"You realize, of course, that you're
next."
I rolled over onto my side and looked at Chris, who was grinning smugly at me. "Now you sound like Aunt Gwen, and let me tell you, that's nothing to be proud of."
"I like your Aunt Gwen; she always tells me how big I'm getting."
"Christopher, you're twenty-nine years old -- such things shouldn't thrill you anymore."
He shrugged and put his hands behind his head, yawning. "Doesn't matter, Mel; we guys always like it when women tell us how big we are."
I groaned and rolled over on my back, looking through my sunglasses at the white, fluffy clouds forming in the otherwise blue sky. The sun was warm and it probably would have been unbearable if there hadn't been a gentle July breeze blowing softly. I thought about what Chris had said and felt depressed again. He was right: I was to be the only single sibling left in my family -- with no signs of my status changing anytime soon.
Chris started to snore softly, and I pondered him. We met when we were in kindergarten and became friends because of our mutual love of bugs and frogs. Our parents became fast friends when Chris's family moved next door, and we ended up spending a lot of time at each other's house. He was my best friend and, at times, my worst enemy. When we are getting along, he is the most precious friend in the world to me, but he has this annoying habit of always being right; frankly, that really pisses me off.
I remember when we were in grade school: I overheard our mothers talking and saying that one day Chris and I would probably get married. That thought horrified me then and still does to this day. Don't get me wrong: I like Chris a lot, but I'm not sure I could spend the rest of my life chained to him. If I really break it down and analyze it, I guess it's because we know almost everything there is to know about each other and that's one scary thought. The pictures that our parents have of us playing in a three-ring blowup pool, completely naked, don't help, either. Suffice to say there are no secrets between us, although it's been many years since we've bared our bodies to each other.
A car pulled into the driveway, and I sat up, wondering who had arrived.
"I hope it's Aunt Gwen," Chris said, yawning again as he sat up beside me. "I need that little ego boost."
I pulled my knees up under my chin, hugging my legs. "If you're really lucky, it'll be Gramma, and she'll give you a sucker."
"Oh boy! Actually, I like your Grandmother too; she's one hell of a kisser."
I didn't take the bait -- I learned that lesson a long time ago. "If you're really lucky, she'll have her teeth in."
Chris grinned at me. "What's on for tonight, anyway?"
"Well, you guys are probably going to go out and get drunk, ogle naked women, and masturbate like crazy later when you're alone, and we women will probably sit around and sip punch, exchange recipes, and eventually die of boredom."
"Too bad you can't cook, huh? Actually, maybe you could pick up on a few tips tonight."
"I can't believe Tim is getting married," I said, changing the subject. I'm pretty sure that not all women are supposed to know how to cook. Some of us are meant for bigger and better things, or at least I'm hoping so.
"I wonder if they're having sex yet."
"The whole world doesn't revolve around sex, you know."
"Mine does."
"Seriously?"
"Oh yeah. There are those rare times that I'm not thinking about sex, but basically, someone is fornicating in my brain constantly."
I shook my head and was about to comment when I heard the voice. No, it wasn't a voice detached from a living body -- those voices usually just come to me when I'm alone. No, it was the voice of my Aunt Gwen -- Chris's dream girl.
"Melissa!" she squealed from across the yard, giving me ample time to stand up and prepare myself for the hugging blow I was about to receive.
"Aunt Gwen!" I tried to match her tone, but that would take stubbing my toe on something really hard just to hit the right octave.
"Look at you!" she said as she grabbed me and hugged me with the force of a python hugging a mouse. "My goodness! Little Melissa!" I would have replied if she hadn't been squeezing me so tightly, cutting off all the oxygen supply to my brain. Finally, she let me go and attacked Chris.
"And Christopher! My goodness you're so big!"
I watched Chris hugging her while smiling at me. It was quite a sight since Chris is over six feet tall and the top of Gwen's head didn't even reach his shoulders. She released him and stood back, smiling at both of us.
"My my! Oh, it's so good to see you kids again, and you both look so wonderful. Actually, Melissa, you could stand putting on a pound or two; you're starting to look thin, but you're filling out quite nicely, dear!"
I'm sure it was all Chris could do to hold back his laughter. Unless I missed my mark, he was probably biting a hole in his lip. The thing about Aunt Gwen is that you don't have to hold up your end of the conversation because she doesn't give you a chance. She's my Dad's sister, and he once said that she was really quiet until she hit fifty and after that you couldn't shut her up. I guess she is trying to make up for lost time.
"Gee thanks, Aunt Gwen," I mumbled, as she continued commenting on everything from the weather to my new hairstyle. I looked over at Chris who had his arms crossed over his chest, nodding like a parakeet, as if he was completely enthralled with what she was saying. Knowing Chris, he probably was.
"I'm going to go see if your mother needs any help in the kitchen. She's probably a little overburdened with all the company that will be here soon," she said, quickly bustling back to the house.
"She's right, you know."
"Nah, I'm sure my mother is doing her usual spectacular job."
"No, when she said that you're filling out quite nicely."
"You're such a jerk," I said and started walking towards the house.
Chris caught up to me and wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me tight to him. He kissed my temple and mumbled something about going to the house to see if Gramma had any treats for him.
~:~:~
My brother Tim had chosen well, in my opinion. Carrie is a very nice person, and quite attractive. Unfortunately, she is very shy around us even though we've known her for almost two years. That probably says something about my family, although I'm not sure what. It's not that we are really loud -- we're just opinionated and tend to express those opinions -- okay, we can be loud. It amazed me the first time I met Carrie because she is so quiet and my brother is quite boisterous. Maybe opposites really do attract.
The one thing that I tried very hard to figure out, and then eventually just gave up on, is why he decided to spend the rest of his life with her. I mean, she's very nice and all, but this is the same guy who used to date three girls all in the same night. They were constantly calling when he lived at home, and I secretly voted him the most likely to end up with a social disease. I always thought he'd marry a cheerleader since I'm pretty sure he dated all of them. Now, here he is, thirty years old, and tying the knot to someone who could be a librarian. Actually, she is a librarian. Never mind.
Since Tim and Carrie were getting married the next day, it called for a big family gathering at my parent's place. I had arrived early in the morning and helped my Dad in the backyard while my sister helped Mom in the house. (I try to steer away from domestic things because I only end up hurting myself or having to dial the fire department for rescue.) Around noon, Chris had stumbled over from his parent's place and helped Dad and me set up rented tables and chairs. My Dad's big plan was to barbecue for everyone -- everything from hotdogs to steaks, all at the same time.
Everyone arrived at my parent's house, and there was tons of hugging and kissing. Chris was in his glory when Gramma told him he was getting to be a big boy. As the day wore on, I started to get really hungry, and I suspect that other people were feeling the same way. We all stood around, crammed in the backyard, wishing my Dad would stop saying "They're almost done!" and would just flip us some food instead.
I was pacing the deck when Carrie introduced me to her one sister Janice, whom I'd never met. She was also in the wedding party. Oh, did I mention that, once again, I was going to be a bridesmaid? Well, I was, and damn proud of it too. They say you just can't own too many ugly satin dresses, and I was starting to believe them.
Carrie's sister turned out to be the exact opposite of her. I found this out when Carrie left to go inside and help the "real" women in the kitchen. Janice wasn't the least bit shy and almost looked like she was on the prowl. I watched as she scanned the backyard, and her eyes stopped on the group of guys drinking beer and laughing in the corner of the yard. I followed her stare, which seemed to be settling on Chris.
"Who's tall, dark, and handsome over there? The guy in the white polo shirt," she asked, looking at me with a smile that exposed her curiosity.
"That would be Chris -- our neighbor."
"I see. Very, very nice. Is he married?"
"Nope."
"Seeing anyone?"
I had this funny feeling deep inside, and I can't really describe it, but it almost felt like jealousy. Whatever it was spawned my reply. "Well, he was seeing someone, and they recently broke up."
"Really?" She looked a little too excited about that news, so I continued with my story.
"Yes, Frank thought Chris was fooling around on him, so he left him. It's a shame, really, because they were such a cute couple."
"Frank?"
I nodded and tried not to smile. She smiled uncomfortably at me and said she was going to get something to drink. After she left, I looked over at Chris, who was staring at me, and I waved, thinking it's only fair that if I'm not getting any sex, he shouldn't be either.
"What's with the smirk?" he asked, walking up to me.
"I'm just happy to be alive!"
"Yeah, right -- what evil thing have you done now?"
"You're awfully suspicious, Christopher."
He looked at me and rolled his eyes. "Hey, we're going back to Tim's house after dinner to just hang out -- wanna come?"
"I wish," I said. I really did wish I could because I've always spent more time with Tim and my other brother Jake than with my sister Andrea. Andrea is the oldest, so by the time I came along, she wasn't really interested in playing with me. Instead, I hung out with Tim and Chris and became one of the guys.
"Just stay here for a little while and then tell them that you already made other plans and have to leave early," Chris suggested.
"What other plans? They all know I have no life outside of the hospital."
"Come on, Melissa; you're a clever girl. You can get out of this."
"You could beep me," I said, thinking out loud. I wasn't on duty, but no one knew that but me. (I'm a second year resident at the local hospital and seem to live there most of the time.)
"Consider it done." Chris was grinning at me, which made me slightly suspicious.
"Why is it so important that I'm there?"
"We were just thinking that it would be fun to have one last big drunk before Tim goes off to join the married class. It wouldn't be the same if you weren't there, that's all."
I accepted his answer, but only because Dad yelled that the food was finally ready and my stomach was growling -- the suckers that Gramma gave Chris and me just hadn't been filling at all.
~:~:~
I knocked on Tim's front door and then just walked in, finding the house silent, but I could hear them laughing in the backyard. Stopping at the fridge, I grabbed a beer and headed outside. They were all sitting on the deck, lounging in lawn chairs, and killing themselves laughing.
"Hey," I said, making my presence known.
"Melissa!" Tim yelled. "Come on down, girl!"
"Uh huh," I said, grabbing a chair and pulling it up between Chris and Bruce. Bruce is Tim's best friend, and I used to have a huge crush on him. He actually showed some interest in me about three years ago, and then suddenly, he just became my pal and nothing ever happened. I guess I'll always just be Tim's little sister to him. "So…what are we talking about?"
"We were just discussing which cartoon women we'd most like to boff," Tim said proudly.
"Ahh, a deep intellectual conversation," I said, looking at Chris. "And who did you pick?"
"It's a toss up between Betty Rubble and Judy Jetson. I can't really decide."
Tim started to explain why he thought Wilma Flinstone wouldn't be hot in the sack, and I wondered why I had left my parent's house to listen to this. I could feel someone staring at me and looked over at Mike, who continued drilling holes in me with his eyes even though I was looking right at him. He smiled and I smiled back, trying to be polite. I liked Mike, although I felt like he was always mentally undressing me. He's really shy until you get to know him, and then you realize that it's all a cover-up and he's actually a big pervert.
"Aren't there any other women coming here tonight?" I asked, realizing for the first time that I was the only one who was wearing a bra -- well, that statement might not be totally accurate because I'm pretty sure that Dave is a cross-dresser.
"Nope," said Tim, taking a long swallow of his beer. "It's just us guys tonight."
That's me, just one of the guys -- just five guys and me. Some women might think this a good thing until they figured out all of these men were slightly nuts. I drank my beer quickly, figuring I should try and catch up to them.
"Hey, why don't we go watch the movie I brought," suggested Bruce. He then looked at me and said the weirdest thing, "Sorry, Mel, there's no girl-girl action in this one."
I raised an eyebrow and could hear Chris beside me, clearing his throat. "And that would matter to me because?"
Bruce looked mildly uncomfortable and stuttered out, "Because...well, Chris told me...you know...about your..."
"About my what?" I looked at Chris who was concentrating very hard on peeling the label off his beer bottle. "My what?"
"Your...uhmm...sexual preference."
"My sexual preference? What exactly would my sexual preference be, Bruce?"
Bruce gulped. "Uhmmm, women."
The backyard got very quiet, and I turned my attention to Chris, who was visibly trying hard not to laugh. "Did you tell him I was gay, Chris?"
Chris looked at me. "I'm sorry, Mel; it just kinda slipped out one day."
"I see."
"It's okay, Melissa," Bruce said. "I think it's really cool that you know who you are and what you like. Uhmmm, let's go watch the movie."
I remained seated and so did Chris. Tim stopped beside my chair and leaned down. "You know, Sis, I never would have guessed it," and he walked away, killing himself laughing.
"You have some explaining to do."
"It was just a joke. Everyone but Bruce knows it's not true. I've just never gotten around to telling him otherwise."
"Oh, and it's very funny, Christopher." I started thinking about earlier when I had told Janice about Chris's lover Frank, and it was all I could do not to break out laughing.
