Chapter 52

The Friday morning after Thanksgiving was not a common time for a wedding, but with the short notice, that was the best that Maddy had been able to schedule. She wanted it to be in her parents' church, and she knew that the traditional morning time would be most acceptable to her mother.

She and Hector had tried very hard to do everything to please their parents, especially hers. They would not compromise on the timing, and they would use birth control. Outside of those givens, they would be as accommodating as possible.

Not that their parents knew everything that was going on. They would not have intercourse until their wedding day, but that did not mean they would be totally chaste.

As the wedding date approached, Maddy began to be concerned about whether Hector would be disappointed in her body. Cheryl sensed the rising anxiety in her friend, especially when her concentration at practice began to suffer again.

"OK, what's the problem now, Maddy," Cheryl demanded. "Are you getting cold feet?"

"Oh, it's nothing, really. I just... it's nothing," Maddy insisted.

"Hey, who do you think you're talking to, girl? This is me! Your best bud. Maybe a shrink someday. Cut the bullshit and tell me!"

Maddy's lip was quivering when she was finally able to reply. "He... he's never seen me naked. I'm worried that he won't like me. I mean, I'm not gorgeous like you."

Cheryl had half expected something like that, so she was able to refrain from laughing - only just. With a flash of inspiration, she asked "Wanna trade boobs?"

"Whaaaat?"

"I've always worried that my little ones wouldn't keep Cal interested. Yours are so much bigger."

"But... but Cal doesn't care, he loves you. Anyone can see that," Maddy insisted.

"Uh, huh."

"Oh," Maddy breathed after a pause, realizing the point Cheryl was making about how Hector felt.

"You met Tessa, right?" Cheryl asked and Maddy nodded. "Well, she'd win any 'best boobs' contest she entered. Cal went with her before we got together. Think that didn't give me a confidence problem?"

"The point is," Cheryl went on, "Cal knows I'm not secure with my little ones, and he does everything he can to boost my confidence. So, what are you worried about Hector seeing?"

"Well, I'm just not that sexy looking," Maddy complained. After a pause, she grinned a little and said "I guess he will like my boobs, though."

"The point is, he loves YOU, Maddy. The parts that you're worried about won't bother him at all. Besides, guys are so easy to distract, you can always get their minds off of your shortcomings." The two laughed together at that.

"Maddy, please don't be offended by what I'm going to say. I know you want to be a virgin at your wedding, and that's wonderful. But there's a lot of other things that you can do. If everything is going to be brand new that first night, how can you relax and enjoy your wedding? I mean, look how nervous you are already."

"You're right, Cheryl. I'm really nervous about that stuff."

"I don't want to go against your beliefs, but consider this: why don't you do everything but intercourse before the wedding. That will leave only one new thing to worry about."

Maddy's jaw dropped and she just stared at Cheryl for the longest time. "That would be sticking to the 'letter of the law'," Cheryl explained. "Maybe that's not enough for you guys, but it's something to think about."

"Wh... what all are you talking about," Maddy asked.

"Well, you should spend some time naked together. You should masturbate each other. You should shower together. Maybe even oral."

"Ohhhhh!" Maddy exclaimed. "What if he doesn't even try to do those things with me?"

"Maddy, Maddy. Hector loves you so much, respects you so much, that he will probably go too slowly."

"Yeah, I'm the one that said I couldn't wait," Maddy agreed.

"So, if you want to experience those other things, if you want to be more relaxed at your wedding, you've got to take the lead. Besides, guys like their wives to be aggressive sexually."

"Really?"

"They're no different than us that way. How does it feel when Hector is so aroused that he can't stop kissing you, hugging you, caressing you?"

"God! I about turn into a puddle! He knows that, and I think he kinda holds back."

"Well, don't you think he would feel the same way if you attacked him?"

"The problem is, Cheryl, we don't have anywhere we can be together like that. My little house if full of people, and even though his is bigger..."

"You just say the word and Cal and I will go to the library to study."

