Chapter 8

“I’VE GOT A GIRLFRIEND, Mom.” I couldn’t remember ever having to announce that to my parents. For two years, they drove me on my dates. For the next year I had to borrow their car for dates. They knew pretty much every girl I’d gone out with until my summer at theatre camp.

“I thought there might be something afoot when you went out to a party Tuesday night. No one we know was having a party.”

“Yeah. Cheryl’s folks had a big party and were kind enough to invite me.”

“Cheryl? You aren’t dating my best friend, are you?” my younger sister demanded.

“I don’t think so. Is your best friend named Cheryl?”

“Yes.”

“Does she live in Van Wert?”

“How would I have a friend in Van Wert? Dummy! She lives two streets over.”

“Well, then, I’m not going to be dating your best friend.”

“It’s still going to be confusing.”

“Anyway, Mom. The Connors have invited me over for Christmas Eve and since it includes a late-night service, they said I could stay in their guest room and come home Christmas morning. I thought, if you were okay with it, I’d bring Cheryl with me to introduce her.”

“Oh. Well, we don’t usually do much on Christmas Eve. We don’t even have any decorations since the fire. We’ll get a tree and some lights. I guess that would be okay. It gives us a reason to make the house more festive. You know, this house just doesn’t feel the same as the old one. Your father and I lived there for twenty years.”

“I know what you mean, Mom. Everything here is new. Why don’t I take Peewee here out and we’ll get a tree? How about it, squirt?”

“My name is Lisa. I’m fourteen years old and it’s about time you started using it. Got it, Bud?”

“Got it, Lise. Let’s go get a tree.” We borrowed the family station wagon so there would be someplace to put the tree. I couldn’t figure out how to carry one in the rear-engine Corvair.

I’d told a little Christmas lie to my family. And I didn’t feel the least bit bad about it. Cheryl’s parents hadn’t invited me. In fact, there was no Christmas Eve service for the pagans. They were going to visit friends in Illinois for the weekend. And I didn’t intend to sleep in the guest room.

I was at Cheryl’s house at eight on Christmas Eve. In the morning. She hadn’t bothered to get dressed yet and met me in a big fluffy bathrobe. She left it lying in the hall as I followed her naked butt to her bedroom. We were all over each other as she stripped me down and dragged me into her bed. I was impressed. The dorm beds were called large singles. Cheryl’s bed was a full double. Her room had three white walls and one purple one. The head of her bed was up against that and looked almost like a theatre set with color-coordinated sheets and covers. She pulled back her coverlet, scattering stuffed animals all over the room. She crawled up on the bed and waggled her ass toward me.

“I’ve been fingering myself all morning. Stick it in and fuck me!” I got up behind that beautiful butt and slid easily into her hot tight channel. Oh, God! It was as good as I remembered from last weekend. So slick and smooth. I reached around her waist and got a finger on her clit. Cheryl loved it and started bucking against me. We didn’t feel constrained by thin walls or parents so we were pretty vocal, though no words were part of the groans, moans, whines, and near screams. She collapsed forward on the bed and I followed, not wanting to be dislodged from that insanely incredible pussy. I managed to lift my weight on my arms a little and put kisses all over her back and shoulders as I continued to press up inside her. It was just so good.

“I’m so glad you’re on the pill,” I murmured. “I love making love to you.” She didn’t say anything and when I finally slipped out of her I lay down beside her. She looked at me with moist eyes and we kissed deeply for a minute.

“About that,” she sighed. “You know, last weekend we hardly knew each other and I wasn’t ready to explain. So, it was easier to just tell you I was on the pill.”

“You aren’t?”

“Don’t need them. See this?” She pointed to a tiny scar on her abdomen. Hell, my appendix scar was bigger than that and I hardly noticed it. I sure hadn’t seen this scar. She pointed to a matching one on the other side. “I don’t have ovaries. No eggs to get pregnant. I had ovarian cancer that prevented me from ever starting my periods. My breasts developed and I grew pubic hair and underarm hair but at fourteen, I still hadn’t started my period. My parents took me to a doctor who diagnosed ovarian cancer. I cried, not because I was afraid of dying but because I just knew they’d leave a big scar on my tummy in order to remove the tumors. My doctor understood and did an experimental procedure with laparoscopy. She was able to make two small incisions and remove the ovaries instead of cutting all the way across like most doctors would do.”

