Chapter 6

When Emily had come into the apartment Sunday night, Lynn had already returned a half hour earlier. The two girls spent a few minutes talking and then Lynn looked at Emily. For several long seconds she studied her friend and finally said, “You know, I think maybe you might have had a rather exciting Thanksgiving.”

Emily felt herself flush but managed to reply, although a little uncertainly, “What do you mean?”

Lynn smiled. “It’s just that there’s this look about you.” After a couple of seconds she smiled and said, “Spent a lot of time with Don?”

Emily definitely felt herself go a bit red. “We did do a few things together. He took me to dinner Thursday.”

Lynn slightly shook her head. “I’ll bet you two did a few other things together, too.” Then seeing the look on Emily’s face she quickly added, “I’m not trying to pry. Don’t say anything if you don’t want to. I just hope it was good.”

Emily took a deep breath. “Yes, Lynn, it was good. Very good.”

Lynn smiled. “I’m glad.”

Over the next month Emily and Don saw a lot of each other. Besides classes, they went out two or three times a week and most times spent a little time back at Don’s apartment. Generally in his bed.

The semester ended and Emily made the trip home for the Christmas break. Those three weeks apart from Don left her feeling, not really lonely, but definitely missing him, even though they exchanged e-mail a couple of times a day. When the next semester neared, Emily went back to school three days early and spent most of them with Don. In fact, they didn’t get dressed at all for nearly two of them.

Don and Emily had two classes in common that semester, and frequently spent time in study together. But they also spent a lot of time doing other things as well. Not just sex, although they managed that several times a week. But they enjoyed other activities together. By now, both realized they were truly falling in love.

Lynn was also quite aware of their interest in each other. Emily had become more relaxed with their relationship and by then Lynn knew they had been sleeping together. Emily already knew the Lynn and Jim were doing so. This made things a little easier when one or the other of them decided to spend a night away from the apartment. In fact, it wasn’t totally unusual for the apartment to be empty for most of a weekend.

Spring break was coming. Emily hadn’t originally been planning on going home over the break but now gave some serious thought to it. She had let her parents know about meeting Don and becoming involved with him, but certainly not to the extent of their involvement. Still, they had both become serious about each other and now she considered this. She finally decided to ask Don to come home with her over break and meet her parents. Her parents were looking forward to meeting him and Don was equally ready.

He mentioned that he would like to see John again, but John would not be there this time. He couldn’t get away then but hoped to make it home during the summer. He, Emily and Don all agreed to try and get together then.

John had a job as a heavy equipment mechanic with a small firm in a city near Louisville and was involved with a girl named Linda. Emily and John were still quite close, even if they rarely saw each other. With e-mail and phones it didn’t seem to matter quite as much as Emily had thought it would when they first were apart. She knew that John was seriously thinking of marrying Linda and John was aware that Emily and Don were also quite serious about each other. Emily had even confided that she and Don were sleeping together and John had given his strong approval. “I doubt you could have picked better, Em.”

The third week of March Don and Emily drove to her parents place. Emily commented that riding in the little sports car made a much more interesting trip than the bus she usually took. Don leaned over and nibbled at her ear. “I could make it even more interesting when we get there.”

Emily sucked in her breath. Her parents were not aware that they shared a bed at times and Emily wasn’t ready to tell them just yet, so both knew he would be in a separate room. In fact, they both knew they would have had a lot more chance at such activities had they remained at school, but still that maybe a chance for something might develop.

When they finally pulled up at her house and Emily’s parents met Don for the first time, everything went better than they could have hoped. While they had never met Don before, John had often talked about him and they were well prepared to like the man who had been their son’s friend.

Over dinner Don had to again tell the story of how John had saved him and the others that day and Emily could easily see the pride in her parents’ eyes as Don painted a picture of their hero son. For that matter, her own eyes probably conveyed the same feelings for her big brother.

Emily and Don spent four days with her parents. Late in the afternoon of the third day, Emily said, “Don, I want to show you some place kind of special.”

He looked a little surprised but interested. “Sure.”

She took his hand and led him up the path to the hilltop with the ancient maple. “This is my favorite place and has been for as long as I can remember. I used to come up here as a kid and when I started to study for the engineering subjects, I frequently came up here to work. I love it up here at every season but especially summer evenings. Just look at the view.” She swept her arm around where the setting sun was still illuminating the peaks to the east and where some thick, white clouds floated just above the distant mountains to the north. And finally down to where the ground was already infused with the color of purple violets and yellow dandelions. A little way down the hillside redbuds were just beginning to come out with a trace of their pink color beginning to show.

Don looked around and let his arm rest around Emily’s shoulder. “It is lovely. Almost as lovely as you. I can easily see how you could find it such a nice place.”

Emily smiled. “Just wait until you see it in summer at twilight.” Her eyes closed and Don could tell she was lost in memories of other times. Then suddenly she turned to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Kiss me.”

For several long minutes the couple stood, locked in a tight embrace. When at last they opened their eyes, the sun had just dropped below the horizon. The air was quite warm for late March but it was still early enough that no bugs were out to cause a problem. As they pulled slightly apart, Emily tugged Don’s hand and pulled him over to the big maple. He sat, his back against the trunk and Emily sat on his lap. Soon they were once again engaged in some serious kissing. Hands began to roam a little and breathing came a little faster and more ragged.

“Don.” Emily said.

“Yes, Lover.”

“Don. Make love to me. Right here.”

Don looked around. “Don’t worry, Don. No one will see us up here.”

Don relaxed and over the next hour the two lovers lost themselves in each other. When at last, somewhat sated, they began to gather their clothes and get dressed, a first quarter moon had risen and was spreading its pale light over the land. This was enough for them to easily see as they made their way back down the path to the house.

They returned to school soon enough to give them three days before classes started. They spent most of it in Don’s apartment, naked and enjoying each other. Emily had been a virgin not too many months previously and had been with no one else except Don. But from the very first time she had found herself completely enthralled with the activity, always becoming quickly aroused and almost always reaching an all engulfing climax. Don didn’t have a lot of experience either but he viewed Emily as the hottest woman he had ever known or even imagined. In truth, the two of them enjoyed their sexual activity more than either had ever imagined possible.