Chapter One - Love on the River

The river was up and rising. They were expecting it to crest around thirty-two feet, putting six or seven feet under the house. It was now probably about a foot deep under the house and two feet deep by the stairs where I was docking. I was boating back in from the levee with groceries when I spotted someone kayaking toward me from several houses downriver. Come to think of it, that was the direction of all the noise, commotion and lights over the Memorial Day weekend a couple of weeks ago. Well, at least the Independence Day holiday would be a bit quieter. Not many people come down to the river road cabins when the water was up. Out of all the places, more than a hundred houses or cabins, campers, and campsites, there were probably six or eight older guys, some married, who had decided to full time it. One might think I did, but I only did this to think, or get away, which was pretty often. I also had a home in the suburbs of Chesterfield where I hid at times.

As the kayak came closer, she asked me, “Sir, can I borrow your phone? I can’t find my charger, and didn’t know the river was coming up, actually. I think I may have a problem with my car, too.”

“How did you not know the river was coming up?” I asked her, with maybe a bit of unneeded snarkiness.

“Look, my parents told me to stay out here until school starts back up in August. They’re in Europe, the house in town is being remodeled, and I didn’t know about this river thing. I don’t spend time out here unless they’re here. Never mind. I don’t need the grief. I know I fucked up. It’s a bit more than obvious. Hopefully someone else…”

“Stop, hon. You’re fine. Tie up to the stairs and come on up. Have a seat, use my phone, charge yours, whatever you need. I didn’t mean to be a dick about it. It’s just that usually if you look at the NOAA hydrology reports they warn us when it rains a bit much in Minnesota and such, and they can tell the river is coming up. I’ll show you when you get your phone charged up. I’m getting ready to fix some lunch, you hungry?”

“I could eat. I had breakfast, but I was kind of hoping you’d come back soon. I saw you leave but wasn’t quick enough to get your attention. Anyway, I was hoping and waiting for you to get back and didn’t want to miss you.”

“Why wouldn’t I come back?”

“No one else did. This place is deserted. I should have been paying attention yesterday instead of sleeping off my stupid… Never mind. He wasn’t worth it.”

“I can listen pretty well if you need to talk. Can we share names first?”

“Annie. Annie Frost.”

“Chuck Carpenter. You’re in school then?”

“Starting junior year in August. Wash U.”

“Your parents went to Europe and left you here?”

“Wouldn’t be the first time. I think since I turned sixteen, they’ve pretty much left me to be a free-range child. Even before that I was a latch-key kid. That may stop when the car is under water.”

“Oh, yeah. Hey. I have an idea. It’s not that deep yet. Let me get some stuff from under the house and we’ll see what we can do.” I had a couple chain winches, some trolleys, some pulleys, rope, straps, and such. This would be fun. “What kind of car is it, Annie?”

“Beemer. 320.”

“Let’s go see if we can save it. We’ll try to pick it up, and worst case, you have to replace the plastic over the bumpers. We need to hurry, though.” I got my Little Giant ladder, put all the gear I needed from under the house into the boat, then we went over and gave it a shot. Her place had a higher concrete pad like so many people were putting in now, and the water was only to just under the chassis. It looked like we might be able to pull it off. Soft wide tow straps in the tie down eyes, then out and around the bumpers, up to chains, then to chain winches on the trollies, and in about a half hour, I had her car seven feet off the ground with the top almost hitting the floor joists between the piers. Any higher, and we’d have the windshield frame in the floor. It was a convertible, but top down, or up, it wasn’t going any higher. We would need to be careful putting it down, but it went from a forty-thousand-dollar problem to a two-thousand-dollar problem pretty quickly.

“Thank you. You are now Superman, my hero, to whom I will be eternally grateful.”

“I appreciate that, but it’s just some winches and some chain.”

“YOUR winches and YOUR chain, Superman! Uhmmm, Superman?”

“Yes, Annie?”

“I think my phone charger is in the car.”

“Where it will stay. With the weight of the car on those straps on the bumper, I will guarantee you those doors won’t open. Guarantee it.”

“Uhmmm, Superman?” I acknowledged. “Can I use your phone charger? I think mine might be tied up for a while!” She giggled. I laughed.

“Come on, silly. Yes, you may. Let’s go grab a bit to eat. I think I teased you with that offer earlier. Anything you can’t eat?” She shook her head. “Good. Let’s go see what Chef Superman (I said in a corny French accent) can whip up.”

I sat her in front of the TV letting her run through the channels until she found a soap opera she watched. Come to find out, the dorm she was in had soap klatches, and the girls that weren’t in class shared watching soaps and having fun with it. Silly, stupid hobby. I did the same damned thing when I was in the service. Running down to the Missile Control Complex for General Hospital when it came on at noon. God, that was a long time ago. Luke and Laura were so young, and she was so cute back then.

I put together some French Dip sandwiches and a salad, fed her, then we just talked a bit. I asked her what she was studying. “My father’s version of art appreciation. Mechanical engineering. Structural. My master’s thesis, if I decide not to jump off a bridge before then, involves earthquake preparedness in economical steel construction. I refused to go into law, so this was next.”

“Noble dealings.”

“What do you do, Chuck?”

“Electronics. Receivers. Transmitters.”

“Convince me to change career paths.”

“Electronics are lighter? I don’t need to weld very often? Solder, yes, but not weld. I don’t need a crane to build a receiver? I can design a transmitter inside out of the rain? Annie, I can go on forever, but I can’t build a radio over a bunch of people worshiping on Sunday. I have my limitations.” She laughed. I touched her funny bone. I didn’t think it was that funny, but I wasn’t the audience.

“Oh, Chuck, that’s funny. I think I probably will. Change, that is. I’ll have to take one class from last year that I weaseled my way out of, but I’m not into mechanical. Or civil. Electrical seems better, but it’s so… Man oriented. Electronics. Communications. That seems more fun to me. I’ve been thinking about it all year. Dad will approve, as long as it doesn’t start with ‘Art’. He’s been telling me for years that most art appreciation and art history majors say, ‘Do you want fries with that?’ a lot at work after they graduate. I understand. Every museum needs two or three of them on staff, but how many museums are there. One or two, maybe three per decent sized city. Oh well, I’m not fighting it. He only wants what’s best for his ‘Little Peaches’. Mom just wants me to get married and move on. She’s not my real mother. Mine died trying to give birth to my little brother when I was about two. Wow, I can’t believe all that just came out. I don’t generally talk this much.”

“I’m glad you are. You’re interesting and easy to listen to. I love your voice.” Annie Frost was not a beautiful woman. She had some cuteness to her, but was not, when I met her, a stunning beauty of a female specimen. More plain looking, with medium brown hair showing a tinge of shiny red, a substantial, yet regal, nose, and thin, but not unattractive, lips. What she was, though, was built with the form of a perfect goddess. There was not a blemish on her body, what I could see of it, which was most of it. She was wearing a snug crop top sleeveless t-shirt, very short cotton spandex workout shorts and flip-flops. That was it. If she was not commando, she was wearing the perfect stealth underwear. Her legs were long and gorgeous, her ass was to die for, her waist looked cinched, but was mostly bare, and her chest was perfect with small breasts, maybe a B size or so. I’m a leg man, and I consider conversation after the lights are out much more important than appearance, so I was looking at A, if not THE, perfect woman for me. And, even though it may have sounded like it when I described her, she was far, far, very far from ugly. She was perfect. Even her little innie belly button was cute. I’m telling you…

“Chuck? Mr. Carpenter!”

“Oh, sorry, you were saying?”

“Just asking where you worked.”

“Oh. Carpenter Systems, Incorporated. A little firm where we make stuff we are asked to design and then sell it to the people that asked for it. It’s mostly government stuff, so unless you have some bamboo splinters or a battery and some electrodes, that’s about all you’re getting from me on that topic.” That set her off again.

“You are too cute. I’m glad I found you. Are you going to be here for a while, or are you heading out?”

“Actually, doll, I’m hiding. I’ll go home in a couple days to do laundry and pick some stuff up, maybe spend the night, exercise and catch up a bit, but then, I think I’m coming back. Just so you’ll know, the river is going to be up for a while. If you want to hang out with me, you can, I’ll take you to town, drop you off with anyone if you want. Totally up to you. I understand your house is probably uninhabitable, but you have friends or family, don’t you?” She shook her head. Sadly. What’s up with that, I wondered. Even plain girls have plain girlfriends. “No friends to stay with? No family? No one?”

