over at Johnathan's bed, and was surprised to see her son was still asleep. She cast another nervous glance at Paul... who did something she did not expect, at all.

He dropped to his knees, laid his head on the bed, and sobbed uncontrollably.

"Paul?" Anita asked quietly. She was now more confused than ever.

Paul raised his head, wiped tears from his eyes and said, "I'm sorry, Anita. So, so sorry. I behaved horribly last night. I realize now how important a part of my life you and little Johnny have come to be. He's so young and precious, and you're so kind-hearted and beautiful. But I fear I've ruined it all in a moment of ugly selfishness. I wouldn't say a word in protest if you decide you and your son need to move out, but if you could find it in your heart to forgive me and stay here so maybe we could work things out, I would be eternally grateful."

Anita couldn't tear her eyes away from Paul. He stared right at her after saying his piece, giving his best hang-dog look, begging for her forgiveness without saying another word. And with that look, she could feel the strength of her resolve ebbing away.

She swallowed and said, "Do you swear... I mean, absolutely SWEAR... that something like this will never happen again?!"

"Yes, Anita! I'll swear on a stack of bibles, if I have to."

"And you'll let me live my own life, and make my own choices of what my son and I will do if I decide to stay here?"

"We can work something out, just... please, please say you'll forgive me!"

Anita sighed. Ignoring the inner voice in her mind, she said, "OK. You gave me a chance by taking Johnathan and I into your house, so I'll give you another chance as well."

Anita watched as Paul was overcome with emotion, and it even made her tear up a little. He mouthed the words 'Thank you', and reached out to hug Anita. She met him in the middle and took him into her arms.

Held tightly in Anita's embrace, Paul smiled.

********

They were both doing what they loved.

Brad had settled very well into his new role at the Blue Granite Curling Club. He quickly developed a good working relationship with his staff, as well as the former director of maintenance, who was assisting Brad as a part-time consultant. In the mid-to-late spring, summer and early fall Brad was seconded to support the grounds keeping personnel at the golf course affiliated with the club. He enjoyed the chance to learn about maintaining the playing surface of a different sport, and the outdoors work gave him a deep "farmer's tan", which Kellie found irresistibly appealing.

But it was during the curling season that Brad knew that he had to earn his pay. He listened closely to his predecessor when he spoke about the intricacies of ice-making. Brad was well aware the man was widely regarded as an elder statesman in the game, so he soaked up all the knowledge he could from him. He felt very pleased when his new mentor praised his work ethic and application of his new skills. He also got to know his new staff well and was happy to note that they were just as good as the crew he left behind, a young, eager and professional bunch who were also good people to boot. Brad took a lot of pride in his work, knowing that he was a very key part in the operation of one of the most historic and prestigious curling clubs in the province, if not in all of Canada.

For her part Kellie was able to supplement the family income a couple of different ways. During the curling season she and her team competed on the newly formed World Curling Tour, which was developed to help all parties involved (the athletes, televised sports networks and the fans) benefit from the continuing surge in the sport's popularity. Kellie and her team played very well in the Tour events they entered, but they did not dominate. They certainly didn't expect to, of course... the level of competition was too great for that to happen. But in each of the first two seasons of the Tour, they won one event and placed in the money in a couple of others. Once the proceeds were added up, even though they were split five ways, Kellie, Jennifer, Sandra, Amber and Heather were able to enjoy some well-earned financial rewards for their athleticism and many hard hours of practice and training.

Meanwhile in the off-season Kellie had signed up with a prominent local gym, and with her popularity and obvious athletic credentials the owner did not hesitate to offer her work as a personal trainer. It didn't take her long to discover that helping people reach their own fitness goals was something she loved doing. Moreover she was thankful for the flexible schedule her new employer gave her, since it allowed enough time for her to care for her kids.

Despite their busy professional schedules Brad and Kellie made it clear to everyone that their children, E.J. and Kaitlyn, came first. Kellie was especially well aware that if she wasn't careful about how she divided her time between her family and her sporting career that one or both would suffer, and she was determined to do everything in her power to ensure that didn't happen. It was a delicate balance to maintain, especially in the winter, the height of the curling season and the time that Kellie was away from the family the most.

These absences were difficult for Kellie. Seeing her two young children become emotional over her leaving affected her, sometimes leaving her in tears as well. And maintaining the sharp focus important to someone at the top of her sport was a challenge as well; she occasionally found herself wondering how Brad was faring with the kids before realizing she needed to snap out of it and get back to making an important decision as the skip of a match in progress.

Kellie was thus thankful for the great support she received from her teammates at all times. During their road trips, at times one or all of Sandra, Jennifer, Heather and Amber would be there for Kellie when she had worries or concerns, offering their advice or sometimes just being a sounding board. It brought them even closer together as a team.

That togetherness, coupled with their combination of skills and leadership, helped them continue to be a popular and successful team. Their only disappointment in this time, despite the success they enjoyed overall, was their inability to win their provincial championship and thus move on to the Canadian championship tournament.

For Kellie and her teammates, nationals was the pinnacle of achievement in their sport and the one thing they wanted to win more than anything. Their past tastes of victory at this level made it even more difficult for them to take that they could only come so close in their last couple attempts, but yet so far. However Kellie did not lose heart. She felt their close relationship, combined talent, synergy and desire ensured they would continue their pursuit for years to come, and her confidence was high that victory would one day again be theirs to enjoy.

As blessed as she was with athletic talent and leadership ability needed to succeed in the sport of curling, Kellie knew she was equally blessed to have a loving and supportive family to help her along the way.

Well... for the most part.

Since getting married to Brad she rarely thought of her parents, who apparently were so wrapped up in their own lives and those of her siblings that they seemed not to give much thought to her. Instead of getting upset over it she just refused to dwell on it. It helped that she was so busy with everything else in her life, as it gave her little time to think about just how messed up that situation was. When she did think about it she used it as life lessons on what not to do, as a way to help her be the loving mother that E.J. and Kaitlyn deserved.

After years of soul-searching, she decided her brother and sister should not be blamed in any way for the difficulties of her childhood. Maybe they could and should have done more to help Kellie when they were younger, but Kellie reasoned that they were just kids themselves, barely able to figure out their own lives without having to worry about someone else's too. Kellie continued to correspond with them whenever she could. She marveled at their cosmopolitan European lives, just as they were happy to hear about her unique Canadian experiences.

Kellie and Brad's extended family, her Aunt Linda and Uncle Vic and his parents, Marilyn and Al, helped them whenever they could, even with the physical distance between them. Thankfully they weren't all that far apart, just a two-hour long drive, so it was relatively easy for one group to visit the other and vice-versa. Both the grandparents and the great aunt and uncle lovingly "spoiled" E.J. and Kaitlyn, and Brad and Kellie delighted in seeing them do so. The kids certainly loved them dearly, and they always looked forward to their visits with "Nana and Papa" and with "Auntie Lin and Uncle V".

And, of course, there was Brad. Not a day went by without Kellie giving thanks that he was such a huge part of her life. He was her rock, a good provider, a wonderful father and a loving husband. Little things he did reminded her of this daily. The enthusiasm he showed when horsing around with E.J. The adoration and wonder in his eyes when he held and kissed little Kaitlyn. Not to mention the tender touches and comfortable silences he shared with her.

Kellie reaffirmed to herself a silent promise, one that she had made many times before, and one that she felt especially important to dedicate herself to again. She would never forget or take for granted how much she loved Brad and how important he was in her life.

********

Anita marveled at Johnathan's continuing growth and development.

Before long it was about the only thing that kept her sane.

She took her role as single mother very seriously. She played games with Johnathan every day and read him bedtime stories every night. She delighted in seeing him start to crawl, and then walk, and then talk. Of course, there were the usual frustrations when he reached the "terrible twos" stage, especially once he learned the word no. He tried her patience more than once with that tactic. But, all things considered, Anita was proud of the job she was doing raising her son. For being in a single parent family, in unusual living arrangements, Johnathan was so far a healthy and well-adjusted young boy.

She couldn't help but question how long that would last, however. Especially the way Paul had been acting lately, and how that would affect her ability to properly raise her son.

For a while, after she forgave him for his transgression, Anita's relationship with Paul had improved. He eased off from his controlling behaviour, and he agreed to let her keep her promise to find a job and pay for her and her son's living expenses. Soon enough she was hired as a permanent part-time office receptionist for a business consulting firm. The work was just OK but the pay was decent, and in addition the company had an excellent children's daycare facility on site. The situation was ideal for Anita as she knew Johnathan would be well taken care of while she worked and did her part to contribute to the cause.

She even found a bit of time to go to the curling club to practice her game. She was very rusty and out of practice but she expected that. She had been looking forward to putting in more time to get her skills back, and maybe even one day catching on with a team again. She knew she missed the feeling of adrenaline and the mental workout of leading a team and being the one to make the final say in all the major decisions that arose during the course of a closely contested curling match. She had wanted to get back seriously into competing at an elite level in her chosen sport and had looked forward to feeling her competitive instincts fire up again. 




Kellie and Brad Ch. 08



But before Anita could do any of that, things changed.

Many times, long after the events themselves transpired, Anita wondered what would have happened if she discussed her feelings with Paul immediately after the first incident. Would he have been more willing to understand and thus accept her point of view? Or would the same or similar events have unfolded, only a couple months sooner? She'd never know the answer, and deep down she knew that letting her mind wander like this was good for nothing but driving her mad with the unknown, but she wondered all the same.

Instead, Anita didn't bring up the subject with Paul, because the situation seemed to have improved enough that she didn't think it to be necessary. She didn't tell him right away that, even though he was a handsome man, she decided she had no feelings for him, and wanted their relationship to be strictly platonic. Amicable, hopefully, but certainly non-sexual.

Paul clearly felt otherwise. And with each passing day, Anita had more and more difficulty getting him to take no for an answer, until one night when it all came to a head.

Anita was sitting on the couch and watching TV, trying to wind down after a stressful day. She had a rough day at work, preoccupied with her problems at home and frustrated and uncomfortable with the office building's air conditioning breaking down during a summer heat wave. She couldn't concentrate on her given tasks as a result, making plenty of mistakes and earning a good chewing out from her boss. To make matters worse, Johnathan had acted out and misbehaved earlier that evening, and Anita had a hard time trying to discipline him. He finally did go to bed, apologized to his mother, gave her a sweet "good-night" kiss on the cheek and told her he loved her. Anita gave her son a big hug and kiss in return and told him she loved him too, very much. She thought maybe it would be a happy end to an awful day.

Then Paul sat next to her. She felt very uncomfortable in his presence. She edged closer to the corner as if trying to shrink into the couch, but he moved with her. He put his arm around her and loomed over her.

"Anita, baby," he said. "You look like you've had a bad day. Let me make it better for you."

"No, Paul, I'm not interested," she replied clearly.

"Come on, sweet cheeks! You look like you need to get fucked, I need to get fucked, let's help each other out!"

Anita rolled her eyes at Paul's words, some of which came out slurred. He smelled like he had been drinking. Again.

"Ugh, back off, Romeo, you smell like a distillery," she said with more than a hint of disdain.

"Relax, baby, no need to be rude! What say you and me just have a little fun in the sack?" Paul cooed and caressed her cheek.

Something within Anita snapped. She pushed Paul off of her, leaped up from her seat and glared at him.

"Let's get something straight!" she yelled. "My name is NOT baby! And it ain't sweet cheeks, either, got it?! My name is Anita! And I'm sorry if this hurts you, and I should have said it earlier, I know... but the truth is, I'm not attracted to you. I want us to just be roommates, maybe even friends if things work out, but no more than that."

Anita's speech became less angry at the end. Despite all her misgivings about Paul, she actually found herself feeling a little sorry for him; she was, after all, dropping some potentially heavy news on him all at once. But it didn't take long for that feeling to fade away.

Paul slowly stood up and glared daggers at Anita. She gulped and took a step backward. In a flash he grabbed her wrist and held it in a vise-like grip. She trembled and let out a soft whimper of fear as she looked into his eyes. His cold, emotionless, menacing eyes.

"Wrong answer," he said.

One swing of his arm later, Anita's world went black.

********

Brad and Kellie had a problem.

They realized that, in the overall scheme of things, it was pretty minor as problems go. After all, they had a great life and were only too thankful for their good fortune.

However, for two people who were not only deeply in love with each other but also had very active sex drives, the fact their busy work lives plus their child-rearing responsibilities made it next to impossible to act on those active sex drives was a problem all the same.

They had certainly tried... many times over, in fact. But it seemed that every time they would get started, E.J. would grow restless and get out of bed, asking Kellie, his mommy, for a glass of water. Or Kaitlyn would wake up crying and would need Brad, her daddy, to soothe her back to sleep.

What could they do? They certainly couldn't refuse their children's requests, after all. So their sexual needs and desires had to take a distant third behind caring for E.J. and Kaitlyn and their professional careers. Brad and Kellie remained loving and affectionate with each other, and they did not get angry towards each other, as they knew this problem was due to circumstances beyond their control. Getting angry at each other would be nothing short of ridiculous.

They were about to take the awkward but necessary step to ask either his parents or her aunt and uncle to babysit for a night... until they announced that all four of them decided to leave together on a lengthy vacation, rendering them unavailable for assistance.

It was an itch that they desperately needed to have scratched. And now they weren't at all sure what they could do about it.

Fortunately for Brad and Kellie, later that summer someone unwittingly provided them a solution to their problem.

Late one night, about two weeks before their own scheduled family vacation, Kellie took a phone call after putting the kids to sleep, just before she and Brad were scheduled to turn in to bed themselves.

"Hey, Kellie!" Amber said in her typical cheery manner.

"Amber! To what do I owe the pleasure of this phone call?" Kellie asked while stifling the urge to yawn.

"Your vacation... it's in two weeks, right?"

"Yes, that's right. Why do you ask?"

"Jamie and I have that same week off. We thought you might want some company!"

"That sounds great! Of course I'll have to talk to Brad but I'm sure he won't have a problem with it at all."

"Awesome! We actually did have another reason we wanted to join you."

"What's that?"

"Jamie and I have been talking recently about our future, and whether or not we want children as part of that."

"Oh my, Amber! I knew you and Jamie were close, but... are you saying what I think you're saying?"

"I sure am, skip! Jamie proposed to me last night, and I said yes!"

"Congratulations, Amber! That's wonderful!"

"Thanks skip! I love Jamie so much, and I know he feels the same way about me! You should see the rock he got me!"

"Oh, you better show it to me, girl!"

"Don't worry, I will! Anyway, like I said, we're both on the fence about whether or not we want kids. We sort of had the idea that if we were around E.J. and Kaity, and even... oh, I don't know... helped babysit them or something to give you a free night on the town, that it might help us figure out how we feel and what we should do."

Kellie wasn't sure of Jamie and Amber's reasoning but knew it wasn't her place to say so. "Well I do hope we can help you two out."

"I know you will."

Kellie couldn't contain her happiness for Amber despite being so tired. "Oh, I'm so happy for you and Jamie!"

Of course, Amber was super-excited herself. "Thanks again, skip, I have no doubt he's the one for me! We're so much in love!"

"He's one of the good guys, isn't he?"

"He sure is, skip. He sure is!"

"Listen, Amber, I do have to say, I know Brad and I would really appreciate you babysitting for a night, but don't feel like you have to."

"No, it's OK, we really want to. Besides, if we did, it would give you and Brad a chance to maybe get together for some sexy time!" Amber said playfully. She was well aware from previous conversations of Kellie's recent sexual frustrations.

Kellie let an involuntary moan slip from her mouth and rubbed her suddenly moistening pussy through her sleep shorts. "Uh huh," she gasped.

Amber giggled, and Kellie soon blushed and joined her in laughter once she realized what she did. They chatted some more about their new vacation plans together before saying their goodbyes. Brad was climbing into bed just as Kellie ended the call.

"Who was that, honey?" he asked.

"Amber," she replied. "She has good news, she and Jamie are engaged!"

"Hey, that's fantastic! They're such a cute couple together."

"You got that right! Also, apparently they want to join us on our vacation."

"Really? Why?"

"They want to see if being around our kids will help them decide if they want kids of their own."

"Uh... OK. I'm not sure if it works like that... but it would be fun to have them join us, so if that's what they want then that's fine with me."

"Brad," Kellie said suggestively, "there's another reason we'll want them to tag along."

Brad was quite tired, so he did not catch the true meaning behind Kellie's suggestion at all. "And that would be?"

Kellie leaned closer and whispered in Brad's ear. His eyes widened and his cock thickened.

"Oh, baby, I..." Brad started to say before letting go an almighty yawn. He shook his head and looked apologetically at Kellie, but saw he didn't need to. She was caught in a yawn of her own. When she stopped they both laughed over their condition.

"I just wish I wasn't so damn tired," Brad lamented.

"Think of it this way, baby," Kellie replied. "It gives us both something to look forward to."

"Yes," Brad agreed. "That it does."

They kissed, shut the bedside lamps off and closed their eyes. Seconds after hitting the pillow both were sleeping heavily.

********

Many sounds, suddenly assaulting her senses all at once...

Beeping machines. People walking back and forth in a hurry. Urgently spoken instructions.

Where was she? Why was she hearing these noises?

'And why the HELL is my head pounding like this?!' she thought to herself.

Anita started to sit up, but a combination of someone's hands on her chest gently pushing downward and a stab of hellacious pain in her head stopped her. She lay back down with a moan and slowly opened her eyes.

A female doctor looked back down at her and smiled, hoping to reassure her patient. Anita figured her to be middle-aged. Her short dark hair was streaked with grey. Her face was kind but her brown eyes hinted at a harder edge that she could draw on, if necessary.

"Relax, Anita," the doctor said. "You're at St. Joseph's Hospital. I'm Dr. Wainwright, but you can call me Cathy. You've taken quite a blow to your head. We've stopped the bleeding but we will need to put some stitches in you."

"Mommy!" The sound of a small boy alerted Anita. The doctor picked up on the cue and nodded to the nurse assisting her, who angled the bed up so Anita could properly sit up without pain.

"Johnny!" she said, trying to smile despite her condition. Her son looked frightened... and rightfully so, she concluded. She opened her mouth to say something else to try and comfort him before a loud, booming voice interrupted her.

"Hey, kid! Get back here!" Paul bellowed.

Dr. Wainwright's keen sense of observation, for which she was notorious among her fellow hospital employees, kicked in again. She noticed Anita cringe at the sight and sound of the large man who had just rounded the corner, and she knew immediately what she had to do.

"Sir, you are not allowed back here," she said firmly. "You need to return to the waiting area immediately."

"Don't tell me what to do!" Paul yelled back before gesturing in Anita's direction. "Shut up and sew her back up!"

"Sir, if you don't leave right now I will call security to throw you out." Dr. Wainwright's voice was barely above normal conversation levels, but something about the way she delivered the message made it clear she wasn't to be trifled with.

Paul continued to glare but the doctor was unmoved, and soon enough he felt the eyes of everyone else around them. He decided to back down. This time.

"Come on kid," he said to Johnathan.

"No!" Anita said. "Doctor... I mean, Cathy, I'd like my son to stay with me here. Please?"

Dr. Wainwright smiled and spoke to Paul without giving him another glance. "You heard her. The boy stays here."

Paul grumbled but turned and left without further incident.

Johnathan came running to see his mother and yawned when he was by her side. Despite how scared he was, he was also very tired. He was yanked out of bed and taken to this strange-looking building for reasons he couldn't understand. All he knew was the big man whose house they lived in was yelling at his mommy while she was groaning, crying and bleeding. It was a lot for his three year old mind to process.

"Mommy, you OK?" he asked in a small voice.

"I'll be fine, Johnny," Anita replied. "I just had an accident, that's all. This nice doctor will help me feel better."

Dr. Wainwright frowned. "Anita," she said, "I need to speak to you. In private. Is it OK with you if the nurse watches over your son for a couple minutes? They'll just be at the table in the corner, out of earshot, but within your sight so you can be sure he's safe."

Anita nodded her consent, and after a moment the nurse scrounged up a colouring book and some crayons to help Johnathan pass the time. Satisfied that the young boy was far enough away, the doctor got down to business.

"Anita," Cathy whispered. "you didn't really have an accident, did you?"

Anita hesitated before shaking her head no.

"That man who came back here... he did this to you. Didn't he?"

Anita slowly nodded yes.

"Anita, you need to get away from that asshole. For your sake, and your son's sake. You two are in danger the longer you stay with him. You know that, don't you?"

Anita sighed. "Cathy, I'm in a real bind here. I mean... yes I do understand I probably can't stay with him much longer..."

"Much longer? You mean not any longer! You need to leave right now."

"You don't understand. I don't have money saved up. If I just stay at my job a little while longer then maybe I can scrape enough together so Johnathan and I can go where we need to go."

"Anita, I can help you. I have experience in dealing with women in abusive homes. I can help you get away clean, so he won't find you. I know... people, people that have access to... resources. Bottom line is, you should let me help you get out now before that creep sends you back here with your head split open again! Or... worse."

Anita thought long and hard about Dr. Wainwright's offer. It was tempting, but something about the way she presented it was very mysterious. Whether it was unease over that mystery, or part of her own fiercely independent streak showing up, at probably an inopportune time, her decision, for now, was made.

She gripped the doctor's wrist and spoke quietly but firmly. "Thank you, Cathy. I appreciate what you're trying to do for me. Really, I do. But... to be honest, I don't know you. I've just met you and you're asking me to put all this trust in you. Trust isn't something that comes easily for me at the best of times. My son and I, we've made it this far together, and other than tonight we've come out fine. I know I can't stay with Paul much longer, but I do feel somewhat in his debt. He took us in to his home when I felt we had no other option. But I realize now that he's dangerous. It's OK though, I know what I'm doing. I have a plan to get my son and I out of there soon, and I'm sure I can lay low enough to stay out of trouble in the meantime."

That wasn't what Dr. Wainwright wanted to hear. She couldn't figure Anita out. Of the battered women she tried to help, almost all those who turned her down were so psychologically scarred and re-programmed by their abuser that escape was out of the question. Anita seemed different though. She was simply stubborn and determined, convinced that she could do things her way. Cathy started to worry even more once she came to that conclusion, because that kind of attitude could really get Anita in trouble.

She summoned another nurse to assist her with her patient. "Anita," the doctor said, "we're going to stitch you up now. Fair warning, this will probably hurt. In the meantime, if you don't mind, could you tell me how you and your son ended up here?"

Between gasps and the occasional grunt of pain, Anita talked. Dr. Cathy Wainwright stitched and listened, making sure to do both things very carefully.

********

They were having a great time.

Kellie and Brad were happy to have Amber and Jamie join them on their family vacation. It gave them the chance to properly congratulate them on their engagement. They also welcomed the opportunity to have other adults to talk to while the kids were sleeping. Plus, Amber's bubbly personality and Jamie's laid-back demeanor were a hit with E.J. and Kaitlyn. The two young children delighted in having them around, and Kellie and Brad enjoyed watching Amber and Jamie have fun and laugh with their children.

Amber and Jamie were enjoying the vacation as well. They enjoyed spending time with their good friends. They also learned a lot by observing how Kellie and Brad cared for and interacted with E.J. and Kaitlyn. It was instructive to see how they played with and catered to the kids when they were good, and how they stood firm and disciplined them when they acted out of turn. The only unfortunate thing from Amber and Jamie's point of view was that it was making their decision whether they wanted to have children of their own more difficult.

Although, if anyone knew what they were doing each night as they retired back to their own hotel room, they may have just assumed they wanted nothing more than to have lots of children, if the energetic sex sessions they enjoyed were any indication.

Midway through their vacation week Amber engaged Kellie in some "girl talk" while the guys helped wind down the kids for bed.

"That really is a lovely ring!" Kellie exclaimed.

"I know!" Amber squealed. "I'm concerned that he spent too much on it but he keeps telling me not to worry about it."

"Awww, how sweet!"

"Yeah. You know what else he's been doing that's been pretty sweet?"

"What's that?"

"Well... I don't know if it's just being on vacation, or the excitement of being engaged, or what it is, but Jamie sure is giving me that big dick of his hard and fast each night!" Amber told her skip excitedly. "Not that I'm complaining, it's exactly what I need, because I've been so damn horny lately for some reason!"

"You little wench!" Kellie squealed, light-heartedly slapping Amber's shoulder while not quite believing the dirty talk coming from her mouth.

"What?!" Amber protested. Kellie just shook her head and the two shared a laugh before Amber stopped herself. She looked deep in thought.

"Amber? What's going on?" Kellie asked.

"I feel a little guilty, skip," Amber answered.

"Why?"

"Well, here Jamie and I are having great sex, but this week was supposed to be about you and Brad getting some."

"Don't worry about it. We were actually going to ask you two if you wouldn't mind babysitting for us tomorrow night."

"No problem, skip, you got it!" Amber said brightly. Kellie smiled, and for about the one millionth time she was amazed at Amber's near-perpetual sunny disposition, and just how quickly she managed to snap out of any brief bout of disappointment.

The two women talked for a moment and they agreed that Kellie and Brad would use Amber and Jamie's hotel room when they were ready and when the kids were asleep so as to have as little disruption as possible for E.J. and Kaitlyn.

"So what did you have in mind?" Amber asked. Kellie recalled a fantasy scenario she and Brad had been talking about playing out, and she described it to her younger teammate.




Kellie and Brad Ch. 08



"Oh, that's sooooo hot!" Amber cooed.

"I know, right?" Kellie replied. They both talked and laughed some more as Kellie explained more about how they would put their plan into action.

Meanwhile, E.J. and Kaitlyn had just fallen asleep, so Brad and Jamie had a chat of their own.

"How much did that rock cost you?" Brad asked.

"A lot!" Jamie replied. "But Amber's worth every penny. I love her."

"That's awesome. Hey, you two sure you won't mind watching the kids tomorrow night?"

"No worries. We said we would sometime this week, and tomorrow's as good a time as any. Besides, I'll probably need the rest."

Brad raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "Why's that?"

"Amber's insatiable, man! She can't get enough of me!" Jamie snickered at his last comment as he realized how conceited it must have sounded.

"Shut up!" Brad laughed and popped him with a friendly punch on the shoulder.

"No, listen, I'm serious! Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining, the sex with her is incredible! But she's wearing me out. Just one night to recharge, that's all I'm asking!"

"Hey, Jamie, enjoy it while you can. Because if you do decide to have kids then you two can pretty much kiss any love life goodbye for a long time!"

"Yeah, I guess." Jamie was quiet for a moment before deciding he didn't want to think about the whole kids decision right now, he'd wait to talk to Amber when they were both ready to do so.

"Speaking of love life," Jamie said by way of changing the subject, "what do you and Kellie have planned for tomorrow?"

Brad explained the scenario he and Kellie had been discussing.

Jamie nodded, impressed. "Sweet," he said.

"If it works out," Brad smiled, "it sure will be!"

********

They didn't speak to each other for a couple of days afterward.

Which was just as well for Anita. Because the more she thought about what happened, the angrier she became. She didn't really know what she wanted to tell Paul, but she was pretty sure it would have been as hurtful as she could possibly make it.

Paul, however, spent a good deal of the next few days out of the house, doing... whatever it was he was doing. Anita stayed home, having called into work sick for the rest of the week, allowing herself time to heal. She took care to stay out of Paul's sight for the brief times he was home. She also tended to Johnathan very carefully. She tried to act as if everything was normal because she did not want her son to be overly traumatized by these incidents.

Anita also made preparations for her departure. She secretly packed away her and her son's belongings that were non-essential for daily use and tucked them away, hopefully out of sight of prying eyes. She noted the sum-total of their belongings would only fit two suitcases, and shrugged. It hit her as she realized what her reaction would have been if someone told her before she became pregnant that this would be her fate. It was enough to cause her to sit in quiet contemplation for a while.

She checked her bank account and frowned as she realized how low her balance really was. Well, she had a way to help fix that. She wasn't going to give Paul one more red cent. She didn't care what "living expenses" she and her son used the next little while, Paul's actions proved to her he didn't deserve a damn thing anymore. She did some quick calculations and figured two more paycheques would give her just enough to safely provide for their trip back home.

Unless he tried to pull another stunt like last time, she suddenly thought. Well, if it came to that, she'd move her and Johnathan out of there in a heartbeat, find a shelter or a cheap motel to stay in and work a few extra weeks. Whatever it took.

Monday morning came around and Anita finally felt well enough to go to work. She called ahead to let her supervisor know she'd be there and was told to get in as soon as she could as she had a lot of work to catch up on. She hung up the phone and sighed. She took a look in the mirror. Her facial injuries were still somewhat evident with the stitches still in place but she worked up a story to explain them away if anyone was nosy enough to ask, and with an appointment later in the week to have them removed it was a short-term problem at worst.

Paul left a note saying he had to go in to work early. 'Good,' Anita thought, 'one less thing for me to worry about.' She got Johnathan bundled up and ready to go, which was an easier process than normal as he looked forward to being somewhere other than cooped up in the house. She buckled him up in the car seat in the back of her car, sat herself in the driver's seat and cranked the key in the ignition to get going.

Click. Click. Click.

Nothing.

Anita groaned.

"What's wrong, Mommy?" Johnathan asked.

Anita plastered a smile on her face. "Something in the car is broken, honey." She decided to deal with the car later. "We're going to do something a little different today, OK? We'll take the bus instead!"

"OK!" the little boy said brightly. He figured his mommy knew best so he had no problem with her suggestion. He knew she loved him a lot. She was so much different than the big man. Johnathan was uncomfortable around him because when he wasn't quiet he was scary and mean.

Anita's boss ran her ragged that day. She sat exhausted on the bus ride home with Johnny on her lap. When they reached their stop, they walked slowly back to Paul's house where, to Anita's shock and dismay, she noticed the empty driveway.

Her car was gone.

She entered the house determined to give Paul a piece of her mind and demand he tell her what he did with the car or what he knew of its whereabouts. She briefly thought it was possible he did her a favour and had it towed to a garage for repairs, but of course recent events removed any benefit of the doubt she may have been inclined to give him.

Instead, she found another note on the table. "Poker night with the guys. Will be out late. Don't wait up."

No answers, just more questions. She sighed and checked the fridge for food, trying to stick closely to the evening routine and not alarm her son.

The next day presented more difficulty for Anita. Just after lunch, her supervisor at work called her into the office. Anita's stomach did a couple of nervous flips when she saw the VP of human resources and the company president flanking her boss.

"Please sit down," the human resources VP said, coldly.

"What... what is this all about?" a nervous Anita asked.

Her supervisor slid a file folder across the desk. "What do you know about these?" he questioned.

Anita opened the folder and read the pages within, and her eyes grew wide with shock. On the pages were the contents of three e-mails... e-mails which directed hateful, vile, venomous words to each of the three people across from her. Worse, the e-mails were sent through Paul's e-mail address... an e-mail address easily connected to Anita because she used it as part of the emergency contact information she left with HR when she started this job.

"Well?" her boss demanded.

"I... I don't know how this happened," Anita stammered. "But I did not write or send these e-mails, I swear!"

"So instead you gave your boyfriend our e-mail addresses and had him send them out for you, is that it?!" the president accused.

"NO! I don't know how he got them. And for god's sake, we're just housemates! He's NOT my boyfriend!" Anita felt hot blushes and warm tears on her face.

The three executives were silent for what felt to Anita like an eternity. Her supervisor looked at both the VP of HR and the president in turn, and they both nodded. Then he spoke.

"Well, Anita, we have a problem. If you are lying to us, then the issue is quite obvious, you are guilty of gross insubordination. If you are telling the truth, then our company has a potential security risk on our hands, and we can't afford to accept that risk. Either way, we have no choice."

"No, please, don't, I'll do anything to keep this job, please!" Anita begged, knowing where this conversation was headed and hoping against hope she could stop the inevitable.

But she couldn't. "Anita, we are terminating your employment here effective immediately, with cause," her boss said. "We will give you a few minutes of privacy in this office to get yourself together, after which we'll require you to collect your things, and security will accompany you to ensure you leave the premises. We are sorry it has come to this but we have to protect the company's interests first. We wish you well in the future."

With that, the three executives left the room, and Anita spent several minutes bawling her eyes out. She eventually left the office in a daze. In fact, she spent most of the afternoon in a daze, from aimlessly walking around downtown for a while, to picking up Johnathan from day care to boarding the bus. It wasn't until her little boy tugged on her blouse on the bus ride home that she broke out of her confused state.

"Mommy, you're not listening!" he complained.

Anita sighed. "I'm so sorry, honey. Your mommy's having a really bad day."

Johnathan forgot what he was going to say because his mommy did look really sad. He laid his head on her chest and gave her a big hug. Anita gratefully returned it. She tried to draw strength from her son's hold on her, knowing that soon she would have to confront Paul.

Paul was waiting for their return as well, it seemed. The minute Anita and Johnathan entered the house, Paul stood up from his seat in the living room and calmly said, "We need to talk."

Anita's eyes narrowed in anger over the nerve Paul was displaying. She didn't say anything at first, only ensuring that her son was safely and happily occupied. She smiled inwardly as, out of the corner of her eye, she watched Paul stew in impatience. Satisfied little Johnny was OK, she brushed past Paul on her way to the kitchen, and he followed closely behind her.

Paul opened his mouth to speak but Anita immediately cut him off. "Where's my car?!" she barked.

Paul just flashed a maddening little smile. "I sold it."

"You SOLD it?!" Anita returned in shock.

"Well, to be exact, first I disconnected a couple of wires here and there so you couldn't start the car, then after you left I came back, reconnected everything, made sure it ran OK and then sold it."

"How is that even possible?! That was my car! MY car! You can't sell something of mine! You had no right to do that!"

"Technically, no, it wasn't your car, and yes, I did have every right to sell it. You see, you signed ownership of it over to me!"

Anita was too furious to speak. Paul, obviously enjoying the moment, pulled a folded-up piece of paper out of his shirt pocket and handed it to her. She practically ripped it out of his hand and read it. It was a form authorizing the transfer of ownership. Her signature was obviously traced or forged, but apparently it was good enough to fool the clerk at the driver licensing office.

"Oh, by the way," Paul spoke in a faux-friendly voice, wearing the same shit-eating grin as before, "you know Eddie, from your office? He told me some of your co-workers received some rather interesting e-mails recently. Did you hear about that?" 

A massive knot started to grow in Anita's stomach as she began to realize just what this madman was capable of. Still, anger was overriding fear in her mind. "Those e-mails got me fired, you asshole!" she growled.

"Tsk, tsk, Anita, such language. What if your son hears you say such words?"

"You keep my son out of this, motherfucker!"

Paul leapt forward, grabbed Anita's hair and yanked her towards him hard. "Don't test my patience anymore! Otherwise I'll get angry, and you don't want to see me when I'm angry!"

Panic set in to Anita quickly. "Please... please let me go... I'm sorry... just, please..."

"No," Paul replied.

"Why, Paul? Why are you doing all this?" Anita asked.

His answer chilled her to the bone. "I'm just taking what's rightfully due to me," he said. He then throatily chuckled, licked her cheek, grabbed her ass with his free hand, and whispered more menacing words in her ear.

"You're mine, bitch!"

"No!" Anita cried, desperate to get away. She squirmed to get out of Paul's grip. Paul reacted by grabbing her blouse and yanking her backwards. Buttons clattered to the floor and the fabric tore apart right down the seam, leaving Anita very exposed. Only a plain white bra hid her breasts away from his greedy eyes.

"Mommy, I'm hungry, I..."

Johnathan wanted something to eat, but as soon as he saw what was happening in the kitchen, the rest of his request fell away from him, his hunger momentarily forgotten. He saw the big man looking very angry and holding a fistful of his mother's ruined blouse. Mommy looked very scared. The whole scene looked to the little boy like a scary nightmare, even worse than the one he had about the monster under the bed, and that was a bad one! He was very confused and frightened.

"Mommy?" he started to cry.

"Honey, it's OK, Paul and I are just talking," Anita said.

"Anita, get the kid out of here," Paul ordered.

Anita turned towards Paul and glared at him hatefully. She feared the man when it was just the two of them, but with her son involved it brought out her protective instincts. She was now a mother bear protecting her little cub.

"Shut up!" she whispered through gritted teeth.

"I SAID GET HIM OUT OF HERE!" Paul yelled in a fit of rage. He slapped Anita hard and shoved her directly into Johnathan's path. She accidentally knocked her son over, and the little boy's head hit the floor with a sickening thud.

"JOHNNY!" Anita yelled in panic. She picked up her son, felt the growing lump on his head, and rocked him back and forth.

Paul was fit to be tied. He had Anita right where he wanted her. He could practically taste her delicious body, could almost feel her submitting to him, so close to being able to use her to please his every desire. Instead the damned kid stuck his nose in where it didn't belong. He lost control as a result, and the whole night was ruined.

But he was nothing if not patient. He would take care of this mess tonight. Another night would come, one where he would get everything he deserved.

He dialled 911 and requested an ambulance. He then scrounged around and found an old shirt Anita could use to cover herself up.

"Don't say I never did anything for you," he whispered darkly to her. "This isn't over."

Anita barely heard him. She continued to cry and continued to cradle Johnathan in her arms, praying that the ambulance would just hurry up, dammit, and get here now.

********

Tonight was the night.

Brad and Kellie planned a day that wouldn't be too taxing for the adults but would have plenty of activities for the kids, in the hopes that E.J. and Kaitlyn would be wiped out and ready for bed early, making the babysitting duties for Amber and Jamie as stress-free as possible.

Luckily, for all involved, that part of the plan worked to perfection.

E.J. and Kaitlyn were safely tucked into bed, the picture of the cute innocence of children. Amber and Jamie were settling in to a quiet night of movie-watching. They smiled and waved as Brad and Kellie quietly took their packed overnight bags and tiptoed out of the room.

Kellie and Brad breathed a sigh of relief as they headed to the elevators. Two floors up and a right turn later, they used the borrowed key card to enter Amber and Jamie's suite. They shared a brief kiss once inside.

"Good luck tonight, Brad," Kellie said with a knowing smile. "Maybe you'll get lucky!"

"Who knows? Maybe I will," Brad replied. "How about you, Kellie? Think you'll get a little action tonight?"

Kellie smirked. "I like my chances!"

Brad chuckled and watched Kellie go into the large washroom and lock the door behind her. He took his time to get ready, but he knew he would be done well before she was. He got dressed, wearing a black suit with a cream-coloured dress shirt... no tie, of course, because that would be overkill. He checked himself in the mirror.

Brad didn't wear suits often... after all, he rarely sat at a desk at work, and sometimes he had to get down and dirty to get the job done, so wearing a suit would be nonsensical. And he didn't exactly consider himself to be a fashion plate, either. But after his appraisal, he decided he liked what he saw. He had to admit, he looked pretty damn good in a suit.

