3 comments/ 4099 views/ 3 favorites Lydia's Dream Ch. 07-08 By: memorable_event Please read these chapters in order. There is a very important message before Chapter 1. Thank you for reading my stories and I hope you enjoy them. Chapter 7 It's never easy to admit you were wrong. I was the first to wake. After bathroom duties and starting the coffee pot, I returned to bed and crawled under the warm covers to lie next to her. She was sleeping soundly as I studied her face and wondered what the future held for us. In less than a week, I had gone from not even knowing her to being crazy about her. In that same week, I'd been able to set aside the consuming grief of losing Lydia and begin focusing on the future. Lydia had not appeared in my dreams since last Saturday night, six days ago. After several minutes of silence, I heard the coffee pot beep to signal it was ready. Taking the first cup with me to the fireplace, I struck a match to the papers and kindling. As the fire blazed and crackled, I thought about my return to work on Monday. Unfortunately, during the last two years I shared my grief of losing Lydia by taking it out on some of my employees. I had not been an easy person to work with, and the events of this week convinced me I needed to make amends. How best to do that was the key question. Pam walked from the bedroom and said, "Good morning sweetheart." "Hey, young lady. The coffee's ready." "I smelled it. Thanks." She walked to the kitchen and returned with her cup to sit beside me in front of the roaring fire. We kissed and she laid her hand on my leg. Pam wore a new housecoat I hadn't seen. It was a deep burgundy with black trim that complemented her natural beauty and long blonde hair. "That's a lovely housecoat. Is this another of the outlet purchases your mom talked you into buying?" "It was actually Jerri. In fact, she bought it for me." "That was nice." "Sure was. She bought several things for me and I bought her a very nice dressy outfit. Did she tell you that David agreed to go to a resort all next week? They're doing what you suggested." "Yeah, she mentioned it. I hope it works out for them." "She also asked me what you did that caused me to scream so much in bed that morning." I laughed. "What did you tell her?" "I gave her an account but I'm not sure what you did toward the end when it blew my mind." "It's my secret." Then I couldn't resist adding, "I'll be glad to show Jerri if you want me to." Retribution was quick. She put her coffee down, jumped up and raised her fists into a defensive boxing position. "Come on, get up. I'm going to lick you." I lunged at her legs and wrapped my arms around them as she pounded my back and screamed. I stood with her over my shoulder and carried her to the bed as she squealed and continued hitting my back. Flopping her onto the bed, I watched her bounce. We were both laughing at her feigned anger. I crawled onto the bed beside her. We hugged and kissed for several minutes while she played with my hair. Once totally relaxed, she asked, "What were you thinking about when I walked in? You looked deep in thought." "I was just thinking about returning to work and everything I need to do." "Back to reality, huh?" "Unfortunately. Maybe you can help me think of the best way to make amends to those employees I hurt during the last two years." "Why did you hurt them?" "I was taking my grief out on them and they just took it and never complained. I've come to realize just how ugly I was to some of them and I want to apologize in some way." "Maybe you could take your own advice and just sit down face to face with each one and talk through what happened. A sincere apology from you personally will go a long way." I gazed into her eyes and reflected on that. "You're right. I'll call Ron, my general manager, and get everyone's schedule. I'll go to the restaurants and the store and sit down with each of them. A few have resigned but I think Ron could get in touch with them." "Maybe you could call those who left and take them to lunch." "You're just full of great ideas. I'll take each of them to lunch and talk it through. Now I know how scared you were to go see your mom and apologize to her." "It's never easy to admit you were wrong. Ego gets in the way." We tenderly kissed and lay there quietly for several minutes before I said, "You were telling me about Niki Lee yesterday. What's the whole story on that?" "Let's get your computer and I'll show you."
We Googled and found her on Twitter and learned she had her own website. Modelmayhem.com also gave all her vital statistics and lots of photos. She had been in Playboy numerous times and about all other men's mags as well. Her website even gave an upcoming schedule of appearances, including one for Playboy in Atlanta in early December as part of some announcement. "My goodness, Pam. You and she are identical." "When I first saw her photos, it was like I was looking into a mirror. But notice on her stats that she's two inches shorter and four years older than me. She also has all those little freckles between her boobs and our legs are shaped differently. Otherwise, except for a few small moles and that tiny birthmark on my thigh, we look just alike." "I see her hair is also different. She has darker roots while yours are much lighter." "Yeah, she probably tints her hair. She's likely a darker shade of blonde." "I also think your boobs are shaped differently." "That may be a function of time. Gravity has had longer to work on hers. But she's gorgeous, isn't she?" Pam grinned. "Since you're identical, I can agree without fear of you hitting me." "That's right." "When she's in Atlanta, we could go meet her and have a photo taken. The two of you side by side would be astonishing." "I don't know about that." "Why not?" "I'd be a little scared of meeting someone exactly like me. Wouldn't you? But let me think about it." "So guys hit on you thinking they might score with a famous actress?" "Yeah, it's embarrassing and gets old in a hurry. They just don't believe me when I tell them I'm not her. I'm certainly not going to show them my boobs or anything else to prove it." "The guys probably wouldn't mind." "Right, but from now on, you're the only guy that's invited to that party." "You mean that Rabbit toy you use can't even come?" She giggled. "No, but I can come with it. I didn't know you knew about it." "I saw it in the drawer. The woman I dated for a while after Lydia died had one. She got a big rush out of me using it on her." "I've never let a man use one on me. Maybe I've been missing something." "We'll see," I said with my own devious smile. Pam grinned and leaned in for another kiss. "Back to Niki, if you had a photo of the two of you side by side, the guys would be convinced." "That might work. We'll talk about it later. What are we doing for breakfast?" "With your new diet, I was thinking about cereal with fresh fruit." "Sounds good. Maybe we can go jogging after we eat." "There's a walking path around this part of the lake we could use. I don't think there're