She shook her head, looking down. “One friend good enough for that. Stanford. Summer classes. Pre-law. No family that would have me. I’m a latchkey kid and have been since I was pretty little. I meant to mention that. Thought I had. I’ve been a free-range child ever since my dad married the wicked witch of the west, and I don’t see that changing any time soon.”

“OK, then. Here’s the deal. I’ll teach you river survival skills, like looking up the hydrology graphs.”

She laughed again. “River survival skills, looking up hydrology graphs, that’s funny.”

“Funny? Funny? You, insolent little brat, your BMW is hanging from the bottom of your house… You’re right. That is pretty funny.” That time I laughed with her. “Oh, and maybe fishing, but I don’t want to push my luck.”

“It’s all right. I have. I don’t really enjoy it, but I have. Not the end of the world. I’d just rather read Anne McCaffrey than watch the tip of my pole not move.”

“You have your priorities totally out of whack, young lady. Reading and fishing have been done together since the inception of the first light weight stone tablet. Just before the spinning reel was invented.” Again, she laughed. I had this girl’s number. “Do you need anything to get through this? It’s going to be a month or so.”

“Probably everything. Let me call my parents if you don’t mind and I’ll have a better idea of how screwed up things are.” She called out on her phone, still plugged into the kitchen wall, while she was looking out the window at the flooded area. “Daddy, is that you? -- Yeah, it’s Annie. - I think I am. -- The river flooded over the last couple days, and I -- No, I’m fine. I’m at the neighbor’s, four doors up, I think. -- No, I’m charging my phone. Oh, and he fed me. -- No, it’s in the car. -- No. He hoisted it up under the house. It’s probably high enough. - He’s nice. Old, though. Like you. Ewwww. -- Oh, Daddy, you know I’m kidding. I love you, and you’re not old. - No, I just wanted to check and see if I could use my card for some clothes. -- They’re in the car, and we can’t get to them. Just some summer stuff. Shorts, blouses and some underwear. I’ll be good, I promise. - Thanks, Daddy. -- You do? OK, hang on. Chuck, he wants to talk to you.”

“This is Chuck.”

“Chuck who, if you don’t mind me asking?” Annie’s father asked.

“Chuck Carpenter. Light green house four up from you on the same bank.”

“You don’t mind helping our Annie out a bit?”

“No. No problem. I have to run home to do laundry anyway.”

“Where would that be?”

“Chesterfield. A little west of the airport.”

“Could you do us a favor and take her to the house so she can check on our construction project?”

“If you want. She can show me.”

“Thank you, I appreciate that. We just need to know if it’s on schedule.”

“Sounds good.”

“Well, thank you. I hope she’s not any trouble. She’s not much, but she is my only child.”

I didn’t like the way he said that, but… “No, seriously. No problem. She’s a peach.”

“Yes, I call her my little peaches sometimes.”

“She told me. Thought I’d tease a bit.”

“Understood. Well, I’m Fred, Fred Frost. My wife is Gladys. We’d appreciate your help with her.”

“OK, Fred. I’ll do my best.”

“Thanks again. May I speak with her?”

“Here she is.” I handed the phone back to her.

“Yeah? -- He will? OK. -- I will. Just if we’re on schedule, right? -- OK. Love you, Daddy. Have fun. Thank you! Byeee.” She pushed the phone off. “He told you, I’m sure, but I’m supposed to ask the contractor if we’re on schedule if you can take me by there.” I nodded. “You frowned. A bit ago. Problem?”

“No problem, Peaches.” I chuckled. I wasn’t about to tell her that her own father said, ‘she’s not much’. What a putz. She’s a peach. Literally. Cute, sweet, nice kid. Yeah, I think maybe Daddy is a putz.

“Stop. I thought you were nice. I lied to my Dad?” She giggled.

“Okay, the sixty-four-thousand-dollar question. You want to sleep here, and we’ll go to town tomorrow, or would you like to kayak home with your loneliness?”

“Couch? I’d love that.”

“There is a guest room with a real bed. It’s a two-bedroom house. There’s a lock on the door.”

“The least of my worries. I’m not a baby, Mr. Carpenter, and if you were going to rape me and kill me, you’ve had ample opportunity already. And anyway, you could do it there as well. One of the idiots at the party broke the doorknob and it’s not been fixed yet. Father was NOT happy when that happened. ‘Drunken school kids anyway’, he snarled in the morning. It was a friend of the boy in the cabin down from us. Anyway, there I go rambling on again.”

“I told you, Annie, I love your voice.”

“Thanks, Chuck, but you’re going to give me a complex.”

“I don’t mean it that way, I just… Never mind. Don’t mind yourself. Just make yourself at home and we’ll be fine. I meant to ask before. What kind of grades are you getting?”

“I got a B in Physical Education. I’m not a jock. Sue me. The girl in right field playing softball? That’s me. I didn’t even go out for basketball. Can’t dribble. Track? Puhleeeze? I only wear Keds once in a while, and it’s not to run in. Give me a pair of pumps and a skirt any day. I’m just not an athlete. I’m a girl. Oh. Everything else is all As, or four point oh, if you will. I have a three point nine five overall and am on the Dean’s List. PE isn’t big in the technical schools. So, they overlook some things. I’m obviously not obese and sedentary.”

“So true, that. What were you going to tell me about sleeping something off? You sounded a little down.”

“Oh that. You really want to hear about a pinhead?”

“I already told you. I want to hear you talk about anything. If not the pinhead, I’ll go get a cookbook you can read to me.”

“Take one cup of sugar, and stir slowly into one cup of flour…”

“Yes, like that. I love it. If you weren’t so damned young, and I wasn’t so damned old, I’d buy another cookbook.”

She laughed again. “I’m not a baby, Chuck. I turned twenty last month, in May, wow, time flies, and you’re probably about my Dad’s age. He’s NOT old, as you heard me tell him. Anyway, older men often aren’t pinheads… Like Jeremy. We went out for a year, then I let him have my little gift, thinking he’d be around for a while. We had sex three or four more times, me thinking we were making love, him telling me I was the best he ever had, and then he’s off looking for better. It’s enough to piss off the Pope, but my story is the same as girls all over the world. I thought he was the right one, but he thought I was the next one. Now, I have nothing to offer my husband except my dowry. Yes, I think my stepmother would pay to marry me off.”

“How much? This might be worth pursuing!”

She laughed again and handed me her phone. “Gladys Frost, in my contacts. Best offer I’ve had in… Forever!” Another giggle.

“Don’t tempt me. I love your voice. You’re cute, and you have an absolutely drop-dead gorgeous body. I’ll bet you know all that, though, don’t you?”

“I know I’m built. I know I dress to kill. I now know my voice turns a man on. At least one man, but that’s usually enough. And, I know my face won’t stop clocks, but I’m not beautiful by any stretch. I doubt I’m as cute as you say, but I don’t care. I’m me. I do know how to use a touch of makeup, too, and if I do that, you won’t recognize me. I’ve been told that, too. Doesn’t matter. I’m me without the makeup, and that’s the me my husband needs to love. Not the other one.”

“Let me know when you start taking applications, Annie. I like you. I think you’re neat.”

“I’ll do that, Chuck. I’ll do that. I like you, too. River survival skills, huh? This should be fun. ‘Show Me The Water!’” Another giggle. I like her more and more every time I see her smile.

I brought up the NOAA hydrology tables and showed her how to move up and down the river and showed where we would flood in relation to the gauges below us at Winfield and above us at Clarksville. I went back and showed her some historical data and how it rises, then falls, and what happens upstream to bring it up. She’s an engineer in training. She caught right on. She found an app she could put on her phone, but I just use the web site. I’m not a fan of apps yet.

“Thank you. Now I can watch out and not come up here unless… Oh hell, now that I know what to look for, I won’t get caught again. That’s the issue.” We were standing in the kitchen as she still had her phone plugged in. She hugged me. “Thanks, Chuck. This whole thing makes me look pretty stupid, but I never thought about it, and Dad certainly never told me. Maybe we’ve just been lucky for the last five years. Who knows? I just want you to know it caught me in a moment of weakness, then that bastard Jeremy and his filthy lies, and I’m not really that stupid. Okay?”