"You're gonna knock 'em dead tonight!" he told his reflection.

He checked his watch and saw it was time, so Brad left the room to head to the appointed destination.

When she heard Brad depart, Kellie unlocked the bathroom door. She had the freedom of the hotel room to herself now, so she didn't worry about walking around in her skimpy lingerie. She laid out the rest of the clothes she was going to wear tonight on the bed. She already knew how she looked in the outfit, having tried it on at the store, and she was positive she would make a very memorable impression on Brad tonight. A familiar tingle of excitement thrummed between her legs, and Kellie briefly stroked herself and groaned in anticipation. 

"Easy there, little kitty," she told herself. "You'll get yours tonight."

Kellie took a deep breath and stretched. Plenty of thought and planning had gone in to this night. Most of that planning she had done with Brad, while in bed together, late at night in the days before they left for vacation. However, there were a couple of surprises she had up her sleeve which she couldn't wait to unleash on her unsuspecting husband. She hoped everything worked as they expected, that the scenario they had worked up would unfold as they had foreseen, and that they both would be satisfied with the results.

Sexually satisfied, that is.

Kellie hummed to herself and took her time, carefully applying her makeup.

********

A deeper sigh of relief, she could not remember having.

Anita was worried sick over Johnathan, after that bastard Paul shoved her into her son, knocking him hard to the ground.

Fortunately, the pediatrician, Dr. Thiagarajah, delivered good news.

"Your son is going to be just fine," the pediatrician said. "He does have a headache and a nasty looking goose egg, but there's no sign of concussion and no sign of any other skull or brain injury. He'll recover to 100% very soon."

"Thank you so much," Anita cried, tears of happiness this time. She pulled the doctor into a fierce hug.

"You're welcome," Dr. Thiagarajah said. He was always uncomfortable with such displays of emotion from the parents; he always found it easier to relate to kids than he did grownups. He extricated himself from Anita as fast as he could without appearing to be rude.

"Do you have any other questions, or is there anything else you need?" he asked.

"Yes," Anita said quietly. "Is Dr. Wainwright here tonight?"

He had a feeling she might ask that question. Dr. Wainwright had made it clear to her colleagues that if someone named Anita, matching this woman's description, came back for any reason, she wanted to know about it.

"She is on duty tonight," he said.

"I need to see her."

"I will text her and let her know you are here."

"Thank you," Anita said, truly grateful. The nice children's doctor, with the name she couldn't quite pronounce, smiled and left. Anita immediately went back to her son's side and tenderly stroked his arm. Mother and son were quiet together for several minutes.

"How's my little Johnny?" she finally asked.

"Hungry," he answered softly. "My head hurts, too."

Anita heard a knock on the door and turned to see Dr. Cathy Wainwright, who said, "I can get someone to help with that." A nurse came by, gave Johnathan some children's Tylenol and promised to have something sent down from the cafeteria.




Kellie and Brad Ch. 08



"Stay with the nice nurse, honey," Anita said. "I need to speak with the doctor."

"Can I have ice cream?" Johnathan asked.

Anita laughed for the first time in a long time. "Yes, you can, Johnny."

"OK," he smiled weakly, which made Anita's eyes fill with tears.

After they left Johnathan's room, Cathy said to Anita, "First thing we'll have to do is remove those stitches of yours."

Anita groaned. With all that had happened, she had completely forgotten about that.

"Don't worry," the doctor reassured her. "The area looks to have healed well. There might be some discomfort during the removal, but nothing too serious."

Anita took her seat and Dr. Wainwright made all the necessary preparations. When Cathy was ready, she asked, "Since you're here, do you want to tell me how your son got his injury?"

As Dr. Wainwright removed the stitches, Anita told her the whole story, all of the sordid mess, not holding anything back. Cathy fought the urge to blurt out 'I told you so'.

Instead she asked "Are you now ready to do what you need to do?"

Anita took a deep breath. She reached back to skills she learned from being the skip of a curling team. She decided she was going to lean on the bold decision-making, the ultra-confident demeanour, and, if she was being completely honest with herself, the manipulative bitchiness she exhibited as an athlete and as a champion. Only this time, her powers were going to be used for good rather than "evil". She refused to let her fear of Paul control her any longer. Her face was a study in steely determination.

"Yes," she said, her reply cool and confident.

Dr. Wainwright nodded. "Come with me," she said.

Cathy led Anita into an area marked "Staff Only", but activity in the hospital was light so no one was around to notice. From there they entered the small staff women's change room. The doctor locked the door behind her.

"No cameras or curious eyes in here," she explained. "Much safer this way."

Anita nodded.

"Before I go any further," Cathy spoke in hushed tones, "in order for this plan to work, you'll need to go back to him one more time. Can you handle that?"

"What are my alternatives?" Anita asked, not out of worry, but simply a desire to know.

Cathy paused. The pause was as much an answer for Anita as the doctor's eventual spoken words were. "There is a plan B, but we very much prefer not to use it, except in extreme circumstances. And as difficult as your situation is, it's not quite extreme."

"Fine," said Anita. Again, determination best described her current appearance and mood. "Tell me what I have to do."

Dr. Cathy Wainwright opened her locker and produced what she referred to as the "care package". Anita listened intently to all the doctor's instructions, and committed them to memory as if her and her son's lives depended on it.

Which, she supposed, they probably did.

********

He arrived at the bar. 

It was a fancy-looking martini bar, across the street from the hotel. Brad stood in front of the door for a moment and drew in a deep breath. 'Well, here goes nothing,' he thought to himself, before going inside.

The bar was roughly half full with patrons; two large groups of friends laughing loudly, a number of couples, some holding hands and some not, and a few single people scattered throughout. Brad spotted chair at one of the few unoccupied tables in the middle of the room and took a seat. He ordered a light beer from the young, attractive waitress roaming the area. She eyed him up and down and smiled seductively. Brad politely returned her smile and watched her carefully. Her short skirt swished back and forth as she strutted to the bar, shamelessly putting her smooth legs and her barely-covered pert ass on display. She delivered his order to his table, and as she left she lightly trailed her fingernails across the back of his neck. Brad smirked and took a long drink from the bottle. He quickly shook his head in disbelief over her bold actions. He then relaxed and divided his attention between the Yankees-Blue Jays baseball game on the big-screen TV and the front door of the establishment.

A half-hour later, just as Brad started on his second light beer of the evening, discreetly fending off the attentions of the enamoured waitress in the process, that front door opened. In walked a beautiful woman, strutting into the bar like she owned the place. Her dark hair was styled nicely and framed her face just right. She wore a tight, robin's-egg-blue blouse and an even tighter black skirt which showcased an ass to die for. He watched her take a seat at the bar and get the attention of the bartender. Moments later the smiling young man handed her a glass of red wine.

Brad was content at first to admire the woman from afar. He savoured both the taste of the cold beer and her beautiful, sexy body, imagining what she would taste like. But just as he was about to make his move, he watched with some horror as another man approached her. He quelled the urge within him to race forward and pummel the man into submission, instead for now deciding to remain still to watch what unfolded.

The man, who looked to be middle-aged, impeccably dressed and, Brad supposed, handsome in his own way, began to engage the beautiful woman in conversation. He talked for a while as she slowly drank from her wine glass. Brad frowned when the man leaned in, put a hand on her back and whispered in her ear, but he soon smiled when he saw her lean away and shake her head no.

The rejected suitor briefly pulled away before trying again. He used more hand gestures, seemingly imploring her to go along with his demands. Then he put his arm around her shoulder and tried again to whisper sweet nothings in her ear. She was unmoved, saying nothing and staring at him until one apparently well-placed sentence saw him take his arm off her, a mortified look spreading across his face. Brad couldn't help but laugh when the woman took her wine glass and swiveled in her bar stool until her back faced the man, effectively dismissing him.

Satisfied, Brad turned his attention back to the baseball game just in time to see the Blue Jays' best player hit a home run to tie the game. He gave a quiet little fist pump at that development. As he was about to take another look at the woman at the bar, he saw someone out of the corner of his eye and heard that person clear his throat.

Brad turned his head to find that it was the man who was at the bar, still smarting after being turned down by the beautiful mystery woman. His suit was definitely well-tailored and his hair well-coiffed but Brad couldn't help but think he looked like a conceited, pompous bore.

"Mind if I sit here, buddy?" The man made the token gesture of asking the question but went ahead and took the seat anyway.

Brad looked around and noticed the bar had filled up in the last several minutes, without his realizing it, so that the place was nearly full, while he had been watching this man's attempt to pick up go down in flames. He shrugged and said, "Suit yourself."

"I need a minute to cool down," the man said, apropos of nothing. He struck the table with one fist and clutched at his cocktail glass with the other, exclaiming, "Dammit, I still can't believe it!"

Brad cocked an eyebrow and debated whether or not to ask the question. In the end, he couldn't help himself.

"What can't you believe?"

"That the chick at the bar is such a damn ice queen!"

Brad looked at the bar and made a show of scanning the people there, acting as if he had no idea what his new drinking partner was talking about. "The one in blue?" he asked.

"Yeah, her."

Pretending to appraise her, Brad whistled softly and remarked, "She looks pretty hot from where I'm sitting. Don't you think?"

"Oh sure, she looks hot, but she's cold as ice. I'm telling you. I used my best lines. I told her how I could treat her right because money is no object with me, since I'm a very rich and successful businessman! I promised her I would rock her world in bed! All that, and nothing. Not even a sniff! Well that's too damn bad for her! She'll regret it when she's all alone again tonight!"

'Wow', Brad thought to himself, 'this guy's an even bigger jackass than I thought.' Outwardly he said nothing and did not react to the man's words, instead waiting for the right time to one-up him.

When the waitress approached their table again, Brad asked for another light beer. Just as she was about to turn, he added, almost as an afterthought, "Oh, and please give the lady at the bar, the one in the blue blouse, another glass of what she is having. With my compliments."

The waitress nodded and smiled, though this time it was forced. Brad couldn't help but feel his ego swell a bit, knowing the pretty waitress had been totally flirting with him all evening. A shame he had to disappoint her, but some things just couldn't be helped.

The other man just shook his head. "Man, you are wasting your time and your money! Didn't you hear a word I just said?"

Brad shrugged. "Ah, I don't know. She just... she intrigues me, you know? Plus, I enjoy a good challenge. It keeps the spirit young and the mind sharp!"

"Suit yourself," was the man's reply, and Brad just chuckled. 'Not even original enough to come up with his own material,' he thought.

Both men watched the bar intently. The waitress talked to the bartender, who went to work immediately, pouring another glass of red wine. The waitress then spoke to the woman in blue. They turned, and the woman followed the eyes of the waitress as she pointed in Brad's direction. The beautiful woman looked thoughtful for a moment, and then she said something to the waitress, who nodded her head. Brad felt a crooked little smile on his face when the waitress returned his way, and it grew a little wider when he looked over and saw the man on the other side of the table silently fume.

"The lady for whom you bought the wine requests the pleasure of your company," the waitress told Brad. He stood up and she bowed her head. He heard her whisper, "I wish she were me. I want to be the one you make love to tonight."

Brad softened his eyes and regarded the waitress. She really was quite pretty. He pulled some money out of his pocket and folded it into her hand to pay off his tab, plus leave her a generous tip.

"Thank you for your service tonight," he spoke quietly into her ear. "I'm flattered by your interest in me, but you and I are not meant to be. Take heart, though. You are young and very beautiful, and surely you will have your pick of men to choose from. I hope the man you choose treats you like the lovely young woman you are and gives you the respect you deserve."

"Thank you," she answered, now smiling but still with sadness in her eyes.

"Oh, one more thing," Brad added. "May I give you a friendly suggestion?"

"Sure."

"Stay away from mister businessman here," he said, nodding his head towards his defeated rival. "He's not nearly good enough for you."

The waitress giggled and said, "OK." With that, Brad took his leave and joined the woman in blue, the target of his attraction, at the bar.

But they didn't speak at first; instead, she silently stared straight ahead, while he alternated glances between his drink and the exposed skin of her shapely legs. Finally, the woman took a sip from her wine glass and said, "I noticed you talking to the waitress. Looks like you two had a lot to say to each other."

Brad shrugged. "I wanted to thank her for her service tonight."

"Really? Was that all?!"

Her tone of voice surprised Brad, but the smallest hint of a smile that tugged at her lips set him back at ease. "Well, I also felt obliged to warn her away from the man who joined me at my table... who, I couldn't help notice, you spent a lot of time talking to."

'Ha,' Brad thought to himself, 'two can play that game!'

"Oh. Yes. Him." She sniffed derisively. "You were wise to do that. He was completely self-absorbed and rude. He needs a good slap in the face."

'He needs a lot worse than that,' Brad thought, 'and I almost gave it to him!'

She then swivelled her seat and faced Brad down. "I have to ask... why did you allow him to sit with you?"

"Fair question," he replied. "He didn't give me a whole lot of choice, to be honest. He just helped himself to the chair. But despite his arrogance I did feel just a little bit sorry for him."

"Why?!" she asked indignantly.

"Well, your rejection of him was rather ruthless, was it not?"

She laughed before speaking, "Deservedly so! He might have been the biggest jerk I've ever had the misfortune of meeting!"

She then placed her hand on one of Brad's and focused her gaze directly on him. He felt a flush of heat course through him.

"Enough of him. Please, call me Lynne," she said, by way of introduction.

Brad almost slipped out of character and said his first name, before remembering just in time that they were using their middle names to pretend to be other people, complete strangers passing in the night, as part of the fantasy. "I'm Joseph, but please, call me Joe," he said. He took hold of her hand, the one she placed on his, and kissed it gently. It made her smile, and that made his heart race with excitement.

"Well... Joe... I'd like to know more about you," she said. Once again, Brad took note of that maddening trace of a smile crossing her face, especially when she paused before saying his 'name'.

"What's there to know?" he asked, smirking himself as he stuck to his role as best he could. "I'm just your average man, hoping to catch the attention of a pretty woman and enjoy the pleasure of her company for the evening, while doing everything within my power to ensure her desires, her needs, are all satisfied." Again he took her hand and kissed it softly, this time without breaking eye contact.

She blushed softly before speaking. "Mmmm, a lovely coincidence. I was also hoping to have a romantic evening tonight, with a strong, handsome gentleman. But Joe, please answer me this. Do I meet your standards?"

"Are you serious?!" he said. "You exceed them, by far. You are an absolute goddess. I don't know if I deserve the privilege of being in your company, Lynne, but I would love to spend the night with you, and I would be honoured to please you in a way that only a goddess such as you deserves."

She blushed softly for a second time. It made her feminine features look even more beautiful in Brad's eyes. But as quickly as she showed vulnerability, she just as quickly reasserted control.

"You underestimate yourself, Joe," she said in response, using a tone of voice that got his manhood to stand at attention. "You've already proven yourself to be a perfect gentleman. And you are, without a doubt, a gorgeously sexy man!"

She leaned forward; the scent of her perfume and her womanly essence was a slice of heaven to Brad. She whispered in his ear. "The sight and feel of you, the power and virility you exude... it excites me. It makes me curious to see what other... attributes you possess."

Brad closed his eyes and groaned. His engorged member felt like a hot steel bar about to explode through his pants. He took a moment to compose himself before speaking again.

"Please forgive me for being so presumptuous, it's not my way to act like this around a beautiful lady such as you. But I cannot lie, I have been told that my attributes are... shall we say... impressive."

"Is that so?"

"I swear to you, it's the truth."

"Mmmm, and can I assume you know how to use these... attributes of yours?"

Brad playfully scoffed at her challenge, and instead of answering humbly, decided to return fire. "What do you think?" he asked.

She stared Brad down before slowly smiling, obviously impressed by his answer. She took a furtive glance around the bar to ensure no one was watching them. Satisfied, she placed her hand on Brad's chest and trailed it downwards until it was between his legs. She softly massaged and cupped his sizeable package. Her eyes sparkled as he groaned under her touch. She uttered a low, throaty growl of her own.

"Perfect," she purred. She planted her lips on his and initiated a searing kiss. She put her hands on the back of his head and pulled him deeper into her web. Forcing his mouth open, her tongue trapped and entwined around his. When the kiss finally broke, Brad's breathing was ragged. He was so hot and ready for her that he was willing to do just about anything she asked him to do.

"I want you, Joe," the woman spoke lustily.

"I want you too, Lynne," came Brad's equally lusty response.

They kissed again. "I think I'm ready to go back to my hotel room," she said. "You'll join me... won't you?!"

Brad didn't argue. He took her hand and they quickly made for the exit. Before they reached the door they both had the same thought. They turned to see the reaction of the arrogant businessman. He was facing away from them, slumped in his chair, looking totally defeated. Just at that moment he looked back at the exit door and saw them together. Frown lines creased his face. Smiling, the woman drew Brad into another scorching embrace. She took one of his hands and placed it directly on her ass, and Brad groaned in pleasure at the feel of her taut cheek underneath her short skirt. The woman nipped at Brad's lips and licked his cheek, turning again so the businessman could get another good look at what he could not have. She grinned at his frustrated reaction, and to Brad that smile looked deviously, dangerously sexy.

Brad let the woman lead him back to the hotel room, nearly having to break into a sprint to keep up with her. She fumbled with the ID card for a moment but finally slid it home, and they heard the satisfying click of the door unlocking. They quickly piled into the room.

"Wait on the bed for me," she commanded. "I'll be right out."

She left a gossamer kiss on his cheek and hustled to the bathroom. Brad frantically undressed, laid out his nice clothes over the chair in the corner of the room and sat on the bed to wait. He could feel his hard member pulse with yearning. He fought the urge to stroke himself and waited impatiently for her to finish getting prepared.

His cock pulsated even stronger when she emerged.

She was down to nothing but a bra and panty set that matched the colour of her blouse. The bra plunged low to offer a deep view of her cleavage. She turned around and seductively bent at the waist to show off her tiny thong. He could easily see so much of her perfect ass on display, and her pussy lips peeked around the slim line of fabric. Those lips were puffy and beautifully swollen, showing the depth of her arousal.

She stood up and put her hand to her mouth, biting the tip of her little finger, groaning at the sight of the massive pole protruding from Brad's groin. It sent a small burst of juices from her pussy, soaking her panties and dribbling down her thighs. Any further thoughts she had of teasing him evaporated from her mind.

Brad watched in fascination as she slowly and teasingly removed her bra, finally dropping it behind her and exposing her perky, shapely breasts. She stripped off her panties and twirled them around her finger as she sat on the bed next to him. She spread the thin undergarment over his nose, playfully giggling at his moan in reaction to her provocation.

"Feel how ready I am for you, baby," she whispered those sultry words in his ear.

Brad felt the panties over his face with his fingers and noticed how wet they were. He inhaled deeply and her sweetly musky scent filled his nostrils. He shuddered and let loose another pleasurable groan. His cock throbbed with renewed vigour.

The woman lay at the head of the bed and spread her legs invitingly. Brad groaned again, even louder this time. Her pubic area was completely shaved bare. He had never seen a woman's private area in that state but he loved the way it looked. Brad was now beside himself with craving, and it didn't take long for him to find out she was just as desperate as he was.




Kellie and Brad Ch. 09



AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is the ninth chapter of a multi-part story. Please read the first eight chapters before this one to understand the whole story. Please enjoy. 

*

After a long time, he stirred.

'Where am I?' he thought. Then a more pertinent question came to him. 'WHEN am I?'

How long had he been asleep? Days? Weeks? Months? 'Rip Van Winkle's got nothing on me' he thought.

He opened his eyes. His brain couldn't keep up with the flood of sensory data. He was so dizzy he nearly vomited. He waited a few more minutes and took several deep breaths to steady himself before trying again. At first the surroundings still swam before him, but eventually he was able to focus his sights.

Only then did Paul Ryback realize where he was. He was at home, in his living room, lying down on the couch at a very strange angle.

Paul tried to sit up. "Oh FUCK!" he yelled out loud. His neck was killing him, screaming in pain after being subjected to such an awkward position for so long. He went to reach one arm up to his neck to start working out the kinks.

Both arms moved together. It was as if they were... connected.

Curious at the unnatural reaction, Paul looked down at his hands. The sight startled him. A set of police-issue handcuffs were clamped on to his wrists. He panicked and struggled for a moment before his higher reasoning kicked in and reminded him how useless those efforts would be.

He struggled to get up, took one step, tripped on something and crashed down to the floor. He bellowed and swore repeatedly at the pain now racking his body. He took stock of himself and felt relief when he concluded he hadn't seriously damaged anything. He thought it was only because his legs were asleep that he was clumsy enough to fall.

He soon saw that was partly true... but only partly.

Paul's living room was a disaster area. The rest of the furniture was overturned, and items were strewn all over the place, including where he took his first step. That provided another part of the explanation of why he tripped... but it sure didn't explain the set of leg irons attached to his ankles.

'What the fuck is going on here?!' he asked himself, now fully alert after his long strange slumber. 'What kind of shit did I get myself into?!"

He racked his brain, trying to remember what he was doing before... whatever this was. It finally came to him.

Paul recalled he was about to fuck Anita.

Everything was all set. All the preparations that would tie her to him completely were made. Her little punk kid was asleep. No one was going to interrupt him. He was going to have what was denied to him for so long... and he was going to have her again, and again, and again.

The last he remembered, he had her stripped down to her skimpy lingerie and he was feeling up her exquisitely tight body, until, inexplicably, he became drowsy. She started to sensually massage his neck and shoulders.

Then... nothing. Until he woke up.

"Anita?" he called out. No response. "ANITA?!" he tried again, louder this time. Still no answer.

Paul grunted, fought again to stand up, and shuffled towards the guest bedroom. It was empty and, moreover, looked to have been completely cleaned out. Confused, he searched the rest of the house. It was a laborious process, shackled as he was, but he eventually completed it.

There was no sign of Anita or her son anywhere.

Even worse, the rest of his house was like his living room: completely trashed. It looked like a tornado had blown through it, leaving nothing but destruction in its wake. The only room not subjected to ruin, strangely enough, was the guest bedroom.

Where Anita and her son stayed.

Was this a sign? A coincidence? Paul shook his head in frustration. He couldn't figure any of this out, and thinking about it made his head hurt.

Anita couldn't be capable of such behaviour, could she? Certainly she couldn't have done this alone. Where would a fearful single mother, a woman he so easily had under his thumb, find the courage, strength, and resources to do what was done to him?

So the question then became: Who did this? Or, who helped Anita to do this? He had no idea. Paul didn't scare easily, but this situation definitely unnerved him.

It angered him, too. The gall, the very nerve of these people... how dare they?! How dare someone steal Anita, his rightful property, right from his grasp, while violating him and his home in the process?! Paul vowed that whoever was responsible would pay for this, and they would pay dearly.

He stumbled to his phone and called his friend Derrick, a cop on the city's police force. Several minutes later Derrick showed up and saw Paul and the house, and his eyes went wide.

"Holy fuck, dude, what the hell happened to you?" he asked.

"The fuck if I know! Just get me out of these damn things!" Paul angrily replied.

A universal key for all types of cuffs and shackles that Derrick had with him did the trick. Paul sighed in relief and rubbed his sore wrists and ankles.

"Derrick, I need you to help me find out who did this to me," Paul said.

"I'll radio in for a crime scene team to go through the place and look for evidence," replied Derrick. "Don't touch anything in the meantime. One... other thing..."

Paul frowned at Derrick's hesitation. "Go on."

"I assume you haven't been outside yet?"

"Of course not! Why?"

Derrick made a motion to Paul that he needed to go and check it out. When he did he saw a crowd of his neighbours looking at his house with curious and suspicious looks on their faces. He turned around to get his own look and shouted in shock and outrage.

The word "RAPIST" was spray-painted in large, ugly red letters on the garage door.

"Derrick, get these fucking people away from my house!" he growled through gritted teeth. Derrick noted the obvious rage his friend was barely containing and dispersed the crowd, saying "Go home folks, nothing to see here, show's over!"

When everyone left Derrick said, "I'm calling in for that team now."

"Good," Paul answered quietly. The anger bubbled inside him. "You find whoever did this, Derrick. Find out if it's the last goddamn thing you do!"

********

She was getting tired of the constant rejection.

But she did have to admit that she understood why it was happening.

Anita stepped outside and braced herself again for the cold, slate-grey day. She was exhausted after yet another day pounding the pavement with no results. She started the car and headed for home.

It was about four months since she and Johnathan had escaped from Paul's clutches and gone back home. To her great relief her mother, Colleen, welcomed her back with open arms and forgave her for everything she did wrong before she left. She also happily reconciled with her sister Jan. Her sister and mother doted on little Johnny and showered him with love and attention. Furthermore, Jan's son, David, was thrilled to have a new cousin to play with, and he and Johnny hit it off immediately despite the five-year age gap between them. David was growing up to be a good and smart boy himself, and Anita wondered how she had ever considered him to be a brat in the first place. It was just one of many dumb things she thought and did back in what she began to think of as her former life.

One night, about two weeks after her return, and after the boys were put to bed, Anita sat her mother and sister down and told the whole story of her nightmarish experiences with Paul. She held nothing back, starting right from when they first met until the night of her daring getaway and how the kindness of Dr. Wainwright and her mysterious access to resources allowed her to make it all possible. She showed them the physical scars he left on her, and she bared her soul to describe the emotional scars he inflicted as well. The women hugged and cried again until there were no tears left. Then Jan said something unintentionally funny that set them off, and they laughed long and loud until their sides hurt. Anita went to bed exhausted, emotionally drained and sore that night, but totally happy and peaceful as well, feeling how good it was to be home.

Anita's mother was kind enough to let her and Johnathan stay at her house for as long as she wanted. She also helped her daughter to enrol Johnathan into junior kindergarten at the nearby school to start his education and get him used to interacting with kids his own age. Anita accepted the gracious offers of assistance, and told Colleen she wanted to earn her keep and find work as soon as possible.

"You don't have to rush into this, you know," Colleen said that day. "Relax your mind for a bit, it will do you some good. Take all the time you need."

"Thanks Mom, I appreciate what you're saying," Anita replied, "but I'll feel like a freeloader if I don't do this. I'm fine, and I don't want to sit around doing nothing all day. Let me do this."

"I do have a favour owing to me I can call in..."

"Mom, thank you, but not yet. Let me try on my own first. Please?"

"Oh Anita, you've always been my feisty and independent one. OK, I hope this works out for you. Good luck!"

"Thanks Mom."

That had been in the summer. It was now fall, with winter closing in fast. All that time had passed and still she had not managed to find meaningful work. Even if she understood most of the reasons why, it only intensified the feelings of inadequacy she was having due to not being able to properly provide for her son.

Being unjustly fired from her previous job thanks to Paul's sabotage meant she both could not and did not want to use it as a reference. So her resume was quite thin as before she concentrated on her curling career and relying on her unique persuasive powers to convince others to get for her what she wanted instead of working in the real world. The state of her resume, however, was only one obstacle in her way.

Anita knew in her prior life that she was often selfish and mean-spirited. But if she ever for some reason doubted that, her fruitless job search really drove home the fact that she used to be a first-class bitch. It also showed that her hometown, large by the province's standards, was in many ways a small community. More times than she cared to count, she cold called a business to leave a resume and ask about the prospects for employment, only to find the manager or decision-maker was someone she had angered before, either through an encounter in a curling match or, at least just as often, due to Anita having slept with the woman's husband or boyfriend. One look at the person's face in those cases and she knew she didn't have a snowball's chance in hell of getting what she needed. Anita never used to believe in karma, but it was difficult not to do so now.

When Anita got home Johnathan rushed home to greet her. "Hi Mommy!" he said happily.

"Hi Johnny!" Anita replied. Thank goodness for him and the rest of her family, she thought, without them she was sure she would completely fall apart.

Colleen heard the exchange from the kitchen where she was starting dinner. She said hello to Anita and heard the disappointment and weariness in her daughter's voice. She decided to talk to her about it tonight.

After little Johnny was put to bed later in the evening Colleen brought Anita back to the kitchen table for that talk.

"How is the job search going?" she asked.

"Not well at all," Anita groaned in reply. "I'm never going to find anything."

"Nonsense, honey. That's just your frustration talking. I'm sure you'll find a really good job very soon."

Anita nodded in acknowledgement, not because she agreed. She noted the look on her mother's face and called her out on it.

"Mom, you look like you want to say something else."

"Me? No, Anita, I..."

"Come on Mom, I know you too well, you won't be happy unless you speak your piece. So go ahead and say it."

"OK. I know you still want to do this on your own. But my offer to you to call in my favour still stands. Will you at least think about it?"

Anita sighed. She had hoped it wouldn't come to this because she really wanted to do this on her own. She did, however, remain silent and consider the offer. Colleen also sat in silence, perfectly content to not rush her daughter and wait patiently for her answer.

The more Anita thought about it, the more she realized in her prior life she would let her stubborn pride get the best of her and tell her mother off. But that was exactly the sort of rash decision she was trying to avoid now.

And maybe it would be a good thing, after all. Sure, the environment would be dicey to deal with at first, but even in the worst case scenario some time there would give her more experience, help build her resume and also let time heal more of the wounds she created to make some of the job rejections she faced this time less likely in the future.

"OK, Mom," Anita finally said. "I guess I really do need the help, after all. Go ahead and make the call."

"I will do it first thing tomorrow," Colleen promised. "You understand, though, that this will just get you in the door. I can't guarantee that it will get you the exact kind of job you'd prefer."

"Yes, that's fine. I understand."

"And you also understand that once you start I can't help you any further. The rest has to be up to you."

"Of course, Mom! You know I wouldn't want it any other way."

Colleen smiled. "I'm proud of you, Anita. I know how difficult it was for you before to swallow your pride in situations like this. You're really making some great strides, honey."

"Thanks Mom. It's still not an easy thing for me to do. But it's not just me I have to worry about now. I need to do what's best for Johnny, so if it means swallowing my pride once in a while, then that's what I'll have to do."

"He really has been a godsend for you, hasn't he?"

"More than I can express in words. I love him so much, Mom. I can't even imagine what my life would be without him. I want nothing more than to raise him right and be the best mother I can be. And while I may not have showed it very much in the past, I want you to know that you're a great mother, and a great example to learn from when it comes to how to be a great mother."

With that, Colleen gave Anita a motherly kiss on the forehead, told her she loved her and left her be for the rest of the night. Tomorrow, she would make that phone call.

********

She didn't anticipate today would be a day filled with such drama.

Kellie brought Jennifer, Sandra, Amber and Heather together at the curling club for a series of meetings before they started practicing and training for the upcoming season. First she would meet with each of them one on one, and then bring them all in for a full team gathering. She believed as the skip of the team it was important to set the tone and discuss individual and collective goals for the season as well as ideas and strategies on how to achieve them. The sessions were always enjoyable and productive and she had no reason to believe this time would be different.

Her mind was soon changed during the first meeting with Heather.

After the initial pleasantries, when Kellie asked her what her goals were for the season, Heather said, "Skip... I'm a little afraid to tell you."

"Don't be afraid," Kellie replied. "How can we go anywhere as a team if we're not honest with each other? Let's hear it."

Heather sighed. "OK. But you might not like it."

"Try me."

"Fine. I want to play more this year, skip."

"There, that wasn't so hard, was it? And your request is completely reasonable. In fact I'd be disappointed if you didn't want to play more regularly. That kind of drive and ambition is what we need going forward. Of course you know how difficult it is to juggle playing time with all of you being so talented. But I think I can rotate the lineups a little more so you can see more of the ice."

"Skip, it's more than that. I don't want to be a part-time player. I don't want you to rotate the lineups more. I want to be a full-time member of this team, full stop."

"I wish I could give that to you. But how can I do that without removing someone else? You know I can't do that."

"I know, and that's what makes this so hard for me. I want to stay part of this team. I love being with all of you. Leaving would be the hardest thing I've ever done. But if I have to leave to fulfill my goals in this sport, I will. And... it might happen soon."

"Heather, what are you saying?"

Heather paused before answering. "The Slauson rink has an opening. Their lead just moved to the States. They called me earlier today and asked if I would be interested in replacing her."

"What did you tell them?" Kellie asked.

"I said I needed time to think about it."

Kellie took a deep breath. So far, this wasn't going at all as she envisioned. "OK," she said, "if I can make a suggestion, please at least sleep on it and let me talk to everyone else before you make a decision."

"Sure, skip. I can do that. I owe you at least that much."

"Thanks Heather."

With that, Heather left the conference room and Amber took her place. Kellie was still thinking about Heather's comments, but she couldn't help but notice Amber was not her usual self.

"All right, Amber," she said. "Spit it out. What's the matter?"

"You're going to let me go from this team, aren't you?" Amber asked with obvious sadness.

Kellie did a double-take. "What?!" she said incredulously.

"It's obvious, skip, isn't it? I know Heather wants a regular place on the team. Sandra and Jennifer aren't going anywhere. That leaves me the odd one out."

"Amber, it's not that simple...

"Isn't it? Heather had a better season last year than I did. Don't deny it either because you know it's true."

Kellie knew it wasn't the time to argue such points. She took a minute to compose herself before speaking.

"Listen, Amber," she said, "I haven't committed to any decisions yet. I need time to figure something out. Please trust me and I'll do everything I can to find a solution that works for you and everyone else."

Amber stood up. "OK, skip," she said. "I've always trusted you since we've joined together and you've never let me down. But please, whatever you do, don't ask me to leave this team. I don't think I could handle it if you did."

When the door closed Kellie groaned and rubbed her temples, trying to stave off the headache she felt coming. Jennifer saw her skip doing this as she took her place across the table from her. She reached into her purse and handed over a bottle of Advil.

"Thanks," Kellie said gratefully. She shook out two capsules, popped them in her mouth and took a long swig from her water bottle. "This isn't what I had planned for tonight."

"Imagine how I feel," Jennifer said. "I have to choose between my life partner and my sister."

Kellie ruefully smiled to her trusted third. "Guess you have a point there."

The two team leaders discussed the problem of playing time. No obvious solutions presented themselves. After a few minutes, there was a knock at the door. Before either Kellie or Jennifer could say anything the door opened to reveal Sandra, with Heather and Amber behind her.

"Sorry skip, Jennifer, but this can't wait," Sandra said. "I need to talk to you. All of you."

Kellie shrugged. 'Why not?' she thought to herself. The evening had been nothing but drama so far, so what was a little more added on to the pile? She tried to smile because she didn't want to discourage Sandra from speaking her mind if she really did have something important to say.

She was about to ask her long-time second and friend to start when she noticed something strange about one of Sandra's hands.

"Uh, Sandra," Kellie asked. "Why are you wearing that glove?"

"I'll get to that in a minute," Sandra replied. "I need to talk about what's happening to us and our team. I know what's going on here. I know you've all tried to keep it quiet until you were ready to talk to Kellie, but I've seen the signs."




Kellie and Brad Ch. 09



Sandra let her opening words settle in. She addressed each of her teammates and good friends in turn.

"Heather," she said, "I know you feel you're ready to be a full-time player instead of just an alternate who plays only some of the time. Amber, I know you're worried that you'll have to be the one who has to give up her spot on the team to accommodate Heather. Jennifer, you're in an impossible position because no matter what happens, either your partner or your sister, or both, will be unhappy. And Kellie, you're caught in the middle trying to keep this thing from flying apart at the seams. Does that about cover it?"

Everyone nodded. "Yeah," Kellie spoke on their behalf. "I'd say you've nailed it."

With a determined and confident nod of her own, Sandra said, "I believe I have the solution to everyone's problems."

Sandra briefly noted the looks of confusion on everyone's faces. She took off her glove to reveal a stunning diamond engagement ring.

The other four women gasped in surprise. Sandra had obviously kept her secret very well. They did not see this coming at all.

"Oh my god!" Jennifer exclaimed. "When did this happen?"

Sandra smiled. "Last weekend. Marc surprised me and showed up for a visit."

"Why didn't we hear about this before?" Heather asked.

"You were all away or busy for the weekend, I didn't really have a chance to say anything until now," Sandra replied. "Besides, this is the kind of news that should be told face to face, not over the phone! Anyway, Marc took me to that expensive new restaurant downtown, and he got down on one knee and proposed right there with everyone watching!"

All the women started babbling excitedly. They congratulated and hugged Sandra. She and Amber compared rings; both were beautiful with little to choose between them.

At first, even amidst the din, Kellie had no idea why Sandra brought up this moment to tell them her good news. It didn't seem to have any connection to their team problem at all.

Then the penny dropped. To Kellie, the emotional impact felt like a punch to the stomach. Jennifer, Heather and Amber noted the quick change in their skip's demeanour.

"Kellie? What's wrong?" Jennifer asked.

"I just figured it out," Kellie answered. "I just figured out what Sandra meant when she said she had the solution to our team's problem." She looked directly at Sandra and said quietly, "You're moving to Edmonton with Marc. Aren't you?"

Sandra bowed her head and nodded. "Girls," she said, "you have to believe me when I say it was the hardest decision I've ever had to make. You're the best friends I could ever have, and you mean the world to me. But I love Marc so much, and being so far apart from him has been killing me."

Sandra's friends nodded in sympathy. She may not have talked much about it, but they knew she was telling the truth.

"And it's just not possible for him to move anywhere else right now," Sandra continued.

"Because of his career and his place on Kevin's team?" Amber asked.

"Yes, but that's only part of it. If all things were equal, we would have a hell of a tough time deciding where to live. He's talked about leaving where he is and moving with me if he could, just as much as I did with him. But I have to be the one to move. You see, Marc's father is very ill. He and his family don't know how much longer he has left. He's too sick to travel. Marc hopes he can stick around long enough to watch us have a proper marriage ceremony, and his dad is fighting with all he has, but... it's difficult. Plus, when he does pass away, and unfortunately it is a matter of when, not if, his mother is going to need all the help and support she can get. It will be hard for him to provide that if he's here instead of there."

The room grew very, very quiet. Despite recounting her and Marc's concerns about the health of his father, not to mention knowing how much it would hurt to have all her best friends live so far away, Sandra was happy to be engaged with Marc, and she wanted to share her happiness with her friends. When she saw the glum looks on their faces, she knew she had to chase them away.

"Come on, girls," she chirped. "I know things are changing with us and it's scary, but it's not like it's goodbye forever! Maybe Marc and I will be able to move back here one day. In the meantime, I'm sure we'll still talk all the time, we'll all be burning through those minutes on our phone plans!" That got a laugh from everyone. "Plus, we might be competitive rivals sooner than you think!"

"Oh, really?" asked Kellie.

