Blue eyes, the color of deep sapphires penetrated his skin, sending shivers up his spine. He held out his hand, trying to reach her, needing to touch her. An ache filled him — a longing that couldn’t be described in a single word and a thousand words still wouldn’t be enough.
“I need you,” he whispered, holding out his hand to her once again.
She reached out and as their fingertips touched, an electric-like current shot through his body. Their fingers entwined and he pulled her to him, wrapping his arm around her slender waist and burying his face in her hair.
“I’ve waited so long for this,” he whispered into her hair.
She turned her head and smiled as her fingertips touched his cheek before sliding her hand to the back of his head and pulling his lips down to hers. The kiss was one of fire and passion, lips mashing against lips as tongues danced and fought. Her body melted against his, soft warm skin — a promise of pleasures yet to come. His lips touched her neck as his hand moved up her hip, stroking softly upward until his thumb touched her…
“….sunshine with 70 percent chance of showers later in the day, so remember to grab that umbrella before heading out to work today. We’ll be back after this message with the 6 o’clock news…”
He struck out at the alarm clock, knocking it off the nightstand and closed his eyes, hoping that if he fell back to sleep she would return.
The elevator doors opened and he stepped out quickly, engulfed immediately by the sounds of ringing phones, shouting voices and squeaking printers. He walked around several desks, weaving in and out, trying to reach his destination without being detected, which was impossible.
He pretended not to hear. Ten more feet and he’d reach the safety of his office. Ten more feet and he could close the door and eat a bottle of Tylenol before starting his day. Suddenly there was a body in his path, blocking his way.
“Richard I’ve gotta talk to you about this assignment right now.”
“Richard, Tom Foresight is on line one and Elizabeth is on line two.”
“Richard we need to stop the Procop story before it makes it down to Copy. The fucking bastard lied through the whole thing and…..”
“Richard, are you okay? Richard? Richard, can you hear me?”
He pushed his hands through her long blonde hair, tangling his fingers in her mass of curls. Bringing his mouth down, he crushed his lips against hers. She tasted sweet and the sound of her breathing filled his ears. Cupping her face, he pulled her head back and stared into her dark blue eyes. Within them he became lost and an inner peace overrode every thought that he previously had.
“I need you,” he whispered.
She touched his face before running her hands down over his chest, touching him softly. Her smile made his heart flutter and he pulled her against him, rubbing her back as her arms wrapped around him and held him tight. He moaned softly, feeling her hard nipples brushing against his chest. His hands slipped down her back and over her curvy cheeks, cupping them gently and squeezing. Her body moved against his, breath quickening against his shoulder.
“I’ve waited so long for this,” he whispered into her hair.
His mouth went dry and he started to cough uncontrollably. Opening his eyes, he tried to focus. Behind him there was a steady beeping sound and in front of him stood a very anxious looking Elizabeth.
“I told you, I don’t remember anything after that. I felt fine, really.”
Dr. Susan Jensen removed her stethoscope from his chest and moved behind him, placing it against his back. “So you had no chest pains just before the attack? Take a deep breath please.”
“No,” Richard said, taking a deep breath and growing impatient with the same questions over and over again. He let out his breath, “so I couldn’t have had a heart attack then.”
“Not true,” she said, moving in front of him and sitting on the corner of the bed. “There are some instances where the warning signs, such as chest pain, have occurred for weeks or months prior to an acute attack. Not everyone is the same Richard — our bodies don’t always react identically. How about in the past few weeks — any chest pains?”
“I’ve had a lot of pains in the ass lately, Dr. Jensen,” he said grinning.
“That wasn’t my question.”
He gave up on his attempt at humor. “A few times in the past couple of weeks it’s been uncomfortable, but more like just a tightness. I’ve also had a constant headache and heartburn which is pretty much the norm for me.”
She sighed and looked at him. “What about heart palpitations?”
He thought about what made his heart do the butterfly-flip but didn’t think that the doctor would be interested in his reoccurring dream. “None.”
She picked up his chart and studied it for a moment. “Well all of your tests have come back negative so I’m going to rule out a heart attack.” He smiled and she frowned. “That doesn’t mean that I won’t be seeing you back in here in another month or so because you’ve had one. You’re dangerously close, in my opinion, Richard.”
“Does this mean I can go now?”
“You’re not even listening to me, are you? For God’s sake Richard, you’re a 43-year-old man who lives stress to the fullest, you don’t eat properly and you smoke like a chimney. How much longer do you think you can go on like this? You’re tempting fate and soon fate is going to get bored with the game and just call in your number.”
“Very nicely put. Now can I get out of here?”
Susan stood up and unhooked his chart from the end of the bed. “I should make you stay in here for two weeks just to teach you a valuable lesson.”
“Check me out,” he said, tiring of the whole situation.
She stared at him for a second and then headed towards the door. “Do yourself a favor and take a vacation Richard. Take some time off and go find yourself before it’s too late.”
The door closed behind her and he shifted in the narrow bed, planning on crawling out and then he realized that he was still hooked up to the heart monitor.
“Daddy?”
He looked up and smiled at Elizabeth who was peeking around the door. “Hey you.”
“Oh God, Daddy,” she said, running across the room and hugging him tight. “You scared me!”
He held her close, hating the feeling that he had put her through any worry. “I’m okay Elizabeth, really, I’m fine. Dr. Jensen just gave me a clean bill of health.”
“But I thought you had a heart attack?”
“Nope, no heart attacks for this guy.”
“Then what was it?” she said, standing back and looking at him suspiciously.
“Hard to say — exhaustion maybe. Obviously it’s not serious since I’m being released as we speak.”
“You need to take a vacation, Dad,” she stated, looking at him straight in the eye.
“I will, soon.”
“No, you need to take a vacation now.”
“I can’t take the time off right now, Honey. There’s just so much going on at…”
“It’s always the same Dad! It’ll never change because there will always be something and you know it! The magazine will do just fine without you for a month or so.”
A month? Could he really leave for a month and not go stir crazy? “Yes, I know that but you don’t understand Elizabeth that if…”
“Maybe I don’t understand it all, Dad, but I do know two things and that’s that the magazine can get along without you and I can’t. If anything ever happened to…” her voice trailed off and her eyes filled up with tears.
He reached out and pulled his daughter close, holding her tight. “How can you be so wise at twenty-one?” he asked, feeling her hot tears against his cheek. “Okay, okay. I’m officially going on vacation starting right now.”
He carried his suitcases into the bedroom and dropped them on the queen-sized bed, looking around. Moving to the set of French doors, he pushed the curtains aside and slid them open, looking out over the gardens. Flowers were in full bloom and a gentle breeze was blowing in off the water. It was a breathtaking sight for anyone who could fully appreciate it and that crowd didn’t include Richard. He thought about the office and the things he needed to accomplish there and then he saw Elizabeth’s eyes and tried to block out the office and his urge to have a cigarette. Sighing, he closed the doors and started to unpack.
He had driven with no particular destination in mind except that he’d like to be somewhere near the ocean. As a boy he had always loved the water and he missed it sometimes. There had always been a calmness within him when he spent time near the water and that calmness was something that he desperately needed now — something to help him focus in a new direction. For the last few months he had felt himself slipping, both in mind and body and although he had told himself several times that he needed time to recharge his batteries, he never listened. Waking up in the hospital and finding out that he could have had a heart attack had scared him more than he would ever admit to anyone, even to himself.
He pulled out his laptop and set it on the bed, immediately feeling a little guilty because he had hidden it in his suitcase so Elizabeth wouldn’t see it. At least he could keep up-to-date on some things that were happening at the office and cruise around the Internet if he got really bored. After unpacking he grabbed the laptop and went out into the small living room, setting the computer up on the desk. He plugged it in and turned it on, waiting for it to boot up. Tapping his fingers on the desk, he considered lighting a cigarette but talked himself out of it. Instead he looked around the room and found that he felt very comfortable here. It was a little country inn that he had found quite by accident and it seemed to have everything that he needed in order to get himself back on track. It had all of the charm of being in the country although there was a major city not far away so he had the best of both worlds.
Picking up the phone, he called Elizabeth and left a message, giving her the number for the inn and letting her know that he was fine. Sometimes she worried a little too much and he hoped that she’d stop worrying about him and concentrate more on her studies and maybe a little less on John, her new love interest. He was about to unplug the phone and put the jack into his computer when there was a knock on the door.
When he opened it, he came face to face with a pair of sapphire blue eyes and his heart missed a beat. She smiled and held out a basket of fruit and he took it, unable to speak. Once he had the basket, she turned from him and headed down the hall before he could say a word.
“Wait!” he yelled, wishing his legs would move so he could chase after her.
“There’s no use yelling after her,” a woman said as she rounded the corner by his door.
He looked at her, shifting the basket in his arm. “I’m sorry, I don’t understand.”
“She’s deaf,” the old woman said, looking him up and down.
“Deaf,” he repeated slowly.
“Yes that’s what I said.”
“Who is she?” he asked, looking down the hall and wishing she’d return.
She eyed him suspiciously. “She’s one of the employees here. She cleans the rooms, helps out in the kitchen, but mainly she works in the gardens. Why do you want to know?”
“Ahhh just curious,” he said, smiling at her. “I guess I’ll go and eat some of this fruit. It was nice meeting you…”
“Penny,” she said, holding out her hand and shaking his firmly. “I own this place so if there’s anything you need, just let me know.”
“I’ll do that,” he said, smiling at her again before he disappeared behind the door.
His heart was still pounding wildly. He never thought he would see those eyes anywhere but in his dreams. He set the fruit down on the coffee table and dropped himself onto the couch, leaning his head back and staring at the ceiling. Always in the dreams there were those eyes — and if he remembered anything about her it was more in sense rather than a visual image. He could remember her soft hair and the way it felt and the feeling of her body against his. How was it possible that he had just looked into those eyes moments ago?
Richard jumped off the couch and went into the bedroom, heading out the doors. On the balcony he looked over the gardens, hoping to catch a glimpse of her. He wanted to find her. He needed to see the woman who haunted his dreams and try to understand why she now came to him in the flesh.
He ate dinner in the dinning room with the few other guests. Feeling a little self-conscious about eating alone, he thumbed through the local newspaper and read it cover to cover, finding nothing of interest. Every time someone moved in or out of the room he looked up, hoping that it would be her.
“How was dinner?”
He looked up at Penny and smiled. “It was delicious, thanks.”
“Can I get you anything else?” she asked, leaning against one of the chairs.
“No, thanks, Penny, but I’d be honored if you’d join me for coffee and maybe tell me a bit about this area.”
She pulled out a chair and flopped down into it, gladly resting her weary bones. At seventy-two she still got around fine, but just not as much as before and at times that frustrated her. She looked at the man across the table and figured him out in a flash. Businessman, probably divorced, and he was here because he was overstressed and needed to get away. She’d seen a hundred of them come and go over the years and most of them just wanted to be left alone so they could sulk or do whatever it was they came here to do. This one seemed different though. She felt something special from him and in her heart she hoped that she wasn’t reading him wrong.