“That’s quite okay. You aren’t the first girl to get lied to for sex, and you won’t be the last. Before I say anything else, though, Annie, I won’t ever lie to you. I know that may not mean much, as we’re neighbors, not lovers, but I don’t lie to anyone, and certainly not to a woman about anything but presents. Gifts and such.”

“So, let’s say we were married, and you were buying me a new car, but you’d tell me you were buying me a new softball glove?” I nodded. “My kind of man. Where’s this guest room you want to lock me in and have your way with me?”

“Why are you teasing me?”

“I’m not teasing. I’m broken hearted, on the rebound, horny as a two peckered billy goat, and you are the most handsome man in the building. I’m not teasing.”

“Can we talk, Annie?” She immediately went from happy Annie to sad Annie.

“Before we do, Chuck, I’m sorry. I’m not usually this outgoing, but I’ve got nothing left to save, and you look like a very, very nice person. I apologize. I’ll keep my remarks to myself and stop being so forward.”

“I think I understand what you’re feeling. I’ve been there. I can honestly say I didn’t see a woman and say what you did, but she ruined me. My second, and last one. I couldn’t think for weeks. I drank enough one time that I couldn’t stand. Almost killed me. Close to alcohol poisoning. That will never happen again. The next time, I’ll either be careful, or not become attached. I’m sorry. I did say you were a doll. You’re gorgeous. You are, but I’m not a love ‘em and leave ‘em kind of guy.”

“So, what if you stayed?”

“Persistent little thing, aren’t you?”

“Have you ever been with a really handsome man you are really attracted to after a really bad break up and he really saved you and your car from a really bad disaster?”

“Can’t say that I have. Has this really happened to you, recently? Really?”

“Yes. Kiss me, Chuck. Please. Tell me you don’t feel it.” I kissed her. Soundly. Unlike almost every kiss I’ve ever had. She was right. “I never felt that with Jeremy, Chuck. Never. I know what you’re saying, though. Go to bed. We’ll talk tomorrow. I’m sorry for sounding like such a slut.”

“You sound like a very, very heartbroken woman who needs someone to love her, Annie. I’ll tell you again. I’d like to apply for the position. When you’re ready.” She kissed me again and went to bed.

FUCK!

The morning brought sunshine. Such a dichotomy. A beautiful day over three feet of water. It was rising, still. I knocked on the guest room door. “Come in.”

“Rise and shine, sweetheart.” She looked sullen. I sat on the bed next to her and rubbed her arm as she lay on her side looking off toward the wall. “What’s wrong, Annie? Last night? You still worried about that?” She nodded. I leaned down and kissed in front of her ear. “Please don’t. Please. You’re too young and pretty to worry about your feelings for him, or for me, for that matter, getting in the way of your life. You are fine.”

“Hold me?” She started sniffling and crying, so I pulled her up into my lap and held her, rocking her, and petting her arm and her head. “I’m so sorry. I’m embarrassed. I’m ashamed. I’m worried that I might possibly have ruined a friendship, or more. I am really attracted to you, Chuck, and I’m afraid I might have driven you away.”

“I asked if I could apply for the job, Annie. You didn’t drive me away. I still think you’re the cat’s meow. A prize by any standard. Most certainly any I have. I’ll tell you what. Spend the day with me, make sure I’m not an axe murderer, or a juggling mime, or of trinary gender fluidity, and we’ll try again. Seriously, but I want you to make sure you could spend some long-term time with me if we do that, Annie. I won’t fuck you and run, I’m not that kind of guy. If I make love to you, there’s a good chance if it’s anything like that kiss last night, I’ll tie you to my bed and not want you to leave. Ever. That kiss was killer. I mean killer. You were right. I didn’t feel that way with either of my previous relationships. It was kind of electric.”

“As opposed to electronic. Another comparison. If a radio falls on you, you may live. Sorry. That was sick humor. Chuck, your kiss last night, I agree, was electric. I got heavy chested. I’ve never felt that, either. Love at first sight? No. Out on your steps when you gave me a hard time, I wanted to slap you with my paddle. But, Chuck, I want to see if we can make that happen again. The electricity. You have a deal. But the juggling mime thing? Now, that’s a showstopper. Icckkkk.” She giggled. I did too.

“Oh, no! Men aren’t supposed to giggle. Maybe the trinary gender fluidity thing applies, too. Icckkkk.” She laughed, put her arms around my neck and hugged me, kissing my ear. I continued, “Thanks for understanding, Annie. You are going to be very easy to fall in love with. You are a special girl. I can feel it. Please don’t think I’m pushing you away. That couldn’t be farther from the truth, but doll, remember, I’m twenty-five years older than you. I just turned forty-five on the twenty-second of May.”

“Oh, God, you are old. Eewwww.” She giggled again. “We have the same birthday. Kiss me again, Chuck. Like you mean it. Like you want me. Like you were me, kissing you.”

Oh, what an invitation. I did, and we kissed for about ten minutes. I held her and touched most of her body. Petting her back, her arms, her legs, and at one point, her feet, made her shiver a couple of times.

“Application accepted. Let’s go check for the juggling mime thing and see what we come up with. You live near any shopping centers?”

“Boone’s Crossing is on the way,” I informed her.

“We’re golden.” Her smile was contagious.

Chapter Two - Love on the River

We ate and then motored over to her cabin, so she could shower and change. She changed into a blouse and a slightly longer pair of short shorts. Then we headed for the levee and my truck. Once we got into town, she shopped for shorts, skirts, cute tops, heels, some underclothes… Wait… Heels? Never mind. I’m in love. I took her to my house, showed her around and asked if she wanted to spend the night. She agreed, then we made sure all her new clothes fit, threw in some laundry and went into Clayton to find their house. There were a couple of people there working, looking like they were doing some trim work on the interior of the windows.

“Hello? I’m Annie Frost. My father sent me to talk to the contractor?”

“Yes, ma’am. Bill Meyer, Meyer Construction. How is your parents’ trip to Europe going?”

“It’s fine, sounds like. I spoke to him just yesterday, and he asked me to stop by and see if all was on schedule.”

“When you speak to him, you can tell him we’re actually one day ahead, but we have a month to go, so it’s looking good, but the baby doesn’t know it yet. No, bad joke. We just had a new one. My wife and I. Don’t tell him that. Tell him everything is fine, one day ahead at this point with twenty-five days to go.”

We were both laughing lightly at the baby joke. “Okay, Bill, I’ll tell him. Don’t mean to keep you, just checking. Thanks.” They said their goodbyes and off we headed to the supermarket. I wanted to make her a nice dinner. Lunch was at Red Robin, then shopping. I asked, but got no suggestions, save that anything was okay. She said if I wanted her to feed me, she would, but she really didn’t care what I made. Asparagus to zucchini, and all the meats, breads, fruits and vegetables in between were fine.

“OK, smart girl, if you were feeding me what would you buy?”

“A whole chicken, lemons, poultry seasoning, pepper, baby Yukon potatoes, Brussels sprouts and a bottle of Asti. Oh, and your favorite ice cream.”

“Which is?”

“Butter pecan. Prairie Farms or Blue Bunny.”

“How many nights off the river? One, or two.”

“Two. One to prove you’re not an axe murderer, and the second to make sure you don’t paint your face white and play with bowling pins. The gender thing doesn’t worry me. As nice as that kiss was, I don’t care if you’re a boy, or a girl, or a boy/girl, or a girl/boy, or… Trinary is three. What’s four?” Another giggle. It didn’t take long. Chuck Carpenter had fallen in love overnight with a very nice, troubled, needy, soul.

“Fourinary? Hell, doll, I don’t know. That’s a social thing. I’m an engineer. We don’t know anything about people.” A smile, and her putting her arm around mine and kissing me below my shoulder as I pushed the cart around Schnucks just about made my day. We picked up the stuff for her chicken dinner, and I got enough for us to have steaks, plus we hit up the deli for sandwich meat, co-jack slices, and some faux crab salad for lunch. I had eggs and some bacon at home for breakfast, so with a loaf of sourdough in the cart, we were about fixed.

“Chips and dip, or popcorn for a movie? Netflix and chill?”

“Both, baby doll. Pick your poison. I’m very, very easy to please in the snack department.”