any bulls patrolling it." **** We ran about three miles before I was pooped. Pam was still going strong when I begged off. "You wuss! What am I going to do with you?" she asked. "I guess you'll just need patience while I get back in shape." We began walking back to the cabin. "At least your stamina in bed is still good." "You think so?" "I do. One of the things I like about you is that when we're having sex, you focus all your attention on my pleasure and on getting me off. You are so unselfish. There isn't a young woman in the world that wouldn't want to share your bed. "I know you're hard and ready to explode but you hold back and don't force the issue until I'm totally soaked and quivering with excitement. Many of the men I've had start shooting their load as soon as I'm naked and spread my legs. They just can't imagine that I want to climax too before they're finished and ready to go home." "The guys were probably imagining being with Niki Lee." "You think so?" "Yep. A lot of guys, me included, imagine they're with someone else while we're having sex. It's just a fantasy world we create in our minds." "Girls also fantasize. I would often think of another really handsome guy I'd met or a previous lover. Brad Pitt and I got together quite often in my mind while the Rabbit was doing its thing." "You're a drop-dead gorgeous woman and any guy's heart and body are going to start throbbing when they see you. I know when I saw your bare breasts that first time, I could have shot my load with just that visual stimulus. Have you fantasized about someone else when we're having sex?" "Of course not. You totally occupy my mind as well as my body." "Good answer. Speaking of bodies, I notice you don't have any tattoos or piercings. I thought all young girls were into that." "My ears are pierced." "Yeah, but I'm talking about other piercings." "I've never been interested in adding luster, art or glitter to my body with piercings and tattoos. I believe you must either take me or leave me the way I was born and I don't need to permanently change my body to make anyone more attracted to me. Can you imagine all the grannies running around in 25 years with wrinkled tattoos? And I don't think pierced nipples are going to look all that great when they're sagging down to your waist." "That's a disgusting thought. Maybe I should invest in a tattoo removal business." "Maybe so. A ton of women and probably many men are going to be looking for that. Do you have servers with ornamentation?" "A few do but we have a rule that only pierced ears can be seen while they're working. If they have pierced lips or tongues or multiple ear piercings, they must remove the bling before work. Any tattoos must be covered. Some of the girls have tattoos on their ankles and they're required to wear long slacks. A person with a tattoo is not a protected class under employment laws so we don't have to put up with it." We jogged back to the cabin and directly to the shower. It felt great after our run and we enjoyed washing each other under the flood of warm water. Pam and I dressed for the day in jeans. We planned to drive to Chattanooga the following morning but I needed to do some minor maintenance at the cabin before we left. I called the firewood supplier and he promised to bring a cord over that afternoon. I also called Ron and asked him to email the employees work schedule for next week. He was curious about why I needed it and I explained my plan. He was very pleased and thought the employees would be. He asked about my vacation. I just said it was great, that I think I've a new outlook and I looked forward to seeing him. We agreed to meet Monday morning and lay out my schedule for the employee meetings. I decided not to mention Pam just yet. She spent the morning cleaning the kitchen and arranging food items in the cabinets. I changed the pilot light nozzle in the water heater, vacuumed the entire cabin and resealed one of the windows that had been letting in cold air. For lunch, we drove to Susan's Place as promised. When Pam and I walked in, we were met with a chorus of greetings from Susan, Carl, Tony and Jack, one of my dad's other friends. All except Tony walked over and shook hands with me and hugged Pam. Susan asked, "Tom, when are you headed home?" "We're going tomorrow morning. Pam needs to get settled in and I need to get a lot done before Monday." Susan smiled and nodded. I suppose she had guessed Pam would be going with me but this was the first confirmation. Pam added, "We visited my mom this week and also saw my sister. They are very excited for us." Carl responded, "All of us are excited for you two. I can't wait to hear your parents' reaction." "Did you, Gene and Bill make it to Greenville the other day?" I asked. Carl glanced at Susan who replied, "They're just all talk and no action." I had a feeling that other words were said about that after we left on Sunday but it was between them. Carl pulled a chair out for Pam and seated her while I went to the kitchen to congratulate Tony on the purchase of the diner. Returning, I heard Pam say, "Susan, I've decided I'm going back to college and finish the degree I started a few years ago." "Good for you. What do you want to do longer term?" "I want to be involved somehow with children. Maybe teach or work with challenged kids." "That's wonderful, Pam. There's a big need for great teachers." Susan then said to me, "After our talk this week, I sent your mom and dad an email to let them know we'd seen you and that you were doing fine. I didn't mention Pam or anything else we discussed so that'll be your story to tell." "Thanks Susan. This is going to take a while to explain and we need to do it face to face. I'm not sure when they're arriving back in Miami but I think it's early next week. They do have Internet access on the ship so they'll get your message quickly. I also want to introduce Pam to Lydia's parents as soon as possible." For lunch, Pam had a chef salad and I had a club sandwich. I stopped by Jack's table and filled him in on my parent's doings and he asked me to give them his best. We bid farewell to everyone and wished all a happy Thanksgiving that was just a week away. During the drive back to the cabin, Pam asked if she could take a few of Lydia's clothes with us. I assured her that anything she wanted, she could have. Lydia had always been somewhat of a clothing addict and many of her outfits were stunning. Pam was thrilled. She again brought up a previous topic. "Tom, I want to find a job as soon as possible and start earning my way. I can't get into the university until next semester or maybe even the fall of next year. What would you think about me working at one of your restaurants? I'm a good server. But I don't want you to give me the job. I want to apply for it like everyone else and interview like anyone would have to do." "You don't want anyone to know about our relationship?" "Not until I have a job that I got on my own merits." "Pam, I don't like the idea of you working at a restaurant. Remember what