"One night, probably about three years ago, Bruce was yacking about the different women around that he really wanted to fuck, and your name was near the top of his list."
"And?"
"And I told him that he'd never have you because you preferred women, that's all."
"Why would you do that?" I asked, quite seriously.
"I dunno...I just didn't like the thought of you and him, I guess. You know him, Mel; he's just out to see how many women he can bang, and that's it."
"Did it ever occur to you that I might have wanted to be banged?"
"Did it ever occur to you that I never want to see you hurt? Especially by a loser like Bruce."
I had never heard Chris call Bruce a loser before. In fact, Chris rarely spoke ill of anyone. "Guess you love me a lot, huh?"
"More than you know," he said and then stood up, offering me his hand. "Come on, girlie, let's go watch some porn."
~:~:~
We each grabbed another beer and went into the living room where the movie had already started to play. The only available seat left was the love seat. (I guess guys don't like to watch porn movies sitting next to each other, or something.) I curled my legs up under me and leaned back, sipping my beer as I watched the opening act.
A man wearing a Lone Ranger mask was riding through the woods when he stumbled upon a scantily clad woman picking apples. Looking at the tree, I couldn't see any visible apples hanging from it, yet the woman had a basket full of bright red ones. This was a tip-off that she was indeed one talented lady. He asked her for directions and then looked down her blouse as she giggled and pointed, telling him which path to follow. She then told him she lived in a small cottage in the same direction and asked if he would take her there because of her fear of bears. She promised that it wouldn't take long to get there.
At this point I cracked up laughing, and everyone in the room stared at me. Apparently, I'm the only one who realized that she's just some slut trying to get the guy back to her place where she would force him to eat her apple pie.
Anyway, the guy helped her up onto his horse, placing her in front of him; she clutched her apple basket as they started riding away. They galloped out of the woods and through a lush green field. The horse was really going fast and so were her breasts -- up and down. I looked over at Tim, who was probably on his seventh beer or so; his head, too, was going up and down.
Suddenly, the Lone Ranger realized that he had this hot babe in front of him and that he wasn't taking full advantage of the situation. His hands slid up her ribs and over her breasts, squeezing them, as he started sucking on her neck. She started moaning, pushing back against him, as he squeezed harder, pulling her nipples through her thin blouse. I was trying to figure out how the horse knew where to go and how the woman remembered to hold her basket while the Lone Ranger was fondling her.
Chris leaned over and said he was getting another beer and asked if I wanted one. I nodded, my eyes transfixed on the screen, wondering how long those apples would stay in that basket. Mr. Ranger unbuttoned her blouse and pulled it back, exposing her overly-implanted breasts to the world. Despite her well-sculpted breasts, I wasn't jealous. I'm pretty happy with my own breasts, although I doubt they get out half as much as Miss Woodland's do.
Chris returned and sat back down, closer to me than before. I hadn't finished my second beer, so he placed the new one on the coffee table and leaned back, putting his arm around the back of the couch behind me. This really wasn't unusual for him since he's always been a very touchy-I've-gotta-be-close-to-you kind of guy. Although since he and I had never watched a porn movie together, I wasn't quite sure what his plans were.
Ranger squeezed one breast and started pulling her long, loose skirt up with his other hand as the horse just kept on going like a homing pigeon.
"Didn't she say she lived just down the path?" I asked, wanting to make sure I was getting the full impact of the story. "They've gone about forty miles now."
"Shush," Tim said, leaning forward in his chair.
Bruce was sitting back in the reclining chair, Dave was lying on the floor in front of the TV so he could feel like he was really there, and Mike was sprawled out on the couch. I shushed and continued to watch as her skirt was pulled up over her thighs, and her well-groomed pubic area was exposed. Apparently, Miss Woodchuck didn't believe in wearing any panties when she picked apples. (It was probably a family tradition or something.) Somehow, Ranger-Boy managed to hold her skirt up and push her forward, which was when we got to see a close-up of her rubbing against the horn of the saddle. (I'm not a country girl, but I'm pretty sure this is not what saddle horns are meant for.) I wondered where the camera was and how they were pulling off such good shots when I realized something very disturbing.
"Hey, where did her basket of apples go?"
Chris snickered and pulled me tight against him as Tim shushed me again. At that point, I was able to answer Chris's earlier question when he was wondering if Tim and Carrie had been having sex or not. I'm guessing NOT.
I started on my third beer -- happy when Miss Woodland Creature's cottage finally came into view. The bouncing on the horse was starting to get to me. Ranger jumped off Tonto -- no, wait, that would be Silver, the horse. Wasn't Tonto the Indian? Anyway, he jumped off the horse, and as they zoomed in on the woodland babe, she had the damned basket of apples in her hand! I couldn't believe it and let out a huge gasp. Talk about your flawed movies! As she swung her leg around the horse, sitting sidesaddle, she found she couldn't get down off the horse because the Lone Ranger now had his face buried between her legs, limiting her movement. I thought that was kind of rude of him, but she didn't seem to mind. In her immense pleasure, I'm sorry to report that she dropped the basket of apples and it hit the ground.
"This is so stupid," I groaned.
Bruce gave me a look that said, "If the Lone Ranger was being played by a woman, you wouldn't think so," and then turned back to the TV. Chris's fingers were lightly stroking my bare arm, sending little shivers up and down my spine. I looked at him through the corner of my eye, trying to see how hard he was concentrating on the movie. Much to my surprise, he was looking at me and not the TV.
"How come the horse isn't eating the apples?" I asked.
Chris grinned. "They can only shoot one thing being eaten at a time."
"Makes sense," I whispered back to him. "When is it the horse's turn?"
"I don't think it's that kind of movie," he said, and I elbowed him hard.
We watched as Miss Woody had one hell of a fake orgasm, and then Ranger pulled her off the horse while asking her if she was hungry for a little meat. I slapped my hand over my mouth, stopping the huge roaring laugh that just about came out. I didn't want to be shushed again -- three shushes and you're out, I think.
As luck would have it, for the Ranger anyway, Miss W. had been living on apples way too long and was definitely hungry for a little beef. "Little," however, didn't befit him because when she dropped to her knees right there in front of her little cottage and whipped out her next meal -- well, I just about fainted. We are talking one monstrous beast, and how she ever got even half of that thing down her throat, I'll never know. I was proud of her and forgave her for dropping the apples at that point. Chris moved his hand back and forth in front of my face, and I slapped it away.
"I thought your eyes might be stuck," he whispered.
"Shush," I said, leaning forward and finishing off my beer. I was trying to figure out why she wasn't gagging. She had to be one of those people who could relax her throat muscles enough to be unaffected by twelve inches of throbbing man being shoved down it.
Ranger Rick decided that he didn't want to cum in her mouth, so he pulled her up and leaned her over a conveniently placed fence, or maybe it was a hitching post -- whatever the hell that is. She bent over it, and he moved behind her, hiking up her skirt and slapping her ass. Had she been smart, she would have turned around and decked him, but she seemed to like it because she moaned as we got to see a close-up of her pouty lips.
She moved her feet far apart, sticking her ass up into the air as he held his huge cock and rubbed it up and down between her very wet looking lips. I shifted in my seat, suddenly realizing that it had been a very long time since I'd had sex. I was no longer concerned if the horse was eating the apples, but was wondering what it would feel like to frolic with the Lone Ranger.
A close-up shot showed us that Missy was able to take all of Ranger, and he started really banging into her. I started feeling a little uncomfortable and squeezed my thighs together, wondering why the movie was turning me on so much.
"Ten to one he cums all over her ass," Chris whispered into my ear. He's such a betting man.
"Why wouldn't he just cum inside of her?" I asked seriously.
"Never happens," he informed me. Apparently, he's an expert on cum shots or something. "The men always cum all over the woman -- porn rules."
This was only the second adult film I'd ever watched; I don't really remember the first. I was twenty-one, working on finishing my BSc before entering Med School, and had been up all night studying. I had exams that day and by the time the movie came on, I saw about ten minutes of it and fell asleep. My girlfriends didn't care; they just shoved me aside. Apparently, they enjoyed the movie because they were all looking for new batteries the next day.
I kept watching the screen, silently cheering him on and wishing that he'd just cum and get it over with -- the scene was starting to get old. Finally, after what seemed like an hour, he pulled his cock out, stroked it a few times, and came all over Miss Woodland's firm butt…just as Chris had predicted.
"Wow," Tim said. "Remind me to go horseback riding soon."
I was about to tell him that he'd be riding soon enough, but deemed that too rude even for me. As I sat there watching the screen, two new people showed up on the screen.
"I'm going outside for some air," I whispered to Chris and quickly escaped the living room, which had suddenly become very hot. After three beers I was feeling pretty relaxed -- that's the thing about being small, you get drunk fast.
Once outside, I walked to the back fence and leaned against it, looking into the dark field behind Tim's house. The night was quiet, with only a few sounds of the city disturbing it.
"Holding the fence up?"
I jumped and turned around. "Stop doing that! I hate when you sneak up on me."
"I'll buy a bell and wear it around my neck," Chris said. I turned back around and felt him right behind me.
"Is the movie over?"
"No, just boring," he said as he rested his chin on my head. "Delta phoned me today."
"Why?"
"They offered me a job again."
"Same one?"
"No, this time they want me in management."
"Are you going to take it?"
Chris wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me close. "I don't know. The money is very appealing, and it would mean that I could move back here."
I thought about what it would be like to have Chris back here again and smiled, feeling very warm. I've missed the closeness and the comfort of being able to just see him whenever I want. "Is there anything holding you where you are now?"
"No," he whispered.
Something strange happened to me, and I suddenly became this emotionally charged person in a way that I'm completely uncomfortable with. I turned around in Chris's arms and looked up at him. He smiled down at me softly.
"Then come back," I whispered, and seconds later, we were kissing in a way that we had never kissed before. My arms were wrapped around his neck, and he held me tightly against his body; we kissed each other passionately.
"That's a great idea," he said, pushing me back against the fence as his lips devoured mine again. It felt strange, but at the same time, it felt so right. I pulled back and tried to catch my breath, wondering what the hell brought that on.
"Uhhh, Chris?"
"Yes?" he asked as he brushed my hair back from my face.
"Do you think we've had too much to drink?"
He kissed my forehead and then hugged me tight. "I don't think so, Melissa. I don't think we can blame this on alcohol."
"Damn," I whispered, rubbing his back. I was pretty turned on, and I couldn't say if it was the movie or what was happening between Chris and me. I wasn't sure which was the worst case scenario.
"Hey, guys! Get your asses in here; we're going to send Tim off into married life in style! Come on!"
I reluctantly let Chris go. "I say we send Bruce out in style -- let's run him over with a car or something."
Chris laughed and took my hand, dragging me to the house. "Nah, then you'd just get beeped and have to go to the hospital and put him back together again."
"I'm picturing sewing body parts back on in the wrong spots, Chris, and quite enjoying it."
He stopped walking and gathered me back into his arms. He leaned down and kissed me again -- a soft kiss full of electricity and emotion. My legs felt weak, and my head started to spin. I was trying to recover from the kiss when he said, "Melissa, can we talk about what happened? Not right now, because I need to hide my car keys from you, but later?"
"Sure," I said brightly, although I was dreading the conversation because I would probably find out a few things that I really didn't want to know. Not from Chris, but myself.
~:~:~
I woke up the next morning and tried to focus on the ceiling. That in itself was a chore, and when I tried to remember the night before, it actually hurt. "Sending Tim off in style" had turned out to be a dangerous game of seeing who could get alcohol poisoning first. There was some comfort in my being a resident, but somehow I think it would have been more comforting if I could have remembered my name.
I turned my head, looked at the clock, and jumped off the couch, immediately regretting it -- not because I stepped on Chris but because of the wave of nausea that washed over me. I grabbed the arm of the couch, trying to stop the room from spinning, and Chris mumbled and rolled over, not waking up. Looking down at him, I had this vague feeling that I should be remembering something from the night before, but it escaped me as to what that was.
My head stopped spinning, and I stood up, weaving slightly. It was almost 9:00 a.m., and the women folk were all supposed to meet at the hairdressers at 8:30. I was in big trouble.
I made it to the hairdressers in record time, thinking of my alibi all the way there so when my mother gave me "the look" I could explain to her why I was late -- okay, so I was going to lie. When I entered the shop, I couldn't help but notice how everyone was staring at me.
"Good morning," I said weakly.
"Good morning, Melissa. You do realize that you're almost forty-five minutes late, don't you?" The hairdresser was removing some curlers from my mother's hair, and I'm pretty sure she was giving me "the look" too.
Deep breath. "I know and I'm sorry, Mom, but something came up, and this was the quickest that I could get here."
"You're still wearing the same clothes you had on last night!"