She grabbed some national favorites and we were set for the movies.

Back home, she told me to please sit at the kitchen bar which was on the back of the island and direct the destruction of my kitchen. What she really needed were directions to find different pans and utensils. She got them, while I sipped an old scotch, about her age, neat, and she sipped a gin and tonic every time she passed the bar on the way to, from, or around the island. She had a chicken split in half, cooked, and veggies on the side like she was a pro. She’s been living in the dorms, so this is a talented girl. And it was a five-star meal. Done, seasoned perfectly, and I even got a bite from her fork. Could not have been any better.

“Doll, that’s going to be hard to beat. Steaks, baked potatoes, and asparagus may not make the grade.”

“You’ll be fine. Just kiss me before we eat. It’ll be great.” I think she’s falling in love, too. This is way, way, too fast. I want to be afraid, but the kid in me is in love and I just want that even more. I really do.

After the movie, and popcorn, we turned in, her in the guest room. I showered, liking this one much more, as the tankless electric water heater at the cabin tended to cycle hot and cold, and I hadn’t figured out why or been able to fix it yet. In any case, climbing into that bed was nice, and I fell asleep quickly, thinking about what it would be like to wake up with Annie. At one o’clock in the morning, she climbed into my bed, in a long Hello Kitty t-shirt, pulled my arm around her and told me, “I don’t think you’re a mime. I don’t think you have it in you. You’re too nice. Hold me, Chuck, and go back to sleep.” I did.

Morning came to me waking up with her in my arms. She showed me what it was like, and I wanted that. That was my final answer. I was going to make sure we were on the same wavelength, but I wanted Annie Frost. “Annie Frost, one more night, to prove I’m not an axe murderer, then I want to date you. I want to woo you. I want you. I’m sorry, but in two days, I’ve fallen utterly in love with the being that is Annie Frost.”

“Good, that will make this easier. Kiss me, love.” I kissed her. “I thought I loved Jeremy. I was with him, in many ways, for almost a year. In two days, I feel more with and for you, and you haven’t touched me yet. Really touched me, if you know what I mean. If that doesn’t tell somebody something, they aren’t listening. Chuck, no more axe murderer jokes. I want you to court me. Date me, woo me, make me yours, but please, don’t let me go. Two days. How is this possible without large amounts of alcohol in large cities in Nevada? A glass of Asti each does not a drunken sex filled romantic stupor make. We’re sober and falling in love. In two days. Kiss me again.” We kissed, and when she softly bit my tongue, my God, I thought I’d lose it in my pants, although I wasn’t wearing any. Jesus! “Breakfast and coffee. Show me and you’ll never have to again. The coffee, that is. Breakfast can be many things to many people.” More sweet giggles.

I showed her where the coffee maker was. They had one similar, same brand, so no problem. Dump water in, close the lid, coffee comes out. Good coffee. I made bacon and eggs, then she put together the toast. We sat and ate, asking each other over and over if this was moving too fast or if we both just finally found what we wanted in life. We both opted for option B and went from there. I took her shopping again, for a dress and shoes. I wanted to take her out to dinner that night, we could stretch our visit, do steaks at home the night after that, and go back to the river house the next morning. She asked if she could pick up a little make up kit, on me, so it wouldn’t show up on her dad’s credit card bill. Hell, yes. No problem. We found a short little blue number, a cute silk shirtdress, she got some hose, some sexy black high heeled sandals, and the makeup kit she wanted. As we were leaving the store, I saw they were having a sale on some jewelry, so I looked over and begged her to let me buy her a serpentine chain and a little pendant charm to hang on it for a necklace. She caved, then picked out a nice sapphire pendant. She said it was way too early in our relationship for a diamond pendant, but to bring her back next week. She giggled, I laughed, the sales lady thought we were crazy but was told it was nothing too weird, and off we went. It was her way of again acknowledging how fast we were falling in love, but that she wasn’t putting on the brakes, so much as just steering a little.

I got us a reservation at Florentine’s, a dinner dance place I went to quite a bit. I used to go a lot for both, but still go there for dinner quite often. I haven’t been dancing since number two did the ‘CUL8R’ thing. There was more to the message, but that’s how it ended. Not complicated, just something like, ‘I’ve met someone else that doesn’t work so much. Have a nice life, cul8r’. I got home and there was no sign of her. She didn’t live with me, but stayed over often, had a key, and kept a lot of stuff there. It was all noticeably not there when I got home that night. Just a key on the bar by the sink. Enough bad memories. I was starting over.

She retired to the guest room to get ready for our night on the town. I was wearing a dark blue suit and picked a tie that was pretty close to what I remember her dress looking like. I fixed us each a drink, then took them to her room. I knocked and was invited in. She had on one of the many guest robes, and she looked completely different. Her makeup, and it wasn’t shoveled on, believe me, changed her. It highlighted every one of her qualities to make her a stunningly beautiful woman.

“I love the look on your face right now. I told you this would happen. Oh, by the way, this is how models do it. This is how a lot of singers do it. I could name a few that are barely cute without, but boys fall in love with them in their makeup. One of them has the initials T.S. and was born in the late eighties. She’s more like me until she touches up this, that, and the other, then she’s devastatingly effing gorgeous. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a fan and I’d definitely do her if I was so inclined, without the makeup, but it does enhance her innate beauty.”

“You’d do her?”

“I told you the gender thing didn’t bother me. I’m falling in love with you, Chuck. If you’re gay, or a girl, or a whatever, I’m still falling in love with you. Wouldn’t that be fun, though. The three of us?” She giggled. “Is one of your legs feeling longer than the other, yet?”

“You little shit. I’m falling for you too, doll. Trust me. Here’s a drink for you. Take your time. We have a little over an hour and it’s only a few minutes away. Kiss me?” She did. “Jeez, Annie. You thrill me.”

“Same here, sir. I’ll be out in a bit. We can sit and chat for a bit then head out. Almost done. Really.”

I left her and went in to sit at the bar contemplating this firestorm of a relationship. I heard her leave the guest room and turned. Wowser. I could not believe the difference. She went from a nice-looking girl to a knockout, in a very short length of time. Amazing what a little makeup could do. When she came out, and down the hallway, it was worse. Better. Hell, I didn’t know. The blue dress, the necklace with the sapphire pendant, the stockings, the high heels. She was gorgeous.

“The look on your face is sooo worth any effort this was. Chuck, thank you. Your smile is compliment enough. Seriously, thank you.”

“Fabulous. You look fabulous. I like this you, Annie. I really do, but remember, I’m falling in love with the other you. The real you? This is a real you, too… Open mouth, insert foot...”

“Stop, Chuck. I know what you meant. This is what I talked about. My love, my husband, my mate, will love me like that, the real me without the makeup and the hairdo, and like me like this. Exactly as you said. I remember Jeremy asking me to wear my makeup a lot. I should have known about him a long time ago. Girls are silly. Boys are assholes. Whatcha gonna do?”

“Come, love. Let’s go show off a little. You are gorgeous. Next time… Oh, never mind.”

“What?”

I looked at her. “Sorry. I was thinking was that next time I could take the other you and these people would have me pegged for two gorgeous girlfriends. You look that different, honey. You really do.”

“That would be mean. And fun. Count me in, if you want to do that. Do you know people there?”

“A few. I see friends there once in a while. Not always. Never mind. It was a silly idea and I shouldn’t have mentioned it. From here on out, the girl that walks out and holds my hand is the one I’m taking dancing. Period.”

“We’ll see. Chuck. Uhmmm. There’s another one, too. It takes a bit longer on my eyes and I do my hair a lot different, but if you want three girlfriends, I can help you out. I’ll be your pimp and provide you some strange now and again.” She giggled. I turned three different shades of red. “Sorry.”

We pulled up to the club and thankfully I had regained my composure. The valet came around as I was getting out. “Good evening, Mr. Carpenter. Welcome back to Florentine’s.”

“Evening, Chad. Thank you.” I handed my date out of the car and into the building we walked.

“Hey, Annie. How are you this evening?” the girl at the door said to my date.

“Oh, hi! Becky, I’m doing great. Good to see you. How are you doing these days? Long time no see.”

“Fine. Attending off campus at Maryville down the road while Mom is laid up. Oh, hey, Mr. Carpenter. Nice to see you again as well. Together? Annie? Mr. Carpenter? Oh, my Lord, the moons have aligned on the Aphrodite System.”

