Chapter 4

Suddenly I realized time had passed and I hadn’t heard anything from Ann. I went down the hall. The bathroom door was open with the light still on, but my door was closed. I opened it and went inside seeing her on the bed. Ann had removed her pantyhose and left it on the floor. It appeared she had tried to get her dress off, but it buttoned up the back and she had missed some. The necklace was lying on the night stand.

I finished unbuttoning the buttons and rolled her around so I could pull her dress off up over her head. This left her in her bra and panties. She was lovely and I tried not to stare ... but couldn’t help myself. I straightened her out and folded my half of the spread over her. I then went about getting out of my clothes and put my pajamas on. I left a robe on a chair by her side of the bed. I closed the door enough so it wouldn’t shine in her face and crawled into bed, covering myself with a light blanket.

I smiled to myself wondering how Ann would feel when she woke up. I curled up thinking I would stay awake, but it had been a busy day. I slept until Ann said loudly. “Dan, are you there?”

“Yes, Ann, you’re in my room. If you have to use the bathroom it is across the hall. There is a robe on the chair. Put it on if you want to take your underwear off. I’ll see you in the morning.”

Ann never answered and I could feel the bed move when she got off the bed. I felt her get back onto the bed and ten minutes later I heard her snore. I went to sleep.

When I woke up, I raised my head and Ann wasn’t there. I went to the bathroom, came in and put on some lounging clothes and a robe. Ann was in the kitchen making coffee. “Hi, I’m glad you’re making coffee. I need some.”

“Dan, do you want me to leave? I’m so embarrassed. I told you last night I wasn’t a wanton and then I go out and act like one.” Tears were tricking down her face.

“Ann, there are just two people that know about last night. If you hadn’t had that last glass of wine and drank it so fast, you would have come home, given me a hug and gone upstairs to bed. I’ll admit I had trouble getting your dress off, but that had its rewards. You really are a beautiful woman. That said, you are just as pure this morning as you were yesterday morning.

“Tell me, did you enjoy dinner? Did you enjoy dancing with me? Will you enjoy both with me again sometime? I had a wonderful evening. You notice I can look you in the face and there is no reason you can’t look in mine.”

“But you had to babysit me.”

“My pleasure. Look if you don’t feel well, why don’t you go up and lie down.”

“Dan, I really feel okay. I’m just embarrassed to be so foolish.”

“I said only me and you only know how our date finished up. I’m going to tell Mom and Anita, and yes, Danica too, about how wonderful a date we had last night. Of course if your bed is all made up when Anita comes home, you might go mess it up so she thinks you slept in it.”

“Oh!” Ann stopped everything and headed up the stairs. She was dressed when she came down. I was making breakfast “Sit Dan, that’s my job. I’m planning to have it for the rest of my life.

Life moved on for my three red-haired women. Danica had wheels and she and Sherry fast became friends, she traveling there and spending time with my sister and her family. On occasion she would bring Sherry home overnight on Saturday and my sister would come for Sunday dinner and take Sherry home.

Anita worked steadily and was usually up, getting breakfast for me, Ann, and Danica. She sometimes came to the store with lunch for all of us. She and Mom became best buddies and usually found things to do together mornings during the week. Jim, who drove the store delivery-van, was a constant companion sitting in the truck stop visiting with Anita in the evening. Anita often came home late because they would go somewhere for a drink.

If Anita had the weekend off, she spent it with Jim and his family. She was happy and it was obvious that she would end up living with Jim when his family got used to having her with their father. Always she would urge me to try getting Ann into bed.

Maybe I was wrong in the way I went about courting Ann. It was certainly juvenile for a man my age to proceed this way. I just felt Ann would turn away from me and go back to being fearful of the male gender if I made any aggressive moves. If there was no one around we kissed, hugged, held hands.

I was waiting for the time when I could kiss her and proceed to the point where I could run my hands up and down her luscious body. If anyone was around we acted friendly, but not where they thought we were closer than sister and brother. I did hunger for more and I knew she would come to me and become an ardent lover if I restrained myself long enough. I could wait for the right time. We did profess our love, which gave me hope.

Danica picked her courses at the community college and started classes when the season began. I gave her floating hours to work in the store so she could earn money for her car and whatever necessities she needed. She was dedicated in doing her lessons and I was well pleased with my daughter.

