Chapter 2: A True Vacation, a True Friend

The rest of November was filled with hockey as Dave played for the AAA team and occasionally was called up for the major midget team. Dave's AAA team was still leading the league but the team's offense usually had to score six or seven goals to compensate for a weak defense and marginal goaltending.

John and Dave spent a lot of time together and John joined Dave in his workout routine. Julie commented how Dave seemed to be getting much thicker through the chest and arms. Dave had attained his two hundred and ten pound goal and reduced his reconditioning visits with Elliot to once a month. He also had his last physiotherapy visit with Randy the first week of December; Randy wished Dave all the best. Both trainers were impressed by the way Dave had stuck to his program.

School had returned to the way it was the previous winter. Dave and John remained in the outer circle of all the cliques with shared friends in all groups. The school's Christmas dance was quickly approaching and, while John already had a hot date lined up, Dave was undecided whether or not he would even go. John finally convinced Dave to go two weeks before the dance. Dave had been considering asking Katherine Murray on a date, so he decided to ask her to the dance.

Katherine was a very pretty girl with short black hair. Dave had noticed she had beautiful legs which led to an heart-stopping round firm-looking ass. Her breasts were small, high-set apples which suited her trim, firm body. The biggest problem Dave foresaw was that Katherine was a peripheral member of the "in-crowd" and he was afraid she would turn him down to not risk the wrath of the still-offended Susie. In the end, Dave decided to just ask her to the dance and let her respond.

The next day in school, when Dave passed Katherine talking to several of her friends, he asked her if he could speak to her alone. She smiled at her friends then followed him to a quiet area where he asked her to the dance. He was happy to hear her immediately reply. Yes. After thinking about Katherine being influenced by Susie, he had to ask, "Aren't you worried about what Susie will say?"

Katherine replied, "Actually, Susie and I are cousins. She might get angry for a while but our family is pretty close so she would be in big trouble with the whole family if she treated me poorly. The truth is I've liked you for a couple of years now and Susie knows I would not say no to you regardless of her opinion."

Dave was surprised and pleased to hear she had liked him for a long time. Feeling more confident now, he suggested an add-on date, "Would you like to go to a show this Saturday night?"

Katherine replied, "I'd love to go. Have you seen the second 'Lord of the Rings' movie which came out last week?"

Dave answered, inserting another expansion, "No, I haven't seen it yet. Can I pick you up at five o'clock, after my game? Then we can get a bite to eat before the show."

Katherine trumped his suggestion, "Why don't I just go with you from the rink." She stared at her feet, suddenly a little bashful. "I've seen every one of your home games this year; so I'll be at the rink anyway."

Dave was again surprised; he had noticed her at a few games but only now realized she must have really had a crush on him. He replied, "Sounds great. I'll find you after the game. See you later." Dave smiled and excitedly walked to his next class.

Katherine replied, "See you soon, Dave." She watched him stride off.

Dave thought about Katherine all week and anxiously waited for his game and their date. When Saturday finally arrived, Dave utilized his extra energy and played his best game of the year. They played against the second place team and Dave had five goals and two assists. His team won seven-four and Dave was in on every goal. His teammates teased him about putting on a show for Katherine. In the three days between Dave asking her to the show and his game, the entire school knew that they were now dating.

Dave walked out of the dressing room with his hockey bag over his shoulder. He smiled at Katherine who was standing with several of his teammates' girlfriends. She walked up to him and they left the rink together. Dave's father had given him the car for the night, so, after he loaded his gear into the trunk, he opened Katherine's door before he climbed into the driver's seat. They went to Burger King for a light meal, then went to the cinema.

They enjoyed the movie. Dave casually took Katherine's hand in his half-way through the show and they watched the rest of the movie holding hands.

Dave continued to hold Katherine's hand as they left the cinema and walked to the car. He again opened her door for her. They agreed to find their friends who were probably at the local McDonalds. After they pulled into the parking lot, they walked into the restaurant hand-in-hand. Dave bought a small snack for them and they sat quietly and ate. After she finished eating, Katherine went to talk to her friends and Dave spotted John and went to talk to him.

John asked, "Have a good first date?"

Dave replied, "Excellent. Katherine is really nice. How did your team do today?"

John looked a little disappointed, "We lost four-three. We could really have used you. I hear you were like Wayne Gretzky in your game this afternoon. Were you trying to impress your new girlfriend?"