“Hi, Rebecca. Yes, we’re being seen together. Please tell your mother I said ‘Hello’. I hope she’s better soon. They ever catch the guy?”

“I don’t know how, but yes. A forensics auto body specialist somehow found his car in a garage in Arnold. He’s in jail. He was drunk, in his truck, when they pulled him over. He won’t get insurance again after they pay for what he did. Go on in. Annie, Mr. Carpenter can fill you in. It’s really good seeing you again.”

“You, too, Becky.” They hugged then we went inside.

“You know Rebecca?”

“I wore makeup my senior year. I overheard one boy tell another how homely I was in my junior year of high school, so I made some changes. In college, I went back to just being plain old Annie. I didn’t give a shit and I needed the time to study. Last fall I went to a party dolled up and that’s how I met Jeremy. Anyway, Becky may not recognize me next time we come. I don’t even remember her before senior year. Hardly anyone ever talked to me. I was really popular my last year there. Before that, not so much. Not hard to figure out why. I had money and senior year I was pretty. Girls are petty. Boys are assholes. Whatcha gonna do?” She giggled. It certainly doesn’t bother her now. “How do you know her mom, Chuck? Just curious. Nothing behind the question.”

“Nothing taken. We’re getting to know each other. By the way, how am I doing so far?”

“No white grease paint, no bowling pins, and not an axe in sight. You’re hitting the mark.”

“Glad to hear that. Always remember, and don’t ever forget, I told you I was falling in love with you on the river. Before we bought that makeup.”

“Don’t think for a second I don’t think about that fact, and often. Don’t even consider it. I fell in love with you before you shaved and put on that suit, too, but you clean up pretty well, I must say.”

“Thank you. Carrie, Rebecca’s mother, introduced me to number one. They were friends. We used to run in the same circles back in the day. If you want to know why I refer to them like that, it’s because number one just pissed on me. Number two shit on me. That’s the allegory for their behavior, but if you’re ever with me when we run into Carrie, the first words out of her mouth will be, ‘I’m so sorry I ever got you two together. I had no idea she was such a; fill in the blank.’ Depending on Carrie’s mood it could be bitch, cunt, backstabber, idiot, or gold digger. I could go on. Carrie is a wonderful lady and deserved better than what her husband did to her. We’re not compatible, but we’re friends. I took her out for her birthday a few years ago after her asshole shit on her. It was fun, but there will never be anything there. If she ever calls, I’ll try to help, like this last time. She’s sister-ish, if you get the comparison.” She nodded. “Anyway a few months ago some jerk, and now we find drunken jerk, hit her car, running through a red light, and smashed both her and her car up pretty bad. His car was still running, and he did just that with it. From what I heard tonight, they caught him. That makes me happy. I helped her buy some stuff to make getting around the house a little easier. She was living check to check and trying to put Rebecca through school when it happened. Did I mention her husband fucked her over and left her high, dry, and broke? He did. That’s how I know them.”

“Oh.” She looked at me. “Wow.”

“All in the past. We good?” She nodded. The hostess led us to a table, close to the dance floor but to the side of the stage. Basically, it was out of the way of the speakers and yet close to everything. Our server came over with bread and butter and ice water. I ordered us some Spumante and was told by my date that whenever I was ready, she’d just like to have the chicken Florentine and a side salad with Italian. Any appetizer would be on me do decide. No, she didn’t feel compelled to order one, and yes, she’d have a bite of mine if she could sneak it without getting fork marks in the back of her hand. She laughed and got kissed. Annie was a treat. Funny, interesting, cute, very pretty, tonight, and just an all-around nice person. She was even very friendly with her friend at the door, who, come to find out, wasn’t a friend at all, but just another shallow high school girl. Like she said, girls are petty, boys are assholes. I wish I would have met her when I was in school. We would have been inseparable.

I ordered dinner and we talked. Mostly about us. Partly about slowing down, but partly about doing it, the slowing down, together. She felt she no longer had to protect her virtue, as it had been stolen, and she felt comfortable enough with me that we were going to make love soon. So, we didn’t need to put it off forever. She also went on to say that if I decided that we weren’t made for each other, which would break her heart, that I shouldn’t feel bad about the intimacy. She was offering it in a show of love and affection to bring us closer, not to cement us together after the fact. The one chance she had for that had been ruined. A very adult, loving way of looking at it.

I told her, “Annie, I work a lot. That might be what caused the demise of my last relationship. If it was, she didn’t have much tolerance, but just the same, I work a lot. I am falling in love with an engineering student. You’ll be working a lot. For the next two to six years, you will have very little time for a man. Very little. I’m asking you, and telling you, now, however, that I want to be that man, but if we make love, it will cement my heart to yours. You may leave me, but I will never leave you.

“I know it’s only been a few days, Annie, but there hasn’t been one second of you being in my presence that has not screamed to me, ‘Take this jewel as your own before someone else finds her’. Annie, if you will have this old man, I want you. In perpetuity.”

“It’s way too early to say this, and I know you are an old geezer, ancient, and barely alive, but you are as handsome and as nice as all get out, and I feel the same. I won’t find a better man. Chuck. Yes. I, too, know it’s only been a few days, but a year didn’t work, and if you find another friend of Becky’s mom’s, I might very well be screwed. Yes. Whatever the question is, there’s your answer. Good, the salads are here. Yes.” When the server left, she leaned over, kissed me and while holding my neck, whispered in my ear, “Yes.”

We ate a very good meal, her explaining to me that she didn’t think the restaurant was named Spinach’s, but since she was here with her Superman, it just might be. “Chuck, all kidding aside, when this dress comes off tonight, do I hang it in the guest room, or your room?”

“Annie, if there is a God, and he loves me, it will be in my room, but don’t, do not, let me pressure you into anything. Hugs and kisses and cuddles until hell freezes over will be enough for me.”

“Not for me. I just want to make sure and not presume or assume. This God you speak of, old man. If he exists and he loves me, too, I will sleep in your arms tonight.” She giggled. “All night. Not just from one o’clock. What happens is up in the air, Chuck, but I want you to hold me. I do.” She smiled at me, then leaned over and kissed me again. “All joking about this God of yours, Chuck, I’m a fairly religious person. I may jest, but my God is important to me. If we have the same one, and I’m thinking we might, mores the better.

“In my high school feral child days, I spent a Christmas with a very, very humble family, learning about Christ’s birthday. There’s more to it than giving gifts and spending money. Just to let you know, I’m a bit more grounded than I look, or act.”

“You said you had money and you were pretty. In high school, when you became popular. I remember some of those girls. I knew several of them in elementary school, then I moved away and when I came back, I wasn’t good enough to be in their circle. I know exactly what you were talking about. I need to tell you, though, whatever you were, have done, and all that, I wouldn’t want you to change a thing, because it brought you to me, just the way you are. We’re mushy.” She laughed again.

“Yes, we are. The band is ready to start. Dance with me, Superman?”

“Absolutely, Wonder Woman.”

“Wonder Woman?”

“Which super heroine has a flying car? You’re that one!!” Laughter was ours as we walked to the dance floor, and smiles were shared as we got to know each other’s moves, first slowly, then the exaggerated steps and motions of a couple in love, or in heat, but in something, and in each other’s arms. She was not new to dancing.

At the end of the evening, we were ready to leave, she was in a really good mood. No, not drunk. Not even mellow. I think we shared the Spumante and had two drinks each in six hours. She was happy.

“Superman, take me to your lair and have your way with me. I want to be your Lois Lane, my love, not your Kryptonite.” She kissed me, hugged me and dragged me out the door. The valet brought the car around, wished us a good night, then once in the car she continued. “Chuck, we don’t have to do anything, really. I just want to be held again. That was so nice this morning. I love you.”

“Annie, we don’t have to NOT do anything either. I’m not the only person in this relationship. There are two of us to keep happy. Let’s just do our best and see what happens.”

“Thank you, dear man. I am so glad it rained in Minnesota. I’m so glad Jeremy is an ass wipe. I’m so glad number one pissed on you and number two shit on you and Carrie hasn’t found number three yet. Thank God, no telling what that one would do on you.” Giggle. “All of those things happened to put us together, Chuck. That’s a lot of serendipitous providence. No matter! Superman is mine. Oh. How presumptuous of me. No matter! Superman might be mine!”

