Chapter 14

After Dottie had finally stopped sobbing and regained some of her composure, Andi and Andy took her on a tour. Again, she was greeted warmly by all of the women, with everyone anxious to show her what they were doing. It was almost as if they were trying to sell her on the place.

There was an unexpected crisis when she first saw the hot tub. She started crying again, and almost collapsed. The whole way, Andi and Andy had been holding her tightly, so she did not actually fall.

"Th... that's wh... where it all st... started," Dottie was able to stammer out after a bit. As much as anything, that highlighted the depth of the anguish and self-recrimination she was suffering.

At dinner, Dottie actually ate, something she apparently had done very little of since the divorce. Andy and Andi kept her close between them, and the other women continued to lavish attention on her.

After dinner and a leisurely chat over coffee, it was time for Andy to take Dottie home. She broke into tears again, and said "I just wish I had some money. I would stay right here. I feel more loved and at home here than anywhere. Mom tries, but I'm just too much for her."

"But Mom, you'd have to be naked."

"If I could run around naked for those so-called friends at the casino, it wouldn't be any problem with all these nice people." Andi sat for a moment looking dejected, then suddenly bolted from her chair and tore off to find a phone. Andy thought he knew what was going on, and tried to reassure Dottie that there was no problem.

It took Andi a frustrating twenty minutes to reach Julia and get her father's telephone number. She had to pull up a chair because she was shaking too much to stand as she dialed Warren's number.

When he answered, it took her a few seconds to make her voice work. Then, all she could get out was a ragged "Dad?"

The silence at his end was just as long. "A... Andi? Is... is that you? Oh, God, I'm so glad you called!"

Andi had time to marshall her resolve, and her voice firmed up, thinking about her mother's pathetic condition. "Dad, I'm not ready to talk to you, yet." He started to respond, but she cut him off. "Before I will even consider talking to you, you need to arrange for Mom to stay here at Transformations for at least four months." With that, she resisted the urge to talk to him anyway, and hung up.

It was barely ten minutes later that Andy's phone rang and he handed it to Andi. "Your father just pre-paid four months' stay for your mother," Julia told her, not hiding her surprise very well. "Does she want to be there?"

"It's the first thing she's really wanted in a long time," Andi answered. "She's here right now, and she doesn't want to leave. Is that OK?"

"Of, course, Honey," Julia answered. "I really can't get over there tonight, though. Will she be alright until tomorrow afternoon?"

"Well, Andy may have to stay and sleep with her, but yes, she'll be OK."

"So, she's bonded with Andy pretty well? He seems to have that effect on women, doesn't he?" Julia observed. "That's strictly non-policy, of course, but... Tell you what. Why don't you take her in your room for tonight. Let me talk with Andy."

When Andy got on the line, Julia said "I know you're not on tonight, but I think you should stay. Andi says Dottie is really attached to you. She suggested you might have to sleep with her tonight. Is she that fragile?"

"Julia, I'm not the shrink, but if she hadn't shown up here soon, I can't imagine what would have happened to her."

"Well, do what you have to to keep her in one piece. She can stay dressed for tonight."

"That, uh, won't be necessary. She's already naked and walking this way. I'd better think of the right thing to say to her." He hung up and turned his attention to Dottie. He could not escape the similarity to Andi's first exposure to him. The looks on their faces were identical.

Somehow, Andi's instincts did not fail him often. He took Dottie's hands and looked her up and down slowly. Then he told her "I am a lucky man. It thrills me to see how beautiful my wife will look in twenty years." There was no known protocol for the proper handling of one's naked future mother-in-law who had just fallen, sobbing, into your arms. Andy just tried to be comforting without touching anything that could be considered inappropriate.

As he held her, with Andi watching tearfully, he pondered why Dottie had attached herself to him so quickly and so tenaciously. He reasoned that being suddenly cut off from the two men with whom she had always shared her affection had created an enormous, painful void. He was, in effect, substituting for Warren and Matt. Not rational, but neither was she, clearly.

He was also quite likely the first male to get at all close to her and to show her any consideration at all. Combine that with gratitude for helping her daughter, and perhaps Dottie's behavior was not so strange. The one thing that frightened him was the possibility that she could see him as fulfilling the role she yearned for Warren to fill again. That could get tricky.

Noticing that Andy was distressed, Andi joined the hug and whispered in his ear "Honey, just help her. She's my Mom! We'll sort it all out later, OK?"