Cheryl thought briefly about having Cal talk to Hector, but decided that she had better do it herself. What she had to say was not really a guy-to-guy subject. Getting a few minutes alone with Hector was the hardest part.

"Maddy has a lot of concerns, Hector. She is suffering from a lack of confidence."

"Why? Did I do or say something to cause that?"

"No, not at all. It's just a natural thing for us girls to worry about our sex appeal."

"But I love that girl so much it hurts," he protested.

"Oh, I know that. Everyone knows that, believe me. She needs to know that you lust after her, too. You do, don't you?"

"Cheryl! I respect Maddy. I don't want her to think..."

"She needs go know that she excites you, Hector. It's no disrespect to show passion and arousal for your life mate."

"I guess I never thought of it that way," he mused.

"You guys would enjoy your wedding a lot more if there weren't as many new experiences to worry about that night."

"We've agreed that we won't have sex before. That's a done deal."

"But why not do everything but that? Would that violate your beliefs?"

"I don't think she would..."

"If she did, Hector, you need to go along with it. You need to let her know that you are aroused, that she excites you."

"Why are you saying these things, Cheryl?"

"Because you two are my great friends. I'm thrilled that you are together, and I'd like for your wedding to be the happiest day of your lives. If you're both nervous about what's coming up, it might not be as good.

"I guess the main thing I wanted to say is that Maddy needs your approval. She is a lot less confident and secure than she seems, at least about her body and about sex. If she initiates something, please, PLEASE don't do anything that she could see as rejection. What you might think is being respectful, she might read the wrong way."

"God! This romance stuff gets complicated," he complained.

"You have no idea," Cheryl warned him.

Maddy had arrived first at the apartment, and she opened the door for Hector. He did not know that they would be alone, that Cheryl and Cal had gone out to study. He thought it rather strange that she stood behind the door, with just her flushed face showing. Normally, she would have greeted him with a vigorous hug and kiss, leaping into his arms to reach his face.

Assuming that she must have been restraining herself because there were other people present, he walked into the room. She had closed the door before he turned around, and it was a good thing. It would not have been good for anyone outside to see him stumble from the shock of seeing her standing there naked, blushing from head to toe, even through her naturally tawny skin.

The lovers just stared at each other for some indeterminate time. Maddy was almost shaking with fear for his reaction. Hector was at first too stunned to think, but somehow, Cheryl's admonish registered: "Don't do anything that she might see as rejection."

"Where's my hug?" he said, holding out his arms in clear invitation.

With a little squeak, she dashed the few feet between them and jumped into his arms in her usual fashion. He had gotten into the habit of holding her up by her bottom when they hugged like that, and he did it instinctively then. The sensation of holding her bare bottom for the first time almost made him drop her. It was fear of hurting her, more than anything, that made him keep a firm hold.

Hector did not consider himself at all glib or smooth. In fact, he tended to be rather tongue-tied around Maddy. As they kissed, though, he came up with the perfect line, right from his heart. "Promise me?"

"Huh?"

"Promise you'll greet me like that every time after we're married?"

That caused Maddy to shudder. She was not sure if it was a tiny orgasm or not, but she really did not care. The important thing was that he wanted to see her body. Her short legs, her muscular thighs and butt, her less-then-waspish waist, her solid shoulders - they didn't turn him off. The feeling of relief and exhilaration was enormous, and she could not hold back the sniffles and the tears.

Still holding her, he walked to the couch and sat down with her still straddling him. "Did I say something wrong?"

"Oh, no! God, no! I was so afraid you wouldn't like me when you saw me naked."

"Oh, Honey! How could you think that? I love your body! I love every part of you!"

"I... I knew that, but..." Through her stammering, a lustful look took over her face. She reached behind her to grab one of his hands and brought it to her breast. "You don't know how much I've wanted that feeling," she breathed out.

"Not nearly as much as I wanted it," he retorted, his large hand caressing with the gentleness that always amazed her. "Baby, it's just awesome!" She could tell from his voice and his touch that it was no line. He meant it.