Maybe she was a bit tipsy. “You were right the first time.” We pulled up into the garage. “Let’s go inside and cuddle and watch a movie. Bed or couch?”

“Bed. I love you, Superman. Take me to bed.” Watching her take her dress off, then her underthings, was breathtaking. She wore suspender pantyhose and a little thong. She was gorgeous. I got to watch her as she walked to the guest room then back a few minutes later, having washed her face and removed the makeup. To me, she was still amazingly beautiful. Her bra matched the thong and was just the perfect piece to hold the perfect breasts. They were round, firm, and I know, I repeat myself, but they were, perfect. I hung her dress and my suit up, we threw our other stuff in the hamper, together, then laid down to enjoy a movie. She pulled my head to her as the starting credits played, kissed me, licked my lips, and said, “Thank you for being there. Thank you for being here.” I hugged her to me and kissed her forehead.

She fell asleep, cuddled into my side, under my arm, completely naked and not having a care in the world.

In the morning, she raced off to the bathroom and came back out, without a trace of modesty and crawled on top of me. “Good morning, my prince. I would like to be your serving wench and make you some breakfast. Would my prince like that?”

“Yes, my delightfully pretty wench. You are a cute little tart, aren’t you, running around my kingdom in your birthday suit. It fits you quite nicely, milady. We ate the bacon yesterday. If you want, there are some little frozen sausage patties in the freezer, and we have eggs and bread. Sound good?” She nodded. “Annie, thank you for last night. I had an amazing time. I truly did. I hope you did, too.” She nodded again.

“Oh, my prince... Screw it. Chuck, it was wonderful. You’re a pretty good dancer, I mean for a boy. Seriously, it was lovely, and I did feel like a princess. You are a wonderful man, too. You make me feel like a pretty and desirable woman.”

All I could do was hug her. “You are pretty, Annie, and you are desirable. Please trust me on that. Go, wench. Prepare to break the fast of your prince. Is this Saturday?”

She shrugged. “I lost track. Let me get my phone.” She got it from the nightstand. “Yes, ‘tis Saturday, my prince.”

“I declare Naked Saturday throughout the land. Nothing like being nekkid to get to know each other.” She giggled and ran off to the kitchen. It came to me then, that she didn’t have any pubic hair. None. She looked as smooth as a baby’s bottom. Hmmmm. Perfect, now in EVERY way.

We sipped our coffee and sat for a bit talking, again about us, and last night, and how much fun we had.

“Chuck, can anyone see into your back yard?”

“No, doll. Completely private. Why?”

“Would you mind if I sunned, without benefit of cover?”

“Today? No problem, milady. ‘Tis Naked Saturday. Tomorrow? I will charge a kiss in order to declare… Wait for it… Naked Sunday!!”

“You’re a bigger goofball than me, my lord. You really don’t mind?”

“Nah, hon, I do it now and again myself. I love the warmth. It feels good. I’ll join you, unless you want some privacy.”

“No, Chuck, not at all. We can oil each other maybe?” I nodded. “Tomorrow we must repair back to the river, my lord. You must hide from the vagabond villains and do what you were doing before I stuck my nose in your beeswax. I got the impression you were working on something.” She was pulling pans and sausage and eggs and such out, just having a good old time while we were joking in Ye Olde English.

“I was. I am. I’m at a crossroads. Waiting for a breakthrough. I know it’s possible. Physics and math can’t be fooled. I just need to figure out how to make it so. It’s not the end of the world, just an improvement of an existing ‘thing’, but I’d like to make the improvement. I have other projects that are promising, as well. They just need the seldom experienced epiphany of concentrated logical thought to breach a mental wall. Someday I will take you to my lair, Lois, and blow your beautiful mind. I have fun doing what I do and helping people. You’d enjoy it.”

“It sounds like it. Chuck, if this works out, I’d like to see it. Your company. Your project. Whatever you do. If it’s part of you, I’d like that.” We talked about studying the art and science of electronics and the different ways people made an impact with them. She was seriously leaning toward this as a course of study and career path. I discussed with her that not all mechanical engineers designed buildings, and some of them were working with very small things that electronics and communications engineers used to deploy things and make things move. It was like a light came on.

“Eat. Before I change my mind and go into dentistry. Sheesh. Now I’m really torn.”

We ate, cleaned up the kitchen, made out for a few minutes, then went out in the back yard. It was already warm, so we were able to just sit in the sun, still talking. She told me about her life at school, wanting to stay in the dorms because they were close, but not caring for the lack of privacy. A tradeoff, she said. Everybody makes them. She had the money for an apartment. Hell, she said, “I could buy a house within blocks, but it would be blocks away.” She felt better and closer to things on campus.

I asked her about that, the money thing, and she explained. Grandparents on both sides were fairly well off, and her mother’s parents’ investments and estate were hers by specific decree. Her father’s parents put a sizeable sum off to the side for her to use for her education. That, as well, was totally in her name, and has been since she was seventeen, and still in high school. According to them, and the documentation left behind, it was for everything from her senior prom dress to her doctorate, and beyond. She also volunteered that she was a bit of a miser, and no, she didn’t blow a chunk of her nest egg on the Beemer. That was Daddy’s offering for her eighteenth birthday. Interesting. One thing for sure, I didn’t have to worry about her being after my money, which at this point she knew nothing about.

She gave me a kiss, laid down on the lounge she was sitting on, and looked sideways at me. “Uhmmm, Superman?” I grunted, looking at her gorgeous back, ass, and legs, knowing exactly what was coming, but allowing it to happen anyway. I loved her voice, and this would be epic. “Would you mind oiling me up, so the nasty old sun doesn’t burn my tuchus?” Yes, sultry… And epic.

I got to it and while I was still spreading oil up on her shoulders, I answered her. “I was going to beg, and maybe offer you a dollar to allow me to do this. If you had held out, for even just a minute, or two, your wealth would have grown, but now that I know you WANTED me to do this, you have lost some of your powers, Wonder Girl.”

“Wonder Girl?”

Chapter Three - Love on the River

“Wonder Girl?”

“I can’t find a super heroine with a flying car, so I had to create one. Don’t interrupt. Now that I know you WANT me to touch you, I can play that to my own ends and am now a little more in control. Does this feel good, my little vixen?”

“God, yes, Chuck. Your hands, the oil, the heat of the sun. It’s marvelous. I absolve some power back to you, my prince. Ohhhh. Shit. Do that again.” I rubbed my hand up between her thighs, then between her cheeks, letting my finger run against her oil slicked taint and pucker. “Uhnnngg. OHHHH! Chuck, I’m sorry. You just gave me a little cum. If I begged, and offered YOU a dollar, would you make love to me now? Right here, in the hot sun. Just like this, from behind. I want you so bad right now.”

I didn’t say a word. I was as hard as I’d ever been, and just straddled her thighs, and pushed my cock down between her ass cheeks, reaching for her pussy. Touching the head against her lips, finding her opening very wet, I pressed a bit, sliding the head in. I leaned down and whispered in her ear, noting that she was shivering as I spoke. “Annie, if I go any further, I will forever be yours. This is what I consider the final step. If I make love to you, enter your body with mine, we are one. I will consider you mine, me yours. Permanent in my eyes. Make sure that is OK with you before you answer my questions. Think carefully before you reply. Are you ready?” She nodded. “Annie Frost, will you be mine?”

“Yes, Chuck. I want that. It happened fast, I know, but I want to be yours in whatever way you want.”

“Annie Frost, are you willing to be my wife, my friend, my love, and my partner forever? Annie, will you marry me?”

“Yes, Chuck. Your wife, your friend, your love, and your partner, from this day forward. I accept. I will marry you. Thank you. What a whirlwind!”

“Annie, are you on any kind of birth control?”