Richard only listened half-heartedly as she talked on about the area, tossing in comments and questions every now and then but what he really wanted to know about was the woman he had seen earlier.
“So you’ve lived here all your life then?”
She sipped her tea and smiled at him wearily as she nodded. When he looked into her eyes he could see a hint of the same blue that he had seen earlier. As he was thinking up another question, she waved at someone and he turned to see the woman walking towards the table. His heart flipped and he tried to swallow the lump in his throat.
“Would you mind if Jenna joined us?” Penny asked.
Richard practically jumped out of his chair to pull one out for her. The name Jenna whirled through his mind and settled in his heart as she sat in the chair. He pushed it in and returned to his own chair, feeling like his legs were made of lead.
“Richard this is my granddaughter, Jenna.” She looked at Jenna and when she had her attention, she pointed to Richard and said his name slowly. Jenna then looked at him and smiled. He smiled back and wondered what to do next. A thousand questions rolled through his mind, none of which he could readily ask.
“If you’re interested in…”
Penny’s voice trailed off and Richard found himself watching Jenna’s hands as she played with a napkin. He wondered if she was nervous and then he wondered if she recognized him. He almost laughed out loud thinking about how stupid that thought actually was. He doubted that he was haunting her dreams too.
“I’ll be back in a moment, please excuse me.”
Richard nodded and felt relief that he was finally alone with Jenna and then he was terrified because he wasn’t sure how to talk to her. She could feel him staring at her and she looked at him and smiled. He melted.
“It’s very beautiful here,” he said quickly.
She looked at him and touched her ear, shaking her head. He nodded as if to tell her that he knew. He then remembered how Penny had talked to her and he repeated his sentence, speaking slower. Jenna watched him closely and when he was done she smiled and nodded her head, motioning a big circle in the air. He was confused for a second and then figured it out.
“Yes, it was very sunny.”
Jenna beamed and nodded again. He loved her smile and how her eyes shone. He was about to ask her about her gardens when Penny reappeared and touched Jenna’s shoulder, pointing to the kitchen. Jenna stood up and smiled at Richard, waved and then headed towards a side door, disappearing behind it. He felt her absence as soon as the door closed.
“She’s very pretty, isn’t she, Richard?”
Richard looked at Penny. “Yes she is.”
“She’s very happy here, among the things she knows and the people she loves.”
It seemed like a very strange comment to make, Richard thought. “I’m sure she is,” he said slowly, not really sure how to respond. “Has she been deaf since birth?”
Penny looked at him hard, trying to figure out if he was the one. Many men had passed through the inn and taken a liking to Jenna. Most of them gave up immediately when they found out her handicap since they were just looking for a little fun and didn’t want to spend the time it took to understand her hand signals. This man in front of her didn’t seem to be one of them and it seemed quite possible that he was the one she had sent for. She’d spent the last 25 years sheltering her granddaughter from the world and everything in it that was unfair or painful. Penny closed her eyes for a moment, feeling a wave wash through her body and she steadied herself. The head-rushes were more frequent now and seemed to be stronger and last longer.
“Are you okay?” Richard asked, moving over to her.
She opened her eyes and looked up into his. “I’m fine Richard. It’s just my body reminding me that I’m not as young as I used to be, that’s all.”
He sat in the chair beside hers and watched her closely. Her skin was very pale and her breathing seemed a little ragged. “Is there something I can get for you?”
She smiled and slowly pushed her way up until she was standing. “No, thanks. I think its just time for this old girl to retire for the evening.”
“Would you mind if I accompanied you to your room?” he asked, genuinely worried about her. He stood and pulled out her chair, helping her out of it. She took his arm and they slowly left the dining room. As they walked, she talked about the inn and he enjoyed the couple of short stories that she shared with him. He could tell that she truly loved the business she had chosen to be in.
“I need some air before I go to bed. Why don’t we take a detour though the garden?”
“I’d like that,” he said honestly.
When they reached the gardens, they sat on a bench and took in the night. It was quiet and the night air was sweet.
“Tell me your story, Richard,” she said, not looking at him.
“My story?”
“Tell me who Richard is,” she said.
He thought about that for a moment. “Well I’d like to think that I’m a good father, fair boss and an all round normal guy.”
“You didn’t mention the word ‘husband’ in there,” she commented.
“I failed at that one,” he admitted.
“Cheat on your wife?”
“Yeah, with one of the most exciting and adrenaline pumping lady you ever could imagine, Penny. She’s been a part of my life for almost twenty years now and the more time I spend with her, the more I want to be with her all the time. I’m hoping this vacation will put things in perspective for me and I’ll be less dependent on her.” He noticed the disgusted look on her face and smiled. “I’m talking about the magazine I run. Unfortunately I’m learning the lesson of the need for both work and play too late in life.”
“She divorced ya, huh?”
“Oh yeah,” he said, laughing. “The most beautiful thing that came out of our relationship is Elizabeth, our daughter. She’s always been a wonder to me and I’d always make time to be with her, even if it meant taking her to the office on a Saturday and watching her color on computer paper while I worked.”
“How old is she?”
“Twenty-one.”
“Jenna will be twenty nine this year, in the summer,” she said. Another wave moved through her body and she tried not to let it show. The moment it passed she decided to take the plunge and find out if Richard was who she suspected him to be.
“When Jenna was five, she was coming home from the grocery store with her mom, my daughter Cindy. Something happened and Cindy lost control of the car and drove it through the guardrails at Dawson’s Ridge. The car rolled down into the gully, rolling over several times. Amazingly, Jenna lived through the crash and the doctors assured me that Cindy was killed instantly and didn’t suffer at all.” There was a far away look in her eyes as her voice faded off.
“I’m so sorry,” Richard whispered, not ever wanting to know the feeling of losing his child.
She spoke softly, “Jenna was in critical care for months but she slowly recovered and eventually she was able to leave the hospital and come home with me. They say that the deafness was caused by fractures to the temporal bone of her skull that traverses the ear mechanism. I know those words because I heard them so often all those years ago. It was quite a shock to find out that she had lost her hearing and I think it affected me more than her. Maybe she didn’t understand, I mean she was only five years old. She just seemed to carry on but as she grew older she noticed that she was different. Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe it affected her more than she ever let on.”
“Isn’t there anything medically that can be done?”
“They say no. In some cases the hearing comes back slowly in time but that’s never been her luck. She remains completely deaf in both ears and I’m guessing that she always will be. She’s an extremely smart woman who should be off taking the world by storm and yet….” She paused for a moment and looked at him, needing to confess her guilt to someone. “I’m such a fool Richard. Had I known then what I know now, I would have done everything differently.”
He turned on the bench to face her. “What do you mean?”
“I sheltered her. I hired a tutor to help her with her studies so she could keep up with school but she wouldn’t have to face the other kids. I didn’t want them picking on her and calling her names. I protected her from the outside world and kept her safe.”
“There’s nothing wrong with protecting the ones you love Penny. I’d have done the same if it were Elizabeth.”
“You don’t understand Richard. I’ve protected Jenna so much that I’m not sure how she will survive when I’m gone. Had I been smart, I would have taken her to a school where she could learn real sign language and to read lips better than she does — something that would have prepared her for the real outside world and not just this little town. I should have done those things, but because of my pride and stupidity, she’ll suffer.”
Richard slid beside Penny and put his arm around her shoulder. “You know Penny, I’ve had a few regrets in my life that I’d give anything to change, but I know logically that’ll never happen. I used to dwell on them and one day it hit me that I was always looking back and never ahead. From that day on, I stopped looking in the rearview mirror and now concentrate on the windshield. You can’t change what you did, and honestly you did it out of love and nothing else.”
“But what will happen to her when I’m gone?” Penny sobbed.
Richard wrapped both arms around her and held her small body tight. “It will work out,” he whispered. Penny leaned hard against him, knowing that she could let go — he was the one.
Her hair was spread out against the flowered sheets and as he brought his body down onto hers, she smiled softly. He kissed her cheek and then moved down and kissed her chin. Her body was warm under his and he could smell her sweetness. Kissing down her neck, he stopped to lick her nape, swirling his tongue against her soft skin.
Her fingers moved through his hair as her body arched under him. He could feel her wetness against his stomach as she rubbed. Looking up at her, he fell back into her eyes.
“I need you,” he whispered slowly.
Her nipples were hard with excitement and he took one into his mouth, sucking softly. She moved harder under him, pulling at his hair as if she wanted him to move back up. Her legs locked around him and she arched again. He pulled himself back up her body, kissing her hard as he positioned himself. His cock rubbed against her moist pussy lips, rubbing back and forth, penetrating them. He moaned, feeling her hot flesh surround his.
“I’ve waited so long for this,” he whispered, looking down at her beautiful face.
He moved down a little, letting his cock rest against her opening for a moment before pushing his hips forward, slowly….
The knock on the door startled him and he leapt off the couch, trying to get his bearings. He didn’t remember falling asleep on the couch. Another knock and he went to the door, opening it to find himself face to face with Jenna.
“Hi!” he said brightly and she smiled brightly.
“Is everything okay? Is something wrong with Penny?” He knew he was talking too fast by the look on her face. She turned and pointed to the cart behind her that was filled with linen and cleaning supplies.
“Oh!” he said, “Uhmmm, come in.” He moved back and let her in, closing the door behind her. He couldn’t believe it when he looked at his watch at saw that it was almost noon.
Jenna moved to the bedroom and looked in. She turned back and looked at him, confused.
“I fell asleep on the couch,” he said slowly, pointing to it. She nodded and smiled and looked around, as if she was wondering what to do.
He thought fast and then motioned her over to the computer. Pulling another chair over to the desk, she sat down beside him. She watched as he maneuvered the mouse and created a new document. He typed something in and then pointed the screen at her.
‘I’m sorry I fell asleep on the couch and now you can’t make my bed. I promise that tonight I’ll sleep in it and pull all the sheets out.’
Jenna smiled and pointed at the computer, wiggling her fingers.
“Yes,” he said. “Type.”
‘Thanks for being so considerate Richard. If you’re really nice you’ll leave your towels all over the place too and toss newspapers on the floor.’
She typed quickly and turned the small screen back to him. Richard read her words and laughed and a strange feeling washed over him. She was this real person and he was finally talking to her. He felt stupid thinking that. Of course she was real but somehow reading her words she became more to him.
‘You type pretty fast Jenna, do you have a computer?’
‘No, but we have an electric typewriter and I was taught to type when I took my high school courses and I do some typing for Gramma. Does this seem strange to you that we are sitting side by side and typing to each other?’
‘Actually no, it’s kind of like online chat only a warped version of it.’
‘What is online chat?’
‘People using the Internet to talk to each other.’
‘Internet?’
Whoa, she was sheltered. ‘It’ll be easier to show you the Internet than trying to explain it. Would you like to see it?’
