Chapter 16: Anticipation = Frustration

Despite the weather, a mixture of cold rain and sleet, the trip home only took six hours, including a short stop at the mid-way restaurant and we arrived at one p.m., three hours ahead of schedule.

Molly met us at the back door, saying that Mr. Oldham and Suzanne were out, shopping, she thought. She also told us she had a hot lunch prepared.

"Come downstairs as soon as you get settled," she said.

"I'll lay odds they're not shopping," I whispered to Shirley on the way upstairs. "I'll bet they're over at the office."

"Don't make fun of them. We're just as dedicated to school and our work," she scolded me.

I had noticed that Molly didn't offer to help carry our bags up the stairs, not that I had accepted her offers of help in the past, but it made me question if she was having difficulty climbing the stairs.

My room was the same as we had left it. The two items on my desk, Becky's picture turned upside down and the envelope containing three pips having been carefully lifted and returned to their places after dusting.

Shirley joined me at the door to the balcony where I was gazing down at the covered swimming pool. We stood there for about a minute, looking at the rolling lawn and the woods beyond. I felt her hand in mine and turned my head.

"Do you like your job?"

"Yes," I answered before considering what the fuck she was talking about. Her eyes dropped to where our hands were joined and her face took on the timid look that made her seem young and innocent.

"I like my job too."

"What's your job?"

"Being your girlfriend, but I'm not very good at it. I make a lot of mistakes."

Her eyes were still downcast. I squeezed her hand to get her attention, wishing she would lighten up. She raised her head and swallowed.

"Do that again."

"Do what again?"

"I want to see you swallow. There's a place on your neck that dips in when you... that's it... do it again... I want to..."

I was kissing the indented place on her neck when the phone rang.

"Hello."

"Mr. Sammy, your soup is going to get cold."

"We'll be right down, Molly."

Lunch consisted of homemade soup, corned beef sandwiches and deep-dish apple pie. We sat at the breakfast bar and talked to Molly as we ate, telling her about school and the trip home that day. While I asked the old housekeeper about her grandchildren Shirley phoned the office to see if Mr. Oldham and Suzanne were really there. They were.

Suzanne said she would be home soon but by the time she arrived, nearly two hours later, we had hung our clothes in the closet, visited Ned and Penelope's new baby, two and one-half-month old Samantha, and I had phoned Alice to tell her we were looking forward to attending her wedding ceremony.

"I'm looking forward to dancing with you if I can snare you away from my daughter. Brenda's been practicing ever since you promised to dance with her," Alice said, laughing.

"Where are you planning to live?"

"Oh," she began, sounding exasperated. "Not in this neighborhood, I'm afraid. We've taken a house near the mortuary. We'll have you and Shirley over when you're home for Christmas vacation."

"What do you mean by taken? Did you buy a house?"

"Let's just say it's been in Carter's family for years. We're having remodeling work done but it's an older home... you know... three stories... drafty... needs lots of tender loving care... you'll see what I'm talking about at Christmas."

I asked to talk to Brenda, but Alice said she had gone out with Carter. "They're bonding," she explained, sounding hopeful but doubtful at the same time.

"Tell her I was asking for her," I said as we ended the call.

I had a niggling feeling in the back of my mind; something was not right, but I didn't get a chance to talk to Shirley about it until much later. I went downstairs to find her helping Molly with dinner.

Suzanne was seated at the breakfast counter, overseeing the preparation of the meal. She caught me by surprise, jumping off the stool and plastering a wet smooch right on my mouth before exclaiming, "Sammy, you're looking much better and I see you found time to have your hair cut. I like it much better this way. How did finals go?"

I gave Shirley a 'what-got-into-this-one' look and got a shrug in return. "There were no surprises. I made out okay, I guess."

Suzanne released her hold on me, seemingly satisfied with my answer, but her greeting had left me in shock.

I excused myself and went out to the garage where I found Ned vacuuming my car's interior. I told him it wasn't necessary. He laughed, saying he was going to take it for service the next day.

