He held and caressed her. "It's even better than that," he said, "because without you, my life would be a black hole, with no one."
After a few months of Fartlek conditioning, she was amazed at how much stronger she felt on the courts, and how invigorated she was, following even the most grueling match. The secret to Fartlek, she realized, lay in having a lover to share in her workout. And it was wonderful, that after a strenuous workout, he wanted her. They would lie on a blanket and cuddle, hands meandering and mouths tasting, as the warm evening breezes—filled with the fragrant perfume of magnolia and azalea blossoms—wafted over them.
"What you do to me out here is decadent," she told him. "When you do me, under the stars like this, I feel as if you're sharing me with the cosmos."
"I don't know about the cosmos," he said, "but the heavens are definitely involved, and I wish they'd leave us alone. I want you all to myself."
-36-
BETTY-JO CHANCE & BRAD RAIDEN
A Sinister Venus
One evening, as Betty-Jo and Brad lay nuzzling beneath the stars in a touchy-feely embrace; he pointed to a bright star above the western horizon.
"Do you know what star that is?"
"No. Should I?"
"It's the planet Venus, named after my goddess friend."
"Is that where Venus lives?"
"I wouldn't bet on it. Venus is rather inhospitable, like the goddess herself when her hair's having a bad day."
"So Brad, if you're such a close friend of Venus, where does she live?"
"I'm not sure. But I know how to get there."
"How?"
"'Fly toward the second star to the right, then proceed straight on until morning.'"
She laughed at him. "Venus lives in Never-Never Land?"
"That can't be right."
"So how do you know that Venus is your pal?"
"I was told by someone."
She placed her hand on Brad's forehead. "You don't feel hot. So why are you delirious?" His laugh was uneasy. "Let me guess," she continued. "You're talking to ghosts."
"More like gods. The guy claims to be Mercury. You know, the Greek messenger god."
"Weird."
"Tell me about it. Seems Venus sent him. He says it's thanks to Venus, that you and I met. As best, I can tell, Venus felt guilty about the misery she'd caused Psyche. So to make amends, she brought us together.
"I don't understand. Who is Psyche, and what did Venus do to her?"
"What Venus did to Psyche wasn't pretty."
"Tell me."
"What would you rather do, make love, or hear about Venus and Psyche?" He kissed her eyelids.
"Both."
"You're a greedy cat. You want everything—don't you?
"Yes," said the greedy cat.
"Okay, but I suspect that Venus would be miffed if she knew I was gossiping about her. If we're struck by a lightning bolt, you'll know why."
"Go ahead and gossip. Your Tawny Cat's feeling reckless, and she isn't afraid of some wicked, make-believe goddess." Although maybe she should be, she thought.
Brad rolled onto his side and stared into her eyes. "Forgive her, Venus, for she knows not what she says. Tawny cat, please! Be careful. Psyche did less than you did just now to incur Venus' wrath."
"What did she do?"
"Like you, Psyche was beautiful—the most beautiful of the Roman women—and also like you, she was a princess."
"A real princess?"
"A real princess. Psyche had everything she could wish for. She even ate from a silver plate and drank from a golden cup. And like you, she slept on satin sheets, only hers were red. But Psyche had a problem. She was unhappy."
A breeze started to perk up Betty-Jo's polka dots. "How unfortunate," she said with mock sincerity. "It's so difficult to be happy when you have to sleep on satin sheets."
Brad assisted the breeze with his fingertips. "You, of all people, should understand. Incredible beauty can often be as much a curse as it is a blessing, and it was a curse for Psyche. Her sisters were jealous, boys were afraid of her, and men stared at her."
"You're right, beauty can be a curse. It's too easy to fall in love with an outer shell instead of the person within. Even you might love me for just my body."
"At last I understand! I love you for a body that never quits, and you love me for a brain that won't start." Betty-Jo swatted him, and he grinned at her. "For sure I love you with your clothes off, and that soul of yours is a bit of a rascal."
"My soul was docile until it met you."
"Maybe I should speak to Venus. Ask her to turn you into a mouse burger. Then, when I keep hanging around, you'll be certain that it's the inner cat that I love best."