‘Yes! I like this computer, Richard!!’
And I like you, Jenna. He showed her how to use the dialer and then click onto the Internet icon. He called up a search engine and then flipped windows and typed. ‘Pick any topic that you’re interested in and would like to learn about.’
She looked at him curiously and then typed ‘China’
Moving back to the Internet window, he showed her where to type in ‘China’ and then hit the ‘search’ button. Instantly, thousands of referrals appeared. He showed her how to click on one and they watched as a website appeared and it was actually about China. He watched her scan the page, looking at the pictures and reading the captions. She looked at him and pointed down. He assumed she wanted to see more, so he showed her how to move the screen down and she stared at the screen, devouring all of the information.
When she was finished with the page, she moved the mouse to the other window and typed. ‘That’s incredible, can I see more?’
Richard typed back, ‘You can see as much as you’d like to see. I’m going to go have a shower and I’d like it if you’d stay and surf around the Internet. Don’t worry about hitting a wrong key or anything.’
She read his words and looked at him before typing again. ‘Are you sure it’s okay that I am here?’
‘Very sure. Now go find out everything you ever wanted to know about China but were afraid to ask. I’m going to take a shower. I’ll see you when I get out.’
‘Thank you.’
He read her words and smiled, fighting the urge to lean over and kiss her.
He returned half an hour later to find her still in the same position with her eyes glued to the screen. She didn’t see him when he came back into the room and as he moved behind her, he caught the image on the screen and groaned. There was a Chinese woman with huge breasts, completely naked, sprawled out across the page. In big red letters it said, “She fucks and she sucks. Join today and find out just how much she can take.” Richard wasn’t sure how to react and he didn’t have time because just then, Jenna turned around and saw him. She smiled and put her hands out in front of her breasts, making a cupping motion and then moved her hands far apart.
He laughed. “Yes, very big indeed.”
He sat down in the chair beside her and watched as she clicked through the site. She didn’t look particularly shocked at anything she was seeing and he wondered why. He watched as she squinted at the tiny thumbnail pictures and smiled. Putting his hand over hers, he guided the mouse pointer onto one of the tiny pictures and then clicked on it. Moments later the larger version of the picture downloaded onto the screen showing a man fucking a woman from behind and leaving nothing to the imagination. He looked at Jenna and she looked at him straight-faced and then broke out laughing. He couldn’t believe that a slight noise actually came out of her. It wasn’t a laugh but it was something at least.
He changed windows and typed ‘What’s so funny?’
She typed furiously. ‘When I was about fifteen, I was helping one of the maids clean the rooms because we were so busy. I cleaned a room where a man had been staying for about two weeks and he left a ton of garbage everywhere. The nightstand was filled with Playboy’s and other magazines and I remember sneaking them back to my room and looking at them under my blankets with a flashlight when everyone else was asleep. I found them fascinating and I read all the stories, getting my sexual education that way. That was when I discovered the joys of masturbation although after a while I knew the stories by heart and then they didn’t seem so exciting. I was just thinking that it would have been a lot easier if I had had the Internet then.’
He laughed and responded, feeling very comfortable with her openness. ‘Unfortunately there is a lot of really sick pictures and literature out on The Net too Jenna, and it’s not advisable to try and take it all in at once. If you’re interested in erotic stories, I know a couple of good sites that I highly recommend.’
‘Show me!’
‘Aren’t you supposed to be working?’
‘I am working. I’m making your bed.’
‘Don’t forget to fluff my pillows.’
‘I’m fluffing as we speak. Show me where I can find stories like the ones that I used to read in the magazines.’
‘Oh these are much better than those ones Jenna and I’ll show you after lunch. I need to eat, I’m starving.’
‘Show me where to find them and then you can go eat!’
He looked at her and shook his head, laughing. ‘Okay, you win, but if Penny catches you up here looking at porn and reading erotica then I’m telling her I had nothing to do with it!’
‘Deal. Now quit typing and start pointing me in the right direction.’
When Richard had almost finished his lunch, Penny dropped by his table and he asked her to join him. She sat down across from him and asked if he’d seen Jenna. Richard confessed that she was currently in his room playing on his computer.
“I bet she’s enjoying that,” Penny said, smiling at him.
“I think she’s finding stuff to amuse herself,” he said honestly, trying not to think about what she was amusing herself with. “Even better, I found I could use the computer to talk to her.” He looked at Penny and thought she appeared even paler than she had the day before. “Are you feeling okay?”
She leaned back in her chair. “I’m fine Richard, just a little tired. You should ask Jenna to take you for a walk through the gardens, it’s a perfect day for it.”
With that said, she stood up and smiled, telling him that she was going to check on the kitchen staff and then she was going to take a nap. Richard watched her slowly make her way to the kitchen door and he decided she wasn’t telling him the truth — there was something very wrong with her.
In his room, he came face to face with a very flushed looking Jenna. He wondered if she wasn’t feeling well until he saw what she was reading and then he fully understood. He turned up the air conditioner and then sat down beside her, smiling. Jenna changed windows on the computer.
‘Wow! This is incredible Richard. I feel like I’m there!’
‘I know what you mean, she’s a great writer. How many stories have you read?’
He watched her think and then she held up one hand.
‘Five stories and you’re still sitting? It must be different for men because sometimes I have to finish reading standing up!’ He was smiling mischievously when she read his words.
‘I came close to sliding out of the chair a few times actually.’
Richard read her words and gulped. He raised an eyebrow and grinned at her as he typed. ‘I could come back later if you need to finish up.’
‘According to everything I’ve read, it’s much better with a partner. Is that true?’
He looked at her to see if she was smiling but she wasn’t so he assumed that she was serious. ‘I would have to say that sex with a partner goes beyond what you can accomplish by yourself. Understand that I’m speaking from a man’s point of view — we don’t have as many toys as you women do.’
‘I remember looking at the ads in the back of the magazines and being stunned and amazed at what they claimed they would do for you! Gramma would have killed me if she had found them.’
‘Was sex something that was never discussed?’
‘Well it wasn’t really discussed but it also wasn’t a forbidden topic. I mean, cleaning rooms we found a lot of interesting objects that were left behind so I wasn’t exactly sheltered from it.’
‘I think it’s very important to be open about it and I always tried to be like that with Elizabeth, my daughter, although sometimes it’s not easy for a Dad to think about his daughter having sex.’
She read his words and seemed to be considering them. She glanced at her watch and jumped out of her chair, bending down to type ‘I didn’t realize the time! I need to get some work done. Thank you for letting me play on your computer Richard. This has been the most fun I’ve had for years!’
Jenna kissed him on the cheek and then practically ran from the room, pulling her cart behind her and he just watched her go. She was a very interesting woman and he smiled thinking about her. Their whole conversation was still on the screen and he saved it, hoping that they’d have many more in the future. Staring down at his laptop an idea occurred to him. Smiling, he grabbed his car keys and wallet and headed for the door, still feeling her soft lips on his cheek.
That night after dinner, he found her in the front hallway and passed her a note. He didn’t wait for her to read it; he just placed it in her palm and walked away, whistling to himself. Jenna read the note and smiled to herself.
As she finished watering the plants, she caught her reflection in the mirror and looked at herself critically. She’d never really cared about her appearance before just as long as she looked neat and tidy, as her Gramma would say. Now she found herself looking at her hair which was hanging down her back in a long French braid and her face looked a little pale. She felt the note in her hand and smiled into the mirror before she turned and ran up the stairs to her room.
When he opened the door, he caught his breath as he moved back and let her walk by. She was wearing a pair of faded Levi’s and a pink cropped tee shirt. Her long blonde hair was loose and falling over her shoulders and down her back in big loose curls. Richard closed the door slowly and tried to gather himself. With her hair down, she looked like the woman from his dreams. Those beautiful erotic dreams that had been haunting his every waking hour for the past month.
He walked up to her and held up his hand, slowly placing it over her eyes. She didn’t flinch, so he turned her around and led her over to the desk. Touching her smooth skin made him feel very warm and he tried to concentrate on what he was doing. Standing directly in front of the desk, he moved his hand and watched her face. Her mouth dropped open and she looked at him, shocked. He smiled and she pointed to herself and he nodded. In a split second she was in his arms, hugging him tightly and he felt like his heart was going to explode. Reluctantly, he let her go and pulled out the chair for her.
Jenna sat down and looked at the little laptop with the big red bow stuck to its monitor, feeling like a kid at Christmas. She reached for the little note that hung from the bow and opened it, reading it slowly.
your covers with a flashlight again.
‘Hey Beautiful, are you new around here?’
She grinned at him over their screens and then typed. ‘Maybe… Are you trying to pick me up?’
‘Nah, I’m too old for that kind of stuff. I don’t suppose you’d like to chat with me, would you? It’s much easier than these little message boxes.’
‘I’d love to. What is chat?’
He laughed and sent her a chat request. Suddenly they found themselves in a big chat window. ‘This is chat and now you can see my words as I type them. You’ll also be able to see all my typos before I backspace over them. Some of us weren’t paying attention during typing class.’
‘Richard I’d really like to thank you for this incredible gift! I’m at a loss for typed words; it’s just so wonderful. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!!’
‘You’re very welcome Jenna, but I have a confession to make.’
‘What?’
‘I have an ulterior motive.’
‘And what would that be?’
‘I was hoping that when I’m dragged back into the real world that you and I can still chat online.’
She looked over at him and smiled softly. ‘Definitely. We can do that? How? This is so incredible Richard. I almost feel normal.’
‘You are very normal Jenna, why would you say that?’
‘Oh, I forgot to tell you. I’m deaf.’
Richard rolled his eyes at her. ‘That doesn’t mean that you’re not normal Jenna. I happen to think you’re a pretty incredible person.’
‘Now you’re hitting on me, right?’
‘Nope, but I’ll let you know when I am, okay?’
‘Deal! Can I ask you something?’
‘Anything. I bought some wine today, can I get you a glass?’
‘I’d love some, thanks.’
‘Okay, type your question and I’ll be right back.’
Richard moved over to the tiny refrigerator and pulled out the bottle of wine. As he unscrewed the cork, he watched her typing and he couldn’t help but smile. He felt so comfortable with her, like he could tell her anything and never be judged. He felt totally uninhibited when they talked and a lot of that had to do with the fact that she seemed to just say what she was thinking. He poured two glasses and walked back to the desk, setting one down beside her. She smiled as he returned to his computer and started reading her question as he sipped his wine.
‘After reading those stories today I’ve been thinking about what it must be like to make love to a man. I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but I’ve been pretty sheltered here, thanks to Gramma. I don’t resent her for that because I know that she has my best interests in mind, but Richard I’m twenty-eight years old and I’m still a virgin. I want to experience what those women were feeling. I want to experience what the couple in that story “Obsessions” experienced when the passion was so strong that they couldn’t even get fully undressed. And I want to have an orgasm because I don’t know if I’ve been having any by myself.’ Richard set his wineglass down and tried to swallow what was in his mouth without choking on it. He read on. ‘I guess my question is, does the love and sex described in that story really exist or is this Miss Behavin` person way off base?’