Things began to change between Ann and me. We got to the point where we were teasing each other sexually. Ann would brush up against me at times and I would accidently let my hand drift where there was an erogenous zone. I would leave my hand there until I felt her tense and then move away.

It became a game. We were sitting on the couch watching a movie and my hand was resting on her leg above the knee. Every few minutes I would move my hand a little higher. “Dan, what are you doing? Stop it!”Ann was looking daggers at me.

“I was pretending we were sixteen years old at the movies and you were my first girlfriend. I was just seeing how high I could get before you stopped me. I was trying out some of the moves I used back when I was that age.”

“You actually did that to a girl?”

“Sure did. That wasn’t the only move either. I had a few other ones. Turn the lights out and we’ll pretend we are in a theater.”

“You’re crazy. Of course, I never had a date so no boy ever did that to me. We never were allowed out after we got home from school. Show me another move you made on those poor unsuspecting dates.”

“Okay, but watch the movie and don’t pay any attention to me.” Ann was sitting very close to me. It was ten minutes later when I stretched and moved my arm. “Arms gone to sleep. Okay if I put it behind you?”

“I guess.” Ann was really watching the movie. I put my arm up behind her with my hand resting on her shoulder. I waited a few minutes and then snuggled her a little closer. Another few minutes and then I moved my hand down over in front positioned somewhere near her breast. I gently rested it on her breast.

She knew, for she tensed and then relaxed letting me continue. “Dan, please stop. I really am not ready to go further with this ... yet. Tell me did that work on that poor girl? I mean did you get into her panties?”

I laughed and got up and turned the lights on. “No, actually I got my face slapped. I’m surprised you didn’t slap me, but I was showing you, you missed a lot when you were a teenager.”

“I did miss a lot. Thanks for showing me what it was like to go out on dates. I never would slap you. Dan, listen to me. I’ve been making some plans. What I’m saying is that I know it isn’t going to be long before I’m going to crawl into your bed some night. I want you to show me how you made love to my sister that first time. You can even call me Cilla if you want to.”

“Ann, since you have been here I’ve almost forgotten Cilla. You’re the one I think about every day, all day. Tell me about these plans of yours.”

“Well, remember I mentioned that I had I had a box full of snapshots in the storage unit back where we lived. Can you get a Thursday and a Friday off in October? I thought you and I might go and get rid of what’s in the unit. You should be able to use the store’s van. I’m sure it won’t be full with what I want to save. We’ll get a motel room. I’ll drink some wine and I can have my way with you.”

“Is that what you want?”

“Yes, but I don’t think I’ll need the wine. I’m almost brave enough to have it be tonight. Mom might not be home tonight, but I suppose Danica will be. Oh, I think you should know Mom is about ready to move in with Jim. She told me if she didn’t come home some night, not to worry about her.”

“Why wait until October, that’s three weeks away?” Both your mother and Danica expect this to happen. Anita keeps harping at me because I haven’t seduced you yet.”

“I know, she has talked to me about it often enough. Dan, I want us to be alone where nothing will interrupt us, like having to go to work or something. I’d like to come home and we tell everyone you and I are a couple and are considering getting married. That is if you find me suitable for a wife and you ask me to be.”

“Tonight, I’m asking. Will you marry me?”

“Yes, I will, man who is going to make me a woman. I am pretty scared about it, but promise me when we get started you won’t stop.”

“I can’t promise you that if you say no.”

“I won’t say no.”

“Don’t you want to get married first?”

“No, I want to follow my sister’s path and be just like she was when she made love to you.”

“She got pregnant, remember that.”

“Maybe I will too, but only if you want a baby.”

“God, think about next year at this time, we could have a baby that’s at least two months old.”

“I’ve got you all excited haven’t I? Is it the thought of me having your baby?”

“No, sweetheart, it is you. I love you so much. You act pretty excited, yourself.”

“If you only knew. Dan, can I kiss you like I want to and then ask you to stop, will you?

“Yes.” I pulled Ann into my arms and smoothed her hair with my hands. I kissed her forehead and then the tip of her nose. I pecked her on the lips and then kissed her the way I knew she wanted me to. I did touch her lips with my tongue and hers came to meet mine. She groaned. Suddenly she got up and laid down facing me with her head on my lap. I caressed her face and chin and let my hand go lower to brush her breast. She grabbed my hand and pressed it hard on her right breast. With my other arm I raised her up so I could continue kissing her.