"How does Penelope like being at home all the time?" I asked.

Ned had a strange look on his face, making me wonder if I had overstepped my bounds. What business did I have asking such a personal question?

"Why do you ask?"

He had me. I wasn't sure why I had even thought to ask. "It must be confining for her, that's all."

"You may be right, Sammy. I hadn't given it a thought. She does seem out of sorts at times. But you know Penelope, she never complains."

"I shouldn't have said anything."

"No, it's okay. I'm glad you did but I don't know anything I can do. Samantha is a full time job right now and I can only do so much."

"Ned, I don't know if this would work but Molly is getting along in years and Betsy isn't far behind her. There might be a need for Penelope to help out. That would give her..."

"A break? You may have something there."

"It's just a thought. I'll mention it to John."

"Oh, so it's John now? You've come a long way, Mr. Oldham."

I was embarrassed but Ned laughed, assuring me that he was talking in jest.

"He specifically told me not to call him Dad."

"That's John for you. He always makes sure you know where the line is drawn."

We didn't talk more about Mr. Oldham or my idea to make room for Penelope in the Oldham household, but when we parted it was with the understanding that I would suggest the idea and we would see where it went from there.

"We're to dress for dinner," Shirley said when we were back in my room.

"Why? Are we having company or something?"

"No, it's just something Suzanne requested. Humor her, honey. She doesn't ask much of us."

"Is my blue blazer okay?"

Shirley wrinkled her nose before nodding. We both stripped off our clothes, but she wouldn't get into the shower with me. "You get dressed and go talk to Mr. Oldham. I'll be down later," she said.

I found Mr. Oldham in the sunroom. We had seen each other only a few days before but I had been too sick to talk. I told him everything that had happened at school, what we were covering in my classes, about the four flag-football games I had played in and about our Friday night pizza and beer parties, but I avoided saying anything about our long separation.

He smiled at my description of the flag-football games and the pizza parties, like he was recalling his own college days. I don't know if he noticed, but not once did I call him John. When Suzanne entered the room we rose and greeted her like we were seeing her for the first time. She was wearing a long dress that had to be new. It was dark red, dipped low at the neckline and flowed to four inches above her black shoes, showing just a hint of her ankles, covered by dark stockings. Her neck was adorned with large black pearls and she wore matching earrings.

For once, Mr. Oldham was speechless. I felt obliged to say something. "Have you ever considered a career in modeling, Suz?"

Suzanne actually blushed, something I had never seen before. She raised one hand to her mouth and in so doing, just happened to display the ring on her left hand. "Is that new?" I asked, stating the obvious. She had never worn a diamond before. Why hadn't I seen it that afternoon when she surprised me with the mouth to mouth?

"John has an announcement, but let's wait for Shirley," Suzanne said.

Well, shit! Why had she held the rock up to her mouth if she didn't want me to see it? That action alone was the announcement; John Oldham had been upstaged.

We were still standing in the same places when Shirley made her entrance and we got our first look at the dress she had made to wear to Alice's wedding.

While the dress outlined her figure, flattering her small breasts and thin waistline, contouring her shapely ass, the pastel blue satin material extended well below her knees, too low to display her best asset, her long lithe legs. She wore no jewelry and I decided a necklace would have been out of place next to the high neckline.

Mr. Oldham and Suzanne exclaimed about the dress and I admired it from afar. Shirley was equally complimentary of Suzanne's dress.

"What's wrong, Sammy? Don't you like my dress?"

"Of course I like it, but I like what it's covering better," I answered, being as frank as possible without divulging that I was disappointed with the dress. The design was completely changed from the drawing I had seen her working on the night we received the formal invitation to Alice's wedding. Seeing the dress put things into perspective; a lot of things had changed in the past few weeks.

Suzanne scolded me. "Let her enjoy being covered up for once, Sammy. She can't go around naked all the time."