Dave thought about the phrase "new girlfriend" for a minute then nodded, "Yeah, I guess I was." Just then, Katherine walked up beside Dave and stood very close to him so he placed his arm around her shoulder and she cuddled into him. Dave smiled at her and said, "You know John, don't you?"

Katherine smiled at John, "Yes, we are in the same chemistry class. Hi, John."

John smiled back at Katherine, "Hi, Katherine."

Dave added, "Katherine, do you mind if we double with John and his date for the dance?"

Katherine replied, "No, I don't mind at all; that will be fun."

The teens talked for a while longer before Dave suggested he and Katherine go for a drive. She agreed and they drove around town for an hour. Dave found Katherine very easy to talk to. At eleven-thirty he pulled up in front of her house and walked her to the door. He was feeling a little nervous about their first kiss but finally leaned down and gently kissed her on the lips. It was a soft tender kiss. Dave broke the kiss and said quietly, "I had a great time tonight."

Katherine replied, "I did, too."

Dave leaned down and kissed her cheek, "I'll see you at school on Monday."

She answered, "Yeah, I'll see you then."

Dave turned and walked to his car. She watched until the car was out of sight, then turned and went into her house. Dave felt wonderful inside and the drive home passed quickly. When he entered his house, his mom was waiting up for him. She was sitting on the couch and, as soon as Dave entered, she said, "Congratulations on a great game. Your father and I are very proud of you, Dave." Dave nodded. Then his mom continued, "Julie pointed out your date. She is really cute. Were you showing off a little for her in the game?"

Dave chuckled, "Yes, I was. Was it that obvious? Anyway, she's really nice; I think I could get to like her a lot."

Carol smiled back at Dave then stood and walked to him, "I'm glad you're seeing someone new. It breaks my heart to see you alone. I'm heading up to bed. Goodnight and sleep well."

Dave replied, "Goodnight, Mom."

Dave slept well that night thinking about Katherine, her soft lips, and her firm young body.

Dave had an away game on Sunday - his team had to drive two hours to play the western team. The western team was in last place in the league but they had a really good goalie. Dave always found this team difficult and couldn't understand why they were in last place. They eked out a four-three win, but it was a hard-fought victory.

Dave arrived home at seven o-clock and decided it was still early enough in the day to call Katherine. He told her about the game and they talked for over an hour on the phone.

Dave and Katherine spent a lot of time together that week and went out again on Saturday night. After spending some time at the local hangouts they went for a drive. Dave asked if she wanted to park for a while and she nervously said okay. The best place to go for a little privacy was the city's largest park, Victoria Park. Dave parked in an area overlooking the harbour. There were several other cars there and Dave noticed immediately that all the windows on the other cars were steamed up.

As soon as Dave shut off the car, he turned and faced Katherine. He leaned towards her and kissed her tenderly. Her lips were soft and her invigorating perfume filled his lungs. He slowly worked his tongue into her mouth as his hands rubbed her back and shoulders. Katherine seemed a little tentative but slowly became more comfortable with his tender, massaging hands. After kissing for several minutes, he gently moved a hand around to the front and cupped one of her small, firm breasts.

Katherine immediately tensed up and pulled away from him. She moved his hand away from her chest, lowered her head, and started looking at her hands which were now sitting in her lap. She whispered, "Maybe this wasn't such a good idea."

Dave was a little surprised by her sudden nervousness and the way she had pulled into a defensive posture. He moved his hand to her chin and turned her face to look into her eyes. "I'm sorry, Katherine. I like you a lot. I just got a little carried away."

A tear ran down her cheek. When she looked into Dave's eyes she could see his concern for her and she immediately knew she could trust him completely. She spoke softly, "Dave, I have a confession. I am still a virgin and I plan to stay that way for the indefinite future. I really care for you -- but I decided long ago that I want to save myself for the man I hope will be my husband. I know it sounds kind of old fashioned and silly; but I'm not ready to have sex with you or anyone yet. I'm sorry and I would understand if you didn't want to see me again."