He took a moment, trying to gather his thoughts. ‘I’d like to believe that there could be a love like that between two people Jenna. And I have to admit that when I was first married, I think we had that but it’s not always something that you can always maintain. You have to work at it, and that’s where I failed. However, I would have to say that sex like that does exist. Hot passionate sex that completely takes over your body and soul and leaves your mind far behind. Yes, that is quite possible if both parties involved feel the same way. Oh, and I’ve emailed with Miss Behavin` before and she’s not off base at all — a little wacky, but not off base.’
‘Do you think I’ll ever feel like that?’
Richard looked at her and smiled before replying. ‘You could if you’d come over to this side of the desk.’He grinned as he watched her read and then he quickly added ”I’m hitting on you now.’
‘Thanks for pointing that out!’
He grinned at her and then the smile left his face when she moved from her chair over to his side of the desk. She kneeled beside his chair and looked up at him. Richard turned in his chair and looked down at her. Instinctively, he brought his hands to her face, cupping it. He stared into her eyes and tried to figure out what to do. She moved one finger to his face, touching his lips and then touching her own. Reaching down, he put his hands under her arms and pulled her up, until they were both standing.
“Do you want me to kiss you, Jenna?” he asked slowly.
She nodded, leaning against him as her arms went around his neck. Bending his head down, he lightly brushed his lips against hers before kissing her softly. Jenna closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling of his body so close to hers and his lips moving against hers. She mimicked what he did; hoping that she was doing it right. His arms tightened around her waist as they continued to kiss, their breathing speeding up.
When he pulled his head back, he looked down into her partially closed eyes and smiled. She opened her eyes and smiled at him and then pulled his head back down to hers, this time she took the lead and kissed him harder. Richard felt himself getting more aroused by the second, and as he kissed her he made a decision. Pulling his head back, he pulled her over to the computer and typed her a note.
‘Let’s go for a walk in your gardens. I bet they are beautiful in the moonlight.’ He looked at her and she was frowning, so he typed more. ‘I hear kissing in the moonlight is very romantic.’
Jenna smiled and nodded and he took her by the hand and led her out the door.
They walked slowly on one of the garden paths, feeling the gentle breeze caressing their skin. Richard entwined his fingers through hers, squeezing her hand and smiling at her.
Jenna smiled back, wondering if she had gone too far up in the bedroom. She was curious about everything that revolved around intimacy and having Richard close seemed to expand that curiosity. She had enjoyed the feeling of his body so close to hers and when they kissed she had felt her body become very warm and tingly. For the first time in a very long time she missed not being able to hear. For the most part it didn’t bother her because it had just become a way of life, but right now she found it frustrating. She wanted to talk to him, to hear his voice instead of reading his words on a screen. She liked the way he smiled, his easygoing personality, and she wanted to know everything about him. Sadness filled her when she thought about him leaving. It seemed odd that she’d only met him yesterday and yet she felt very close to him.
He pulled her over to a bench and they sat side by side, his arm around her. He kissed her temple, wondering what she was so deep in thought about. Questions filled his mind and he wished they were back upstairs where he could type them out and read her answers. Touching her chin, he moved her head until she was looking at him. “Hi,” he said softly. She smiled.
Slowly he began to speak, hoping she could see his lips from the light coming from the inn. “Have you ever tried to talk?” He hoped he wasn’t overstepping his boundaries.
She lowered her head, avoiding his question. Sure, she could…but did she want to? What kind of a noise would come out after twenty years of silence? That wasn’t exactly true because when she was alone she constantly tried to talk, hoping to hear something. She would place her fingertips on her throat and feel the vibrations but never did she hear a sound. She remembered how Penny and others had tried to get her to talk after the accident and once she realized that she couldn’t hear herself, she stopped. It was almost like some sort of punishment to the others that could still hear — if she couldn’t hear herself then neither could they. She looked back up at Richard.
“It’s okay,” he said pulling her close. He stroked her hair, holding her tight wishing there was some way that he could tell her that everything was going to be alright. He let her go and stood up, offering her his hands. With her hands in his, he pulled her up. Leading her into the middle of the lawn, he placed one of her arms around his waist and he placed his arms around her shoulders. Still holding her other hand, he pulled her close and began to sway slowly. They danced in silence to the music of the night and as the sky cradled the stars, Richard held Jenna never wanting to let her go.
Penny smiled as she watched them dance and then moved away from her window, feeling a flash of pain shoot up her side. Rubbing it gently, she moved over to her desk and flipped on the small lamp before retrieving a piece of paper and a pen. For a long while she sat there, staring at the white sheet as her tears fell on it, wondering how she could put into words what she needed to say. Soon the words began to form and she began to write a letter that she would hide amongst her things and someday they would find it when the time was right although that time probably wouldn’t arrive for a few years.
The blue eyes were no longer shining but replaced by ones that couldn’t contain the tears. He reached out to her but couldn’t touch her — he couldn’t reach her no matter how close they seemed to be. Panic seized him, as she seemed to drift further and further away.
“I need you,” he yelled, finding his voice lost in the wind as she simply blew away.
Richard sat up with a start, his heart pounding hard. Jumping out of bed, he grabbed a tee shirt and pulled it on as he quickly made his way out of his room and down the stairs to the door where he had dropped Jenna off only two hours before. The door was open and the lights were all on. Richard walked in slowly, not wanting to startle her and then realized that she wasn’t there. Again a panicky feeling overtook him as he ran out of the room and tried to figure out which way to go. His first thought was of Penny — she would know where to find Jenna.
He ran down the hall and stopped in front of another open door with the lights burning inside. As he went to push open the door, it swung open to reveal a panic stricken Jenna who was about to run out into the hall. She grabbed his arm and pulled him across the room. As they rounded the bed, he looked down and saw Penny’s body lying limp on the floor. Moving around Jenna he knelt beside Penny, checking for a pulse and finding a weak one. He grabbed the phone off the desk and dialed 911 who assured him that they would send help immediately. He pulled a blanket off her bed and covered her up, tucking the edges under her body.
Richard saw someone moving past the door and called out to him, telling him to go to the front door and wait for the ambulance. Moving over to Jenna he pulled her into his arms, holding her tight as she cried hard, shaking like a leaf. He stroked her hair and rubbed her back, whispering upon deaf ears that everything was going to be okay.
After the ambulance left, Richard took Jenna back to her room so she could get dressed and then he rushed back to his own room, pulling on a pair of jeans over his shorts. He was headed out the door when he turned back and grabbed his laptop as an afterthought and then raced back down to get Jenna. She was coming out of her room and together they hurried outside to his car. As he sped down the road, he held Jenna’s hand tightly as she stared out the window, crying softly.
When they entered the city, he followed the signs that directed him to the hospital. After finding a parking spot, they ran hand in hand through the emergency room doors, and then waited anxiously for someone to direct them to Penny. They paced until a doctor came out and asked them to follow him to his office. Richard gripped his laptop in one hand and Jenna’s hand in the other. They entered a small office and he offered them the chairs across from his desk. Richard took the one near the wall and plugged in his laptop and the doctor looked at him, questioning his actions with his eyes.
“This is Jenna — Penny’s granddaughter and she is deaf. I’m going to type to her what you say.”
“She can’t read lips?”
“Not as fast as you’re about to talk.”
“And you would be?”
Richard looked at Jenna and didn’t miss a beat. “I’m her fiancée, Richard.”
“Fine,” he said and waited for Richard to tell him that he was ready.
Jenna sat close to Richard, eyeing the man behind the desk. She didn’t like him and didn’t return his smile when he smiled at her. Richard nodded at the doctor and he began.
‘I’m Dr. Cairns. Penny was sent to me a month ago by her family physician. Penny was experiencing a lot of pain, dizzy spells and nausea. Because of her long list of symptoms and after the blood work we did, it didn’t take long to diagnose her.’
Richard stopped typing and looked at Jenna who had lost all color in her face. He squeezed her hand, trying to delay what he knew the doctor was about to say. He could tell that Jenna was trying very hard to look brave. She placed her hand on his leg and smiled weakly at him.
‘Penny has cancer and waited too long before seeking medical attention. I’m afraid there is nothing we can do for her now but keep her comfortable. She refused all attempts of treatment and wanted to live out the rest of her days at home.’ Jenna’s fingernails dug into Richard’s thigh and he wrapped his arms around her as she started to cry again.
“How much longer?” Richard asked.
Dr. Cairns shook his head. “It’s hard to say but I’m guessing a few hours maybe. She won’t live through the night.”
Richard felt sick. “Can we see her now, please?”
“Of course, come with me.”
Richard collected his laptop and Jenna and followed the doctor down a series of hallways until he stopped in front of a door.
“We’ve given her something to kill the pain so I’m not sure how alert she will be or if she’ll even be conscious. She was for a while when they first brought her in.” He opened the door and let Jenna and Richard enter.
Jenna ran over to Penny’s bed and looked down at her noticing how old and frail she looked. She reached down and took Penny’s hand, squeezing it gently so she would know that she was there. Richard moved to the other side of the bed and picked up her other hand, saying silent prayers. Penny’s eyelids fluttered and then slowly opened, looking at Jenna and then over at Richard before smiling slightly. She squeezed both of their hands.
“Richard,” she whispered. Richard leaned down so he could hear her. “I want you to tell Jenna what I’m about to say.”
“Take it slowly, Penny, don’t overexert yourself,” Richard said as he plugged in his computer, setting it on the side of the bed. Jenna immediately moved beside him, taking Penny’s hand back into hers.
“Okay,” he said to Penny. She started to talk in almost a whisper, her breathing raspy.
‘Jenna…my beautiful Jenna. Lately I’ve been reflecting on my life and trying to come to terms with what is about to happen, but it’s not me that I’ve been concerned about, it’s you Jenna. I’ve loved you since the day you were born and I’m afraid that very love was not only a blessing but a curse. I’ve sheltered you for so long that I’m afraid of what will happen to you when I’m gone.’ Jenna started to cry and Richard’s fingers shook as he continued to type slowly. ‘Don’t cry for me child because I’m about to join your mother and grandfather and I’ve missed them both so much. I have to tell you something — both of you actually and whether you choose to believe what I’m about to say is your prerogative, just know that I truly believe what I’m about to say.’ She took a deep breath and closed her eyes before she started speaking again. Richard leaned closer because he could barely hear her. ‘A month ago the doctors told me that my time on earth was just about up and they gave me five weeks to finish my living. I remember the night clearly — it was March 31st. That night I prayed hard before I went to bed but I didn’t pray that God let me live. I prayed for the one man out there that was worthy of you, Jenna. I prayed for a long time and then I suddenly I had this vision — it told me that if I concentrated hard enough, I could contact that person myself and bring him to you.’