Almost lost in the wonderful sensations, Hector still managed to remember the admonition from Cheryl. How could he reassure his beloved even more? He was not sure, but he knew what he very much wanted to do at that moment and he let himself go. Bending down, he used his hand to lift her breast so he could take her distended nipple in his mouth.

Maddy's emotions were already cranked up to maximum gain. It had been unbelievably hard to expose herself, and her uncertainty about his reaction had almost made her ill. Then, his eager acceptance and his comment about her greeting him that way all the time had almost incapacitated her.

From the first meeting, when she had almost fallen on top of him chasing an out ball, his massive strength had thrilled her. Every time he picked her up and held her like a small child, she was ready to forget vows of virginity and become a woman right on the spot. Now, feeling his mighty hands on her bare body had made that combination of strength and tenderness even more arousing.

Maddy was passionate. Her emotions always ran a couple of notches higher than even most other woman. It was what made her such a force on the court and what drew people to her like a magnet. Her emotional intensity had never been as high as at the moment when Hector took her nipple into his mouth.

It is not inaccurate to describe an orgasm as an emotional short circuit. That is what happened to Maddy when Hector's tongue instinctively flicked over her nipple. The accumulated sensations were just too much and she erupted into a climax far stronger than any she had been able to give herself. Emitting a combination squeal and groan, her body jerked and heaved in his arms. Her ecstasy seemed to go on and on, and when it finally subsided, she was left trembling, panting, and sweaty.

She was embarrassed, and had just enough strength to bury her face in his neck and shoulder, terrified of what he must think of her. They had done some pretty heavy petting, but always over clothes, and they had never come close to getting each other off. His shock was at least equal to her embarrassment, but that was not his only reaction.

He had hardened the moment he saw her standing naked, and holding her bare body had only increased his excitement. As she convulsed in orgasm, her crotch had bounced rhythmically against his upright erection. Somehow, he had held off from losing it right then. When she subsided, he relaxed, thinking he had avoided soiling his shorts.

In her embarrassment, Maddy did not just hide her face. She tried to crawl right inside Hector. In doing so, her little wiggles and squirms caught him unprepared, and he erupted. He did not just sit still and spurt. Instead, his whole body lurched with the force of each jet, and he could not stifle the accompanying grunts.

By the third spurt, Maddy was fully aware of what was happening and her own embarrassment was washed away by a tide of wonder and excitement. She pulled her head back and watched his face as he finished. Wide-eyed and slack-jawed, she just stared at him until he finally opened his tightly-closed eyes. Then, she broke into an ear-to-ear grin, backed off of his lap, grabbed his hand, and tried to pull him to his feet.

Hector was no more ready for the force of his orgasm than Maddy had been for hers, and standing was momentarily impossible. "Come on! We need to shower!" she urged, all the while, tugging on his arm.

For a few seconds, he wanted to shake off her insistent pull and catch his breath. Then, when he was seeing more clearly, he was ready to do anything she wanted. The sight of her child-like excitement and what her impatient bouncing did to her very un-child-like breasts cleared the fog from his brain in a hurry.

It was no mystery to Hector how Maddy could dominate the volleyball court the way she did. At that moment, he was perfectly willing to be led, particularly because the view of her flexing leg and butt muscles as she pulled him along was so enticing. He should have been mortified by the way he had lost it, but in the face of her reaction, how could he be? Seeing her happy, alive, and excited had always thrilled him, but now, naked and sexually aroused, she was the most wonderful sight he could imagine.

In the modest bathroom, she wasted no time getting at the object of her lust. She was unfastening his pants before they were through the door. Somehow, she had enough restraint to wait for him to kick off his shoes. She also let him get the pants completely off before attending to his messy shorts.

He was about to take off the shorts himself when she came out of her frenzy and said "Wait! Wear them into the shower and rinse them out. We'll put them in the dryer later." Rather than spoiling the mood, her little casual attention to something embarrassing but necessary just endeared her to him even more.