Dave looked into Katherine's eyes and saw the flood of emotion she was experiencing. Although he had fantasized about making love to her, he knew at the same time how much he really liked her. He smiled into her wet, teary eyes and spoke very softly, "Katherine, I definitely want to continue being with you. I really enjoy the time we spend together. I'd be lying if I said I don't want to make love to you because I would really like to be intimate with you someday -- but that doesn't have to be tonight, this week or even this year. When we are both ready, someday it might happen. Until that day comes I would like us to continue dating. I find you very easy to talk to and comfortable to be with. If that day never comes; then so be it." Then he took a breath after all that had spilled out in one rush.

Katherine's face showed relief as she cuddled back into Dave's arms. She replied, "I'd like that, Dave. I like you too -- and maybe someday I'll be ready."

They kissed and talked for another hour. Dave respected her wishes and didn't make any more advances beyond kissing.

The Christmas dance went well and Dave had a wonderful night with Katherine. Susie was there with her entourage but, as Katherine had predicted, Susie kept a polite distance.

After the dance night, Christmas was only a week away so Dave went out to do his shopping. He found a nice teddy bear for Katherine and bought a pretty pair of earrings. He placed the earrings in the bear's ears and then wrapped them in a large box. While he was shopping, he also saw a beautiful necklace with a heart-shaped pendant. Dave bought the pendant and had it engraved "Love Always. Dave". Dave had the pendant gift-wrapped, then he went to the card store and bought two cards. One was a nice loving card for Katherine. The second was a very sincere "I miss you" card. After he had bought gifts for the rest of his family, he returned home.

Dave found a small box to mail the "I miss you" card and the wrapped pendant gift. He wrapped it in brown paper and mailed it to Jennifer. He then wrapped the rest of his presents in colorful paper.

On Christmas Eve Dave's family went to Alan's house for their annual get together. Katherine spent an hour with Dave and his family before Dave drove her home. At Katherine's house, they opened each other's gifts and she loved the teddy bear and earrings. She had bought Dave a nice chain for his neck and it fit perfectly. After she placed the chain around his neck she removed the old earrings she was wearing and handed Dave the teddy bear, "Will you put my earrings on for me?"

He smiled and gently put the earrings in her ears. She smiled, "Does this mean I'm pinned?"

Dave chuckled at her reference to the old phrase. He smiled, "Yes, this means were are officially a couple and I will be faithful to you and I hope you will be faithful to me."

Katherine jumped into his arms, "You are the only boy I want."

On Christmas morning Dave got an awesome surprise gift. His parents handed him an envelope for Christmas, he had no idea what he was getting. When he opened the envelope and read the note explaining a one week golf trip to Myrtle Beach in February, he was ecstatic. His father explained that he and his brother Alan were going to drive down and spend a week golfing in Myrtle Beach; they wanted Dave - and John, if possible - to join them. He had chosen the second week of February so as not to interfere with Dave's hockey playoffs. Dave phoned John shortly after Roger explained everything. By the end of Christmas day, John had his father convinced to let him go with his best friend to South Carolina.

Dave was pleased that January passed quickly. Hockey, school, and time with Katherine were all going very well. Dave was pleasantly surprised one night in mid January when Katherine took the initiative and placed his hand on her breast while they were kissing and necking in his tv room. By the time February arrived, she was allowing Dave total access to her lovely breasts but everything below the belt was still off limits.

The increasing intimacy with Katherine was enjoyable, but did leave Dave aroused and unsatisfied. Rather than pressure Katherine to go beyond her limits, Dave resorted to the joys of dates with the palm sisters in order to relieve the sexual pressures as they built up. After a summer filled with real sex, it was very much a nostalgia thing. Dave's hockey wrist shot was getting better each month and he wondered if all his work with the palm sisters was part of the reason. Dave's fondness for Katherine continued to grow deeper and deeper but, in his heart, he knew it would take a long time for Katherine to reach the same status that his long-term friend Jennifer held.

Dave had hoped he would hear from Jennifer after Christmas but there was no card or phone call. His mom, who had talked to Jennifer's mother Heather, reported that Jennifer was doing much better. Dave could not tell whether that meant Jennifer had, through dating Alex, become re-established with her friends. The vision of animal Alex having sex with 'his' sensitive Jennifer flashed through Dave's head; it was an ugly thought and Dave decided to not dwell on the possibility.