She stopped to catch her breath and opened her eyes, looking directly at Richard. He stared at her, his mind racing. March 31st was the first night that he had dreamt of Jenna. He remembered it clearly because she kept coming to him in his dreams and he had tossed and turned all night and then finally fell asleep only to miss his flight the next day — April Fool’s Day. She had come to him every night after that.
‘It was you Richard. I know in my heart that it was you that I was trying to reach. I could feel it as soon as we started talking — I knew you were the one.’ She stopped talking and they both looked at Jenna who looked confused. ‘I just want you to be happy Jenna. I love you so very much.’
Jenna moved in front of Richard and started to type fast, her whole body shaking as her fingers glided over the keyboard. Richard read her words to Penny. ‘I wish that I could speak the words Gramma. I wish that I could tell you how much I love you and how much I’m going to miss you. The child in me wants to beg you not to go but the adult knows that you don’t have a choice. Please don’t worry about me Gramma, I’ll be fine.’ Tears streamed down her face as she typed her last line. ‘Remember always how much I love you and please give Mom a long tight hug for me and tell her that I love her too.’
Penny reached her arms out and Jenna fell into them, holding her tight. She had tried to sound so brave because she didn’t want her Gramma to worry about her, but the truth was that she was terrified. She always knew that someday this day would come but she wasn’t prepared for it to be so soon. It was too soon and it wasn’t fair. She cried harder and held Penny tight, feeling safety in her frail arms until the arms around her no longer held her tight but fell to the bed.
It was to be the first time that Richard ever heard Jenna speak and the way she screamed the word ‘no’ over and over again, would forever ring in his ears.
The following week passed in a blur for Jenna. She tried to help out at first but found that she was just getting in the way. The news spread like wildfire through the small town and people came in droves to offer their respects to a woman that they had all loved and admired. She felt numb most of the time, missing Penny more with each passing minute. Penny’s presence was everywhere and at times it was comforting and at other times it reduced her to tears and an anger that she was having problems understanding. The funeral had been one of the biggest ones the town had ever seen and although it was wonderful to see that Penny had touched so many people’s lives, it was equally hard to try and mourn in the middle of all the activity.
She watched Richard now, sitting across the table talking to Penny’s lawyer. She had given up trying to follow the conversation and had taken to just staring blankly and no one seemed to even notice she was there. She wondered what they were talking about. Were they talking about her? Were they trying to figure out what to do with her? She wished that they’d move their heads so she could read their lips. As she sat there, thinking about what they were probably talking about, she started to feel like another piece of property of the inn and felt her blood pressure rising. It was too soon for all of this and she wanted nothing to do with it.
Richard looked up at Jenna and smiled, not receiving one in return and he wondered what was wrong with her now. For the past week he had been trying to deal with her emotions, fully understanding what she was going through but trying to judge exactly which emotion was up to bat. One moment she seemed fine and then a split second later she was either crying or throwing something across the room.
He ignored her for the moment and turned his attention back to Alec. “I’ll explain this to Jenna and get back to you with any questions that she might have.”
“No rush,” Alec said as he stood up and shook Richard’s hand. “It was nice meeting you and I’ll talk to you soon.”
Richard smiled at him and watched Jenna’s reaction as Alec reached over and shook her hand. He grinned slightly at the pout on her face — his day was about to get interesting. After Alec left, he sat down in the chair beside hers and looked at her, getting his fill of her deep blue eyes.
“Do you want to read this or would you like me to just recap it for you?”
She shrugged and stared blankly at him. Richard tried not to laugh as he looked at her. She reminded him of how Elizabeth would react when she didn’t get her way as a child. Actually, Elizabeth still reacted that way sometimes, so maybe it was something they didn’t grow out of.
“It’s very straightforward Jenna, so I’ll let you read it by yourself. I’m going for a walk.”
He placed the pile of papers in front of her, smiled and then stood up and stretched before he slowly began to walk to the door. Looking back over his shoulder he could see her still staring blankly into space and he felt his heart sink. He wished there were something that he could do to help her but she didn’t seem to want any help.
Richard had hoped that she would join him, but as he made his way down to the beach, he was alone. He stood on the shore, looking out over the water. In four days he had to leave and return to his life and for the first time, the thought of going back home filled him with dread. He picked up a rock and tossed it hard into the water. Home meant a lonely, quiet house and an equally lonely, loud office. There was nothing there for him but work and was work worth living for? That wasn’t exactly true because he had Elizabeth but she had her own life and wasn’t as dependent on him as she once was. He sighed and jammed his hands in his pockets. As he turned to walk down the beach he saw Jenna walking slowly towards him. Stopping, he waited for her to catch up and tried to judge her mood by the look on her face.
“Hi,” he said. Again, the blank stare. “Did you read the will?”
She shook her head ‘no’ and then started walking. Richard didn’t move and when she noticed that he wasn’t beside her, she turned around and walked back, looking impatient with him.
“Tell me what’s wrong,” he pleaded.
She looked at him like he was an idiot and didn’t have a clue what she was going through and frankly, he didn’t, because she wouldn’t let him in.
“I don’t know unless you tell me, Jenna.”
She threw up her hands at him, still giving him that look.
“Okay, let me guess. You’re sad that Penny is gone.”
She slapped her forehead lightly, letting him know that that was quite obvious.
“I think it’s more than that, Jenna,” he said, ignoring her silent sarcasm.
She put her hands out — palms up.
“Because you’re taking out all of your anger on me.” She shook her head ‘no’ and he nodded. “Yes you are, Jenna. It wasn’t me that left you — I’m still here.” Tears started rolling down her cheeks and he knew he was getting somewhere although she gave him a look that said ‘that’s ridiculous.’
“Admit it Jenna. Admit that you’re angry that Penny left you.” Again she shook her head but her body language was telling him something different. He moved closer to her but didn’t touch her.
“Are you angry at her?” he said, trying one last time.
Jenna shook her head ‘no’ furiously and then stopped. She looked into his eyes and then started nodding.
“Then tell her!” Richard said. “Tell Penny that you’re mad — let her know how you feel.”
Jenna stood there staring at him, tears running down her cheeks. She didn’t understand why he was pushing her. Why was he being so mean to her when she was just trying to survive?
Richard considered her for a moment. “Come on Jenna. Yell at Penny — swear at God if you want, just let it out.” She was getting madder and he kept pushing her. “Tell them how you feel.”
Jenna turned around in a huff and started walking quickly down the beach and Richard watched her go, his heart breaking. He thought that if she could release some of her anger, then maybe she could move on to the next step of the grieving process. Maybe he was wrong — maybe he was missing something. He looked up to see her walking swiftly back to him and he braced himself for the impact. She stood in front of him, crying hard as she started pounding on his chest with her fists. He took a couple hits and then took her wrists gently in his hands and held them against his chest.
“Say it Jenna.”
Her eyes were on fire. “Mad!” she yelled. The sound was broken, loud and flat but it was a voice that carried her anger. He smiled at her slightly and mouthed the word ‘more.’ A low growl came from deep in her throat and she began to yell and scream. Some of the words sounded like words and others sounded like noises from an injured animal and he stood there, holding her wrists until her body fell against his and then he wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight until the last ounce of anger left her body.
“No,” she said, looking directly at him.
He sighed. “Listen Jenna, I’m not asking for the world here, I’m just suggesting that we find someone else to come in and run the inn. Someone who’ll take care of the day to day operations.”
“No.”
He smiled at her and shook his head. “Can you say something besides no?”
“No,” she said again, grinning at him.
“So you’re only going to answer ‘no’?”
She nodded and he thought for a moment. “Okay. Hey here’s an idea, maybe you should run the place yourself and we won’t hire anyone. What do you say to that?”
“Okay.”
Richard dropped his head on the table, giving up but smiling at the same time. Since Jenna had found her voice she had started to use it for three words – yes, no and okay. He loved hearing her voice and each time she talked, his heart swelled. She actually seemed to enjoy using her voice. At first most of the staff members would give her sideways glances, but now they didn’t even seem to notice and Jenna was no longer self-conscious about it
“I have a problem,” he said, looking at her.
“Okay,”
He smiled. “I have to leave in three days and go back to the city — back to work. “
“No.”
“Yes,” he said. “My problem is that I really don’t want to go and I’m trying to figure out a way to stuff you in my suitcase and take you with me.”
Jenna grinned and moved out of her chair and onto his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck. “Okay.”
He smiled and hugged her close, feeling her warm body against his. He pushed her hair back from her face and then pulled her head to his, kissing her softly. She responded to his kiss by pressing herself hard against him, holding him tightly as she kissed him hungrily. She pulled away from him and smiled.
“Date.”
Dat? Richard looked at her and shook his head. “Say that again, I didn’t catch it.”
“Date,” she repeated slower. “Date, date, date, date.”
“Date!” he said, grinning at her. “You want to go out on a date with me?”
She nodded. “Yes.”
“Don’t you know that the man is supposed to ask the lady?”
Jenna rolled her eyes and pressed her forehead against his, looking into his clear blue eyes. She rubbed her nose against his and smiled before pulling back and grabbing a pen off the table. Quickly she wrote something on a piece of paper, folded it and then got off his lap. She handed him the paper and then waved before quickly heading out the door. Richard watched her go and then unfolded the paper.
ready and wear something sexy.
She knocked on his door at exactly 7:00 and when he swung the door open he caught his breath. “Whoa, I thought I was supposed to be the sexy one this evening,” he said, admiring her short pale sundress which looked very white against her tanned skin.
Jenna smiled at him and looked him up and down. He was wearing a pair of black jeans and a white polo shirt and as she moved closer to him, she could smell his cologne and she felt something stir inside of her. She rubbed her hands over his shoulders and looked up at him. “Ready?” She waited for his reaction, wondering if what she said sounded like it was supposed to — she could never really tell. There was something about using her voice now, even if she couldn’t hear herself, that she really liked and part of that was Richard’s smile every time she said something.
He grinned. “Very ready. I hope you realize that I’m not a cheap date.”
She rolled her eyes and offered him her hand. Richard took it and pressed her palm against his lips, kissing it softly as he looked at her. “I also need you to know that I don’t put out on the first date, Jenna.”
Jenna pulled her hand back and tried to look disgusted as she waved him away and headed for the door, trying not to laugh. Richard laughed and chased after her, grabbing her around the waist and pulling her back against him. He started kissing her neck, tasting her fresh skin as she rubbed against him. Richard moaned and put his hands on her waist, turning her around and pushing her gently against the door. She stood there, tilting her head back and waiting for his lips to come to hers. When he kissed her, it was a kiss of passion, a kiss that he’d been holding back on for days. It was a kiss that quickened Jenna’s breath as she kissed him back, feeling his hard body pressing against hers. She tightened her arms around his neck as she felt his tongue moving between her lips. The sensation was incredible and she parted her lips slightly, feeling his tongue pressing further into her mouth. When his tongue touched hers, she jumped slightly and then melted against him.
