Chapter 4

I woke up with a start and looked at my watch. I didn’t oversleep. It was only six thirty. I didn’t have to get up right then, but something dinged in my head and I sat up. I needed to change the sheets and pillow case, and maybe get another pillow. I should probably get another sheet set and some more towels. I really needed an alarm clock, so I should run to Walmart.

The shower had me wide awake and ready for the day. I took my cash from my hiding place and separated a hundred dollars. I changed my mind and took two hundred out. I shouldn’t need that much, but maybe.

I put my old coat on and was out to my truck all in less than twenty minutes. I didn’t let the truck warm up that much, but I didn’t rev the engine and slowly drove to Walmart. I went back to appliances and found a good alarm clock. Next was housewares, where I pulled another sheet set, another pillow, two extra pillow cases, two bigger bath towels, and some washcloths. All the sewing stuff was next to that. I went to the display that had a variety of everything one would need. I picked out this wheel that would open over some buttons. The thing was filled with all sizes of shirt buttons and all the colors of the rainbow. On that same display was a kit that contained everything someone would need to sew a button on or sew up a small area that might have pulled apart. It even had a thimble. I was pushing the cart toward the registers when I saw some women’s long fluffy robes that looked warm and great for lounging around in. I hate sizes, but these weren’t too bad. I chose a medium. I went to the pharmacy area to be on the safe side and found the condoms. I chose a big box and also found the KY jelly. I had heard all the complaints about first times and how difficult it was to properly slide in.

I thought that I would be embarrassed when the lady checked me out, but she just scanned the items, took my money, and I was out of there. I did forget some shampoo, but Juliet would have to direct me on that. I pulled the old sheets off and took a laundry basket down to the laundromat with the sheets, pillow cases, and my towels. Everything fit in one of the big washers. I didn’t wash the robe because I didn’t think I would need to. I took a chance because it was Saturday morning and ran back up to my room to put fresh sheets on and I put two fresh towels and two washcloths out. I ran back downstairs, put the washed items into a dryer, fed some tokens in, and ran back upstairs. I straightened out the closet and dusted the room. The bathroom wasn’t messy and there were no water spots on the tub walls. I looked around the room and it looked good.

I went down to the laundry building and waited for the clothes dryer to be done. I quickly had everything out and folded, and carried it upstairs. The gold color blankets looked as nice as a spread, but the two side by side pillows looked a little funny. I put the condoms and KY in the drawer of the bedside table. Looking around, I thought I was ready for an intimate visitor.

I felt my face and it wasn’t even a little prickly, so I didn’t need to shave again. I grabbed my new math book and went to Juliet’s dorm next door. My watch showed that it was just before eight. The elevator door opened and the woman of my life stepped out. She almost ran to me and we hugged. She said, “I’m hungry and we have a lot to talk about.”

We were sitting at a table with a pile of pancakes, coffee, milk, and a couple of scrambled eggs. You could get seconds, but I liked to get everything at once.

Both of us ate ravenously, making me wonder why we would be so hungry after the great food we had last night.

We sat back with a warmed up cup of coffee when we finished. Juliet said, “I was nuts last night thinking about everything with us and about school. You know that I took that job for the money and for the opportunity to meet people, and maybe a guy. I did all that, and then thought of how silly it was for me to be sitting on a real fortune in my trusts from my grandparents, my great-grandmother, and the trust my mom insisted Dad set up for Scott and me individually. I don’t have any idea how much all that is and I don’t care, because it’s there for some future happening and not to be frivolous with. Scott’s running through his money pretty fast and you’re going to help him spend some more. You need to calculate what you will need through law school and then figure what the bookstore would pay you while you worked twenty hours a week. There will be a number that will be what you will want to get from Scott. Remember that you have to give the attorney you hire about a third, so add that in. I’m sure that Scott will elect to settle without going to court. I’m sure Dad will tell him to do that and will help him if he needs it.”

She looked me in the eye and said, “You obviously have a few dollars that you’ve put away and you received some from Dad to replace your clothes and books.”

“I think we should give our notice at the bookstore and use the time we were working to study and get further ahead. Get as many credit hours as possible while you have all these department heads working with you. It’s not like you’re paying for the hours since you’re on a full scholarship. With you being successful with the program and our association, I might talk them into letting me do the same and the two of us can really rocket ahead. We might be overdoing it, but if anything we were doing that with a part time job.”

I warmed our coffee up again and sat back down. “Okay; so the plan is to give two weeks’ notice today, hire an attorney for me, you negotiate with the department heads to work ahead, and then we’ll see how we can plan on spending more free time with each other.”

