by C. C. Piper
At last, he undressed. His chest was mostly smooth, and firm with muscle. His stomach was flat and his abs were well-defined. I wanted to touch them, but I didn’t dare move. He pushed his boxers down and crawled on top of me.
His erection was hard against my leg. “Wrap your legs around me. I want to feel them.”
I did as he said. He ran one hand up and down my thigh. “Keep your legs smooth like this. I’ll want them around me every day that you’re here.” He tapped my thigh. “Are you ready?”
I nodded.
Then he lowered his mouth to mine and kissed me firmly.
Then he pushed inside me.
A sharp pain coursed through me. I let out a tiny whimper and he stopped. “How much pain?” he asked.
“A little. It’s fading.”
He remained still, letting me adjust until I relaxed into the mattress again. He began to move again, thrusting into my body. Long minutes passed, with us joined together. He put his hand back between my legs and rubbed.
I shouted as I finished, letting my body squeeze his. He lowered his head to the mattress and panted, pushing into me one last time as he spilled his release.
We breathed together, in and out, until he pulled his body out of mine.
I started to sit up.
“No. Lie back. I’m going to look at you.” He put his hand on my inner thigh. “Legs spread.”
Heat burned my face. Some tiny part of me was enjoying even this part. He wanted every part of my body, and that was a major turn on, even if I felt weird about parts of it.
He ran his finger over me. “Does it hurt?”
“No.”
“You may be sore tomorrow. If so, let me know and I’ll get a hot bath ready for you.”
I started to tell him that I could handle my own bath, but I remembered that part of what he desired was taking care of me. “Thank you.”
His finger slipped inside. “I like seeing where I was buried inside you.”
I could feel every touch.
“Stay there. I’ll be right back.”
He returned with a warm cloth. He cleaned between my legs, making careful passes with the washcloth.
He covered me with the sheet and lay down next to me, much like the previous night. He kissed the top of my head. We lay there together, not talking, just dozing comfortably for about an hour. He rose suddenly.
“You may sleep in your room tonight.”
I stood slowly, wincing a little as my body protested. The sudden dismissal confused me, but I was still too loopy to decide if it was a problem or not.
“Here,” he said, pulling a robe from the closet and wrapping me in it. “I’ll walk you to your room.”
Now that I was back in my room, I didn’t know what to think. During our time together, Richard had been attentive. He’d been careful and gentle, but his dismissal had been sudden. I wondered if he didn’t want me to share his bed overnight.
I settled into bed, planning to get some good sleep, but the buzzing of my phone startled me. The caller ID said ‘Bella.’
I snatched the phone up and pressed the ‘accept’ button. “Hello? Bella? Are you okay?” She was far from okay, but the nurses had said she was stable.
Her little voice was loud and clear over the line. “I have a phone! It’s better than the normal one here because we can do a video chat! Do you want to?”
Richard must have given it to her. He must have programmed the numbers in. My affection for him increased a million times over. He might not want me to share his bed overnight, but this gift of a phone for my sister was a huge deal for us. “Of course I want to see you.”
She hung up and then redialed, this time connecting via video chat.
She was still pale, and likely would be until she was cured. But she was smiling. “Guess what?”
Even though I’d seen her earlier in the day, seeing her again was comforting. “What?”
“I got my own room. No roommate! And the nurses are way nicer up here. They brought me a little pink cupcake with silver glitter!” She held up an empty cupcake wrapper. “I’d show you but it’s gone. And guess what else? You can eat the glitter!”
“That sounds delicious.”
“I took a picture. I’ll send it to you. I know how to text. Mrs. Johsnon came over and brought my homework and she showed me how.”
“That’s amazing. Are you tired?”
“Just a little. But I had to call you.”
“I’m glad you did. I miss you, Sweetie-Belle. I’ll be there again tomorrow during the day.”
“I miss you too. I know you have to work. So we can eat.” Bella frowned. “Is this gonna mess us up?”
“What do you mean?”
“All this nice stuff.” Bella spun the phone around to show me the room, which caused my head to spin. I couldn't see much, but I caught a few glimpses of stuffed animals and balloons. “It looks like it costs a lot.”
What could I say? I should have known Bella would be perceptive enough to notice the upgrade. “It was a gift from a friend.” I grimaced. Bella probably knew we didn’t have any rich friends.
“A rich friend? Like one of your bosses that owns the café?”
“Just like that.” Not that any of my former bosses would ever have enough money to foot that kind of bill, but luckily Bella was too young to know that.
“Don’t worry about the money. We’ll be fine. I want you to be comfortable, and concentrate on feeling better.” I made a kissy face at her. “You get to sleep. Love you.”
We disconnected, and I was grateful all over again for Richard’s thoughtfulness.
It had been great to see Bella’s face. Her enthusiasm made me smile. And it made me hopeful that she’d be able to beat this disease.
If Bella weren’t sick, I wouldn't be here. It almost felt wrong to enjoy the gifts Richard had given me, when I was here because my sister had a life-threatening disease. The Wish Maker sought me out because of my desperate situation, that was no secret.
