Chapter 7

Mike awoke the next morning, Melody still cradled in his arms. Brushing her gorgeous red hair, he kissed her forehead. She began to stir, kissing his bare chest and cuddling as close to him as she was able to.

“Sleep ok?” Mike asked.

“Mmm hmm. I always do when your arms are around me,” she mumbled.

Smiling, he drew her in for a slow, loving kiss. “I’m gonna go check on Darcy,” Mike said as they parted. “Is she ok?”

Melody nodded, sliding out of bed with Mike. “After your wish to improve her dream, she’s doing much better. I think she took your car to go get us some breakfast.”

Mike put on his gym shorts and an Auburn T-shirt, while Melody slipped on her robe and a pair of black panties. Mike shook his head in mock disapproval at her use of underwear. Sticking her tongue out at him, Melody reminded him they have a guest and that it would be considered rude to flash her like that. As the couple entered the living area, sure enough, Darcy stood at the table with a bag from Einstein Bros.

“Morning, lovebirds!” she greeted them.

“Someone’s looking chipper this morning,” Melody said with a giggle.

“I tell you what, your sofa is magic. Soooooo comfortable ... I slept great.” Pulling food out of the bag, she continued, “I got a plain bagel and a cinnamon bagel. Wasn’t sure which you would want, Melody, but I know Mike likes both of them so pick whichever you like.”

Thinking for a moment, Melody decided on half of each of them, and put butter on the cinnamon one and cream cheese on the plain one. Mike opted for butter on both of his, while Darcy had already dug into her poppy seed bagel with cream cheese. Eating their breakfast in relative silence, Mike was quite relieved to see that his wish had helped give Darcy her confidence back.

Breaking the silence, Darcy said, “Oh! You’ll love this. Stephen texted me late last night, gave me the same bullshit he always has. Check out my response.”

Reading the text exchange, Melody yelped in amusement at Darcy’s pointed reply.

“Atta girl,” Mike said.

Smiling with pride, Darcy continued, “I’ve already deleted his contact info and blocked his number from my phone.”

“Are you worried he might try to contact you in person again?” Melody asked.

With a wicked grin on her face, Darcy replied, “I had a thought about that. Mike, I know you’re great at researching consumer deals. You helped me find my computer last year, after all. Think you can help me find a great deal on pepper spray and a Taser?”

His eyes widening at her question, he replied, “Welp, the old Darcy’s back.”

As the group erupted in laughter, they finished their breakfast and threw away their trash before heading out to Mike’s car. Heading back to the restaurant, Darcy rode in the backseat while Mike drove.

“You know,” came Darcy’s voice, “you’re a horrible son, Mike.”

“The hell does that mean?”

Giggling, Darcy shot back, “You haven’t told your parents about your new job or your new girlfriend, have you?”

Stewing as she called him out, he replied, “Give me a break. I’ve been in the zone all week, and Melody will meet them at the right time.” As much as he hated admitting it to himself, she was right. His folks would want to meet her.

Pulling into the Taco Mac parking lot, Darcy said, “Well, you better get on that, or I’ll do it for ya!”

She slid out of the car and headed to her own. Mike called after her, “You’re an evil, sadistic girl, Darcy White!”

“You love every second of it!” she fired back, sticking her tongue out at him.

“Bye Darcy! Let’s get together again soon!” Melody waved at her. Another cheerful grin out the window of her car, and Darcy was headed for home.

As they rode back, Melody asked with hesitation, “So, did you want me to meet your parents?”

Thinking for a few moments, Mike replied, “They’ll want to meet you sometime, and with the successful audition, now’s probably as good a time as any. Why? You nervous?”

“Me? Nervous?” she asked, incredulous. “I am an all powerful sex genie, master of all matters of love! You really think I could be made nervous by meeting my Master’s family?”

“Well, you might not be, but your shaking hands sure are,” Mike replied with his smartass grin.

Holding her hands in her lap to try to steady them, she replied, “Fine, fine, I guess I am nervous. But I don’t know why...”

