A Most Unusual Passage
Copyright© 2026 by J&J
Chapter 43
Roger was experiencing what he later described as one of the best and worst evenings of his life. I am ashamed to admit how much fun I had teasing him. But I’m neither totally heartless nor immune to frustration myself. I had decided to relent on my own “no touching” rule, but I wanted to see him beg a little first. So far, despite his obvious excitement and frustration, he showed no signs of asking for mercy. It was a battle of wills between two very stubborn individuals, but I was sure our mutual attraction and my feminine wiles would triumph sooner or later.
It was getting close to midnight, and I had already modeled several provocative outfits, as well as putting Fancy’s striptease lesson to good use. Now I was wearing nothing but a diaphanous short robe, which had to be as close as possible to wearing nothing at all. It seemed like the perfect outfit for doing a lap dance. I went over to the stereo to put on the appropriate music and heard a loud groan from the sofa. Oops! I guess it wasn’t a perfect outfit for bending over the stereo, especially when the sofa was directly behind me.
As the music started, I came over to the sofa and decided to see exactly how close I could come to Roger, without actually touching him. Straddling one of his legs on my knees, I leaned forward until my breast was within an inch or less of his mouth, which, to my delight, elicited an instinctive reflex, making him look like one of those small aquarium fish that go around with a constant kissing motion.
I could see the sweat on his brow as he groaned again. I couldn’t help feeling sorry for what I was doing. “If you want me to stop teasing you, Roger, just say so. I think I’ve tortured you enough.”
“Nope,” he grunted. “I can take it if you can. Just remember it’s my turn next.”
Frankly, I was a little concerned about exactly what revenge he would exact for this evening. I knew I should just let him off the hook, but shameless hussy that I am, I was having too much fun. Not to imply I wasn’t very much turned on and ready for a little touching myself. But now that it was a battle of wills, I was even more determined to make him cry “uncle.” And so the dance continued, but no matter how much I provoked him, he adhered to the rules and made no effort to touch me.
My mantel clock chimed the first stroke of midnight, but I never heard the rest. Roger moved with the strength and speed of a bear trap closing and immediately pulled me into his lap and smothered me with a kiss, while his hands started moving like he was speed-reading Braille across my body. In my hyper-stimulated state, my body responded immediately, and I was delighted by the change, but I also wanted him to acknowledge my triumph.
I pushed his face away for a moment and gasped, “Couldn’t take it, huh? I knew I could make you crack.”
“In your dreams! Nope. I’m sorry; you just ran out of time.”
There was no mistaking the sound of triumph in his voice, but his words made no sense to me. “The hell I ran out of time; you just couldn’t resist any more. Come on; admit it”
Roger smirked maddeningly. “Sorry, sweetheart, that was back on our date Friday night, when you were making the rules. According to your clock, it is now Saturday, and may I point out I asked you out Saturday, and you accepted. So we are now on my date, playing under my rules.”
I honestly felt there was considerable room for debating the validity of this ploy; however his wandering hands felt so good I lost all desire to quibble. “Methinks your case is full of holes, Sir. However, just to prove I’m a good sport, what rules, pray tell, apply now?”
Roger laughed, “Damned if I know exactly, except that touching is now allowed.”
“If you insist, but in that case, my love, you are entirely overdressed.” I reached for his shirt and started unbuttoning.
Soon both of us were dressed only in what we’d worn into the world, as we sprawled across the sofa, playfully exploring each other bodies.
“Well, my teasing wasn’t in vain,” I giggled. “For all your fuss about touching, you certainly didn’t require much.”
Roger laughed indulgently. “Nope, I was definitely on a hair trigger. But it didn’t seem to take an awful lot of touching to get you off either for the first time.”
“What first time?” I blushed. “That was number three; the first two were while I was still dancing. So what now, cowboy?”
“That depends on what my little cowgirl would like?”
“Hmmmm,” I purred. “You any good at cuddling?”