She caressed his chest and kissed him. "You don't have to chat with Venus. I know it's the inner cat that you love best. That's what makes me feel beautiful."
"But unlike me with you," Brad said, "many people began to worship Psyche because of her beauty, and they stopped going to Venus' temple to worship Venus."
"Why would they worship Venus when they had a gorgeous flesh and blood princess of their own to worship?"
"Exactly. But as you can imagine, that incensed Venus—she was, after all, the goddess of love and beauty. Venus decided to make Psyche pay for her beauty."
"That can't be good."
"She send her son, Cupid, to earth, to administer her retribution. Perhaps you recall that by shooting gods or mortals with one of his gold-tipped arrows, Cupid could make them fall in love with the first person they saw. And Cupid was given magic water to sprinkle on Psyche's eyes so, after being pierced by his arrow, the first person she would see, and fall madly in love with, would be the meanest, ugliest man on earth."
Isn't Venus delightful, Betty-Jo thought. "I didn't realize that Cupid was Venus' son."
"As I understand it, he was the result of a tryst with Mercury. Anyway, dutiful son that Cupid was, he set off to do his mother's dirty work. When Cupid arrived on earth, he found Psyche slumbering on her satin sheets. He took a gold-tipped arrow from his quiver, pulled open her nightgown, and touched it to her breast."
"Her breast? The guy's a pervert."
"Then he moved the arm that covered Psyche's face, so he could sprinkle her eyes with the magic water. But when he moved her arm, he was confronted by such beauty, that he forgot to apply the magic water. Instead, the clumsy carp scratched himself with his own arrow, and then fell madly in love with his mother's mortal enemy."
"That is so romantic." She leaned over and blew in Brad's ear. "Was Psyche also in love with Cupid?"
"Of course. She'd been pierced by Cupid's arrow, and since the magic water hadn't been sprinkled on her eyes, she fell in love with the first person she saw when she awoke."
Betty-Jo beamed. "Cupid!"
"Right. Psyche thought that the gorgeous man with the curly brown hair, the captivating smile, and the sky-blue eyes was a dream man. She stared into his eyes, enthralled. In Cupid's eyes she could see the earth in all its glory, and the heavens in all their wonder."
"Hold me," Betty-Jo demanded. He took her in his arms. "Tighter," she said.
"Then Cupid spoke to Psyche."
"And said?"
"He said, 'Wait for me. I'll send for you.' And as he faded away, he said it again, 'Wait for me.'"
"So did Psyche wait for him?"
"Would you have waited?"
"You Brad, are my dream man. I would wait for you forever."
"Forever?"
"If forever was how long it took. I belong to you—you know that!" She squeezed his hand, feeling his strength; she touched his cheek, soaring on his love; then she imprisoned his eyes, and flirted with his soul.
"Just as you belong to me, apparently so Psyche belonged to Cupid, because she waited for him to come for her. She didn't know who she was waiting for, but she knew that she was in love with the gorgeous man from her dream."
"She's like me, one of those pathetically, hopelessly in love, kin
d of women."
"You're a wisely, wonderfully, in love kind of woman. But Psyche? Perhaps not. It turned out to be a long wait. Psyche was forty-five when..."
"Forty-five!"
"Sometimes love exacts a stiff, even a fearful price. But Psyche was more beautiful than ever when, one evening, she was drawn to a hilltop where a friendly wind named Zephyr picked her up, lulled her to sleep, and carried her away. When she awoke, she found herself in a radiant palace made of gold and jewels."
"I bet Cupid built it for her."
"You're right. That was why Psyche had to wait for so long. Cupid wanted to build her a home that was worthy of her."
"I'm beginning to like Cupid."
"Someday, I'll build you a home just like Psyches'."
"You want to build me a palace?"
"I've already started to save, and like Psyche's palace, yours will also be made of gold and jewels." He reached into his tote bag, pulled out a small package, and handed it to her. Inside, was a gold necklace, attached to a gold wafer, which had 'T-Cat' inscribed on it. The card read, 'The first of many bricks for my princess' palace.'