Juliet said, “I thought about us last night. I have been pushing you, but I want to know about all those intimate things, and you’re the one I want to learn them with. We’re both lost sheep between the sheets. We need spring break to spend some continuous time together to see how well we still like each other after spending that time together. That’s over a month from now. You know that we can get that much farther ahead if we go to summer school. I’m thinking we can do that as well.”

I looked up at Juliet, “I feel guilty about leaving the bookstore. I’ve only worked there just over a month. I was able to get the discount on all my second semester books which amounted to over a hundred dollars. I think Mrs. Harrison comes in on Saturday morning and is gone by ten. Let’s go over there now to see if she’s there and talk to her.”

We both slung our backpacks over our shoulders and headed toward the bookstore. It was just opening and Mrs. Harrison was checking the registers. She looked up and asked, “Did you two do anything special on your night off?”

Juliet answered for us, and said, “We went to dinner at my grandmother’s. I was able to introduce Barney to some of my family.”

Mrs. Harrison said, “Well, you do come from an old family here in Columbia. Why are you two in so early?”

I spoke this time and said, “We need to talk. Both of us may need to give our notice. Can we use your office or the breakroom?”

She said, “Let’s use the breakroom. I put coffee on and it should be done.”

Juliet and I didn’t want any coffee, but we sat with Mrs. Harrison. I began, “I’m still very appreciative that you gave me the job. It was to give me a few dollars spending money and help me meet people. I’m trying to do an accelerated program that will get me ahead about a year and a half as you know. I have a full scholarship, so I’m not shortchanging myself on tuition. You were pretty specific that the most I would work would be about twenty hours a week when you hired me. We’re both working thirty-four hours a week with four days of four and a half hours and the two weekend days. That’s fourteen additional hours, plus travel time, that we could use studying.”

Juliet continued on and said, “My grandmother convinced me to use some of my trust for extra money as I need it. I don’t do anything extravagant or frivolous, but I might go somewhere for spring break this year. I really think I should leave, but you may be able to convince Barney to stay.”

The boss directly asked me, “Do you have trusts or cash stashed?”

“No, Ma’am. I do have some savings, and I’ll probably get some extra money from a lawsuit that’s coming up. I need even less than Juliet to live on, so I actually have what I need through Law School. Our farm doesn’t make any big money, but they know how to save what they do bring in. My dad’s life insurance policies will carry me through the way he planned it.”

The lady said, “I didn’t realize that I was putting that much of a burden on you until Grunderson and Morgan asked me if I was trying to kill you for Scott McKendry Jr. I was going to speak to you and didn’t realize that I had Juliet working parallel with you. You two make such a sweet couple and I hope you make it together. I see hope in our country’s future when I see young people like you.”

“Can we do this? Both of you work this weekend and Monday for me. I’ll get some of the applicants who have piled up to come in for interviews and find out what hours they can and want to work. Your last day will be Monday, Juliet, and we’ll have to see about Barney. I can tell you though that I will not ask him to work the weekend again after working four nights.”

Juliet and I looked at each other, and I said, “Try to find my replacement. I need the time to study, sleep, and to talk to someone who might be my future life partner.”

Mrs. Harrison said, “I’ll go start calling applicants in. There are a few who worked in the bookstore before and left because of scheduling conflicts. I’ll start with them. They might be able to give me answers today.”

Juliet asked me what I wanted to do, and I said, “It’s almost ten, so let’s stay here and study. We’d waste too much time going back to the dorms and then coming back here. We can use the two hours more productively by staying right here.”

Mrs. Harrison had paused at the door to see what we were going to do, and I think we surprised her that we didn’t want to waste any time to travel back and forth to the dorms. I saw her smile as she headed to her office.

I was able to get through the first half of the trigonometry class text. It would take the second reading and the end of chapter tests before I could attack the problem sheets Grunderson had created. I didn’t think I would have any problem with this semester.

I put my book back in my backpack and went to the bathroom at close to noon. Juliet slowly stood, and said, “I didn’t get enough sleep last night and will have to suck up some caffeine to get going. We, or at least I, have to quit worrying about so much. You’ll make it work out.”

I told Juliet when she came back from the bathroom, “Let’s go outside, no coats, and jog around the building. That will wake both of us up. We’re making the right decision to get out of this.”

Juliet went to the front where she managed the registers, as well as questions from customers. I reset an entire section to accommodate a book for a new class. We would have a high demand on the book because it’s the first semester it’ll be used.