happened in Charlotte. You and your boyfriend never saw each other. I'll be working mostly days and you'll be working many nights. I don't like that." She was silent for a moment before replying, "I'm glad you reminded me. If I could find a day job, you would be fine with that?" "Of course. What about working in a bank? I know you have great interpersonal skills. Can you handle the detail work and the math involved?" "Sure, I did it as a server." "I've a friend Jason who manages one of the Bank of America branches. We use them for our business. Let me see if he has any openings. I won't tell him about our relationship so you can go in and apply on your own. I promise not to use my influence." After a moment, I continued, "Pam, I have the money to support you if you want to do something other than work every day." "I know, but I want to feel like I'm contributing at least a little." "That's fine. I understand. On Monday, I'll give Jason a call and see if he's looking for anyone. If not at his branch, maybe he'll know of an opening elsewhere." "You mentioned that your parents are going to be home soon. Can we have them for dinner? Maybe your dad will be gentle with me and my cooking." "He's going to love your cooking and I think you'll blow them both away. Let me check their cruise schedule and I'll call them when the ship docks." "What about meeting Lydia's parents?" "Maybe we can take them to lunch Sunday. I'll give them a call when we get to the cabin." Upon arrival, I started the fire again while Pam walked to the bedroom. When she returned, I dialed Rick and Donna, Lydia's parents, and turned on the speaker so Pam could hear. "Hello." "Hi Donna, this is Tom." "Oh, hi Tom. Good to hear from you. How did the week at the cabin go?" "It was very good. I had plenty of time to reflect on Lydia and my life. I think I've finally been able to let go of her and start looking ahead. She will always be a major part of me but my grief has been holding me hostage too long." "That's wonderful. Rick and I've been very worried about you." "I know. These three years have been tough on all of us. But life goes on and there's a lot of future to think about. "The reason I'm calling is that I'd like to take you two to lunch after church on Sunday. I've someone I want you to meet." There was a moment of silence. "Tom, have you met someone?" "I have. Her name is Pam." We could hear Donna choking up. With a very shaky voice, she said, "That's wonderful news. We love you very much, Tom, and this is an answer to our prayers. How did you meet her?" "That's kind of a long story so we'll tell you on Sunday." "Where do you want to meet?" We'll swing by and pick you up at 12:45. "We'll be ready. We look forward to seeing you two." "I love you Donna." "Love you too. Bye." Pam looked at me and smiled. "She sounds very nice." "She is and so is Rick. They were a great help to Lydia and me during her illness and both of them have stayed close to me after she died. Her death hit them as hard as it hit me. She was their only child and they were devastated." Just as I said that, we heard a truck straining to come up the lane. It was the firewood being delivered. After putting on a jacket, I went out to guide the driver around the cabin. He backed the truck next to the porch and dumped the wood on the ground. A cord made a big pile. I wrote a check and he left immediately while I returned to Pam. "We are set now. I'm going to change to work clothes and start stacking." "I'll change and help you." For the rest of the afternoon, we carried and stacked firewood inside the screened porch. Pam proved to be a very hard worker, carrying and stacking as many pieces as I did. We stopped only once for a beer and to rest a few minutes. The very crisp air helped preserve our energy. By dinnertime the job was done and we carried some of the old wood in for the evening fire. I asked, "Can I grill the steaks for us tonight?" "Yum, that'd be great. We have a few potatoes and onions left. I'll make onion rings in the oven if you'd like. We also have carrot cake left." "Let me run out and grab a bottle of wine. You like red wine, don't you?" "I do. I love most all wines." "So a shiraz or Bordeaux would be good?" "Sure. You want me to go with you?" "No, why don't you start on the onion rings and I'll only be a few minutes." Well, that promise of a few minutes turned into 90 minutes. I had a flat tire and didn't have the cell phone with me to call Pam. There was no moon out and I didn't have a flashlight. Turning on the emergency flashers, I waited along the country road. In about fifteen minutes, a pickup truck stopped and the elderly driver asked if I needed help. I told him the situation and he pulled his truck in behind me to shine his headlights on the rear of the car. I was then able to see to get the jack situated in the proper place and the tire changed. Thank God for nice neighbors willing to help. I hurried to change it as quickly as I could and still get to the wine store before it closed. I didn't make it and had to go on to another store that was ten miles farther. When I finally made it home, it was clear Pam had been in a panic and had been crying. "Where have you been? Tom, you worried me to death. I tried to call you but you never answered. I was just sure something really bad had happened." "I'm sorry, sweetheart. My phone is here but it's probably set on vibrate." I explained what happened and promised to never leave without the phone again. I thought later that this was the first time I could sense Pam's growing dependence on me. Lydia's Dream Ch. 07-08 It was very late when we finally had dinner but everything was still good. We sat in front of the fire for a couple of hours, sipped wine and talked about many things. But the thing that struck me the most was how she was now looking to me for guidance, comfort and protection. This was very much like my mom did with Dad. It felt good to have someone depend on me once again. I committed in my mind to cherish her like my dad did Mom. **** Early the next morning, I took the cell phone and a cup of coffee and drove to a garage about three miles away to have the tire repaired. By 9:00 am I was back at the cabin and helping Pam prepare breakfast. An hour later, we set the thermostat for low heat, turned the water pump off, locked the doors and started to Chattanooga. This time, I had all the cabin keys. As we drove toward Atlanta, I asked Pam why she was being so quiet. "I've been thinking. A week ago early this morning, you walked into my bedroom and I screamed my head off. I had sought refuge there and felt so alone. I was down and depressed and really had very few options. I knew I would have to find a job somewhere but I had no clue where. I had less than two thousand dollars so hotel rooms were out of the question; but then God sent my knight in shining armor. Today, I'm going to be living with you and starting a new life. What a miracle this is." "I'm certainly no knight in the fairy tale sense. I have my warts and I'm sure you'll see many."