"That's right! A friend of a friend of Marc's is putting together a new team. He's told her about me and she thinks I'll be a great addition."

"Well, it's true. They have no idea what a great curler and great person they're going to get. They'll be so lucky to have you."

Sandra blushed at Kellie's words of praise, and the others chimed in with full agreement.

"One other thing," Sandra added, "I KNOW you are all coming out to Edmonton to celebrate with me! I won't take no for an answer!"

"Wouldn't miss it for the world!" Kellie exclaimed.

"We'll drive all night if we have to," Jennifer said. Heather readily agreed, especially about the driving part.

"Of course!" Amber added. "But... have you set a date yet?"

"We're thinking Labour Day weekend, at least for the reception. What we do for the ceremony itself will depend on Marc's father and his health. In any case, holding our reception and celebration that weekend will be perfect for us, and I know it won't conflict with your and Jamie's big day. That's another reason Marc and I chose that date."

"Phew!" Amber said with great relief. Her wedding was scheduled for two weeks before Labour Day weekend. "I hope you and Marc can still make it."

"Oh yes, Amber. Marc and I will be there! Don't worry about that."

Jennifer looked around the room and smiled. "Looks like next summer will be the year of the wedding!" she spoke up. She reached into her purse and pulled out a small velvet-covered box. "And I'll be damned if I'm going to miss out on the fun!"

She got down on one knee in front of Heather, who just now realized what was happening. She was shaking with elation. Jennifer opened the box. Inside was another diamond engagement ring; it was easily the equal of Amber's and Sandra's in its splendour.

Their friends watched wide-eyed as Jennifer said, as calmly as she could, "I was going to wait until this weekend to do this, but forget that. I can't think of a more perfect time and place than right here and now. Heather Nelson, my love, will you marry me?"

"Yes, yes, YES!!" Heather shouted. She jumped up and down, ecstatic that her long-held dream would finally come true. Jennifer and Heather embraced tightly and engaged in a long, romantic, adoring kiss. They looked at each other with love in their eyes, grateful to have each other in their lives, and also grateful to live in a country where same-sex marriages were both legal and more or less accepted in society.

They were soon joined in their group hug by Sandra, Amber and Kellie. Those three women felt very privileged to be able to share in their friends' happiness.

As Kellie joined the group hug, she knew things would be different. In a perfect world, Sandra wouldn't move so far away. The world wasn't perfect, of course. She knew that. But this had a chance of being the next best thing to perfect. Sandra, Amber, Jennifer and Heather would all have their dream weddings. Sandra would be happy and fulfilled in all aspects of her life, even with having to relocate. Although they would be without Sandra's presence, Kellie believed her team would move forward and be stronger than ever, because the roles would be defined and that stability would allow all their considerable natural talent to shine through. More importantly, her friendships with all four would remain very, very strong. She had Brad and the rest of her own family with whom she could share the news, both the wonderful and the bittersweet. Everyone would, she hoped, be happy in the end.

And Kellie knew that was as good as it could possibly get.

********

He never saw it coming.

Brad had taken some time to assess his crew at the Blue Granite and found he had a strong, stable and reliable core of employees at his disposal. He was, however, a little short in overall numbers. He spoke with Glenn and, as per his earlier request, gave him a full status update. Glenn was impressed by Brad's thorough understanding of the situation and how quick he had been to come to that understanding. He was learning to value and trust Brad's contributions as much as the man Brad replaced.

For his part Brad was happy to hear Glenn say there was room in the budget to address the numerical shortcomings in personnel. He was thankful for Glenn's trust in him, and he took the responsibility of living up to that trust very seriously. Even though he had a very different management style than his brother Russ, Brad felt that over time he and Glenn would develop just as strong a working relationship as he used to have with his best friend.

Brad was busy the next couple of weeks, not only with his normal duties but also interviewing job candidates on top of that. He found the process to be very mentally taxing. He felt as much pressure to assess each candidate's strengths and weaknesses and ultimately make the right choice as most of the candidates obviously did in trying to land a job they really wanted.

As Brad finished the last round of interviews, he was ready to make some decisions. Glenn showed up in his office just as Brad was laying out pros and cons on a sheet of paper for each candidate. After some initial small talk, Glenn laid a surprise on him.

"About the hiring process..." he started.

"Yeah, Glenn, I think I have a handle on it," Brad interrupted. "Just going through the list again here, and I'm pretty sure I'll be able to pick two good ones out of the bunch."

"Uh... yeah, but here's the thing," Glenn said nervously. "I only want you to choose one."

Brad looked up in surprise, his eyes narrowing. "What?! Why?"

"I promised one of the two open positions to someone else."

Brad was shocked. With one decision, he felt like the trust he was building was about to disappear and they'd have to start back at square one.

"Come on, man!" he protested. "You said making these hires would be my decision all the way. What changed? What's going on here?!"

"I'm sorry, Brad. I know what I said, and you're right. I don't blame you for being upset. But circumstances have changed."

"And what circumstances would those be?"

Glenn sighed. "A key supporter of this club called in a favour that we owed her. I had no choice but to accept the proposal."

"So, this person calls and says jump, you don't question it except to ask how high, and now we're going to have some total unknown, who may screw things up really badly, take one of these two important positions."

"Yeah, that's pretty much it, to be honest."

"Well, who is this mystery figure?!"

"I'll introduce this person to you tomorrow."

Brad shook his head, his face showing a combination of disbelief and disgust. "What the hell?! You're not even gonna give me a hint?!"

"No can do," Glenn said with some embarrassment. Unlike his brother Russ, who planned things well in advance, Glenn often managed by instinct and by feel, and sometimes his improvised decisions went completely off the board. Most of the time they had worked, but this time he had a feeling he was really backing himself into a corner.

"And why not?!" Brad asked impatiently, getting more than a little tired at the vague, evasive answers Glenn was giving him.

"I don't even know who it is yet."

Stone-cold silence greeted Glenn's words. "Bullshit!" Brad finally said. "This had better be nothing more than a dumb joke!"

"Swear to god, Brad, I'm telling the truth. I'll meet this person first thing tomorrow, we'll have a chat and then I'll have you two meet. Until then, this supporter who is calling in this favour, she's sworn me to secrecy."

Brad slumped back in his chair. "Unbelievable. I thought we were working towards something really good. Thought we were going to make a great team. But now you have to go and do something crazy like this! It sucks, Glenn, bottom line!"

Glenn was unhappy that it had come to this but he had to remain resolute. "Brad, you're upset, I get it. You have to understand, though, this thing is bigger than both of us. This person who called in the favour is part of a family that have made numerous contributions to the Blue Granite, both financial and otherwise, right from the beginning. If not for this family, this club probably doesn't even exist. And they are good people. They've never lorded their money and status over anyone here. They simply have a love for curling and a generous desire to give back to the game and the place which they built and learned the game. They don't ask for favours much, so when they do, we have to pay attention."

Brad took Glenn's speech in without saying a word, an impassive look on his face.

"Fine," he grunted as he abruptly stood. "I hope you know what you're doing." He turned, walked out of his office and headed for home without so much as a second glance towards Glenn. He felt a little guilty for brushing his supervisor off so rudely but he was still too angry to think straight.

He calmed down somewhat by the time he got home but he was distracted all night. When in bed together just before going to sleep, Kellie asked him about his mood.

"Something happened at work today," Brad said.

"Talk to me about it, baby. Is it serious?" Kellie asked.

"I don't know," he replied. "Could be a big deal. Or, it could be nothing."

"Can't you at least give me a hint?"

"Sorry, honey. I'm not sure what to say. I can't explain it well enough right now. Hell, I'm not even really sure what to make of it yet. I think I need to sleep on it first. And, whatever it is, I think it might be resolved by tomorrow, anyway."

"OK," Kellie said, resigning herself to accept Brad's word on this situation, for now. "Talk to me about it tomorrow, then. Promise?"

"Promise," Brad whispered, sealing it with a kiss.

The next day Brad felt a little better about things. He decided his reaction to Glenn and his proposal yesterday was petty, and he intended to apologize to him as soon as he saw him.

Glenn did indeed show up a few moments later, poking his head into Brad's office.

"Hey man," Glenn said.

"Hey," Brad said. "Listen, I wanted to apologize for yesterday..."

Glenn waved Brad's words away. "No need to apologize. I screwed up. We would have to take the proposal anyway, to be honest, but I should have discussed it with you first. I promise I won't make that mistake again."

A series of electronic beeps went off, and Glenn checked his cell phone to see it was ringing. He answered, spoke for a moment and then hung up.

"New person's here," he announced. "Time for the meet and greet."

"Good luck," Brad said. He returned to his task from last night and tried to make the difficult decision of choosing only one candidate to hire out of the list of good qualified people.

He was so wrapped up in his work he didn't hear Glenn knock at the door the first time he tried. At the second knock he looked up. He saw the clock on his wall and was very surprised to see it read 11:00, nearly three hours after Glenn and he first spoke this morning. Then he saw the nervous hesitation on Glenn's face. Immediately Brad began to worry.

"What?!" he asked.

"Come with me," Glenn answered.

Glenn led Brad around the corner to a point just outside a meeting room, where they could see inside but someone in the room couldn't see them. Brad froze in his tracks just as he got to that point. The view hit him like a sledgehammer to his gut.

Anita Morriss was seated at the table.

Brad felt the bile rise in his throat. He spun on his heels and marched back to his office. He heard Glenn trailing behind him. He stopped at his office door and waited for Glenn to enter his room. Then he stepped inside and slammed the door hard enough to rattle the walls.

"Talk," he ordered to Glenn. That was all Brad trusted himself to say. Despite the show of bravado and the anger coursing through him, there was a strong undercurrent of fear as well.

"I'm guessing this won't be the most popular decision I've ever made," Glenn said, trying to inject some levity into the discussion.

Brad ignored the attempt completely. He yelled "DO YOU..." before realizing his voice would carry loud enough to attract unwanted attention. He calmed himself just enough to speak his mind.

"Do you have any idea what kind of person she is?" he asked. "Any idea at all of what kind of a cancer you're bringing in here? Do you KNOW what kind of shit she's done to Kellie and me?!"

"I sort of knew something had happened," Glenn admitted, "but I had no idea how deep it ran until this morning. That's part of the reason it took me so long to get back to you. Once I saw her walk in, I called Russ because I figured he had more of the story. And he did. He told me what he knew, and he said I'd be making a huge mistake if we hired her."

"So, you're going to listen to his advice, right?!"

"I can't do that."

Brad ran his hand through his hair in frustration. "And why the hell not?!"

"Because the woman who called in this favour?"

"What about her?!"

"It's Anita's mother."

Brad literally had no idea how to react. He ended up laughing ruefully. It was either that, or feel his sanity snap violently like a frayed metal cable.

"Well, of course," he muttered to himself. "Of fucking course she is!"

Brad turned his attention back to his supervisor. He stared intensely at Glenn. Glenn stared intensely right back at him. As Brad's frustration grew, so did his realization of the situation. He broke the stressful moment by sighing and shaking his head.

"I'm not going to win this argument, am I?" he asked.

"No," Glenn replied patiently. "No, you're not."

"So what am I supposed to do, Glenn? You've put me in a real bind here! This will be impossible for me to deal with! How am I supposed to look this woman in the eye, much less work with her? And how the hell do you propose I explain this to Kellie?!"

"Brad, so far I've found that the best way to manage you is to tell you what I need the end result to be, and then get out of your way and let you figure out how to get the job done. I'm going to do the exact same thing in this case. I trust you two will be adult enough to look past your differences and find a way to work together."

"Look past our differences, huh? Easy for you to say! She never tried to break up your relationship with the love of your life! You try working with someone who tries to fuck you over like that, see how that goes!"

Glenn flinched but accepted the verbal abuse, like he knew he had to. He hoped he hadn't lost Brad forever, as he valued and respected him. In fact he raised this very point to Colleen Morriss when he spoke with her earlier today. She may have been sympathetic to his dilemma, but her loyalty to her daughter trumped all, so she was unmoved. As a result he had to try to be as well.

"I never said it would be easy," he told Brad. "But it has to be done."

"Fine!" Brad barked, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "What if she doesn't work out? Surely Anita's mother won't force us to keep her if she can't do her job properly!"

"Ms. Morriss is a fair woman. She's not asking us to do the impossible. She understands Anita may not be the best fit. All she's asked is for her daughter to get a chance. We're going to give her that, and in return she's promised not to interfere further with our operations. If after a few months we both see Anita's not going to work out, we'll have the freedom to end the working relationship."




Kellie and Brad Ch. 09



Brad nodded his head. This part of the deal, at least, sounded faintly reassuring, like something he could cling to. It was a promise of a way out that he hoped could be taken so Anita could finally be where she needed to be; out of his and Kellie's lives forever.

"OK. There's still the not insignificant matter of what to tell my wife."

"Uh, I don't think you really want my advice there. I have enough trouble dealing with my own love life without trying to help someone else's! All I can recommend is for you to explain what's happening to her and trust in her to deal with it as best she can."

"You don't know Kellie like I do. And you have no idea how what Anita did affected her. Tell her to deal with this? You may as well ask me to throw a better draw to the button than her; I'll fail at that just as badly!"

"I don't know what else to tell you. If she wants, she can come in and vent her frustrations to me, but it will be a waste of time and breath for her. The decision can't, and won't, change."

"Then I hope the company health plan will cover all the bills for treatments on my back."

Glenn furrowed his brow in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about needing treatment for my back because it will be messed up, because after I break this news to Kellie I'll have to get used to sleeping on the couch for the next fifty years or so!"

Glenn laughed at Brad's gallows humour, perhaps a little too enthusiastically. An awkward silence descended over the room.

"Can't put it off any longer, I guess," Glenn spoke up. "Ready to talk to Anita?"

Brad shrugged in resignation. "As ready as I'll ever be, I guess. Bring her in here."

"Wouldn't you rather do it in the conference room?"

"No. Here."

Brad put his head down and returned to his work, and Glenn knew better than to try and push that argument any further. "OK," he said, "just a minute." He rose from his seat and left the office.

Moments later, Brad heard movement outside his door. He looked up to see a very nervous Anita tiptoeing into his office.

"Take a seat," he told her. "Close the door." He tried to keep his statements short and his tone impassive. He knew if he let his emotions get away from him the results could be ugly.

Anita did as Brad requested and quietly sat down across from him. She recalled the last time she came face to face with him. The situation, the power dynamics, and her feelings this time around could not have been more different.

Brad did not look up at Anita until he finished writing down the notes he was working on, lasting just long enough at his task to further prolong her discomfort. When he finally did set his gaze on her he tried not to smile at the sight of her sitting quietly with her head bowed like a chastised schoolgirl in the principal's office.

"Never thought I'd see the day..." he said quietly.

"Neither did I," Anita replied.

Brad put his pen down, ran his hands through his hair and breathed deeply before speaking again. "Anita, let me be clear. I don't want you here. I'm angry that we've been forced to hire you. And even you must realize how much this will piss Kellie off once she finds out."

Anita briefly closed her eyes and felt her insides churn at the sound of her adversary's name. "This isn't exactly ideal for me, either," she said. "I'm a very independent person. I didn't want to have to admit failure and be made to rely on my mother's connections. And to have to work here, of all places. But I have to do this."

Brad decided to make one last-ditch effort to stop this chain of events from happening. He thought that maybe he could intimidate Anita into thinking the whole thing was a bad idea so she would call it off herself. It was a long shot, and not the type of behaviour that came naturally to him, but he had to try.

"Why should I believe you? Why should we accept you working here? Why should we lift one goddamn finger to help you out?! Give me one good reason why we shouldn't just go through the motions before we tell your mommy you can't hack it so we can do what we should have done the minute you walked in here and toss your ass out the door?!"

Anita squirmed under Brad's abrasive words and withering gaze. She wasn't going to quit, no matter what he said to her. Not now. But she had to do something so the whole effort wouldn't be doomed right from the start. She scanned the desk and the office walls, looking for anything, any sign, that might help her connect with him and get him to see her in less of a negative light.

She took notice of the family portrait on the corner, next to the computer monitor.

"Are those your kids?" she asked.

Brad was so caught off-guard by the question he found himself volunteering information to Anita he never would have disclosed otherwise. "Uh... yeah," he said, his features softening as he lovingly discussed his young family. "Our son is named Eric James, but we all call him E.J. And our daughter's name is Kaitlyn."

"They're adorable." Anita beamed, and Brad noticed how pretty she looked with a genuine smile on her face, despite himself.

She reached into her purse and pulled out a small picture. She offered it to him to view, saying, "This is my son, Johnathan."

"I didn't know you had any kids," Brad said in surprise. He studied the picture closely before giving it back to Anita. "He looks about the same age as my son. He's a handsome young boy."

"Thank you."

"Does he look like his dad?"

"I... don't know the father. My pregnancy... it happened after a... one-night stand."

"Oh." Brad was suddenly very uncomfortable, both at Anita's admission and from seeing her hang her head, her cheeks flushing red with shame.

"I need this job, Brad," she said, overcoming her embarrassment to make eye contact with her new boss. "I have to support my son. I have to be a good example for him and raise him the right way. I can't do that if I don't have a real job. I can't stay with my mother forever, and Johnny and I can't make it on minimum wage. I really, really need this job. Please, just give me a chance."

"Could you not find suitable work elsewhere? Was it really necessary to go this route?"

"You think I didn't try? Of course I did! I tried to land a real job on my own, I really did. I pounded the pavement for months. I tried everything I could think of, I swear."

"So what happened?"

"I found out karma is just as much of a bitch as I used to be."

Brad listened to Anita and studied her body language as she recounted a couple examples of her past coming back to haunt her during her unsuccessful job search. There was a hint of the pride and independence she referenced, but mostly there was maturity and humility in her words and actions. It was so much at odds with the memories of her cruel treatment of his wife, not to mention her cynical, underhanded attempt at seducing him.

He then came to a startling revelation. In the years that passed since Kellie defeated her in that memorable final at the Canadian championships, he realized that something serious, something monumentally life-changing, happened to Anita. Whether it was simply taking on the responsibility of single motherhood, or if she had suffered through something more sinister, she was not the same person she used to be. He was sure that she had faced significant life events, staring down adversity in the process, and came out the other side a wiser, more mature person.

This thought hit him so suddenly he wasn't sure if he could even trust it. What if it was all another elaborate ruse on her part? Trusting her now could cost him everything if she betrayed that trust. But he took a chance, as his instincts told him she wouldn't let him down.

"Anita," he said, "despite what I said earlier, I'm not vindictive just for the sake of it. Of course, if you were to pull another stunt like last time..."

"It won't happen," she said in complete sincerity. "I swear."

He nodded. "Good. So now that we have to work together we might as well try and make the best of it. I believe in being fair but I also have high expectations of the people I manage. You're going to have to keep up your end of the bargain. And it won't be a soft, cushy position either. You'll have to do real, honest-to-goodness, roll-up-your-sleeves kind of work. If you can't manage to perform to the level we need you to reach then after the probationary period we really will have to let you go."

"I understand," she said with relief. "And that's perfectly fine with me. I don't want special treatment. I just want a chance to prove myself. I'll be the best damn worker you've got. You'll see!"

Brad smirked. Anita's fire as a competitive curler was legendary, and her response proved that fire hadn't completely burned out. Whatever had happened to her, she still had that to draw from when needed. He figured it might just serve her well, given what she was about to step into.

"You'll start Monday at 7:00am sharp," he told her. "See you then."

Anita thanked Brad and left for home. Brad watched her go.

He immediately started to be afraid.

******** 

He could only delay the inevitable for so long.

Brad was in a constant state of anxiety on the drive home. It was eased somewhat when he got home and E.J. and little Kaitlyn ran to him, squealing, "Hi Daddy!" and hugging and kissing him. It remained in the background as he sat down to dinner with Kellie and the kids. It buzzed like white noise as they put the kids to bed. It even faded a little as he listened to Kellie describe her day and talk about Sandra, her engagement with Marc and her preparations to move to Edmonton to be with her fiancé. He allowed himself to be seduced by the false hope that she wouldn't ask him about his day and he could get through the day unscathed.

Then, as they were washing the dinner dishes, she said, "Oh, look at me babbling on like this! What about your day, honey? Did you get that problem at work you brought up yesterday fixed?"

And his anxiety returned with a vengeance.

His emotions were plainly spelled out on his face. Kellie looked at him curiously. "Come on, honey," she said, "whatever it is, it can't be that bad, can it? Go ahead, you can tell me. I won't bite."

Brad wasn't so sure about that.

"Kellie," he finally said, "I need you to promise me something."

Kellie's nervousness kicked in strong after hearing those words. "What is it?" she asked.

"You will not like what I'm about to say. I can guarantee it. But I need you to promise that you will let me tell the whole story, no matter what. I need you to let me fully explain myself instead of jumping to conclusions. Can you do that for me?"

"OK, I will." Kellie wondered what could have happened that was so bad it caused her husband to make this request. Several unpleasant scenarios ran through her mind.

Brad stood still for several moments with his head down, unable to look at Kellie, his hands clutching the dish towel in a white-knuckle death grip. He decided the only way he could do this was to stop beating around the bush and come right out and say it. It would hurt a lot, at first, like a band aid being ripped off a still-healing wound, but it had to be done. With his words coming out in a rush, he dropped the bomb.

"We hired Anita Morriss today. She'll be working for me."

That was the one unpleasant scenario Kellie did not expect. Mostly because it was the worst scenario possible, one too terrible to even contemplate. Except now, it had actually come to pass.

All the air was sucked out of her. All of the memories she tried to repress of all the rotten things Anita did to her came flooding back to the surface. The one she saw in her mind's eye the clearest was the scene in the locker room, where her enemy for life had tried to seduce her man. Only this time, she imagined the outcome to be different. She could see as clear as day Brad actually returning the kiss, removing Anita's lingerie, doing dirty things with her, committing the sin of adultery, the one marital sin she absolutely could not stand with the one person she absolutely could not stand him doing it with.

In total shock at the news, the coffee mug she was holding dropped from her hands and shattered on the tile floor, a rude disruption of the even ruder silence preceding it.

"How could you?" she asked, her voice a shaky wail.

"Wait, honey," Brad said, "you have to let me explain, you promised..."

"That was before I knew you were going to pull this... this SHIT on me! How dare you, Brad?! What the hell were you thinking?! There is NO explanation you can give that will make this even remotely OK! NONE!"

"Come on, Kellie, do you really think I wanted this?! I don't like her any more than you do! I wanted no part of this, but I had no choice!"

"You had no choice, huh? Tell me this. Did Glenn threaten to fire you?"

"No."

"Did he try to blackmail you?"

"No!"

"Did he hold a gun to your head?"

"NO!"

"Then don't give me that 'you had no choice' bullshit! I don't want to hear it!"

"Just because you don't want to hear it doesn't make it any less true! And yes, despite your trying to prove otherwise in order to justify your anger, I WAS forced into this!"

"Just because you have no backbone doesn't mean you get to make such bullshit claims!"

Brad flinched at the unfounded accusation. "I'm going to pretend you didn't say that," he said in a quiet but unforgiving voice. He stopped himself before saying anything else and took a deep breath. Trying to bring some calm to the situation, he patiently said, "Look, you're angry, I get it. I was angry too when Glenn told me what was going on. Just ask him, he'll tell you. Please, don't make me out to be the villain until you know the full story."

Kellie would have none of her husband's efforts to calm things down. She was so hurt and angry, she wasn't thinking straight. She was like a cornered, wounded animal swiping back at what she perceived to be her attacker in order to inflict maximum damage.

"Screw the whole story!" she fumed, raising her arms and quickly dropping them back down in frustration. "So now what? What am I supposed to do, just sit here and take it and wait for that bitch to swoop in and break up our marriage?!"

For the second time in quick succession, Brad recoiled at his wife's stinging words. This time, she had gone too far.

"Get this through your head!" he yelled. "No one is breaking up anything! And how dare you think I'd let something like that happen anyway!"

"No! How dare YOU disrespect me and our marriage by giving her another chance to finish the job!"

"Mommy? Daddy?"

Both Brad and Kellie jumped at the sound of the unexpected third voice. Their noses almost touched, so close they had been during their argument. In the heat of the moment neither of them had noticed E.J. had awakened and watched them shout at each other.

"What is it, honey?" Kellie asked.

"It's late, E.J.," Brad added. "You should be in bed, a growing boy like you needs his sleep."

"You were yelling so loud, it woke me up," E.J. said in his small, little-boy voice. "Mommy, Daddy, are you mad at each other?"

Kellie and Brad looked at each other, both wondering what to say. Kellie took the initiative. "No, E.J., your Daddy and I were just talking. We're sorry we got too loud and woke you up."

"Yes, Mommy is right. I'm sorry too, buddy." Brad said.

E.J. struggled with his parents' answer, but he finally accepted it. He took a drink of water from his mother and let his father tuck him back into bed.

The raw passion had subsided after E.J. interrupted their shouting match, but Kellie's anger still remained. She gave Brad the cold shoulder for the rest of the night. She didn't make him sleep on the couch, like he thought she might, but she did ignore him completely and made sure she went to bed before he did. Brad found her lying on her side and facing away from him, in complete opposition to how she usually slept, on her other side and facing him with her head resting on his chest.

He almost wished he were told to sleep on the couch, because seeing her like this was far worse.

Brad sighed and settled in for a long, sleepless night, knowing for now there was nothing he could do to change her mind.

**********

They noticed her odd behaviour.

In truth, it was impossible to miss.

Jennifer, Amber and Heather were with Kellie at the curling club for another practice session. For the last several seasons, during which the team had enjoyed a sustained run of success, Kellie ran these sessions flawlessly. She was energetic, decisive, constructive in any criticism she had to give, and encouraging. In short, she was the perfect team leader.

Tonight, she was none of those things.

"Come on, Amber!" she yelled partway through the session. "I told you I wanted the out-turn on that shot!"

"Uh, I don't know, skip," Amber replied nervously. "I'm pretty sure you told me the in-turn."

"No I didn't!" Kellie barked back. "Stop screwing around and get your head in the damn game!"

Jennifer had had enough. She called Amber and Heather down from their end of the rink. Jennifer's sister and fiancée stood behind her as she confronted their skip.

"What are you doing?!" Kellie demanded of her third.

"First things first," Jennifer said. "You did call for the in-turn. Amber heard it, I heard it, we all heard it. Now, let's get to the real problem."

"And that would be?!"

"You're not yourself tonight, skip. You've been distracted all night, and when you've talked to us you've been rude and angry. It's not like you at all. Something is clearly bothering you."

Kellie knew that Jennifer was right but she hoped she would be able to get through this practice without talking about it as she wasn't sure she was ready to discuss it rationally. Clearly she had failed in that attempt.

"You're right, Jennifer," she said, humbled by her behaviour. "I'm really sorry, girls. Brad did something yesterday that's made me so angry. But it was wrong for me to take it out on you. Please forgive me."

Jennifer held Kellie's hand. "Of course, skip, apology accepted," she said, and Heather and Amber nodded in agreement.

"What did Brad do that was so terrible?" Heather asked.

"You know you can tell us anything, skip," Amber added. "Maybe we can help."

Kellie sighed and went ahead. "You all know that Anita Morriss is back in town, right?" Her friends all nodded; they knew very well that not only had she returned but she had also brought a child in tow, much to their disbelief.

"Well, Brad hired her to work here, at the club. She's going to be part of his maintenance team."

Jennifer, Heather and Amber's mouths all gaped open in shock.

"Why the hell would he do that?" Heather questioned.

"No idea!" Kellie said sharply. "He claims he was 'forced' to do it." She put air quotes around the word forced to show her skepticism with Brad's claim.

"Well... was he?" Jennifer asked.

"Oh, come on, Jen! You can't be serious!"

"Hear me out, skip. Did he say how or why he was forced into this decision?"

Kellie thought for a moment before reluctantly shaking her head. "I didn't really give him a chance, I guess. I was so mad with him I didn't let him tell me the whole story."

"Which sort of leads me to my point. Brad's no dummy. He has to know how much this would piss you off. I'm not saying he's perfect. Maybe he didn't fight the decision hard enough. Maybe he could have done something else. But I can't believe for a second he would do this on purpose, completely of his own will. It makes no sense. There has to be something else going on here."

Kellie stayed silent for a while, trying to absorb Jennifer's statement and weighing its merits. "What do you think?" she said, directing her question at Heather and Amber.




Kellie and Brad Ch. 09



"I believe Jen's right," replied Amber. "There can't be any other explanation."

"I certainly don't blame you for being angry," Heather said as she approached her skip. "I still despise Anita for what she put me through, and what she did to you was far, far worse. So I can't blame you for lashing out at Brad. But Jen and Amber may be right. At the very least, you should try and find out the whole truth before doing anything else."

"How do I do that?" Kellie asked.

"Glenn's working late tonight," Jennifer answered. "Heather and I saw him on our way in. You should talk to him."

"Yeah, that's right," Heather remembered. "Said he was meeting someone from the board of directors tonight. Can't remember which one, though."

"Well, I might just have to go and interrupt that meeting." Kellie smiled, but it was a weary smile with a look of resignation to it. "We didn't get anything constructive done in this practice, but that's my fault. We'll reconvene on Monday and I promise I'll be better. OK?" Her teammates all agreed to this plan.

"In the meantime, thanks again for listening and being there for me. I don't know what I'd do without you girls." She hugged each of her friends in turn and they each told her she was glad to help.

"So if you find out he was right will you still be angry at Brad?" Amber asked.

"Still to be determined," Kellie said with a smirk. "He's not out of the woods yet!"

Jennifer, Heather and Amber all wished her luck and bade her goodbye. Kellie strode briskly and with purpose, making her way to Glenn's office. She knocked on the closed door to announce her arrival and, instead of waiting for an answer, she opened it and stepped inside.

Glenn looked momentarily startled but recovered his composure quickly. "Hello Kellie!" he beamed. "To what do I owe this unexpected visit?"

Kellie was about to tell him to cut the crap until she felt another set of eyes on her. Remembering what her friends told her, she turned her head to see the woman sitting across from Glenn, presumably from the board of directors. She looked dignified and carried herself well, but something about her physical appearance, familiar but at the same time not, and the way she was appraising her left Kellie unnerved.

"You must be Kellie Ferguson," the woman said.

"Kellie Galenchuk. Brad is my husband. Ferguson is my maiden name."

"Right, yes, of course. Please excuse my error in decorum," the woman apologized, though she didn't really look that apologetic. She approached Kellie and studied her some more. "You're wondering why I look so familiar even though we've never met before."

"You seem to know a lot about me for someone who's never met me before."

"I make it my business to know things about people that are involved in some way with either this club or my family. You, my dear, happen to be involved with both."

"I don't understand."

"Then allow me to introduce myself." The woman shook Kellie's hand and said "My name is Colleen Morriss."

Kellie recoiled in horror. "You mean, you are..."

"Anita's mother? I most certainly am. And right about now I bet you're wondering how someone like me can raise such a bitch for a daughter."

Kellie could only nod in agreement. In spite of the discomfort of the situation she felt some grudging respect for this woman. After all, Colleen had her sussed out pretty well.

Glenn cleared his throat, increasingly nervous over the direction this discussion was taking. The two women, momentarily forgetting he was even in the room, suddenly looked his way.

"Maybe I... uh," Glenn spoke nervously, stumbling over his words, "I think I... should be going."

Colleen gave him a pleasant enough, if slightly curt, nod. "That's fine. I think we were just about done anyway. Thank you, I'll call you if I think of anything else."

Glenn nodded at both women and left. Before Kellie could react, Colleen took her seat at Glenn's desk, assuming the power role in the exchange. More than a little miffed, she took her place across from her.

"Now, where were we?" Colleen asked rhetorically. "Ah yes, we were about to discuss how my daughter used to behave like a bitch."

"She doesn't just behave like one, she IS one!" Kellie retorted.

Colleen absorbed the verbal jab without flinching. "Kellie, I'm not unreasonable, and I'm certainly not stupid. Anita never told me directly what she did to you, but I heard all about it through the grapevine and had the story verified by multiple people, all of whom I trust. Her behaviour was reprehensible. I would never condone anything like that. I told her that at the time, in no uncertain terms, and I tried to make her realize how wrong she was. Unfortunately, she was in too deep in her downward spiral, and she couldn't be reasoned with.

"But something changed her. Something happened to her after she gave birth to her son, while she ran away from home. She told me the whole story and didn't hold anything back. And I believe she told me the whole truth, I believe that with every fibre of my body. She's a different person now, a better person. I love my daughter and always have, no matter what she did or may have done in the past. But trust me, I wouldn't stick my neck out for her like I am now if I didn't think she deserved it and if I didn't think she could live up to it."

Kellie was not convinced. "Colleen, I guess I'm just different than you. I don't believe people ever really change. Anita is what she is at this point. You believe she's changed... maybe she even believes it too. But I believe it's only a matter of time before her true nature comes out, and I fear for anyone who gets in her way. Most of all I fear for myself, because I'm convinced she'll make another attempt to seduce my husband. I know it will probably upset you to hear that, but I can't help how I feel, and I haven't seen or heard anything to make me think I should change my mind. Surely you can understand that. Besides, you can't help but be biased because she's your daughter."

"Do you have children of your own, Kellie?"

"Yes I do. A son and a daughter."

"And you love your children, and you'd do anything for them, wouldn't you?"

"Yes, of course!"

"I'm no different. I'm a mother, just like you. Anita's my daughter, I love her and I'd do anything for her. That's all I'm doing. Think of me what you will, but that's all I'm doing!"

Kellie sighed. Colleen was right, of course, but it didn't change her mind or improve her mood. She tried a different tactic.

"Colleen, I still don't understand how you think you can just get away with this without being called on it. I understand you're on the board of directors and all, but I still don't see what gives you the right to tell Glenn and my husband how to do their jobs."

"Kellie, let me answer your question with a question. How much do you know about the history of the Blue Granite?"

Kellie became quiet and pensive, partly because she hadn't fully expected this question, but mostly because she was embarrassed at her lack of knowledge about the club's history, and how Colleen would almost surely use that to gain further advantage in this confrontation.

"Not as much as I'd like," she said, couching her words.

"Well, I know all about it," Colleen said with conviction, "because it's very personal to me. My great-grandfather helped build this club, and I mean that literally. He was one of several strong and determined men who laid the foundation for this club, brick by brick! My grandfather steered it through two World Wars, and my father helped lead it into the modern era. All of them made this great club what it is today, and since my father stepped down I've done everything I could behind the scenes to make sure this club continued to earn the great status and reputation that was created through the blood, sweat and tears of my forbearers!"

She ended her speech with a proud smile and not a little bit of emotion in her voice. "If that doesn't give me a bit of stroke around here, I don't know what does!"

Kellie was speechless. She racked her brain, certain there was something else she needed to know but unable to remember what it was. She shook her head slightly, frustrated at both her forgetfulness and at how easily the woman across from her had swatted away her arguments.

Colleen made a point of checking her watch. "Oh, look at the time," she said. "As much as I've enjoyed our conversation, I really should get going."

"Wait!" Kellie blurted out, suddenly remembering what she wanted to say. "One more thing."

"OK," said Colleen. "What is it?"

"If my husband, or Glenn, or both of them said no to you, would they have been fired?"

Colleen paused for a moment before speaking. "Kellie, Glenn and Brad are intelligent, reasonable men. They understand it's important to fight for what they believe in, but they also understand when discretion is the better part of valour. But I never directly threatened to fire either of them, if that's what you're asking."

"But you never said you wouldn't."

"Well... let's just say I presented my argument in such a way that everyone understood agreeing to my plan was in the best interests of all concerned."

With that, she gathered her things and started to walk away before stopping at the office door. She turned to Kellie and looked at her for a moment before deciding to say one last thing in an attempt to end the encounter on a more positive note.

"I like you, Kellie. You're a great and talented curler, a strong and committed leader, and an asset to this club as one of its most prominent members. And you seem like a genuinely good person, someone who is honest, smart and reasonable. I hope you can get past your anger with my daughter and give her a chance to prove that she has changed her ways. And maybe we could also get to know each other better and be friends. I would really like that."

Kellie watched Colleen walk away. She was struck by the force of the elder woman's personality. It didn't mean that she would fully accept Anita's new role at the curling club and in Brad's working life. Nothing could ever make her accept that. But knowing what she knew now about Colleen made her wonder if Brad was more correct about being forced into this decision than she had previously been willing to admit.

If nothing else, Colleen gave Kellie a lot to think about.

**********

This was an unexpected development.

Brad was returning home that Friday evening, happy to be done with another work week but still nervous about being around Kellie for the weekend, especially if her mood hadn't improved.

The night he told her of Anita's hiring went worse than even he thought it would. It was the biggest and most bitter fight the two ever had. Last night she gave him the silent treatment in the few minutes she was home before going to the curling club to practice with her teammates. This morning, he awoke to an empty house, as Kellie had to leave early for a session with a client at the health club where she was employed and had to take the kids to the on-site day care facility so they could be properly looked after. That gave him no chance to properly explain himself to her. It was eating away at him that he couldn't break through her armor of anger but he was at a loss at what to do about it.

As he rounded the street corner with his home in view he was surprised to see two extra vehicles in the driveway, the minivan belonging to his parents, and Linda and Victor's car. It was always good to see them but he wasn't expecting them to visit this weekend. He wondered what it meant.

"Daddy!" E.J. and Kaitlyn squealed with glee when Brad opened the front door.

"Hey kids!" Brad smiled and tightly hugged both of his children.

"Guess what, Dad?!" E.J. said excitedly. "Nana and Papa and Auntie Lin and Uncle V are all here! They're taking Kaity and I to see a movie and then for ice cream!" The young boy's words came out in a breathless rush and Brad couldn't help but laugh and be caught up in his enthusiasm.

"Well you both have a good time and make sure you thank them for being so nice to you!" he kindly instructed. Both E.J. and Kaity promised they would and ran away giggling. Brad smiled at the sight and followed his kids to the living room, where his parents and his de factos had gathered. He gave hugs to his mom and Linda and firm handshakes to his dad and Victor.

"It's great to see all of you," he said, "but I didn't know you were coming. What's the occasion?"

They all looked at each other for a moment which confused Brad further. His mother finally replied, "We'll let Kellie explain it to you."

"Uh... OK. Where is she?"

"She's in the shower," Linda said. "She'll be out in a few minutes."

The adults talked briefly before both sets of grandparents gathered up E.J. and Kaitlyn to get them ready for their big night out. Brad waved goodbye and watched everyone pile into his parents' minivan. He retired to the bedroom where he shed his work clothes. He pulled on an old pair of jeans and was just about to throw on a shirt when he heard a soft female voice clearing her throat.