“I can cuddle with the best of them.”
“So, why don’t you come upstairs and cuddle with me? Let the best of them get their own dates.”
I was excited and yet, nervous too, as I found myself wrapped in his strong arms. It felt a bit odd to be in such an intimate embrace, when we had never actually made love. I wondered if he might be feeling the same way.
“Roger,” I whispered. “Do you want to make love?”
“Do you?”
“Let’s just say I wouldn’t mind a bit.” I hesitated a moment. “Aw hell, that’s a crock. I’ve never wanted anyone so much in my life...”
“Roger pulled me even closer. “Then why do I hear hesitation in your voice?”
“I suspect the same reason you aren’t jumping my bones right now. Fear about the future, our future. Not wanting to be hurt, if I don’t stay. The 500 lb. gorilla that’s in bed with us.”
“We’re going to have to face him sooner or later; you know that, don’t you?” Roger asked gently.
“I know, but not just this minute,” I pleaded, nestling tighter against him. “This is the first time I’ve really felt the warmth of your body against mine, and I like it. I just want to enjoy it for a while.”
“I know; I understand, but when? Are we just kidding ourselves? I feel so close to you now that losing you is unthinkable. Would adding that one last step of physical intimacy really make it that much worse?”
“I don’t know. Perhaps not, but my instincts tell me that once we do make love, I’ll be yours, body and soul, and that frightens me. I wish I knew the future. But I don’t know when I will. Oh, Roger, help me with this, please. Is it silly to wait? I want you so much, and I know you want me. Are we just denying ourselves for no reason? Tell me so, and I am yours tonight.”
Roger was silent for several minutes. As always, he thought before he spoke. “I had already decided that even if I knew you were only here for one year, I would not hold back my love. A year with you would be so wonderful, that I would have to have it, even at the cost of terrible pain when you left. But I can only speak for myself; you would have to decide also.”
“I already have, my love. I’ve thought of little else; I have talked to Martha for hours, and I have decided as you have. I would not deny myself a year at whatever cost. But that means there is nothing to hold us back, Roger, because I already have a contract that obligates me for a year.”
“Yes, but I think we should wait until you return from Charleston,” Roger said. “Then we will have this conversation again.”
“But why? I’m just going home for a visit and taking Marcus and Martha. Nothing is going to change while I’m gone.” I took his hands, placed them on my breasts and wriggled my body against his invitingly. “If that’s all you’re waiting on, then we needn’t wait at all.”
Roger groaned at my movement, but then he backed away just enough to break our most intimate contact. He leaned forward and kissed me gently on the back of the neck.
“No, Elizabeth, not tonight; I think I will wait. You say Charleston won’t change anything, and you’re probably right. Intuition is not something men are known for, but I can’t get rid of the feeling that something will happen in Charleston to affect our future.”
I somehow knew it would be impossible to change his mind. What if he was right, although I couldn’t imagine how that could be. Still, I wanted our first time to be free of fear and second thoughts.
“I think you are worrying for nothing, but we will wait. The fruit will be all the sweeter, for being on the vine a bit longer. I do hope we are still operating in a touch-friendly zone though, because I want to do some serious touching and would like to be seriously touched in return.”
Roger gave an exaggerated sigh. “Aye, it’s a nasty job, but someone has to do it.”
And do it he did; indeed, he was extremely thorough and very talented. And I’d like to think I gave as good as I got. And so I spent my first night wrapped in the arms of my cowboy lover, and for once, it wasn’t just a dream. In fact for the first time in as long as I could remember, my dream lover didn’t show up at all, knowing, no doubt, he was no competition for the real article. I felt safe and loved and warm. It was hard to believe I had ever slept any other way.