Mike replied, “Remember, in today’s world, relationships are often helped or hindered by the relationship between a girl and her partner’s mother, kind of like that of a guy and his partner’s father. Your nerves are coming into play due to my wish for you to be an equal partner and a modern woman. Gaining parental approval has always been a rite of passage for both parties in a relationship. I know that’s not really fair in this situation, since you don’t have a father for me to meet, but trust me when I say that as long as you remain your normal, confident self, they’ll love you. They don’t want or need to hear about the sexual aspects of our relationship, but you probably knew that.”

“True,” she said, giggling. “Do you think they would disapprove of us living together? I know in some traditions that’s frowned upon before marriage.”

Thinking for a second, he answered, “I don’t see a need to tell them unless they ask. If they ask, they probably already know the answer. If they don’t ask, they don’t want to know. But either way, I doubt they’d give us any grief. Remember, Mom’s a preacher’s kid. She and her siblings were always watched and closely scrutinized throughout their childhood. They didn’t even have to be doing anything wrong; it was just because their dad was the preacher. Mom has always said that, as long as I’m an adult and not doing anything self-destructive, I won’t ever have to worry about her riding my ass for my choices.”

“That’s comforting. What about your dad?”

“Be honest. Are you worried that Dad won’t like you?” he asked with a laugh.

“No, I’m really not. Good point.”

Arriving back home, the pair went to shower together. There were, of course, the standard orgasms that came with the territory, but Melody also watched as Mike shaved his face. She had never really paid attention to this aspect of his morning routine, but found it quite sexy and masculine. In particular, she adored the results, running her hands and lips all over his smooth face and neck. Deciding to prove to her exactly how smooth he was, he knelt down in front of her, kissing her legs and stomach before eating her pussy.

As they finished cleaning up and dried off together, Mike combed his hair and slipped back into his gym shorts and T-shirt. Seeing that it was now past ten, he decided now was as good a time as any to call his parents. He picked up his phone and dialed, pacing the room as he talked while Melody relaxed on the bed.

“Hey, Mom, it’s Mike ... I’m good ... I wanted to call to let you know how yesterday went ... yes I know the results already,” he feigned a sullen voice before telling her the news. “Well, Maestro found me afterward, and said that the decision was really easy ... I got the job.”

Melody was amused at the screaming she could hear through the phone, and it wasn’t even on speakerphone.

“Dinner tonight? Yeah, Cheesecake Factory sounds awesome... 6:30 works, but you’ll want to make the reservations for four ... yes, I am bringing someone with me ... my new girlfriend ... no, not Darcy!” he shook his head in exasperation. “ ... Ok Mom, we’ll see you tonight.”

Hanging up the phone, he turned to Melody and said, “Here we go.”

Giggling, she couldn’t help but tweak him a bit. “She’s right, you know. You and Darcy would’ve made a cute couple.”

“On paper, maybe so. But she means more to me than that. I’m an only child, but she’s the closest thing I’ve ever had to a sister,” Mike explained.

“She appreciates that,” Melody agreed. “I’m just glad we were able to repair her confidence before it shattered altogether.”

“Shattered?” Mike asked, slightly alarmed. “You’re saying she could have been damaged beyond repair after last night if we hadn’t changed her dream?”

“Maybe not beyond repair, but close,” Melody answered. “She was in a fragile state of mind after coming home last night, a mental crossroads, of sorts. Either she continues to blame herself for what happened and could have happened, or she accepts that Stephen made his choices to do the things he did and moves on.”

Almost afraid to ask, Mike swallowed hard. “So, what would have happened to her long term in the former scenario?”

Frowning, Melody replied, “Most likely, she would have been unable to have a normal relationship for a long time with anyone, even a theoretical one with you. The few relationships she would be able to have would have turned abusive, which would’ve only pushed her farther down the path of blaming herself. I believe your modern world refers to this as ‘battered wife’s syndrome’?”

“But she is able to have normal relationships now, right?”

“Yep. Just get her that pepper spray and Taser and she’ll be good to go,” Melody said with a laugh.

Mike chuckled. “That’s a relief. So how do we help her move forward? How soon would be long enough for her to start looking for a real relationship?”

“Right away, I think. She’s done with Stephen and loves being friends with the two of us. Seeing our relationship has given her confidence that such a bond can and does exist, and she’s now determined to find it for herself.”