He turned to see Kellie standing at the doorway, wrapped up in a thick, plush bathrobe, drying her black hair with a bath towel. She nervously smiled at him. He returned her smile with an equally nervous one of his own.

"Hi Brad," she whispered.

"Hi Kellie," he whispered back.

"Can we talk?" she asked.

"OK." Brad didn't know what to do with himself so he remained motionless. He watched Kellie deposit her towel in the hamper, slowly close the distance between them and take a moment to collect herself and her thoughts.

"I talked to Anita's mother, Colleen, last night," she said.

Brad arched his eyebrow, intrigued by Kellie's statement. "Really?"

"Yeah," she said, and smiled. "She's quite the VIP around the Blue Granite."

He let out a short, surprised laugh. "So I've heard. What's she like?"

"Not quite what I expected. She's calm and pleasant..."

"Not like her daughter?" Brad asked playfully.

Kellie, recognizing his game, smirked. "No. Not like her daughter. But they do share some similarities."

"Oh? Such as?"

"She's very strong-willed and persuasive. And while her approach may be different, she usually gets what she wants."

Brad realized that Kellie was trying to muster up enough courage to apologize to him. He remained quiet, not willing to do or say anything to get her off track. He was patient, figuring she'd get around to saying it in due time. Besides, he appreciated the effort, and he found her nervousness very sweet and endearing.

Kellie took a deep breath and said, "I learned a lot about Colleen after our talk. Besides what I already said, she's very perceptive. She commands respect without necessarily demanding it. She takes a lot of pride in the club, in herself and in her family. Despite what I think about her daughter, she clearly loves her and would do anything for her. And from all that, I learned something else."

She bowed her head, too nervous to look at Brad. He softly traced lines on her shoulder with his fingers, silently encouraging her to continue.

Another deep breath.

"I learned you were right. I learned you really did have no reasonable choice but to agree to hire Anita. I learned I was too hasty to judge you, and I learned I let my anger get the best of me and didn't give you a chance to tell me everything you needed to say."

She meant to say her piece sincerely yet calmly, and so far she had. But now, right at the end, with the most important words yet to say, her emotions burst through and she started crying. "I'm sorry," was all she could say before she buried her head in his chest and let the tears flow.

He held her tight, kissed the top of her head gently and stroked her back, letting her get it all out of her system. When she stopped, he took a step back so they could see each other. He kissed her gently and whispered, "I forgive you. And, I'm sorry for what I..."

She silenced him with a finger on his lips. "No, it's OK. You have nothing to apologize for."

"I'm not so sure about that. But... thank you."

Kellie smiled and blushed, still somewhat embarrassed at her behaviour. But she knew that Brad's forgiveness, simply offered and without conditions, would help her to forget that embarrassment. Every time she thought she couldn't love him any more than she already did, he did something to prove her wrong. Tonight was no exception, and, once again, her heart ached for him.

"I want you," she told him softly.

His blue eyes lit up with passion. "I want you too."

She undid her robe and let it fall to the floor. He sighed in pleasure at the sight of her beautiful bare body and the scent of her clean freshness. She grabbed his wrists and put his hands on her ass with a resounding slap. He growled in approval. She smiled and assumed what was by now a comfortable role for her.

"Punish me, Master," she said seductively. "Teach your pet a lesson for being so naughty!"

He did nothing of the sort. "No," he said, shaking his head.

"What?" she asked in confusion.

Brad cradled her head in his hands; his searching eyes found hers and zeroed in on them. "Thank you for offering yourself in that way. You know how much I love it, but tonight it's not what I need, and it's not what you need either."

"I... I don't understand."

"Then allow me to make it clear for you. Tonight, I want there to be no games, no roles, no anything else to get in our way. Tonight, all I want is you."

Kellie quivered and bit her lower lip. Tears spilled down her face again. Brad kissed each of them away, tasting their salty essence. They both smiled and relished the chance to be intimate with each other, to reconnect in that special way after such a difficult couple of days.

"Love me, Brad," she whispered.

Brad kissed Kellie with tenderness, and she gratefully reciprocated. They poured everything they had, every bit of themselves, into the kiss.

He caressed and patted her butt, and with that she instinctively knew what he wanted. She laid down on their bed, opening herself to him in mind, body and spirit. He unconsciously licked his lips as he saw her arousal, both in her eyes and between her shapely legs. He removed his jeans and kicked them away. She purred and felt herself moisten at the sight of his hardness.

Brad crawled on the bed and took another moment to drink in Kellie's beauty. He softly trailed one hand across her inner thigh; she sighed at the gentle, pleasurable touch.

"I'm ready for you, baby," she said, her voice little more than a feathery, sexy breath. The sound washed over him and caused his granite-hard erection to leap and twitch. He took hold of it and guided the tip to her pink feminine entrance. Slowly, almost agonizingly so, he inched forward, burying himself inside her, surrounding himself in her tight, hot, silky channel. She arched her back and groaned in bliss as he bottomed out inside her.

Brad made sweet, sweet love to Kellie with long, languid strokes. He was on sensory overload, brought there by the love of his life. Whether it was the sight of her nude body, alluringly lithe and curvy in all the right places, the feel of both her soft skin and of her liquid heat snugly molded around his manhood, the sound of her whimpers and moans of joy, the restrained scent of her body wash mixed with the heady aroma of her flowing juices, or the taste of her lips he'd get as he bent forward to kiss her... he took it all in and more, and it still wasn't enough. It would never be enough.

Tonight, however, instead of using that yearning to fuel his own desires, he held himself in check to ensure he gave her what she needed; for him to warmly express his love for her and prove that his forgiveness of her was absolute.




Kellie and Brad Ch. 09



For Kellie, the pace at which Brad was loving her was slower than what it usually took to satisfy her. But tonight, the love she felt for him was stronger than ever. It put all her senses on overdrive, so the view of his gorgeously toned and muscled body, the feel of both his strong hands lovingly caressing her body and his thick staff plunging inside her and hitting all the right spots, the sound of his grunts and groans of passion, the faint whiff of his aftershave combined with the more intense yet pleasant musk of his manliness, and the taste of his tongue as they shared deep kisses... all of it turned her on even more than normal, lighting her passions so hot it was nearly overwhelming.

A few more of his thrusts of easy power combined with a kiss and nibble behind her ear were all it took. Kellie lifted off the bed, pulled Brad hard into her and mewled sweetly into a satisfying orgasm. Brad felt her body release and watched her roll onto her side. Happily for him, the more relaxing pace of their lovemaking meant that he had much more still to give.

Having a flash of inspiration, he spooned in next to her and entered her from this sideways position. She gasped at the unexpected sensation; it was a position they had rarely, if ever, engaged in during sex. But it seemed to hit new places within her, creating more delicious feelings, so the gasp quickly gave way to squeals of delight.

Brad reveled in the newly discovered intimacy of this position. He let his hands travel all over Kellie, feeling a taut stomach here, a firm breast there, tantalizingly soft skin everywhere. He kissed his way from her shoulder to the back of her neck to behind her ear, and back again. His gentle touches made her throb all over and sent fresh waves of wetness down below. She reached her arms behind her, trying to pull him in tighter, desperate for more of his contact. Seeing and feeling her writhe in pleasure made his heart race in excitement.

"Oh Kellie," he whispered in her ear, "my baby, my sweet, sweet angel, you're so beautiful."

"Yes, Brad!" she cried. "You're so sexy... my wonderful man... please... don't stop!"

"Don't you worry, baby, I'll never stop. I'll always love you, forever and ever."

"Oh yes! I'll always love you too, baby, forever and ever."

"God I'm so hot for your sexy little body!"

"Oh! Baby you're so strong... so deep... so good..."

"Yeah, am I making you feel good, baby? Are you gonna cum for me?"

"Ohmigod... please Brad, make me cum for you!"

"That's right, cum for me baby, please, I need you to cum for me so bad!"

Brad kissed and licked Kellie's earlobe and she fell into the void. With a loud, squalling wail, she came, her needy sex clamping down on his shaft, her mind consumed with the euphoric release of pleasure and love for her man. He groaned and thrust inside her to the hilt once more before shuddering to his own blissful orgasm.

Kellie slowly turned her spent body to face Brad. They took several minutes to come down from their sexual high, lovingly showering each other with warm smiles, gentle kisses, soft strokes and the close feel of skin on skin. Nothing was said in that time, until they spoke like a mantra their declarations of love for each other.

"I love you, Bradley Galenchuk."

"I love you, Kellie Galenchuk."

Kellie settled into Brad's caring embrace, kissing and nuzzling into his chest. She wondered again why she ever doubted this man, because he always came through and proved his undying love for her, time after time.

Brad kept Kellie's lovely warm body close to his, protectively holding her. He was reflecting on how happy, and how very, very relieved, he was to be fully reconciled with her and to have the nastiness of the last few days put behind them.

********

But if Brad thought this would forever end any drama between him and Kellie when it came to Anita, he was sorely mistaken.

Brad closely observed Anita's work over the last few months, right from the day she started. He did not expect anything from her. He thought she might give an honest effort at first before realizing she was out of her depth, and from there she would accept being told to move on, with the knowledge she would at least have some work experience on which to build for her future.

That proved to be the furthest thing from the truth.

Several times he had to reset his expectations for her, and she surpassed them every time. She was a conscientious, hard worker who took pride in learning all aspects of the job and how to do them right. She also seemed to enjoy the work, certainly more than he thought she would, and probably more than she thought, as well.

She also endured considerable verbal abuse. Clearly Brad and Kellie were not the only people unhappy to see Anita return, and no one was shy to let her know about it. She dealt with it all stoically, and the one time Brad stepped in when he thought Anita's critics had taken things too far, she thanked him but asked him not to do it again. She didn't want to be accused of seeking favourable treatment, and she was determined not to show even a hint of weakness. Eventually, even the worst offenders let up on her, and, while she didn't exactly end up with a lot of work friends, she became more or less accepted as part of the team.

Brad knew that Anita valued this job and didn't want to leave, at least not right now. And if he were completely honest with himself, speaking strictly on the professional side, he didn't want her to leave either.

But, of course, he couldn't truly separate his work life from his home life. So his first worry that day was whether Anita would do something inappropriate when he told her she survived the probationary period, would keep her job and get the customary raise for doing so to boot. He didn't really believe she would but he'd be lying to himself if he didn't admit that it was still a possibility.

It turned out to be a non-issue. Anita was very happy to learn of her more secure job status, of course; in fact she was thrilled. She ended the meeting with nothing more than a few words of honest thanks, a firm handshake and a promise to report to her post the next day at her usual time.

His second worry, he was sure, would be more difficult to navigate.

That evening started innocently enough. He enjoyed playtime with E.J. and Kaitlyn and dinner with them and Kellie. When he and she relaxed for the night, after they helped put the kids to bed... that was when the real discussion started.

"So, do you know what today is?" Kellie asked.

Brad frowned, pretending not to know what she was talking about and hoping against hope she would move on to something else. "I feel like I probably should know the answer, but I'm afraid I don't."

"Well, let me fill you in, Mr. Forgetful. It's been exactly six months to the day since you had to hire little miss bitch Anita."

So much for that, he thought.

"Ah, of course it is," he said out loud. "I should have known you would keep close track of that."

"Yes, you should have known. But I'm not surprised. You are a guy, after all."

He rolled his eyes as she giggled and kissed his cheek.

"Now," Kellie said, "I know you haven't told me anything about how she's doing at work..."

"That was at your request, remember," Brad interrupted.

"Yes, I know that. Anyway, I assume that she did such a terrible job that today you were finally safely able to let her go and now you can tell me all about it."

He hesitated, looking nervous and searching for the right words to say. That was all she needed to see to know his answer would not be to her liking.

"Honey, seriously?!" she asked, incredulously.

"Listen, hon," he replied. "That was the plan all along, just like you said. But we ran into a problem along the way."

"And that would be?!"

"She's really, really good at her job."

Kellie couldn't say a word because she couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"I'm serious, Kellie," Brad continued. "She's always on time, and she doesn't leave until either her work is completed or I tell her it's OK to go. She's dedicated, smart and willing to learn. Hell, she probably knows more about how things work than some of the long-term veterans I have on hand, and most of them know their stuff! She's been my best employee the last three months. What kind of message would I be sending if I fired her now?"

"Brad, what kind of message are you sending me by not getting rid of the one person who has hurt me more than anyone else?"

"No, honey, there's no message there for you, please believe me. Work is one thing, but other than that I have and will have nothing to do with her. I love you and only you, I always have and I always will, and I won't let anything or anyone change that."

Kellie's features softened, and the anger she was starting to feel washed away, replaced by love but also fear and anxiety. She gave Brad a brief but loving kiss. "I believe you, baby, but I'm just so worried. I trust you completely, but I will never, ever trust her. I'm scared she'll wait for a time when she thinks you're vulnerable, and then she'll try to steal you away from me again. I can't bear the thought of that happening."

Brad cradled Kellie in a hug. He kissed the top of her head. "Baby, I swear I will never do anything to hurt you, and if she does try anything I will put a complete stop to it."

Kellie smiled sweetly to him.

"But..." he started to add, and then stopped.

"But what?" she asked.

He took a deep breath to calm his nerves before speaking again. "I have a strange feeling that Anita will be on her best behaviour. In fact, I was wondering if it's at all possible that you could speak to her, find a way to get past your differences. Not saying you have to be friends with her or anything like that, but maybe it would help..."

Kellie frantically shook her head throughout Brad's last couple of statements, and he finally gave up trying to convince her. "No, never!" she yelled, and tears started to run down her cheeks. "Don't ask me to do that again! Please! I won't be mad at you for allowing her to keep her job if you think that's best. But you can't ask me to forgive her or forget what she did! I can't do it, Brad! I just can't!"

Brad closed his eyes. It felt like a huge mistake to let Kellie stay angry at Anita. He thought the longer it lingered and festered, the more chance there would be of something triggering a new episode, and he feared what the repercussions would be. But he also didn't want to force Kellie to do something she clearly wasn't ready to do. Maybe in time she would see the wisdom of properly dealing with this issue, or maybe in time he could gently move her in that direction. But now clearly wasn't the time.

"OK," he said softly, opening his eyes. "I'm sorry if I upset you."

"It's alright," she replied, just as softly. "Thank you for understanding." She kissed his cheek before she left to get ready for bed.

Brad sighed once she was out of earshot. He hoped he was doing the right thing. But, even if he was, he had a strong suspicion that Anita Morriss would be an ongoing source of friction between he and Kellie for many years to come.



Kellie and Brad Ch. 10



AUTHOR`S NOTE: This is the tenth chapter of a multi-part story. Please read the first nine chapters before this one to understand the whole story. Please enjoy.

The summer wasn't quite like that British movie, Four Weddings and a Funeral.

You could consider it the Canadian counterpart, Three Weddings, One Renewal of Wedding Vows, and a Confrontation.

Lousy title? Probably.

The stories themselves, however, are plenty interesting.

********

Wedding, the first:

"Daddy?" E.J. asked. "Can you help me with my tie?"

"Sure, E.J., come here," Brad answered.

The boy, who would reach the age of four in November, ran over to his dad, tie in hand. Brad struggled to put it on his son, as he was squirmy and antsy, as young boys can sometimes be. He finally managed to tuck it under the collar of E.J.'s shirt and gently tightened it until the knot looked right yet would still be comfortable.

"I'm hot," E.J. whined. "Why do I have to wear this?"

Brad smiled at his son, trying to defuse his distress. "I know, buddy. I'm uncomfortable too. But it's a special day, so we have to dress nicely. Our good friends are getting married today!"

"Auntie Amber and Uncle Jamie?" They weren't really his aunt and uncle but for now Brad and Kellie's friends encouraged them to let E.J. and Kaitlyn think of them as such.

"That's right. Then next week it will be Aunt Jennifer and Aunt Heather, and the week after that Aunt Sandra and Uncle Marc!"

E.J. looked at his father with confusion. "Daddy?"

"Yes, E.J.?"

"How can two girls get married?"

Brad briefly turned away, feigning a cough, to hide the look of uncertainty on his face. Ah, the innocence of youth, he thought to himself as he wrestled with how to answer the question.

"Well," he told his son, "when two adults really, really love each other a whole lot, they get married. Most times it's a man and a woman, but it can be two men, or, like your Aunt Jennifer and Aunt Heather, two women."

"Did you and Mommy get married?"

"We sure did!"

"Did Mommy ever want to marry a girl?"

"No, I'm pretty sure she didn't."

"Did you ever want to marry a boy?"

Brad laughed gently at his son's inquisitive nature. "No, I didn't. I wanted to marry a girl, and once I met your mother I only wanted to marry her. But if two men or two women love each other a lot then it is perfectly fine for them to get married."

"Do Auntie Jen and Auntie Heather love each other?"

"Yes, they do, they love each other a whole bunch! That's why they want to get married."

E.J. thought about what his dad said, putting on his "serious face", as Brad called it. It was a look that never failed to amuse Brad. Before long, E.J. seemed satisfied, and he gave his dad a big smile.

"I wanna be like you and marry a girl when I grow up!" he exclaimed.

Brad smiled right back at E.J. and ruffled his hair. "That's great, son. But that's a long way away. You're much too young to worry about that now. Let's go see if your Mom and sister are ready!"

E.J. agreed and the boys went to check on the progress of the girls. At the request of his dad, the little boy said loudly, "Knock, knock!" and rapped his knuckles on the bedroom door.

"Just a minute!" Kellie said. She was just finishing brushing Kaitlyn's golden brown hair.

Kaitlyn and her family had recently celebrated her second birthday. She was leaving the toddler stage behind and was starting to look more and more like a little girl. Even at this young age people who saw her were convinced she would grow up to be an incredibly beautiful young woman.

Satisfied with her handiwork, Kellie looked at herself and her little daughter in the mirror.

"Mommy pretty!" Kaitlyn said in her squeaky voice, her angelic face beaming up at her mother's.

"Thank you, Kaity!" Kellie replied. "You're very pretty, too!"

The young girl said nothing, but her shy, sweet smile showed to her mother that she accepted the compliment.

Kellie opened the door and smiled at her two handsome guys. Brad broke into a huge grin at the sight of Kellie and Kaitlyn in their pretty, formal summer dresses, coordinated as they were to match the rest of Amber's bridal party. The kids, taking their cues from their parents, had smiles spread over their faces as well.

"There you are, my two best girls!" Brad exclaimed. He bent low to kiss his daughter and stood up to kiss his wife. "You two look gorgeous!"

"That's so sweet of you!" Kellie said happily. "And might I add, both you and E.J. look so handsome in your nice suits!"

To show how pretty he thought Kaity looked, E.J. gave his sister a kiss on the cheek. Kaity sometimes complained when her brother showed his affection because he sometimes overdid it. Most of the time, however, she enjoyed how special it made her feel. This time she just smiled and kissed her brother back before going to her dad's side and holding his hand. E.J. did likewise with his mother.

Kellie looked as if she would burst with emotion at the sweet display of love her children showed each other. Brad swelled with pride and love as well but couldn't resist taking a friendly little jab at his wife.

"Alright," he teased, "don't start with the tears, honey, or else we'll have to wait another hour for you to fix your makeup!"

Kellie laughed even as she reproached her husband. "You're so naughty," she said. "I'm going to get you for that."

Brad leaned in and whispered in her ear, "I sure hope so!"

She rolled her eyes, slightly exasperated by his teasing even while admitting to herself how much she really loved it.

"Alright everyone," she said as she finally gathered herself. "Time to go."

The young family stepped outside into the gorgeously bright and warm summer morning. The kids piled into the car. As Kellie got them safely into their car seats and buckled their seatbelts, E.J. asked if it was OK to ask her a question.

"Sure," she said, "go ahead, honey."

"Did you ever want to marry a girl?"

Kellie was surprised, to say the least, but did her best to hide it. "No, I didn't, I only wanted to marry your father."

E.J. smiled and said, "OK!" and that, apparently, was that. Kellie got in the front passenger seat and posed a question to her husband as he started the car.

"Brad?" she asked, "Just curious... did you hear E.J.'s question?"

"Yes, I did. It didn't upset you, did it?"

"No, not at all. But do you know why he would ask me that?" She asked it in a voice low enough so only Brad could hear.

"I kind of let it slip that Jen and Heather's wedding was next week. We can talk about it more later if you think we need to."

"Probably a good idea. I trust you, but we should make sure our message is consistent and we're both teaching him what's right."

"I agree."

With that, they both let the matter drop for the time being. Brad, Kellie and the kids enjoyed the drive in the bright sunshine. They arrived at the house of the Janiks, Jennifer and Amber's parents. Brad dropped Kellie and Kaitlyn off so they could join up with the rest of the bridal party, and continued on with E.J. to a large park in the centre of town, where Amber and Jamie's wedding ceremony would take place. Brad pulled into the parking lot with plenty of time to spare.

Brad scanned the crowd of people milling about and found Amber and Jen's father, Brent. He was taking in the scene before him, a wistful look on his face. Brad shook his hand, introduced E.J. to him and offered his congratulations. Brent smiled and gently ruffled the young boy's hair.

"I don't know what happened, Brad," Brent said. "I'm going along, living my life, and then all of a sudden I'm giving both my daughters away in marriage in back-to-back weeks. Enjoy your kids while you can, because time flies like you would not believe."

Brad nodded and promised he would do so. He left Brent to his thoughts and said hello to Russ.

"Good to see you, old friend," Brad said.

"Good to be here," Russ replied.

"Kellie wanted me to tell you how happy her friends are that you are attending all their weddings."

"You know I wouldn't miss them for the world. I got to know all these girls well, almost as well as you and Kellie. I'm so happy for all of them and I can't wait to tell them so."

"Speaking of happy, Russ, how are you and Rachel?"

"Wonderful." Russ motioned over to a woman just ending a conversation with someone. Her dark hair was slightly graying at the temples, and a wrinkle or two formed around her eyes, but those eyes sparkled and gave her an appearance of youth that belied those small signs of aging. She carried herself with dignity and grace. Brad smiled, thinking that she and Russ looked like a perfect match.

"Hi Rachel," he said, "nice to see you again."

"Hello Brad. Hi E.J." she greeted.

Brad crouched to his son's eye-level and said to him "E.J., say hi to Uncle Russ and Rachel!"

E.J. brightly said hi, waved at Rachel and gave Russ a friendly high-five.

"How are Kellie and Kaitlyn?" Rachel asked.

"They are doing great!" Brad replied. "Kellie wanted me to tell you she's looking forward to talking with you after the ceremony, and she'll bring Kaity around to say hi as well."

"Can't wait!"

Brad nodded his head in Russ's direction and addressed Rachel again. "Are you taking good care of my friend?"

"Well," she answered, "it is really hard work. He's very high-maintenance, as I'm sure you know, but I'm doing my best."

"Haha," Russ said drily. "Very funny."

Rachel and Brad sure thought it was funny, at least. They laughed, enjoying her gentle teasing of her man. Just to show there were no hard feelings, she kissed Russ's cheek and he kissed her back.

Brad smiled before excusing himself, as he needed to find the groom and the rest of the groomsmen. He found them in a small circle near the front row of seating. Marc and the other two Donaldson boys, Jamie's two younger brothers, were cracking jokes, trying to relax a visibly nervous Jamie. The guys all greeted Brad and E.J. and made room for them in their circle.

"Hate to be a killjoy," Brad remarked, "but if I'm going to join the fun here we need to keep the language at a PG level." He motioned to his son to reinforce to the others that young, impressionable ears were now present.

"Whatever, grandpa!" Marc joked. Brad spent the next few minutes fending off good-natured banter over his being the oldest of the group, even though he wasn't that much older than either Marc or Jamie. The guys especially enjoyed when E.J. asked Brad why they were calling him grandpa.

After a brief lull in the conversation, Jamie said "In all seriousness, Brad, I'm really glad you're here. You're the only one of us that's done this before. How did you do it?"

"I'm sure I was just as nervous as you are," Brad replied. "And I got through it. Knowing you're marrying a great woman really helps."

"You're right. I'm sure Amber's the one, just as I'm sure you knew then like you know now Kellie's the one for you. I just want to be sure I'm the kind of man and husband Amber deserves."

"You are. Believe it. As long as you and Amber love each other, and you tell each other that every day, you'll be fine."

Jamie nodded at Brad's words and struggled to fight back a tear.

"Besides," Brad smirked, "you need to be strong and set the example for Marc."

"Yeah, buddy," Jamie laughed and looked in Marc's direction. "Only two weeks of freedom left for you. The clock is ticking."

Marc just brushed it off. "Yeah, well at least I still have two weeks!"

"Like you'd do anything with that time anyway!" Jamie teased.

Marc sighed, knowing Jamie was all too correct in his assessment. Marc's obvious embarrassment caused everyone to break out in long and loud laughter.

The joking continued until the appointed time. The limo bringing the bridal party made its grand entrance into the park, and everyone settled into position. Renee Janik, Jen and Amber's mother, helped guide Kaitlyn, serving as a very young but very cute and eager flower girl, down the aisle. Wayne Donaldson, Jamie's father, did the same for E.J., the ring bearer for the occasion. The bridal party then gathered at the front as well, Jamie's youngest brother Ryan with Heather, Marc with Sandra, Brad with Kellie, and Jamie's oldest brother Tyler, the best man, with Jennifer, the maid of honour.

Jamie's heart leaped when he saw Brent Janik walking down the aisle with a beaming Amber. She looked positively radiant in her white wedding dress. For her part Amber was just as excited to see Jamie, believing he was the sexiest man alive in his white tuxedo. When her father handed her off to Jamie she couldn't contain her enthusiasm and hopped up and down like an overactive bunny, resulting in smiles and gentle laughter from the crowd.

The ceremony was lovely and went off without a hitch. Jamie and Amber kissed to seal the marriage to the applause of all. Marc and Sandra smiled at each other, as did Jennifer and Heather, both couples looking forward to their own weddings.

The crowd of people moved over to the covered pavilion in the park, where a buffet dinner and bar awaited them. Everyone enjoyed the dinner and the speeches thereafter. A live band served as the entertainment, and they played well into the night. Before the band's first break, however, Amber and Jamie had already taken their leave and were at a luxury hotel's honeymoon suite for the weekend, a stay both newlyweds' parents combined to pay for.

As soon as they entered the suite Amber and Jamie disrobed as fast as they could without ruining their fancy wedding clothes. They pressed their naked bodies together and mashed their mouths together into a frantic lip lock that wasn't released until their lungs burned from lack of air.

"I can't believe we haven't done this in a whole month!" Amber panted.

"That was your idea, remember!" Jamie gasped.

Amber shook her head. "Ugh! Don't remind me!"

Jamie good-naturedly mocked his new bride, in a high-pitched tone meant to emulate her voice. "Let's abstain from sex for a whole month, she said! It will make our first honeymoon night feel like our first time, she said!"

"Alright, shut up already!" Amber laughed and cuffed her husband's arm. "Stupidest idea I've ever had."

"Tell me about it!"

"Hey! Takes two to tango, genius!"

"Or not tango, in our case!"

"Whatever. If you knew it was such a terrible idea, why didn't you stop me?!"

"I thought you really wanted it! You looked super-serious when you told me about this ridiculous plan of yours. I figured you'd be upset if I tried to talk you out of it."

Amber rolled her eyes. "You couldn't tell I was joking?!"

Jamie was incredulous. "Really?! Holy crap, Amber, you did a brutal job of it, then. You even said pretty please and gave me those damned puppy-dog eyes!"

"Oh yeah, that's right, I almost forgot. I did, didn't I?" Amber asked, blinking coquettishly.

"Yes, dammit, you did!" Jamie groaned while pretending to be mad. "I should know better than to fall for that trick, because when you pull it, it's ALWAYS trouble for me!"

"Maybe. But you can't help yourself, because you love me!!"

"Nah, not really, it's all a big lie, I just married you for those millions you have stashed away in the bank!"

The words didn't hurt Amber at all, because Jamie knew damned well she didn't have millions in the bank! Not to mention his wicked grin that proved he was obviously joking. Still, she was not about to let him off the hook so easily.

"Why you little...!" she squealed. She leaped at him, intending to rabbit-punch his chest, but he grabbed her wrists before she could land the first blow. They play-fought and wrestled for a few minutes before finally collapsing into peals of laughter and flopping on to the suite's king-sized bed.

"We're a couple of crazy kooks, aren't we?" Amber said between giggles.

"I know one way in which I'm crazy," Jamie said, suddenly turning serious. "I'm crazy in love with you."

"Oh, Jamie!" Amber swooned, touched by her husband's words. "I'm crazy in love with you, too!"

The newlyweds gave each other Eskimo kisses and stared lovingly into each other's eyes. Amber then broke into a mischievous grin.

"Jamie?"

"Yes Amber?"

"Can we fuck now?"

"Let me think... yes!"

Amber was giddy with excitement. She straddled Jamie and planted kisses all over his face. She positioned and lowered herself just right and, after their long self-imposed celibacy, finally felt once more the wondrous sensation of her tight pussy being filled with his large cock.

"Oh god I missed this SO much!" she moaned breathlessly.

"Not half as much as I did!" he returned. He playfully smacked her bottom and heard her cutely yelp. "Now ride me, cowgirl!"

Amber energetically bounced up and down on Jamie's engorged prick. She knew he probably wouldn't last as long as usual this first go-round, given the long span of time since their last sexual encounter, but that was fine with her this time, because neither would she. She couldn't help but smile at Jamie. Amber thought he was super-sexy at first sight. She grew to love him because he was the only man she knew who could keep up with her positive attitude and voracious appetites for fun, life and, of course, great sex.

Jamie grinned at the sight of his lovely little spitfire of a wife riding him. Amber's tight little body and her obvious beauty first caught his eye, but what really captured his heart over time was her lively, fun-loving nature. He was laid back but liked to have fun as well so the two meshed perfectly. Her attitude towards sex exactly reflected her playful personality. It guaranteed that his sexual encounters with Amber were always fun romps, and never boring.

"Ooh yeah, you feel so good baby!" he told her.

"Yes! Fuck me you big stud!" she yelled.

He thrust in time to her movements, and it wasn't long before they were both close to orgasm.

"Fuck me Jamie!" Amber screamed. "Fill me up!" The couple had (again) put off their decision on kids, this time until after the wedding, so she was still on birth control and not afraid of him cumming inside her. He groaned at her words of encouragement and did just as she asked. The feeling of his seed coating her insides triggered her own climax. She loudly yet sweetly squealed as she came.

"Now THAT'S how you consummate a marriage!" Amber exclaimed, and Jamie readily agreed.

They rested and caught their breath, but it didn't take Amber long to feel revived. She ground and wiggled her body on Jamie's and purred when she felt his cock, still buried in her pussy, respond to her suggestive movements.

"So, cowboy," she whispered, "how many bullets do you have left in your chamber?"

"Don't worry, little cowgirl," he replied. "I've got plenty of ammo left in reserve."

Amber and Jamie giggled, kissed deeply and prepared themselves for a long, wild night of sexual adventure.

********

Wedding, the second:

Jennifer and Heather were both readying themselves in separate rooms in the city's suburban convention centre, which they had reserved that Saturday for their wedding. While both were thrilled to soon be married with the love of their life, they were also in a contemplative mood. 

Independently of each other, both were thinking about what had happened in their lives since that fateful day. There was a lot to think about, because a lot had transpired.

They both had trouble believing that day was over four years ago. That day was the one just before the start of their team's monumental win over Anita Morriss's team in the finals of the Canadian women's curling championships.

Heather felt the events of that day unfolded due to circumstances beyond her control. Those circumstances brought to the forefront her already burning need to tell the truth, to stop living her life in secret.




Kellie and Brad Ch. 10



Jennifer would have agreed to a point, but she would claim until her dying day that it was mostly due to the bravery of her forever beloved, Heather Nelson, that things worked out as they did.

It was the day the two of them came out of the closet. The day where they let the rest of the team -- Kellie, Sandra, and Jen's sister Amber -- know that not only were they both lesbians, but they were both deeply in love with each other.

The immediate acceptance of those three wonderful women took a huge weight off the couple's shoulders. They believed it played a large role in their team's success. It also brought them all closer together, if that were even possible. It strengthened their love and faith in each other. Not only did Jennifer and Heather know they would love each other forever, they knew they would be friends with Kellie, Sandra and Amber forever. Their bonds were now eternally unbreakable.

After the excitement and celebrations of their team's championship had died down, Jennifer and Heather sat down and drew up a plan to come out to the other people they cared about. Since Amber already knew their story, they decided it would be easier for them to start with the rest of Jennifer's family.

That decision led to a very successful outcome. Like her sister, Jennifer's parents had suspected that she might well be gay. Both Brent and Renee Janik were relieved their eldest daughter finally felt comfortable enough to admit the truth about her sexual orientation. They were proud of her courage, and they were happy for her that she found a wonderful woman to fall in love with in Heather.

The Janiks considered Heather to be an honorary daughter, because she had been friends with Jennifer for so long. They watched her grow up in front of their eyes as they welcomed her frequent visits to their house for dinners and overnight sleepovers with Jennifer.

Brent and Renee accepted Jennifer and Heather's relationship without reservations and expressed their love of them both. Similar to the scene when the young lesbian couple came out to their teammates, the talk ended with a happy and emotional group hug with Jennifer and Heather feeling the strong love and support from the rest of the Janik family.

Heather's family was a different story.

The Nelsons reacted with outright shock at their youngest child's news. Heather was inconsolable the night that she disclosed this news to them. She was convinced she would be ostracized and hated by everyone in her family forever. Not even Jennifer could help her feel better.

The next day improved her outlook, but only slightly. On the one hand, Heather's mother, Anne, was the quickest to recover from her shock. She told her daughter the next day she had accepted the reality, and professed her support and love for Heather.

But on the other hand her father couldn't handle the knowledge that his daughter was a lesbian. He didn't totally reject Heather; she was still his little girl and he still loved her. But instead of accepting her sexual orientation, he avoided dealing with it altogether, apparently preferring to live in denial. Since then, when Heather talked to her parents, anytime the topic came up Mr. Nelson either changed the subject or chose not to respond at all.

Her siblings were even worse. Heather's older sister was overly image conscious in her world of high finance and higher social standing. She was convinced having a lesbian sister would be bad for her image, so she slowly but surely cut all ties with Heather. Meanwhile Heather's brother had married a woman who came from a very religious family. The woman declared Heather an abomination in the eyes of her god and forbade her husband from having anything to do with her. Heather's brother was made of a weak constitution, so he meekly complied with his wife's wishes.

Anne Nelson hugged her daughter after these encounters and asked her to have faith that the rest of the family would eventually see the light. Heather was grateful for her mother's love and acceptance, glad that she at least had that.

She also appreciated her mother's attempts to cheer her up but she was under no illusions. She knew her father still loved her but was uncomfortable with the truth and so he would be more distant than before. Maybe he would come around... or maybe he wouldn't. And her relationship with her siblings was almost certainly damaged beyond repair.

Heather was very glad to have the backing of her friends and Jen's family, and she was forever grateful for the undying love of her forever beloved, Jennifer Janik. It wouldn't completely remove the pain she felt from those in her family letting her down, but it was more than enough to soften the blow.

Soon after the family drama was dispensed with, Jennifer and Heather had a serious talk about what to do when it came to their world at large. They were comfortable enough to hold hands and kiss in public but decided they didn't want to draw more attention to themselves by flaunting their sexuality too openly. Most people were polite enough to not react when the two did engage in their small public displays of affection. There were a few looks of outrage and snide comments, and there were one or two typical male chauvinists who ogled them lewdly and made crude suggestions along the lines of the two women needing a real man to please them. These reactions were unpleasant but thankfully rare, and generally the two women were able to let these things roll off their back.

Being part of a successful curling team meant they were in the Canadian public eye to some degree. The sport might not have quite the same elevated status as the national passion of hockey, but it is undoubtedly one of the most popular and followed sports in the nation. Even so, Jennifer and Heather didn't fool themselves into thinking the standing of their sport and their team made them superstars. Besides, it was Kellie who as skip was also the team's spokesperson. Rarely did any of the other members give solo media interviews or appearances, and they were fine with that, more than happy in fact to let their skip take that burden on her own. Occasionally Jennifer was asked to do an interview for television, but those instances were always during the midway point of a broadcasted match and were always to discuss the match in progress and nothing more.

Jennifer and Heather did not know anyone else in the curling community who had come out in public, even though they believed the odds were they weren't the only gay athletes competing in their sport today. A quick search of the internet revealed nothing more about gay curlers other than some recreational leagues in big Canadian cities created expressly for gay and lesbian people. They noted with some disappointment that their city was not among those listed.

After some discussion and soul-searching they both decided they were not ready to be trailblazers in their sport when it came to their sexuality. Instead they wanted the focus to remain on their team and their sporting talent and accomplishments. But if somehow someone in the curling community found them out they would not run and hide. They would confirm the truth about themselves and their relationship, and then let the chips fall where they may.

The couple discreetly sought out the city's gay and lesbian support group. They heard stories from some of the members, some of which were truly horrific and shocked them greatly. Included were tales of abandonment and abuse from family and so-called friends, from the people that were supposed to care for and love them. In many cases it led to the people affected seeking refuge in alcoholism, drug use, and other forms of self-abuse and addiction. Most of the people telling these stories had survived their ordeals, finding love and acceptance from the support group and from other true friends and lovers. Unfortunately, some stories were of other people who did not survive intact.

Jennifer and Heather realized just how fortunate they were. Heather's coming out in particular was not without heartache, but the two had friends and a network of love and acceptance not everyone else was able to count on. The members of the support group did not begrudge the two their relative good fortune, and praised them for having the inner strength to come out. They provided Jennifer and Heather with help and advice they valued and trusted.

Jennifer and Heather's lives were already very busy, but they found some spare time to give back to the support group as thanks for the assistance they received, and in sympathy for those less fortunate than them. As part of their giving back they made plans to one day start their own recreational curling league for gays and lesbians. The leaders of the support group thanked them for their generous efforts, and those among them who were novices to the sport poked fun at themselves for their anticipated difficulties in learning the basics.

Both brides-to-be came to the same conclusion. The last four-plus years were an emotional rollercoaster. There were great highs and heartbreaking lows. They may have wished for different outcomes in some cases, but they regretted exactly none of their decisions. They were better and stronger people after it all, and as long as they had each other at their side, they could do anything.