"I realize that." Actually, I hadn't realized that, but I was trying hard not to crack under her glare. "I haven't been home yet. I had a rough night, and I'd rather not think about it," I said quite honestly. I didn't want to think about it at all because it hurt too much. My head was pounding, and it was taking every ounce of energy I had to try and stand up straight.
I sat down in a chair and looked over at Carrie. She smiled at me and I smiled back. She looked gorgeous. Her long black hair was piled on top of her head with some long curls cascading down the side. She was sitting very still as the hairdresser was trying to secure her veil to the top of her head. Beyond Carrie, the other three attendants and Carrie's mother were also getting their hair done.
A guy walked up to me. "I guess you are mine then. My name is Kevin. Follow me please."
I stood up and followed him, dropping quickly into the chair he was standing behind. After placing a big plastic bib around my neck, he pumped the chair up so I was at a level where he could perform his magic. The chair pumping just about made me throw up.
He started brushing my hair, looking at me in the mirror. "You have beautiful hair, and I see you're a natural blonde."
I smiled at him and looked into the mirror next to mine. Janice smiled at me, wincing as the woman who was doing her hair twisted it hard and clipped it.
"How would you like your hair done?" he asked, studying me from all angles.
"Actually, that looks good, thanks."
His mouth dropped. "But all I did was brush it!"
"I think that's all it needed," I said hopefully.
He laughed. "Oh, you silly girl!"
At that point I was thinking about taking a curling iron and shoving it up his...nose. I was not a silly girl. I was a woman with a huge, self-inflicted hangover who wanted nothing more than to curl up and die somewhere.
"Do whatever you want," I said, defeated.
He actually jumped up and down and clapped his hands a couple of times. I should have been scared at that point, but I was trying to concentrate on only one thing: holding onto the chair in hope that it would stop spinning. For the next half-hour, Kevin played with my hair. Just when I thought he had decided on a style, he'd pull out all of the clips, and we'd be back to square one again.
"We'll see you back at Carrie's parents' place," my mother said, still eyeing me suspiciously.
"Okay. I have to drop by my apartment and get my dress, and then I'll be right there."
"Try not to get distracted along the way, Melissa," she said and then left.
Kevin pinned most of my hair on top of my head, leaving it very loose. He then pulled down a few trestles around my face and curled them. Standing in front of me, he trimmed a little off my bangs, gave them a quick curl, and stood back and smiled.
"Beautiful!" he exclaimed. Then he did something I could have killed him for. He grabbed the back of the chair and spun me around. He stood with a mirror behind me, actually thinking that I could focus on it.
"Wonderful," I said, pulling off the bib. I stepped out of the chair and slowly made my way to the cash register, following Kevin, who just seemed to bounce everywhere. I paid him and put on my sunglasses, heading back out into the very bright world.
~:~:~
I went back to my apartment, swallowed a couple Advil, and decided to take a shower. I looked at my hair in the mirror and decided that it actually looked pretty good -- it set off my red eyes perfectly. I didn't want to ruin all of Kevin's hard work and tried to figure out how I was going to accomplish that since I didn't have a shower cap. (I'm not going to tell you that I used a grocery bag because then you'd probably think I was strange.)
Carrie's parents have this beautiful house just outside the city limits. It is surrounded by trees and flowers with a huge pond off to one side. Being there always makes me feel like part of a Disney movie -- at any moment I am sure that a bluebird is going to land on my shoulder.
The wedding was at 11:30, and everyone was a nervous wreck, except me, because I think the drugs were starting to kick in. Janice showed me to a room where I could get ready, and as I sat at the little makeup table, I kept looking over at the bed longingly. I was applying my eye shadow when a flashback from the previous night hit me like a truck. Chris had kissed me. I had kissed Chris. Chris and I had kissed, and I had enjoyed it! My head started to spin again. I tried very hard not to think about it and finished applying my makeup. My hair was still holding up, and I didn't look as pale after a few coats of foundation.
I stripped out of my jeans and tee shirt and slowly pulled on my thigh high nylons, taking great care not to put a run in them since I only brought one pair. I pulled the dress out of the garment bag and wondered if I had really agreed to wear something that was dark purple. Slipping it on, I tried to do up the zipper at the back but couldn't coordinate my hands. There was a knock on the door, and I yelled for them to come in, figuring it was my mother.
"Hey."
"Chris."
He smiled. "Yeah, that would be me."
"What are you doing here?" I asked, still fumbling with the zipper.
"I'm the delivery boy."
"Delivery boy in a tux? How classy." I couldn't seem to sound normal because I couldn't stop thinking about him kissing me.
"Do you need some help with that?"
Did I want him that close to me again? What if he tried to kiss me -- would I respond? It wasn't my best friend Chris in front of me anymore -- it was a tall, extremely good looking guy in a tuxedo who had the most incredible green eyes and a smile that could melt butter. I shook my head, hoping to stop those thoughts.
"Mel?"
"Yes?"
"The zipper?"
"Oh right, sure, thanks." I turned around, and he moved behind me, slowly pulling the zipper up.
"There you go," he said, and I turned to him. "I must say, you look absolutely gorgeous."
I looked in the mirror. "I look like a grape with blonde hair." The dresses were three-quarter length with a fairly tight bodice and flowing skirt -- typical bridesmaid's gear. Either you looked frumpy compared to the bride, or you looked like a slut. It was the year of the frumpy look for me.
"No, you really look beautiful," he said. "I'm going to be one proud guy walking down the aisle with you on my arm."
I looked at him, waiting for the joke -- none came. I wasn't sure what to say -- this wasn't our usual banter, and he was looking at me differently, almost like I was a woman or something.
"Chris?"
"Yes?"
"About last night," I said, feeling my mouth going dry. "About the kiss..."
"Yes?"
Raging hormones took over my body, and there was no controlling them. I fought them -- I told them to go back to wherever they came from, and I thought it worked until I heard someone, who sounded an awful lot like me, say, "Do it again."
~:~:~
All through the wedding I kept looking over at Chris, wondering when things had changed. When did I stop thinking of him as my buddy and start getting jealous when it came to him and anyone of the female persuasion who wasn't me? Yesterday hadn't been the first time that I'd changed a woman's mind about pursuing Chris. He winked at me, and I smiled, hoping that Mike, who was standing behind him, didn't think I was smiling at him.
The little church was getting hot, and my palms were sweating, holding a big bouquet of white silk roses. I kept praying that the wedding would end soon -- just kiss her and let's get out of here. My head was screaming, but on the exterior, I'm sure I looked very calm, cool, and collected. I must have blacked out, because suddenly there was a big group sigh behind me and Tim and Carrie were kissing. It was so beautiful, so sweet, and about freaking time!
Outside, people pelted us with rice and birdseed. Not only was it environmentally friendly, but I was also getting hungry and pondered a few of the sunflower seeds. We finally made it to Chris's car. I really wanted to be alone with him, but Mike and Janice joined us.
The next five hours were pretty much a blur. We went back to Carrie's parents' place and had about a bazillion pictures taken in every pose and location that you could possibly imagine. They had hired some little weasel photographer who was getting his jollies out of touching all the women. At one point, while he was "posing" me, his hand brushed over my breast. I quietly informed him that if he did that again, I would make sure the last pose he'd ever be in was in the fetal position after I kicked him. Let's just say that I was in no mood for any of the day's festivities. I tried very hard to make it look like I was having a good time, and I scolded myself for drinking so much the night before, but it didn't help. I was bitchy, and quite frankly, I was horny.
When Joe Photographer finally ran out of film, we all headed to the country club where we would be having dinner and would be dancing the night away. Once again, I rode with Chris, who shoved me in his car and then took off before anyone could get in the backseat.
"In a hurry?" I asked, doing up my seatbelt. "By the way, the club is in the other direction."
"Really? Hmmm, I guess I'll have to find somewhere to turn around then."
He drove a few miles, missing several opportunities to turn around. Finally, he pulled over into a grass-covered lane that led into a field. He turned off the car, undid his seatbelt, and turned towards me.
"We need to talk, Melissa."
I knew it was serious when he called me by my full name. "What is it, Christopher?"
"This," he said and pulled me over to him, kissing me hard. I wrapped my arms around his neck, kissing him back and trying to ignore the seatbelt, which was choking me. He moaned against my mouth, his fingers fumbling with something, and suddenly, I was no longer being choked. His arms held me tight as our tongues began to explore each other's mouth. The car started rolling backwards, and he pulled away from me quickly, pulling up the emergency brake.
"What the hell is happening?" he asked, panting slightly.
"I think you knocked the shift into neutral," I said, trying to be helpful.
"I mean between us, Melissa."
"Oh." He was asking the wrong person because I was as confused as he seemed to be. I was actually hoping he had the answer to that.
"For the past couple of months, ever since we were at Jenny's birthday party together, I've been thinking about you. You're on my mind constantly..."
"I thought you said that sex was on your mind constantly."
"Exactly."
I gulped. "You've been having your way with me in your mind?" I was trying to make light of the conversation, hoping in some odd way that he was teasing me.
"Over and over again, Melissa."
"Am I any good?" I smiled, but he didn't smile back. "Is it more than just sex, Chris? I mean, are you just wanting to live out that fantasy, or are you looking to explore what could be between us?" Where the hell did that come from? I asked it, but I certainly didn't want to hear the answer.
"It's more," he whispered, brushing his lips against mine. "So much more."
"Chris?"
"Yes?"
"I have two confessions. First, I told Janice you had a lover named Frank. Second, I'm having a hard time dealing with the fact that I really, really want to fuck you right now."
Chris pulled back and blinked. "You told Janice about Frank? Damn it, Melissa, you know that's supposed to be a secret." He grinned and moved back close to me, kissing down my neck.
"Chris?"
"Hmm?"
"I refuse to have sex with you in your car while dressed like a grape."
He looked up at me and smiled. "What if we get rid of the grape?"
I looked at my watch. "We're going to be late and my mother will give me 'the look' again, and frankly, I just about died after the last one. We better go."
"Actually, Mel, I had other plans."
"Well, they better include getting us to the club really quickly."
He sighed and sat up, starting the car. I stared out the window and watched as the world went by, wondering if it would ever stop.
~:~:~
Dinner consisted of a lot of glass clinking, requiring that Tim and Carrie kiss. The men sat on one side of the table and we women on the other. I was stuck between Janice and Debra, Carrie's maid of honor. The crowd, a rambunctious bunch, decided they'd had enough of the bride and groom kissing. Now the rest of the wedding party should all kiss their partners, too. Debra seemed horrified that she would have to kiss Bruce and gave him a quick peck before scampering back to her seat. When the time came for me to kiss Chris, he grabbed me and dipped me, kissing me hard on the mouth. The sex-starved crowd clinked their glasses harder, and after a few moments, Chris finally let me up for air.
The meal seemed to take forever to end, and then, of course, we had to sit through the boring speeches. I tried to keep a smile on my face while wishing they'd all just shut up and get on with it. I was starting to get tired.
Finally, the dishes were cleared away, and someone unplugged the microphone so the speeches had to stop -- that broke my heart. The club employees started herding us to another room, where there was a huge dance floor with a bunch of tables around it -- there was also a bar. I had avoided all wine during dinner and faked drinking it during each toast. The smell of it was enough to make me nauseous.
"Dance with me," Chris said, wrapping his arms around me from behind.
"Shouldn't we wait until they dim the lights or at least until some music is playing?"
"If we must," he said, letting out a huge sigh. "Hey, let's go grab a table."
He took my hand, and we started walking towards the back of the room when Aunt Gwen cut us off.
"I just have to say that you two look so wonderful! Wasn't that just the most beautiful wedding you've ever been to? And the food! Don't even get me started on the food! Are you okay, Melissa? You're looking a little pale. Are you thinking that someday you'll be the one in the white dress?"
I would have kicked her, but I had taken an oath to do my best to heal the sick and hurting her seemed counter-productive.
"I'm fine, Aunt Gwen, just a little tired."
"Maybe you should find somewhere to lay down for a little while, Dear. Christopher, why don't you find some place for her to lay down."
"I'm working on it, Gwen," Chris said, squeezing my hand.
"You're such a good boy," she said. "I'm going to go look at the cake again. Isn't that a beautiful cake? Have you ever seen such a display?"
She took off, leaving me wondering if we were actually supposed to answer any of those questions. My guess was no.
"Come on, Mel, I'm going to follow Gwen's orders and lay you...down." He snickered, and I belted him.
Trying to move across the room turned out to be a challenge. Everyone kept stopping us, and some had the nerve to actually want to have conversations! Couldn't they see that I just wanted to crawl up in a corner and go to sleep? Damn that Gramma too; she wanted to take a picture of Chris and me, and it took her ten minutes to figure out which way the camera was supposed to go. Eventually we made it to a table, tucked back in the corner.
"Is this day over yet?" I asked, sliding down in my chair.