Once in the shower, she did not wait long before removing his shorts. He just knew that she needed to do it and did not try to stop her. After pulling them down, she remained on her knees in the small space. She took his once again rigid cock in both hands and just explored its shape and its texture.

When her exploration had gone on for a few minutes, Hector became concerned that he might come again. "Maddy, if you keep that up, I'll lose it again," he warned.

"Tell me how to make it happen," was her response. She did not need much instruction, and it did not take long before he came all over her face and her hair.

When he regained his breath, he told her "Let me wash you, then let's get on the bed. I owe you."

Cal and Cheryl stayed at the library until eleven, well beyond when Maddy and Hector had planned to leave. They thought it would be best not to meet their friends after their first exploratory session. They had made arrangements to check in with Claire and Bert, even if it was late. Perhaps deviously, they had not told Maddy and Hector how well sound traveled from the apartment's spare bedroom to the house.

When Claire opened the connecting door to Cheryl's knock, Cheryl started laughing so hard she had to sit down. Trying to look stern, Claire said "Someday, girly, you will want to brag about that well-fucked look, too. It won't always be an everyday occurrence, you know."

"I suppose Bert was in no shape to open the door," Cheryl chortled.

"Honey, right now, Bert can't even open his eyes. Would you believe twice?"

"So, Maddy and Hector seemed to do all right?" Cheryl queried.

"It was sexy as hell," Claire responded. "The only problem was, sometimes it was so sweet it almost made us cry. They are just the nicest kids."

Five more times in the weeks before the wedding Cheryl and Cal surrendered the apartment to their friends. Cheryl made it a point not to ask Maddy anything about their sessions. She knew that Maddy was somewhat conflicted about their activities. One night, Maddy was back at the apartment waiting when they returned from the library, Hector having taken her home and gone on to his place. Cal was aware enough to decide that he should go get gas and pick up some groceries.

"Cheryl, thank you so much for talking me into this. You were right," Maddy said. "The only problem is that it's even harder to wait for, you know. But it's worth it. I thought we were in love before, but I... I didn't know it could be this wonderful!"

Hugging her friend, Cheryl said "And believe it or not, it keeps getting better the more things you go through together."

"Why don't you and Cal just get married? It doesn't seem like money would be a problem."

That was something that Cheryl had honestly not considered. "Oh. That's... that's an interesting question, Maddy. I guess with med school coming up and everything, we just have a lot of things that might keep us apart."

"But you'll never really be apart, will you? I mean you'll for sure be married someday, won't you?" Maddy asked. "You're just like me and Hector."

"Yeah, we'll be together. You know, Cal could end up as an NFL kicker," Cheryl mused. "He doesn't seem to like that idea right now, but that could change. If he was on a pro team and I was in med school, it could be a long time between when we saw each other."

"Would it be any easier because you weren't actually married?" Maddy asked.

"You're just trying to make an honest woman out of me, aren't you?" Cheryl teased, trying to change the subject. It was a subject that disturbed her.

The next day at practice, Cheryl suffered one of her rare off days. Her concentration just wasn't quite there. Maddy's question about marriage had cost her a restless night and opened up a number of other questions.

Up until then, there had always been an exciting next step to look forward to in her relationship with Cal. Her first year at college, it had not really been an exciting step, rather something to get through. Still, there had been something romantic about enduring until the separation ended. And she had endured. Living with Cal full time had definitely been exciting. It occurred to her that she had been enjoying her present life so much that the future had just been a glowing something up ahead. Maddy's suggestion had laid bare a lot of questions.

Where would she go to med school? Would Cal finish in three years? Would he follow her? Could he make it in the NFL as a kicker? Would he stay and finish his degree? After living with him for two years, how would she stand whatever separation there was? Would getting married make anything easier? Harder?

"Cheryl, I hope I wasn't the one who put you in this funk," Maddy said as they dressed side by side in the locker room.

"Well, your question about getting married brought up a lot of other questions," Cheryl admitted, "but don't feel bad. It was something we should be thinking about. Say, the NFL is kind of a threat to you guys, too, isn't it?"