Mrs. Harrison came from her office about six o’clock, and introduced us to four girls who used to work in the bookstore. We chatted for a few minutes before the four left. Juliet and I were told, “You don’t have to come in tomorrow or from now on. Those four all wanted and needed their jobs back. Both of you listen to me. Call me if you ever want or need to come back for part time employment. I’ll find room for you. You two have been the best employees I’ve ever had. I’m going to have the Assistant Manager close at seven. There hasn’t been a customer in the store since five or five-thirty.”

That made everyone happy and we hugged all the folks and walked back to our dorms at seven. Juliet asked, “Can you wait for me to shower before I come over?”

“The only thing I don’t have is your shampoo. Bring your shampoo and clothes for church tomorrow.” I gave her a quick hug, and then laughed before saying, “Come to my web said the spider to the fly.”

“Really? We’re going to church together? Which one? Where? What denomination?”

I smiled at Juliet and honestly answered, “I have no idea.”

Juliet was impressed that my room was neatly organized and clean. She sat on the bed and patted the twin pillows. She looked at me and said, “This is very nice, Barney. Let’s take a shower so that we’re both clean to inspect all the parts we don’t know much about. I’ve seen boys before, and I know that you’ve seen girls, but I’ll bet you’re like me and haven’t really had the opportunity to look at what everything looks like up close. Let’s do it together so that we can touch each other. This is almost too exciting.”

I remembered the sign and took it from the shelf and hung it on the doorknob so that people wouldn’t randomly knock on the door. A bare butt was going toward the bathtub, so I followed it while ridding myself of the last of my clothes.

We hugged under the colder water of the shower head feeling our nude bodies pressed together. Juliet raised her head as the water warmed, and we shared a quick lip kiss. She said, “I’ll call Grandmother and find out what church she goes to. She’d love to go to church with us. I haven’t been to church since I was a little girl. You are special, aren’t you, Barney? I feel as if we have been close like this for years and years.”

It was strange, but I had that same sensation. I took a washcloth down, soaked, and soaped it. I washed this woman who was willingly giving herself to me as gently as I could. I told her that she needed to wash her face so that I didn’t get any soap in her eyes. She kept turning back to me, giving me a kiss, then turning again and rubbing her pookie butt against me.

Juliet washed me differently by soaping her hands and rubbing them all over me. I think we both did all the exploring we dared by letting our hands slide over our swells and limbs. I did something I had always wanted to do and cupped her breasts, holding her nipples out straight. Juliet wasn’t built heavy on top but her breasts were large enough with the inviting nipples that were there. A guy instinctively wants to touch and caress those soft masses. I wanted to lean over and kiss and suck on each of the delicious looking nipples. Juliet’s hand had a built in magnet that kept wanting to hold on to what was sticking out between us.

She had directed my one soapy hand to slide between her legs while she held me. She kept my fingers sliding over near the top of her split, causing her breath to come more spastically. She was rubbing me with her hand with the head sliding against the soft skin of her stomach at the same time. Juliet clutched me and held me to her while squeezing what she held. She shook and nearly sobbed while my body responded and shot all over both of our chests. There was even some that reached our mouths.

Juliet backed away from me and looked at the mess. She rubbed her hands through the goop, smelled her fingers, and then slid her hands over her nipples, stimulating them. I was rising to the excitement right after she discovered that I was temporarily shrunken up after being ‘loved’. She said, “This could cause a shower to become endless. We could keep doing this for hours.”

We hurried to wash off again, and as we were drying, she said, “I want to call Grandmother about church. I’ll bet she’ll want to go with us, or maybe take us to her church. There should be a phone beside the resident’s room. The other phones are along the floor and in the visitation room. I’ll try to use the phone outside the door real quick so that no one will notice.”

I put jeans and a T-shirt on and surprised Juliet with the long fluffy robe. She looked good in it. We didn’t have to pay for local calls, so she dialed the number and waited. “I hope I didn’t wake you up, Gamma. Barney and I want to go to church in the morning, and I wanted to know if you wanted to come with us.” There was a pause, and then Juliet began turning red. “No, Gamma, we haven’t done any of that, but we did take a shower together. We touched each other all over. We’ll see how far we go and I’ll tell you tomorrow. Do you want us to pick you up? Barney has a pickup truck with a huge seat so we’ll easily fit.” There was another pause before Juliet said, “You could do that. The dorm we’re at is one building closer to the gate from where mine is. What time?” Again after a minute she said, “We’ll be ready and out front at nine-thirty. Isn’t it nice that we’ll go to church together?”