Pam reached for my hand, pulled it to her lips and kissed it. "You know, I'm falling in love with you, don't you? Those warts are not going to matter." "I'm also falling in love with you Pam. I keep telling myself that it's just not possible that you are I are together like this when a week ago we hadn't met. But here we are, thanks to God, angels, messengers and the love of those who have passed on. It's truly a miracle." **** Pulling into the driveway, I pushed the garage door opener. "Tom, this house is amazing. I had no idea it would be this large." "It's more space than we really need but I like the location." When we parked, Pam saw an old Jeep Wrangler that I used for off-roading. "Is that what Lydia was driving?" "Well sometimes. It runs great; but the small car on the other side is the one I was talking about." We walked around the Jeep and she helped me take the protective cover off. Pam screamed, "OH MY GOODNESS!" She stood there in total shock with her hand over her mouth. "I can't believe this." She was shaking. "Tom, this can't be for real. Are you kidding me? This is just not possible." She was looking at a palladium gray 2008 Mercedes SLR McLaren roadster. "It's still almost new. It only has 4000 miles on it. Lydia drove it around town for about 18 months before she was bedridden. She loved this car. She said it had the same personality that she had. Lydia would want you to drive it and love it just like she did." Pam threw herself into my arms and tears welled into her eyes. "Thank you. I'll take great care of it just like she would. I just can't believe the privilege I have of driving this beautiful machine. Thank you, thank you, thank you. This is just amazing. I can't believe it." "Pam." She continued to gaze at the car. "Pam, listen to me sweetheart. Pam, look at me!" It was like she was in a trance. "PAM, are you listening?" "Okay, sorry. I just can't take my eyes off of her. Now, I'm listening." "This car is very fast and can get out of your control before you know it. It can kill you. It's obviously rear wheel drive. It has a supercharged V-8 that generates over 600 horsepower with a top speed of over 200 mph. It loves gas and drinks a lot of it. You may or may not get ten miles per gallon and it only drinks the expensive stuff. "It's the only one in Chattanooga according to the dealer so you will stand out and draw a lot of attention, especially from the police. So watch your speed and please don't take any chances. There will be many guys who will pull up next to you and want to drag race. Just ignore them. They know it's fast so you don't have to show them. Okay? Do you promise not to do any racing?" She said rapidly, "Alright. I promise. I just can't believe this. I've never seen one except in magazines." "Pam, what did you just promise?" She had to think for a few seconds. "Oh, I promised not to race anyone." "Okay. I didn't think you were listening." I activated the driver's door and she watched it rise toward the ceiling. "I had no idea the doors went up vertically and not out on this car." "Get in and I'll show you how to start it up. The keys are in it." I raised the garage door. The motor roared to life and sounded like the perfectly engineered racing engine that it was. I had started and ran it for at least fifteen minutes every week since Lydia parked it, just to keep the battery charged and the oil circulated. "After dinner, we'll take it for a drive downtown. You'll look great in it. Of course, you'd look great driving any car." "Thank you! I'll feel great. I've never driven or even been in a Mercedes, much less a convertible like this. All my dinky cars were well used when I got them."
She studied the controls, instruments and all the options for adjusting the car's Bose sound system. She turned on the CD player and cranked up U2's "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For." I had wondered what happened to that CD. She turned to me and grinned while the lyrics seemed to explode from the speakers. "Tom, You're what I've been looking for. Thank you sweetheart." "You're welcome. Now let's get the grand tour out of the way and get you settled in." We walked through the garage into the family room, which had vaulted ceilings and a large stone fireplace. Behind it was the kitchen with Sub-Zero and Viking appliances. Ten people could comfortably cook side by side there and Lydia had proven it several times. The cabinetry was all custom made from cherry. The library/sitting room looked out over the valley through a 12-foot high triple cathedral window that spanned the wall. The dining room was next to the kitchen. We walked through all the bedrooms and she picked the one that would become her office. My office was a very quiet room in the basement next to the home theater room. Pam loved the king-size bed we would be using as well as the master bath Jacuzzi and double shower. It was now almost dark outside so I turned on the floods and pool lights. Of course, the pool was covered and winterized so there wasn't much to see. "Tom, your house just blows my mind. I can't believe people actually live in mansions like this." "Pam, it's no longer my house. It's our house. You're bringing a new life and spirit that will make this house our home."
Again, tears came into her eyes and she hugged me. We stood in front of the window, embraced and looked in silence at the glimmer of the Chattanooga city lights. I let myself reflect on Lydia and me doing that many times but it was no longer a sad memory. There was a joy in my soul as I knew for a fact she was watching over Pam and me. We decided to have dinner in town but went to one of my competitor's seafood restaurants. I didn't want my employees to know about her just yet. When we walked in, the owner saw me and walked over with a huge grin on his face. "Tom, great to see you finally come to a good restaurant." "Hi Matt. Yeah, my restaurants are all full tonight but I knew you'd have plenty of room." "Who's this lovely lady?" "Pam, this is Matt. Matt-Pam. He owns this restaurant, such as it is." Pam said, "Hi Matt, do you two spar like this all the time?" Matt replied, "Yes. But we love each other. Don't we Tom?" "Actually, Matt was in my wedding and we've known each other for 25 years-ever since we were in the first grade." "I go to Tom's restaurants quite often and try to steal his best employees and he comes here to see how great food can be." "I just hope I'm here right after the health inspector so his employees haven't yet lapsed into their old ways." Matt reached for two menus, "Let me show you to our best table near the kitchen entrance." He actually took us to a great table along the wall that had a nice view of the fireplace about 15 feet away. Unlike my restaurants' natural gas fireplaces, his was the real thing and it was beautiful. "You two enjoy the meal. The halibut tonight is fantastic." I whispered loud enough for Matt to hear. "It's really catfish that his cooks pulled out of the river this morning." 