"I don't think so," Maddy said. "We've talked about it a lot. You know, in both of our families, a college degree is a rare thing. With what our parents have done, even helping us live as a couple until we graduate, he doesn't think he could live with himself if he left school early."

"Yeah, but we're talking some serious money they might wave at him. That could pay back a lot of things for your parents."

"Believe me, we've gone around and around on that. He doesn't think he's good enough to be drafted very high, if at all. That means the money will be good, but not awesome."

"Maddy, he's almost leading the nation in tackles!"

"I don't know what's going to happen, Cheryl, and we've agreed not to waste energy worrying about it right now. The only sure thing is that we'll be together, whatever happens. You know, if you graduate early, it won't be as much fun for me to play a fourth year."

"That's crazy, Maddy. Coach is getting better recruits every year. Who knows? Even next year, I might not get much playing time. I'm the shortest hitter in the conference, you know. There'll be plenty of great hitters for you to set for. Sharon, for instance."

"Yeah, she's really improving, isn't she." That was the perfect bail out for an uncomfortable conversation.

"Cal, Honey, I've been thinking." They were lying in bed in their favorite face-to-face position with her leg over his thigh. "Maybe you should rethink basketball."

"Huh?"

"Maybe I'm being silly, but ever since I've known you, you've always been on a team. Well, not for a few months in the spring, I guess. Selfishly, I'll miss being able to watch you play."

"But you know I don't like the style they play."

"Maybe because you associate it with Hall. His style was extreme and mindless. These guys do fast break sometimes, you know."

"Why are changing your mind? Don't want me around all the time?" he teased.

"That's part of it," she said, poking him in the ribs in response to his tease. "The main thing is what the coach said. You're a competitor. I'm afraid you won't be happy knowing there are guys out there screwing up something you could do much better."

"Boy, it's great knowing who my biggest fan is," he said before kissing her soundly. "What about Pat."

"I've changed my mind on that. The best revenge is to beat him out of a job."

"I don't know," he demurred. "He's got four inches and a lot of speed on me."

"But you can make the team better. I'll bet he just plays for himself. The coach must have seen that already if practice has started."

"What about our goal of just being normal students?" he asked.

"I guess the best 'normal' for me is watching my lover play," she answered seriously. "And the best 'normal' for you is always competing in something."

"I don't know, Cheryl. I think I would just get frustrated not being able to run enough."

"Let's look at it analytically," she said. "What is you biggest strength in basketball?"

"Shooting, I guess."

"Guess nothing. One thing I remembered from Coach Hall was that you could have scored fifty points a game because his offense depended on accurate outside shooting. The coach here knows he needs that, too. You could make a difference. You could help make the team better. Will you at least think about it?"

"We will be in a bowl game between Christmas and New Years, so it's a moot point until then. I'll think about it, though."

Cheryl's funk did not last long. What really brought her out of it was all of the wedding preparation. Cal just watched in amazement as a Cheryl that he had not really seen before emerged. At times, when involved with Maddy in planning or fittings, they were both as giddy as little girls. At other times, when she watched Maddy and Hector together, she went starry-eyed and mushy. In a call home, Cal mentioned Cheryl's behavior to Elaine.

"And just why are you surprised?" Elaine asked with a chuckle. "Didn't she get pretty much the same way for Robin's wedding?"

"Well, yeah. But, I guess I just didn't notice it as much," Cal answered.

"With Maddy's wedding, she's right in the middle of it," Elaine pointed out. "It's completely normal, Honey. Weddings always affect women that way."

"Oh, I'm not complaining," Cal said hurriedly. "It makes her even more, um, affectionate."

"Horny, you mean, don't you?" Elaine said with a giggle. "Say, Hon, have you planned anything special for you two after the wedding?"

"Huh? No, I never thought of that," he admitted.

"It's not that you need to score points with her, or anything," Elaine told him, "but it never hurts to take advantage of a romantic occasion. Her life has been just as hectic as yours, lately."