“She always has been tough,” Mike mused. “Does she know anyone who would fit the bill? Someone that we might be able to nudge her towards?”

“Let me see...” Melody closed her eyes in concentration. “There is Stuart, your tuba friend. He’s had a secret crush on Darcy for quite some time, but she’s never been single at the right time. He also figured she would want you over him any day, though my existence might convince him otherwise.”

Considering this possibility, Mike smiled. For all his quirks, and the fact that tuba players were essentially frat boys that never grow up, Stuart was a good guy deep down. In one instance, a mutual friend of theirs was bragging to Stuart and Mike on the college band bus about how he was so over his girlfriend, but was waiting until after Spring Break to end it. In his words, he wanted one last week of solid banging to remember her by. Stuart lit into him, calling him a pussy and not a real man. He reminded this guy of how much guys hate it when girls play mind games and don’t say what they really want, and that he’d be no better than those girls by doing what he was talking about. That exchange told Mike everything he needed to know about Stuart as a person.

“Stuart ... would be good to her. And good for her,” Mike replied.

“Great! I assume you still don’t want to use any magic to get them together?”

“Correct,” Mike said. “First, we’ll introduce you to my other friends in the ASO, Stuart included. That’ll get him thinking that he doesn’t have to worry about me as competition. Would confidence be an issue for him?”

“Maybe a little, but I doubt it would hold him back once he knows you’re no longer single,” said Melody.

“Ok, cool. Now what about Darcy? Would she be interested in him?”

“At this point, he’s not on her radar, though that would change under the right circumstances,” Melody speculated. “For example, if she sees him interacting with me in the same way that you do, playful yet respectful, I bet she would start to feel a strong attraction for him.”

“Nice. That’ll also be a good angle for me to convince him to ask Darcy out. You two have become good friends in a hurry, and girls love guys that treat their girlfriends well,” Mike continued.

“If our careers turn south, we could always go into matchmaking,” Melody said with a laugh.

Picking his phone, Mike sent a group text message to Darcy, Seth, and Stuart asking them over Sunday evening. The text said he wanted to feed them and play some video games with them as thanks for their help in his audition preparation, though the true purpose was to introduce the guys to Melody.

This might give Stuart the kick in the ass he needs to ask Darcy out.

As he finished sending the message, Melody’s voice came from the bed behind him.

“Mike...”

Turning, he was speechless at what he saw. Melody was kneeling up tall on the bed, suddenly dressed in some of the most eye-popping lingerie Mike had ever seen. Her torso was enveloped in a tight, black corset, which caused her amazing tits to almost defy gravity. The corset itself blended seamlessly with her lacy black panties, and accentuated her beautiful milky white skin. Garters extended from the bottom of the corset and down her toned legs, connecting to a set of long, soft stockings. A pair of shiny black pumps completed her outfit. Melody kneeled near the edge of their bed, keeping her hands behind her back and subtly thrusting her chest out.

With an innocent look on her face, she said, “You were so sweet yesterday. Fighting off that disgusting man, taking such good care of me. You were quite the hero. But you never received your ... hero’s reward.”

As he approached her, she ran her hands down his chest before slipping his T-shirt up and over his head. Caressing his chest and clean-shaven neck, she kissed his cheek before whispering in his ear.

“My hero...”

He wrapped his arms around her, kissing her lips with passion. She returned the kiss with reckless abandon, running her hands through his fine, blonde hair, causing him to moan in pleasure. Parting her lips from his, she began to kiss her way down his neck and chest, slowly approaching his pelvic region. Looking up at him with lust and desire in her emerald eyes, she slipped her fingers into the waistband of his gym shorts and slid them to the floor.

With his hardened cock now pointing directly at her, she gave a wicked grin and began to stroke it as he stood by the bed. After kissing his tip, she then moved to the base and licked the entire length of his shaft. As she reached the tip, she started back down his cock, taking him into her mouth as she did so. Mike marveled as she worked him with as much skill as she had in the first blowjob she had ever given him. His new larger size didn’t hinder her for even a moment. She swirled her tongue around him as she continued to engulf him into her mouth, arriving at last at the base of his cock and beginning to deep throat him.