I awoke and reached out for him, but the bed was empty. I felt a brief moment of panic, but then remembered he had told me he’d have to leave early to teach at the workshop. Still, it was nice to find the very sweet note he left taped to the mirror. Roger always denigrated his ability to express affection, but he did so as well as any man I had ever known, though he chose simple, straight-forward honesty over flowery phrases
I spent the day just puttering around, doing some cleaning, mostly just basking in the glow of our last evening together and looking forward to seeing him again at dinner. Once again, I was about to learn the fragility of warm fuzzy feelings, but this time, at the hands of an entirely unexpected source.
I had decided to pop in at Hazel’s for lunch and a quick visit. I spotted Roger’s mother having lunch alone, and thought it would be an excellent opportunity to get better acquainted. I went over to her table.
“Good afternoon, Mrs. Ramie; how nice to run into you. May I join you?”
She turned to me, but instead of the warm friendly eyes I recalled from our earlier meeting, hers were cold and disapproving.
“Oh yes, MS. Manigault, I would have thought you’d have had enough Ramie company for one day. But unfortunately, as you can see, I was just finishing and am leaving. Good day, MS. Manigault; give my regards to my son, as I’m sure you will see him before I will.”
“Ah, good day,” I stammered, looking at her obviously half-eaten lunch. “Well, another time, I hope.”
Stunned, I sat down at an empty table and watched mutely, as she rose from her table, leaving her unfinished lunch, and went to the cash register, without so much as glancing back at me. Hazel came over to take my order and looked over at the recently-vacated table.
“What in God’s name was that about? I’ve never known Laura Ramie to waste food, and she certainly seemed rude to you. You two not getting along? Aren’t you supposed to marry someone, before you have trouble with his mother?”
“I have no idea, Hazel. I’ve only met her once before, and she couldn’t have been more friendly and gracious. I can’t imagine what I’ve done to make her dislike me so.”
“Oh you mean, what you’ve done OTHER than threaten to take away the main man in her life,” Hazel said knowingly. “I think Mama San doesn’t want to share.”
“You think that’s it? Hell, I’m not trying to take Roger away from her. I just want to be a part of his life, too. Surely, she understands he has needs a mother can’t meet.”
“She knows that in her brain, but I don’t think her heart’s gotten the word yet,” Hazel said. “Just give her some time, and she’ll come around.”
“I hope so; things are hard enough without having her against me. Roger seems convinced I’m not going to stay around here any longer than I have to.”
“Are you?”
“Hazel, I wish I knew. I’ve never been as unsure of my future as I am right now.”
I met Roger at Akron for dinner at the Homestead restaurant. They specialize in prime rib, which is a personal favorite. I still have an athlete’s metabolism, so as usual, I surprised him with my hearty appetite. When he asked me about my day, I thought briefly about mentioning my run-in with his mother, but decided it was best left alone. If his mother had a serious problem, it would come out soon enough, and I’d prefer to let him see it for himself, rather than think I was in some way making him choose between us. Instead, I steered the conversation to safer topics, like my upcoming trip and his environmental workshop.
Warmed with a nice dinner and a few glasses of wine, I really missed having the privacy to show my appreciation. Apparently Roger felt the same, because relying on teenage memory, he found a secluded spot to park, not that seclusion is in particularly short supply in eastern Colorado.
We felt like a couple of high school kids, and by tacit consent, we went with the feeling and indulged in some good old-fashioned necking and petting. There was an almost forgotten but titillating naughtiness to touching through and slipping hands inside clothing. I felt Roger’s hand stealthily making its way north from my knee, and just as it reached the soft skin of my inner thigh, I slapped it and firmly moved it back to my knee. Roger looked completely startled and confused, until he saw the twinkle in my eye.
“Sorry,” I giggled; “I couldn’t resist doing that, just for old time’s sake. Please resume your former activity.”
