Chapter 18

Ed stripped out of his clothes and stood naked, cock flaccid, in the center of the hotel room. After having traveled across Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Tennessee, Ed and Nora had become very comfortable with the driving arrangements. It wasn’t until they had reached Virginia that she had finally asked him for a favor. More than happy to oblige, Ed had been shocked when she said that she wanted him to stand naked so that she could study his body.

Dressed in one of Ed’s shirts over her underwear, Nora approached Ed with more nervousness than seemed reasonable considering that they had been naked together so many times. Relaxed, Ed waited for Nora to begin studying his body without the distraction of sex.

Rather than moving directly to the parts that interested her most, she began by tracing the line defined by where he had to shave. It was interesting that his beard wasn’t even, there were spots under the corners of his lips that had less hair than the rest of the face. She had never studied a man’s face with that kind of attention to little details. She asked, “Have you ever grown a beard?”

“I’ve gone a few days without shaving, but the result could hardly be called a beard,” answered Ed.

She traced around his ears, noticing that hair was starting to grow out of them. In time, they would thicken and turn gray as part of the natural growth cycle. She wondered if he would leave the hair or remove it at some point in time. Leaving his ears, she examined his neck taking the most time with the Adam’s apple; fascinated by this subtle difference between male and female. Other differences made sense to her, but not this one.

She traced his shoulders fascinated by the muscular structure. Walking around him, she took in his back and chest, noticing the scars that showed as reddish streaks across his pale skin. The patch of hair that ran across his chest narrowed to a thin strip that ran down to his pubic region where it spread into a triangle. Thin hair surrounded his flat areola with small nipples set in the center. His chest hair didn’t seem to have a dominant pattern of direction in which it grew.

Tracing a finger over his nipples, she was surprised to see them stiffen. She had never thought about male nipples reacting to touch the same way as female nipples. Looking up at his face, she asked, “Are your nipples sensitive?”

“Yes, they are,” replied Ed.

“Interesting,” remarked Nora as she continued her explorations of his body.

Ed had women study his body in the past, but never with such attention to detail. While it was clear that this was something that she wanted, it wasn’t a selfish desire on her part. She had realized that it had come time for her to learn more about the male body so that she could be a better lover. She was taking responsibility that sex with her would stop being a mere rubbing of one body against another and become a loving experience.

It was a long time before she reached his genitals. His cock was still flaccid despite the fact that she had been touching almost every part of his body watching it for reactions to her touch. Now she lifted his cock, studying the head, the shaft, and the ball sack. Her fingers traced the major features sending tingles of sexual excitement through Ed. Looking up at his face, she said, “This is remarkable.”

“Maybe a little bigger than average, but not remarkable,” replied Ed.

“No, I mean the whole thing is remarkable. I never noticed all of the little details before,” stated Nora as she continued to examine his cock. Her efforts were causing his cock to erect. The veins throbbed as pulses of blood pumped into his cock. The loose skin tightened as the organ filled with blood. She licked her lips, unconscious of her action, as she watched. “This is amazing.”

Ed could feel the desires of his body striving to take control as Nora continued to explore his cock and balls with her hand. The light touch tickled him, increasing his desire for a stronger firmer touch. A small drop of pre-cum appeared at the tip of his cock. She ran her finger over the pre-cum, spreading over the head of his cock. The action caused him to produce more. Looking down at her, he said, “That feels good.”

She started to jack him off, watching the changes that took place in his cock. Her hand was wrapped around the shaft with a light pressure. Glancing up at his face, she could tell that something was missing in her action. He reached down and enveloped her hand within his. Squeezing her hand to the point where the pressure on his cock was exactly as he liked it. Smiling, she asked, “You like a harder grasp on your cock.”

Eyes closed and head tilted back, Ed replied, “Yes, that feels so good.”

She kept up the pressure, jacking his shaft. With his hand, he extended the range of her movement to include the head of his cock. She could tell from the increased rigidity of his cock that he really liked the effect. She moved her other hand to cup his balls and lift them.