The sensations were unbelievable for Mike; no girl had ever done this to him before. The back of Melody’s throat contracted around him, squeezing the head of his cock as she held him there. He was worried for a moment that he might choke her, but soon remembered that nothing bad would happen to her if he didn’t want it to. She began to suck and bob her head at a steady pace, keeping her tongue planted on the underside of his shaft. An occasional swirl as she approached his head, and Mike was already nearing climax. Trying his best to warn her, she was undeterred, reaching around to grab his ass cheeks as she accelerated, fucking him with her mouth for all intents and purposes. Nearing the point of no return, Mike leaned over, steadying himself with his hands on Melody’s back, and exploded at long last, spraying his hot load of cum down her throat with a growl of ecstasy.

Drinking his seed with glee, she looked up at him with her incredible eyes and sucked him from base to tip one last time, releasing his cock from her lips with a slight pop. As he heaved and panted, she came back up to her knees and cradled his drooping head in her arms.

“I hope you’re not done with me.”

“Not ... even ... close,” he managed. “Recharge me, please.”

Tingle. Flash.

Once more horny and pulsing with energy, he pushed Melody onto her back as she squealed with excitement, crawling over her to kiss her. Though his romantic, loving tendencies were her favorite part of their lovemaking, she also loved when he decided to take control. Slipping her arms below her waist as they made out, she again began to stroke his saliva-coated cock with her hand. This produced the exact reaction she desired, with him beginning to kiss her neck before working his way down to the exposed tops of her incredible cleavage. As he explored her new outfit, she continued to egg him on.

“It’s all yours ... I’m all yours ... everything that disgusting son-of-a-bitch will never get to do to me ... you can do to me ... all ... you ... want...”

Mike’s explorations lingered around her breasts for some time before traveling lower, making his way to her lower body. He caressed one of her stocking-covered legs, kissing his way up her exposed skin above the knee. After repeating the process with her other leg, he finally arrived at her panties. Though he was formulating a smooth way to yank them off of her, he realized that wouldn’t be necessary.

“Crotchless panties? You bad girl...” he marveled.

Giggling, she purred, “Thought you might like that.”

“More like love it,” he replied, slipping his finger into her moist slit. “It’s the perfect combination of convenience and kinky.”

As he fucked her with his finger, curling it up to massage her G-spot, he reached his left hand up to fondle her heaving tits. But before he could grab them, Melody grabbed his wrist and began sucking on his middle finger. This new sensation caused his cock to twitch, and he couldn’t wait even a second longer; he had to be inside of her.

Standing up at the edge of the bed, he grabbed her legs with playful force and dragged her to him, impaling her on his cock as he did so. She was already soaking wet from his fingering, and she gasped with widened eyes as she felt his cock fill her completely up. He began to pump her at a moderate pace, angling his thrusts upward to continue hitting her sensitive G-spot. As he fucked her, she couldn’t help but fondle herself, groping her own breast with her right hand and using her left to play with her clit. Before long, the combination of the three sensations brought her to a small, yet highly pleasurable orgasm.

Feeling her seeping juices and contracting pussy only spurred Mike further, as he assumed a power stance and increased the speed of his thrusts. Straightening her right leg against his chest, he wrapped his left arm around it while reaching forward with his other hand to take one of her tits in his grasp. His fervor only increased Melody’s enjoyment. Her eyes rolled back into her head, and she kept a tight grip on the sheets, moaning all the while.

“Oh, god ... so good ... he’s so strong ... he is her hero, after all ... he saved her ... he should do ... whatever he wishes ... he must take her ... he must make her his ... he ... must ... CUUUUUMMMMMMM!!!”

Her moans of pleasure, combined with the stunning visual of her lingerie-covered body, were too much for Mike to withstand. Working to time his climax with her role-play, he finally erupted inside of her, spewing his seed into her womb as she squirmed and writhed underneath him. Leaning his torso over her, he slid his hand up to softly caress her cheek. She sat up slowly, keeping his softening cock inside of her, smiling as she leaned in for a slow, sweet kiss.

“You like coming up with your little role-plays,” Mike said with a smile.