Richard stroked her tongue with his and then pulled it back when she jumped. He kept forgetting that she wasn’t experienced and tried to slow himself down. As he sucked gently on her bottom lip, he felt her nails digging into his shoulders and he shivered. Thoughts of making love to her right then and there, on the floor, crossed his mind. He cupped her face and pulled her head back, trying to catch his breath.
“You’re going to find out that I lied about not putting out,” he whispered as he started to drown in the look of her face. Her eyes were filled with passion and her lips were still half parted as she breathed heavy, her chest rising and falling quickly.
“We should start our date,” Richard said as he pulled away from her slightly.
“No,” she said smiling.
“Yes,” he said and reached for her again. Jenna ducked under his arms and moved behind him, back into the small sitting room. He turned and looked at her, crossing him arms over his chest, grinning at the bratty look on her face. He pointed at himself, to her and then at the door and smiled as she shook her head. Letting out an exaggerated sigh, he moved towards her and she backed up, rounding the couch, heading towards the bedroom door. He followed her slowly with an amused look on his face.
“I wouldn’t advise that you go in there,” he said.
“No?”
“No, it could be very dangerous.”
She spread out her hands in front of her, palms up, looking at him with a slight smirk on her face.
“Because young lady, if you should go in there and I follow – well let’s just say that you won’t be coming out of there anytime soon.”
“No?”
Richard shook his head and tried to make it look like it would be a very grim thing to have her in his bedroom. They stared at each other for a second and then she smiled and walked backwards into the room. His heart was pounding hard as he followed her in. She was sitting on the bed, her long bare legs crossed and she was swinging one of her shoes from her toes. He closed the door behind him slowly, wondering if she really knew what she was doing. The sun was slowly setting, giving the room a soft glow. He flicked on the light switch and leaned against the wall, looking at her seriously.
“Shouldn’t you buy me dinner or something first?” he asked, trying to make light of what he knew was about to happen. He wanted to give her every opportunity to change her mind. He wanted to make love to her more than anything in the world right now, but he always wanted to do it on her terms.
Jenna stood up and looked Richard in the eye as she began to unbutton the front of her dress. She could feel her heart pounding hard and tried to swallow the lump in her throat. It wasn’t there out of fear, but anticipation. For the last two nights she had thought about what it would be like to make love to Richard and each time she found herself tossing and turning for hours, fighting the urge to go to his room and knock on his door. She settled for masturbating and then would fall into a deep sleep, feeling content for the moment.
He watched as her fingers moved down to the buttons between her breasts, finding it hard not to stare as she removed the buttons and the material opened slightly. She undid the buttons down to her waist and then stopped, leaning her shoulders back a little so that the material moved seductively to the sides, revealing her lacey white bra that was cupping her round breasts snuggly. Her nipples were hard and poking against the silky material, almost begging him to touch them. He looked back into her eyes.
“Jenna are you….”
“Yes,” she said, cutting him off.
“…sure?” he finished his sentence. He looked at her, emotions running through his body like a waterfall. “If at any time you want me to stop or…”
“Richard,” she said. He caught his breath at the sound of her saying his name for the first time and as he heard it repeating over and over again in his head, she moved towards him and wrapped her arms around his neck. The look on her face reached his very soul. She had turned from sweet Jenna into this erotic creature with shining eyes that consumed him. She had become the woman in his dreams.
“I’ve made love to you a hundred times in my dreams Jenna,” he whispered as he leaned down and kissed her.
Her hands were against his back, pulling his shirt out of his pants as his hands stroked her long soft hair. She hauled his shirt up and moved back, pulling it over his shoulders and then off his arms. He smiled at the look of determination on her face. She grinned and tossed his shirt over her shoulder.
“I was getting too hot anyway,” he said. He wondered how the roles became reversed. He was nervous and she was stripping him — something didn’t seem right.
She grinned as she undid his belt and then pulled it really hard out of his belt loops. She looked at it for a moment and then tossed it over her shoulder too. It landed on his shirt with a quiet thud. Richard crossed his arms over his chest, trying not to laugh as any thoughts of romance disappeared — she was a woman on a mission. She looked at him and raised a brow as she tugged at the button on his jeans.
“I didn’t need that belt either.”
She yanked his zipper down hard and looked up at him, smiling as she dropped to her knees. Without ceremony, she pulled his pants down his legs and as he stepped out of them, she pulled off his socks. As she stood up, she gazed up and down his body and he felt very exposed. Her fingers ran lightly though the sparse hair on his chest and he shivered, wanting to touch her but at the same time, not wanting to discourage her from exploring him. Her palms ran over his shoulders and down his arms right to his fingertips and then back up. Fingernails brushed against his nipples as she moved them down his ribs to his stomach. Her eyes followed her fingers curiously as she continued to touch him. Jenna looked up at him as her fingers curled around the hair on his stomach. Cupping her face, he leaned down and kissed her softly, feeling her quick breath against his lips.
“One of us has too many clothes on,” he said, pulling back from her lips.
“Not you,” she said, laughing at her own joke. He smiled and then put his hands over hers as she started pulling her sundress off her shoulders.
“Let me do that,” he whispered. “I want to unwrap you Jenna, little by little.” He brushed her hair back from her neck, kissing her sweet skin as his hands rubbed up and down her back gently. Her head went back, exposing her neck to him. As he kissed down it, he could feel her moans against his lips. His tongue swirled against the nape of her neck before he kissed over to her shoulder, moving the fabric slowly down as his lips followed in its wake.
Suddenly she grabbed his head and pulled it up, looking at him intensely. “Now.”
He raised a brow, slightly confused. “Now?” She nodded, tugging at her clothes. “Oh, you want me to get you out of that dress?”
“Yes. Now.”
“Jenna, I was really enjoying the way I was doing it.”
She stared at him for a second, wondering how to get her point across and then reached underneath her sundress and pulled off her panties, grabbing his hand and placing them against his palm before curling his fingers up around them. Richard felt the extremely wet material against his skin and the smell of them made his head spin with desire.
“Forget slow seduction?” he asked, tossing her panties over his shoulder.
“Fuck me,” she said and then added. “Now.”
He couldn’t believe what she said and then considered her sex education — men’s magazines, Internet erotica and pictures. He smiled at her and shook his head. “I don’t want to fuck you Jenna — I want to make love to you.”
“Okay. Now?” she said hopefully.
“Oh yes, now would be the perfect time.” He slipped the shoulder straps of her sundress down her arms and watched as the dress fell to the floor. She was standing before him, wearing only her bra; his cock started throbbing harder. He unfastened her bra and she leaned her shoulders back, allowing it to fall from her body.
“You’re so beautiful,” he whispered, reaching out to circle her hard nipple with his fingertip. “So very beautiful.” Leaning down, he took it between his lips and ran his tongue lazily over the tip. She moaned and held the back of his head, pushing her breast hard against his mouth. He sucked gently and then a little harder, running his hands down her back and cupping her ass. She was making a low growling sound as she started rubbing her pussy against his leg.
He moaned and held her tight as he started pushing her backwards, his mouth never leaving her nipple. When her legs hit the bed, she leaned back and he collapsed on top of her, shuffling a little so he didn’t crush her. She inched up the bed and he moved with her, releasing her nipple and kissing between her breasts. He kissed over the fullness of her other breast and then engulfed her nipple, sucking it deeply into his mouth. He was kneeling over her, one between her legs and the other against her thigh. As he sucked, Jenna arched below him, rubbing her wet pussy against his leg. His mouth felt so hot and wet against her nipple. She dug her fingernails into the flesh on his shoulders as she rubbed herself against him. The harder she rubbed, the better it felt.
“More!” she yelled and he looked up at her, grinning. Her body was shaking below his and he wasn’t entirely sure that she could take much more. He moved up at little and kissed her as his hand moved slowly down over her stomach to the top of her pussy. Lightly, he ran his fingers over her fine hair and she began rocking her hips, trying to push up against his fingers. He moved to her side, laying on his as his index finger moved up and down her slit, playfully for a moment and then slipping it between them.
Jenna moaned and moved her legs apart, pushing up and then dropping back down to the bed when he touched her clit. He watched her face as he began exploring it further — circling it lightly as he moved his thumb down until her clit was between his thumb and finger. He squeezed gently and then moved them back and forth, feeling her swell beneath his touch. She brought her knees up and then quickly closed her thighs, moaning as she moved her hips up and down off the bed. Leaving his thumb against her clit, he pushed his hand down until his fingertip was against her opening. He circled it, teasingly, watching her face. She looked at him and unlocked her thighs, running her hand down his arm. Slowly, he pushed his finger into her and her nails bit into his flesh.
“Ahhhh…”
His cock was pressed against her thigh and as she rocked, her soft skin rubbed against it, driving him insane. He pushed his finger in a little deeper, feeling how incredibly tight and wet she was. Another inch and he stopped; pulling his finger out and then slowly pushing it back in. She caught his rhythm and started rocking with him, moaning as her thighs started squeezing his hand. He moved a little faster, enjoying the look of passion on her face.
“Jenna,” he said when she looked at him through half closed eyes. “Touch your breasts Baby.”
Her hands moved obediently to her breasts, squeezing them hard before taking her nipples and tugging on them. He watched her stretching them — rolling them between her fingers. He pumped into her a little harder. Her pussy clenched his fingers tighter than her thighs were squeezing his hand and she began to moan uncontrollably. He felt the exact moment she began to cum and he wiggled his fingers, causing her to moan louder as her body shuttered. Her breathing was ragged as her hips fell back to the bed and she opened her eyes and then her thighs, releasing his hand. He pulled his fingers out slowly, feeling her juices running down them and brought them to his mouth, sucking on them as she watched him. His cock had become painful and tasting her for the first time certainly wasn’t helping the situation. Her chest was still moving up and down quickly, her eyes staring at him in fascination of what he was doing. Pulling his finger out of his mouth, he rubbed it against her nipple, wetting it and then smiled at her, pulling her close.
“How did that feel?” he asked.
“Wow!”
He laughed, his hand sliding lazily over her hip. “It was pretty wow for me too Jenna.” She tightened her grip around his neck, trying to pull him over onto her.
“I need you,” he whispered into her hair, feeling her pulling him.
“More,” she moaned.
His throat tightened for a second, feeling his heart pounding hard in his ears. “I’ve waited so long for this,” he whispered.
He moved between her legs, laying down on her a little as his lips brushed against hers. She pulled his head down and started kissing him hard as her body moved beneath his, wiggling and pressing up against him. As they kissed, she spread her legs far apart, her fingers tugging at his hair. Leaning on one elbow, he reached down and held his cock, rubbing it against her wet lips and then between them, his eyes never leaving her face. His body shook, feeling the wetness of her pussy covering the head of his cock. She arched her back and he placed himself at her opening, moving his arm back up and slipping it under her back.