"Awww, come on, Mel, it's been a wonderful day. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and soon the stars will come out and introduce a wonderful evening."
I looked at him. "Thank you, Mr. Rogers. Can I go home now?"
"Mind if we join you?" someone asked.
I smiled up at Jake. "Sure, as long as Aunt Gwen isn't part of your party."
Lisa laughed and sat down. "Last time we saw her, she was following Tim and Carrie."
"Serves them right for inviting her," I said.
Lisa went to get everyone a drink -- everyone but me, that is. I sat back and listened to Jake and Chris, who share the same profession: mechanical engineering. Personally, I think it's an excuse for big boys to play with big toys, but that's just my opinion. Chris was telling Jake about Delta's offer when Lisa returned with a tray of drinks. She passed me a large glass of water and smiled. Lisa is so thoughtful and very motherly in a good way.
"Rough night last night?" she whispered.
I nodded and drank half of the glass of water. "A tad too much to drink at Tim's last night."
She laughed and then raised her brow, "Hey, I thought the hospital beeped you last night when you had to leave."
"Did I at any point say that it was the hospital?" I knew I was getting off on a technicality, but somehow it seemed less like lying to me.
Lisa thought about it. "Well, you got beeped, you looked at your beeper, and then said that you had to go. Nope, I guess you didn't! Bad Melissa! Bad girl!" Lisa started killing herself laughing, amusing herself.
Jake and Chris looked at us, and we both smiled innocently and then started to whisper again.
"I couldn't stay there, so I made other plans -- ones to escape."
Lisa giggled. "So you hung out with the boys?"
"Yeah. The only one missing was Jake. He takes his job too seriously, you know."
"I know; he's so damn loyal." She smiled over at her husband and then back at me. "It must run in your family."
"Jake was adopted," I whispered. "Don't tell him that because he'll cry or something."
"Okay, what are you two snickering about?" Jake asked and we both stopped laughing and looked at him.
"Sex," I said, trying to keep a straight face.
"I'm not sure it's a good sign when my wife and sister discuss sex and find it so damn funny," Jake said, eyeing us.
We were saved by the DJ announcing that Tim and Carrie would be dancing the first dance and that their attendants could join in upon his next announcement. He seemed a little bossy, but I guess he was the one running the show.
The crowd formed a big circle around the dance floor, and we watched as Tim and Carrie danced close. They were a beautiful couple. Chris had his arm around my waist, and I knew he was staring at me. I could feel his eyes boring into me, and when I looked at him, he smiled.
I didn't understand what was happening between us. For almost twenty-five years we'd been nothing but best friends. We'd laughed, cried, shared our deepest secrets, and had been in trouble together, and now we were apparently moving on to another step. A big step. A huge step. A step so large I wasn't sure I could handle it. What if we started to date and found out we didn't like each other that way? Would it end our friendship? Would we end up hating each other? Was it worth it? On the other hand, what if it turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to either of us? I was so confused. I wanted to do what was right for both of us, but I couldn't determine what that was.
"Would the attendants please join in now."
Chris pulled me to the dance floor and wrapped his arms around me, ignoring formal dancing. I wrapped my arms around his neck and leaned against him, enjoying the closeness. He sighed, and I asked him what was wrong.
"Nothing," he whispered into my ear.
We continued to dance into the next song, and I pressed my face into Chris's neck. He held me tight, and I started feeling a little turned on as his body rubbed against mine. Smiling to myself, I started kissing his neck, tasting his skin with my tongue as I flicked it against him. His fingers dug into my back, and I started nibbling. His body was warm against mine -- warm and hard. I could feel every inch of him pressed against me as I kissed up to his ear and started sucking on his earlobe.
Chris moaned and moved his hands further down my back. "If you don't stop that, I'm going to take you right here on the dance floor."
I laughed and leaned my head back. "Well, that would give Aunt Gwen something new to talk about."
"I'm serious, Melissa. If you don't stop doing that, you're in big trouble."
I smiled and leaned back against him, wondering if I was going to enjoy being in big trouble. My lips found his earlobe again and went around it. I teased it with my tongue, and Chris squeezed me tight and then pulled me off of him.
"Okay, little Missy, that's it." He grabbed my hand and pulled me out of the room and down the stairs that led to the front door.
"Hey, where are you taking me?" I asked, trying to keep up with him, which was proving difficult since he walked fast and I was wearing heels.
"I warned you," he said as we exited through the front doors and then headed right. The parking lot was to the left, so I was confused.
"Chris, it's hard to walk on the grass in these heels -- slow down."
He stopped, let go of my hand, and picked me up in his arms. I wrapped my arms around his neck and attacked his earlobe again. He groaned and walked faster. I didn't pay any attention to our surroundings until he stopped...that's when I realized we were out on the golf course. He set me down and smiled.
"Are we going to play golf?"
"It's a little too dark for that, Melissa."
"Then what are we doing out here?" For some reason, I needed to hear him say it.
"We're going to make love."
My heart started flipping. "We are?"
"Oh yes."
"You and me?"
"Uh huh."
"Together?"
"Very much."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. Are you sure?"
"Am I sure that I want you to make love to me?"
"Yes."
"Am I sure that I want to feel you inside me? Feel your lips and hands all over my body?"
Chris groaned. "Yes."
"Feel you..." I couldn't finish that sentence because he started to kiss me, probably needing to shut me up. Okay, so I was nervous, and when I'm nervous, I tend to talk a lot. As we kissed, I started pulling his jacket off over his shoulders. He moved his arms back, and I pulled it off him and tossed it onto the grass. I'm sure it wasn't the first tuxedo to be returned with grass stains on it.
Chris's hands were fumbling with the zipper of my dress as I yanked off his bow tie and tossed it with his jacket. I undid the buttons of his shirt and was pulling it out of his pants when he finally got the zipper down. His hands were hot against my back, setting my skin on fire. We kept kissing, our tongues lashing out as our lips mashed together. I could feel Chris feeling the back strap on my bra, looking for the snap, which he would never find there since it was at the front.
He pulled back, and we were both panting. I ran my hands over his chest, feeling his light hair beneath my fingers. Leaning forward, I kissed the nape of his neck, and then dragged my tongue down his chest. His fingers clenched the back of my head as I moved over to a nipple and circled it with my tongue. We could hear the music playing in the club house, and I hoped that no one would feel the need to take a walk around the course.
Chris pulled me back up to him. "I'm honestly not sure how much of this I can take, Melissa."
"Let's find out," I whispered as I undid the button from his pants and pulled down the zipper. Slipping my hand in, I rubbed my palm against his briefs, feeling him throb beneath them. He moaned as he pulled the top of my dress down, and I moved my arms, letting it fall around my waist before returning my focus back to his pants. His hands moved to my breasts, squeezing them gently as his fingers worked their way to my hard nipples. It felt so good when he squeezed them through my silky bra. I could feel the sensation running down my body and between my legs. Not bothering to undo my bra, he pulled my breasts out of the cups and rubbed my nipples between his fingers. I moaned and moved my hand inside of his briefs, grabbing his hard cock and stroking it gently at first. The harder he pinched and pulled, the faster I stroked. His cock was hard and throbbing in my hand, and like him, I wasn't sure how much I could take.
"I need you so badly," he moaned as he grabbed me and laid me down on his jacket. He moved between my open legs, bringing his mouth down to my nipple and sucking on it hard. I pulled on his hair, and then pushed his mouth harder against my breast as my body arched against him.
I kicked off my heels and brought my legs up, hooking my feet into the waistband of his pants and pushing them down. His teeth sunk into my nipple, and I brought my legs back up, wrapping them tightly around his hips. Chris moved over to my other nipple, teasing it with his tongue, as he tried to pull the skirt of my dress up around my waist. I loosened my leg grip so he could move it, and then felt the night air against my hot body. His hand moved up my thigh, and then his fingers were against the crotch of my panties, rubbing. I was so wet that the material slipped between my lips and rubbed against my clit.
"Oh God," I moaned, pushing myself against his hand. His fingers slipped around the elastic and between my lips. I whimpered and pulled his hair as his finger sunk deeper between my lips and came in contact with my clit. He rubbed and sucked, driving me nuts. My body bucked beneath his as my fingernails clawed down his shirt.
"My God, Melissa," he moaned as he pushed his finger inside me. My body tensed, and I held him there, my mind spinning with desire.
"Chris..." I wanted to tell him. I wanted him to know, and yet I couldn't form the words. "Chris..." I tried again, and he started pumping his finger in and out of me, and I lost the thought. I was so turned on that I couldn't think of anything. My body took over, moving against him, as I closed my eyes and began to feel a wave rushing over my body. Grabbing his shirt in my hands, I arched up and held his finger inside me as I began to cum. His lips were suddenly over mine, kissing me hard, as he pounded his finger into me. I bit his lip and pulled my head back, screaming as my orgasm released and left me shuddering.
"Mmmmm..." he whispered into my ear, slowly removing his finger and rubbing it up and down my slit. I could feel my juices running down my ass as I clung to him, my body still shaking as he pulled my panties off.
Chris started kissing me again, and this time I didn't bite him. His mouth was hot against mine, his tongue probing as his finger had. I rubbed against him, kissing him hard and wanting more. Every nerve ending in my body had come alive and craved him. I wiggled down a little and then wrapped my legs around his waist and started rubbing my pussy against his cock. He moaned into my mouth, this time biting my lip, as he raised his hips a little and then moved forward. I could feel the head of his cock sliding down my pussy and then felt the pressure as he slowly entered me. I couldn't wait and tightened my legs around his waist harder and pushed myself up, driving his cock deep inside me. We both moaned and stopped moving for a second.
"You feel so good," he whispered into my ear as he started moving his hips up and down. "So wet, Melissa...so hot...God, you feel so good..."
I listened to his words, unable to form any myself. He started moving faster, driving his cock deep inside me, and I arched, wanting more. I moved my hands under his shirt and started scratching down his back. When my hands reached his ass, my fingernails digging into his flesh pulling him down into me, he growled. He moved his arms under my shoulders, holding them as he fucked me harder. Our bodies slammed against each other, the heat of our skin combining.
"Chris!" I gasped, digging my nails in harder. I thumped hard up against him feeling my pussy contracting around his cock. "Oh God, Chris!"
"Melissa..." he breathed in my ear before he started kissing across my cheek. When his lips hit mine, we devoured each other. Our bodies were moving in the perfect dance as we approached the end of the song. Chris started to tense; I could feel his whole body going hard as I struggled below him. I started rocking from side to side, unwrapping my legs from around him, and he grabbed me and rolled over onto his back. I pulled my knees up and put my hands on his chest, bouncing up and down on him. He reached up and pulled my nipples as my fingernails raked down his chest. I rocked back and forth and then moved up and down, feeling him trying to keep up. His hands slid down to my hips, and he held them tight, slamming my body down onto his.
"Chris...I'm going..." I muttered as I pushed myself down onto him and held the position. My head went back, and my mouth opened, releasing a scream as my thighs tightened against his hips. I could feel the wave crashing down on me at the same time Chris started whispering my name over and over again. He pushed his hips up twice, and then his fingers dug into my skin as he started to shake hard. I could feel his cock jerking inside me, and I started rocking again as we both came hard.
Panting, I dropped down onto him and he held me tight, rubbing my back as we both tried to catch our breath. I no longer wondered if what we were doing was right, and no, it wasn't just the terrific sex. Something told me that we were meant to make it to this point and that it was very right. I no longer felt afraid or overwhelmed about what was happening between us. It happened because it was meant to be.
I moved and looked down at Chris, smiling at him. "Had I known you were that good, I would have jumped you a long time ago."
He laughed and pushed my hair back from my face. "Had I known that you could bite so hard, I would have taken precautions."
"Did I mention that I love you very much?" I asked.
"I don't think you did," he said, pulling my head down and kissing the tip of my nose. "I love you, Melissa, and I've loved you for a very long time. Recently, I decided to throw caution to the wind and just pursue you. You just weren't picking up the hints."
"What hints?" Had there been hints? I think not! I would have known -- really!
"Like when I asked you to be my date at Tim's wedding. Or the other night when I called you just to tell you I missed you and couldn't wait to see you again."
"We have no social lives, Chris, so when you asked me to Tim's wedding, I assumed it was just because you couldn't get a date. And you always tell me that you miss me when you call."
"Well, how about a month ago when I asked you to marry me?"
"Ha! You've asked me that before."
"When?"
I thought about it. "When we were eight and you said if we were married we wouldn't have to go to school."
Chris hugged me tight. "Okay, so I'm not the best hinter in the world."
"You have other qualities that make up for it." I grinned at him and then remembered that we were in the middle of a golf course, naked. "We better get back to the wedding before someone misses us!"
"I guess," he said, letting me go.
I rolled over onto my side and looked at Chris, who was grinning smugly at me. "Now you sound like Aunt Gwen, and let me tell you, that's nothing to be proud of."