It was still quite early in the evening, and Andi wanted to call her Dad and thank him. Andy got Dottie seated beside him on a couch, and Andi went to use his phone to make the call. Calling Warren where Dottie could hear was just not a good idea. She just thanked Warren and said she could not take time right then because of Dottie. She promised to call soon, and he gave her his office and cell numbers.

Rejoining Andy and Dottie, Andi called her grandmother and explained what Dottie would be doing. She did not care to go into detail about nudity and everything at that point. Making up a white lie, she said Dottie did not need clothes because there were uniforms provided.

An hour or so later, Dottie was showing definite signs of weariness. "One of us is going to have to sleep with her," Andy said. "I really prefer it to be you, Sweetie." They led her to Andi's room and got her in bed. Though way too early for her, Andi got in with her mother and snuggled close. That helped, but Dottie still looked at Andy and seemed to panic at any move toward the door.

He sat and caressed Dottie's forehead for half an hour before she fell into a deep sleep. He came around the bed and kissed Andi, regretfully extricating himself from her embrace.

It was ten o'clock, but Lindsey and Mark were finally in their hotel room. It was a suite, actually, and it needed to be large to hold all the flowers and goodies they found when they walked in. Lindsey was first a little upset that so many people knew what was going to happen that night. Mark, as usual, got her thinking turned around to how wonderful it was that so many people cared about her happiness.

It had been getting worse by the hour for Mark. Lindsey had come close to discovering the ring box in his pocket as they cuddled on the plane and in the shuttle. But he had made it, and he was dying to present it to her. At first, he thought he would wait until they had showered and were ready for the big event. But seeing the look in her eyes as she took in the thoughtful gifts that surrounded them, he knew it was the right moment.

It was cliched, but every woman is entitled to have her man embarrass himself completely at least once. Mark was actually more than happy to do it. He guided her to a chair, then knelt in front of her. She gave him a puzzled look, then recognition and incredulity started to dawn as she saw the unmistakable box he shakily pulled from his pocket.

He had worked up a little speech, and he used it. "Lindsey, I know we are promised to each other forever. It may be a while before we can marry. But will you accept this ring so everyone will know you are mine and I am yours. Will you promise to be my wife."

Every man enjoys the thrill of actually surprising his woman occasionally. Most are reluctant to admit how difficult it is to accomplish. Lindsey had no clue whatsoever, and the size of the ring only added to her astonishment. She actually felt faint, something that had never happened to her.

She did not try to respond with words. Instead, she slid to her knees on the floor in front of him, pushing her chair back and out of the way. Then, she threw her arms around him and tackled him over backwards as she kissed him with everything she had in her. Fortunately, he was able to get his legs straightened out and return the hug and the kiss, which went on for minutes.

Lindsey was so overcome with emotion she began to writhe atop him with arousal. It was starting to look like their virginity might be surrendered fully clothed on the floor. They would have wasted all their patient waiting and planning, and Mark knew he was the one who had to stop it.

Without breaking the embrace, he rolled them over so he was on top, and pulled his face back from her. He freed his arms from under her, then carefully started lifting her sweater off. This seemed to bring her back somewhere close to reality, and she let out a sigh. "Shower!" she murmured, the first word she had spoken.

It seemed like mere seconds before there was a random pile of mixed clothes where they had laid, and she was tugging him toward the bathroom. While the water heated up, she redeemed the time with another frantic embrace and kiss.

As soon as they were wetted down, she went right for his cock. He did not protest, knowing that he needed to release one load to ensure any kind of endurance when he entered her. After he decorated her tummy, he made to return the favor, but she spoke again. "No, Lover, I want it in bed. That was just to keep you from going off too soon."

Both of the teens were anxious, anticipating the completion of their relationship. But they were also strangely composed. As they stepped from the shower, Lindsey looked in the mirror, ran her hands through the back of her hair, which had gotten wet, and made a face. That gave Mark an idea. "Get your shampoo," he told her.

With a look that was only slightly puzzled, she pulled it from her cosmetics case, then giggled when he pulled her back into the shower. He proceeded to give her a very thorough double wash, then rooted around in her bag until he found the conditioner. As he dried her with a towel when they again stepped out of the shower, she asked "Did my hair look that bad?"

"You know better than that," he chided her. "You could never look bad to me." He kissed her to punctuate his declaration.

"Then why all the fuss with my hair?"

"Honey, I want you to feel as special tonight as you ever have in your life..." he started to say.

"Well, you took care of that pretty well already," she told him, holding the ring right up in his face, "and I'd like to get to the really special part."