When the day to leave for Myrtle Beach finally arrived, Dave and John were both incredibly excited. Dave, Roger, Alan, and John left QAI early in the morning on Friday and drove until late in the evening. They stopped for the night in Waterbury, Connecticut. After an early departure, the four islanders arrived in Myrtle Beach late in the evening on Saturday. The weather got steadily warmer on Saturday and, when they drove past Richmond, Virginia, the winter coats were put away until the return trip. They weren't actually staying in Myrtle Beach but just north of the border in Sunset Beach, North Carolina.

They were staying in a condo unit on the Colonies of Oyster Bay. It was dark when they arrived and Dave and John excitedly emptied the van. Roger and Alan, who had been taking turns driving, rested while the two eager teens put everything away. They were all tired from the long drive -- so they simply went to bed.

Their first round of golf was scheduled at Angel's Trace - North Course at eleven-thirty. John and Dave were wide awake at seven o'clock and went for a walk while the two adults slept in. Dave and John were surprised to find a fairway just outside the back door to their condo. They walked onto the course and looked up and down the fairway before giving each other a high five and going back to the room. They each pulled a club out of their bag and went outside to swing them.

Roger and Alan woke up around eight o'clock. They drove into Myrtle Beach and stopped at Denny's for breakfast. None of them had ever been to Myrtle Beach before and all were surprised by the huge number of golf shops, retail stores, and miniature golf courses. They drove back to Angel's Trace which was just around the corner from their condo. Dave and John immediately went to the driving range to hit balls. Dave was a little surprised by how tight his swing felt but, after thirty minutes, he was finally putting solid swings on his irons.

When he eventually pulled out his driver, he was in for another huge surprise. His nicely controlled draw from last spring was gone - replaced by a huge, uncontrollable duck hook. He adjusted his grip and hit a few good drives but on the fourth swing he hit a very uncharacteristic slice. He then tried adjusting his feet - still no control. Dave worked on his driver for an hour but never found the solution.

When it was finally time to tee-off on the first hole, Dave had no idea what to hit off the tee. The first hole was a long par five so Dave pulled out his driver. He hit a big hook and ended up one fairway over. After the other three hit, Dave and John drove down the course on their golf cart. Those electric carts or cars are generally required at all these courses in order to keep up the overall pace on the course. Dave found his ball and hit a decent long iron shot back into his own fairway. He put the next shot on the green and made a par. John's drive was in the middle of the fairway and he hit a good second shot up the middle. His short wedge shot finished five feet from the hole and he happily made birdie on the first hole he played in the new year. Roger and Alan made par and bogey respectively on the first hole.

Dave found the rest of the round enjoyable but slightly frustrating. He had never imagined he would totally lose control of his driver. He only hit two more drivers for the rest of the round and ended up in trouble each time. He instead hit his two-iron off most tees. At the end of the round, Dave had shot seventy-four, John was lowest in the group with seventy-three while Roger and Alan shot eighty and eighty-four respectively.

Dave was very frustrated with his driver but he was so happy to be playing again that he quickly forgot about the duck hooks. After the golf, the foursome went to a local Food Lion grocery and purchased supplies. They returned to the condo and cooked a good homemade supper before heading out to explore Myrtle Beach.

Dave was again surprised by all the golf shops and they stopped at several to check out the goods. There was a huge Golf Dimensions store, bigger than some department stores on QAI. Directly across the street was a Martin's Golf and Tennis Shop which was just as big or bigger. Dave's father had told him that there were more than one-hundred and twenty golf courses in and around Myrtle Beach and, after seeing all the golf stores, Dave decided this was definitely golfer's heaven.

Roger convinced Dave to hold off on any major golf purchases until after they had seen a variety of stores. Their fourth stop was a golf shoe store where Dave found a size eleven pair of shoes that he liked. The price was cheap at $20 dollars. Dave was tired of wearing his sneakers because he had outgrown his golf shoes from the previous summer so Roger approved the purchase. John found a pair he liked for a good price as well.

The four men returned to the condo and went right to bed. Their eight-thirty tee time would require them to be on the road shortly after seven.

The next course was Diamond Back which was named for the large number of snake areas in and around the course. QAI has no snakes or major predatory animals so the idea of playing a course named for its snake population was intriguing yet intimidating. When they arrived at the course, the starter explained that the rattlesnakes normally hibernated until March or April so they would not likely see any that day. In the clubhouse Dave found a glass display with a large stuffed Diamond Back snake in it. One of the staff explained they had found that very snake under the clubhouse. Dave was suddenly very pleased that they were playing here in February and not March or April.