"I like your Aunt Gwen; she always tells me how big I'm getting."
"Christopher, you're twenty-nine years old -- such things shouldn't thrill you anymore."
He shrugged and put his hands behind his head, yawning. "Doesn't matter, Mel; we guys always like it when women tell us how big we are."
I groaned and rolled over on my back, looking through my sunglasses at the white, fluffy clouds forming in the otherwise blue sky. The sun was warm and it probably would have been unbearable if there hadn't been a gentle July breeze blowing softly. I thought about what Chris had said and felt depressed again. He was right: I was to be the only single sibling left in my family -- with no signs of my status changing anytime soon.
Chris started to snore softly, and I pondered him. We met when we were in kindergarten and became friends because of our mutual love of bugs and frogs. Our parents became fast friends when Chris's family moved next door, and we ended up spending a lot of time at each other's house. He was my best friend and, at times, my worst enemy. When we are getting along, he is the most precious friend in the world to me, but he has this annoying habit of always being right; frankly, that really pisses me off.
I remember when we were in grade school: I overheard our mothers talking and saying that one day Chris and I would probably get married. That thought horrified me then and still does to this day. Don't get me wrong: I like Chris a lot, but I'm not sure I could spend the rest of my life chained to him. If I really break it down and analyze it, I guess it's because we know almost everything there is to know about each other and that's one scary thought. The pictures that our parents have of us playing in a three-ring blowup pool, completely naked, don't help, either. Suffice to say there are no secrets between us, although it's been many years since we've bared our bodies to each other.
A car pulled into the driveway, and I sat up, wondering who had arrived.
"I hope it's Aunt Gwen," Chris said, yawning again as he sat up beside me. "I need that little ego boost."
I pulled my knees up under my chin, hugging my legs. "If you're really lucky, it'll be Gramma, and she'll give you a sucker."
"Oh boy! Actually, I like your Grandmother too; she's one hell of a kisser."
I didn't take the bait -- I learned that lesson a long time ago. "If you're really lucky, she'll have her teeth in."
Chris grinned at me. "What's on for tonight, anyway?"
"Well, you guys are probably going to go out and get drunk, ogle naked women, and masturbate like crazy later when you're alone, and we women will probably sit around and sip punch, exchange recipes, and eventually die of boredom."
"Too bad you can't cook, huh? Actually, maybe you could pick up on a few tips tonight."
"I can't believe Tim is getting married," I said, changing the subject. I'm pretty sure that not all women are supposed to know how to cook. Some of us are meant for bigger and better things, or at least I'm hoping so.
"I wonder if they're having sex yet."
"The whole world doesn't revolve around sex, you know."
"Mine does."
"Seriously?"
"Oh yeah. There are those rare times that I'm not thinking about sex, but basically, someone is fornicating in my brain constantly."
I shook my head and was about to comment when I heard the voice. No, it wasn't a voice detached from a living body -- those voices usually just come to me when I'm alone. No, it was the voice of my Aunt Gwen -- Chris's dream girl.
"Melissa!" she squealed from across the yard, giving me ample time to stand up and prepare myself for the hugging blow I was about to receive.
"Aunt Gwen!" I tried to match her tone, but that would take stubbing my toe on something really hard just to hit the right octave.
"Look at you!" she said as she grabbed me and hugged me with the force of a python hugging a mouse. "My goodness! Little Melissa!" I would have replied if she hadn't been squeezing me so tightly, cutting off all the oxygen supply to my brain. Finally, she let me go and attacked Chris.
"And Christopher! My goodness you're so big!"
I watched Chris hugging her while smiling at me. It was quite a sight since Chris is over six feet tall and the top of Gwen's head didn't even reach his shoulders. She released him and stood back, smiling at both of us.
"My my! Oh, it's so good to see you kids again, and you both look so wonderful. Actually, Melissa, you could stand putting on a pound or two; you're starting to look thin, but you're filling out quite nicely, dear!"
I'm sure it was all Chris could do to hold back his laughter. Unless I missed my mark, he was probably biting a hole in his lip. The thing about Aunt Gwen is that you don't have to hold up your end of the conversation because she doesn't give you a chance. She's my Dad's sister, and he once said that she was really quiet until she hit fifty and after that you couldn't shut her up. I guess she is trying to make up for lost time.
"Gee thanks, Aunt Gwen," I mumbled, as she continued commenting on everything from the weather to my new hairstyle. I looked over at Chris who had his arms crossed over his chest, nodding like a parakeet, as if he was completely enthralled with what she was saying. Knowing Chris, he probably was.
"I'm going to go see if your mother needs any help in the kitchen. She's probably a little overburdened with all the company that will be here soon," she said, quickly bustling back to the house.
"She's right, you know."
"Nah, I'm sure my mother is doing her usual spectacular job."
"No, when she said that you're filling out quite nicely."
"You're such a jerk," I said and started walking towards the house.
Chris caught up to me and wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me tight to him. He kissed my temple and mumbled something about going to the house to see if Gramma had any treats for him.
~:~:~
My brother Tim had chosen well, in my opinion. Carrie is a very nice person, and quite attractive. Unfortunately, she is very shy around us even though we've known her for almost two years. That probably says something about my family, although I'm not sure what. It's not that we are really loud -- we're just opinionated and tend to express those opinions -- okay, we can be loud. It amazed me the first time I met Carrie because she is so quiet and my brother is quite boisterous. Maybe opposites really do attract.
The one thing that I tried very hard to figure out, and then eventually just gave up on, is why he decided to spend the rest of his life with her. I mean, she's very nice and all, but this is the same guy who used to date three girls all in the same night. They were constantly calling when he lived at home, and I secretly voted him the most likely to end up with a social disease. I always thought he'd marry a cheerleader since I'm pretty sure he dated all of them. Now, here he is, thirty years old, and tying the knot to someone who could be a librarian. Actually, she is a librarian. Never mind.
Since Tim and Carrie were getting married the next day, it called for a big family gathering at my parent's place. I had arrived early in the morning and helped my Dad in the backyard while my sister helped Mom in the house. (I try to steer away from domestic things because I only end up hurting myself or having to dial the fire department for rescue.) Around noon, Chris had stumbled over from his parent's place and helped Dad and me set up rented tables and chairs. My Dad's big plan was to barbecue for everyone -- everything from hotdogs to steaks, all at the same time.
Everyone arrived at my parent's house, and there was tons of hugging and kissing. Chris was in his glory when Gramma told him he was getting to be a big boy. As the day wore on, I started to get really hungry, and I suspect that other people were feeling the same way. We all stood around, crammed in the backyard, wishing my Dad would stop saying "They're almost done!" and would just flip us some food instead.
I was pacing the deck when Carrie introduced me to her one sister Janice, whom I'd never met. She was also in the wedding party. Oh, did I mention that, once again, I was going to be a bridesmaid? Well, I was, and damn proud of it too. They say you just can't own too many ugly satin dresses, and I was starting to believe them.
Carrie's sister turned out to be the exact opposite of her. I found this out when Carrie left to go inside and help the "real" women in the kitchen. Janice wasn't the least bit shy and almost looked like she was on the prowl. I watched as she scanned the backyard, and her eyes stopped on the group of guys drinking beer and laughing in the corner of the yard. I followed her stare, which seemed to be settling on Chris.
"Who's tall, dark, and handsome over there? The guy in the white polo shirt," she asked, looking at me with a smile that exposed her curiosity.
"That would be Chris -- our neighbor."
"I see. Very, very nice. Is he married?"
"Nope."
"Seeing anyone?"
I had this funny feeling deep inside, and I can't really describe it, but it almost felt like jealousy. Whatever it was spawned my reply. "Well, he was seeing someone, and they recently broke up."
"Really?" She looked a little too excited about that news, so I continued with my story.
"Yes, Frank thought Chris was fooling around on him, so he left him. It's a shame, really, because they were such a cute couple."
"Frank?"
I nodded and tried not to smile. She smiled uncomfortably at me and said she was going to get something to drink. After she left, I looked over at Chris, who was staring at me, and I waved, thinking it's only fair that if I'm not getting any sex, he shouldn't be either.
"What's with the smirk?" he asked, walking up to me.
"I'm just happy to be alive!"
"Yeah, right -- what evil thing have you done now?"
"You're awfully suspicious, Christopher."
He looked at me and rolled his eyes. "Hey, we're going back to Tim's house after dinner to just hang out -- wanna come?"
"I wish," I said. I really did wish I could because I've always spent more time with Tim and my other brother Jake than with my sister Andrea. Andrea is the oldest, so by the time I came along, she wasn't really interested in playing with me. Instead, I hung out with Tim and Chris and became one of the guys.
"Just stay here for a little while and then tell them that you already made other plans and have to leave early," Chris suggested.
"What other plans? They all know I have no life outside of the hospital."
"Come on, Melissa; you're a clever girl. You can get out of this."
"You could beep me," I said, thinking out loud. I wasn't on duty, but no one knew that but me. (I'm a second year resident at the local hospital and seem to live there most of the time.)
"Consider it done." Chris was grinning at me, which made me slightly suspicious.
"Why is it so important that I'm there?"
"We were just thinking that it would be fun to have one last big drunk before Tim goes off to join the married class. It wouldn't be the same if you weren't there, that's all."
I accepted his answer, but only because Dad yelled that the food was finally ready and my stomach was growling -- the suckers that Gramma gave Chris and me just hadn't been filling at all.
~:~:~
I knocked on Tim's front door and then just walked in, finding the house silent, but I could hear them laughing in the backyard. Stopping at the fridge, I grabbed a beer and headed outside. They were all sitting on the deck, lounging in lawn chairs, and killing themselves laughing.
"Hey," I said, making my presence known.
"Melissa!" Tim yelled. "Come on down, girl!"
"Uh huh," I said, grabbing a chair and pulling it up between Chris and Bruce. Bruce is Tim's best friend, and I used to have a huge crush on him. He actually showed some interest in me about three years ago, and then suddenly, he just became my pal and nothing ever happened. I guess I'll always just be Tim's little sister to him. "So…what are we talking about?"
"We were just discussing which cartoon women we'd most like to boff," Tim said proudly.
"Ahh, a deep intellectual conversation," I said, looking at Chris. "And who did you pick?"
"It's a toss up between Betty Rubble and Judy Jetson. I can't really decide."
Tim started to explain why he thought Wilma Flinstone wouldn't be hot in the sack, and I wondered why I had left my parent's house to listen to this. I could feel someone staring at me and looked over at Mike, who continued drilling holes in me with his eyes even though I was looking right at him. He smiled and I smiled back, trying to be polite. I liked Mike, although I felt like he was always mentally undressing me. He's really shy until you get to know him, and then you realize that it's all a cover-up and he's actually a big pervert.
"Aren't there any other women coming here tonight?" I asked, realizing for the first time that I was the only one who was wearing a bra -- well, that statement might not be totally accurate because I'm pretty sure that Dave is a cross-dresser.
"Nope," said Tim, taking a long swallow of his beer. "It's just us guys tonight."
That's me, just one of the guys -- just five guys and me. Some women might think this a good thing until they figured out all of these men were slightly nuts. I drank my beer quickly, figuring I should try and catch up to them.
"Hey, why don't we go watch the movie I brought," suggested Bruce. He then looked at me and said the weirdest thing, "Sorry, Mel, there's no girl-girl action in this one."
I raised an eyebrow and could hear Chris beside me, clearing his throat. "And that would matter to me because?"
Bruce looked mildly uncomfortable and stuttered out, "Because...well, Chris told me...you know...about your..."
"About my what?" I looked at Chris who was concentrating very hard on peeling the label off his beer bottle. "My what?"
"Your...uhmm...sexual preference."
"My sexual preference? What exactly would my sexual preference be, Bruce?"
Bruce gulped. "Uhmmm, women."
The backyard got very quiet, and I turned my attention to Chris, who was visibly trying hard not to laugh. "Did you tell him I was gay, Chris?"
Chris looked at me. "I'm sorry, Mel; it just kinda slipped out one day."
"I see."
"It's okay, Melissa," Bruce said. "I think it's really cool that you know who you are and what you like. Uhmmm, let's go watch the movie."
I remained seated and so did Chris. Tim stopped beside my chair and leaned down. "You know, Sis, I never would have guessed it," and he walked away, killing himself laughing.
"You have some explaining to do."
"It was just a joke. Everyone but Bruce knows it's not true. I've just never gotten around to telling him otherwise."
"Oh, and it's very funny, Christopher." I started thinking about earlier when I had told Janice about Chris's lover Frank, and it was all I could do not to break out laughing.
"One night, probably about three years ago, Bruce was yacking about the different women around that he really wanted to fuck, and your name was near the top of his list."
"And?"
"And I told him that he'd never have you because you preferred women, that's all."