Brad put the necklace around Betty-Jo's neck, and studied her. "It looks lovely," he said. "It accentuates the gold in your hair, but it doesn't do you justice. Maybe nothing can really enhance your beauty."
She could feel the tears filling her eyes as she leapt on her lover. "Darn you, Bad Brad, I want you in me now!" She rubbed herself against him.
He kissed her—long, tender, loving kisses—then he carried on with his story. "That evening, Psyche's life became almost perfect. She had everything she'd ever dreamed of when Cupid came to her in the dark; his soft voice wafted around her, and his strong arms enveloped and held her. 'Thank you for waiting for me, Psyche', he said. She knew that it was the voice of her dream man."
"You're my dream man," Betty-Jo said.
"After Psyche watched the most beautiful sunset she'd ever seen, she married her dream man. But Cupid refused to tell her his name, and he forbid her to look at him."
"You're kidding! Why?"
"Cupid had a reason. He didn't want Psyche to see him, or to know his name, because he wanted her to love him as his equal. If Psyche had known he was a god, she would have treated him like a god. Cupid didn't want that."
"What a mess. I'd go crazy if I couldn't look at you."
"And that's what happened to Psyche. She longed to behold her dream man once again, and to know his name. So one night, as her husband slept, she lit a candle, and gazed on him, unaware of the fearful consequences of her actions."
"You didn't tell me that this was going to be a horror story."
Brad kissed her and continued. "Psyche's husband had the same brown curls, sky-blue eyes, and handsome face as her dream man. And above him, hanging on the wall, were gold-tipped arrows and a bow. Psyche knew immediately that her husband was Cupid, the god of love. Unfortunately, as she bent to take a closer look at him, a drop of hot wax fell on his arm."
"Oh, no!"
"Cupid opened his eyes, and saw Psyche. He jumped out of bed, and backed away from her."
"This is bad—Brad!"
"'Wait! Wait'! Psyche cried. She was frantic. Cupid stopped, and turned. 'Goodbye forever, Psyche', he said, in a hard, cold voice that at the same time was filled with despair. 'I disobeyed my mother, I left her house, and I took you for my wife. Now this is how you have chosen to reciprocate my love. Love and suspicion cannot dwell in the same house—there must be trust'. Of course since Cupid was the god of love, he was duty bound to leave her."
B-J gripped Brad's arm. "What did Psyche do?"
"Psyche was desperate. She ran after Cupid, but he disappeared into the morning air. Psyche, in pain and despair, fell to the ground and sobbed. When she finally raised her head, she found herself back on the hilltop near her palace on earth—Zephyr had returned her."
"No, Brad. Please! I want a happy ending." She implored him with her eyes."
"But how can there be a happy ending without love, and how can there be love without trust?"
"I know that love is doomed without trust, but I still want Psyche and Cupid to live happily ever after."
"Don't look so forlorn. I'll do my best. It was a terrible price that Psyche had to pay for wanting to see the man she loved, because once you've lived with the gods it's impossible to be happy living with mere mortals."
She pulled Brad tightly against her. "I'll always be happy living with mere mortal you."
He hugged and kissed her. "So Psyche whiled away her days and nights, sad and alone. Finally, in desperation, she decided to go to the Temple of Venus, and ask the goddess of love to help her."
"Bad move. Asking Venus for help has to be a big mistake."
"Initially it was, because when Psyche knelt in prayer, Venus saw an opportunity to cause her even more grief. Remember that Venus despised Psyche for more than her beauty. Psyche had taken Venus' favorite son from her, and then she'd made him ill from the heartache she'd caused him."
"So what did Venus do to Psyche?"
"'What would you do to get your husband back?' Venus asked her. 'I'd do anything', Psyche replied. That was what Venus had hoped she'd say, because it gave her an opportunity to give Psyche an impossible task. Venus said, 'If you can prove that you're a worthy wife for my son, by showing me that you're capable of an honest day's work, then you may have him back.'"
Betty-Jo saw an opening. "What would I have to do to prove that I was a worthy wife for you?" she asked. But even as she asked, her hand was doing things to Brad that she knew would make her worthy.