A knock on each of their doors brought an end to their spells of reflection. Amber let her sister know it was almost time to start, and Kellie and Sandra teamed up to let Heather know the same thing. Amber saw the look on Jennifer's face and asked what was wrong. Jennifer said nothing was wrong; she was just thinking about the last few years, both the good and the bad. Kellie and Sandra noticed a similar look to Heather and asked her the same question. She gave the same answer. Amber gave Jennifer a comforting hug. Kellie and Sandra gave Heather a comforting hug of their own.

When the three re-emerged and took their places as witnesses to the wedding at the front of the room, they took a look at the people gathered. It was a smaller crowd compared to Amber's wedding last week. That was partly by design, partly by circumstance. Kellie, Sandra and Amber smiled all the same, anticipating that this ceremony would be no less happy than last week.

Kellie looked for Brad and quickly found him sitting a couple rows from the front. Russ and Rachel were sitting nearby. In between them were E.J. and Kaitlyn. The kids were somewhat restless, and Brad was doing his best to settle them down. Kellie waived at them all, and they all waived back.

Rachel glanced at Russ and he looked back at her. She lovingly held and squeezed his hand, and he gave her a kiss. She smiled at him and thought about how her love for him had grown.

Rachel Joanette moved from the city to the small town she now called home a little over two years ago. Six months before that she divorced a man she once loved. He once loved her too, but over time he grew to love booze and gambling more. She kept waiting for him to change; instead he got worse, and finally she had no choice but to leave him. Rachel was at least glad she listened to one of her friends, a financial planner, and set aside some money in a fund her ex-husband couldn't touch so she wouldn't be completely broke.

After the quickie divorce was finished she went to her manager at Canada Post and applied for a transfer. When a job posting at the small town opened she took it. She would miss her friends but reasoned it was only a short drive away, and besides, she really needed a new start.

Rachel hadn't expected to find love so soon, especially in a town so small with so few eligible bachelors. But when she met Russ Sinclair she found him to be very attractive. He was always a perfect gentleman to her, though she couldn't help but notice him one day secretly checking her out. He kept doing this for a few weeks. She secretly enjoyed teasing him in that time, though she hoped he would eventually ask her for a date. In fact she was about ready to make the first move herself when he finally did ask her out. She found it very cute and endearing that he was so nervous, so she was more than happy to put him out of his misery and tell him yes.

Their relationship started well but quickly hit some rough patches. Rachel sensed that Russ was in some ways "damaged goods". Instead of bailing she took a chance and stuck with him. She was rewarded for that decision before too long, as he seemed to get over some of his hang-ups and started to communicate and share more of himself with her. Some of what Russ told Rachel about his past was sad and heart-wrenching, but sharing it was necessary for him in many ways. She accepted him, he was better able to accept himself, and with that their relationship bloomed into something really beautiful.

Rachel was pleased Russ had asked her to accompany him to these weddings. She very much enjoyed any chances she had to get to know his friends. One lesson she learned when she was young was that you could learn a lot about a man by the company he kept. Unfortunately she had to re-learn that lesson after her experiences with her ex.

This time things were clearly different. Russ's friends were wonderful people. The love they had for him and each other was honest, real and substantial. Rachel was pleased they had so quickly accepted her into their circle. Getting to know his friends only strengthened her feelings for Russ.

She was not put off knowing today's ceremony was a lesbian wedding. She was very much a "live and let live" kind of person, and did not hold any prejudice against homosexual people. Her attitude was, to a large degree, shaped by Valerie Swearinger, her best friend growing up.

Rachel was surprised when Val came out to her one day while they were still in their final year of high school. She had to take some time to think about what it all meant. The more she thought, the more she understood how much of a risk Val took in coming out. She asked herself if Val being lesbian changed how she thought of her. She decided it didn't; she was and always would be very fond of Val.

So Rachel concluded it didn't matter who Val slept with, with the exception of Rachel herself. It was important to make it clear to her friend that her tastes in potential partners ran strictly towards men, but she realized it was even more important to do so tactfully.

Val was relieved when Rachel told her she accepted her true nature, and in turn she respected her friend's being straight. Val then joked she wouldn't have slept with Rachel anyway, pretending to claim she wasn't attractive enough. Rachel pretended to be offended. They both laughed and carried on with their lives. Their friendship was just as tight as before and was the same in every way, except any discussions they had over Val's love life were now about girls instead of guys.

Conveniently, Val was a marriage commissioner for the province, and she was scheduled to officiate this wedding. She and Rachel hadn't seen each other for a while but still talked frequently on the phone. They were both very happy they would be at this ceremony and looked forward to seeing each other and catching up on each other's lives.

So Rachel was shocked to see someone else approach the lectern set up at the front of the room, from where the wedding officiator would conduct the ceremony. Her smile quickly turned into a frown. Russ noticed the change in his partner's demeanour right away.

"You OK, Rachel?" he asked.

"Something's very wrong," she replied.

"What do you mean?"

"You know my friend Val?"

Russ recalled the barbecue they attended earlier in the summer with many of Rachel's friends from the city. "Yes, I do remember her. She seems like a very nice person."

"You're right about that, she is a good person and great friend."

"Oh, wait... Rachel, didn't you say that she is supposed to be officiating this wedding?"

"Thank you, Russ, I'm glad you remembered. But it doesn't look like she's here, and I don't know why. I have no idea who this guy is, or why he's here instead of Val. It's not like her to no-show a wedding, especially a lesbian wedding. She's a strong proponent of same-sex marriage, and in everything she does she's very reliable. Something is definitely wrong and I don't like it."

The man at the lectern spoke. "Ladies and gentlemen, friends and family, your attention please, the ceremony will now start."

"Do you think something came up and she had to cancel?" Russ whispered to Rachel.

She said, "It's possible, but I don't think so. I know she would have told me if she had to change her schedule."

She saw the man at the lectern nod, and Jennifer and Heather's fathers left their seats and exited the conference room. She continued to watch the man, to see if she could find any hint as to what he might do, when she heard Russ whisper again.

"What if it was something last minute, like an emergency?"

Rachel shrugged. "It's possible, I guess. Now that you mention that, I'm really worried."

"Sorry, hon."

"No, it's OK. I'm glad you said something, actually. I'm going to find out where Val is. I'm calling her right now."

"Better do it quick, here come the brides."

Nodding, Rachel took out her smartphone and made the call. Russ found his attention split in two directions. Part of him observed Rachel's half of the conversation. From what he could tell Val was physically OK, but something unpleasant had clearly happened. The other part noticed Jennifer hand-in-hand with her father, and Heather hand-in-hand with hers. All four walked down the aisle together. Jennifer and Heather looked like they couldn't be happier. Brent beamed with pride for his daughter and her partner, while Mr. Nelson's expression was decidedly neutral.

Russ heard Rachel end the call and curse under her breath. "Well?" he asked.

"She's pissed," Rachel answered. "She's sure this guy's up to no good."

"How so?"

"Someone vandalized Val's car this morning. Slashed all four of her tires. She just finished giving a statement to the police. Anyway, she can't prove it, but she has a strong suspicion this guy is involved somehow."

The man at the lectern spoke again. "Ladies and gentlemen, friends and family, please be seated."

"That's terrible!" Russ said in hushed tones. "Why would he do that?"

"Val doesn't know this guy that well," said Rachel, "but she's seen enough about him to know he has an agenda. And it's probably bad news for your friends."

Russ shook his head. He couldn't picture anyone being so underhanded, so willing to ruin someone's dream day. And for what?

He was about to say something when he noticed Rachel's phone vibrating in her hand. She answered, and he listened to one side of a spirited discussion. He looked over at Brad. His friend had been too preoccupied with his kids to overhear any of his conversation with Rachel. Now Brad, E.J. and Kaitlyn, like everyone else, were paying attention to the ceremony. Russ had a sinking feeling that they were soon in for a very rude surprise.

The man intoned, "We are gathered here today to witness the marriage of Jennifer Janik and Heather Nelson." As he was doing so Rachel's latest call ended. 

"So where is Val now?" Russ asked.

"She's on her way over," Rachel answered. "Her manager from the City is giving her a ride. She said this guy thought the boss was out of town this weekend but thankfully he was mistaken. He also apparently assumed Val would be too cowed over what happened to her to do anything about it, but he clearly doesn't know her very well. Val says her manager is very understanding and just as worried about what this guy might do as she is, and so he was only too willing to help."

"Hope she gets here soon."

Then the man took a deep breath and announced, "And... no. I can't do this. I won't do this! This is not happening. This wedding will not take place today. Not on my watch!"




Kellie and Brad Ch. 10



"Not soon enough," Rachel sighed.

Jennifer and Heather both shook their heads in disbelief. Amber, Sandra and Kellie looked at each other, asking each other what was happening. A murmur rose from the crowd as everyone was clearly confused by the unexpected announcement.

"Wh-what did you just say?" Jennifer asked.

"You heard me," the man answered. "Gay marriage is a blight on our society. I will not be a party to such madness!"

Heather pleaded through her tears, "Please, you can't do this!"

Jennifer felt tears sting her eyes as well, but hers were of rage. She got right up in his face and growled "You fucking asshole!" A harsh sob escaped her throat as a thought occurred to her; she had just lowered herself to his base level.

The man crossed his arms and stood firm.

"Oh, for the love of... I can't watch this anymore!" Rachel's words spilled out in a rush. She bolted from her seat as all hell threatened to break loose. By the time she reached the front, Heather was crying in Jennifer's arms; Jennifer herself looked mad enough to spit. Amber, Sandra and Kellie were trying to comfort them but could think of nothing to say. The replacement wedding officiator who was refusing to do his job faced the withering glares and emotional appeals for reason from the Janiks and Mrs. Nelson, while Mr. Nelson stood next to his wife, looking like a deer in the headlights.

"Excuse me, everyone," Rachel announced. "Jennifer, Heather, I'm sorry this has happened to you. My friend is supposed to officiate this wedding, but someone!!" and at this point she paused and stared at the man and tried to guilt him into confessing his sins before continuing. "Someone has played a cruel trick on her and all of you. She'll be here in a minute to fix everything, I swear."

"Ma'am," the man said to Rachel, rather condescendingly, "I don't appreciate you sticking your nose in something..."

"Not one more word out of you!" she growled, interrupting him. "You should be ASHAMED of yourself!"

The man disregarded Rachel and looked directly at Mr. Nelson. "Earl," he said to him, "you understand what I'm doing, right? Think of the greater good. You have to tell everyone the truth, you know I'm right."

Earl Nelson looked around nervously. He didn't want to admit he knew this guy, he saw him every Sunday at church, but that choice was taken out of his hands now. He saw Heather staring at him, clearly noticing her sad eyes and tear-streaked face, and he took a deep breath.

"The only thing I know," Earl said, "is you're condemning these young women just because you don't agree with their sexual orientation, and you think you can actually stop them from being together. I'm ashamed to admit I felt the same way as you for a long time. In fact not that long ago there would have been a good chance I would have agreed with what you're doing. But I can't do it anymore. I finally see how much I've needlessly hurt my daughter by clinging to these outdated beliefs. It may be too late but I hope she and her partner can forgive me.

"You have a platform to do good, to be involved in something beautiful, but instead you've used that platform to grandstand and call attention to yourself, and you don't care who you've hurt in the process. Well, I care. You've hurt my daughter, who I love so much, and you've hurt her partner, a fine young woman in her own right. I can't and won't support what you've done."

Anger flashed briefly across the man's face but he said no more.

Earl smiled when he felt his wife Anne lovingly squeeze his hand. Then Heather nearly bowled him over. Filled to overflowing with emotion and love by her father's words, she hugged him fiercely.

"Thank you, daddy," she cried.

"I'm sorry, Heather."

"It's OK dad. I forgive you."

At that point the door opened. Rachel was relieved to see that Val and her manager had come to save the day. Finally realizing he was defeated, the other wedding officiator silently headed for the exit. He felt the icy stare of Val and was tempted to say something hurtful but decided the best thing he could do was leave as quickly as possible and forget this whole day ever happened.

Rachel hugged Val and thanked her for getting there just in time. In return Val thanked Rachel for intervening to right this wrong. Val huddled with Jennifer and Heather. She listened to the story from their points of view, and she embraced them and offered sincere words of apology and sympathy.

Val then addressed everyone else. "Thank you for your patience, and I'm truly sorry you had to witness the ugliness on display earlier. These two lovely ladies need just a couple of minutes to re-compose themselves, and then I promise you, we will have a wedding today!"

Val was true to her word. Jennifer and Heather returned, all cleaned up and in a much calmer state. The rest of the ceremony was drama-free, much to everyone's relief. The wedding party and guests gave the newly married couple a long and loud ovation during the extended kiss they shared that finalized the proceedings.

Jennifer and Heather sincerely thanked their families and friends for sharing in their happiness. They made a special promise to Rachel to do something extra nice for her as thanks for her role in ensuring the wedding took place after all. They also implored Russ not to let go of Rachel, telling him to treat her right because she was definitely a keeper.

The newlyweds did their best to happily celebrate the occasion, but the unexpected emotional toll of the day took something out of them. Not only did they end up going home earlier than they really wanted to, they also abandoned their original plans to truly consummate the marriage. Quite simply, they were exhausted. They did nothing more upon getting home than undress and fall into bed, and they were asleep within seconds.

It was just what they needed.

Jennifer awoke first. She smiled at the sight of Heather, still enjoying her peaceful slumber. She watched her sleep for a few minutes before finally and quietly getting out of bed. She showered and went to the kitchen to make breakfast. As she finished filling two plates with scrambled eggs and fruit, and two mugs with steaming hot coffee, a freshly cleaned Heather came to join her. The two smiled, kissed and ate in companionable silence.

After they finished Jennifer asked, "How are you doing this morning, honey?"

Heather sighed. "Fine, I guess."

"Come on, Heather, please don't keep it inside. Talk to me."

"It's silly, Jen..."

"Doesn't matter. I want to hear it."

"Oh, OK. I know I probably shouldn't let it bother me... but dammit, I still can't believe the nerve of that guy! I wanted so badly to kick him where it really hurts!"

Jennifer stood behind her life partner and massaged her neck and shoulders. "Don't worry about him, babe. He thought he could stop us from getting married, but that was never going to happen. He doesn't understand that true love like ours can never be stopped. Sure, it didn't turn out exactly like we planned but it was still our dream wedding. Not only that but he also helped bring you and your dad closer together. Not bad for being a total asshat, eh?"

"You're right, Jen," Heather replied, laughing at Jennifer's choice of insult before turning serious. "I can't tell you how happy and proud I am of my dad for what he said and did for us. It means the world to me. And my wish to marry you finally came true. It wasn't how I pictured it happening but it was a perfect day, after all."

Heather stood and embraced Jennifer. They kissed softly and tenderly. A smile crept across Jennifer's face, which Heather immediately noticed.

"What are you thinking about, Jen?" she asked.

"Do you remember the first time we kissed?" Jennifer answered with another question.

"Hah!" Heather laughed. "Do I ever!" It was a special memory the two often shared and they never tired of hearing it.

"Do you remember why I asked to kiss you?"

"I remember you said it was to practice for a boy you liked. I also remember you were a terrible liar!" Heather giggled and Jennifer blushed.

"Heather, you knew I was lying and still you didn't stop me, you little tease!"

"That's because I had a secret, Jennifer. I wanted you to kiss me. I wanted it more than anything in the world. I just didn't know how to tell you. But when you made that offer, even under false pretences as it was... how could I say no?"

"I had a secret too. I wanted to kiss you just as much as you wanted me to kiss you, but I didn't know how to tell you without resorting to that little white lie."

"It turned out to be some kiss, didn't it?"

"Mmmm. It sure did."

The newly married couple kissed again, as if to recreate that first embrace.

"I was so afraid you'd freak out after that kiss," Jennifer admitted. "Afraid that you'd never want to see me again and our friendship would be over."

"And I was so afraid you'd think you made a big mistake," Heather responded. "I was afraid that not only would we never kiss again but that you'd be so mortified that you'd avoid me and end our friendship forever."

"Good thing for us none of our fears came true."

"A very good thing."

"And now that we're married, you'll never have to be afraid of losing me. Because I'll be with you, forever and ever."

"And you'll never need to fear losing me, because I'll be with you, forever and ever."

"I love you, Heather."

"I love you, Jennifer."

Another soft, passionate kiss.

"Jennifer?"

"Yes Heather?"

"I think it's time to stop dreaming of the past and live in the now."

"Oh yeah? And what exactly do you want us to do now?"

"I want us to make love together. Please?"

"Baby, nothing would make me happier."

Jennifer and Heather retired to their bedroom. They each slipped off their robes, moaned in pleasure at the sight of the other's gorgeous nude body and shared a long, hot, impassioned kiss.

"Oh, Heather," Jennifer whispered in her lover's ear, "you're so beautiful. So sexy."

"Oh, Jen!" Heather mewled as her lover tenderly kissed her neck. "You're the most beautiful and sexiest woman in the world!"

"Flattery, my dear, will get you everywhere."

Jennifer caressed Heather's ass, licked behind her ear and softly blew air on the wet, aroused flesh. Heather softly jerked and moaned at the hands and tongue of her loving partner.

"Jen?"

"Yes, my darling Heather?"

"Are you going to take care of me?"

"Oh yes, my love, I will take very good care of you."

Jennifer laid Heather down on the bed and climbed on top of her. She claimed her new bride's mouth with a hungry French kiss, ending it by sucking on her tongue. She smiled and growled with delight when she heard the cute little squeaks of pleasure escaping Heather's throat.

One of Jennifer's hands trailed over Heather's soft, goose-bumpy skin. She stroked her up and down, from her side to her thigh, knowing exactly where she wanted to go but not in any great hurry to get there. She left a long, slow trail of kisses on Heather, from her lips to her chin, down the tender hollow of her neck, over her collarbone, and finally reaching the tops of her perky breasts. Jennifer kept her gaze focused on Heather's face throughout her teasing touches, watching her eyes cloud over with desire and hearing her sighs and hitching breaths.

Jennifer traced her slim fingers around Heather's plump pussy but did not touch it. She hovered directly over one of Heather's breasts but did not suck on it. She grinned with naughty intent at Heather's desperation.

"Please, Jen," Heather begged. "Please!"

Jennifer's pussy throbbed at the sound of Heather's pleas. She enjoyed giving pleasure at least as much as receiving. And she planned on giving Heather as much pleasure as she could handle, and then a little bit more.

She brought the tips of two fingers to the entrance of her lover's honeypot and felt them moisten immediately. With a guttural groan Jennifer plunged her fingers inside Heather's pussy and at the same time brought her mouth down to suck and tease one of her hard pointy nipples.

"Oh fuck!" Heather squealed.

Jennifer switched her oral attentions between both of Heather's breasts, making sure not to neglect either one. Her fingers rapidly pistoned in and out, penetrating Heather's juicy pussy. Before long she added to the stimulation, using her thumb to rub the exposed nub of her bride's exposed clit. Heather's moans grew longer and louder as Jennifer skillfully brought her close to the edge.

Then Jennifer whispered breathily in her ear, "Cum for me, Heather, baby,", and it tipped her over. She came with a blissful scream and, grabbing Jen at the wrist, rode out her orgasm to its end before her body relaxed.

Jennifer removed her fingers from Heather's heated pussy and saw them covered with her milky juices. She put her middle finger to Heather's lips and told her, "Taste yourself." Jennifer watched her love sensually suck on the extended digit, while she cleaned off her index finger and enjoyed the familiar delicious taste. With that done she tenderly held Heather's head in her hands and kissed her hard enough to take her breath away.

Heather watched Jennifer softly touch her sides as she slid down her body. She bit her lower lip in anticipation as her lover knelt at her feet. Straightening up, Jennifer cradled both of those feet in her hands, lifted them to her mouth and took turns lapping at each sole, from heel to toe. Heather cooed in appreciation at this latest pleasurable sensation.

In her own rather biased opinion, Jennifer thought Heather had extremely pretty and delicate feet. She enjoyed playing with them and Heather loved to have them played with. Today was no different. Jennifer took her time with Heather's feet, massaging them, rubbing them on her breasts and sucking on each of those ten little toes. In no time at all Heather was moaning again and, despite having just came mere minutes ago, she felt her pussy pulse with fresh need.

Jennifer laid Heather's legs down and spread them wide. She crawled into the space between. She kissed and tongued her way up one of Heather's inner thighs while stroking the other with light feathery touches. Heather gasped and moaned as she watched Jennifer get closer and closer to her dripping pussy.

But she groaned in needy frustration when Jen moved away from her hot centre and towards her other leg instead. She settled for watching her lover slowly repeat her previous steps up this inner thigh, loving the attention she was lavishing on her body but wanting so much more.

For her part Jennifer was enjoying the taste and feel of this expanse of Heather's warm, succulent flesh, the sounds she made to signal her mounting desire and the heady fragrance emanating from her wet, hot pussy. That pussy came back into Jennifer's view. Fat, swollen, pretty lips framed a creamy pink centre. Her clit was emerging from the hood, looking like a small pink pearl coming out of hiding. Heather's pussy looked delicious to Jennifer the first time she saw it up close. Nothing had happened since to change her opinion. Jennifer was ready to do what she had done so many times before; devour Heather's gorgeous pussy.

"My god, Heather, you are so fucking beautiful." Jennifer whispered. Her head was directly over Heather's pussy, and the soft warm breath only further inflamed Heather's sexual agony.

"Fuck, Jen, please, oh god please, please!!" she cried.

"Oh, my poor Heather!" Jennifer teased. "What is it that you need?"

"Please Jen, please eat my pussy, god I need you so fucking bad!!" Heather's eyes were screwed shut, her body tightened up and she held her breath in anticipation, all in response to her overwhelming desire to have her lover please her.

"Heather? Look at me, Heather."

Heather opened her eyes. A shiver ran through her when she heard Jennifer's next words.

"I want you to watch me make you cum."

Jennifer placed the flat of her tongue at the bottom of Heather's sex. She looked up to ensure her lover was making eye contact with her as she commanded. Slowly, ever so slowly, she slid her tongue upward, tasting the copious juices flowing from within. When she reached Heather's clit, Jennifer swiped it once and chuckled as she watched her jump. Then she quickly licked it over and over.

"Yes, Jen! YESSSS!!!!" Heather screamed as her partner sent her to a crashing orgasm.

Jennifer didn't give Heather much time to recover. She engulfed her pussy with her mouth. She playfully nipped and chewed the labia. Her tongue worked overtime, penetrating Heather's wet slit, scooping out and tasting the heavenly moisture, and feverishly licking all over her pussy, from top to bottom and back again.

Just as quickly as she came down from her previous high, Heather felt Jennifer carrying her back up to the summit again. She writhed and moaned in pleasure at her lover's expert ministrations.

Then Jennifer attacked Heather's clit again, and she was lost in ecstasy. She arched her back and yelled "Oh fuck! JEN! I'M CUMMING!!" as Jennifer gave her a second orgasm with her tongue. Jennifer was relentless and didn't stop until a third climax quickly followed. Heather shrieked to the heavens before, with one giant heaving breath, collapsing on the bed, her body temporarily spent.

Jennifer watched a freshly fucked Heather take in deep pulls of air into her lungs. Her hair surrounded her head like a halo. A light sheen of sweat covered her skin, from her head, to her pert breasts, tight stomach and all the way down her shapely legs. Jennifer's heart ached at the sight of Heather in this state. Truly, she was an awe-inspiring, erotic vision.

She leaned forward and gently kissed her soul mate on the lips. Heather began to respond to the taste of her essence on Jennifer's face. She aggressively kissed her back. Heather then crawled out from under Jennifer and, much to Jen's surprise and delight, smacked her ass firmly and chuckled at the cute yelping sound she made.

"Oh Heather!" Jennifer cooed. "You bad girl!"

"Not my fault!" Heather growled in a husky voice. "You just turn me on so fucking much, Jen, so deal with it!" 

"Yeah, is that right, baby? Are you going to do me now?"

"Just you try and stop me!"

Heather straddled Jennifer and dove in for an explosive kiss. Their tongues entwined and wrestled together before Heather moved down to further stimulate her lover. She kissed and gently dragged her teeth over Jennifer's skin where her neck met her shoulder. Jennifer moaned and shuddered in response.

Holding Jennifer's ample breasts in her hands, Heather took as much of one in her mouth as she could while fondling the other. She traced circles on the lovely globe with her tongue before suckling on the extended nipple. Heather switched to the other breast to repeat her actions there. She grinned as she felt Jennifer's excitement starting to peak.

She kissed her way down Jennifer's flat stomach and wiggled her tongue in her navel. Jennifer giggled because it tickled so much. She quickly switched back to serious arousal mode when Heather kissed all around her pussy without actually touching it.

Heather looked up at Jennifer and whispered, "Spread for me." Heather thought Jen looked oh so sexy as she bit her lower lip and complied with her wish. She used both hands to spread open her pussy lips. Heather groaned ravenously as she gazed at her lover's moist pink jewel. Unable to wait any longer, she helped herself to a taste.

"Oh god! Yes!!" Jennifer happily sighed.

Heather wantonly ate Jennifer's pussy and drank in all her liquids. She felt Jen's hands clamp down on the back of her head, as if to push her in deeper. She tried her best to oblige, extending her tongue as far into Jennifer as she could. The rising sound of her moans proved her efforts were having the desired effect.




Kellie and Brad Ch. 10



Breaking free from Jennifer's grasp, Heather inched up to reach Jennifer's clit. She lashed it with several tongue strokes. Jennifer nearly lifted off the bed and yelled loudly as the climax took hold. 

Just like what her life partner did to her, Heather gave Jennifer no time to rest. In addition to continuing to lick her, she brought two fingers to her lover's slippery sex and plunged them inside. Jennifer bucked and squealed. It may have been unexpected in its timing but it was more than welcome. In fact, she soon needed more.

"Heather! Please!" she shouted.

Jennifer may not have spelled it out, but Heather knew exactly what she wanted. She added a third digit to her lustful assault on Jennifer's pussy. She finger-banged and licked her for all she was worth. Jennifer's carnal cries echoed through the room.

"Rub your clit for me, baby," Heather said.

Jennifer did so, and with the trio of her hand and Heather's fingers and tongue, she soon knew she was at the precipice of a massive orgasm.

"Oh fuck, baby, I'm gonna CUM!!" she screamed.

Jennifer gripped the bed sheets and howled as she finally received her sweet release. Her legs clenched together, momentarily trapping Heather between her thighs. A thin stream of clear fluid spurted out from Jennifer's love hole, and Heather swallowed as much of the ambrosial liquid as she could and let the rest cover her face.

She slowly crawled up to Jennifer and kissed her. Heather hummed happily as her lover tasted her own juices on her chin and cheeks. She started to let her mind relax, thinking that this sexual episode was over. Then she saw the unmistakeable twinkle in Jennifer's eye, and realized she just might have to reassess that thought.

Jennifer confirmed this by whispering in Heather's ear. "I'm not done with you yet, baby," she said, and Heather groaned and trembled.

Jennifer rolled them over so Heather was now the one on her back. For the next several minutes they traded long, smouldering, passionate kisses. Their bodies, slick from sex and sweat, writhed together. One movement caused the hard nipples of their breasts to rub together, and the friction sent shockwaves through their systems. Soon Jennifer was grinding her pussy on Heather's thigh, and Heather was reciprocating that action on Jennifer's leg.

Changing her angle of attack slightly, Jennifer positioned herself so her pussy was right on top of Heather's. She dropped her lower body weight and inched forward. Their pussies rubbed and their clits bumped against each other. Both women let out high-pitched yelps from the incredible sensations resulting from this friction.

The lesbian newlyweds tightly gripped each other. Jennifer cradled Heather around her neck and back for greater leverage, and Heather grabbed Jennifer's ass and locked her legs around her lover's as well. They slammed their hot bodies together. Their pussies were soaking wet and on fire. Every sexual nerve in their beings was on high alert. Their sexual coupling so far today was certainly intense but had been more on the tender, loving side. Their grand finale, however, was shaping up to be pure, unabashed, animalistic fucking.

"UH! You like that, Heather?!" Jennifer asked in a demanding voice. "You like me banging that fucking hot little pussy of yours?!"

"YES!" Heather yelled back. "Yes, Jen, I love it! Don't fucking stop!"

"That's right, baby! Take it! TAKE IT!!"

"Oh god! Fuck me, Jen! FUCK ME!!"

A few more movements were all it took. Jennifer and Heather came in a frenzy. Their bodies locked together, their mouths swallowed the other's screams as they embraced, and they held their throbbing pussies together as they held on for dear life. It was easily the longest, most intense, and best orgasm of their lives.

After they came to, they didn't say anything to each other. No words were necessary. They just smiled and softly laughed, an affirmation of how wonderful the experience was. They kissed each other softly. Heather spooned into Jennifer, who held her from behind. Both were spent, so it didn't take long before both happily and dreamily dozed off.

Jennifer was again the first to wake. It felt like she had rested for only a few minutes so she was surprised to see that based on the time on the clock it had actually been over an hour. She smiled again as she looked at her sweet Heather looking so peaceful in her arms. Unable to resist the temptation, she playfully teased and nipped at Heather's earlobe. Heather purred contentedly as the sensation awoke her. She turned and gazed up at Jennifer's pretty face.

"Hey you," Jennifer whispered.

"Hey yourself," Heather breathed.

Even with the awesome, mind-blowing sex they just had, Jennifer was still feeling very, very naughty. With that in mind, she decided to pose a question to her lovely bride.

"Heather?"

"Yes Jen?"

"Remember that time we went to Banff?"

"Ohmigod," Heather groaned. She knew very well what Jennifer was talking about. It was another of their favourite memories. During a well-earned vacation after they graduated from university, the two planned on sightseeing all week at the popular Rocky Mountain park. As it turned out their sightseeing was limited to the first and last days of their trip. They spent rest of the time in their hotel suite; and most of that time they were having incredibly red hot, non-stop sex.

"How many times did we make each other cum that week?" Jennifer asked in a teasing, lilting voice.

"I don't even know!" Heather replied.

Jennifer kissed Heather's cheek and placed a hand over her pussy. She was so hot as to be almost burning to the touch.

"Well, whatever the number was," she whispered, "I think it's high time we broke that record. Don't you?"

"Oh fuck!" Heather groaned as her mind reeled.

********

Wedding, the third:

"The band is back together one last time!" Kellie exclaimed.

"Yeah, and now it's on my home turf!" Sandra said proudly.

Everyone in "the band" laughed in harmony. Kellie, Jennifer, Heather and Amber were indeed, for the third time in the past three weeks, reunited with Sandra. This time, as opposed to the prior two, was in Sandra's new home base of Edmonton. Kaitlyn was there, too, running around energetically as little girls are wont to do, while somehow managing not to distract anyone too badly or knock anything over. Kellie kept an eye on her daughter to ensure this would remain the case.

The occasion was the third in the circle of friends' so-called "summer of the wedding". After attending Amber's marriage to her new husband Jamie, and after living through the still-hard-to-believe drama of Jennifer and Heather's wedding, it was now time to witness Sandra's union with Marc, the man she first met a few years ago during a fortuitous pairing of her former team and his team at an exhibition curling event.

Love unexpectedly blossomed that weekend between the couple. It happened so quickly that at first Sandra questioned whether it was real. The fact it would be a long-distance relationship for the foreseeable future at that time also worried her.

But Marc never failed to make her feel special, and everything about them being together felt right. Whether it was the frequent phone calls or online chats they shared, or the much more infrequent chances they had to spend time in each other's company, at the end of each encounter Sandra experienced two distinct feelings. She would become light and giddy over what Marc said to her or did for her, but she also felt a deep, aching void that he wouldn't be there at night to sleep with her, cuddle with her and/or make love to her.

Over time Sandra learned Marc had similar feelings. They talked about the difficulties in their relationship and why it shouldn't work; the distance between them, how entrenched they were with their curling teams, and so on. Despite these obstacles, Marc and Sandra always came back to one thing; how good, and how right, their being together was. They were truly in love. Many times they found themselves telling each other their love was meant to be, so much so, in fact, that it became their go-to saying, their mantra to explain how their unlikely pairing came to be.

Once they both realized how much in love they were they started to chart a course for their future. They knew with one hundred percent certainty they wanted to be together, but as can happen with two strong-minded people, working out the details sometimes got sticky.

In the end the deteriorating health of Marc's father basically made the decision for them. Marc was very close to his father. He was the man that introduced Marc to curling, and the sport went a long way to the two of them bonding and forging their close relationship. His falling ill was a devastating blow, and Sandra felt great sadness and sympathy for what her man was going through. She also knew in her heart it wasn't right to ask him to be the one to compromise when it came to their big decision.

So, as difficult as it would be to leave, Sandra chose to move to Edmonton to be with Marc. She told her parents, and while they were sad she would be moving away they were also happy for her because they knew how good a man Marc was and how much she loved him.

As hard as it was to tell her parents, it was even more difficult to break the news to Kellie, Jennifer, Amber and Heather. Of course she was more than happy to be engaged to Marc, but those four women meant the world to her. They were the best friends she could ever hope to have, and Sandra had difficulty picturing her life without them.

Yet in other ways it was necessary. The team couldn't stick to the status quo for very much longer. Heather had been a great team player by volunteering to be the alternate, but she was too talented to sit on the sidelines. And how could Kellie ask Jennifer to choose between her life partner and her sister, both of whom she loved so much? No, it was impossible. If Sandra hadn't decided to move she wasn't sure what would have happened. The whole team could have splintered apart and left serious emotional wreckage in its wake.

Instead everything worked out even better than expected. Their friendships remained intact, and as a bonus she got to witness Jennifer propose to Heather. Now all five of them were with the one they loved. If the others loved their significant other like Sandra loved Marc, and she had no reason to believe otherwise, then Sandra knew she and her four best friends were all truly blessed.

Sandra enjoyed the chance over the last three weeks to catch up with her friends and discuss what was going on in their lives. She delighted in hearing from Kellie about how Brad, E.J. and Kaitlyn were doing. Beyond that, naturally, much of the discussion among the five women was about the two weddings that had taken place and the one that was still to come.

"No offense, girls," Sandra said to Jennifer and Heather, "but I sure hope my wedding is much less dramatic than yours!"

"Yeah, figures, doesn't it?" Amber chirped. "There goes big sister, upstaging me again!"

Jennifer fired back at her younger sister with a laugh. "Oh, hush, you, or I'll give you something to complain about!"

"Hey, Amber," Heather piped up, "I know one way you could make some waves if you really wanted to!"

Amber asked Heather what she was talking about, but instead of answering her Heather whispered to Jennifer, Kellie and Sandra. All four burst into loud peals of laughter. Kaitlyn momentarily stopped buzzing around the room and mimicked the adults by laughing too.

"What?!" an incredulous Amber demanded.

"Remember what you said about Kevin?" Jennifer asked. Her little sister immediately began to blush and giggle at the same time as she recalled her comments about Kevin Mann, the skip of Marc's curling team, as well as Marc's best man, at a fan question-and-answer session from a few years ago.

"Maybe," she said coyly.

Sandra teased Amber. "It's not too late, you know. I can still pair him up with you in our wedding party."

Amber pretended to consider the offer. "Thanks, Sandra, but I'll have to pass," she finally said. "If we do that I'd have to listen to Jamie complain all night, and I'd rather not deal with that if I don't have to!"

More uproarious laughter followed.

"Oh god, girls," a giddy Sandra said. "This is way too much fun!"

"Yeah, I just wish you were closer so we could get together more often," Kellie said wistfully, and the others quickly agreed.

Sandra nodded and said, "I know what you mean."

"I was hoping we'd meet in competition somewhere along the line," Kellie continued, "but that didn't quite work out, did it?"

"You know what? I say this year it will!" Sandra spoke with confidence. "I'm sure you girls will have a fantastic season, and my team has made a change that I hope will help."

"What's that?" Jennifer asked.

"The other girls wanted me to skip the team," Sandra said excitedly, "and I said yes!"

Everyone cheered Sandra and hugged her to celebrate her achievement. Kellie was last to do so, giving her best friend an extra-long embrace.

"Congratulations, Sandra," she said. "I have no doubt you will be an excellent skip."

"I know this much... if I succeed," Sandra replied, "it will be because I learned from the best."

Kellie couldn't hold back her tears. "Thank you," she whispered quietly, and it was all she could say. She held Sandra tightly, and before long she felt the others surround them to join in a group hug. Kaitlyn wormed her way into the crowd and tugged on Kellie's dress.

"Mommy? You OK?" she asked.

"Yes Kaity," Kellie smiled through her tears and picked up her daughter. "Mommy's just fine."

"Alright, girls," Sandra said, "enough getting weepy, let's finish getting ready!"

They did so, and before long the mood grew light and cheerful again.

"I'm so looking forward to the ceremony," Sandra admitted, "but I'm looking even more forward to what comes after!"

Her friends knew perfectly well what she meant but teased her anyway, asking if she was talking about the dinner, the speeches or the dancing. Sandra rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"No!" she squealed. "What, are you all thick or something?! You know what I mean!"

"No, I'm sorry," Heather joked, "but I don't think we do. Could you at least give us a hint?"

Sandra couldn't help but laugh. "Do I have to spell it out for you? I mean after all of that other stuff is done. You know, when Marc and I can get some alone time!"

"Ohhh, you mean THAT!" Kellie exclaimed, and Jennifer, Heather and Amber joined her in giggling. "Well, in that case I'd say Marc has a lot to live up to! I know after our wedding Brad made love to me all night long, and it was incredible!"

"Same with Jamie and me," Amber added with a twinkle in her eye. "And it was awesome!"

Jennifer and Heather shared a look and a smile. "And I think Jen and I have only just recovered from what we did with each other," Heather said, and Jennifer nodded in complete agreement.

"Great!" Sandra responded sarcastically. "Now you've got me really horny!"

"Will Marc be able to keep up with you tonight?" Jennifer playfully asked.

"Oh, he will!" Sandra exclaimed. "I'll make sure of it!"

The women all laughed again before noting the lateness of the time. They hurriedly finished their preparations and, after the requisite fuss made by Sandra's mother and the multiple poses for photographs, piled into the awaiting limousine. Kaitlyn contentedly sat on her mother's lap as she and the others all spoke excitedly about the ceremony to come.

Sandra took her position and watched each of her friends walk the aisle with one of the groomsmen. She smiled as Kellie, her maid of honour, linked arms with Kevin, and she thought of Brad and giggled to herself, recalling at how he jokingly protested the pairing before "reluctantly" giving in.

She smiled at her father and took his hand. He softly kissed her cheek and they both slowly marched down the aisle. As she got closer to the front she saw Marc crouching and speaking to his father, who was seated in a wheelchair. A tear escaped her eye. Marc's father had clearly seen better days, but he had vowed to battle his illness long enough to witness his son's wedding, and she was more than glad that he stayed true to his word.