"Why would you do that?" I asked, quite seriously.
"I dunno...I just didn't like the thought of you and him, I guess. You know him, Mel; he's just out to see how many women he can bang, and that's it."
"Did it ever occur to you that I might have wanted to be banged?"
"Did it ever occur to you that I never want to see you hurt? Especially by a loser like Bruce."
I had never heard Chris call Bruce a loser before. In fact, Chris rarely spoke ill of anyone. "Guess you love me a lot, huh?"
"More than you know," he said and then stood up, offering me his hand. "Come on, girlie, let's go watch some porn."
~:~:~
We each grabbed another beer and went into the living room where the movie had already started to play. The only available seat left was the love seat. (I guess guys don't like to watch porn movies sitting next to each other, or something.) I curled my legs up under me and leaned back, sipping my beer as I watched the opening act.
A man wearing a Lone Ranger mask was riding through the woods when he stumbled upon a scantily clad woman picking apples. Looking at the tree, I couldn't see any visible apples hanging from it, yet the woman had a basket full of bright red ones. This was a tip-off that she was indeed one talented lady. He asked her for directions and then looked down her blouse as she giggled and pointed, telling him which path to follow. She then told him she lived in a small cottage in the same direction and asked if he would take her there because of her fear of bears. She promised that it wouldn't take long to get there.
At this point I cracked up laughing, and everyone in the room stared at me. Apparently, I'm the only one who realized that she's just some slut trying to get the guy back to her place where she would force him to eat her apple pie.
Anyway, the guy helped her up onto his horse, placing her in front of him; she clutched her apple basket as they started riding away. They galloped out of the woods and through a lush green field. The horse was really going fast and so were her breasts -- up and down. I looked over at Tim, who was probably on his seventh beer or so; his head, too, was going up and down.
Suddenly, the Lone Ranger realized that he had this hot babe in front of him and that he wasn't taking full advantage of the situation. His hands slid up her ribs and over her breasts, squeezing them, as he started sucking on her neck. She started moaning, pushing back against him, as he squeezed harder, pulling her nipples through her thin blouse. I was trying to figure out how the horse knew where to go and how the woman remembered to hold her basket while the Lone Ranger was fondling her.
Chris leaned over and said he was getting another beer and asked if I wanted one. I nodded, my eyes transfixed on the screen, wondering how long those apples would stay in that basket. Mr. Ranger unbuttoned her blouse and pulled it back, exposing her overly-implanted breasts to the world. Despite her well-sculpted breasts, I wasn't jealous. I'm pretty happy with my own breasts, although I doubt they get out half as much as Miss Woodland's do.
Chris returned and sat back down, closer to me than before. I hadn't finished my second beer, so he placed the new one on the coffee table and leaned back, putting his arm around the back of the couch behind me. This really wasn't unusual for him since he's always been a very touchy-I've-gotta-be-close-to-you kind of guy. Although since he and I had never watched a porn movie together, I wasn't quite sure what his plans were.
Ranger squeezed one breast and started pulling her long, loose skirt up with his other hand as the horse just kept on going like a homing pigeon.
"Didn't she say she lived just down the path?" I asked, wanting to make sure I was getting the full impact of the story. "They've gone about forty miles now."
"Shush," Tim said, leaning forward in his chair.
Bruce was sitting back in the reclining chair, Dave was lying on the floor in front of the TV so he could feel like he was really there, and Mike was sprawled out on the couch. I shushed and continued to watch as her skirt was pulled up over her thighs, and her well-groomed pubic area was exposed. Apparently, Miss Woodchuck didn't believe in wearing any panties when she picked apples. (It was probably a family tradition or something.) Somehow, Ranger-Boy managed to hold her skirt up and push her forward, which was when we got to see a close-up of her rubbing against the horn of the saddle. (I'm not a country girl, but I'm pretty sure this is not what saddle horns are meant for.) I wondered where the camera was and how they were pulling off such good shots when I realized something very disturbing.
"Hey, where did her basket of apples go?"
Chris snickered and pulled me tight against him as Tim shushed me again. At that point, I was able to answer Chris's earlier question when he was wondering if Tim and Carrie had been having sex or not. I'm guessing NOT.
I started on my third beer -- happy when Miss Woodland Creature's cottage finally came into view. The bouncing on the horse was starting to get to me. Ranger jumped off Tonto -- no, wait, that would be Silver, the horse. Wasn't Tonto the Indian? Anyway, he jumped off the horse, and as they zoomed in on the woodland babe, she had the damned basket of apples in her hand! I couldn't believe it and let out a huge gasp. Talk about your flawed movies! As she swung her leg around the horse, sitting sidesaddle, she found she couldn't get down off the horse because the Lone Ranger now had his face buried between her legs, limiting her movement. I thought that was kind of rude of him, but she didn't seem to mind. In her immense pleasure, I'm sorry to report that she dropped the basket of apples and it hit the ground.
"This is so stupid," I groaned.
Bruce gave me a look that said, "If the Lone Ranger was being played by a woman, you wouldn't think so," and then turned back to the TV. Chris's fingers were lightly stroking my bare arm, sending little shivers up and down my spine. I looked at him through the corner of my eye, trying to see how hard he was concentrating on the movie. Much to my surprise, he was looking at me and not the TV.
"How come the horse isn't eating the apples?" I asked.
Chris grinned. "They can only shoot one thing being eaten at a time."
"Makes sense," I whispered back to him. "When is it the horse's turn?"
"I don't think it's that kind of movie," he said, and I elbowed him hard.
We watched as Miss Woody had one hell of a fake orgasm, and then Ranger pulled her off the horse while asking her if she was hungry for a little meat. I slapped my hand over my mouth, stopping the huge roaring laugh that just about came out. I didn't want to be shushed again -- three shushes and you're out, I think.
As luck would have it, for the Ranger anyway, Miss W. had been living on apples way too long and was definitely hungry for a little beef. "Little," however, didn't befit him because when she dropped to her knees right there in front of her little cottage and whipped out her next meal -- well, I just about fainted. We are talking one monstrous beast, and how she ever got even half of that thing down her throat, I'll never know. I was proud of her and forgave her for dropping the apples at that point. Chris moved his hand back and forth in front of my face, and I slapped it away.
"I thought your eyes might be stuck," he whispered.
"Shush," I said, leaning forward and finishing off my beer. I was trying to figure out why she wasn't gagging. She had to be one of those people who could relax her throat muscles enough to be unaffected by twelve inches of throbbing man being shoved down it.
Ranger Rick decided that he didn't want to cum in her mouth, so he pulled her up and leaned her over a conveniently placed fence, or maybe it was a hitching post -- whatever the hell that is. She bent over it, and he moved behind her, hiking up her skirt and slapping her ass. Had she been smart, she would have turned around and decked him, but she seemed to like it because she moaned as we got to see a close-up of her pouty lips.
She moved her feet far apart, sticking her ass up into the air as he held his huge cock and rubbed it up and down between her very wet looking lips. I shifted in my seat, suddenly realizing that it had been a very long time since I'd had sex. I was no longer concerned if the horse was eating the apples, but was wondering what it would feel like to frolic with the Lone Ranger.
A close-up shot showed us that Missy was able to take all of Ranger, and he started really banging into her. I started feeling a little uncomfortable and squeezed my thighs together, wondering why the movie was turning me on so much.
"Ten to one he cums all over her ass," Chris whispered into my ear. He's such a betting man.
"Why wouldn't he just cum inside of her?" I asked seriously.
"Never happens," he informed me. Apparently, he's an expert on cum shots or something. "The men always cum all over the woman -- porn rules."
This was only the second adult film I'd ever watched; I don't really remember the first. I was twenty-one, working on finishing my BSc before entering Med School, and had been up all night studying. I had exams that day and by the time the movie came on, I saw about ten minutes of it and fell asleep. My girlfriends didn't care; they just shoved me aside. Apparently, they enjoyed the movie because they were all looking for new batteries the next day.
I kept watching the screen, silently cheering him on and wishing that he'd just cum and get it over with -- the scene was starting to get old. Finally, after what seemed like an hour, he pulled his cock out, stroked it a few times, and came all over Miss Woodland's firm butt…just as Chris had predicted.
"Wow," Tim said. "Remind me to go horseback riding soon."
I was about to tell him that he'd be riding soon enough, but deemed that too rude even for me. As I sat there watching the screen, two new people showed up on the screen.
"I'm going outside for some air," I whispered to Chris and quickly escaped the living room, which had suddenly become very hot. After three beers I was feeling pretty relaxed -- that's the thing about being small, you get drunk fast.
Once outside, I walked to the back fence and leaned against it, looking into the dark field behind Tim's house. The night was quiet, with only a few sounds of the city disturbing it.
"Holding the fence up?"
I jumped and turned around. "Stop doing that! I hate when you sneak up on me."
"I'll buy a bell and wear it around my neck," Chris said. I turned back around and felt him right behind me.
"Is the movie over?"
"No, just boring," he said as he rested his chin on my head. "Delta phoned me today."
"Why?"
"They offered me a job again."
"Same one?"
"No, this time they want me in management."
"Are you going to take it?"
Chris wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me close. "I don't know. The money is very appealing, and it would mean that I could move back here."
I thought about what it would be like to have Chris back here again and smiled, feeling very warm. I've missed the closeness and the comfort of being able to just see him whenever I want. "Is there anything holding you where you are now?"
"No," he whispered.
Something strange happened to me, and I suddenly became this emotionally charged person in a way that I'm completely uncomfortable with. I turned around in Chris's arms and looked up at him. He smiled down at me softly.
"Then come back," I whispered, and seconds later, we were kissing in a way that we had never kissed before. My arms were wrapped around his neck, and he held me tightly against his body; we kissed each other passionately.
"That's a great idea," he said, pushing me back against the fence as his lips devoured mine again. It felt strange, but at the same time, it felt so right. I pulled back and tried to catch my breath, wondering what the hell brought that on.
"Uhhh, Chris?"
"Yes?" he asked as he brushed my hair back from my face.
"Do you think we've had too much to drink?"
He kissed my forehead and then hugged me tight. "I don't think so, Melissa. I don't think we can blame this on alcohol."
"Damn," I whispered, rubbing his back. I was pretty turned on, and I couldn't say if it was the movie or what was happening between Chris and me. I wasn't sure which was the worst case scenario.
"Hey, guys! Get your asses in here; we're going to send Tim off into married life in style! Come on!"
I reluctantly let Chris go. "I say we send Bruce out in style -- let's run him over with a car or something."
Chris laughed and took my hand, dragging me to the house. "Nah, then you'd just get beeped and have to go to the hospital and put him back together again."
"I'm picturing sewing body parts back on in the wrong spots, Chris, and quite enjoying it."
He stopped walking and gathered me back into his arms. He leaned down and kissed me again -- a soft kiss full of electricity and emotion. My legs felt weak, and my head started to spin. I was trying to recover from the kiss when he said, "Melissa, can we talk about what happened? Not right now, because I need to hide my car keys from you, but later?"
"Sure," I said brightly, although I was dreading the conversation because I would probably find out a few things that I really didn't want to know. Not from Chris, but myself.
~:~:~
I woke up the next morning and tried to focus on the ceiling. That in itself was a chore, and when I tried to remember the night before, it actually hurt. "Sending Tim off in style" had turned out to be a dangerous game of seeing who could get alcohol poisoning first. There was some comfort in my being a resident, but somehow I think it would have been more comforting if I could have remembered my name.
I turned my head, looked at the clock, and jumped off the couch, immediately regretting it -- not because I stepped on Chris but because of the wave of nausea that washed over me. I grabbed the arm of the couch, trying to stop the room from spinning, and Chris mumbled and rolled over, not waking up. Looking down at him, I had this vague feeling that I should be remembering something from the night before, but it escaped me as to what that was.
My head stopped spinning, and I stood up, weaving slightly. It was almost 9:00 a.m., and the women folk were all supposed to meet at the hairdressers at 8:30. I was in big trouble.
I made it to the hairdressers in record time, thinking of my alibi all the way there so when my mother gave me "the look" I could explain to her why I was late -- okay, so I was going to lie. When I entered the shop, I couldn't help but notice how everyone was staring at me.
"Good morning," I said weakly.
"Good morning, Melissa. You do realize that you're almost forty-five minutes late, don't you?" The hairdresser was removing some curlers from my mother's hair, and I'm pretty sure she was giving me "the look" too.
Deep breath. "I know and I'm sorry, Mom, but something came up, and this was the quickest that I could get here."
"You're still wearing the same clothes you had on last night!"
"I realize that." Actually, I hadn't realized that, but I was trying hard not to crack under her glare. "I haven't been home yet. I had a rough night, and I'd rather not think about it," I said quite honestly. I didn't want to think about it at all because it hurt too much. My head was pounding, and it was taking every ounce of energy I had to try and stand up straight.