Matt shook his head and walked away. We both ordered the halibut and Matt was right. The texture and flavor was outstanding. As the dinner was winding down, Matt returned and sat with us. He asked our server to bring over the after-dinner drink cart and offered us anything we wanted. I had a nice French cognac and Pam had Blanton's Bourbon neat. "Tom, I'm very glad to see you. Are you two dating now?" "Yes, we've been going out for a while. Pam is from South Carolina and she'll be going to UT here to finish her degree." "I'm happy for you, buddy. Pam, he's a great guy." We transitioned to talking about business and the economy that appeared to be improving before moving on to local politics and taxes. It was a very good evening and we enjoyed the camaraderie and the dinner. Arriving at the house, we took the McLaren out for a drive. Pam struggled with the neck-jerking acceleration and the sensitivity of the gas pedal. She spun the tires almost every time but gradually got the hang of it. She took us over to I-75 and hit the gas hard in the acceleration lane. The tires spun; but when they grabbed the roadster threw our heads back as it shot out like a bullet past a corvette that had been well ahead of us. Of course that appeared to be a challenge to the poor corvette driver and he pulled up beside us and hit his accelerator a few times to show he wanted to race. I was proud of Pam as she looked straight ahead and ignored him; but she was grinning big time. The corvette driver was very lucky that she left him with some ego. We returned home about 45 minutes later. After parking, Pam met me in front of the car, snuggled into my arms and said, "There's only one thing that would make that ride better." She pulled me to her and we kissed more passionately than ever before. Her tongue was everywhere in my mouth and mine fought back furiously as our hands reached for belts and buttons. Ten minutes later, she lay naked and exhausted on the hood of the car, struggling to catch her breath. "Tom, uh, uh that was amazing." "I think you christened her." "I'm sorry." "Now you have to name her." "Did, uh did Lydia have a, uh a name for her?" "No, I don't think she did." Pam thought for several moments as she regained her strength and pulled up her pants. "Then I think I'm going to call her 'Angel.' That will remind me how we met and the eternal love that Lydia had for you." "I think Angel is a perfect name. It will also remind you how she can deliver a message. Just remember your promise to keep her and your ego under control when you and Angel are out cruising." "Tom, I already promised you. I know you're worried but please trust me. I'll not let you down." "Alright, I'm satisfied. Not another word about it. Now let's get the rest of your stuff unpacked." We walked again to the master bedroom. As she unpacked her clothes and those that had belonged to Lydia, I helped arrange them in her walk-in-closet. There were probably 50 or more outfits and dresses hanging there already. This surprised Pam and she spent several minutes just gazing at all the wonderful styles and fabrics. Luckily, almost all of them would fit her perfectly. Pam loved the large full-length lighted mirror in the closet. Only the shoes would need to find a new home because Pam's foot was longer and narrower than Lydia's. We showered and were in bed by midnight. While getting into bed, Pam noticed Lydia's photo on the nightstand. That was the first time she had seen her picture. She picked it up and studied her image quietly for a moment before commenting, "She was beautiful. Those eyes and cute dimples are amazing. I'm sorry I didn't get to know her. We would have been great friends." She smiled and we kissed goodnight. Chapter 8 I always wanted to meet a Playboy model. Early Sunday morning, I awoke to an empty bed. Normally, I'm the first up but not that day for some reason. After putting on the robe, I walked to the kitchen and found Pam sitting on one of the counter stools, sipping coffee and reading a book. She looked up as I walked in. "Good morning, sweetheart." "Good morning, young lady. I see you learned how to use the coffeemaker." "It took a while but I figured it out. I've never used a Jura coffeemaker but it's similar to the commercial units in restaurants where I've worked. It makes very good coffee." I walked over to the machine, pressed a button and listened to the grinding of the beans. The coffee was dispensed in just a minute. "What are you reading?" "I strolled through the library early this morning and found many interesting books on childhood education. This one caught my eye as it was written by Lydia." "She wrote it on home schooling practices," I said, "and it was published only a few months before she died. She was very pleased with the way it came out." "I imagine she was. It's very readable and the illustrations and resource references are wonderful." "I think it's still selling on Amazon. The publisher sent 30 copies that are down in the storage area. Why are you up so early?" She looked at me with a concerned expression. "I had another dream last night. I woke up in the middle of it and couldn't get back to sleep." I pulled out the stool next to her and sat. "What was the dream?" Pam paused and was obviously shaken. "Lydia spoke to me and told me she was very happy I was with you. She knew that I had named her car 'Angel' and she said that you and she had sex on it one time." I suddenly felt flushed and lightheaded as those tingling chills coursed through me. It had been almost four years and I'd forgotten. No one knew but she and I that we had sex on that car. "It was just after I bought it. It was so cramped in the car that we had to get out. She sat on the trunk lid while I held her legs up. Is that all she said?" "No, she said that I must be your biggest supporter and helper. She said that your love has no limits but there will be difficult times ahead that will test us both. That was when I woke in a cold sweat. The difficult times prediction scared me. It sounded so ominous." Pam glanced at me and asked, "I wonder how she knew I had named her car?" "Remember what I told you her last words were? She said she would never leave me. She must have been with me when you named Angel." "Has she been with you since we met?" "I've no idea. Maybe she comes and goes somehow." "Were you thinking about her while we were talking about the car?" "Yes, you asked me if Lydia had given it a name and I was thinking about her when I answered." "Is it possible that her spirit comes to you when you think about her?" "That's a good question. I don't know. Where you thinking about her before you went to sleep last night?" "Yes. After I saw her photo, all the other things you told me about her suddenly had a face and I thought a lot about her, this house, her clothes and her car. I suppose I fell asleep thinking about her." "And then she appeared to you in a dream." "Yes." "The same thing happened to me the second night in the cabin. You had asked me about her and what she was like. After I went to bed, I continued thinking about her until I fell asleep. Then she appeared to me in the dream. Maybe this means that if we are thinking seriously about someone before we fall asleep, we may dream about them." "And as I recall, I was thinking about my dad that night he later appeared in a dream to tell me he was worried about me. But just because I thought about him doesn't explain his prophetic warning." I responded, "Maybe you're right. Our spirits somehow connect with our departed love ones when we think about them. Is that possible?" We stared at each other. Pam responded, "With God, anything is possible, I suppose." I continued, "That would explain how Lydia knew I continued to mourn her death for the last few years. She begged me in the dream to let her go. Maybe by me continuing to mourn her, I was causing her spirit to remain in contact with me at least part of the time." After several moments Pam said, "I think it was Lydia's voice I heard at the cabin that night when she told me to give it back. Tom, I was thinking about her before I fell asleep that night. If it was her voice, she must have known about the book I stole which had nothing to do with you." "That means she was with you long before you came to the cabin. If she knew about the book, she must have seen you take it or some other spirit told her you did. Maybe your uncle or your dad was in contact with Lydia somehow. Maybe they were working as a team to bring us together." "Tom, this is getting deep. According to Lydia's dream, an angel appeared to her to tell her you would meet a woman this past week. Maybe she was given the assignment of working with the other departed souls to chose the woman. And I was picked." "These ideas just blow my mind." "Mine too." "Have you decided what to do with the book?" I asked. "I think we should give it to the prosecutor," she said, "not to the police." "Maybe I can call the district attorney here and see what he recommends. My dad and I know him. Let's make a copy of the book before we give it to anyone, just in case." **** We decided to take a jog before having breakfast. I told Pam, "There's a nice circular route we can take that's about two miles. You want to do a lap?" 