Marc caught her eye and he beamed at her, and she did the same in return. Her father let go of her hand and shook Marc's hand. She leaned over and took Marc's father's hand in hers. He didn't speak but he smiled and nodded at her, and that was all she needed. She gently kissed his forehead and turned to hold hands with Marc. The two stopped for a moment, trying to keep their composure. They both took a breath and told the minister they were ready for the ceremony to begin.

It all went very well, and Sandra was only too happy to kiss Marc when the time came. She barely heard the applause from the guests, so entranced by the kiss as she was.

They both enjoyed the reception afterwards and celebrated with their families and friends. They were both more than eager, however, to truly consummate their marriage, so after all the formalities, and after they felt they had made a long enough appearance, they took their leave and climbed into the limo, which whisked them away to the hotel. In the limo ride, and in the ride in the hotel's elevator from the ground floor to the honeymoon suite, Marc and Sandra could hardly keep their hands off each other.

Marc carried her over the threshold into the suite. They both disrobed as quickly as they could, a task made more challenging due to their frequent pauses to kiss and touch each other.

Sandra, down to only her sexy lingerie, grinned at the sight of Marc, who wore only his boxers and a look of intense desire on her face. She reached behind her and, with a flourish, undid her bra and tossed it behind her head.

"Ohhhh, why hello there, girls!" a smiling Marc groaned hungrily.

Sandra bit her bottom lip and cupped her sizeable breasts. "Do you want these?" she asked seductively.

"Mmmm, you know I do, baby!" he answered.

Marc hefted his new wife's beautiful breasts in his hands. He stared at them and traced his fingers all around them, from their tops to their undersides. Unable to resist any longer, he bent his head, captured one of her fascinatingly pointed nipples in his mouth and heard her sigh in pleasure.

He made no secret of the fact that he was a breast man. Under Sandra's gentle yet relentless teasing, Marc finally admitted he had dated girls with larger breasts than hers. He then made a point of making it clear to Sandra that she was not at all lacking in his eyes. The more-than-adequate size and the lovely round shape of her breasts turned him on, but what really got his motor running were the nipples that topped Sandra's breasts. When aroused, those nipples extended proudly forward. They were long, longer than any he had ever seen in his life, and they were easily suckable.

They were also incredibly responsive.

Marc teased and nipped on one hard nub with his lips and teeth while he flicked and twisted the other with a thumb and forefinger. Sandra's squeals and yelps only further fueled his desire. He switched back and forth between breasts, giving both of them equal loving attention. He kissed and licked the bountiful flesh and suckled on the nipples to his heart's content. He gazed upon her face as he lavished her breasts and groaned at the sight. Her eyes were shut tight, her cheeks were flushed red and her breaths came in short, shallow pants. She looked more than ready for blissful release.

"Yes Marc!" Sandra cried out. "Just like that! Don't stop!"

Marc pressed Sandra's boobs together and rapidly flicked her wondrous nipples with his tongue. His wet appendage traced around the areolae before he latched on and hungrily sucked the nipple on her right breast, which he had learned was the slightly more sensitive of the two. It only took a few seconds of this treatment before her hands pressed hard on the back of his head, imploring him to suck harder. She screamed and he felt her shudder in his arms.




Kellie and Brad Ch. 10



He let her catch her breath before he posed his question.

"Did you?" he asked.

"Uh-huh," she softly replied.

Marc let out a low, self-satisfied laugh. "I will never, ever get tired of that," he declared.

"If you haven't noticed, I kind of like it myself," Sandra giggled.

Marc gathered Sandra in his arms and embraced her tightly. "Seriously though," he said, "how lucky am I? That weekend, when we first met, I had no expectations going in, but instead I find a gorgeous, sweet, kind-hearted and loving woman... and we fall in love and, despite the long-distance relationship and all that other stuff, we beat the odds and get married. It's still incredible to me how fortunate I am to have you in my life."

"I'm not the only one who's lucky," Sandra said as she tightened her own grip around her man. "I wasn't looking for love at the time, either. And yet I find it with you, a strong, handsome, loving man who's a perfect gentleman... and very sexy!" She rubbed his chest and kissed his neck to prove her point, making him groan and shiver with pleasure.

"And as a bonus," Marc added, "you not only have the most incredible breasts this breast-man has ever seen, you can also orgasm just with breast-play alone? It's..."

"It's like we were meant to be," Sandra finished for him.

"Exactly," he smiled, knowing how close they were to each other by how she finished his sentence for him.

Marc and Sandra kissed passionately. She gently grasped his engorged manhood and he grunted in approval.

"Enough preliminaries, baby," she whispered in his ear. "I want you inside me."

"Gladly," he replied.

He stepped out of his boxers and laid her on the king-sized bed. He raised her legs and slowly removed her soaked, skimpy panties. Crawling between her soft, creamy thighs, he guided his erect cock to the entrance of her wet pussy and, in one motion, sunk himself inside. They both moaned in ecstasy, Sandra as he filled her completely, and Marc as he felt her most heat surround him. Looking at each other, they sighed, smiled and expressed their feelings for each other.

"I love you, Marc."

"I love you, Sandra."

And with that, on the first night of their married life together, Marc and Sandra Cornish made sweet, sweet love for a long, long time.

********

Renewal of Wedding Vows:

Anita sat alone at a table, taking in the scene before her.

She was in one of the city's best banquet halls. The occasion was one of celebration. Earlier in the day Anita's sister, Jan, renewed her wedding vows with her husband, Jeff Granlund. It was a way for the couple to reset their relationship after some very tumultuous times. Wrapped up as she used to be in her own life and selfish ways, Anita only recently came to truly understand what they, and Jan in particular, went through.

Jan and Jeff were high school sweethearts, real-life people cut from stereotypical molds. He was the handsome star athlete and she was the blonde bombshell cheerleader. Even with their elevated status, they didn't have the sense of entitlement and cutting meanness some may have expected for high schoolers in their position. They were even more popular with everyone in school, fellow students and teachers alike, as a result. No one was surprised, nor did anyone begrudge them their happiness, when they became romantically involved.

They stayed true to each other throughout university and married a year after graduation. Jeff cashed in on the connections developed in his athletic endeavours to land a lucrative sales job. Meanwhile Jan also found a good job, working at the downtown branch of a large bank. Two years into their marriage Jan became pregnant. David was born nine months later, and he was the first of what Jan and Jeff hoped would one day become a houseful of kids.

That was before near-tragedy struck.

On her way to the grocery store one day, Jan was involved in a terrible, and terribly unlucky, car accident. She was driving through an intersection when another car ran a red light and plowed directly into the driver's side of her car. The driver of the other car had suffered a heart attack and passed out, and thus was unable to control his vehicle. It was truly an accident, one of those random vagaries of life that no one can explain or understand.

The close calls involved that day were staggering. For one, the side airbags in her vehicle probably saved Jan's life. Secondly, normally little David would have accompanied her mother, but Jeff had the day off and offered to watch him to let Jan shop in relative peace. If David was in that accident there was no telling what would have happened to him. As a bonus, the other driver survived not only the accident but his own heart attack thanks to the paramedics who happened to be close by the site of the crash.

The accident was not without cost, however. Jan's left leg was shattered and would never fully heal. Even worse, she also suffered some internal injuries. While they weren't life-threatening, one of the consequences was Jan's inability to bear any more children.

When the couple learned this they were emotionally devastated. Their dreams of having a large family with many children appeared to be ruined. The therapy required on her leg certainly took a physical toll on Jan, but the whole ordeal took an even larger mental toll on her and Jeff both. It put a huge strain on their relationship, to the point that, independent of each other, Jan and Jeff both thought about asking the other for a divorce.

The road to recovery was difficult, but over time the wounds, both physical and psychological, healed. Jan re-learned how to walk. For the rest of her life there would be good days and bad days, and the bad days would require dealing with pain and the use of a cane to move around. But on the good days she could move around enough to enjoy a relatively active lifestyle.

More importantly, Jan and Jeff rededicated themselves to each other. They focused on the good in their lives. They had each other, and they had David. Even through the difficulties in their relationship they loved their son, and now he was even more the centre of their world. Jan had also shared with Colleen and Anita that she and Jeff had discussed the possibility of adoption, even bringing up the possibility with David, who took the news as well as any only child his age could be expected to. Finally, things were looking up for Jan, and Colleen and Anita couldn't have been any happier.

Anita was moved by the ceremony. She smiled through her tears when Jan and Jeff renewed their wedding vows to each other. Anita was filled with pride for her sister for enduring adversity and coming out whole on the other side. Even though their circumstances were different, Anita looked to Jan as a role model to help her do the same.

She took another look around the banquet hall. Some of the guests had left for home, but there were still a fair number of people enjoying themselves. Near the head table Colleen was sharing a laugh with Jeff's mother. At the far end of the room, well within Anita's sights, were David and her little Johnny. As usual, it looked like Johnny was hanging on David's every word, and, as usual, David looked only too happy to have an appreciative audience. Anita smiled at how cute the two boys were together.

In the middle of the dance floor were Jan and Jeff. They were in a tender embrace and slow dancing, even though the music pumping from the speakers was fast and energetic. Not that Jan could do much dancing at regular speed, anyway, even though today was a good day for her.

When the song ended Jan kissed Jeff and slowly made her way to Anita's table. She eased herself down on the chair next to Anita and sighed, more than happy to take a load off for now.

"How's your leg?" Anita asked.

"It's a little sore," Jan admitted.

"I don't want to sound like Mom, but I hope you're not overdoing it."

"I'm trying not to, but I'm just having so much fun tonight, you know?"

"I do. You look so happy tonight, Jan. It looks good on you."

"Thanks Anita!" Jan put her hand on her sister's hand. "And thank you for sharing in my happiness today. It means so much to me."

The two sisters hugged and shared a quiet moment. Jan looked at Anita, who appeared to be thinking about something. Feeling her elder sibling protectiveness kick in, she decided to call her on it.

"Something on your mind, Anita?" she asked. Her question was met with a shrug.

"Come on," Jan pushed. "Talk to me. Maybe I can help."

Anita sighed. "I guess part of me wonders if I'll find the right man for me, like you have in Jeff."

Jan smirked and said, "My sister of a few years ago would have never said something like that!"

Anita rolled her eyes. "Ugh... don't remind me!"

"Sorry, Ani..." Jan said, using her old childhood nickname for her younger sister, before Anita interrupted her.

"No, Jan, it's OK. You're not wrong. But if I can change then I guess anything is possible, right?"

"Don't be so hard on yourself. I'm sure you'll find yourself a good man. You deserve it."

Anita nodded and thanked Jan. Then she let out a rueful-sounding chuckle.

"What?" Jan asked.

"There is a guy I've had my eye on for a little while..." Anita replied, leaving the thought unfinished.

"Oh?! Do tell, Ani!"

"I'm afraid there's nothing to tell, Jan. I really like the guy, he's definitely sexy... but I can't do anything with him."

"Why not?"

"He's already married."

Jan tried to stifle a laugh. She didn't want to upset her sister, but it still felt a bit strange to hear her talk this way. Anita noticed the smile peeking at the corners of Jan's mouth and shook her head.

"Oh, go ahead and say it!" she said with a grin. "I know you want to, damn you!"

Jan opened her mouth to repeat her earlier words; that the Anita of a few years ago would have NEVER said that, and she would have NEVER refused to act on her sexual desires. Except she couldn't. A giggling fit took hold of her instead, and even though she tried, she couldn't stop. Anita got caught up in it, and soon the two sisters were laughing long and loud until tears streamed down their faces. Finally they calmed down and settled into a few moments of quiet.

Then Jan spoke. "Anita?"

"Yeah?"

"Serious question?"

"Shoot."

"Do you wish you could turn back time?"

"And do what?"

"I mean... do you wish you had done things differently? I just wonder sometimes... maybe you wouldn't have had to go through the shit you did because of... you know."

Anita took a deep breath and thought for a long time before answering.

"I don't know," she said.

"Because without all that you wouldn't be the person you are now?"

"It's more than that. Anytime I start thinking along those lines, I remind myself I might not have had little Johnny in my life. I love him so much, Jan. I know how much you and Jeff love David, and I don't want to downplay that. But with my son and me... it just feels different, like I love him even more than any other parents could love their child, if that even makes any sense. There are days when, quite honestly, the only reason I get out of bed is Johnny."

Jan smiled and placed a comforting hand on her sister's shoulder. "I love you, Anita, and I'm proud of you," she said.

Through teary eyes, all Anita could say in response was "Thanks, Jan."

********

The Confrontation:

"Go through the report again," Paul ordered to Derrick, his policeman 'friend'.

"Jeez, Paul, seriously?!" Derrick yelled in exasperation.

"Yes, Derrick, and stop fucking whining while you're at it! Just do as I ask." Paul had his eyes closed and his brow furrowed in deep concentration.

"I just don't see the point, is all. We've already gone over it a hundred times. It's not like the information is going to magically change this time around."

"I need to think, Derrick. You reading the report will help me think."

Derrick sighed. "Fine," he said.

So he read the report again. He explained how he managed to get the best crime scene investigation team at the police force's disposal to go through Paul's house. The team painstakingly scoured every inch of the house, examining every possible piece of evidence, leaving no stone unturned, literally and figuratively.

And despite those efforts and all that hard work, they found nothing of any use.

No witnesses reported seeing anyone or anything out of the ordinary; it seemed most people in the neighbourhood were asleep at the time the incident occurred, or so they claimed. No fingerprints and no traces of any DNA other than what would have been expected -- Paul's and those of a young child and a woman -- were found, and the woman's prints and DNA did not match anything in the various police databases. No telltale items, nor anything out of place, were left behind.

There were also no signatures or patterns to match and compare to other crimes. Officially, no one on the city's police force or investigative teams had reported seeing anything like the events that took place at Paul's house. Unofficially, Derrick had done some digging on his own time and discovered three or four incidents that bore a lot of resemblance to what happened to Paul. Problem was, the "victims" in those cases were too embarrassed to involve the police, so no evidence was collected and no investigation conducted. Instead, the incidents were simply swept under the rug.

Even Paul's home computer couldn't provide clues. One of the perpetrators was apparently a computer expert; he or she downloaded a powerful virus that locked all the files and programs with military-level encryption codes, essentially rendering the computer a large, expensive paperweight.

The conclusion, then, was this case was still officially open and unsolved. However, unless someone came forward to either identify one or more of the perps, or admit his or her own guilt, the case could not be solved, and probably never would be.

As he always did whenever Derrick read the report, Paul tried to find some clue, some hint, some other angle they could explore that might break open this case. He knew, in his own dark heart, who did this to him, but somehow that person was able to get away without any link to the crime. His goal was not to bring this person and any other guilty parties to justice, though of course if it did happen he would be thrilled because it meant they would get exactly what they deserved.

Paul, however, had a different endgame in mind.

And once again he was no closer to reaching his desired conclusion. Not for the first time, that realization made him very, very angry.

"How is that possible?!" he asked Derrick. "How the FUCK is that FUCKING possible?!"

"Hey!" Derrick shouted back. "How about cooling your fucking jets?! I'm just the messenger here, don't forget. And I know for a fact everyone on this case worked their ass off..."

"Fat lot of good that did. Best CSI team, my ass!"

"Alright Paul, I've had just about enough of your shit..."

"Sit your ass down, Derrick! You're not done here until I say you are! Or do you want me to call your pretty wife and show her those pictures?"

Derrick slumped back down in the chair, his emotions a mixture of anger and total defeat. "How long are you going to blackmail me with those?" he asked.

"As long as I need to," Paul said with an evil grin.

"You're a fucking piece of shit, Paul."

"Flattery, my friend, will get you nowhere."

Derrick sighed and thought for a few moments. "Alright," he finally barked. "Since apparently you're the REAL crime-solving expert here, what do you think we should do?!"

"You know damn well what we should do!"

"Humour me."

"It's that damned doctor!" Paul growled.

Derrick rolled his eyes. "Ah, yes... the infamous, nefarious Dr. Cathy Wainwright!"

"Shut the fuck up! She's guilty as sin! I know it, you know it!"

"I'll tell you what I do know. There is absolutely no direct evidence that links Dr. Wainwright to this crime. The only thing we know for sure is that she treated your little lady-friend at the hospital after you roughed her up, but we'll never be able to get any other information out of that fact because of doctor-patient privilege. This doctor's no dummy. She would definitely clam up if we tried to talk to her. And even if by some miracle we got something useable from her, if we tried to bring it in court the judge would kick our asses out the door in record time. Face it Paul, it's a dead end."

Paul fumed in silent anger. Derrick, pleased to have the upper hand for once, decided to needle him a little more.

"You want to know what I think? You don't give a rat's ass about what this doctor did or didn't do! Do you? Except for one thing... she might know where your lady-friend ran off to."

Paul gave Derrick the evil eye. He was upset his policeman 'friend' had figured him out so easily.

"What's with this chick, anyway?" Derrick continued. "She must have been so amazing that she made you lose your mind, 'cause you don't even know her last name! You want me to help you find her so bad?! Well, how the fuck are we supposed to do that, genius, when you don't even know her full fucking name?!" He grinned at the impotent fury spelled out on Paul's face before further piling on. "And are you really that hard up for some tail that you have to pine for some girl that, when she got the chance, couldn't get the hell away from you fast enough?! What's so damned special about her?"

Paul had had enough. "None of your damn business," he said quietly. The mental fatigue was evident in his voice. "Go away. We're done here." He watched Derrick leave. The cop didn't say a word but had an annoying smirk on his face. Maybe next time he did that, Paul thought, he'd wipe that damned smirk off his face.

The last question he asked did ring in Paul's ears, though. What WAS so special about Anita? Yes, she was beautiful. Yes, she was vulnerable and seemingly there for the taking. But there was more to it than that. The real answer was deceptively simple.

She was the one that got away. And that bothered him to no end.

Paul spent some time in the aftermath of Anita's escape chiding himself for the mistakes he made. If he had done some things differently he might still have had her around.

If he wanted her to be, that is.

However, he spent most of that time being angry at others. Angry at Anita for having the gall to get away in the first place. Angry at those who helped facilitate that escape.

Anyone in his or her right mind would consider Paul's reaction to be irrational, mean and downright creepy. But it was more than fair to say that Paul was no longer in his right mind. This anger that he had stewed within him and fed into his delusions, more and more, until, tonight, it reached the breaking point.

He knew... deep down he KNEW... this arrogant bitch of a doctor held the key to everything. So he made a decision.

"Screw Derrick," he said out loud to his empty house. "I'm going to have me a little chat with the good doctor!"

Paul waited until later that night; he recalled his prior trip to the hospital with Anita being at night, so he reasoned that's likely when the doctor would be in. He drove to the hospital and went to the emergency waiting room. He found a seat that provided cover from the front desk but allowed a good view of the activity passing by. He kept an eye over that activity, resolutely avoiding eye contact with anyone else in the waiting room.

Even though he had only met Dr. Wainwright that one time, he remembered exactly what she looked like. The fact she had so blatantly stood up to challenge him that night made her unforgettable in his mind.

So Paul recognized her immediately when she strode briskly past the front desk. Everyone was so busy and preoccupied that no one noticed him stealthily trail the doctor. She turned left into a supply room and Paul followed right behind her.




Kellie and Brad Ch. 11



 AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is the eleventh chapter of a multi-part story. Please read the first ten chapters before this one to understand the whole story. Please enjoy.

******

Three years after the events of Chapter 10...

Today was a big day in the Galenchuk household.

In the evening, Kellie had a meeting planned with teammates Jennifer, Heather and Amber. They were going to discuss the direction of their curling team over the next few years, and make a decision as to what their goals should be.

This morning, however, Kellie had something else to worry about.

"Mom?" E.J. asked. "Is Kaity ready yet?"

"Almost!" Kellie shouted down the stairs to her son. Then she turned to her daughter, who was dressed in one of her new school outfits and had her hair done up in pigtails, and smiled.

"Ready for your first day of school, Kaity?" she asked.

Kaitlyn shrugged. She looked skittish.

"What's wrong, honey?" Kellie asked her.

"Mommy... I'm scared," Kaitlyn replied. "I don't wanna go to school."

"Oh, Kaity, everything will be just fine. You'll see."

"But... I don't know where to go."

"Your big brother will help you out. He promised he would, remember?"

"Yeah... but..."

"What is it, Kaity? It's OK, you can tell me."

"Promise you won't be mad, Mommy?"

"I promise."

Kaitlyn looked down at the floor. "What if no one likes me?" she asked in a quiet, sad voice.

It broke Kellie's heart to see her daughter so downcast. She wanted to hold her close and not let go. She knew, though, she needed to help prepare Kaitlyn to take on the world, and this was the first step on her journey. Kellie saw so much potential in her children, and while E.J. seemed more than ready to fulfill that potential right from the start, Kaitlyn needed a little nudge to get started. Well, what are mothers for, she thought.

"Oh, Kaity," Kellie said. She gave her daughter a reassuring hug and a kiss on the cheek. "Everyone who has ever met you likes you a whole lot. You will make lots of friends. I promise."

Kaitlyn appeared thoughtful for a few moments until, to Kellie's relief, her facial features softened, albeit somewhat reluctantly.

"OK," the little girl said. She returned her mother's hug and the two went downstairs.

There was a knock on the front door. Brad opened it and greeted the young boy on the porch.

"Hi Bryan," he said. "Come on in!"

Bryan was the son of Kellie and Brad's next door neighbours. He was the same age and in the same grade as E.J. The two boys quickly became best friends soon after they first met, and were nearly inseparable since that day.

"Hi E.J.!" Bryan said brightly to his friend. "Ready for school?"

"Yeah, Bryan, I sure am!" E.J. said. "I just have to wait for Kaity. She's in kindergarten this year. Today is her very first day of school ever! I have to help walk her to school and show her around so she doesn't get lost. You know how it is."

Kaitlyn took hold of E.J.'s hand. He smiled at his younger sister and she smiled back. He then leaned in and spoke in a low, conspiratorial tone to his friend. "I have to watch out for Kaity while we're at school. It's important. Mom and Dad said so."

Bryan's eyes went wide. "Wow!" he exclaimed, sounding properly impressed.

Kellie and Brad looked at each other, smiled and squeezed each other's hand. They were moved by the sweet scene played out before them by the three precocious children. They gathered themselves and Kellie made the short walk with the kids to their grade school, Centennial Elementary, while Brad made his way to work.

Once Kellie dropped them off, E.J. led Kaitlyn to the kindergarten recess area. He wanted to show her where she needed to go and follow through on his promise to his parents, but he also wanted to do it quickly enough so he could trade summer vacation stories with Bryan and the rest of his friends before the bell rang. For her part, Kaity trusted her older brother but was still very nervous, and she held on to his hand tightly as he led her through the grassy field.

Eventually E.J. found the kindergarten teacher. She was standing near the playground with another young girl close by.

"Hi Miss Carey!" he said. "Remember me?!"

"I sure do, E.J.!" the teacher replied. She was amused that the boy would think it possible that she had forgotten him when he was one of the most memorable students she ever had, in the best sense of the word.

E.J. pointed in Kaitlyn's direction, saying "Miss Carey, this is my sister Kaity! She'll be in your class this year!"

Miss Carey smiled at the two young children. She saw the familial resemblance between the two while also noting how the little girl's quiet and shy appearance was almost the polar opposite of her older brother's friendly, outgoing brashness.

"Thank you, E.J.!" she said in a friendly tone. "Hello Kaity!"

Kaitlyn smiled briefly and whispered hello.

The teacher motioned to the girl beside her and said, "Kaity, this is Chelsea, she'll be in our class together! Wouldn't it be great for you two to become friends?!"

"Hi Kaity," Chelsea said with a wave.

"Hi Chelsea," Kaity replied. She smiled again, and this time she was more relaxed. Kaity thought Chelsea looked pretty and might be nice to talk to. She also thought that maybe her mother was right. Maybe she would make friends at school, after all.

********

On the other side of the city, another young mother was having a little more difficulty getting her child ready for school.

"Johnny!" Anita shouted to her son's closed bedroom door. "Please hurry! You're going to be late for school!"

"I don't want to go, Mom," Johnathan said. "I'm not feeling well! I think I might be sick."

Anita thought Johnny sounded less than convincing. She checked her watch and groaned. Because Brad had kids of his own he was very sympathetic and understanding, and so allowed her to start work an hour later during the school year. But if she didn't get Johnny moving soon she would be late, and she hated being late.

"I'm coming in!" she warned her son. She opened his bedroom door and found him in bed, with the covers pulled up to his chin.

"You look fine," Anita said, and he did; his face was not flushed or otherwise abnormally coloured. She felt Johnny's forehead; he didn't feel feverish. "You don't feel super-hot," she said. "Are you sure you're not feeling well?"

Johnny nodded, but the look on his face led Anita to think he was hiding something.

Taking a chance, she tried to pull back the blankets from Johnny. After some token resistance, the boy relented. Anita groaned again, seeing her boy was actually dressed and ready for school.

"Johnny," she said, "I'm disappointed in you. Why did you lie to me?"

"I didn't lie, Mom," he protested. "Not really, anyway."

"But you told me you thought you might be sick when you're really not. That is a lie. You know how I feel about lying."

Johnny bowed his head with shame, knowing his mother was right, and said nothing more.

Anita was disappointed in Johnny's choice to tell a lie, but she couldn't help but feel some sympathy for him.

"This is about Rory, isn't it?" she asked.

Johnny nodded his head, his face the picture of sadness. "I miss him, Mommy," he said quietly.

"I know, honey. I understand what it's like to lose friends. I know it was hard for you to see him move far away with his family when his dad got his new job. I know you miss him. That's normal. Losing a friend is never fun. But, things like this happen sometimes, even if we don't want them to. And you can't let these things stop you. As much as it hurts, you still need to do things all boys your age do, like go to school."

"But Rory was my best friend. I don't know the other kids in my class very well. What if they don't like me?"

"Johnny, I am sure that you will make other friends very soon. Trust your mother on this."

Johnny sighed, but nodded his head.

Anita smiled, trying her best to reassure her son and lift his spirits. "Let's have some breakfast now, OK?"

"OK. And... can you drive me to school today?"

Anita checked her watch and sighed. Johnny's school, Riverview Public, was a little out of the way from her usual route to work. She would likely be late if she agreed to his request. One look at his eyes, however, and she knew she couldn't say no.

"Yes, Johnny, I will. But just this once, understand? Tomorrow I need you to take the school bus like you usually do."

Johnny smiled. "Thanks, Mom," he said, and he embraced his mother in a loving hug.

********

Kellie was excited to see her children back home from school.

She was especially excited to see Kaitlyn run into her arms for a hug and breathlessly tell her that she met a girl in class named Chelsea and how they did so many things together during playtime and arts and crafts time. Kellie shared in the joy of her daughter, and felt a great sense of relief that Kaity was already well on her way to becoming good friends with her new classmate.

It seemed, at least for now, her home life was in great shape. Although it was very early in the year, both kids were shaping up to do very well in school. Her marriage with Brad was as strong as ever.

So now, after enjoying a nice family dinner, it was time to work out her professional life. Not for the first time, she reflected on the state of her curling career during the drive from home to the Blue Granite Curling Club.

If she were being completely honest, Kellie would have to admit that she in particular, and her team in general, had underachieved in the last three or four seasons. Granted, there were very good reasons why they had not hit the heights of six years ago, when they completed back-to-back victories at the Canadian national championships. Kellie had to pull back the team's competition schedule as she had children and needed to be there to raise her young family. Then, of course, Amber, Jennifer and Heather all married three years ago - Amber to her long-time steady Jamie, and Jennifer and Heather to each other - and the three needed time to consolidate the newest stages of their relationships.

Now, however, Kellie felt the time had come for all of them to re-dedicate themselves to their sport. Naturally, Kellie's children would still come first, but having both of them in school made it easier for her and Brad to care for them. Combined with a flexible schedule her employers at the health club were generous enough to provide, it gave her the time to commit to competitive curling. As for her teammates, Kellie knew from the many talks they all shared that their home lives were happy and well-adjusted, and furthermore they weren't planning on making other changes that could potentially distract them from putting in the time and the work to once again reach the top of their game.

It was all a matter of how much did they want it. Kellie, for her part, wanted it more than she could properly express in words. She was sure the others would all feel the same way. This meeting would confirm whether she was right, and if she was, they would start working on the plan to help them meet their ambitious goals.

Kellie arrived at the Blue Granite five minutes earlier than the scheduled time. She briefly said hi to a few of the club regulars and went to the meeting room to wait. She didn't have to wait long. Jennifer and Heather got there a few moments later, holding hands as they went in the room. Shortly thereafter Amber came bounding in, and the team was all present and accounted for.

Addressing the group, Kellie said, "I have a question for all of you, and I'd like everyone's honest opinion. Don't hold back, and don't be afraid to speak up. Just say what you feel."

Jennifer, Heather and Amber all nodded and promised to answer truthfully.

"How do you feel about how we've performed as a team the last few years?" Kellie asked.

Her teammates nervously glanced at each other, and no one spoke for a few moments. Finally, and as she often did in these situations, Jennifer was the first to speak for the others.

"I think we have not played up to our capabilities," she said.

"Hold on, though," Heather piped up. "It's not like there weren't valid reasons behind it."

"Oh, I agree," said Kellie. "I never said otherwise."

"Yeah," Amber now spoke, "I don't think Kellie is looking to place judgement or blame. "

Kellie nodded in agreement, and Heather appeared to relax. "Oh, good," she said. "Because, with that said, I agree with Jen. We're capable of doing a lot better."

"For sure!" Amber piped up. "I mean, look at the rink that was Team Canada at the last Olympics. We've beaten them in the past and I KNOW we could beat them again!"

Kellie couldn't help but smile once Jennifer and Heather enthusiastically agreed with Amber's statement. It may have been unwitting, but they provided the perfect segue to the next point she wanted to make.

"And how about if we had made the Olympic team?" she challenged them. "How do you think we would have done?"

Heather puffed her cheeks and blew out some air, showing how tough she thought the question was. "Wow, skip," she said, "there were a lot of good teams there. It's hard to say for sure what would have happened. You know the cliché, on any given day anyone can win."

"Yeah," Amber added. "The Swedish team looked very strong, and that young team from Scotland looked amazing and they keep getting better."

Jennifer changed the tone when she said, "You know what, though? I'm confident that, if we're on our game, we're as good if not better than anyone else in the world. We would have been on the podium for sure, and I could easily see us winning gold!"

"I agree 100% with Jennifer," Kellie said.

Heather and Amber both thought about their skip's and vice's words. "Sorry if I made it sound like I was downplaying our chances," Heather said. "I believe in us!"

"So do I!" Amber added. "I apologize if it didn't sound that way." 

"No need to apologize, girls" Kellie said reassuringly. "I know you two were giving the opponents a lot of respect, and you should because they are good and they deserve it. But I'm glad we all recognize we are just as good and we also deserve that kind of respect. We just need to play like we're not afraid of greatness. If we're all pulling in the same direction, I don't know who can beat us."

"All this Olympic talk is getting me excited!" Amber said in her typically enthusiastic manner.

"It should," Jennifer stated, "because I think we should make a run for the next Games."

"They are three and a half years away," Heather said, "but I'll bet that will go by in the blink of an eye if we're not careful."

"That's exactly right." Kellie replied. "We are one of the elite teams in this country. We need to train and prepare like one. If we want to represent our country, we have to start now."

Kellie felt the emotion, pride and competitive spirit all start to rise within her. She could see in the eyes of her teammates that they were experiencing similar feelings.

"Think about the opportunity we have, girls," she told them. "Think about what it would be like to wear the Maple Leaf and be Team Canada!"

"Especially since the next Games are here in Canada, on OUR home ice!" exclaimed Jennifer.

Kellie let Jennifer's words sink in before looking each teammate in the eye and hammering home her final message.

"So, are we all in? Do we all want to represent Canada in the next Olympics, wear the Maple Leaf on our chests, win a gold medal in our home country and hear the crowd cheer and sing 'O Canada'? That's what I want. I'm sure you want it, too, but I want to hear you say it."

Jennifer, Heather and Amber all felt warmth in the pits of their stomachs, motivated by the super-confident words of Kellie, their skip and leader in all respects when it came to their sport. They looked at each other, nodded and spoke in turn.

Jennifer - "Skip, I definitely want to be an Olympian."

Amber - "I want that gold medal just as much as you do!"

Heather - "I swear I'll do whatever you ask of me if it will help us get there."

Kellie smiled. "Good," she said. "I know Brad and the kids will be supportive of me, and I don't have to worry about you two, Jennifer and Heather..."

Amber held up her hand before Kellie could go any farther. "It's OK, skip, I know where you're going with this, and it's fine. Jamie will back me up all the way. He'd love to see me at the Olympics! I can't wait to tell him!"

"Great! Glad that's settled," Kellie said, clapping her hands. "Let's start talking about how we plan to get there, because we have a lot to discuss."

********

Brad was more than a little curious.

He was well aware of Kellie's meeting with her team tonight. She didn't tell him exactly what it was about; she instead preferred to tell him all about it after it was over, confident as she was of having good news to share. He had a vague idea of what they were going to discuss, but no more than that.

Whatever it was, it was lasting much longer than he expected. He had long since put E.J. and Kaity to bed, and spent some time in bed reading until he noticed the time and saw how late it was. It wasn't late enough for him to be worried for Kellie's safety, but it was late enough for him to wonder what was taking her so long.

When Brad heard the front door open, he hopped out of bed and hurried out to the living room, just in time to see Kellie quietly close the door behind her.

"Hi, honey!" he said softly.

"Oh, hi Brad!" Kellie said. She gave him a kiss. "Sorry I'm so late. I thought maybe you would have fallen asleep," she declared.

"I wanted to wait for you," he admitted.

"Aww, that's so sweet!" Kellie smiled and the two kissed tenderly. They went back to their bedroom and Brad let her get ready for bed before talking to her.

"Long meeting tonight, eh?" he asked.

"Yeah, it was," she answered. "We had a lot to talk about."

"So? What did you ladies decide?"

Kellie took Brad's hands in hers before she spoke. "You know that the next Winter Olympics are here in Canada, right?" she asked, and he nodded in response.

"Well, we're going for it, Brad!" she exclaimed. "We're going all out to qualify for the Olympics and represent Team Canada!"

Kellie was excited to share this news with her husband. Brad had always enthusiastically supported her athletic career and she was sure that would never change. Still, she was a little nervous, hoping she hadn't overstepped her bounds or failed to take something into account before making such grand plans.

She needn't have worried.

"Honey, that's fantastic!" Brad beamed. He enveloped Kellie in a giant hug that nearly took her breath away. "Wow, I can't wait to see you compete at the Olympics! That will be so awesome!"

"Whoa, calm down just a second. I know you're excited, but we're just starting the process. It's not like we've qualified yet, you know."

"I know, but I believe you will. I believe in you and the girls so much. When you and Jennifer and Heather and Amber are all at your best, you are unbeatable! I know you will all look incredible with the Maple Leaf on your chest. Especially you, baby!"

Kellie just smiled and kissed Brad's cheek. "Thanks... but before we get to that point, the two of us have a lot to talk about. We have to figure out how a lot of things are going to work over the next few years... our finances, how to run the household, and all that stuff. And of course, we need to have a good plan to ensure E.J. and Kaity are properly cared for, and for me to balance my sporting goals with being a mother, because no matter what, the kids come first."

"I understand, Kellie, and you're completely right. We'll start discussing all of that as soon as you're ready. But try not to worry. I'm confident that we can work together and find a way. You deserve this chance, and I promise I'll do whatever it takes to make it all work so that you can make your dreams come true. I know the kids will, too."




Kellie and Brad Ch. 11



"Thanks, baby," Kellie whispered. She kissed Brad deeply and he kissed back in return.

"I love you, Bradley Galenchuk."

"I love you, Kellie Galenchuk."

Kellie closed her eyes as if preparing to settle into a good sleep, but Brad wasn't ready to let her do so. Naughty thoughts were running through his mind, and he wanted nothing more than to put those thoughts into action.

He let his hands travel down the gentle curves of her hips, and with a throaty growl he kissed the back of her neck.

"Oooh," Kellie gasped. "What are you doing back there, loverboy?"

"I was just thinking," he whispered in his most seductive voice, "I've never made love to an Olympic athlete before. I believe it's time I fixed that."

She playfully slapped his arm and giggled. "Didn't you listen to a word I said earlier?!" she asked while feigning outrage. "I haven't made it yet, you dope!"

"Pfft," he scoffed. "Ain't nothin' but details, baby!"

Brad's hand wandered further across Kellie's body and down underneath her sleep shorts, where he found her soft, petal-like folds moistened with her natural dew. With that gentle, sexual touch, a soft moan escaped her lips. That sound gave Brad a hungry grin. He now knew for sure he was going to get what he was after.

"Besides," he breathed in her ear, "you certainly feel ready for a little Olympic-style lovin'!"

Kellie laughed. "What the hell does that even mean?!"

As Brad fumbled for an answer, without warning Kellie rolled over and straddled him. She ground her aroused mound against his steely erection, and she licked her lips when she heard him groan.

"Mmmm," she purred, "I know this much, at least. It definitely feels like you're carrying an Olympic-sized torch for me."

Brad and Kellie grinned at each other and kissed passionately before quickly disrobing. Olympic-themed bedroom talk was a first for them, to be sure, and they shared a few laughs the next night at how they had been carried away by something so cheesy. But for now, it was working for them, so they rolled with it.

Kellie climbed back on top of Brad. She groaned as she sank herself on his engorged cock and felt his hands grip her firm ass. "You're not going to cum faster, are you?" she teased.

"Not me," Brad said between pleasurable moans. "Baby, I'm going to take you higher."

"Oh yes!" she squealed. "I knew you would because you're my stronger man!"

Brad's mind temporarily blanked when it came to thinking of more Olympic-flavoured sexy talk, so he decided to show Kellie just how much "stronger" he was. He tightened his hold on her hips and ass and pummelled her pussy. She bent over to bury his face in his shoulder in an attempt to muffle her screams of ecstasy; the last thing she wanted now was one of her kids interrupting them and asking some difficult questions.

"Yes, Brad!" she spoke into his chest, and she squeezed her arms around him harder and dug her nails in his back. "Yes! Just like that! Fuck me!"

The sound of her voice vibrated through his body and made his cock tingle even more. He gleefully smacked her ass with both hands and revelled in the sound of her surprised yelp.

"That's right, baby!" he said. "Take it! Oh, your tight little pussy really wants my big cock, doesn't it?!"

"Yes!" she replied. "She wants him so bad! Give it to me, you stud! Harder!"