I sat down in a chair and looked over at Carrie. She smiled at me and I smiled back. She looked gorgeous. Her long black hair was piled on top of her head with some long curls cascading down the side. She was sitting very still as the hairdresser was trying to secure her veil to the top of her head. Beyond Carrie, the other three attendants and Carrie's mother were also getting their hair done.
A guy walked up to me. "I guess you are mine then. My name is Kevin. Follow me please."
I stood up and followed him, dropping quickly into the chair he was standing behind. After placing a big plastic bib around my neck, he pumped the chair up so I was at a level where he could perform his magic. The chair pumping just about made me throw up.
He started brushing my hair, looking at me in the mirror. "You have beautiful hair, and I see you're a natural blonde."
I smiled at him and looked into the mirror next to mine. Janice smiled at me, wincing as the woman who was doing her hair twisted it hard and clipped it.
"How would you like your hair done?" he asked, studying me from all angles.
"Actually, that looks good, thanks."
His mouth dropped. "But all I did was brush it!"
"I think that's all it needed," I said hopefully.
He laughed. "Oh, you silly girl!"
At that point I was thinking about taking a curling iron and shoving it up his...nose. I was not a silly girl. I was a woman with a huge, self-inflicted hangover who wanted nothing more than to curl up and die somewhere.
"Do whatever you want," I said, defeated.
He actually jumped up and down and clapped his hands a couple of times. I should have been scared at that point, but I was trying to concentrate on only one thing: holding onto the chair in hope that it would stop spinning. For the next half-hour, Kevin played with my hair. Just when I thought he had decided on a style, he'd pull out all of the clips, and we'd be back to square one again.
"We'll see you back at Carrie's parents' place," my mother said, still eyeing me suspiciously.
"Okay. I have to drop by my apartment and get my dress, and then I'll be right there."
"Try not to get distracted along the way, Melissa," she said and then left.
Kevin pinned most of my hair on top of my head, leaving it very loose. He then pulled down a few trestles around my face and curled them. Standing in front of me, he trimmed a little off my bangs, gave them a quick curl, and stood back and smiled.
"Beautiful!" he exclaimed. Then he did something I could have killed him for. He grabbed the back of the chair and spun me around. He stood with a mirror behind me, actually thinking that I could focus on it.
"Wonderful," I said, pulling off the bib. I stepped out of the chair and slowly made my way to the cash register, following Kevin, who just seemed to bounce everywhere. I paid him and put on my sunglasses, heading back out into the very bright world.
~:~:~
I went back to my apartment, swallowed a couple Advil, and decided to take a shower. I looked at my hair in the mirror and decided that it actually looked pretty good -- it set off my red eyes perfectly. I didn't want to ruin all of Kevin's hard work and tried to figure out how I was going to accomplish that since I didn't have a shower cap. (I'm not going to tell you that I used a grocery bag because then you'd probably think I was strange.)
Carrie's parents have this beautiful house just outside the city limits. It is surrounded by trees and flowers with a huge pond off to one side. Being there always makes me feel like part of a Disney movie -- at any moment I am sure that a bluebird is going to land on my shoulder.
The wedding was at 11:30, and everyone was a nervous wreck, except me, because I think the drugs were starting to kick in. Janice showed me to a room where I could get ready, and as I sat at the little makeup table, I kept looking over at the bed longingly. I was applying my eye shadow when a flashback from the previous night hit me like a truck. Chris had kissed me. I had kissed Chris. Chris and I had kissed, and I had enjoyed it! My head started to spin again. I tried very hard not to think about it and finished applying my makeup. My hair was still holding up, and I didn't look as pale after a few coats of foundation.
I stripped out of my jeans and tee shirt and slowly pulled on my thigh high nylons, taking great care not to put a run in them since I only brought one pair. I pulled the dress out of the garment bag and wondered if I had really agreed to wear something that was dark purple. Slipping it on, I tried to do up the zipper at the back but couldn't coordinate my hands. There was a knock on the door, and I yelled for them to come in, figuring it was my mother.
"Hey."
"Chris."
He smiled. "Yeah, that would be me."
"What are you doing here?" I asked, still fumbling with the zipper.
"I'm the delivery boy."
"Delivery boy in a tux? How classy." I couldn't seem to sound normal because I couldn't stop thinking about him kissing me.
"Do you need some help with that?"
Did I want him that close to me again? What if he tried to kiss me -- would I respond? It wasn't my best friend Chris in front of me anymore -- it was a tall, extremely good looking guy in a tuxedo who had the most incredible green eyes and a smile that could melt butter. I shook my head, hoping to stop those thoughts.
"Mel?"
"Yes?"
"The zipper?"
"Oh right, sure, thanks." I turned around, and he moved behind me, slowly pulling the zipper up.
"There you go," he said, and I turned to him. "I must say, you look absolutely gorgeous."
I looked in the mirror. "I look like a grape with blonde hair." The dresses were three-quarter length with a fairly tight bodice and flowing skirt -- typical bridesmaid's gear. Either you looked frumpy compared to the bride, or you looked like a slut. It was the year of the frumpy look for me.
"No, you really look beautiful," he said. "I'm going to be one proud guy walking down the aisle with you on my arm."
I looked at him, waiting for the joke -- none came. I wasn't sure what to say -- this wasn't our usual banter, and he was looking at me differently, almost like I was a woman or something.
"Chris?"
"Yes?"
"About last night," I said, feeling my mouth going dry. "About the kiss..."
"Yes?"
Raging hormones took over my body, and there was no controlling them. I fought them -- I told them to go back to wherever they came from, and I thought it worked until I heard someone, who sounded an awful lot like me, say, "Do it again."
~:~:~
All through the wedding I kept looking over at Chris, wondering when things had changed. When did I stop thinking of him as my buddy and start getting jealous when it came to him and anyone of the female persuasion who wasn't me? Yesterday hadn't been the first time that I'd changed a woman's mind about pursuing Chris. He winked at me, and I smiled, hoping that Mike, who was standing behind him, didn't think I was smiling at him.
The little church was getting hot, and my palms were sweating, holding a big bouquet of white silk roses. I kept praying that the wedding would end soon -- just kiss her and let's get out of here. My head was screaming, but on the exterior, I'm sure I looked very calm, cool, and collected. I must have blacked out, because suddenly there was a big group sigh behind me and Tim and Carrie were kissing. It was so beautiful, so sweet, and about freaking time!
Outside, people pelted us with rice and birdseed. Not only was it environmentally friendly, but I was also getting hungry and pondered a few of the sunflower seeds. We finally made it to Chris's car. I really wanted to be alone with him, but Mike and Janice joined us.
The next five hours were pretty much a blur. We went back to Carrie's parents' place and had about a bazillion pictures taken in every pose and location that you could possibly imagine. They had hired some little weasel photographer who was getting his jollies out of touching all the women. At one point, while he was "posing" me, his hand brushed over my breast. I quietly informed him that if he did that again, I would make sure the last pose he'd ever be in was in the fetal position after I kicked him. Let's just say that I was in no mood for any of the day's festivities. I tried very hard to make it look like I was having a good time, and I scolded myself for drinking so much the night before, but it didn't help. I was bitchy, and quite frankly, I was horny.
When Joe Photographer finally ran out of film, we all headed to the country club where we would be having dinner and would be dancing the night away. Once again, I rode with Chris, who shoved me in his car and then took off before anyone could get in the backseat.
"In a hurry?" I asked, doing up my seatbelt. "By the way, the club is in the other direction."
"Really? Hmmm, I guess I'll have to find somewhere to turn around then."
He drove a few miles, missing several opportunities to turn around. Finally, he pulled over into a grass-covered lane that led into a field. He turned off the car, undid his seatbelt, and turned towards me.
"We need to talk, Melissa."
I knew it was serious when he called me by my full name. "What is it, Christopher?"
"This," he said and pulled me over to him, kissing me hard. I wrapped my arms around his neck, kissing him back and trying to ignore the seatbelt, which was choking me. He moaned against my mouth, his fingers fumbling with something, and suddenly, I was no longer being choked. His arms held me tight as our tongues began to explore each other's mouth. The car started rolling backwards, and he pulled away from me quickly, pulling up the emergency brake.
"What the hell is happening?" he asked, panting slightly.
"I think you knocked the shift into neutral," I said, trying to be helpful.
"I mean between us, Melissa."
"Oh." He was asking the wrong person because I was as confused as he seemed to be. I was actually hoping he had the answer to that.
"For the past couple of months, ever since we were at Jenny's birthday party together, I've been thinking about you. You're on my mind constantly..."
"I thought you said that sex was on your mind constantly."
"Exactly."
I gulped. "You've been having your way with me in your mind?" I was trying to make light of the conversation, hoping in some odd way that he was teasing me.
"Over and over again, Melissa."
"Am I any good?" I smiled, but he didn't smile back. "Is it more than just sex, Chris? I mean, are you just wanting to live out that fantasy, or are you looking to explore what could be between us?" Where the hell did that come from? I asked it, but I certainly didn't want to hear the answer.
"It's more," he whispered, brushing his lips against mine. "So much more."
"Chris?"
"Yes?"
"I have two confessions. First, I told Janice you had a lover named Frank. Second, I'm having a hard time dealing with the fact that I really, really want to fuck you right now."
Chris pulled back and blinked. "You told Janice about Frank? Damn it, Melissa, you know that's supposed to be a secret." He grinned and moved back close to me, kissing down my neck.
"Chris?"
"Hmm?"
"I refuse to have sex with you in your car while dressed like a grape."
He looked up at me and smiled. "What if we get rid of the grape?"
I looked at my watch. "We're going to be late and my mother will give me 'the look' again, and frankly, I just about died after the last one. We better go."
"Actually, Mel, I had other plans."
"Well, they better include getting us to the club really quickly."
He sighed and sat up, starting the car. I stared out the window and watched as the world went by, wondering if it would ever stop.
~:~:~
Dinner consisted of a lot of glass clinking, requiring that Tim and Carrie kiss. The men sat on one side of the table and we women on the other. I was stuck between Janice and Debra, Carrie's maid of honor. The crowd, a rambunctious bunch, decided they'd had enough of the bride and groom kissing. Now the rest of the wedding party should all kiss their partners, too. Debra seemed horrified that she would have to kiss Bruce and gave him a quick peck before scampering back to her seat. When the time came for me to kiss Chris, he grabbed me and dipped me, kissing me hard on the mouth. The sex-starved crowd clinked their glasses harder, and after a few moments, Chris finally let me up for air.
The meal seemed to take forever to end, and then, of course, we had to sit through the boring speeches. I tried to keep a smile on my face while wishing they'd all just shut up and get on with it. I was starting to get tired.
Finally, the dishes were cleared away, and someone unplugged the microphone so the speeches had to stop -- that broke my heart. The club employees started herding us to another room, where there was a huge dance floor with a bunch of tables around it -- there was also a bar. I had avoided all wine during dinner and faked drinking it during each toast. The smell of it was enough to make me nauseous.
"Dance with me," Chris said, wrapping his arms around me from behind.
"Shouldn't we wait until they dim the lights or at least until some music is playing?"
"If we must," he said, letting out a huge sigh. "Hey, let's go grab a table."
He took my hand, and we started walking towards the back of the room when Aunt Gwen cut us off.
"I just have to say that you two look so wonderful! Wasn't that just the most beautiful wedding you've ever been to? And the food! Don't even get me started on the food! Are you okay, Melissa? You're looking a little pale. Are you thinking that someday you'll be the one in the white dress?"
I would have kicked her, but I had taken an oath to do my best to heal the sick and hurting her seemed counter-productive.
"I'm fine, Aunt Gwen, just a little tired."
"Maybe you should find somewhere to lay down for a little while, Dear. Christopher, why don't you find some place for her to lay down."
"I'm working on it, Gwen," Chris said, squeezing my hand.
"You're such a good boy," she said. "I'm going to go look at the cake again. Isn't that a beautiful cake? Have you ever seen such a display?"
She took off, leaving me wondering if we were actually supposed to answer any of those questions. My guess was no.
"Come on, Mel, I'm going to follow Gwen's orders and lay you...down." He snickered, and I belted him.
Trying to move across the room turned out to be a challenge. Everyone kept stopping us, and some had the nerve to actually want to have conversations! Couldn't they see that I just wanted to crawl up in a corner and go to sleep? Damn that Gramma too; she wanted to take a picture of Chris and me, and it took her ten minutes to figure out which way the camera was supposed to go. Eventually we made it to a table, tucked back in the corner.
"Is this day over yet?" I asked, sliding down in my chair.
"Awww, come on, Mel, it's been a wonderful day. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and soon the stars will come out and introduce a wonderful evening."
I looked at him. "Thank you, Mr. Rogers. Can I go home now?"