She soon switched my hand to her other breast and we kept kissing. Ann was whimpering now and was brushing my hand over first one breast and then the other. I was waiting for her to tell me to stop. Then she grabbed my hand that she was rubbing over her breasts and pushed it down to the juncture of her legs. I hadn’t really been in control until she did this. Now I was, and it wasn’t long before she gave a keening cry and stiffened. No, she didn’t pass out, but every few seconds she would makes some involuntary moves.

When she relaxed enough to speak, “Dan, are you okay? I think I lost control. I’ve never felt so wonderful in my life. I couldn’t stop.”

“I was waiting for you tell me to.”

“I couldn’t and I never thought to tell you. My God, I thought I was a wanton when I got turned on when you kissed me the first time. What must you think of me?”

“I think you and I are going to have a wonderful loving life together.”

“I thought a person had to be naked for something like that to happen. It must be magic or something.”

“No, it was you with so many years of knowing love was waiting for you and you finally found it. You’ve just opened a new book you have heard about and wanted to see if it was as good as everyone has said it was. I think you are on about page ten with a many pages to go.

“Cilla did get pretty explicit when she was telling about making love. I just didn’t know. Dan, what about you, you must be tied up in knots.”

“I’m your teacher for now. I’m fine as long as I know we can finish the lesson together soon.”

“I’ll make it up to you, I promise.”

“I’ll hold you to that.”

Anita was home before noon and had to get ready to go to work at three. “So here in the house all alone. Anything happen I should know about?”

“What do you mean, Mom?”

“Well if you can’t answer, I guess nothing happened.” She headed up stairs shaking her head. I walked over and kissed Ann on the cheek. Every day was about the same. Ann and I worked in the store. Danica worked about ten hours a week and the rest of the time she went to school or studied her lessons.

One night Dad, Mom, me, Ann, and Danica went out to a restaurant on Dad’s dime. Dad tried to get Ann to take a drink, but she wouldn’t, telling him it made her feel funny. That was the night that Ann announced that I had promised to drive her to Nebraska to close out their storage facility. Danica stated flatly, “I want to go, Mom.”

“Danica, there isn’t room. Dan has borrowed the store’s van, because there are some things I want to save.”

“When are you leaving?”

“Thursday morning, very early. I want to see some of the people I worked with and there is some things to sell or send to the trash. I wished it wasn’t on me, but your grandmother is working and if I remember right, you have a class in the afternoon. You haven’t missed a dance lesson either since we began. You always enjoy the dances.”

That mollified Danica, and my Mom and Dad didn’t make comment at that time. Mom did, though just before we left. “Dan, I have the feeling there is more to this trip than what you’re telling me the purpose for it is. You can tell me when you return.”

“Mom, I never could fool you, could I?” Just before Ann got into the van, Mom wanted a hug from her.

“You two enjoy yourselves. I expect to hear all about your trip when you get home.”

“We’ll tell you, Mom, most of it anyway.”

“That would be enough.”

We hadn’t got down to the end of the street when Ann said, “Your Mom knows something, doesn’t she?”

“I think so, but she didn’t ask. I never could keep anything from her.”

We arrived at the motel where Ann had reserved us a room a little after noon. We went for lunch at a diner that was down the street. “Do want to begin sorting out what you want to take home that is in storage?”

“We could get a lot of it done. If there is room we don’t have to load it today. I could ask in the office if there is anyone we can hire to truck what we leave to the dump.”

“Okay, I’ll be looking it over and do some deciding. You know except for some personal items, I would have let the lease expire.”

“No, don’t do that. It’s your name on the lease and that wouldn’t be fair to the facility.”

“I know, but that’s what my father would have done.”

“Ann, do you have any good memories of him?”

“No.” I dropped the subject.

There was a very fat woman in the office and I asked her if she knew of anyone that would clean out the unit after we left today. The woman didn’t get up, she shouted to the back, “Doug, go look at unit #77. These people want to get rid of some stuff. They’re paid till the first of the December.”

Doug came out. He must have been the woman’s brother. He was just as heavy. “Anything good in it?”

“I don’t know, my wife is sorting it out, now.” We stepped outside.

“Where’s your car? I’m not walking way down there.”

“She’s got it. I walked up.”

“Well hell, just leave what you don’t want. We don’t give rebates if you’re only paid up that far ahead.”