“And you don’t?” she shot back.

As they basked in their mutual afterglow, Mike’s phone beeped from within his shorts, now strewn on the floor. Melody gave a pitiful whimper as he slipped his flaccid cock out of her to retrieve it. Reading his phone, Stuart, Seth, and Darcy had responded to his invite for the next night.

“Stuart and Darcy are in for tomorrow, but Seth’s got plans with his girlfriend. I told him no problem, I’ll buy him lunch this week,” Mike said.

With a wicked smile, Melody replied, “That works perfectly, gives us a prime opportunity to nudge them toward each other.”

Dressing themselves once again, the couple drove to a nearby Wendy’s for lunch. After consuming a couple of cheeseburgers, they headed to the grocery store for a much-needed resupply of food. Beginning to wander the aisles, Melody was darting every which way, examining everything she could. Amused to no end, Mike hadn’t seen her this excitable since she first set foot outside their apartment. Checking coupons on his phone, Mike picked up several TV dinners, frozen lasagnas, and a bag of chicken patties from the freezer aisle before heading to the deli counter.

Waiting for their number to be called, Melody wandered around the counter, looking at each of the different kinds of meat offered. She pointed to two that sounded particularly good: baked turkey and honey roasted ham; they ordered a half-pound of each. Moving to the bakery area right next to the deli, Mike felt a treat was in order for winning his audition, and grabbed some sugar cookies as well as a box of mini doughnuts for breakfast that week. After picking up milk, bread, and, at Melody’s excited request, a box of Lucky Charms, they made their way to the front to check out. While Mike loaded their food onto the conveyer belt in the check out line, Melody flipped through a few magazines on the rack, landing on People and Entertainment Weekly.

“You know those are complete trash, right?” Mike warned her.

“What, you mean reading about the lives of people famous just for being beautiful and promiscuous?” she shot back.

“Yep, there it is. Do you hear it?” Mike asked, placing his hand to his ear. “It’s the sound your brain cells, screaming in agony as they’re killed off!”

Giggling, she retorted, “True, but it does pose the question. What other kinds of magazines do they sell here?” A naughty smile spread across her face.

“If that’s what you want, better ask Stuart tomorrow,” Mike replied, recalling his distraction efforts from earlier in the week. “I bet he’s an expert in where to find Playboy and Penthouse magazines.”

After finishing their check out, the pair headed home and began sorting the groceries into the fridge, freezer, and cabinets. While Melody handed items to Mike from the bags, he placed them in their proper locations for storage. Once they finished, the couple spent the next couple of hours online in Call of Duty.

As the time neared 5:30, they powered off Mike’s PlayStation to get ready for dinner with his parents. As it was clear she was nervous and wanting to make a good impression, Melody chose to forgo her usual look of natural beauty, opting for some light mascara and lip-gloss. Deciding on her attire, though, was a much more difficult decision for her. She flipped through several different outfit combinations at rapid pace before finally deciding on a black T-shirt blouse with a pair of blue jean Bermuda shorts. Her black headband and red sneakers completed the ensemble. As she finished, she turned to Mike for his approval, and he nodded with a smile. He could tell that she wanted to dress a bit more conservatively for meeting his parents for the first time, with the length of her shorts and higher collar on her shirt, though she was still stunning as always. After Mike donned a pair of khaki shorts and an orange Auburn polo shirt, they were off. Driving to the restaurant, Melody fidgeted with her hands, clearly bit of a nervous wreck. Mike gently rubbed her knee to reassure her.

“Relax. I’m wild about you, so they’ll love you too. One tip: be your normal, confident self. They like girls that are strong and self-assured.”

“Ok. I can do that,” she replied to herself.

As they walked up to the entrance of the Cheesecake Factory, Mike’s parents waved to them from inside the waiting area. Both in their mid-fifties, his mom, Jane, was quite short, standing only about 5’2” with light brown hair ending below her jawline. Brad, his dad, was right about Mike’s height, or perhaps a half-inch shorter. Melody could tell right away their facial features were almost identical; Mike was no doubt his father’s son. But his hair was medium-to-dark brown, with longer sideburns than Mike had. Both of his parents wore thin, wire-rimmed glasses, similar to what Mike had worn before his improved eyesight. As Mike and Melody entered, his folks waved them over to their bench seat where they waited.