 "Sounds perfect. Let's go." It was a beautiful, but very cool morning and we enjoyed the run and watching the sunrise over the valley. Pam was impressed that I didn't beg for a rest stop this time. For breakfast, I decided to fix scrambled eggs and a ham steak that I knew Pam would like. She walked through the kitchen studying the controls on the Viking range and opening all the cabinets to see what kind of cookware and dinnerware we had. She was pleased that Lydia had chosen All-Clad products. "Tom, I can't believe how well-equipped this kitchen is. You have everything." "Not really. Lydia loved to cook. It was one of her passions and she deserved to have the best I could give her. But I haven't bought anything new in the last four years so you might find a few things missing that you'll want." "I doubt it. But why is the island so long?" "She enjoyed having friends over to cook and visit. She would invite four or five of her friends to come at least once a month. They would cook and talk all afternoon, learn new techniques from each other and then take the food they prepared home to their families. She called it her bonding time with the sisters she never had. I've seen as many as ten people working around this island all at the same time." "That's a fantastic idea." "You may want to do the same thing with new friends you'll have." "I would." After breakfast, Pam walked to the Jacuzzi and I showed her how the controls worked. I returned to clean the kitchen while she soaked in the frothy water. Later that morning, we dressed and drove down the mountain to a church that Lydia and I had attended. My friends were excited to meet Pam and welcomed her to the service. The message was on forgiveness and how we must forgive others like God forgave us. After the service, many couples that had been so helpful to Lydia and me surrounded us and introduced themselves to Pam. Some of the ladies wanted to take her to lunch, and Wednesday was chosen as the best day for everyone. Lydia's Dream Ch. 07-08 On the way home, Pam raved about the warm welcome. "I felt a friendly atmosphere in the church and everyone was super nice. They obviously love you, Tom, and were happy for you." "Many of the ladies you met were close friends of ours. They helped with her care during the really rough times near the end. Only real friends will walk with you during times like that and I'm very happy to say they were for real. They will also embrace you if you let them." "Of course I'll let them. I need all the true friends I can get." "We all do. Now let's get ready for lunch. I promised Donna we'd pick them up in 45 minutes." "Where are we taking them?" "I'm a member of a local country club; so we'll go there. The dining is nice." Pam touched up her makeup and put on a nice light tan knee length dress and a combination of jewelry from Lydia's collection. She was gorgeous. We arrived at Rick and Donna's house a couple of minutes early. The reception they gave Pam was heart warming. Donna answered the door. "Pam, it's so very nice to meet you! Tom, you look very happy and I can see why. What a lovely young lady! Please come in." I formally introduced Pam to Donna as we stood in the entry hall. "Donna, I'm delighted to meet you. Tom has told me so much about you and Rick that I feel I already know you." Rick walked in and smiled. I introduced Pam and there was a brief awkward moment when they couldn't decide whether to shake hands or hug. Finally, Pam took his hand and hugged him also. They laughed. Pam captured the moment perfectly when she said, "Rick, I'm more of a hugger than a shaker." Donna said, "Well, I should get a hug too!" They both embraced and smiled. Rick said they were ready so we walked to the car and drove to the club, which was about 30 minutes away. The car was full of pleasant chatter the entire time as each got to know a bit more about Pam and vice versa. Once seated at the table, Donna asked, "How did you two meet?" Pam looked at me and the smile on her face told me I should tell the whole story. "That's what we wanted to tell you in person. It's an unusual but wonderful story." Donna interrupted, "Before you begin, just let me ask. Did you two meet for the first time at the cabin on Tom's birthday?" Pam gasped. That sudden tingling chill raced through my body once again. She knew about Lydia's dream. We both smiled and Pam reached for my hand. I asked, "Did Lydia tell you about her dream?" "Yes. She told me all of her dreams, I think. She also told Susan but I don't think Susan ever knew she also shared them with me." I glanced at Rick but he obviously didn't know anything. Donna also noticed, "Rick, I was her mother and you know how close we were. She made me promise to tell you everything after it happened." I added, "Rick, don't feel you were the only one left out. So was I." The server came and took our orders. For the next hour, we gave Rick the entire story and filled in Donna on the parts she didn't know. We shared the dreams Pam and I had involving Lydia. There were a number of tears quietly shed but the joy of how God had worked through Lydia thrilled us. After lunch, we drove to our house and I made a copy of Susan's notes for Donna and Rick to read. We sat in the library all afternoon and talked about life and the future. Pam heard about Lydia from a mom's point of view. The two of them spent a long time talking in the kitchen. I knew Pam would fill me in later. Rick and I took Angel down the mountain to gas her up. We stopped by one of my restaurants to say high to everyone. For late Sunday afternoon, the place was busy which is always a thrill for me to see. I circulated among the tables and greeted as many of the guests as I could before Rick and I gathered with my manager at the bar and had beers. I could tell something was on Rick's mind so I asked what he was thinking. He replied, "Tom, is it possible that Pam has been in Playboy? She is very familiar looking." "That comes up often. No, she hasn't but there's an adult model and film actress named Niki Lee who looks almost identical to Pam. She's the woman you saw in the magazine. Pam told me about her and how she's mistaken for her by a lot of guys. Pam is taller and four years younger. Other than that, they could be identical twins." "Well, I don't know if I'm relieved or not. I always wanted to meet a Playboy model."