Jenna was lying very still now, waiting for him to enter her. She wondered how different it would be from what she imagined or did with herself. Looking at Richard, feeling him so close to her, she realized that for the first time in her life, she was truly in love. When her eyes met his again, she looked down at his lips as he talked, and did what he said; she wrapped her legs around his waist. She felt the pressure first as the head of his swollen cock pressed into her and her hands slid from the back of his head to his shoulders, sinking her fingernails into his skin as he slowly began to fill her.
She was hot and very tight around him. He moaned, pressing his face into her neck for a moment as he fought the urge to drive into her. Her little whimpers and hot body pressing up against his didn’t make it any easier. He moved his head so that he was looking down at her as his hips went up and then back down again, pushing his cock a little deeper inside her. Each time he pulled out, he pushed back in a little more and found a comfortable rhythm. Jenna closed her eyes, leaned her head back and he listened as little moans escaped her throat.
“Yes…” she screamed out, her legs tightening around his waist. She raked her nails down his back as his cock moved faster in and out of her soaked pussy. Her body started bucking under his, slamming against him.
Richard felt his balls tighten as his cock sunk deeper inside of her. She was wet and hot and the tightness of her pussy around him was too much. He wanted her to cum again and wondered if she could before he did. Reaching one arm back, he pulled at her leg until she released her grip and dropped back down to the bed. Slipping his arms under her shoulders, he rolled, pulling her on top of him. She looked down at him and smiled, pushing herself back against his cock. Her eyes grew wide as she pushed back further and then she began to moan. With her hands on his chest, she pushed herself up until she was almost sitting on him and then shifted around for a moment until she was comfortable. With his cock deep inside of her now, she began to rock back and forth against him, feeling more of him now than before. Her thighs were tight against his hips as her fingernails dug into his chest.
Reaching down, he held her hips and pulled her forward and then pushed her back, helping her move. Her juices were dripping against his skin as she started to move faster. He moved one hand up to her nipple and twisted it passionately which caused her to start bouncing up and down.
“Oh God,” he groaned, taking her other nipple between his fingers and pulling them both out at the same time. “Jenna…”
Her ass was slapping against his thighs and he arched as she moved down and his cock drove into her all the way. Squeezing her breasts, he closed his eyes and jerked his hips up two more times before he started to cum. As he was exploding inside of her, he felt her pussy clamp onto his cock and he opened his eyes to see Jenna enjoy her second orgasm. Her little whimper turned into a loud moan as her body tensed and then suddenly she began to shake hard, her fingernails scratching his skin. His hands slid from her breasts down to her thighs and he rubbed them gently until her body was still and she dropped against him, panting heavily in his ear. Wrapping his arms around her, he held her shaking body tightly, vowing to never lose her.
“You are so incredible,” he whispered against her hair. She turned her head and looked at him, smiling as her breathing started to slow down. She dragged her fingertips over his cheek and across his lips, pulling her hand back quickly as he tried to bite her. Laughing, she slid down beside him on the bed, hugging him. He rolled onto his side and brushed her hair back from her face.
“You are one incredibly sexy woman,” he said as he touched her cheek.
She smiled at him and then pointed to herself.
“Yes you.”
She shook her head ‘no’ and then pointed at him.
“I’m a incredibly sexy woman?” he asked.
She laughed and shook her head ‘no’ again and the pointed to herself.
“Uhmmm you, Jenna, sexy woman… give me a hint, I hate charades.”
She sighed and pointed back at him.
“Okay, me… I…”
She waved her hands, telling him that he was right and then he watched as she put her hand over her heart and then pointed to him.
“I love you too Jenna,” he said, pulling her back to him happily. He’d been waiting forever to tell her that. “I’ve loved you longer than I’ve known you.”
She leaned her head back, looking at him to see if he was talking because she could feel the vibrations from his neck. Looking down at her, he smiled softly and stared into her deep blue eyes, remembering the first time he had seen them.
“I truly love you,” he whispered as he leaned his head down and kissed her softly. She closed her eyes and cuddled against him. Closing his eyes too, he held her tight and sighed in total contentment. One day soon he’d ask her to marry him and if he was lucky enough, she would say yes. He felt himself drifting off when she started to poke him in the side. Opening his eyes, he looked down at her. “Yes?”
“More,” was all she said.
The elevator doors opened and he stepped out slowly feeling like he had suddenly entered a world that was no longer familiar to him. He felt tired after a restless sleep and hoped that a couple cups of coffee would wake him up enough to make it through the day. People greeted him with wary looks on their faces as if they were wondering if they should approach him with their problems or just leave him alone. He silently hoped that they’d just let him go to his office without any hassle.
“Good morning Linda,” he said as he smiled at his secretary.
“Richard, it’s great to see you back. Did you have a nice vacation?”
“The best,” he said smiling as Jenna’s face flashed before his eyes. “Call a staff meeting for 9:00 and until then I’d like to be alone.”
Linda nodded and picked up her phone as he headed into his office and closed the door behind him. He made himself a cup of coffee and then moved over to the window and stared out into the city streets. He no longer felt it. Before there was always a rush – a feeling that coursed through his veins that made him feel alive. Today the sight of the city just made him long for the small country inn.
He sighed and walked over to his desk, surveying the top of it. Linda had his desk all organized with stacks of file folders, phone messages and mail prioritized for him. Sitting down, he turned on his computer and sipped his coffee as it booted up. As soon as it was finished he brought up ICQ and quickly added Jenna to his notify list, hoping that she’d be on sometime during the day. To his surprise she was already online and he found himself grinning at his computer. Before he could send a message, a chat request came through from her.
‘It’s about time you got to work! I’ve been waiting for an hour!’
‘Good morning My Love. I’m sorry to have kept you waiting but we have this thing called traffic here and it’s rather annoying. How are you?’
“I’m okay but I’m missing you like crazy, Richard! While I was waiting for you, I did the books and got the bank deposit ready and ordered new curtains for the dining room. Did I mention that I miss you?”
Richard smiled, reading her words as he sipped his coffee. ‘I miss you too Jenna. I had such a horrible sleep last night. I missed you poking my side and whispering ‘more’ in my ear.
‘Richard!’
‘Well I did! Did you wake up this morning wanting more Jenna?’ He laughed when he hit the return key, thinking of their last three days together and how many times she poked him, wanting to make love again.
‘Richard!! Stop that, you’re making me blush!!’
‘Can you blush and whisper ‘more’ at the same time Jenna?’
‘RICHARD STOP!!!!!’
‘What are you wearing Jenna?’
‘A snowmobile suit.’
‘Ohhhhh yes!’ There was a knock on the door and then Linda walked in. ‘Hang on a sec Baby.’
“Yes?”
“Everything is set up for the meeting and Jacob would like to see you beforehand.”
“Fine, I’ll see him in a bit.”
“Actually he’s requesting to see you now Richard,” she said.
Richard stared at her. “He can wait.” His look dismissed her and she left quietly, closing the door behind her.
‘Back!’
‘Is the world crashing down?’
‘No, not really but I do need to go for a while. I’ve been summoned to the CEO’s office and then I have a staff meeting to try and catch up with what’s been going on since I’ve been gone. I’ll probably be back in about 4 hours or so.’
‘Oh, okay. I guess I have no choice but to let you go.’
‘Well you could whisper ‘more’ and I’d be there in a flash.’
‘You are SUCH a brat Richard. I’ll go do my banking and check back later. I love you Richard.’
‘I love you too Jenna. Stay safe for me.’
He waited for her to close the chat box and then shut down ICQ, staring at the screen and missing her more than he had been this morning. He wished he could just pick up the phone and hear her voice or know that she was only a short distance from him that he could run to her and hold her tight. There was another knock at the door and Linda reappeared.
“Richard.”
“Yeah, I’m coming,” he grumbled, grabbing his coffee and following her out the door.
Three days passed and he could barely stand the loneliness. The office seemed like a prison and the only brightness in his otherwise gloomy existence was logging on and finding Jenna waiting for him or opening his email and finding twenty cyber cards and flowers waiting for him to pick up. He read over some notes as he waited for his computer to connect to the Internet but his cursor just kept spinning. Frowning, he tried to get into his email but it couldn’t connect, either. Frustrated, he stormed out of his office.
“What the hell is happening with the Internet connection?” he said to anyone that was listening.
“The server is down,” Linda advised him, looking at him oddly.
“Has someone contacted the I.S. folks?”
“They are well aware of the situation, Richard.”
He huffed and went back into his office, slamming the door behind him. She would be there waiting for him like she was every morning and he wouldn’t appear. He felt frantic, trying to figure out what to do. There was a knock on his door and he yelled for whoever it was to go away.
“Forget it, I’m not going anywhere,” Elizabeth said, entering his office and closing the door behind her.
“Elizabeth!” he said, jumping out of his chair and meeting her in the middle of his office. He hugged her tight.
“What’s up with you?” she asked, letting him go.
“How about some coffee,” he said, avoiding her question.
“Sure.” She sat down in the chair across from his desk, studying him. He handed her the cup and then sat down in his chair, smiling at her.
“How’s my favorite kid?”
“I’m your only kid,” she said, taking a sip of her coffee.
“Then how are you? I didn’t think I’d get to see you until tomorrow, unless today is Friday and I’ve been lucky enough to lose a day.”
She smiled. “No it’s definitely Thursday and I dropped by to tell you that I can’t meet you for lunch tomorrow because I’m going to go to John’s parent’s cottage with him this weekend and we’re leaving around noon.”
“Oh, I see,” he said slowly. “How is John?”
“He’s fine Dad,” she said grinning.
“You really like this guy, huh?”
“Yeah, I really like him a lot.”
“I see. Did he get a haircut?”
“Dad his head is practically shaved!”
“Oh right… Did he grow any hair back yet?”
She rolled her eyes. “How about telling me what’s put you in such a foul mood this past week.”
He started with an answer and then stopped. “You only witnessed today’s foul mood. How do you know I’ve been in one all week?” He eyed her suspiciously over his coffee cup.
“Ahhhh….”
“Linda.”
“She’s just worried about you Dad. She said that you’re either moping around or you’re flying off the handle about something insignificant and that’s just not like you. Why don’t you tell me what’s wrong.”
He looked at her and sighed. “I met a woman on vacation and…”
She cut him off. “Oh my God! You met a woman and got her pregnant and then found out she was married and now she’s having your love child but you’ll never be together because she can’t leave her husband because he’s sick with some very rare disease!”
He didn’t even crack a smile. “You watch way too many soap operas.”
“Sorry… continue.”
“Her name is Jenna. Elizabeth, I’ve fallen madly in love with her.”
“That’s wonderful Dad!”
“Yes it is. It’s very wonderful,” he said slowly. “But she’s five hours away from here and each second that passes I miss her more.”
“Then call her silly!”
“I can’t.”
“Why not? I’m sure you can afford the long distance call and if you can’t, take it out of my inheritance money.”
“She’s deaf Elizabeth. I can’t just pick up the phone and call her.”
“Oh.”
“We’ve been talking on ICQ and the server is down this morning so…”
“Ahhh — thus your tantrum this morning.”
“Yeah.”