Bella should be at home, begging me to let her read another page of her book and sneaking into the kitchen after bedtime to look for chocolate. Or asking if I remembered to wash her archery uniform. But her illness wasn’t Richard’s fault, and I shouldn't resent him because she wasn’t well. There was only one person at fault, and that was our mother.
It broke my heart that she wasn’t with me. But she was in the best place possible for someone with her illness.
I choked back a sob. I couldn’t lose her. I wasn’t willing to face that possibility. All my life, I’d figured that if I just tried a little harder, she’d be safe. And that had been true. But for this illness, there was very little I could do.
And if for some reason her time was limited, I wanted her to be as happy as she could while she was still here. Richard had done that for her.
14
Richard
By midnight, I’d given up on sleep. I headed outside, wanting to feel the night air. I wanted to hear the ocean. I stared across the horizon at the way the water was black under the night sky. I could see a few stars, their light barely visible so close to the city. Waves rolled in, crashing against the sand.
I’d traveled the world, and I always came back to LA.
My father had always walked outside when he needed to think. I had adopted that habit from him.
Chrissy had asked about my father, and I’d been able to share memories with her. I hadn’t talked about my father outside of work since he’d passed away. At the office, it was common to mention him, or to have an employee share a story about how he’d handled a client or a project. But that was work. I hadn’t talked about him as a son speaks about his father, but it had felt good.
Whether I was ready or not, Chrissy was becoming a part of my life. And after we’d talked, Chrissy had given me her virginity. Willingly.
I’d thought I wanted a virgin, so that I could train her to want what I liked. But each time I was with her, I found myself wanting to do w
hat was best for her.
The sight of her mustering her courage to unzip her dress, then standing in front of me, offering herself would stay with me forever. Her gift was momentous, and she had shared it with me. I was aware of the role that our arrangement played, but it hadn’t felt like a transaction. It had felt meaningful, because it had been her idea. I still couldn’t get over the fact that she’d initiated our time together. Despite the gravity of what we’d shared, I felt lighter. We’d connected in a way I hadn’t expected.
I wasn’t prepared for that feeling to end. I’d never had it before. I found I’d do nearly anything to keep it.
I wondered if this was how my father felt about my mother. Was he able to forgive her because he liked the way she made him feel? If so, I understood his tolerance a whole lot better now, thanks to my own feelings toward Chrissy.
I vowed right then that I would treat her like a queen as often as I possibly could.
The next morning, I woke earlier than usual. My new situation of having a woman in my life to spoil would take some planning.
I always ate plain oatmeal for breakfast with a power bar. It didn’t taste good, but it was the fuel I needed before I ran on the beach or lifted weights. But today, I wanted to have a breakfast ready for Chrissy, and after the night we shared, I wanted it to be exactly right.
The sky was overcast so eating on the patio was ideal. As soon as it was light outside, I asked the chef to prepare a large breakfast. She brought a large spread that included coffee, fresh squeezed orange juice, Eggs Benedict, waffles, blueberries, strawberries, and crepes. I loaded it all onto a cart and took it to the patio. Then I paced.
Around 7:00 a.m. I heard Chrissy on the staircase. I was pleased that she wasn’t a late sleeper. She was wearing one of the outfits I’d picked for her. It was a simple turquoise sundress with a yellow wide brimmed hat and white sandals.
Seeing her in something I’d chosen gave me a rush. It wasn’t as good as holding her close to me, but it was close.
“Good morning,” I said in greeting. “I have breakfast ready for us if you’re hungry.”
Her bright smile lit up her face. “I am.”
I motioned the patio. “Let’s eat out here. With the clouds overhead, we won’t have to squint.” I pulled her to me and kissed her cheek. “I’m glad you’re up early.”
She leaned into my side, tilting her pretty face up so I could kiss her again. “This feels late to me. I usually get up at five a.m. to make sure everything’s laid out for the day.”
I was pleased. Our schedules might be more compatible than I’d assumed. My mother had often lounged in bed until midday, while a nanny helped get me ready for school. “What did you need to have laid out?”
“My work uniform for the Sweet Lime Café, my backpack for college, my lunch, Bella’s backpack and lunch, Bella’s archery uniform, my uniform for the Blackstreet Diner, which I don’t need anymore, and my polo shirt that I wear when I work in the campus library.
Hearing that made my head ache. I worked hard, and dealt with multi-million dollar investments and an often cranky board of directors, but I didn’t have to put much thought into the smaller details of my life — I was lucky to have competent staff to do it for me. “That sounds like it takes a lot of forethought.”
“It does. But I’m used to it. We make a lot of lists. If we forget something, we can’t go back for it, so we both make sure we have what we need.”
“Why can’t you go back for it?”
“The bus takes too long. When Bella got into Evergreen Charter, we moved to an apartment close by. I applied to Cal State Los Angeles because it’s close to her school. I applied for jobs that are close as well. If we had to travel farther, then we’d lose a lot of our day waiting at bus stops.”