“Yes, Chuck, I’m safe. The fact that you asked that with your cock resting at the entrance of its new home tells me you care so much more than just about yourself. Welcome home.” She lifted just a bit and I pushed forward a bit at a time, hearing her moan. “Oh, my, Chuck. Not used to this. Not at all. Oh. Lord. Chuck. LOVE! FUCK!! ME!!” I felt her convulse under me and felt wetness unlike I have experienced. Then I thought about the angle I was entering her. I was rubbing the head of my erection on her G-Spot. When I felt her quiver and shake, then grab my wrists with her hands and push her ass up against me, I exploded and emptied into her. I was just lucky enough that she lifted her butt to an angle I could fully enter her. I bottomed out just before all of me was inside. Maybe a half inch. “AHHHHHNNN. You’re all the way up. Jeez. That’s a new one. God, Chuck. I’m turning over. Hold on.” I pulled back as she flipped over then put myself back in her as I was beginning to shrink a bit. “You feel so good. I know it’s wrong to talk about, but you’re more, larger than I am familiar with in my short-lived past. You feel marvelous. Just hold me like this, Chuck. Thank you.”

I held her, she held me, just relishing in each other’s touch. Pulling her face back from my shoulder, she used her hands to hold my face, then kissed me. She smiled. It was a smile of contentment. She later told me I had one, too. “Yes, I absolutely accept you as my husband. This is so fast, but yet so easy to do. You are such a wonderful person, Chuck. I don’t understand it, but… I don’t need to. My father is going to shit. Gladys is going to cheer.” Three days and I was more taken, more in love, and more engaged than I had ever been. With a woman less than half my age. Wow. “I want to say I’m sorry our first time was like that, Chuck, but it was love, lust, and spontaneous emotion. All that in one. I just needed you. Thank you. I’ll make it up to you, I promise.”

“No need to ‘make it up’ to me, sweetie. It was wonderful. Annie, I love you. Let me finish, with the oil, and if you’ll do me, we can talk. Our world just shifted. I can only speak for me, and my life is changed now. I have a woman who I love. A wife, and a friend forever.”

As she rubbed oil on me, she spoke. “Me, too. A husband, to be. I need some time to prepare for a wedding, though. I’m not quite ready for that. I’ll need shoes. Chuck, I’m a shoe hound. Sorry.”

“Don’t be. I love you in your heels. I hope that’s where you’re coming from. Nothing gaudy, but pumps, sandals, and such, I’m totally fine with it. I love ‘em. And stockings, and hot pants, and skirts… Oh, my.”

“OK, you’re good with high heels. How about oral sex? Now that we’re one, and have made love, we can talk.”

“I’m an advocate, Annie, but there’s a time and a place for everything. Right now, no. When we get done sunning our backs, and are ready to turn over, then yes. I think oral sex is a good thing.”

“That will be new for me as well.”

“Go ahead and tell me, doll. I can handle it. Anyway, you’re mine now. He’s gone. Done. Over. Tell me.”

“He thought licking me would be gross and never got close. He thought it would be wonderful, though, if I was to suck on him, but to make sure I didn’t kiss him afterwards. We never got that far.”

“Good. I have things to show you. I’m not going to tell you I have a lot of experience, but I do have a little, and I know what I want to do. I think you’re open minded enough to enjoy it. I think we’ll have fun sharing, too.”

“My prince, I have read, and I have studied the male appendage of lust.” I laughed and wiggled my tongue at her. “Yes, that one, and the other one, as well, my lord. I can’t wait. I have a feeling my life really did just begin.”

We laid on our stomachs talking, chatting about possibilities, but the one she was dreading, and she admitted it, came up.

“Annie, what are you going to do when school starts? I’m not going to want to be away from you.”

“Can I sneak you into the dorm and keep you in my closet?”

“No, dear, I have a company to run. Not too awfully far from your school, actually. I have an idea. A really good one. If you’ll agree to it, that is. If not, it’s kind of a sucky idea. A house or apartment for us during the week, and we have this and the cabin the rest of the time.”

“Three homes? Good Lord, Chuck. That’s going to get a bit dear. I can afford an apartment, though, and I bragged about buying a house, or at least being able to. And I could, I’ll just need to convince Mom’s executors it’s a good idea.”

“Don’t bother. I’m the one with the idea. You wouldn’t be on campus, but you’d be close. Five more minutes then we turn over. Can you oil my front first? You’ll understand why afterwards.”

“Sure. I just pledged my life and gave you some nookie. I guess I can trust you not to cheat me out of a good greasing.” She laughed. She was a hoot. We flipped and she oiled my front, not spending way too much time on my pecker, but enough to get him very excited. Then she leaned down when she was done and kissed the tip, licked a bead of wetness off of it, and sucked ever so lightly, just on the very end. “There you go, my prince. Your wench has followed your succinct instructions, and then some.”

“Yo’ wench, you want a drink or something before I do you?” She nodded. I walked away, hearing a groan. She was anticipating this. I came back out with a couple of instant frozen margaritas dumped out into plastic glasses. I handed hers to her. She rubbed my arm then took it.

After a sip, she laid back. “Do what you will, my lord. I am but your plaything.” She snickered. “I love you. I love being corny. I love not having to be serious all the time. I love having fun with you, Chuck.”

“Me, too, doll. That may be the most endearing thing with you. I get to be myself. Fun loving and not having to worry about offending anyone’s senses of propriety.” She pulled her hair back above her head, and I went to work. Neck, shoulders, arms, breasts, ever so slowly, then her flanks, torso, hips, thighs, shins and the tops of her feet. I heard a whimper, so I took a bit more oil, dripping it on the juncture of her thighs then kneeling at the end of her lounge, pulled her to me and went right to work. Pushing her legs up, I opened her flower and her bottom to my gaze, and my mouth. Licking the lips, twirling my tongue on them, then her clitoral hood and clit, I really got a response. A yip, almost a yell, but contained. I took my chances and pushing her up and back, licked from her tailbone to her pussy, right over her pucker, her taint, and stopping on her clit with a nibble. She drenched me with an orgasm.

“Chuck, put it in me. I just came hard. Please fuck me, Chuck. In me. Make love to me again, Chuck. God, I love you. So much. Mine. All mine. I’m yours.” I entered her. “OHHHHHH!” I didn’t wait for any niceties. I just loved her, pulling her to me and thrusting into her. “Unhh, unhh. Good! Chuck! Fuck! Yes!” she was talking in staccato bursts as I thrusted, but she was so wet, so tight, so warm, so good, I didn’t last long. This wasn’t my normal. A beautiful, loving, sexual mate wanting me as much as I wanted her was not my usual life. This was new, better, of course, but different, and oh, so welcome.

I came again, hard, taking her with me. The base of my dick was scrubbing her bare little clitoris, taking her over the edge. I kissed her hoping her scream didn’t carry the quarter mile to the nearest neighbor. We were in complete privacy, barring a neighbor with a ladder, a four-wheeler, and an insatiable sense of curiosity.

We sunk into each other, just wrapped around our respective lover, lips on necks, heaving chests against each other.

“That was terrific. Chuck, did I say anything to upset you? The words just came to me. I worry…”

“Don’t! We were making love. We were sharing our bodies. One of these days I’m going to be extremely worked up and tell you I want your pussy on my face, or I want to fuck your lights out. It will sound vulgar as I say it now, but in the heat of passion it will sound like a mating call.”

“It just did. I’m getting wet again. Kiss me, lover.” I kissed her and shocked the ever-living shit out of her when I pushed her back and sucked, licked, nibbled, and chinned her pussy and ass until she came again, and once again anointed my face with her love liquid. I stood as she was asking me if I really just licked her pussy after I came in it. I stood in front of her, my cock sticking out right in front of her face. I looked down then at her. She looked at it, then up at me. Her smile was priceless. She took me in her mouth, sucking and jacking my cock, while I was flexing my knees and my hips, until I came in her mouth. She swallowed almost all of it, then I shocked her again. I licked the drip off the side of her chin then pulled her mouth to mine in a kiss she’ll never forget.

When I pulled back, smiling, she uttered all her questions at once, in a single word. “Chuck?”

“There is no part of you or me, or anything that comes out of us, short of one, that is off limits. I could never expect you to suck my dick to completion and not kiss you after. You should never want me to lick your pussy to a good come and not lick my lips after. If we are clean, I will lick your asshole, bite it, cherish it. It’s part of you. Your ex was a fool. He gave me jewels. Not even an unpolished gem, but a diamond, a sapphire, an emerald and a ruby I can love forever. And I will, in every way possible. When we get to the river tomorrow, start shopping for a house. As close as you can get to the campus. Across the street, across the alley, a block, two blocks. Walking distance. As close you can find. Look at location, and amenities, not price. It’s for us while you’re in school, so make sure it’s close and it has a shower, a stove, and a refrigerator. I like my beer cold.”