After a few minutes, she was surprised when his balls drew up closer to his body, leaving the warmth of her hand. The head of his cock had turned purple and it seemed to swell even more. When he suddenly went rigid and held his breath, she knew he was close. She felt the pulses in his cock before a ribbon of come shot out the end. The first, second, third, and then the fourth major ribbon of come was released, each not quite as forceful as the previous one. He groaned as he said, “Less pressure and slower.”

She eased off on his cock and watched as more come pooled at the head of his cock. The pulses within the shaft had abated to a level that was barely perceptible under her hand. His balls, tightly drawn up to his body, started to descend and the rigidity of his cock lessened.

It was only at this time that she noticed her hands were covered in come. Looking down, she saw that there was come on her shirt as well. She released his cock as she looked down at her hands wondering what to do with the come. Ed backed away and sat on the edge of the bed.

“That was the most incredible thing that I have ever seen. Thank you so much for letting me do that, Ed.” In one session, she had learned more about the male sexual response than she had acquired in years of a sexually active life. Before Ed, she had only worried about her pleasure. Once she started having sex with Ed, she had been concerned about his pleasure, but her successes were hit or miss.

Ed, relaxing on the bed, said, “That was great.”

After Nora washed her hands in the sink, Ed went over and washed his cock. Once the bathing was complete, they dressed in clothes suitable for being in public. Clean and refreshed, they went to dinner. After dinner, they watched television for an hour before going to sleep.

Ed stood on the balcony of the hotel looking to the southeast. Less than a six-hour drive away was the Druid College. He knew that John, Leroy, Kelly, Linda, and Ling were all there with the kids. It felt like ages since all six of them had been together. He sighed, thinking how close he was and yet how far away they were.

The noise of the sliding door opening interrupted his thoughts, but he didn’t turn around. Nora said, “Your family is over there.”

“Yes, they are,” replied Ed as he turned to look at Nora.

His rock-hunting partner, friend, and lover said, “I want to go on alone from here.”

Raising an eyebrow, Ed asked, “What? Why?”

Moving to the railing of the balcony, Nora said, “I’ve been depending on other people to take care of unpleasant parts of life for me. I want to drive into the city where I will make my home alone. It’s a fresh start for me and I want this.”

Her words were true and he understood the sentiment behind them. There was once a day when she would have had a staff that would do everything for her. They would search out the house for her, take care of her car insurance, and other day to day activities that consumed time. She was leaving that life behind.

There was nothing he could say or do to contradict her desire. Nodding his head, “I can understand that. Are you sure?”

“Very,” replied Nora knowing that she couldn’t lie to Ed without him knowing it. She added, “I’ll admit that I’m a little scared, but that is natural.”

“Okay,” answered Ed as he looked at Nora. The pleasure that he felt in her decision grew from two sources. First, she was growing up and learning to be the best that she could be. Second, he was going to visit his family. Smiling, he said, “Go when you are ready to go, I’ll rent a car and drive down to my family.”

Ed turned to look at the surrounding area, noticing in the crisp winter air that things had achieved a far sharper appearance than in the humid summer air. From his current vantage point above the ground, much more sky was available to the observer and he could see much further than he expected. Nora moved behind him and rested her head on his back with her hands on his shoulders. She said, “I love you, Ed Biggers.”

“I love you too, Nora Turner,” replied Ed. They both meant it, but not in the way that others would use the term. They cared for each other, made love to each other, and wanted the best for each other. They didn’t want to own each other. Nora understood his marriage and he understood that she wouldn’t join it.

“I’ve never met anyone that was loved by so many people. Men and women love you.”

This wasn’t the first time that Ed had been told that he was loved by a lot of people. It still surprised him when someone said that to him. He knew that if a person is asked the same question three times, then they should come up with a stock answer. What does one do when presented with the same surprising statement more than three times? He didn’t know, but suspected that he should come up with some sort of answer. “I don’t know what to say about that. I don’t think I’m special. Anyone can be loved by as many people that know them.”

Smiling, Nora returned to the room to get packed as she thought about how modest Ed was about his effect on others. She had learned from Ed how to travel without unpacking every suitcase so it didn’t take her long to get ready to leave. When she came out of the room, she found that Ed had stacked her suitcases by the door. Looking at them and then at Ed, her heart began to pound while tears pooled in her eyes. Hugging him, she cried, “I’m going to miss you.”