“Cancer! My God! Are you clear now?”

“Yeah. I lost a year of school during treatment. As well as my hair. But there’s been no sign of a recurrence since then. That’s why I’m a year older than most freshmen at the U.” I pulled her into my arms and just cuddled her while I petted that long, beautiful blonde hair. It was like silk beneath my fingers.

“You’re incredibly brave,” I whispered. “I don’t know if I’d survive something like that. I mean, like having both my balls removed? I can’t imagine it.”

“I understand if you want to break up with me,” she said. I could feel hot tears on my chest. “I can’t ever have children. You’ll want a whole woman.”

“Cheryl! Hey, look at me. I don’t care. First off, we’re still way too young to be worried about children. And secondly, if by some great chance of good fortune, we are together at an age where we do want children, there’s always adoption. I don’t really need to spread my DNA around. I don’t think it’s that great.”

“Really, Terry? You really still want me?”

“I think you are the sexiest woman I’ve ever known. I know from our class together that you are smart as blazes. And I know that even though we’ve only been together for a week, I’m falling in love with you.” That started the tears in earnest and she clutched me to her.

We didn’t spend the whole day and night fucking, but we did a lot of it. Now when I slid into her, I simply blessed the miracle that was her pussy. Christmas morning, I woke her up with the one I owed her, licking her clit while I fingered inside her pussy. She peaked quickly so I just kept going and she hit another high before she pushed my head away and ran to the bathroom.

“It’s very confusing to have my brother dating someone with the same name as my best friend,” Lisa said when we were sitting around our living room with hot chocolate and scones.

“Oh, I wouldn’t want to make it hard on you,” Cheryl giggled. “Tell you what. Why don’t you all call me CeeCee. That’s what all my friends in high school called me.”

“CeeCee?” I asked.

“Cheryl Connors. My initials.” And that was it as far as my family was concerned. She was CeeCee to us from that point forward.

It’s hard to believe that during a three-week vacation with a car available, we only managed to have sex twice in the first two weeks. That’s when we both told our parents that we were returning to school on January second. I needed to be there for rehearsals, I told my parents. CeeCee told hers she wanted to get ahead of the study curve for the second semester because she was carrying a heavy load. We both lied. As soon as we got to campus, we went to my room and screwed our hearts out for six days. On the seventh day, my roommate got back. CeeCee said hers got back the day before.

“Terry, I have to say something and it might sound harsh.” This was it. I just knew CeeCee was going to break up with me. I hung my head. “Everybody is getting back to campus and classes start on Wednesday. If you don’t want to be with me any longer, I understand. We only agreed to the break.”

“But I do want to be with you!” She smiled at me and we kissed again.

“I’m glad, but that comes with a condition. I ... My last boyfriend cheated on me. I discovered I don’t have any tolerance for that. It was last February, just before Valentine’s Day. Let’s just say the scene I made in the hall at school is now legendary. And after that, no guy would date me and I never went out here on campus until I met you that fateful night.”

“God! That’s terrible. Not just that the guy cheated on you, but that no one else would ask you out.”

“Well, it wasn’t the worst thing that could happen, I guess. I’ve had more sex with you this week than I’ve had all the rest of my life. And I love it. I think I love you, but don’t panic. You don’t have to say anything like that back to me. Anyway, what I’m trying to say is ... It’s ... I know you said you hadn’t had a steady girlfriend in a long time but you’ve had a lot of dates and a lot of sex. If I’m not enough for you, please break up with me. And do it before you go with anyone else. Please, don’t cheat on me.”

“CeeCee, you’re the most amazing girl I’ve gone out with since my sophomore year in high school. I know it sounds like I’ve had a lot of relationships, but I don’t want anything now other than to be your one and only. I promise you, I won’t cheat on you. Just ... If you come around the theatre, we’re a pretty touchy-feely kind of group. I think that’s pretty common with all theatre troupes. At least those I’m familiar with. If you see me hug a girl or even get a little kiss when I’m with theatre people, it doesn’t mean I’m cheating on you. I don’t want a relationship with anyone but you. Can you accept that?”

“Yeah. It’s not that I’m jealous of friendships or of what actors do. I know I’ve had a couple of guy friends that I always greet with a hug and a little kiss. But ... I think you know what I mean. Save your love ... and your loving for me.”