“Do you love her?”
“More than I can say.”
“Are you going to ask her to marry you?”
“Yes.”
“Will she be moving to the city?”
He thought about what Penny had said the day that she introduced him to Jenna. “No, I don’t think that she would be happy here at all Elizabeth.”
“Are you happy here Dad?”
“No, not without her.”
“So you’re going to marry her and live in the country, leaving the city and this office behind you.”
“Correct.”
“Then why the hell are you sitting behind that desk moping when you could be with her right now?”
“Oh come on Richard, where the hell is your head? You spend a few weeks with a woman and now you’re ready to give everything up here and run off to marry her? You’re not thinking with your head, you’re thinking with your dick!”
Richard could feel everyone in the small restaurant staring. “Actually Jacob, I’m thinking quite clearly and I’ve made my decision — I’m resigning as President — resigning as anything actually. As of now my shares are for sale.”
“You can’t do this to me!” Jacob hissed. “We’ve built this magazine up together and made it what it is today. And who stood behind you all of these years? Who saw you through your divorce and has been your friend every step of the way?”
Richard studied the man in front of him, understanding his anger but not accepting it. “A few weeks ago, I might have used your name for the answer to that question, but now I’m not so sure. If you were really my friend Jacob, you’d understand why I have to do this.”
“Listen Richard, why don’t you take a little time off and go back to her — get your fill of her young body and be done with it.”
Richard felt his blood pressure rising and tried to remain calm. “It’s not like that Jacob! She’s not some little sex kitten that I’m playing with. I love her and fully intend to marry her if she’ll have me. Even if she won’t, I’m still leaving!”
“But she’s just a woman!” Jacob yelled, standing up to emphasize his next point. “And a deaf one at that!”
Something inside of Richard snapped and he did something that he had never done before in all of his 43 years. He stood up and punched Jacob in the jaw and then left the restaurant, never looking back.
He drove into the night, a million thoughts rolling through his mind but only one mattered to him and that was making it to Jenna. He ignored the throbbing of his knuckles and fought the urge for a cigarette. Instead he turned the radio up and sang loudly along with the song. He felt the pocket of his jeans, checking for the hundredth time to make sure the small velvet box that contained Jenna’s engagement ring was still with him.
He had tried several more times to log onto the computer at work but was unsuccessful. Frustrated, he gave up and finished packing up his personal belongings. There wasn’t an ounce of sadness within him as he did it although he knew he would miss some of the people that he had worked so closely with over the years. When he got home, he though about setting up his laptop and sending her a message that he was on his way but decided to just surprise her instead. Packing quickly, he tossed his suitcase into the car and left the city as fast as he could.
Up ahead, he saw flashing lights everywhere and he slowed down, wondering what was happening. A policeman held out his hands and Richard stopped his car, rolling down the window.
“I’m afraid you won’t be able to get through this way for a little while,” he said.
“What’s the problem?”
“A tractor trailer jackknifed just up the highway — they’re still cleaning it up.”
“Is there a detour I could take?”
“Well you could head back about ten miles and turn at highway 18 and then go down there…”
“How long would it take to get back onto this highway using the detour?” Richard asked, cutting him off.
“Oh probably about two hours or so.”
Richard gripped the steering wheel. “And how much longer until we can get through here?”
“They said about an hour, maybe a little less. If you’re going to stay, just pull up on the side of the road behind that white car.”
“Thank you, I think I will.” He parked his car and rolled his windows up before turning it off. Leaning his head against the headrest, he closed his eyes, not realizing until that moment how tired he really was. The last time he had had a really good sleep was the last night that he had held Jenna in his arms all night. He sighed contently, knowing that it was only a matter of hours before they would be together again and he drifted off to sleep.
She was in his arms. He couldn’t see her but he could feel her against him and he pulled her close, enjoying the feeling of her body against his. He wanted to hold her forever but suddenly she pulled back and he looked down into the eyes of the woman before him. Penny’s tired eyes stared back at him and then she disappeared. Panic stricken, he yelled for Jenna and then for Penny but neither returned. He ran aimlessly, searching the darkness for something he’d never find. Again, he called out to Jenna, pleading with her to come back to him but his screams were met with nothing but silence.
A knock on the window jarred him from his sleep. He turned on his car and let the window down.
“Road’s clear now Sir, you can drive on once you wake up.”
“Thanks,” Richard mumbled and rammed the car into drive, heading back onto the highway to Jenna and wondering what he would find when he got there.
It was almost three in the morning when he pulled up the driveway of the inn. He parked randomly and jumped out of his car, running to the front door as he fumbled with his keys, trying to find the right one. After four attempts, the key slid in and he pushed the door open, not bothering to lock it behind him. Running up the stairs, he made his way in the dark to Jenna’s room. Stopping at her door, he tried to catch his breath as he pushed her doorbell button repeatedly. Inside, he knew that the red light on her nightstand would be flashing on and off.
Seconds later Jenna opened the door and he flew into the room, grabbing her and holding him tightly against his body. She was here and she was safe — the vision was wrong. He hugged her and noticed that all the lights in her room were still on and her bed was still made. He pushed her back gently and looked down into her swollen eyes. It looked like she had been crying for a very long time.
“What’s wrong?”
Jenna started to cry again and pulled herself back against him, her whole body shaking. Richard rubbed her back and waited patiently for her to stop. It didn’t matter — whatever happened would be okay now that they were together. Finally, her sobs almost stopped and she leaned her head back and looked up at him.
“What’s wrong Jenna?”
“You gone.”
“I don’t understand, I’m not gone. I’m right here.”
“Gone.”
He realized that she meant because he hadn’t seen her online all day she had assumed the worst. He brushed her hair back from her face and smiled. “Computer problems at the office Jenna. The server went down and I couldn’t get on.” He realized that she didn’t have a clue what a server was, but he felt the need to explain it anyway.
“Oh.”
“Did you honestly believe that I didn’t want to see you today?”
“No dead.”
“You thought I was dead? Oh God Baby,” he said and as he pulled her close again she began to cry. He rocked her in his arms gently, thinking about the dream he had in the car, wondering what it all meant.
“Jenna? Why did you think that I was dead?”
She sniffled. “Gram.”
“Penny told you that I was dead? I don’t understand Jenna.”
She pulled him over to her computer and sat down, typing furiously with shaking fingers.
‘I waited for you all morning and then figured that you must just be busy so I finished off the books and then decided to take a nap. I had this dream and you were there and so was Gramma. You were holding me and then you were gone and Gramma was there and then she disappeared too. I was so scared Richard. I looked for you and then suddenly you were back but you were walking away with her. You both were walking away from me and there was a bright light and I watched Gramma walk into it. You were behind her and I screamed your name and then I woke up. I thought she was taking you to Heaven and it was her way of telling me.’
Richard knelt down beside her chair and put his head in her lap. She stroked his hair, thanking God that her interpretation of the dream had been wrong.
Richard closed his eyes and tried to put his dream together with Jenna’s — it was like a puzzle. The answer was there, they just had to find the pieces and place them in the correct order. A though suddenly occurred to him and he looked up at Jenna.
“Did I walk into the light?”
She thought about it, trying hard to remember that exact moment. Penny had walked into the light but Richard was still there. He was directly behind her but he wasn’t moving. She had been too upset during the dream to realize that. “No.”
“I was with Penny in front of the light but I didn’t enter it, right?”
“Right.”
He stood up, picked her up off the chair and sat down, placing her on his lap, facing him. He wanted to talk it out and made sure that he spoke slowly so she could catch every word. “I was detained on the way here, I’ll tell you about it later, but I fell asleep in the car. In my dream I was holding you, or I think I just assumed that I was holding you but it was actually Penny. She hugged me and then disappeared and I remember looking for both of you. Someone knocked on my car window and I woke up at that point. I think there was more to the dream Jenna that I didn’t get to see. I think had it finished, I would have seen Penny go into the light too.” He stopped and waited to see if she was absorbing what he was trying to say.
She turned around on his lap and typed. ‘What do you think it means?’
He read over her shoulder and then typed, ‘I think it was Penny’s way of saying goodbye — that she finished what she felt she had remaining to do here.’
‘What was left? If we fully believe in the visions she talked about, then she had already accomplished her mission by bringing you to me.’
He took a deep breath. ‘True Jenna but I wasn’t really with you, was I?’ Jenna looked back at him and shook her head ‘no’. He continued to type. ‘I believe that Penny knows now that we will truly be together from now on and she no longer has to worry about you.’
‘Why? What has changed?’
‘I resigned from my job today.’
‘REALLY??????’
‘Yup. I’ve been thinking about going into the hospitality industry. Do you know anyone who would give me a job? I have no experience but I’m a quick learner and I’m pretty cheap.’
‘Then I have the perfect job for you!’
‘Forget it, I can’t cook.’
‘No! Something much better Richard — great benefits.”
‘What’s the job? Maybe I’ll take it if you’re offering great benefits and willing to toss in a few perks.’
She started giggling as she typed. ‘A couple of very nice perks, if I do say so myself. I’d like to offer you the job as…..’ She stopped typing and took a deep breath. Turning around on his lap, she put her hands on his cheeks and said, “my husband.”
He couldn’t speak; he just stared at her with a glazed look on his face. Three days ago he had decided to ask her to marry him, taking a chance that she wouldn’t be deterred by the fact that they had only known each other for such a short time. Now, she was sitting on his lap, and had just asked him in her own round about way, to marry her.
“Richard?”
He smiled at her. “I wouldn’t call being your husband a job Jenna. I would consider it an honor.”
“Yes?”
“Yes!” he said and hugged her tightly to him. “I love you Jenna and I promise that I’ll be here for you for as long as I possibly can be. God will have to drag me away kicking and screaming to separate us.” She was hugging him tightly and he knew that she couldn’t hear the words — it was more like a pledge he was making for himself.
Jenna kissed his neck and started poking him in the side. He sat back and grinned at her as she continued to poke him.
“More?” he asked.
“More!” she yelled and he wrapped his arms around her waist and stood up, kissing her as he carried her over to her bed, planning on giving her more than she had ever dreamed of. With her in his arms and his heart in her hands, he knew that he didn’t need a vision to tell him that where they were now, was meant to be.
‘Til the river runs dry
Like a bird upon the wind
These waters are my sky
I’ll never reach my destination
If I never try
So I will sail my vessel
‘Til the river runs dry
And let the waters slip away
‘Til what we put off ’til tomorrow
Has now become today
So don’t you sit upon the shoreline
And say you’re satisfied
Choose to chance the rapids
And dare to dance the tide…
This is an original creative work by Salty Vixen. This story/article, including its characters, plot, and descriptive content, is protected by copyright law. Unauthorized copying, sharing, reposting, or reproduction in any format is strictly prohibited. This content may not be used for AI training, data scraping, machine learning, or any form of artificial intelligence development without explicit written permission from Salty Vixen Publishing LLC. Violators will be pursued to the fullest extent of the law.