"I've learned a couple of things living with women," Mark told her. "One of them is this: if they're concerned about their appearance, it's hard for them to really get into what they're doing. I want you really, really into what we are going to do. Sooooo, how about a little pampering?"

"Oh, Sweetie, you don't have to worry about that!" she protested. But she did nothing to stop him when he took the hotel's hair dryer and her brush and began working on her hair. The dryer was anchored to the wall to prevent theft, so he could not take it into the bedroom as he would have liked. Then, she stopped him and pulled her own dryer out of her bag.

Lindsey wanted in the worst way to feel him inside of her; to get the worry about the pain behind her; to be able to see herself as a total woman; to give the greatest gift of all to the love of her life. Yet, she sat naked and Indian style on the bed as he worshipped her hair, and she was content. It was characteristic of so much of their relationship.

There was no doubt about the passion between them, and it coursed through both of them at that moment. But there had always been things that held them back from what they really wanted, usually things in Lindsey's mind. Mark had learned to be happy with whatever part of Lindsey he could have, and that carried over to her. Now, he would finally have all of her, but a few more minutes to make her feel more loved and more special was no sacrifice at all.

To everyone who knew the couple, with the exception of Lindsey's parents, their permanent union was a foregone conclusion. Because of their long-time friendship and the gradual way they had progressed as lovers, they enjoyed the kind of rapport too few long-married couples ever achieve.

Lindsey inherited her body type more from her father than her mother. Rather than Mary's full-figured shape, she was more trim and muscular. She did, however, inherit her very nice hair from her mother, and Mark had spent many pleasant hours luxuriating in it's silky fullness. So his current efforts were a form of foreplay he had used before.

When he finished, Lindsey did not bother to check in a mirror. She just flipped her locks with her hands and grinned at Mark. Even in her tension and anticipation, she could not resist a little levity, and asked him "Are you done stalling, now?" The searing kiss that precluded an answer took any possible sting from the gibe. She felt more beautiful because of his efforts, and he knew it.

Without a word, they pulled back the covers and crawled in. He reached over to turn off the lamp on the nightstand, but she stopped him. "Huh uh. Gotta be able to see this," and she held out the ring. Those were the last words for quite a while, as they let their hands take over communications.

Lindsey's touch had always been magical to Mark. Somehow, it conveyed a feeling of wonder, as if she was constantly thrilled by some new discovery. When there was no one around to be offended, she could never get enough contact with him. He commented on it to his mother once, and Norma had a theory.

"Your sisters have had loving touches, caresses, and hugs from you and your father their whole lives. Not they it means less to them, but they are used to it and they expect it. Lindsey lived without that until you became a couple. It is still new and wonderful, and she lets you know that. I think maybe she still doesn't believe it is true."

Never had her touch conveyed more than it did right then. Nor did she ever respond more to his touch. He was determined to have her so aroused she would hardly notice the pain of her defloration. She seemed to understand his intention, and did not urge him to hurry.

She was primed, and came from his fingers the first time in less than ten minutes. He considered that just the warmup, and went down on her while she was still quivering occasionally. Since foreplay was all they had for a while, he had devoted himself to becoming good at it. Twice more, he took her over, the last one of truly epic intensity.

It had been his plan for her to be on top so she could control the entry. His first words in a while were to suggest that to her. "Can't," she panted in answer. "No strength. Do it. I'll be OK."

She really did look limp, so he pulled himself up between her leg, positioned for entry. "Use your hands, Honey," he told her. "Make sure I don't hurt you." Even that seemed quite an effort for her, and he wondered if he should wait a while. But her relaxation and euphoria were what he wanted, and she was pulling at him insistently.

It had been quite a while since he came in the shower, and he realized it would be a battle for him to hold off long enough to penetrate all the way. Pushing through her hymen turned out to be relatively easy. The pain for her was sharp, but short. Her gasp and little groan actually helped to reduce his urgency, and after a pause, some of his control had returned.

When she had recovered from the pain, she thrust her pelvis against him, begging for him to sink deeper. Little by little, he pushed in, pulling back farther with each stroke, until their pubic bones touched. She hissed at the pressure on her clit and threw her arms and her legs around him, finding a surge of energy somewhere.

Much as he would have wished it, there was no way Mark could keep up his stroking for very long. He tried to go slow to reduce the stimulation, but that was not what she wanted. When she gasped out "Come, Lover, now!" that was the last straw, and he shuddered and gasped as he pulsed until he nearly blacked out.