So I just as firmly put his hand back where it had been. I must say, I found “parking” had much to recommend it, especially if you replaced the feverish haste and desperation of a teen age boy with the touch of a more mature lover, who actually was concerned with your pleasure as well as his own. The limitations of space and clothing added just a bit of forbidden fruit, to make the experience all the more tasty. But regrettably, Roger’s need to return to the environmental camp, in time to make sure the young participants met their curfew, sent me home early to a bed that seemed all the emptier. Even my dream cowboy let me down, because each time he appeared, a shrewish woman’s voice would call him back. Until finally he appeared no more, and all I heard was the woman laughing at me from the distance.
The next morning, Roger and I went for a long ride at his ranch. Thanks to Marcus’ instruction and what I learned from Roger, the wildlife and the flora had become familiar to me. I was no longer startled when a prairie chicken broke cover in front of me. I also found it much easier to spot such small game as a fox. At one point, we came across a family group of pronghorns, ignoring us as we sat motionless watching, although frequent looks made sure we knew they were aware of us. We moved off quietly, leaving them at peace. Roger and I didn’t talk very much that morning; our new shared intimacy left us feeling comfortable together. And as excited as I was about going home, especially with Marcus and Martha as my guests, I realized I was going to miss Roger’s company. Martha had even suggested I invite him to come along, but it didn’t matter, since he had already committed to teach the environmental workshop camp at that time.
Roger wanted to stop by the house to get a quick snack for lunch, say hello to his mother and invite her to join us for dinner that evening. I tried to think of a way to talk him out of it, without seeming reluctant to spend time with her. There seemed no choice but to go along, though I was filled with apprehension as to what her response might be. In any case, I intended to be very friendly. If there was going to be a fight, I wanted to be sure it was clear who started it. She was working in the garden as we rode up.
“Hello, Mrs. Ramie,” I greeted her brightly, ignoring her look of disdain. “How very nice to see you again. I hope you don’t feel I’m monopolizing your son, but as I’m sure you know, he’s delightful company.”
Her expression made it perfectly clear I wasn’t anyone she particularly wanted to speak to. “Ms. Manigault, I’m sure you would like to monopolize him, and he acts as though he has nothing better to do with his time. But I suppose we both know what young men are interested in.”
I glanced quickly at Roger to gauge his reaction, but he just gave a quick shrug, indicating he had no idea what was going on.
“Actually, Mom, we stopped by to issue an invitation,” Rogers said brightly. “We’re hoping you’ll join us, so we can all get better acquainted.”
“Mighty generous of you to make time for an old woman.” The sarcasm in her voice was unmistakable. “But I’m sure the two of you have better things to do with your time than waste it on me. And I know I do.”
“Mother, I think you’re being extremely rude to my guest. In any case, the invitation comes from the Martel’s. Martha would especially like to see you, and she told me to insist you come.”
“Humph, I don’t tell Martha how to choose her friends,” this said looking right at me. “Nor do I tell her who to spend time with. Please tell her I wish she would extend me the same courtesy. Now, if you’ll excuse me.” And without waiting for a response, she was gone.
“I’m not in the habit of apologizing for my mother,” said Roger. “She’s always had a mind of her own, and I try to respect that. But I think her behavior was inexcusably rude, and I can’t account for it. I will apologize for any embarrassment you’ve suffered.”
“You’re right, Roger; it’s not your responsibility to apologize for her behavior. I was caught a bit off guard, because she had been so gracious before. However, I believe I understand what’s troubling her, and I doubt there’s much either of us can do about it.”
“Well, I wish to hell you’d explain it to me.”
“Roger, she is your mother, and you are her only child. Unfortunately, that makes us rivals for your attention. She sees me as someone trying to take you away from her.”
“Maybe,” he said skeptically. “But somehow, that doesn’t seem right. She’s never treated any other girl I brought home that badly. And don’t arch your eyebrow at me, young lady. There hasn’t been some kind of parade, but you’re not the first girl I ever dated.”
“But perhaps I’m the first one she’s seen as a serious threat.”
“Oh hell, what do I know? As you’re so fond of reminding me, I am, after all, only a guy who probably doesn’t understand these things.”
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