Brad fulfilled her request. He pounded Kellie's tight, wet channel relentlessly until she stiffened on top of him. She buried her face in Brad's shoulder to muffle her scream as an intense and satisfying orgasm rolled through her. The sound and feel of her in that moment was too much for him to resist. He groaned and came hard inside her.

Through heavy breaths and light kisses they slowly came down from their peak. The look of love in both their eyes was unmistakeable.

"What do you think, baby?" Brad asked. "Does our fantastic performance merit a ten from the Canadian judge?"

Kellie snuggled her warm body into Brad, ensuring he felt her hard nipples press into him, and kissed him on the cheek. "It's definitely a gold-medal winning performance!" she said happily.

They kissed again and settled in for the night. Kellie soon went to sleep with images of standing on the top step of the podium, gold medal around her neck, embracing her friends and teammates as the sounds of 'O Canada' echoed through the rink, vivid in her brain.

********

It was a few weeks later, on a chilly, late October Friday morning, when Brad received a piece of bad news at work.

His key weeknight maintenance supervisor gave his notice of resignation immediately, not giving even the minimum of courtesy of two weeks' notice. It was a move that Brad did not see coming. He made plans to find a replacement as soon as possible, but that would still take time. Until then he needed someone to step up and "take one for the team" by temporarily filling the role.

As he was thinking about who to ask first, he was interrupted by a knock at the door.

"Hey boss," Anita said.

Brad rolled his eyes. "You don't have to call me boss, you know."

"I know. I like doing it, though, because it messes with your head."

He laughed at her quick-witted retort.

Brad was pleased that Anita was starting to relax and grow into her role. She had built up three years' worth of seniority, and her intelligence and work ethic made her one of his most trusted employees. Only recently had she recognized that status and thus carried herself with the appropriate confidence. He thought it looked good on her.

"So what's on your mind, Anita?" he asked.

"I heard Murdoch quit," she answered. "Kind of dropped it on you without warning, didn't he?"

"Yeah, I wasn't thrilled when he gave me the news, believe me. I'll be working on finding a full-time replacement soon, but I need someone to fill that spot in the meantime."

"I'll do it."

Brad winced. He did not want her to be the one to make the sacrifice. He knew the difficulties she faced as a single mother, both those all single mothers go through as well as those particular to her situation. There were a couple of times that Anita had confided in him her struggle to help Johnathan adjust in school after his best friend moved away. The situation was improving, but it was doing so very slowly, and worrying about him was taking a toll on her.

"Thanks for the offer," he told her, "but I should probably ask someone else instead."

Anita made sure no one else was within earshot, and then closed Brad's office door for good measure. "Brad, you know just as well as I do that I'm none of the other guys are up to the job. The young guys are too inexperienced and will mess something up if they're not supervised, while the rest will make up some BS excuse and leave you hanging."

"You make a good point, I have to admit. But what about Johnathan? If getting someone reliable to watch your son is going to be an issue, how will you be able to focus on what needs doing?"

"Already taken care of. I called my mother before coming here. She's agreed to help take care of Johnny after school and put him to bed at night. Who could be more reliable than Mom?"

Brad nodded. Anita was as sharp as ever. "Well, since you put it that way, I guess I can't say no, can I?"

"No, you can't. You're stuck with me."

They shared a laugh before Brad turned serious. "Thank you, Anita. I want you to know, I appreciate you making the sacrifice. I just hope it won't be too much of a strain on you and your son."

"It will be hard on me and Johnny, I won't lie. But we'll make it work. And I want to help you out. You've supported me so much these past three years that I feel I owe you one, and what better time than now since you're in such a pinch. I have to be honest, though, I really hope it won't last long."

Brad promised the inconvenience would be as minimal as possible. He quickly went over the work hours for the evening job, but didn't want to bog her down with too much detail, especially since her shift was over.

Before she could say or ask anything else, he told her, "Go home, Anita, and enjoy your weekend. I'll see you Monday afternoon."

With a smile and a handshake, Anita did just that. Brad breathed a sigh of relief. He wondered what he would do without her.

He shook his head after that thought sank in, realizing both how unlikely that would have seemed years ago, and how upset Kellie would be if she knew what he was thinking about Anita, even though it was completely innocent.

*******

"Jen?" Amber posed a question to her sister. "Where's Kellie?"

Jennifer looked at Heather, seeking confirmation. "Isn't this the night she and Brad have parent-teacher interviews at her kids' school?"

"Yeah, I think it is," Heather chimed in. "I think she told us the other day to treat tonight as one of our extra on-ice nights for this month."

"Oh, right!" Amber snapped her fingers as she finally remembered her skip telling her and the others about her obligation.

Part of the initial training plan settled on by the team called for a number of extra on-ice training nights per month during the curling season for Amber, Heather and Jennifer. The rationale for this was more time for these three to practice and perfect their sweeping technique.

Kellie's position as skip meant sweeping was not a task required of her other than briefly for rocks in the rings, except for unusual circumstances. But for the others, effective sweeping was a must. And as important as the right technique was, teams seeking to reach championship level had to go beyond just good technique. Ensuring proper physical fitness, so one could sweep just as effectively in the last end as the first, and the ability to correctly judge the path of a rock, so to know when to sweep, and how hard, were critical. Indeed, at the elite level these things often spelled the difference between winning and losing.

Having already completed their warm-ups, the three women took to the ice. Each took turns throwing a couple of rocks and the other two would sweep. They followed this process for about twenty minutes before taking a break.

"How do you think we're doing so far?" Amber asked Jennifer.

"Very well," Jennifer replied. "Though there is one thing I've noticed in particular that you two can still improve on."

"OK, no problem. What is it? What are you seeing out there?"

"You and Heather are still a little awkward when you change brushing positions. When Kellie or I call a switch on the brushing, you both need to be seamless in those transitions. It's not like you're terrible at it. You're good, but we need better than good. You need to keep practicing and working on it until you can get it down pat 100% of the time, and then in crucial game situations it's automatic."

"Good catch, Jen. We can do that. Heather, let's work on that right... uh, Heather?"

Heather had stepped away from Amber and Jennifer, completely oblivious to their conversation. She was blankly staring ahead of her, with a troubled look on her face.

"Heather? What's wrong?" Jennifer asked with great concern. But Heather did not respond. Instead, she walked away from them, slowly at first, then picking up speed, and all the while continuing to gaze off into the distance.

Jennifer and Amber were puzzled, until they looked in the same direction at which Heather was looking and moving.

Then, they tried to catch up to her.

*******

She didn't usually find herself reliving her past.

Since she started the job at the curling club, Anita was always too busy to waste her time thinking about her history. When she was at work, she busied herself with the responsibilities Brad assigned to her, and she performed them very well, motivated by her continued desire to prove to everyone she deserved her job on merit. At home, of course, she had to care for and raise Johnathan.

But tonight, working at these different hours because no one else could, with nothing immediately pressing and no one to really supervise her, Anita spent the last few minutes looking at the Blue Granite Curling Club's trophy and memorabilia display.

Her many achievements had kept a prominent place in the cabinet, even though all of them were now several years old. That they were still highlighted so much was no great surprise, considering her mother essentially ran the club, in fact if not in title, doing what she could to continue the tradition her father, grandfather and great-grandfather carried out before her.

Anita recalled looking at this display, and her reactions to what she saw, many times in the past. She would either mentally gloat at her success, or feel cheated somehow that she hadn't won more trophies, taken home more medals, gained more fame and notoriety.

Now? It felt like these things weren't hers, that they were never hers. Like they had been won by a different person entirely.

And it was sort of true, at least in a metaphorical sense. Anita felt like she had lived two different lifetimes since her curling glory days.

She hadn't spent this much time seriously contemplating her past and present in a very long while. The intense reflections left her conflicted. On the one hand, she missed being able to immerse herself in the world of competitive curling. Matching wits with another team, measuring and playing with angles as she circled a house full of rocks, encountering puzzles she never saw before and finding ways to solve them. These were all things she had greatly enjoyed.

And she was GOOD at curling. REALLY good.

On the other hand, in those days of her greatest athletic accomplishments, Anita also knew she was a total and complete bitch. That was the absolute truth, and there was no way to sugar-coat it.

She had long since accepted that fact for what it was. Her competitiveness and hunger to win consumed her, turning her into a thoroughly unpleasant person. She made many mistakes, angering many people along the way. The worst of those mistakes almost cost her everything.

She truly went through hell and back.

In the end, with a great deal of help, she managed to save herself. With the presence of Johnathan, her precious son, and the support of her mother and sister, she survived and became a much better person.

Anita was prouder of that accomplishment than any curling trophy or medal.

All this thinking brought up another question in Anita's mind. Could she ever find a way, one day, to combine these two worlds? Could she ever rediscover her curling talent, play competitively and reach an elite level again, all without falling into her old, bad habits?

Anita's contemplation was interrupted by a feeling of being watched. She turned her head to see who was observing her... and she swallowed and steeled herself for a confrontation.

One for which she was not ready.

*******

The feeling blindsided her, hitting her like a rogue wave crashing into shore.

One minute, Heather was taking a break from practice, taking a drink of water, listening to Amber and Jennifer discuss tonight's efforts and thinking of something worthwhile to add to the conversation.

Then she saw Anita.

Heather had convinced herself she had moved on from the negativity of her relationship with her former skip, that all the emotional wounds from Anita's insults and harassment were healed. And since the two kept different schedules and never happened to run into each other, Heather never had to challenge those assumptions. She could safely continue to fool herself into believing she was fine.

The truth, as she was just now discovering, was that she had simply buried these things away in a dark corner of her mind and avoided properly dealing with them.

The sight of Anita brought all of those hurtful memories flooding to the surface. Without fully realizing what she was doing, she left Amber and Jennifer behind and marched towards Anita.

Despite her better judgement, Heather couldn't stop the slight thrill that surged through her when she saw Anita turn and nervously swallow as she noticed her coming. It didn't help her figure out what she would say once she got there, but at least she knew she'd start with the upper hand.

*******

"What do you think Heather's going to do?" a worried Amber asked Jennifer. She strode next to her sister, trying to keep up with her.

"I'm not sure," an equally worried Jennifer replied, "but I don't like how this looks." She further increased her pace in an attempt to catch up to her life partner and stop her from saying or doing something she might regret later.

She wasn't fast enough.

"Reliving past glories, are we?" Heather asked Anita, bitterly.

Anita started to answer but was distracted by Jennifer and Amber moving in behind Heather. She didn't hear what they had said earlier so she didn't know whether they would try to pull Heather away or come piling on to make it a three-on-one ambush. Whatever the case, Anita was reluctant to spend the energy necessary to fight them. Despite the sick feeling in her stomach, she resolved to take whatever they dished her way, just as she had with all the other enemies she ran into since her return.

"You know what I think of when I see those trophies?" Heather continued, not willing to wait for Anita to speak. "I think about all your immature and abusive behaviour. I think of how instead of encouraging and helping your teammates, the ones who helped you win all that stuff, you beat us down for every mistake we made. I think about how you took all the credit when we won but stuck us with all the blame when we lost!"

Heather paused to wipe tears from her eyes. The others either couldn't speak, or didn't dare.

Anita didn't know what to say. She had never seen Heather this angry before. She knew her former teammate had reason to be upset... hell, she had given her plenty of ammunition in that regard. The raw display of emotion, however, still took her aback.

Meanwhile, Jennifer and Amber watched events unfold before them like witnesses to a gruesome car crash. They wanted to stop Heather, for her own sake if nothing else, but felt helpless to do so. She seemed a force that could not be stopped, a will that would not be denied.

"That's not all I think about, though!" Heather yelled, her voice rising in emotion and intensity. "Oh hell no!! I also think about your stunning lack of morals, to the point that you were convinced stealing and fucking your main rival's fiancé was A-OK in your books! It was so funny when you realized all that time and effort you invested in your scheme was wasted, because your mind was so clouded by your sluttishness that you couldn't possibly conceive that Kellie and Brad were such good and decent people and were way too much in love for you to drag them down to your level! I didn't even care when you learned about the small part I played to ensure your dirty fucking plan failed completely... hell, when you slapped me and told me to fuck off it was one of the best things that ever happened to me!

"But you couldn't leave well enough alone, could you? No, you still thought you had the right to try and permanently scar me and beat me down with your words!"

Heather then got right up in Anita's face to challenge her. "Do you remember what you called me before the nationals that year, in front of my teammates and friends?! Do you?!"

"I... um... I don't...," Anita stumbled.

"You called me a lezzie slut!" Heather's voice hitched and sobbed.

Anita winced. She felt even more nauseous than before. She didn't remember saying that to Heather, had no recollection of it whatsoever. She had no doubt that Heather was telling the truth, based on her reaction. And, sadly, it sounded like something Anita would have said back then.

Heather was faintly aware that Anita was not reacting how she thought she would to her verbal attack. Not even close, in fact. She didn't know what to do; she had gotten herself too worked up and into too much of a prideful state to back down gracefully.




Kellie and Brad Ch. 11



"Well?!" she said to Anita. "Do you have anything to say for yourself?!"

Heather suddenly had strange, conflicting thoughts. She knew very well that, even though Anita's words hurt at that particular time, it was only a short while later that they helped lead to such a beautiful moment in her life, when she and Jennifer came out of the closet to Amber, Sandra and Kellie, and they accepted the two of them without hesitation.

So what was she doing? Why was she trying to ignore this part of her personal history? Just because she thought she could score points against Anita in some sort of ridiculous pissing contest? What was all of this accomplishing, anyway?

Shaking her head, and unable to stop the tears from flowing, Heather ran towards the exit doors as fast as she could, not waiting to see if Anita would answer her, and not even caring either way.

Jennifer sighed. "I guess practice is over," she told her sister. "I'd better go get Heather."

"Yeah," Amber replied. "I'll see you later."

Out of the corner of her eye, Anita watched Jennifer leave. She turned to go elsewhere, hoping to find something, anything, that would take her mind off this mess. But she did not get very far, freezing in her tracks when she heard Amber say, "Anita, wait!"

Anita sighed and faced Amber, saying to her through teary eyes, "Amber, please... I'm sorry, but I don't think I'm ready to hear..."

"No, please, hear me out!" Amber interrupted. "I promise I'm not here to yell at you. In fact, I kind of feel like I need to apologize."

"Seriously?" a stunned Anita asked. "Why?"

Amber shrugged. "When Heather first started in on you, I was worried. I was sure it would end really ugly for everybody. But, to be honest, I thought, if she was going to do it then I wanted her to go all out and really hurt you, to get back at you for all the hurt you caused her.

"But... then I watched you just stand there and take it. Everything Heather said to you, all the hate and bitterness she could drag out... and she really laid into you, she didn't hold back, I've never seen her that angry before... and still you didn't say anything, didn't even react, not even once. It made me think that maybe you're not the Anita we all remembered. That maybe there really is truth to the rumours that you have changed."

Still not completely sure how to react, Anita shrugged, and she spoke quietly. "Yeah, I guess you could say that. I mean, things have happened, and..."

"It's OK, Anita," Amber gently interrupted. "You don't have to explain right now, if you don't want to. Now is probably not be the right time, anyway. Not after all that, plus you're at work and..."

Amber sighed, wondering what to say, before deciding to proceed with her intended proposal.

"But maybe, another time... I mean, maybe you already have someone you can talk to about this kind of stuff... but if you feel you need someone else... "

Anita's eyes widened. She pieced together Amber's offer through her awkward words, but she couldn't quite believe it was true. "You really want to spend time talking with me?" she asked tentatively. "You'd do that for me?"

Amber's nervousness started to fade away with Anita's reaction. She nodded, smiled and said, "Sure. Why not? You look like you can use another friend. And don't worry about Heather or Jen, or Kellie for that matter, just yet. When you're ready, we can figure out a way for you to approach them, if you want. But for now I won't tell if you won't. It will be our little secret!"

"Sounds like a plan," Anita said, a small smile escaping her lips.

The two exchanged phone numbers, and as she was leaving Amber promised to call as soon as she could. Anita watched Amber walk... no, skip... away, as if she were a carefree pre-teen on a summer's day.

"What the hell just happened?" she asked herself.

She tried to return to her work routine, but for the rest of the night she was easily distracted, her mind reeling over the events from earlier that evening.

It had started with unexpected chaos and recrimination, but somehow out of that she managed to gain a friend.

Of all that night's surprises, that was the most shocking of them all.

********

Before Amber's new arrangement with Anita was complete, Jennifer and Heather had long left the Blue Granite for the night.

Jennifer found Heather leaning against their car with her head in her hands. She carefully bundled her sobbing partner into the passenger's seat before getting in and driving them home. She just as carefully helped Heather climb out and led her into their home. They went straight to bed, where Jennifer held and comforted Heather as best as she could until the tears stopped.

"Are you all right?" Jennifer asked. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Heather's face was red and raw from crying. She hemmed and hawed for a long time, searching for the right words to say. Finally, she looked at Jennifer and said, "That... didn't feel nearly as satisfying as I thought it would."

Jennifer looked deep into Heather's eyes and felt great sympathy for her. "Honey," she said gently, "you must be exhausted. I'm tired as well. Let's get some sleep. We'll talk about it tomorrow, when you feel better."

Heather sighed and nodded in agreement. The two women lovingly kissed, laid their heads on their pillows and quickly fell asleep.

*******

"Brad, we need to talk."

Those words from Kellie, and the tone she used to deliver them, caused Brad to rack his brain. 'What did I do wrong?' he asked himself, only half-jokingly. He thought about what happened last night and today, to see if he could find any obvious reasons why Kellie would ask him that question.

Last night was parent-teacher interview night, and based on the feedback they received it surely couldn't have anything to do with that. E.J. and Kaitlyn were both doing great in school, and their teachers were full of praise for them as students and as young kids. There were only two gentle warnings: E.J. was sometimes a little too social during classes, while on the other hand Kaitlyn was sometimes too shy and didn't interact as well with her classmates beyond her best friend Chelsea and one or two others. Besides continuing to support their kids' efforts in school, encouraging E.J. to channel his energy properly and trying to draw Kaity out of her shell a little more, there didn't seem to be much more Brad and Kellie needed to worry about.

Beyond that, today had been nothing more than routine. The more Brad thought about it, the less reason he could find why Kellie would be so concerned, which in turn made him even more curious.

Brad lay in bed next to Kellie and asked her, "OK... so what's on your mind, hon?"

"Is there something you want to tell me?" she asked.

Brad's stomach lurched. 'What was with the third-degree treatment?' he wondered. It was so out of place for her.

"No," he said, shaking his head. "I can't honestly think of anything."

"Really? That's interesting." Kellie's voice continued to be coolly impassive.

"And why is that?"

"Because I talked to Jennifer earlier today. Apparently the practice she, Heather and Amber were supposed to have last night, they ran into a big problem and had to cancel it early. Why do you think that would be?"

Kellie's cryptic speech was starting to get to Brad. "Seriously?" he asked, his voice sounding a little more indignant. "I mean, with all due respect... how the heck would I know?!"

"Oh, come off it, Brad!" she snapped. She was beyond irritated that Brad seemed to be so uncommunicative with her. It was so out of place for him.

"What?! What are you on about, Kellie?! Stop it with these silly guessing games and tell me what's going on!"

"I can't believe this! Are you for real?! Are you actually going to tell me you didn't know Anita was working last night?"

Brad closed his eyes and groaned. He hadn't even considered the possibility that Anita and Kellie's teammates might have ran into each other last night, let alone that any such encounter might also turn nasty. He had to admit the truth, though.

"All right, all right, I see where you're going with this. Yes, I knew Anita was working last night, OK? I told you Murdoch, my night maintenance guy, had quit on me, right?"

Kellie calmed down, at least a little bit. "Yes, you did, and you did say that you've been working on finding a replacement. But you never said it would be Anita."

Brad thought for a moment. Kellie was right, he supposed. He hadn't mentioned Anita would be filling in for now. In truth, he hadn't pictured needing to do so.

"It's just a temporary thing," he explained. "She agreed to help me out for now until I find a permanent replacement. It had to be her because no one else on staff is capable of doing that job."

"So why didn't you say so before?" Kellie asked.

"I suppose I never thought you or the girls would actually run into each other. I figured she'd be too busy and out of the way, and you'd be so wrapped up in your practice sessions that you wouldn't even realize she was there."

"Brad, don't be so absurd. Why tempt fate like that? You know what's happened whenever we've ran into her before. If I had known she would have been there to start an argument with..."

"Hold on," he interrupted. "Do you know for a fact she started anything last night? What really happened, by the way?"

"Well... I don't think I've heard the full story yet, but from what Jennifer told me, it sounds like Anita got into a big argument with Heather." Left unspoken but implied in Kellie's statement was her unshakeable belief that Anita was at fault.

"That still doesn't prove Anita started it. Listen, honey, I know how you feel about her. I know you can't get past what she used to be like. I get it, really, I do. But I've said it before and I'll say it again, Anita's not the person you think she is anymore. It would really mean a lot to me if you could start to see that for yourself."

Kellie softened her tone further, but at the same time she effortlessly brushed off Brad's argument. "Honey, let me put it this way to you. If you knew there would be a night when the cooling plant would be shut down for maintenance and so there would be no useable ice, you would have informed me and the girls about it, right?"

"Yes, of course I would have."

"Well, this is the same thing..."

"I'm sorry, but I don't think it is."

"Brad, to me it is, OK? Please understand. I know you believe Anita has changed, but I just can't believe it's possible, and I'm not going to test that theory anytime soon."

Brad was too tired to continue the discussion. "Fine," he said, trying to keep the disappointment out of his voice and just about succeeding. "I'll let you all know when we've hired a new night maintenance person. Until then, during the week, Anita will be working nights. There's nothing I can do about that until we have the new person on board."

"There!" Kellie smiled. "That wasn't so hard, was it? Thank you, honey. For now I'll have to change our team's schedule so that we're doing more off-ice training, or maybe going on the ice earlier in the day, but I'm sure we'll work it out. And it won't be for too long, will it?"

"No, it shouldn't be. Maybe another two weeks, tops."

"Great! I knew we could make do. And I'm sure if something else happens in the future where there's more of a chance we'll run into you-know-who again, you won't forget to let me know."

Brad smiled back at Kellie, hoping it didn't look as faked as it felt. "I promise I won't forget," he replied.

"Thanks again, baby. I'm glad we didn't get into a big fight about this. I hated when we fought last time."

"Yeah." On that, at least, Brad could agree with her. "Me too."

Kellie kissed Brad good-night and went to sleep easily, much easier than Brad did. He had too much on his mind to allow him to sleep right away.

He couldn't help but feel he had been accused of something that was never really his fault, nor ever really in his control. It annoyed him, but for the love of his wife and the sake of marital peace, he held his tongue before things got out of hand.

He wished that, someday, Kellie would open her mind about Anita and see how much her former enemy really had changed for the better. It would be healthier for Kellie to drop her grudge... not to mention that it would make his life so much easier!

He finally chalked the whole thing up as just another example of how women are just... different than men. And that, for as much as he was sure he knew Kellie, and as much as he loved her, he would probably never completely understand her.

*******

The hiccup created by the spat between Heather and Anita was resolved, or forgotten about, as the case may be.

Thankfully, it had little effect on the preparations for Olympic qualification for Kellie and her teammates. Their work was now well and truly underway.

Kellie provided a message of caution to Jennifer, Heather and Amber a number of times early in the process. She told them that the journey would be long and difficult, that there were a number of things that had to be done beyond the basics, and there would be setbacks along the way.

As it turned out, even Kellie had no idea how right she would be.

The physical, tactical and strategic work, both on and off the ice, was gruelling, but it was to be expected. All four women knew they had to commit to this plan in order to keep pace with the other elite teams in the country. They implemented strength and flexibility training programs, gearing them down during the meat of each competitive season but ramping them up in the late spring and summer months. Targeted weight training and hot yoga were adopted and embraced as key parts of their fitness plans. They paid extra attention to good nutrition and healthy eating, learning how to properly fuel their bodies for competition. They carried those lessons through to their home lives and families as well, to the occasional disappointment of some, like E.J. and Kaitlyn, for example, who sometimes wanted fries instead of broccoli with their dinner.

On the ice, Kellie arranged to supplement their practice and competition schedules with combined training sessions with a talented men's team out of the Blue Granite, who were also seeking to qualify for the Winter Olympics. The skip and third shared strategy tips with Kellie and Jennifer, and the front end demonstrated brushing techniques that Heather and Amber practiced diligently to adopt in their game. The arrangement wasn't a one-way street; Kellie and her team gave as much as they got, providing their own ideas and insights. The men were very thankful because they had great respect for the women and their achievements, and they got as much out of the teamwork as the women did.

What Kellie, Jennifer, Heather and Amber didn't expect was the significant amount of time they had to put into fundraising. Everything about being an elite athlete is expensive, and while the prize money in curling events is much greater than ever, it still isn't enough to guarantee that any team will make enough to properly train while also allowing each person to support themselves and their family.

So Kellie and her teammates networked and prepared presentations to attract sponsorship. Those efforts, thankfully, did bear fruit, as they were able to land some key local companies as sponsors, including the health club where Kellie worked as a personal trainer.

Their work, however, was only beginning. In return they had to make themselves available for corporate events, as a draw to help their sponsors attract their own current and future clients. Kellie tried to convince her contacts to allow Brad and their kids to attend the events with her, and sometimes she was successful, but there were still too many nights when she had to take time away from her family to attend these "schmooze-fests" for her liking.

These were all part of the trade-offs Kellie had to make to have a chance at achieving her sporting dreams. It was more difficult for her than the others because of her children. Jennifer, Heather and Amber knew this and, in gratitude for everything Kellie did as their skip and leader, not to mention the fact she never shoved her extra problems in their faces, they did whatever they could to help ease her burden. It wasn't always possible for them to completely replace Kellie because, as the captain and face of the team, she was the one in most demand.

Because of these competing demands on her time, Kellie had to rely on Brad to do more than his share to keep the household running, and even though they were still so young, she had to ask E.J. and Kaitlyn to understand her occasional absences, to support her in what she was doing and to support their father as he tried to keep everything together.

They were not perfect, and there were certainly stumbles along the way. However, they all tried their best, and in the end they all came through with flying colours, much to Kellie's eternal gratitude. She was certainly very busy, but she made sure not to be an absentee mother and wife. She spent as much time as she could with E.J., Kaitlyn and Brad, and she cherished all the moments they had together. While she was striving to help her and her teammates reach their curling dreams, at the same time she made sure to notice the progress her kids made in school and the continued success her husband enjoyed at work.

To Kellie, it was both amazing and unremarkable at the same time. Amazing in how much her family and her teammates sacrificed for each other, unremarkable in that it felt like the most natural thing in the world for them all to do.

*********

From the day Kellie, Jennifer, Heather and Amber made the commitment to reach for their goal of Olympic qualification, nearly three years had passed.

As Heather had said would happen on that first day, the time had flown by in the blink of an eye.

Thankfully, they made very good use of that time. All the hard work and training they were doing led to some clear and positive results.

The team raised their game to the point where they were considered once again one of the most talented and consistently successful squads in women's curling. The respect and admiration other teams, media and the fans had for them only increased further.

Heather and Amber had perfected their sweeping technique and were widely acclaimed to be one of, if not the best, at their craft. Canada's main sport television network covered most of the high-profile curling competitions, and their programmers prepared a feature on the front end during a telecast, creating an ingenious method to show viewers just how good they were. They placed a small camera on a curling rock and used it to record Heather and Amber in action during a practice session in the midst of a tournament. It was a unique view, and it was one many people enjoyed, both when it originally aired and through the wonders of social media.

Once the segment aired Heather and Amber received a lot of positive feedback for their skill and determination, and they enjoyed the rare chance to steal some of the limelight from Kellie and Jennifer. For their part the skip and third teased their front end for being "glory hogs", but it was all in good fun; in fact they were extremely proud of them and happy they were receiving deserved recognition.

Besides the obvious improvements to their game, there was another way in which their training resulted in changes for all to see.

The four women were all fit, healthy and beautiful before they started their Olympic quest, but now, with less than a year left before the Olympic trials competition, they all looked even more incredible. Strong and toned, they looked the epitome of the modern female curling athlete.

The changes certainly didn't go unnoticed. At various times they all found themselves having to fend off advances from enamoured male suitors. Thankfully, most were of the funny, creative and innocent variety, mostly young guys or jokesters sporting "MARRY ME!" signs in the audience, to the amusement of all. Some guys gave the women lustful looks, arousing jealousy in Brad and Jamie when it came to Kellie and Amber, while causing discomfort for Jennifer and Heather, given their lesbian orientation. Fortunately, none of these looks resulted in any confrontations.




Kellie and Brad Ch. 11



Meanwhile, in private, the women and their loved ones were free to tell and show each other what they thought of their appearance. Jennifer and Heather reveled in each other's athletic sexiness. Jamie showed his appreciation of Amber's body in many passionate ways. As for Brad, he couldn't help but marvel at how Kellie had transformed herself to look even better than she did before, which he would not have thought possible since he already considered her to be a perfect beauty.

He found himself admitting as much to Anita one day at work when, after discussing on-the-job issues, their conversation drifted towards the team's Olympic dreams.

"Kellie and the girls have done such an incredible job since they've started this process!" he exclaimed, beaming with obvious pride.

Anita had to agree, if the changes she saw in Amber over the last three years or so were any indication.

Amber and Anita had become friends in that time, despite the unlikely circumstances. They started meeting semi-regularly soon after Anita's awkward encounter with Heather. Anita wasn't sure what Amber was getting out of their friendship, but Anita was grateful to have someone else to talk to and share things she couldn't share with anyone else, not even her family.

In any case, if Anita thought Amber was fit before, now she was certain that Kellie's trusted and energetic lead player looked primed for serious battle on ice.

The sound of Brad's voice snapped Anita out of her brain's efforts to sidetrack her. "I have to tell you though, Anita, it's really difficult for me sometimes."

"Oh, really?" she smirked. "And just how do you figure that?"

Brad's eyes became half-lidded as he engaged in lusty reverie. "Well, with the amazing shape Kellie's in, I walk around with a constant hard-on whenever I'm around her! I mean, she doesn't have an ounce of fat on her but she's still all woman, you know? All tight and firm and curvy and delicious. And her ass! I'm telling you, you could bounce a quarter off her..."

He suddenly stopped and blushed, remembering his audience and realizing he had gone way, way too far. "Damn, Anita, I'm really sorry. That's way too much information, isn't it? I mean, I'm sure you really don't need to hear your boss talking about his wife in that much detail!"

Much to his surprise, Anita just smiled. "That's OK", she said. "I don't mind, to be honest. I hear so many guys complain about 'the old ball-and-chain', it's refreshing to hear a man still be so in love with his wife like you are with Kellie." She was about to say what else was on her mind, but she closed her mouth and stopped herself just in time.

If Brad noticed Anita's awkward pause, he didn't show it. "Thanks, that's nice of you to say, but I'll cut it out anyway so I don't embarrass myself any more than I already have."

They shared a quick laugh before another co-worker approached Brad with a question. He left to speak to the young man, leaving Anita to briefly continue watching Brad's movements. She sighed and returned to what she was doing before.

********

With all the progress and success the team was enjoying, there was only one thing they lacked.

Problem was, as far as holes in their otherwise long list of achievements, it was a really big one.

With less than a year remaining until the Olympic Trials, Team Galenchuk had not yet managed to claim qualification to that tournament.

It seemed impossible, given how well they were playing and all the wins they were stacking up in that time, but it was true.

Not like their competition felt sorry for them. After all, no one was just going to roll over and hand them a spot.

Several teams had the talent and the desire needed to qualify for the Olympic Trials. There were a few matches where Kellie and her team were in position; a win would have given them qualification. In most of them, they just happened to run into a team playing even better than they were on the day. It was no shame to lose those matches, but with what was at stake, it was frustrating nonetheless.

Even more frustrating was the onset of some plain, old-fashioned bad luck. The flu ravaged the team late in a qualifying tournament at the end of last season, one in which they were the clear favourites. Both Jennifer and Heather were so ill it was a minor miracle they finished the final match, and Amber and Kellie weren't all that much better. They were routed in that game. It was almost a relief to concede defeat so early.

They had to forget all of that recent negative history and concentrate on the present. The team had another chance to qualify, one week from today.

It was the last major tournament of the season, the Players' Championship, and the second-last opportunity for anyone to qualify. For the teams that had not already locked up a spot in the Olympic Trials, if they failed to win this bonspiel, the only remaining opportunity would be to run the gauntlet of a last-chance competition that would feature as many as ten teams trying to claim the last two spots up for grabs. The pressure would be immense, and no one wanted to subject themselves to that lottery if they could help it.

Kellie decided she needed to back off from her teammates for the week leading up to the Players'. She could feel herself pressing too hard, wanting it so much she was succumbing to the pressure, and she sensed they shared the same feeling. So she told Amber, Heather and Jennifer that they would not practice or otherwise get together as a team for the whole week. She made the suggestion to Amber that she should keep her distance from the others as well, and she implored Jennifer and Heather to do everything they could to avoid talking about curling all week. They all agreed and thought this break would be for the best.

On the Wednesday of the week before the Players', Kellie woke up in the morning with nothing on her plate. Brad was at work, E.J. and Kaitlyn were at school, and it was one of Kellie's scheduled days off from work at the health club. After breakfast and her morning cup of coffee, she decided now was a good time to seek answers and inspiration for her cause.

She made the drive to the small town she called home from her high school years until before the birth of Kaitlyn. There were some additions around the outskirts, but for the most part her old hometown had not changed. She took comfort in its familiarity. She took a moment to pass by the small house she and Brad used to live in before making her way to the community's curling club.

The parking lot was empty, and Kellie braced herself for disappointment. She was delighted, however, to find the door to the building unlocked. She went inside to the lobby and stopped in front of the trophy cabinet and "wall of fame".

She couldn't help but smile at seeing the replica trophies and pictures that commemorated her and her team's back-to-back victories at the national championships from years ago. The sight of Sandra in the pictures reminded Kellie that she really ought to call her friend soon because it had been a while since they had been in touch.

There was also a slight tinge of unwanted bitterness that Kellie quickly shook away. Sandra had found success with her new team since taking over as skip, already achieving the Olympic trials berth she still sought. She knew she should be happy for Sandra, even though it wasn't easy to accept that her friend already had what she longed for so badly.

Otherwise, noting but pleasant memories filled her mind. No surprise at that, she knew, because other than marrying Brad and the births of E.J. and Kaitlyn, those victories were the best things that ever happened to her.

Kellie closed her eyes and cleared her mind. After taking some deep breaths, she focused her thoughts in an effort to recall as much as she could from those wins. How she felt, how she prepared, what she said to her teammates... she tried to remember as many of those details as possible, so she could use and channel them for the upcoming Players' Championship, when she would need it most.

Several minutes passed, how many exactly Kellie couldn't say. She didn't hear the footsteps behind her until they were fairly close; it was enough warning to ensure she was not startled by what she heard soon after.

"Kellie? Is that you?"

Kellie opened her eyes and smiled at the familiar voice. She turned to see Russ standing just outside the hallway, with his arm around Rachel. Both were smiling as they recognized her, and she smiled in return.

"Hi Russ! Hi Rachel!" she said, hugging them both. "It's so good to see you!"

"Russ and I were just on our way to lunch," Rachel said. "Would you like to join us?"

Kellie accepted the invitation, and the three stepped outside into the cool, clear day. Russ and Rachel led the way, and Kellie walked just behind them, allowing them to discuss something among themselves while she concentrated on her own thoughts.

When they reached their destination, Kellie wasn't surprised, since there weren't a ton of options in a town this small. Still, she laughed to herself all the same when she found herself entering the same country diner where she and Brad enjoyed their first date.

There were many familiar faces in the diner, and Kellie took the time to say hello to all of them, shaking plenty of hands along the way. In the back corner Kellie was thrilled to see Brad's parents and her Aunt Linda and Uncle Vic sharing a table. She hugged and kissed them enthusiastically, giggling at their looks of surprised happiness. It was easy to persuade Russ and Rachel to join them, and a spare table was used so the party of seven could comfortably sit together.

"So, Kellie, to what do we owe the pleasure of seeing you today?" Aunt Linda asked.

Kellie sighed in reply. "I needed to find some inspiration, because, as you might be aware, my team and I have been having a little trouble closing the deal on an Olympic Trials spot lately."

"I'm sure your teammates, Brad and the kids are doing what they can to help," Uncle Vic said.

"Definitely! They've all been tremendously supportive. But they're a little too close to the situation, you know what I mean? So I was hoping to get a bit of distance and perspective, and maybe channel the positive vibes from our winning past and use them to help us next week."

Russ nodded in sympathy. "I don't mean to be critical, but it's been difficult not to notice your struggles," he said. "I clearly saw it when I watched you on TV recently. You poor girls must be under so much pressure! It looked like you were going to squeeze your broom handles into dust."

"That about sums it up," Kellie agreed.

Rachel spoke up. "For what it's worth, Kellie, we all believe in you." She waited for everyone to voice their agreement before adding, "You're due for a big win, and I'm sure next week you'll get it."

"Thanks, Rachel, it does mean a lot."

"Everyone else in town believes in you, too," Russ said. "You and your teammates have been a frequent topic of discussion around here, you know."

"How so?"

"They're excited. We may be a modest little town with a modest little curling club, but we already have one product skipping a team in the Olympic trials in Sandra, and you still have a great chance to make it two. You've run into some amazingly good performances and some unbelievably bad luck at the worst possible times. It doesn't matter to us; we're all confident in you and the girls. I've not heard anyone say anything negative about you. We all believe you will find a way to get it done."

Kellie was touched by everyone's encouraging words. And, right on cue, many of the townsfolk who had finished their lunch came over and offered well wishes and good luck to Kellie and her team.

The party of seven ate a hearty lunch and made enjoyable small talk. When it was time to go, Kellie hugged everyone tightly.

"Thank you so much for your help!" she exclaimed.

"I hope we didn't add to the pressure by what we said earlier," Brad's father said.

"No," Kellie answered, "don't any of you worry about that. This was just what I needed!"

Kellie bid everyone goodbye. She drove back home, but in truth her spirits were lifted so high she felt she could have floated all the way.

********

They noticed that their skip's mood had changed for the better.

And like they had done so many times in the past, Jennifer, Heather and Amber took their cue from Kellie. They listened to their skip tell them she believed in them, and that she knew in her heart this would be their time to shine. And they believed her.

It was a calm, cool and collected team that travelled to a resort town in British Columbia, the site of this year's Players' Championship. Anyone who saw them at the airport or on the plane, even if they didn't know who they were or what they did, could see that they were a confident bunch.