I didn’t like to think I was unaware of how other people lived, but the logistics of her day were eye-opening. I had never struggled financially, nor had I been raised around anyone who had. At her age, I assumed that I was entitled to the car that my parents gave me.
Chrissy had never had that luxury.
It was mind-boggling that she juggled all of that at her age, while working and studying and raising a child. It made me want to get to know her even more.
“That sounds very efficient of you.” Again, I wondered if I’d have been better off hiring Chrissy to be a project manager. But then I wouldn't have her with me like this.
I wasn’t willing to give that up.
I wondered how many people her age could manage their lives and their siblings life as well as she had. If Bella hadn’t gotten sick, she would have kept going at this rapid, unyielding pace until she finished her degrees.
I picked up a plate. “What would you like to eat?”
“Everything looks good.” She peered into the house. “Are you expecting someone else?”
“No. This is all for you.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen this much breakfast food in one place, not even at the café.” She laughed. “There’s so much. I’ll try all of it.”
Her laugh was a delightful sound, and I wanted to hear it as much as possible. “I wanted to do something nice for you.”
“Wow. That’s very generous, and I can’t wait to try each dish.”
I began to scoop food onto her plate, a little bit of each dish, just like she wanted. “Chrissy, I know we just met, and we have an unusual relationship. But if there is anything you want, all you have to do is ask. I will do everything in my power to make it happen.”
She looked down at the ground briefly, then raised her eyes up to meet mine. “I don’t know what to say.”
I was prone to intensity, that was a fact. I’d given her all that I could, now I had to back off. “Just think about it.”
“Do you have to go into the office today?”
I handed her the plate, hoping she liked everything. “I’m taking the day off. I want to spend more time with you. I want us to get to know each other more, and understand each other a little more.”
“I think that sounds like a great idea.”
To complete the breakfast, I poured her a glass of orange juice into a crystal goblet and placed it by her plate. I was glad she wanted to spend time with me. The intensity of my attraction to her was strange. It was more than just sexual. I wanted to spend my free time with her. This had never happened to me before.
I wondered if I had a crush for the first time in my life, at age thirty-two. If a crush was like this, then what would love be like?
I wasn’t sure I was prepared to find out.
15
Chrissy
After eating way too much at the best breakfast of my life, I finished my freshly squeezed orange juice with relish.
Usually when I was drinking orange juice, I was waiting tables. It was too expensive for me to buy for myself. When it was on sale, I gave it Bella for the vitamin C, but the only time I had it was at the Sweet Lime Café.
Now I was sitting on a glorious patio overlooking the Santa Monica beach with a sinfully hot man, listening to the waves roll in. In a nearby tree, birds chirped. In the distance, children too young for school raced on the beach, shouting with glee.
And last night, I’d lost my virginity to that handsome man sitting beside me. I couldn't have asked for a better experience.
I’d expected it would be an event to be endured. But it had been so much more than I’d expected. I’d been overwhelmed, but I’d also felt cherished, and cared for. His delight in my body, and my submission was addictive.
Although there was a tiny bit of soreness today, it was manageable and didn’t affect my movement.
I’d had no idea I would enjoy sex that much. I’d also had no idea I’d enjoy the submission. Just thinking about it made my cheeks heat up and my stomach flutter pleasantly.
I relaxed into my chair, feeling happily full. I wasn’t used to have enough food. In fact, I wasn’t sure I’d ever gotten that full. I could have taken a nap and enjoyed the s
ensation of not being hungry, but I could tell Richard had plans.
“Did you get enough?” he asked.
I laughed. “Couldn’t you tell? I think that’s the most I’ve ever eaten at once.”
Richard’s mouth turned down. “Were you without food often?”
“As a kid, yes. If my mom sold drugs, or stole money, sometimes we might have food at home, but I mostly had to rely on school lunches and the school food pantry.”
“Your mother didn’t use food stamps?”
“Not a chance.” I looked away, embarrassed to explain this to Richard As I talked, I watched a dog chase a sea gull along the coast. What would it have been like to grow up here, where people actually thrived instead of survived? “You actually have to go to some effort to apply for food stamps. She’d never go to that kind of trouble. She was usually high and didn’t notice if she’d eaten anyway.”
Richard fidgeted with his napkin. I’m sure this was an uncomfortable topic for him. He’d wanted a fun companion, not a downer that injected childhood horror stories into every conversation. “That must have been difficult. What about now? Have you been hungry lately?”
Difficult was an understatement, but I didn’t want to sully our lovely breakfast with talk about my home life. “I’ve been okay.” He didn’t need to hear about my dinners of olives and crackers, or of half a baloney sandwich. Or of my bosses letting my scavenge the leftovers after closing. Desperate to change the mood, I turned to him and beamed. “This is really the best orange juice I’ve ever had.”
He smiled back. “I’ll make sure we have it every day. I’ll make sure we import the best oranges.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
“I want to.”
Once again, I found myself in the odd position of having someone want to please me. “Thank you.”
Richard dropped his napkin onto his plate. “Before we move on to the fun plans for today, I wanted to ask how you’re feeling about last night.”