“Mom, Dad, I want you to meet Melody, my girlfriend,” Mike said as they approached.

“Hi, Melody Roberts. Great to meet you,” she greeted them, shaking both of their hands with a firm grip.

“Glad to meet you, too. I’m Jane, and this is my husband, Brad,” his mom replied.

As the greetings were exchanged, the hostess called their name, indicating their table was ready. The group was lead to a booth in the back of the restaurant, which was much quieter than the entrance area. Mike and Melody sat together on one side with Melody on the outer edge of the seat, across from Brad. After placing their orders, Mike went into their now-familiar story of how they met. Though his parents did not show any sign of disbelief in Melody being an orphan, or her Texan roots, they both got skeptical looks on their faces when Mike mentioned that they had met through online dating.

“Mike, I thought I’ve always told you to stay away from meeting people online. It’s not safe,” his mom began.

As Melody tried to suppress a panicked look on her face, Mike gently ran his finger on her thigh to calm her nerves.

“Mom, you’re stuck in the past. Online dating is a normal, mainstream way to meet people nowadays, and it’s completely safe as long as you’re not stupid, which you know I’m not.”

Seeing the firm look in his eye told Jane all she needed to know: he had done his due diligence. “Well, as long as you’re careful...”

“Melody and I have been seeing each other for, what is it? A month and a half? Two months now?” said, turning to Melody.

“Yeah two months is about right,” she replied.

Mike continued, “And she hasn’t stolen my wallet, chloroformed me, or gone all Annie Wilkes yet, so I think I’m in the clear.”

The Misery reference elicited a jovial laugh from the entire table, helping the conversation flow much easier from that moment on. Melody talked about her background, her success in school that helped her get a scholarship to the University of Houston, and her move to Atlanta to start her photography business, as well as a new life. This caused Jane’s ears to perk up; though her degree was in math, Jane had a long-standing love affair with photography. Melody showed her some samples from her website on her phone, which Jane flipped through with pleasure. Each time she asked Melody where a picture was taken, she was able to answer with confidence. Mike and Brad exchanged knowing looks; they could tell Melody had impressed his mom.

Their food soon arrived, and the conversation became more intermittent, taking place between chewing and comments on how good the food was. Soon, the talk turned to Mike’s audition and new job. He first told them of the audition itself and which pieces he had worked up. Both of his parents were singers, and Jane also played the flute in church, so they were quite familiar with most of the excerpts. They were also stunned when they learned that Philip Smith had been one of the panelists, and that he had been impressed.

“Like I told Mike while he was preparing, he’s just a man. Like any other, he can be impressed,” Melody chimed in.

“She was right. Truth be told, the fire drill I got from Darcy, Stuart, and Seth helped as well,” Mike agreed.

“Seemed to work well for Darcy last year, too,” Jane mused. “So, what are you two doing tomorrow? Any plans?”

Mike replied, “Well, we’re going to church together tomorrow morning, then we’ll have Stuart and Darcy over as a thank you for their help in preparing me for yesterday. I figure the least I can do is feed them.”

“Awesome! Melody, did you grow up in church?” Mike’s mom asked.

“Sadly, no. The orphanage I lived in was state-run, and faith was in short supply in general, so it was never at the forefront of my mind. But in all honesty, that’s one of the biggest things in Mike that I’m attracted to. He’s grown into such a good, honest, decent person, and his faith was a big part of that, so I figured I should check it out and see for myself. So far, it’s done wonders for me, and in particular in the self worth department.”

Nodding with approval, Jane replied, “That’s wonderful. Has Mike told you about my Daddy? He was a preacher himself.”

“He has talked about him on several occasions,” she said, looking at Mike with a big smile on her face. “Mike says he was a great man, better than most. The perfect combination of cut-up and wizened sage, as he describes it.”

“That pretty much sums him up...” Jane replied, remembering him.

As they finished their food, Melody excused herself to use the restroom and freshen up a bit. After she had left, Jane turned to her son.