“Ditto.”

I got cast in the first show of the semester. It was just a bit part but I still had to be at rehearsals and take my turn helping out backstage. There were a million props for this show and I asked CeeCee one night if there was any way she could help backstage. The props mistress was going crazy trying to keep them organized.

“I didn’t want to, you know, invade your turf. But if you really want me, I’d love to help out.”

“Well, we won’t have much time together, but we can at least catch dinner and walk home together.” CeeCee’s face lit up like a Christmas tree. She threw her arms around me and kissed me so hard I lost the feeling in my lips. My roommate was gone for the weekend and we celebrated in my little bed any time we weren’t on call.

CeeCee got really good at saying, “Put that back on the props table where you found it!” Actors kind of have a habit of picking up props while they’re waiting for cues backstage. When the cue comes, they put the prop down wherever they happen to be standing and the person who needs the prop in the next scene can’t find it.

It wasn’t just props, though. She caught the attention of quite a few people, including the director of theatre.

“Who is that gorgeous work of art?” he asked when he saw her. Everyone nearby looked the direction he was looking and it was obvious who he was talking about. Five-six, shaped like an hourglass, long straight hair so blonde it was almost white. Her skin-tight jeans and sweater didn’t detract from her good looks at all.

“Ah ... That’s my girlfriend CeeCee. She likes to help out backstage so we can see each other after rehearsals and performances.”

“I suppose she has a squeaky little voice that would grate on my nerves,” he sighed.

“No. She’s got a lovely voice. Actually, kind of melodic, now that I think about it.”

“Reichert, you might have just proved your worth to the theatre. I want her to audition for The Tempest next month. Make sure of it.”

“Oh. Um ... I’ll ask her.”

“Are you serious? Shakespeare? What is he? Crazy? He must have a hundred actresses who have experience. Why does he want me?”

“I think you sparked his imagination as Ariel, the sprite. You do kind of have that otherworldly vibe.”

“What are you saying?”

“That I think you are simply out of this world. I can tell him I tried but your answer was no, if you want me to.”

“I’ll read for the part if you think I should.”

“Just be careful around Julian. I think he’s had affairs with students before.”

“Not interested. If I get on stage, he stays in the audience. I swear to you, Terry. If he makes a pass at me, I’ll walk off the show. Just like that. I’m no starstruck teen and he’s no Hollywood producer. Just make sure he knows that.”

“I’m not sure how I’ll get that message to him, but I’ll figure out a way.”

I figured it out. I was gossiping with the AD who had been my stage manager for the show last fall. She was asking me if I was planning to audition or to work tech crew.

“I love doing Shakespeare. I’d prefer to be in the show but if I’m not cast, I’ll be happy to work anyplace else.”

“Well, if your girlfriend auditions, Julian is sure to cast both of you.”

“She’s planning to audition but she’s a little skittish.”

“What about?”

“Well, she knows we’re a little more open about hugging people in theatre and even kissing a friend, but I think something happened last semester and a professor made a pass at her. Now she’s on the defensive with every prof in the school. I overheard her tell someone that if Julian made a pass at her, she’d walk off the show even if it was opening night.”

“God! Julian would have a cardiac and he’d throw you out with her!”

“If this is the kind of place where a director makes a pass at an actor’s girlfriend—or any cast member for that matter—then it’s the wrong place for me anyway.”

We both got cast. CeeCee, indeed, was cast as Ariel. I think Julian was having a bit of a snit on me because he cast me as Caliban. I didn’t mind. It’s actually a good part even though the costume and props made me look as hideous as CeeCee looked beautiful.

And by the end of the production in May, we were both established as part of the theatre group and we pledged Alpha Psi Omega, the National Honorary Dramatics Fraternity. CeeCee was focused on her English major but I was majoring in theatre. I thought I could pick up a minor in English, though, so we continued to have at least one class together most of the way through college.

Just in case you haven’t figured it out yet, CeeCee was my girlfriend all through college, including the fateful night Wendy showed up at my door and CeeCee sent her away permanently. By that time, I’d truly fallen hard in love with her. And she returned the sentiment. When we went home on breaks, our parents didn’t even ask if we were sleeping together. We were together in either her bed or mine.