“I’ll turn the keys in at the office tomorrow then. Have a paper to what we just agreed to ready for me.” Doug grunted and climbed back up the steps and let the door bang behind him. I laughed and started walking. Ann laughed too when I told her.

There was one decent recliner and a couple of straight chairs we would load. The ten cubic foot refrigerator was almost new and I knew Ann and I could load it. I’d store it down cellar to use if we had a party. The rest of the furniture was old and badly scraped up. We would leave that.

Most of what Ann wanted was the pictures for the walls. “Danica used to look at them when she was little and I would make up stories to tell her. They don’t have any value. I found the box of snapshots. They pretty much are a chronicle of my life. I’ll take that box of dolls that Danica played with. There is the Raggedy Ann Doll that father pulled the head off and made Danica cry. I sewed it back on for her. They bring back good memories for me.”

I’d guess Ann didn’t have many good memories. “Dan, lets load these things now. I don’t want to come back.”

“Okay, we won’t be driving much of anywhere tomorrow.”

“And Saturday, too if my plan works out.” We went about getting everything loaded. It only took us an hour and we spent plenty of time wrapping the pictures in the blankets we brought with us. There were straps and ties from the store to make sure nothing moved. I stopped at the office and Ann went in with me. The fat lady made out a paper on their letterhead that stated the keys were returned and the bill was paid in full.

What we had loaded into the van didn’t affect the driving at all. The load wasn’t heavy. I pulled into the motel and locked the van. As I opened the door followed her inside, I asked. “Dinner out tonight?”

“Yes, but no wine. I’m shaking already thinking about what’s going to happen to me. Dan, I have something to tell you and I’m a little worried about it.”

Ann opened her shoulder bag and stood there facing me. She had a paper in her hand. “Dan, by everything I’ve heard or read, a woman’s first time can be very painful and also very messy. I talked it over with my doctor ten days ago and she did a procedure right in the office.”

She looked to see how I would take what she had just told me. “I brought the paid bill from the doctor to prove I’m still a virgin even though you won’t meet any obstruction. I’d be so embarrassed if we had sex and then had to tell you I wanted to stop because I hurt. I’d be so stressed. I want this to be an experience I’m going to treasure forever.

“You’re so thoughtful. I would have understood.”

“I know, but I want it to be wonderful for you. Mom told me you hadn’t had sex for awhile before I came into your life and I’ve been with you for almost five months. I’ve never had sex and I’m climbing the walls in anticipation.”

“I’d wait longer than that if I knew you were waiting for me. Let’s take our showers and go out for dinner and then we’ll have the night to make love.”

Ann acted disappointed that I was putting this off. “Okay, I guess, I’ll take my shower first.” She then began to disrobe. I couldn’t imagine a more seductive show than the one she was putting on in front of me. She didn’t stand in front of me, but moved around the room, folding each piece of clothing. Just as I was heading for her, she went into the bathroom. The door was locked, before I reached it.

It seemed like she was in the shower forever, but in reality it wasn’t long before the door opened and she ran to the bed. She grinned and said, “Take your time, I can wait.” I was as naked as she was and I soon hit all the high spots I thought necessary for a shower. I came out and posed for her. “Dan, stop and turn around so I can see you and then come make love to me.”

I crawled onto the bed and laid next to Ann, she was grasping one hand tightly. “Dan, I see you put condoms on the stand.”

“I did that in case you aren’t protected.”

“I’m not and I’m right in the middle of my cycle when I’m the most fertile. We have a choice to make. Do you want to make a baby even before we are married?”

I couldn’t guess what Ann’s thoughts were. “You tell me what you want. You said one time you wanted children and it had to be soon because you were getting older. You still have many years to accomplish it if we don’t do it tonight. I’m guessing you want to go forward or you would have got a prescription from the doctor and are protected now. Hey, I’m five years older than you. What does that tell you?””

“Dan, I’m so excited. Kiss me, that always get’s me going. Let’s make a baby.”

Keeping in mind that this was new for Ann, I took my time and didn’t push as hard as I wanted to. It was difficult, but I knew it would pay off in the future. Both of us were exhausted, finally. “Dan, do you think I’m pregnant yet. I feel I should be after all of that.”

“Can’t tell, yet. I’m going to lay here beside you and reflect on how much I love you.”

“Me, too.”

Ann stirred beside me after a little bit. “I’m hungry. I’m going to get dressed and we can find someplace to eat.”