They weren't the only ones who saw Kellie's quiet confidence. Brad noticed it at home that night, after she returned from her impromptu visit to their old hometown. After she filled him in on the details, she had a request for Brad.

"This is the week for us, Brad. I can feel it. I also know our finances are OK, so we can afford the expense. So will you bring the kids and fly out to B.C. to watch us win?"

"Of course, babe," Brad replied. "For you, anything! And I think the kids will enjoy the trip!"

Everything went as Kellie expected. She and her team ran through the field at the Players' like a team possessed. On the evening of Thursday of that week, Kellie called Brad to tell him it was OK to break the news to the kids. Over dinner that night, Brad did just that, letting them know that on Saturday they were going to board a plane for the first time in their lives, to see what they hoped would be a great victory for their mother and her teammates.

"Cool!" the nine-year old, fourth-grade boy exclaimed. "I can't wait to tell my friends!" E.J. saw this as a big adventure. He knew about his mother's athletic exploits. He watched curling with his dad whenever he had it on TV, which was often, and he also watched with his mom when she wasn't competing. He also tried the sport a few times when his parents introduced it to him and Kaity. He was more than pleased to let his teacher and classmates know his family's involvement in curling when it was introduced as part of physical education class at school. He decided playing the sport competitively wasn't really for him, it was too slow-moving for his tastes, but he did enjoy watching it, and he was very proud of his mom for competing in a popular sport at such a high level.

"Wow!" said the seven-year old, second grade girl. "That's great! Watching Mom will be fun!" Kaitlyn had shown more of an interest in curling than her brother. She had yet to throw any rocks during the times her parents introduced the sport to her and E.J., but she did have fun trying her hand at sweeping, and she enjoyed watching her parents and E.J. play. She also talked about the game with her parents frequently, and she learned the language of the game rather quickly for such a young girl. She knew her mom often travelled during the winter because of curling. She missed her when she was gone, but she also knew her mom loved what she did and that it was very important to her. Kaitlyn looked forward to the opportunity to see her mom compete up close.

Kaitlyn was a little nervous about boarding a plane and flying in the air, but Brad reassured her it was very safe. E.J. was excited, and he spent much of the time at the airport looking out the window and marvelling at the size of the planes taxiing down the runway. Brad knew he had his hands full, trying to comfort one child and calm the other down, but he wouldn't have it any other way.

E.J. found the flight fascinating, and it was also problem-free, to Kaity's relief. Upon landing Brad rented a car and took them to the hotel where Kellie, Jennifer, Heather and Amber were staying. They all met together in the lobby, as well as Jamie, who had travelled separately to see Amber.

"What's the schedule?" Brad asked.

"We're already in the finals," Kellie said. "The semi-final is today, so we'll find out our opponent there. We play tomorrow afternoon."

Kellie spent the day with her family, enjoying the sights of the town and the rare opportunity to be with Brad, E.J. and Kaity during a tournament. She thanked them sincerely for embarking on the whirlwind trip. They told her they were only too happy to do so and were looking forward to seeing her and the team go for the win.

Meanwhile Kellie had charged Jennifer, Heather and Amber (and Jamie) with scouting duty. After dinner she met with her teammates to find out who they were playing and whether that team had done anything differently in their game they needed to prepare for.

All in all they were secure in their status without being cocky. The other team was very good, yet if they played their best they liked their chances of winning.

After breakfast Kellie went to the arena to prepare, giving a kiss to Brad, E.J. and Kaity before she left. Brad and the kids waited for a while before making their own way to the arena. They climbed the flights of stairs to get to their assigned seats. Jamie showed up soon after and shook Brad's hand. He asked the kids if they were looking forward to watching their mom and the others play, and they both excitedly said yes.

Kaity watched wide-eyed as the arena filled with spectators. She had never been in a building so large and capable of holding so many people. Her interest in the scene surrounding her was piqued. She asked her father many questions. Brad patiently answered them all and enjoyed her growing sense of excitement. Kaity was amazed at how many people were in attendance, and all the television cameras that would show the game to many, many more people in their homes.

"How does Mommy do it, Daddy?" she asked. "How can she curl with so many people here?"

"She's done this a long time, Kaity," Brad replied. "She's used to it."

Kaity recalled being nervous standing up in front of her class to read a short poem. She marveled at the fact her mom could play a difficult sport in front of so many people. In her young life she was never more proud of her mom until that moment.

The teams were announced to the crowd to loud cheers. Brad, Jamie, E.J. and Kaitlyn cheered especially loud when Kellie, Amber, Jennifer and Heather's names were called by the P.A. announcer. The national anthem followed, and E.J. and Kaity sang O Canada loud and proud, if slightly off-key.

As the game progressed, Kaity became more and more engrossed by the action. She peppered her dad with even more questions, almost but not quite leading Brad to the point of exasperation. She cheered loudly for each good shot her mom's team made, especially for those her mom made herself.

Fortunately, Kaity had a lot to cheer. Kellie and her team were in control the whole match, even though the score was relatively close. As the tenth and final end started, they had a two-point lead over their opponent, a solid if unspectacular team based out of Ontario.

Kaity felt the tension in the crowd as the game came down to the end. She became quiet and nervous. Brad, Jamie and E.J. were also nervous but they managed to hide it better, and they shared a quiet smile at Kaity's obvious agitated state.

Kellie called a smart end, and Amber, Heather and Jennifer played good defensive shots with their rocks. But the Ontario team also played well and piled on the pressure. They had one point in the rings, and a miss would send the game to an extra end, where anything could happen to Kellie and her team, even another unthinkable defeat.

But Kellie had a shot to eliminate that rock, and she was determined to take it.

As she was going through her pre-shot routine, poor Kaity was on edge, almost shaking with nerves. She wanted her mom to win so bad it was getting to her. She looked to her dad and slowly held out her arm. Brad took Kaity's hand in his and gave it a gentle squeeze.




Kellie and Brad Ch. 11



"Your mom's going to make this shot, Kaity," he said, trying to sound as reassuring as possible. "Just you watch."

Even so, Kaity held her breath as Kellie released the rock.

Her mother's form was perfect.

The rock ran true to its path. Amber and Heather swept in front of it to ensure no debris would interfere with it. It easily chipped out the other team's rock, guaranteeing victory. Kellie, Jennifer, Heather and Amber gathered into a celebratory hug, knowing that at long last they had claimed that elusive Olympic trials berth.

Kaity was so excited she yelled at the top of her lungs. She hugged Jamie and E.J., but she leapt into Brad's arms, saving her biggest hug for her dad.

"See, honey?" he happily asked her. "What did I tell you?"

"You were right, Daddy!" she replied cheerfully.

Once the victory ceremony was finished and their media interviews were completed, Kellie and her teammates found Jamie, Brad and the kids waiting for them in the concourse. Joyously tearful kisses and embraces were shared by all. Kaity hugged Jennifer, Heather and Amber tightly, and then, just like before, she shared her biggest hug with her parent, this time her mother.

"You were great, Mommy!" she cried. "I'm so happy!"

"Thanks, Kaity!" Kellie said, finding it hard to contain her emotions.

"Know what else, Mommy?!"

"What's that, honey?"

"I'm going to be just like you when I grow up!"

Kellie smiled and hugged Kaity again. She didn't put too much stock into what her daughter said at the time, instead figuring she was just caught up in the excitement of the moment.

But Kaitlyn had no such doubts. The thought actually startled her a little, considering she never had a thought that was so sure and clear in her young life until this moment.

No matter, though.

In her mind, Kaity was going to grow up to be a champion curler, just like her mother. And she knew in her heart that nothing anyone said or did would ever change her mind.

********

"I think we need to celebrate!"

That's what Jennifer said to Kellie, Heather and Amber, after they finished their review of their winning performance at the Players' Championship on the following Tuesday afternoon.

"That's a great idea!" Kellie said. "I talked to Brad about doing something soon, but we've just been so tired after scrambling back here and getting the kids back to school and all that. We should go out to dinner, or maybe you can all come to my place and I'll make something nice..."

Jennifer smiled crookedly and shared a strange look with Heather and Amber that stopped Kellie in her tracks. "What?" the team leader asked.

"Skip," she said, "I don't mean just celebrate, I mean..." and at this point she grinned and raised her eyebrows suggestively, "celebrate!"

"Oh!" Kellie exclaimed. "You mean, 'I-need-to-get-rid-of-the-kids-for-the-night-because-this-is-for-adults-only' celebrate?"

"Exactly!" Heather replied, and the others laughed brightly along with her.

"Why do I get the feeling you've already talked about this?" a teasingly suspicious Kellie asked.

"Well... maybe we did happen to remember what we did to help you get Brad revved up a few years ago!" Jennifer admitted.

"And maybe we did discuss another idea to get Brad and Jamie going this time!" Amber added.

"What is it?! Come on girls, don't hold back, spill it!"

Jennifer, Heather and Amber gave Kellie all the details of their juicy plan. When they finished, Kellie sat back, open-mouthed in surprise.

"I can't believe you girls!" she shouted. "Your plan... it's so naughty, so wanton! Evil, even!"

"So... you don't like it?" Jennifer asked nervously.

"Are you kidding?!" Kellie giggled. "I love it!"

The four women all laughed uproariously.

"Just one thing, Jen and Heather," Kellie asked. "Are you sure you two are up for this?"

"Oh yes!" Jennifer replied. "In fact, it was Heather's idea!"

"Heather! I had no idea you had it in you!"

Heather shrugged. "What can I say? I've always wanted to try!"

"What about you two?" Jen asked Kellie and Amber. "Will you be up for your part?"

Kellie nodded. "Yes, I'll do it!"

"Yeah, it'll be fun to try!" Amber chirped.

They finished planning everything, right down to the tiniest detail. When they were done, Kellie had little to do other than tell Brad to keep Friday night open and figure out what to do with the kids.

As it ended up, E.J. and Kaitlyn took care of the second problem for her.

"Mom?" E.J. asked later that same evening, "Can I stay over at Bryan's house Friday night?"

"And can I have a sleepover at Chelsea's on Friday night too?" Kaity asked right after.

Kellie went into 'concerned mother' mode immediately to help hide her happiness at how this part of the plan was coming together so easily. She called Bryan and Chelsea's parents and confirmed with each of them that it was OK for her kids to stay over with their friends. They each said it was no problem for them to visit and stay until Saturday afternoon. Kellie made E.J. and Kaity promise that any and all chores and homework would have to be done on Sunday before giving them permission, to which they both readily agreed.

At night, when they were in bed, Brad shared with Kellie what he thought was a great idea.

"Honey? You know what I think?"

"What's that?"

"I think we should celebrate your big win!" he suggested.

Kellie smiled. 'Way ahead of you!" she thought to herself.

Out loud, she told Brad, "Funny you should mention that. I was thinking the same thing myself."

"That's great... any ideas in particular?" he asked cheekily as he stroked her shoulder.

Kellie grinned. "It's all planned out. All you have to do is be ready Friday night."

Brad tried to hide his disappointment, as he was hoping for a more immediate, sexy payoff. "Friday night?" he repeated.

"That's right," she said. "And, by the way, the kids have already planned sleepovers at their friends which I've allowed, so no need to worry there."

"OK. So... what do you have planned, then?"

"Not telling!"

"Nothing? Not even a hint?"

"Nope, nothing! Not until Friday night!"

"I can't wait that long!"

"Well too bad, you're just going to have to!"

Brad narrowed his eyes. That mischievous smirk on Kellie's face made him crazy.

"You're up to something, aren't you?" he demanded to know.

"That's for me to know and you to find out!" she taunted him. "Until Friday, Brad, my dear, my lips are sealed!"

Kellie kissed Brad on the cheek and went to sleep, leaving him frustrated and pondering just what, exactly, was going on in that pretty little head of hers.

********

The waiting and teasing were driving him nuts.

True to her word, Kellie gave nothing away regarding Friday night. Brad tried everything he could think of to get her to spill the beans, without success.

All he knew was she seemed to be spending a lot of time the past couple of days getting ready and making preparations for... well, whatever it was she had planned. It filled him with hope that it would be something memorable, as well as give him plenty of opportunity for him to show her how much love and pride he had for her and her accomplishments.

Still... a hint would have been nice.

Finally, Friday evening came. Brad rushed home in excitement.

He found nothing but an empty house.

He knew the kids had gone straight from school for their sleepovers with their friends; they left voice mails as they had been instructed to.

But where was Kellie?

Brad groaned and stomped his way to their bedroom. On the bed, he found some nice clothes laid out for him and a note, written in Kellie's polished script.

The note read, "Wear this tonight. Reservations made under your name for table for two, for 8:00pm at Rockland's in the Hilton. Please don't be late!"

Brad smiled and pumped his fist. Rockland's was a fancy steakhouse he had wanted to try for a long time. Already this was shaping up to be a great night!

He had more than enough time, so he slowly prepared himself. He shaved and took a long hot shower. He got dressed in the clothes laid out for him. He wasn't at all surprised to find the shirt Kellie picked out fit tightly on his frame and properly showcased his strong upper body. A quick comb of the hair and a small splash of his favourite cologne were the finishing touches.

He wound his way through the downtown traffic and parked at the hotel with time to spare. He walked into the restaurant with a spring in his step, whistling a happy tune. When he gave his name at the front the maître d' smiled and said, "Very good, sir." He led him to a table for two, right in the middle of the prime dining area.

Brad read the menu while he waited. When the maître d' approached the table again he smiled.

Only for the smile to turn into a frown when he saw Jamie in tow.

"Jamie?" he asked. "No offense... but what the hell are you doing here?"

"No offense taken," an equally perplexed Jamie answered as he sat down, "but I was about to ask you the same thing."

"Kellie left me a note saying I should meet her here. That there was a table for two reserved for us in my name."

"Really? Well, that's strange."

"What do you mean?"

"Amber left me a note telling me to come here and ask for the reservation under your name. I just assumed you and the girls would all be sitting here waiting for me."

Brad shook his head, trying to make sense of Kellie and Amber's mixed messages. The night had definitely taken a very weird turn.

"So where do you suppose the girls are?" he asked.

"No idea," Jamie replied. "I was hoping you'd know."

The maître d' suddenly reappeared and cleared his throat. "My apologies, gentlemen," he said, "but I couldn't help overhearing you discuss your, shall we say, situation. Perhaps this will help."

He produced an envelope and presented it to the two men. Brad eyed it suspiciously, but he took it, opened it, removed a folded piece of paper and read its contents.

"Huh," he finally said out loud. "Intriguing."

"What?" Jamie asked. "What does it say?"

Brad passed the note to Jamie, who read it aloud. "Enjoy your dinner, guys, it's already paid for. Meet us in room 906 when you are done, but don't keep us waiting too long!" He looked up at Brad, who showed him the keycard for the room in question.

Jamie finished reading the note. "And don't forget to eat ALL of your appetizers!" He looked at Brad and wondered out loud, "Appetizers?"

Just as Brad was about to say something, a waitress approached the table and placed a plate in front of each of the two men.

Brad chuckled. "Oysters," he said. "This could be a very interesting night."

Jamie still looked confused for a moment, but then he nodded and started to understand. "Oysters are an aphrodisiac, aren't they?

"Oh yeah!"

Brad and Jamie shared a laugh and proceeded to consume all the oysters on their plates. They relaxed and enjoyed the rest of their dinner, each having a wonderfully prepared steak dish and a single glass of red wine, enough to keep them satisfied yet not overfilled.

When they were finished they left the wait staff a generous tip. They quickly left the restaurant by the hotel lobby exit. Finding the elevators, they rode up to the ninth floor and entered room 906.

No one else was in the room.

Jamie groaned. "Now what?" he asked.

"I guess we wait," Brad sighed.

So they sat in the chairs in the well-appointed living space and waited. And waited. And waited some more.

"Man, I hope they show up soon," an impatient Jamie spoke. "The suspense is killing me!"

"Tell me about it!" Brad agreed. "They're acting so mysteriously!"

"They definitely have something up their sleeves!"

"No doubt!"

"I just hope it's all worthwhile."

"Me too."

Just then, the door opened.

Before Jamie and Brad knew what hit them, Kellie, Amber, Jennifer and Heather slowly strutted into the room. They stood impassively before the two men, who by now were incapable of anything resembling intelligent speech.

The four women looked like they were pulled directly from the casting call for leading ladies in a James Bond movie. They wore perfectly matching outfits. Thin, tight, cream-coloured pullover shirts were perfectly molded to the shapes of their torsos. The guys could clearly see the women had not bothered to wear bras, noting with sheer delight the swells of their well-rounded breasts and how their pointy, aroused nipples were threatening to burst through the fabric. Very short black mini-skirts and very tall black stiletto heels, with nothing but white, smooth expanses of thigh and calf in between, showcased the ladies' athletic, shapely legs and taut, curvy asses for their very appreciative captive audience. Finely styled hair cascaded in waves down to their shoulders, framing beautiful faces highlighted by shiny lips coloured with fiery red lipstick.

As much as Jamie loved Amber, and as much as Brad loved Kellie, the two men found it impossible not to look at the other women as well. Quite simply, all four looked absolutely stunning.

Kellie, Amber, Jennifer and Heather didn't say a word for some time. They were having a difficult time keeping a straight face, and any attempt to speak would have given their game away too early. They didn't want that to happen because they were having way too much fun posing and watching the hungry stares and trance-like reactions of Brad and Jamie.

Finally, with a nod, Kellie got the others' attention.

"Girls," she said, "we've accomplished a great thing by making the Olympic Trials. Now, our work is not over. Far from it, in fact. But I do think we've earned the right to celebrate our achievement, and who better for each of us to do it with than the love of our life?"

With a wicked grin, Heather said to her partner, "Mmmm. I couldn't agree more. Jen? What do you think?"

"I think we should start by rewarding the guys for their support," Jennifer seductively replied. "You know... give a little show for them to appreciate!" She turned to Kellie and Amber and added, "If you two don't mind, that is?"

Kellie and Amber looked at each other, smiled and quietly stepped to the side. "Be my guest," Kellie said, and Amber nodded in agreement.

This left Jennifer and Heather with the floor. Jennifer gave a nod and a wink to Brad and Jamie and said, "Do you think you two can sit still, enjoy the show and behave yourselves, like good boys?"

Brad and Jamie looked at each other in confusion and shrugged.

Jennifer and Heather giggled at Brad and Jamie's reaction. They looked into each other's eyes, smiled and held each other before engaging in a kiss that started soft and tender. The kiss slowly but surely progressed from there to become hot, lustful and passionate.

The guys' jaws immediately dropped when they realized this incredibly sexy and completely unexpected Sapphic embrace was really happening, and not just a figment of their overheated imaginations. In the display that followed, both Brad and Jamie occasionally peeked at their wives, difficult though it was to take their eyes off what Jennifer and Heather were doing. But they couldn't help feeling like little kids with their hand in the cookie jar, fearful that at any second they would be caught red-handed and scolded for staring so blatantly at what they should not desire to see.

Kellie and Amber, though, didn't say a word or bat an eye. Not even once.

Jennifer felt flush with sexual desire. She and Heather had never been this hot and heavy in front of an audience before. Perhaps it had something to do with who was in this audience, because she found the experience to be a real thrill as opposed to the nervousness she thought she would feel.

The fact that this display was Heather's idea... her continued and intensifying attraction to Heather's innate sexiness... the blissful sound of Heather's whimpers of pleasure that were swallowed up in their kiss... these factors combined sent Jennifer's libido to a state of extreme readiness.

She unbuttoned Heather's tight skirt to make it easier to reach the prize inside. She wriggled her hand inside her lover's panties, where she found her pussy to be already dripping wet. Jennifer stroked her with her nimble fingers, making Heather shudder and moan.

"You like this, don't you, Heather?" she demanded to know, in a voice just loud enough for the guys to hear.

"Yes, Jen, I love it!" Heather groaned in reply.

"You love being a naughty tease, don't you? You love me rubbing your hot little pussy while you tease these naughty boys! Don't you?"

"Yes!"

"Hmmmm, well that won't be the only fantasy of yours I make come true tonight, my shameless little girl!" Jennifer purred.

"W-what? What do you mean?" Heather asked. She was nervous but also very, very excited.

Jennifer whispered something in Heather's ear. Brad and Jamie would have given anything in the world at that moment, if only they could have heard what she said.

At the same time as Jennifer breathed to Heather those words promising pure sin and depraved pleasure, her fingers rapidly frigged Heather's engorged clit.

"Oh god! Oh GOD! OOOOHHHHHH!!" It was all too much for Heather. Her orgasm was ferocious and earth-shattering, and she had to hold on to Jennifer tightly to avoid collapsing into a puddle on the floor. Her head was swimming with lust and disbelief, wondering how it was possible that, as amazing as this climax was, the best was yet to come.

When she came to, Heather heard Jennifer say with a wicked grin, "Look at what you've done."

Heather looked at Brad and Jamie and smirked. She tilted her head and asked, in a provocative tone, "Did you like that, boys?"

The guys were still wide-eyed, and wide-mouthed, with shock. They also had large bulges in their pants that Jen and Heather knew Kellie and Amber would properly enjoy and appreciate.

Jennifer buttoned up Heather's skirt and took her hand. The two approached Kellie and Amber, and Jennifer said, "That was fun, girls, but I think our time here is done."

"Yeah," Heather added, "we really should be going now."

Brad and Jamie watched Jennifer give her sister a goodbye hug and peck on the cheek, while Heather did the same with Kellie.

Then, as if the night's festivities weren't surreal enough, they watched Jennifer kiss Kellie goodnight, and Heather kiss Amber goodnight. These weren't pecks on the cheek, though, or even innocent kisses on the lips.

They were seriously making out with each other. There was even some hot and heavy tongue action thrown in for good measure.

The two pairs of women, Jennifer with Kellie, and Heather with Amber, sensually kissed for a good minute, maybe more. When they were done, Kellie and Amber did not register distaste, or even surprise. Instead they wore odd looks of quiet contentment.

Heather and Jennifer licked their lips and slowly sauntered over to the guys. "Good night, boys," they whispered in unison. They both planted lingering kisses on Brad's and Jamie's cheeks before slinking sexily out of the room, both women already imagining the myriad ways they would please each other the whole night through.

Both men stared intently at the door well after it softly clicked shut, both of them barely believing what had just transpired, and both of them hornier than they could ever remember feeling.

"Wow," Brad whispered in awe.

"Yeah," Jamie said, equally awestruck.

Kellie and Amber looked at their men, and then back to each other. They smiled, shook their heads and rolled their eyes.

"Men!" Kellie said, faking annoyance.

"Yeah, men!" Amber echoed. "SO predictable!"

They took slow, alluring steps towards the two reeling men. Kellie planted a soft, sweet kiss of her own on Jamie's cheek, while Amber did the same for Brad. Then Kellie stood back to the side again.




Kellie and Brad



Kellie smiled but said nothing. Brad noticed sadness in her eyes.

"You`re not used to this, are you?"

"Not used to what?"

"Positive reinforcement."

Kellie sighed. "Not so much, I guess. My coaches and teammates try but what they say doesn`t seem to stick. And I never got a lot of it growing up, as I`ve told you before. I`m not sure that I`ve earned your confidence in me."

"Well, trust me, Kellie, you do deserve to have people believe in you. And you will need to get used to it, because I`ll always support you, whether you want me to or not."

"Thanks Brad, that`s very sweet of you."

They kissed and lay back in the cool grass, holding hands, watching the sunset. After the sun went down they decided to leave, and as they were getting up, Brad said, "If I`m not being too forward, I`d love for you to come back to my place for some coffee."

Kellie felt butterflies in the pit of her stomach. She wasn`t sure about this. But Brad was always so nice to her, especially tonight, and coffee sounded harmless. She finally said, "OK. Coffee. I`d like that."

Brad smiled and took Kellie`s hand. They walked back to his house. Kellie noticed it was modest but very well-maintained from the outside, and while there was some evidence of a bachelor lifestyle inside it was still tidy. She sat down in the living room as Brad went to work brewing some coffee. Again she was nearly overcome with anxiety. She wanted to make Brad happy but genuinely didn`t know how.

Brad inhaled the warm aroma of the coffee. He was thrilled Kellie decided to come to his house, but he knew he still had to walk a fine line balancing his desires and the precarious nature of her state of mind. He thought he could help, though. Just being with Kellie for these six months had done wonders for his own confidence, and in his mind he believed he could do the same for her. He came up with a plan as the coffee brewed. It was a little hokey, he thought, but it just might work.

He walked to the living room and gave Kellie her mug. They sat on the couch together, quietly drinking their coffee. Kellie watched Brad as he fished into his pocket and pulled out a shiny new penny. He took the penny and placed it in her hand, folding her fingers over it.

"Brad? What`s this?" she asked.

"For your thoughts."

"I`m sorry?"

"You know. A penny. For your thoughts."

Kellie couldn`t help but laugh a little. It was so corny, but also so... Brad. But she quickly turned serious, realizing this was probably his gentle way to ask her to open up to him, to have the "where is this relationship going" talk. She took a deep breath in a futile effort to quell the butterflies. When she finally did speak, her voice was thin and shaky.

"Brad, you`ve been so wonderful to me. You make me smile and laugh, and you make me feel special. No one`s ever been so nice to me, and I`ve never felt this way with anyone else before."

"Thank you, Kellie. It makes me very happy to hear you say that."

"I... I just have one question."

"Shoot."

"Why?"

Brad was confused. "I`m... not sure what you mean by that."

"Why me? Why take all your time and energy on me? I don`t know what I`ve done to deserve this."

Brad didn`t react at first. Then a small smile crept on to one corner of his face, spreading until eventually he was positively beaming.

"What`s with the smile?" Kellie asked.

"You really don`t know, do you?"

Kellie was becoming a little annoyed by his reaction. "Bradley Galenchuk," she said, using his full name, "stop with the teasing and explain yourself!"

It felt like the moment of truth for Brad, and he decided to jump in head-first. He leaned forward and kissed Kellie, as he had done many times before, except this time he let one of his hands wander down to her rear end and gave it a little squeeze. She flinched in surprise, while he just looked in her eyes and said "You don`t know just how beautiful a person you are, and you don`t know just how much of an effect you have on me with how sexy you are!"

Kellie just bowed her head and said nothing.

"Kellie... what`s wrong?"

"Do you really mean what you just said? I just find it difficult to believe you could really feel that way about me, or that I am in any way worthy of your affection."

"Yes, you are. I can. And I do."

Kellie fell silent again, paralyzed by her inability to accept Brad`s apparent love for her.

Brad closed his eyes and took a deep breath. This was proving to be more difficult than he thought. He understood on some level that Kellie had low self-esteem but he underestimated just how bad it was. He was not about to give up, however; if anything it made him more determined. He also realized he couldn`t show any of the frustration he was feeling, otherwise he knew he`d lose her forever. He smiled, stood up and extended his hand to Kellie.

"I want to show you something, Kellie. Please," he said.

Kellie sighed. "What is it?"

"Do you trust me?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"Do you trust me?"

"I... I... yes."

"Good. Then come with me."

Kellie stood up, wanting to fully trust Brad but still wary of what his endgame was. She held his hand and he led her to a hallway, stopping just outside his bedroom door in front of a full-length mirror, where he stood behind her, holding her gently around her waist.

"Now," Brad said, trying to keep his voice soft and kind, "take a good look in the mirror. Tell me, what do you see?"

"You and I standing in front of a mirror. Brad, what are you..."

"No Kellie, I mean look closely. REALLY look. Humour me. Please."

Kellie sighed and said, "OK, I`ll play along."

Brad gave her shoulders an affectionate squeeze. "Thank you, I promise it will be worth it. Now, what do you see when you look at yourself in the mirror?"

"Could I start by describing what I see when I look at you?" Kellie asked.

Brad briefly considered this and then smiled and nodded his head yes.

"OK. I see a strong, handsome man. I see a perfect gentleman, someone I`ve never heard say a bad word towards anyone. I see a man with a big laugh and a goofy sense of humour. And I see a man who is completely crazy for wanting to spend so much time with me."

Brad started to plant little kisses on Kellie`s neck, earlobes and shoulder blades. A soft gasp escaped Kellie`s mouth. When Brad spoke, his voice was deep, guttural and more than a little hungry.

"I assure you, my dear Kellie, I am 100% sane. But in a way, I guess I am crazy... crazy in love. Want to know why? Because of the woman I see in the mirror. I see a woman who is athletic and dedicated. I see an intelligent woman, smart enough to succeed at a mentally demanding sport and lead a team to greatness along the way. I see a woman who has overcome many challenges in her life to become a successful and genuinely good person. I see a woman who, as great as she is, could be even greater if she would just believe in herself and allow others to believe in her too. I see a woman who has both tremendous inner and tremendous outer beauty."

Kellie`s eyes turned hazy and dreamy. Brad`s voice put her into an almost-trance, and his words touched her heart in ways no one had ever done. A single tear rolled down her cheek, which he softly wiped away with his hand.

"One more thing," Brad said.

Kellie cocked her eyebrow, silently asking him to go on. He turned her almost all the way to face him and then adjusted her head so she could look at her backside`s reflection.

"I see a woman who has the finest, firmest ass a man could ever dream of!" Brad growled.

Kellie`s eyes grew wide, and to her surprise she felt a naughty little smile form on her lips. "Bradley Galenchuk, are you getting fresh with me?"

"Maybe," he playfully teased.

Kellie stayed in the position she was in, her eyes darting back and forth between the reflection of her rear end in the mirror and Brad, whose eyes she could see locked on to her butt. "You really think I have a nice ass?" she asked.

"Not just nice, Kellie. Amazing," was his reply.

She stared back at her reflection, studying it, as if she were truly seeing it for the first time. She wore jeans that, she had to admit, did cling to her hips and butt quite nicely. She bent over a few inches and wiggled her rear end ever so slightly, a sight that caused Brad`s mouth to open and his manhood to surge forward.

"Not bad," Kellie purred.

Brad gave a silent prayer of thanks. Those two words alone represented a major victory in helping Kellie overcome her poor self-esteem. Surely it was the start of greater things to come.

Kellie felt flush in her cheeks, but that warmth held nothing on the inferno she felt down below in her sex. She turned around, guided Brad`s hands onto her ass, and then very firmly grabbed his butt cheeks. She kissed him with more hunger and fire than she ever had before. Their tongues parted each other`s lips and danced together. After coming up for air Kellie panted, "Brad, I want to please you. I want you to please me. Show me how."

Brad was filled with desire, his erection desperate to be freed from his pants. "Just follow my lead, baby, and tell me what feels good to you. I promise I won`t do anything you don`t want to do, but please let me make sweet love to you."

In a very bold move for her, she let her hands travel to his crotch and rubbed it, feeling his impressive hardness. "Yes, baby, that`s what I want, show me what a real man can do!"

Brad led Kellie the short distance to his bedroom, kissing her the whole way. He carefully undressed her, and she was happy to let him do it. Kellie was still very nervous but she understood deep down this was something she both needed and wanted very badly, and she reasoned if Brad was as tender and loving with sex as he was with every other part of their relationship then things would be fine. She was now naked before him, and did not attempt to cover up. He took a minute to admire her beauty. "God, you`re stunning!" he exclaimed, and then started to undress himself.

"Not so fast. Allow me," Kellie said. She removed Brad`s shirt and ran her hands down his muscular chest and defined abs, stopping only when they reached his belt buckle. She undid the belt and pulled off his pants and boxers in one movement. She chewed on her lower lip as she gazed on his long and thick erection, wanting to discover how he would use his tool to pleasure her body.

Brad guided Kellie to stand up again. He stepped in close and inhaled deeply, enthralled by the scent of her feminine arousal. He kissed her from her earlobe down to the tops of her breasts. He took both of them in his hands, two perfect handfuls that fit just right. He flicked the left nipple while he kissed and nibbled at the right. Kellie moaned "Yes!" as she felt currents of electricity surge to her erogenous zones as a result of Brad`s touch.

After a few minutes of loving attention on her breasts Brad trailed his tongue all the way down Kellie`s flat stomach. He turned her around and bent her over at the waist so she faced the foot of his bed, giving him his first full view of both her naked vagina and ass. "Oh god, so beautiful," he said, and his soft breath raised goose bumps on her soft milky-white flesh. He massaged her cheeks and planted little butterfly kisses on her inner thighs, moving closer and closer to her exposed sex. It was a sweet torture for her; she loved the softness and care he was giving but she was eager for more.

He reached her treasure spot. The room was heady with her musky aroma. He licked up and down her opening and probed her lips and folds. This caused her to buck a little and exclaim, "Oh my god!" He rubbed her mound and licked her, then penetrated her with his tongue.

Given her relative sexual inexperience, there was no way for her to properly describe it, but she felt something powerful build deep within her. Her breaths became shallow and ragged. The pleasure was almost too enormous to comprehend. Then he found her clitoris, peeking out of her like a love bud. His flicking and bathing it with his tongue sent her crashing over the edge.

"Yes Brad, YES YES YES!!!" Kellie screamed in ecstasy as she climaxed. Wave after wave of her juices drenched his face and the sheets at the edge of the bed. Her knees shook and buckled, and she collapsed on the bed. It was her first real orgasm given to her by someone else, and she was a little shocked by its intensity.

Brad delicately traced his hands along her legs and buttocks as she recovered from her contact high. He went to the head of the bed and looked into her eyes. "So, I take it you enjoyed that?" he asked.

Kellie didn`t say anything but looked up at Brad and smiled. Then in a flash she leapt off the bed and jumped into Brad`s arms, knocking him flat on his back and straddling him. They kissed passionately.

"That was so amazing. No one`s ever made me feel that way," she said between kisses.

"There`s more we can do, if you`re up for it."

Kellie reached down and took hold of Brad`s stiff member, giving it several sensual strokes. "You`re so big and so hard."

"Oh god Kellie, that feels amazing!" Brad sighed in pleasure. His urge to cum was strong but he concentrated on holding back, desperately wanting to please her more.

After a few more strokes Kellie asked in a sweet, sexy voice, "Please put this inside me?"

"I`d love nothing more."

He rolled over on top of her. He lined his hard penis up to her slit, still glistening with wetness. He entered her slowly, giving her some time to adjust to his girth.

"Oh god, it`s so big! I feel so full!" she yelled.

"Are you OK? Should I stop?" He was suddenly concerned.

"NO! Please don`t stop. Do me hard. Please."

Brad smoothly plunged his rod in and out of her, slowly at first but soon picking up speed. Before long she was matching his thrusts with those of her own. Their bodies were covered in a light sheen of sweat. Her legs clenched around him in a vise-like grip, and he couldn`t help but think that, yes, they were as strong as he imagined they would be.

"Oh god Kellie, you feel so wonderfully tight! You`re going to make me come soon!" Brad exclaimed.

"Yes Brad! I`m going to come too! Make me your lover!" Kellie replied. She soon let out other screams of joy as her climax took over. He came soon after, grunting ecstatically as his ejaculation erupted inside of her.

They lay down on their sides, each holding and caressing each other, looking at each other in a contented silence, happy to do no more than bask in the afterglow.

Brad was the first to break the silence. "Thank you. For everything."

Kellie shook her head. "No, it is me who should be thanking you."

"I love you, Kellie Ferguson."

"And I love you, Bradley Galenchuk."

They drifted off into a blissful sleep.

****

FIVE MONTHS LATER

A lot can change in just one year.

If there was one coherent thought she had in the pandemonium surrounding her, that was it.

Brad gave Kellie new life. Of that, she was certain. It was not an overnight process; there were still some struggles and times when she doubted herself.

But overall Brad had a hugely positive impact on her life. He gave her plenty of encouragement and praise. He gave her support and a shoulder to cry on when she was experiencing difficulties. And yes, he was great in bed; they had many more nights of wonderful sex since first consummating their relationship. Most of all, he loved her completely and unreservedly.

The resulting change in her demeanour was clear for all to see. The townspeople noticed. More importantly, her coaches and teammates noticed. She was more consistent on the ice. She had a better command of the team and improved her ability to draw out their best performances. More importantly, she became better friends with her team. They all trusted each other more. For the first time in a while, Kellie felt she was part of a real team, and her love of curling was rekindled.

Brad was proud of Kellie`s progress. He marveled at the changes he saw, how she became more confident, more outgoing, more comfortable in her own skin. As was his way, he downplayed his role in this process. To anyone that would listen, he would say Kellie had this greatness in her, all he did was give her a nudge in the right direction to allow her to shine.

Kellie and her team certainly shone on the curling ice. They won two warm-up events and established themselves as a team to be reckoned with. They cruised through provincials and reached the finals, where, once again, Kellie met her rival. This time, the outcome was different. Kellie and her team played flawlessly and easily defeated her nemesis. For the second year in a row, they were going to the national championship, but this win was so much more rewarding for everyone.

The town held a special banquet to congratulate the team and wish them well at nationals. There were speeches by the mayor and the president of the curling club. Brad also gave a brief but touching speech, at the end of which he surprised Kellie by presenting her with a small box. Kellie opened it to reveal a stunning diamond engagement ring. She looked up to see Brad bent on one knee before her, asking for her hand in marriage. She was overjoyed, and enthusiastically said yes. They kissed as everyone in attendance gave the newly engaged couple a standing ovation.

Kellie`s team arrived at nationals filled with confidence and eager to test themselves against the best teams in the country. They had a successful week, finishing second during the round-robin portion of the tournament, qualified for the playoffs and made their way into the championship game.

The final game was tense and thrilling. Both teams were on top of their game, making several great shots. It came down to the last shot of the final end, with the score tied. Kellie held the rock, taking a deep breath, preparing herself to make the most important shot of her career. Brad was in the large crowd watching, his stomach tied up in knots, silently praying she could pull this off.

Her form was perfect.

With perfect line calling by her third and expert sweeping by her two front-end players, Kellie delivered the rock right to the button, scoring the winning point. Kellie and her team won the national championships.

The crowd cheered loudly as Kellie and her team celebrated their achievement. While the other players looked for their loved ones in the crowd, Kellie searched frantically for Brad. She saw him running down the arena stairs toward the ice and ran to meet him. She jumped into his arms and hugged him fiercely. Several photographers and TV cameras moved in close to film the moment. Brad thought, let them look, my fiancée is the national champion and I love her.

"You did it Kellie!" he yelled over and over, struggling to make himself heard over the din of the crowd.

"Thank you Brad, I couldn`t have done this without you!" she replied.

"I love you, Bradley Galenchuk."

"And I love you, Kellie Ferguson." He punctuated that by firmly yet lovingly swatting her ass. "Now go get that trophy!"

They kissed deeply, both more madly in love with each other than ever before.