Amazed at the intensity of his ejaculation, and afraid he could not hold himself up with his arms, he got a hand under her bottom and rolled them to their sides, trying to keep himself in her as long as possible.

For several minutes they lay facing each other without saying anything. He was too wiped out to talk, and she was not much better. For once, she was the one to deliver the priceless line, as she kissed him softly and told him "What a wonderful start!"

There was silence again for a couple of minutes. Then, she managed to get her left hand up where she could look at the ring. "Did Julia tell you?" she asked.

"Tell me what, Hon?"

"That it would make a big difference to me to be engaged?"

"No. I, uh, figured that out myself." That brought some tears, but happy, contented ones.

Ever since the retreat, they had been cuddling naked in bed, long before it was an aftermath to sex. It was the time when they were closest, and not just physically. "Darling," she said, "I can't wait to do it again, but..."

"... but you need to be able to walk up to the stage tomorrow night," he finished for her. "I, uh, think I shot everything I had, anyway. Let's not get either of us sore. Should we go and clean up?"

"What for?" she asked. "I don't care if I don't move from here until it's time to meet Sarah."

Sonja's sister would be arriving at the hotel mid-morning. The reunion had not been completely staged, but they wanted to bring her to Sonja's room. They had decided the backstage idea was not the best. The sisters needed more privacy.

But that could all be planned in the morning. Sleep, in each other's arms, was what they wanted right then.

About the time Lindsey and Mark were drifting off, Andi was jolted awake by her mother, Dottie, shaking violently next to her in bed. Thinking at first that it was a nightmare, Andi called to her to wake her up. But she was not asleep.

"Andy! Where is he? Please! I need him!"

"But Mom, he shouldn't be in bed with you," Andi protested. She turned on the reading lamp, and realized that reason was of little use. Dottie's eyes were frantic, darting quickly all over the room.

Andi's first impulse was to shake her mother, or even slap her to try to jolt her from the trance she seemed to be in. But just then, Dottie spoke again. "Honey, please! I just need him! I... I know he's yours. But I don't have anyone, and... Oh, Honey, please?"

Through the torment of emotions, love and concern for her stricken mother came to the front, and Andi got out of bed. "OK, Mom. I'll get him. Just wait. Will you be alright?"

Hurrying to Andy's room, Andi shook him awake. "I'm sorry, Honey, but Mom is just frantic. She's begging for you. I don't know what else to do. Maybe Ryan could give her a sedative or something, but..."

Shaking away the sleep, Andy told her "Let me use the bathroom, and I'll be right there. Go back to her." After finishing in the bathroom, he put on his shorts and headed for Andi's room, nervous and uncertain about what he would find.

Andi was back in bed, holding her mother. Dottie's shaking had eased, but the wild look and darting gaze were still evident. Until she saw him, that is. It was both magical and frightening to see the sudden calm settle over her, and a beatific smile capture her face. He was relieved that a seizure or a breakdown had been averted, but frightened at what role he might have to play in her treatment.

He sat on the bed next to Dottie, and reached out to take her hand. That was not what was on her mind, however. She took his hand, all right, but with the surprising strength of the crazed, she pulled him to herself, and locked both arms around him in an iron embrace.

His natural instinct was to pull back, but he felt Andi's hand on his back. She whispered in his ear "Do anything she needs, please! I'm scared for her! Don't worry about me. I love you both so much!"

She started pulling back the covers, and he reluctantly raised himself so she could get them from under him. Almost before he knew it, he was lying on his side with Dottie face to face with him, pressed as tightly as possible. Andi moved up against her mother's back and put her hand on his shoulder.

Dottie was in a loving human sandwich, and that appeared to be just what she needed. She had her top arm around Andy and her other arm straight between them. She did not say anything, or make any movements other than to begin breathing deeply.

Sleep was a long ways from Andy right then. The woman he desired was in bed with him, but they were separated by the emaciated body and the tormented mind of her mother. Instead of his love's pert breasts against him, he could feel Dottie's ribs and the unpadded points of her hips.

Still, despite his concerns, there was a feeling of satisfaction. The condition of her mother was critical to his love's own well-being. His help was needed, and he could not refuse. He could not help but feel sympathy for Dottie, and even with her troubles, she had the same endearing quality as her daughter. It was shocking; it was unusual; but it was not a great sacrifice. This was a woman he would be close to for the rest of her life. Whatever he could do to make that life better was definitely worth it.