"Mind if we join you?" someone asked.
I smiled up at Jake. "Sure, as long as Aunt Gwen isn't part of your party."
Lisa laughed and sat down. "Last time we saw her, she was following Tim and Carrie."
"Serves them right for inviting her," I said.
Lisa went to get everyone a drink -- everyone but me, that is. I sat back and listened to Jake and Chris, who share the same profession: mechanical engineering. Personally, I think it's an excuse for big boys to play with big toys, but that's just my opinion. Chris was telling Jake about Delta's offer when Lisa returned with a tray of drinks. She passed me a large glass of water and smiled. Lisa is so thoughtful and very motherly in a good way.
"Rough night last night?" she whispered.
I nodded and drank half of the glass of water. "A tad too much to drink at Tim's last night."
She laughed and then raised her brow, "Hey, I thought the hospital beeped you last night when you had to leave."
"Did I at any point say that it was the hospital?" I knew I was getting off on a technicality, but somehow it seemed less like lying to me.
Lisa thought about it. "Well, you got beeped, you looked at your beeper, and then said that you had to go. Nope, I guess you didn't! Bad Melissa! Bad girl!" Lisa started killing herself laughing, amusing herself.
Jake and Chris looked at us, and we both smiled innocently and then started to whisper again.
"I couldn't stay there, so I made other plans -- ones to escape."
Lisa giggled. "So you hung out with the boys?"
"Yeah. The only one missing was Jake. He takes his job too seriously, you know."
"I know; he's so damn loyal." She smiled over at her husband and then back at me. "It must run in your family."
"Jake was adopted," I whispered. "Don't tell him that because he'll cry or something."
"Okay, what are you two snickering about?" Jake asked and we both stopped laughing and looked at him.
"Sex," I said, trying to keep a straight face.
"I'm not sure it's a good sign when my wife and sister discuss sex and find it so damn funny," Jake said, eyeing us.
We were saved by the DJ announcing that Tim and Carrie would be dancing the first dance and that their attendants could join in upon his next announcement. He seemed a little bossy, but I guess he was the one running the show.
The crowd formed a big circle around the dance floor, and we watched as Tim and Carrie danced close. They were a beautiful couple. Chris had his arm around my waist, and I knew he was staring at me. I could feel his eyes boring into me, and when I looked at him, he smiled.
I didn't understand what was happening between us. For almost twenty-five years we'd been nothing but best friends. We'd laughed, cried, shared our deepest secrets, and had been in trouble together, and now we were apparently moving on to another step. A big step. A huge step. A step so large I wasn't sure I could handle it. What if we started to date and found out we didn't like each other that way? Would it end our friendship? Would we end up hating each other? Was it worth it? On the other hand, what if it turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to either of us? I was so confused. I wanted to do what was right for both of us, but I couldn't determine what that was.
"Would the attendants please join in now."
Chris pulled me to the dance floor and wrapped his arms around me, ignoring formal dancing. I wrapped my arms around his neck and leaned against him, enjoying the closeness. He sighed, and I asked him what was wrong.
"Nothing," he whispered into my ear.
We continued to dance into the next song, and I pressed my face into Chris's neck. He held me tight, and I started feeling a little turned on as his body rubbed against mine. Smiling to myself, I started kissing his neck, tasting his skin with my tongue as I flicked it against him. His fingers dug into my back, and I started nibbling. His body was warm against mine -- warm and hard. I could feel every inch of him pressed against me as I kissed up to his ear and started sucking on his earlobe.
Chris moaned and moved his hands further down my back. "If you don't stop that, I'm going to take you right here on the dance floor."
I laughed and leaned my head back. "Well, that would give Aunt Gwen something new to talk about."
"I'm serious, Melissa. If you don't stop doing that, you're in big trouble."
I smiled and leaned back against him, wondering if I was going to enjoy being in big trouble. My lips found his earlobe again and went around it. I teased it with my tongue, and Chris squeezed me tight and then pulled me off of him.
"Okay, little Missy, that's it." He grabbed my hand and pulled me out of the room and down the stairs that led to the front door.
"Hey, where are you taking me?" I asked, trying to keep up with him, which was proving difficult since he walked fast and I was wearing heels.
"I warned you," he said as we exited through the front doors and then headed right. The parking lot was to the left, so I was confused.
"Chris, it's hard to walk on the grass in these heels -- slow down."
He stopped, let go of my hand, and picked me up in his arms. I wrapped my arms around his neck and attacked his earlobe again. He groaned and walked faster. I didn't pay any attention to our surroundings until he stopped...that's when I realized we were out on the golf course. He set me down and smiled.
"Are we going to play golf?"
"It's a little too dark for that, Melissa."
"Then what are we doing out here?" For some reason, I needed to hear him say it.
"We're going to make love."
My heart started flipping. "We are?"
"Oh yes."
"You and me?"
"Uh huh."
"Together?"
"Very much."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. Are you sure?"
"Am I sure that I want you to make love to me?"
"Yes."
"Am I sure that I want to feel you inside me? Feel your lips and hands all over my body?"
Chris groaned. "Yes."
"Feel you..." I couldn't finish that sentence because he started to kiss me, probably needing to shut me up. Okay, so I was nervous, and when I'm nervous, I tend to talk a lot. As we kissed, I started pulling his jacket off over his shoulders. He moved his arms back, and I pulled it off him and tossed it onto the grass. I'm sure it wasn't the first tuxedo to be returned with grass stains on it.
Chris's hands were fumbling with the zipper of my dress as I yanked off his bow tie and tossed it with his jacket. I undid the buttons of his shirt and was pulling it out of his pants when he finally got the zipper down. His hands were hot against my back, setting my skin on fire. We kept kissing, our tongues lashing out as our lips mashed together. I could feel Chris feeling the back strap on my bra, looking for the snap, which he would never find there since it was at the front.
He pulled back, and we were both panting. I ran my hands over his chest, feeling his light hair beneath my fingers. Leaning forward, I kissed the nape of his neck, and then dragged my tongue down his chest. His fingers clenched the back of my head as I moved over to a nipple and circled it with my tongue. We could hear the music playing in the club house, and I hoped that no one would feel the need to take a walk around the course.
Chris pulled me back up to him. "I'm honestly not sure how much of this I can take, Melissa."
"Let's find out," I whispered as I undid the button from his pants and pulled down the zipper. Slipping my hand in, I rubbed my palm against his briefs, feeling him throb beneath them. He moaned as he pulled the top of my dress down, and I moved my arms, letting it fall around my waist before returning my focus back to his pants. His hands moved to my breasts, squeezing them gently as his fingers worked their way to my hard nipples. It felt so good when he squeezed them through my silky bra. I could feel the sensation running down my body and between my legs. Not bothering to undo my bra, he pulled my breasts out of the cups and rubbed my nipples between his fingers. I moaned and moved my hand inside of his briefs, grabbing his hard cock and stroking it gently at first. The harder he pinched and pulled, the faster I stroked. His cock was hard and throbbing in my hand, and like him, I wasn't sure how much I could take.
"I need you so badly," he moaned as he grabbed me and laid me down on his jacket. He moved between my open legs, bringing his mouth down to my nipple and sucking on it hard. I pulled on his hair, and then pushed his mouth harder against my breast as my body arched against him.
I kicked off my heels and brought my legs up, hooking my feet into the waistband of his pants and pushing them down. His teeth sunk into my nipple, and I brought my legs back up, wrapping them tightly around his hips. Chris moved over to my other nipple, teasing it with his tongue, as he tried to pull the skirt of my dress up around my waist. I loosened my leg grip so he could move it, and then felt the night air against my hot body. His hand moved up my thigh, and then his fingers were against the crotch of my panties, rubbing. I was so wet that the material slipped between my lips and rubbed against my clit.
"Oh God," I moaned, pushing myself against his hand. His fingers slipped around the elastic and between my lips. I whimpered and pulled his hair as his finger sunk deeper between my lips and came in contact with my clit. He rubbed and sucked, driving me nuts. My body bucked beneath his as my fingernails clawed down his shirt.
"My God, Melissa," he moaned as he pushed his finger inside me. My body tensed, and I held him there, my mind spinning with desire.
"Chris..." I wanted to tell him. I wanted him to know, and yet I couldn't form the words. "Chris..." I tried again, and he started pumping his finger in and out of me, and I lost the thought. I was so turned on that I couldn't think of anything. My body took over, moving against him, as I closed my eyes and began to feel a wave rushing over my body. Grabbing his shirt in my hands, I arched up and held his finger inside me as I began to cum. His lips were suddenly over mine, kissing me hard, as he pounded his finger into me. I bit his lip and pulled my head back, screaming as my orgasm released and left me shuddering.
"Mmmmm..." he whispered into my ear, slowly removing his finger and rubbing it up and down my slit. I could feel my juices running down my ass as I clung to him, my body still shaking as he pulled my panties off.
Chris started kissing me again, and this time I didn't bite him. His mouth was hot against mine, his tongue probing as his finger had. I rubbed against him, kissing him hard and wanting more. Every nerve ending in my body had come alive and craved him. I wiggled down a little and then wrapped my legs around his waist and started rubbing my pussy against his cock. He moaned into my mouth, this time biting my lip, as he raised his hips a little and then moved forward. I could feel the head of his cock sliding down my pussy and then felt the pressure as he slowly entered me. I couldn't wait and tightened my legs around his waist harder and pushed myself up, driving his cock deep inside me. We both moaned and stopped moving for a second.
"You feel so good," he whispered into my ear as he started moving his hips up and down. "So wet, Melissa...so hot...God, you feel so good..."
I listened to his words, unable to form any myself. He started moving faster, driving his cock deep inside me, and I arched, wanting more. I moved my hands under his shirt and started scratching down his back. When my hands reached his ass, my fingernails digging into his flesh pulling him down into me, he growled. He moved his arms under my shoulders, holding them as he fucked me harder. Our bodies slammed against each other, the heat of our skin combining.
"Chris!" I gasped, digging my nails in harder. I thumped hard up against him feeling my pussy contracting around his cock. "Oh God, Chris!"
"Melissa..." he breathed in my ear before he started kissing across my cheek. When his lips hit mine, we devoured each other. Our bodies were moving in the perfect dance as we approached the end of the song. Chris started to tense; I could feel his whole body going hard as I struggled below him. I started rocking from side to side, unwrapping my legs from around him, and he grabbed me and rolled over onto his back. I pulled my knees up and put my hands on his chest, bouncing up and down on him. He reached up and pulled my nipples as my fingernails raked down his chest. I rocked back and forth and then moved up and down, feeling him trying to keep up. His hands slid down to my hips, and he held them tight, slamming my body down onto his.
"Chris...I'm going..." I muttered as I pushed myself down onto him and held the position. My head went back, and my mouth opened, releasing a scream as my thighs tightened against his hips. I could feel the wave crashing down on me at the same time Chris started whispering my name over and over again. He pushed his hips up twice, and then his fingers dug into my skin as he started to shake hard. I could feel his cock jerking inside me, and I started rocking again as we both came hard.
Panting, I dropped down onto him and he held me tight, rubbing my back as we both tried to catch our breath. I no longer wondered if what we were doing was right, and no, it wasn't just the terrific sex. Something told me that we were meant to make it to this point and that it was very right. I no longer felt afraid or overwhelmed about what was happening between us. It happened because it was meant to be.
I moved and looked down at Chris, smiling at him. "Had I known you were that good, I would have jumped you a long time ago."
He laughed and pushed my hair back from my face. "Had I known that you could bite so hard, I would have taken precautions."
"Did I mention that I love you very much?" I asked.
"I don't think you did," he said, pulling my head down and kissing the tip of my nose. "I love you, Melissa, and I've loved you for a very long time. Recently, I decided to throw caution to the wind and just pursue you. You just weren't picking up the hints."
"What hints?" Had there been hints? I think not! I would have known -- really!
"Like when I asked you to be my date at Tim's wedding. Or the other night when I called you just to tell you I missed you and couldn't wait to see you again."
"We have no social lives, Chris, so when you asked me to Tim's wedding, I assumed it was just because you couldn't get a date. And you always tell me that you miss me when you call."
"Well, how about a month ago when I asked you to marry me?"
"Ha! You've asked me that before."
"When?"
I thought about it. "When we were eight and you said if we were married we wouldn't have to go to school."
Chris hugged me tight. "Okay, so I'm not the best hinter in the world."
"You have other qualities that make up for it." I grinned at him and then remembered that we were in the middle of a golf course, naked. "We better get back to the wedding before someone misses us!"
"I guess," he said, letting me go.
i gathered up all my clothes and started to get
dressed. As i put on my shoes Chris came up to me and gathered me into his
arms.
"I love you, ya know" he said softly.
"And Granny really is a good kisser"
I grinned up at him and we walked back to the
wedding.
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