"Because it's you, I'd make it easy. All you'd have to do is learn the alphabet backward."
"Learn the alphabet backward?"
"Everyone knows it forward. But you should have a unique talent to be worthy of me." He gave her his Tom Cruise grin. "ZYX and WV; UTS and RQP. Work on it. Marriage vows are only an EDCBA away."
"You surprise me sometimes."
"Because I know the alphabet backward?"
"No. That amazes me. What surprises me is that you know it in any direction."
"May we get back to Psyche?" Brad said.
"ZYX and WV. I know most of it backward already."
"Psyche was led to a storeroom where a great mound of grain: wheat, corn, barley, and oats had been mixed to feed Venus' pigeons. 'Separate the seeds into four piles by nightfall, and you shall have your Cupid back', Venus said. Psyche went quickly to work, but it soon became apparent that the task was impossible—it would take months to complete. Psyche began to sob, afraid that she'd lost her husband forever."
Betty-Jo frowned. "I thought you were working on a happy ending."
"But then Psyche noticed that the pile of grain was moving—thousands of ants were separating the seeds. Of course, it was Cupid's doing. He'd realized that he couldn't live without her."
"Yes!" cried an ecstatic Betty-Jo. She pulled Brad to her and gave him an elated, thanking, demanding kiss. Then, when he wasn't responsive enough for her liking, she moved wantonly on top of him.
"So Psyche passed the test, but she still had a problem. Mighty Zeus had fallen in love with the beautiful mortal, and he wanted her to be near him on Olympus."
"Zeus is wasting his time. Psyche's proven that she's nothing, if not faithful."
"True. But Zeus knew that with women you can never be a hundred percent sure."
"Zeus is full of it. You know that I'll always be faithful to you."
"Why are you so loveable, especially when you're angry?" He entwined his fingers in her hair, pulled her down to him, and kissed her. "On the pretense of encouraging Cupid to settle down, Zeus did something he'd never done before. He gave Psyche a cup of nectar that made her immortal, a goddess, in other words. Then he threw a great feast at which Cupid and Psyche were married again—this time as equals. And then, as far as I know, they lived happily ever after."
Betty-Jo hugged her lover. "Thank you, that was a lovely ending. Did you
end it that way just for me?"
"I would have, but that was how it really ended. Cupid and Psyche even had a daughter named Pleasure."
"Pleasure." She tried the name out loud. "That would be a good name for a daughter," she said with a grin. "If we wanted one."
He grinned back. "It would be. Get to work on your backward alphabet."
"How could Psyche have a daughter, I thought she was forty-five."
"She was. Maybe once you're immortal, you can have as many daughters as you want, at any age. But strangely, Pleasure was mortal. It appears that whatever was in the nectar that made Psyche immortal, wasn't passed on to her offspring. Now lets get to work on our own fairytale, with a happy ending. All you have to do is tell me your bear's name, and the name of my beauty spot."
"I Love Only You Brad—Please Do Me."
He was about to act on her request, when a thunderstorm struck without warning. As they sprinted for the shelter of the cottage, he said, "Could that be Venus trying to intimidate us?"
She believed that the thunderstorm was just a coincidence, but she had an uneasy feeling. Could it be that Venus really is threatening me?
-37-
BETTY-JO CHANCE & BRAD RAIDEN
Betty-Jo—A Tawny Concubine?
When Betty-Jo and Brad were safely inside, he told her that he had a surprise for her. Then he introduced her to imagery. Eventually, imagery played a key role in her tennis ability, but initially, it played a key role in their lovemaking, and in her becoming his Tawny Concubine.
"We have to get serious about our non-visual senses," he said.
"Why don't we skip the nonsense, and do something that's fun?"
"Patience, child. Soon all shall be revealed." He turned out the lights, and put a blanket over the bedroom window.
"You said 'soon all shall be revealed'. I can't see a thing."
"Luckily for you, I'm in a good mood. Instead of a blanket over the window, I could have gone with a paper bag over your head."
The American Princess - Best Love Story Ever Page 18