“I know, but you’re going to be very busy over the next few months. Once things settle down, you can come visit me. Besides, you never know who might drop by while you are unpacking,” replied Ed as he hugged her back. He was already trying to think of a housewarming present that would be appropriate for a fellow rock hound.

Breaking the hug, Nora went to the door and opened it. Grabbing the lighter suitcase, she waited for Ed to carry her other bag. Ed followed and picked up the heavier suitcase. In less than five minutes, he was left in the parking lot watching her drive away.

Renting a car was far more difficult prospect than Ed had considered when he had watched Nora drive off to face her future. The nearest car rental place was thirty miles away and there wasn’t a taxi company in the little town. He was faced with a question as to how to reach the rental place. Grabbing his saddlebag, he checked out of the hotel and walked into the center of town. Once there, he looked around at the places of business around the center of town. There was a local restaurant, police station, a couple of clothing stores, bar, and other places common in a small town.

The restaurant was the same place that he had eaten dinner the night before and it was a nice friendly place. It was the most likely place in town to find someone going in his direction. People would come and go through the day. It made sense that a few of them would be driving to nearby towns after eating. He wandered across the street to the front door.

Entering, he looked around at the few people in the room. He should have come earlier in the day, when most of the folks would be around before heading off to work. He followed the waitress to a table. Once there, he set his saddlebag on one of the chairs and sat down in another. Accepting the menu from her, he said, “Could I ask a favor of you?”

“What?” The woman answered, fully expecting him to request a different table.

“Would you mind asking around to find out if anyone is headed out of town? I need a ride,” answered Ed.

“I’ll see,” replied the waitress rather doubtfully. Worn blue jeans, a work shirt, cowboy boots, and a cowboy hat suggested that he was a long way from home. She wondered who this guy was and what was his story. Probably a homeless drifter, he’d walk off without paying his bill. “Would you like some coffee?”

“Sure, that would be great,” answered Ed. He took off his hat and set it on the saddlebag where it wouldn’t get dirty and would be out of the way.

The waitress returned after a couple of minutes with a cup of coffee. As she set it down in front of him, she asked, “Did you decide on what you wanted to order?”

“Yes, Ma’am. I’ll have two eggs scrambled with biscuits and gravy.”

“Okay,” replied the waitress. She glanced at the door as though she expected someone to arrive any minute. Finished writing the order down on the pad, she said, “I’ll put this order in now.”

Her words ripped through Ed as she was clearly lying about putting in his order. He was about to ask why when a policeman came into the restaurant. The look of relief on her face told the entire story. Reaching into his back pocket, Ed pulled out his wallet figuring that he might as well have his identification ready. Smiling, Ed said, “Bring another cup of coffee for the officer.”

His request startled the waitress. She backed away from the table relieved when the officer took her place. The officer was about to say something when Ed flipped open his wallet showing his IRS identification. With a grin, Ed said, “Have a seat officer. I ordered a cup of coffee for you.”

The officer looked over at the waitress and nodded his head to let her know that everything was under control. He sat down across from Ed and said, “Not often that we get an IRS agent trying to hitch a ride out of town.”

Ed laughed at the comment as he shook his head. “I was traveling with a woman and she went on to her destination while I’m going on to mine. I didn’t realize there wasn’t a car rental place around here.”

Still suspicious, the officer asked, “So where are you going?”

“Down to the Druid College to meet up with my family,” answered Ed.

Everything sounded just a little too weird to believe. The waitress came over to the table and set down a cup of coffee in front of the officer. She backed away from the table wondering if she should put the order in for the cook to make. The officer looked at Ed and said, “That’s a very interesting story. Let’s see. We have a cowboy with IRS identification wanting to go visit his family at the Druid College. Have I got that right?”

“Yes, I would say that is the short version of the story,” replied Ed.

“Well, I don’t believe it,” answered the policeman. Sitting back in the chair with his hand on his gun, he said, “It looks to me like we have an indigent with stolen identification making up a story about going to that Druid College.”