We both laughed. I knew that feeling. We drove back to the house, joined the girls and decided to make a pizza for dinner. The girls seemed to have fun deciding on the ingredients and preparing the dough. We had a small commercial-quality pizza oven in the kitchen but I had not used it for several years. Thankfully, it still worked. I pulled out two bottles of 2001 Tuscan wine and decanted them ahead of dinner. Donna saw me and Rick gazing out the window in the library and walked over. She stood beside me and put her arm around my waist. I put mine around hers. She put her head on my shoulder and whispered, "I love her already. She is so much like Lydia I can't believe it. Her personality and natural beauty couldn't be better. I'm very happy for you." I replied, "It's truly a miracle, Donna. I think Lydia somehow had a role in choosing her." Pam walked over and I put my other arm around her waist. She asked what we were looking at. "We were just standing here talking about how wonderful you are," I replied. "Yeah, I'll bet. The pizza is about ready." The girls had done a magnificent job. The thin crust was crispy but not tough and the toppings included all my favorites. After dinner, we finished the wine in the library before Pam and I took Rick and Donna home. While driving back, Pam was bubbling over. "I can't believe how nice Donna is. It's like I've known her a long time. She told me stories about Lydia when she was growing up and how she went through the tomboy stage and the rebellious stages. She also told me how relieved she and Rick were when they first met you. Evidently, Lydia had your number early because she told Donna you two were going to be married only a month after you started dating." "She did?" "That's what Donna said. Obviously Lydia knew what she wanted, just like I do." "You do, huh?" "Yep, among other things, I want you as soon as we get home." She reached over and unzipped my trousers. "Pam, I'm driving." "Don't tell me you've never had road head." "I guess you and I ran in different circles. Please don't distract my driving." "Awww, okay. I'll deal with you when we're home." **** After an exciting and very long love session that night, we collapsed into our pillows and talked. To my surprise, she calmly said, "I was raped one night when I was at Furman." "Oh no!" "I dated a guy for about a month. We had sex a few times and I liked him. The sex was very good and he always got me off. One night he asked if I would let him enter my butt. I said absolutely not. But the next time he had me in missionary position, he pushed my legs up so that my knees were holding my shoulders and arms down. Before I could even react, he rammed his erection in. No preparation, no extra lubrication or anything. He just impaled me and held me down until he came in my bottom. It felt like he had split me in two. "I tried to hit him or scratch his face but I couldn't get my arms freed up enough to do that. I was screaming the best I could with his hand over my mouth but no one came to help me. Girls were always screaming when they had sex so no one paid any attention." "Did you report him?" "No, I was too ashamed that it happened. I didn't want to re-live it by telling the story over and over to the authorities." "What happened after that?" "Of course, I never would let him around me again. I heard he told some other girl that I let him have my butt so I told her what really happened. She wouldn't date him after that. I guess the word got around as he suddenly had a hard time getting dates." "Too bad he got off without a penalty worse than that." "Well, that's not exactly all. I was able to hit him in the back of the head with my chemistry book as he fled the room. It almost knocked him down. I also slashed the tires on his new Mustang Cobra and put a two-liter bottle of Coke in his gas tank after I ran a screwdriver up and down the car doors and hood. I had no idea the paint would peel off so nicely." I laughed, "Good for you. No one saw you do it?" "No, I had a friend who helped as a lookout. It was the middle of the night, and no one was around. I heard he was pissed big time, and I imagine it cost him many thousands of dollars to make the repairs. Plus those were very expensive tires. One of his friends told my girlfriend that he had just been dropped by his insurance company for having too many speeding tickets so all the repairs were on him. It was the talk on campus for several days. "Did he try to accuse you of it?" "He tried but I just expressed shock that someone would do that to his beautiful car. He probably had a lot of girls looking for a way to kick his ass so he didn't know who to blame." "Remind me to never make you mad." She smile, then squinted and frowned, "You better watch it, mister! I can be a real bitch." "Yes, but you're an endearing bitch." "Gee thanks." We cuddled and she gradually fell asleep as I cupped her breast. An hour later, I was still very restless and just couldn't get to sleep. Rather than lay there and listen to her sleeping noises, I went to the library. As I gazed out at the city lights, for some reason I remembered a night a month or so after Lydia died. Madison was one of Lydia's friends from church. She was very helpful to us during her last four months of life. She called one afternoon and brought over a very nice roasted chicken, salad, some steamed veggies and a lemon pie. She mentioned her husband was away so I asked her to stay and eat with me. After dinner and a nice bottle of wine, we sat in the library and talked a long time about many different things. Until then, I didn't know much about her. We had seen each other numerous times but she was one of many friends of Lydia and our conversations were always about Lydia's health and the needs we had. She told me during the conversation that she and her husband had decided to split. He had moved out several weeks before and she was by herself. I knew she was hinting and flirting. I let it happen and even encouraged it. It had been more than six months since I'd had sex. Madison was a sultry young lady with a lovely tan and a very athletic body. She had dark brunette hair, hazel eyes and was about my age, maybe a year younger. I could still remember the lovely fragrance she wore. The next thing I knew, we were kissing as if we had been lovers forever. She was into sex and knew exactly what she wanted. She unzipped my trousers and stroked me as we kissed open-mouthed with tongues dancing. We did it every way she could think of that night. I'm not sure where she learned all those positions. I still remember her words. "Tom, I know you and I are very different people and I don't expect anything but companionship while I try to get my life back in order. Could we hook up with no commitments? We can take care of each other's needs for a while." I don't know why I was willing, but I was. Lydia had encouraged me to date and find another woman to love but I knew Madison was not likely to be that woman. Still, my sexual urges took over and I agreed. That began two months of a relationship that I'll never forget. She would come over a couple of times each week and it was pretty much non-stop sex for an hour. She knew a lot more about it than I did. She must have been watching a lot of videos. I was