“What the fuck have I done?”

“Found a husband, as far as I’m concerned.” I was standing in front of her the whole time. I leaned down and kissed her again. Pulling her up to me, legs around my waist, we kissed again. It was way too slippery, and she couldn’t stay up, so we did the only thing that made sense. I oiled her a bit more and we laid down and held hands. “I love you, Miss Annie. Grilled sandwich for lunch?”

“Non sequitur? No mucho. I love you, Mister Chuck. That would be fine. What did we get, ham and cheese?” I nodded. “Yes. You’re a wonder. Don’t ever leave me, Chuck, and I promise the same.”

“Done. Ham and cheese, grilled with garlic, and you and me together forever. That works.”

“Non sequitur? Muy mucho.”

We sunned and swam; part of the swimming was just me walking around in the pool with her either in my arms floating her around, or her with her body and legs wrapped around mine. It was intimate, and another way to just learn and meld our lives together. We did do a few laps, and that was when I realized that she was an athlete, but she didn’t know it. The girl could swim. Her arm and leg movements in the water made her a machine. We got out and talked about it over our sandwiches and potato salad. They had a pool, too, and she loved to swim. She just never thought about it that way, and their school didn’t have a swim team. It just never came up. She was shocked that I mentioned her trying out for the Wash U swim team, IF her school load allowed.

“Wow. Seriously? I love to swim. Let me check something.” She looked on her phone for several minutes then looked at me. “I need to make a call, if you don’t mind.” I shook my head. She dialed. “Yes, sir. This is Annie Frost. I’m starting my Junior year in the engineering school, and the old man sitting next to me said I could swim and should try out for the team. (Pause.) Chuck. Chuck Carpenter. (Pause.) No, sir, I can’t do that, sir. (Pause.) He would. (Pause.) OK, but if I get hurt, I won’t be able to swim. Hold on, please.” She turned to me. “A man identified as Coach Swanson just told me to tell you to ‘Bite Me’.”

“Skinny old fart,” I yelled. I heard him laugh in the background.

“OK, no one was injured in the making of this phone call,” she said then giggled and listened. “Monday after next, open tryouts. Thank you, sir. I’ll discuss it with my fiancé.” She handed me the phone. “He wants to talk to you.”

“Hey, Steve.”

“Hey, Chuck, long time, no see. So, you found me a ringer?”

“Yeah, she’s good. You’ll see.”

“Any stats we can look at?”

“No, I don’t think so. She’ll have to learn how to compete, but I figured you could show her. So, you’re the head coach, now?”

“Yeah, a little promotion after some really good showings.”

“Congratulations. Probably much deserved.”

“Thanks. I let her know when to show up. Are you coming in with her?”

“Yep. Wouldn’t miss it. We’ll be there.”

“So, your niece? Your squeeze? She your squeeze’s niece? Sounds a bit young for you to be tapping, old man.”

“Be nice. That was crude. Yes, she is young, but she’s wonderful. You’ll see.”

“You know I’m not serious. Hope you’re happy, one way or the other, buddy. Good talking to you. It’s been a while.”

“Nice talking to you, too, old friend. See you Monday next.” I handed her the phone.

“Yes, sir, this is Annie again. (Pause.) I see. (Pause.) OK, we’ll see you then. Thank you for this, sir. (Pause.) OK, bye.” She closed her phone. “You set me up for the kill.”

“Not true. I had no idea Swanny would answer the phone. None. He’s been a part time math professor and assistant swimming coach for years. I had no idea he was Top Dog now. I wonder if he still teaches a class now and then. Probably. He’s sharp as a tack. Anyway, you made that call on your own.”

“Oh. OK. No harm done. You didn’t bite me.”

“Darling, he wanted ME to bite HIM, but passing messages like that through an interpreter, sometimes the nuances get lost in translation.” Once again, my wonderful woman friend, my fiancée, the girl I was head over heels in love with, broke up laughing.

“You’re a hoot. It’s no wonder we get along so well. I don’t even think you try to be funny. You just are. I like that. Serious is for courtrooms and funerals. Well, courtrooms, anyway. Let’s have lunch and watch a movie or go shopping or something. We’ve gotten quite a bit of sun today and we’re headed to the Big Muddy, The Really Big Muddy, tomorrow morning, right?”

“Yes. Do you need anything we can’t get on the way tomorrow?” She shook her head. “Let’s go watch a movie and snuggle or something. Thank you for today. Making love with you was, is, a marvel.” She smiled at me, grabbed her stuff in one hand and my hand in the other.

The river road was quiet. Not a soul on our end. I did see some boats pulled up to the stairs upriver, then in a glance of the downriver houses, saw a boat pulled up and tied to Annie’s parents’ place. I immediately put my finger to my lips, killed the outboard, put the trolling motor down and went under the next three houses to stay out of sight until we went under hers and around to the stairs.

I tied up and whispered, “Stay here and don’t move. Not a sound.” Her eyes grew, seemingly, from the white around her pupils as my pistol came out from my belt holster, which was under my shirt, and with it in hand, I gently walked up the stairs and onto the deck, just outside the kitchen door. I peered around the corner at two young guys emptying the liquor cabinet into cloth bags. They also had a radio on the ground next to the loot. I had my phone in my other hand, dialing the Sheriff’s Department, letting them know what I found. They said it would be a bit, but they were on the way.

I quickly opened the door and yelled, “HANDS UP. I’M ARMED. YOU’RE TRESPASSING!” Their hands went up. I told them to face me, then turn away and lay on the floor. “Do either of you have a weapon on you?”

Smart guys. “I do,” said the one on the right and moved quickly.

I yelled, “STOP,” but he didn’t. He rolled to reach for it, and seeing his hand getting a grip on the gun, I put a round through the shoulder he led with, the side with the arm he was using. I was hoping that was his predominant hand, otherwise, I was going to wind up using another round.

I pulled my phone out of my shirt pocket, hit redial, and told them what happened, telling them to send an ambulance, too. I was going to tie them up, take the weapon and put a dishtowel or something on the hole, if he’d calm down. They couldn’t say anything but, ‘OK’, and that’s what the dispatcher said. She said she’d notify the responding units.

Then I heard over my shoulder, “I meant vagabond villains in the figurative sense. Are you OK?”

“Well, if I wasn’t, I damn sure would NOT want you standing where you are. At least down there, you could have swum away.”

“Uhh. Right. Sorry. I heard the shot and came up to help.”

“I understand. But… Find me some rope or wire or something. Sorry for being a dick… Again. We’ll talk about it later, hon.”

“Nylon tie straps? Daddy had some contractors out here and we found a bag of big black ones they must’ve left behind.”

“Perfect, honey, and find a broom stick or a bat or something. I’m going to put my gun away and if one of these guys moves, hit them in the head with it. I need to hurry…” She was moving away toward a closet. “…and get something on this one before he bleeds through to your floor and your stepmother kills me.”

She laughed and handed me the little bag, standing there with a push broom. She was holding it like a hammer, not even settling for the stick end. That would hurt. I did the unwounded guy first. Hands with one tie then ankles with two more, then moved to the other gent. He was in a lot of pain and going into shock. Only part of me cared. I got the gun out of his waist band and slid it across the floor away from us. I zip tied his hands to his belt and a belt loop, did his ankles, then had Annie get me a kitchen towel. I knew what to get her parents for Christmas, at least. They’d never use that towel again. I held it over the wound, then laid a brick on it that I found outside on the porch and stood. Not much more we could do.

“Chuck, the guy you shot is the guy that broke the doorknob at the party a couple weeks ago. The other guy lives a couple doors down. I knew I remembered them. They’re the ones I told you about. Daddy was so pissed.”

“Make sure you share that with the cops, hon. It may be important.”

It took about forty-five minutes, and they came in two boats, one for the deputies, and one for the EMS crew. It got really funny, really quick for Annie and me.

The woman of the EMS crew came in and set her bag down next to contestant number one. “Hey, Dean. How you doing? That hurting pretty bad? You’ll be OK from what I see. We’ll get you to Louisiana in one piece and you can heal there, OK?” She looked up at me. “You shot my ex-boyfriend.”

That was a preview of Love on the River. To read the rest purchase the book.

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