always almost raw the day after one of our sessions. Madison stayed overnight many times and I enjoyed seeing her walk around the house with breasts jiggling and butt cheeks bouncing. She was a lovely young lady in the prime of her life. If sexual fulfillment was the only requirement in a marriage, I would have married her ten times. Madison decided to sell her house and move back to Kansas City to be with her parents. We had our own little going away party with almost two hours of non-stop sex. That woman was amazing. Other than our enjoyment of sex, we really didn't have much in common so I always knew our time would be limited. She returned to close on the house and we managed to get in a couple of hours before she left for the airport. That was the last time I saw her. It was over and time for both of us to move on. But it was the stuff of erotic dreams. As I settled back under the covers and snuggled against Pam's back, I felt a great relief that she and I did have a lot in common and were just about a perfect match in many ways. Pam woke when I touched her and she turned to face me. "You're cold sweetheart. Where have you been?" "I was having trouble getting to sleep so I sat in the library for a while." "Come here and cuddle with me. I'll warm you up." She did. **** It was drizzling raining Monday morning and a cold front had moved into the area overnight. I took coffee and walked to the window in the library. A thick smoky gray cloud blocked any view. I heard Pam walking in the kitchen and the beans being ground for her coffee. When she entered the library, she was wearing that lovely burgundy housecoat and was barefooted. She came and wrapped an arm around my waist and joined me in gazing at the wall of gray clouds. I said, "It looks like a real mess out there today. At least the temperature is too high for ice or snow." "Is it okay for me to call Donna today and take her to lunch?" "Sure. She would enjoy that." "When are you meeting with Ron?" "We left it open but I'll call him in a few minutes to set it up. I also checked Mom and Dad's schedule and their ship docked this morning. I'll give them a call in about an hour since they're sure to be very busy disembarking." "Tom, I just realized, you've never told me their names." We laughed. "You're right, they're just Mom and Dad to me. Mom's name is Sarah and Dad's is Jim." "So your brother's name is really James Jr." "That's right. But Dad goes by Jim. What do you think about inviting them over for Thanksgiving?" "That'd be super. Do you think Donna and Rick have anything planned? Maybe they'd also like to come." "Let me check. I should have thought about that yesterday." Pam leaned into me for a kiss and brief hug before walking for another cup of coffee. Checking the weather forecast, I learned the clouds and fog should lift by noon. In a moment, Pam returned with a pad of paper and pen. "Give me the names of your three restaurants. We'll go to lunch at one of them." "Oh, okay. The River Bistro is the oldest one. My dad started it in 1980 and its been updated twice. The second one is named The Meeting Place. It's downtown and close to a number of office buildings. It does a big lunch business and will be crowded, I hope. The newest of the bunch is the one I started. It's called The Rusty Rudder and is, of course, focused on seafood. I started it six years ago and its done well in a market that's more focused on meat. It's up in Hixson, just north of town." We both had cold cereal and fresh fruit for breakfast and then donned our rain jackets for a quick jog of one lap in the light mist and drizzle. Returning, we showered and, as usual, took turns washing each other and playing around pulling and caressing various body parts. After dressing, Pam called Donna and invited her to lunch. Donna quickly accepted and they agreed that Pam would pick her up at noon. She and Rick had already committed to a neighbor for Thanksgiving so couldn't be with us. I asked Pam to join me on the call to my parents. The phone rang several times and then Dad answered. "Hi Tom, how are you doing son?" "Hey Dad, I saw your ship docked this morning and just wanted to check in with you. It's been a long time. Did you have a great cruise?" "Your mom and I enjoyed this crossing. The seas were relatively calm and I think they've improved the cuisine since our last time on Celebrity. We were invited to the Captain's table one night and Sarah was in heaven sitting next to the big boss." "I'll bet that was fun. When does your plane land in Chattanooga?" "About 1:00 pm." "Do you want me to pick you up?" "That'd be great son. We have bags to collect so don't come before 1:30 or so." "Can you turn on your speaker and let me tell you and Mom something important?" "Sure. Sarah, come over and sit next to me. Tom wants to tell us something. Go ahead son." "I've met the most wonderful young lady. It was a miracle that we'll tell you about later." There was silence for a couple of moments. Dad said in a shaky voice, "Tom, that is the best news anyone could ever give us. Is she with you now?" "She is and we are on the speaker. Her name is Pamela but she goes by Pam." "Hi Mr. and Mrs. Sumter. I can't wait to meet you." Dad replied, "Pam, we are delighted and look forward to meeting you. If Tom is as excited as he sounds, you must really be a special young lady." "She is, Dad." Mom came on, "Pam, I can't wait to meet you. I love your accent. Where are you from?" "I'm from Greenville, South Carolina. We do kinda speak a little funny over there." Mom replied, "It's a lovely accent that I wish I had." I said, "Pam is having lunch with Donna today so I'll meet you and take you home. How about joining us for dinner tonight so you can meet her and we can get caught up?" Dad responded, "That sounds good son. You pick the place and dinner is on me." "Thanks Dad. See you at 1:30. Love you both." They both said, "Love you too. Bye." Pam smiled and said, "They sound very nice. I could wait until tomorrow to have lunch with Donna. Do you want me to go with you to the airport?" "No, go ahead to lunch as you planned. I'll just pick them up and drop them at their house. We'll spend a lot of time with them tonight." I also wanted to prepare Mom and Dad for the fact that Pam was living with me. They were old-fashioned about that sort of thing. Thankfully, they never found out about Madison. "I'll call Ron and go down to meet him at the office. Anything you want me to do while I'm out?" "Not that I can think of. Can I drive Angel to lunch?" "Sure. Donna has ridden with Lydia in her many times. Just be careful with the weather like it is." "Tom, you promised to not say another word about my driving." "Sweetheart, I'm not talking about your driving. I'm concerned about the road conditions. I trust you but the car can be unstable on slick roads. Understand?" "I guess I'm glad you're worried about me." "Hey, you're the young lady who'll give me six children some day. I've got to keep you healthy." "WHAT? NO WAY! I'm not having six kids. Maybe two or three but then you're getting snipped, even if I have to do it." We stared at each other and pretended to be mad before bursting into laughter and kissing. "I love you, Pam." "I love you too, Tom." End of Chapter 8. Please vote and leave comments.