This broke the tension I felt. "John has an announcement," I reminded everyone.

Suzanne held up her hand for Shirley to see, causing Shirley to squeal with glee, making the announcement redundant.

But Mr. Oldham forged on. "Suz has agreed to be my wife," he said, just to make it official.

The diamond was not huge, but big enough to attract attention, certainly big enough for me to have noticed when I first saw Suzanne that afternoon.

She explained; "We wanted you kids to be the first to know, not that I'm going to wear it to work. We've already chosen my wedding ring. It's a plain wide band and that's what I'll wear to prove that I'm an owned-woman. This rock will only be for special occasions."

"Congratulations," I said, turning to shake Mr. Oldham's hand.

Suzanne accepted my congratulation by kissing me again, this time on the cheek. Shirley hugged her and then kissed Mr. Oldham, directly on the lips. As we stood there grinning at each other I had a strange thought. We were four adults, unrelated by blood but more of a family than I had known before.

Suzanne and Shirley excused themselves to go change into comfortable clothes, and while they were gone Mr. Oldham and I were given the task of setting the table for dinner.

We enjoyed a fine home-cooked meal in the dining room. Mr. Oldham and I wore ties, Suzanne was dressed in lounge-wear, the diamond and the residue of bright red lip-gloss that had failed to make its way to my cheek. Shirley wore jeans and a 'Cromwell' sweatshirt she had found in my closet.

Conversation around the table that evening centered on how much Samantha was growing, what was happening around the neighborhood and what time we should leave to make it to Alice's wedding on time. Suzanne announced that they were getting new cars and we would have Thanksgiving dinner at the club, all in one sentence, as if the two subjects were related. In a way they were.

"Are you getting the same models as before?" I asked to be polite.

"I'm getting a sedan this time," Mr. Oldham said, looking at Suzanne.

"He thinks the sedan is more fitting for an old married man, but I'm not ready to go that far just yet. I still like the coupe."

Shirley posed the question I had wanted to ask, but hadn't had the nerve. "When's the big day?"

There was a long silence before Suzanne admitted they hadn't set the date yet. "I have the ring, a new car and John's promise; that's enough for now."

I decided to tease her a little. "What will you want me to call you after you're married: Mom, adopted-Mom, or just Suz?"

"I would never pretend to take your mother's place, Sammy."

The serious way she answered made me back off. Instead of teasing her I decided to toast the newly engaged couple.

"May you have many happy years together. I wish you all the best."

Suzanne shed a tear as she raised her glass and gazed adoringly at me. "That's the nicest thing you've ever said."

Shirley accused me of making the shortest toast in history and wanted me to continue but Suzanne wouldn't hear of it, saying that I would be giving many more toasts both before and after the actual wedding.

There were two more announcements, both involving me. Mr. Oldham first said that I was to get Suzanne's old car. I was happily digesting this news when he said that I would be accompanying him to Atlanta during my Christmas break from school.

"Yes, Sir," was all I could manage to say.

We retired early, using the six-hour drive that day and the three days of finals as our excuse for needing our rest. Mr. Oldham and Suzanne pretended to understand.

The door to my bedroom was barely closed when Shirley loosened my tie and began unbuttoning my shirt. She took my blazer, shirt and tie to the closet and when she returned she had discarded the 'Cromwell' sweatshirt. I wasn't surprised to see the absence of a bra.

I pulled her to me, wanting to feel her breasts against my chest, run my hands over her back and cup the cheeks of her ass.

"I have a surprise for you."

Another surprise? First I had learned that I was getting Suzanne's car and Mr. Oldham and I were going to Atlanta during my Christmas vacation. "What is it?"

"You'll find out, but first you have to take off your pants."

"I have a surprise for you, too."

"What is it?"

"You'll see when I take off my pants."

I took off my pants and she lowered her jeans, watching me closely. "Oh, good," she said, sounding relieved when she saw my hard-on. "Is that your surprise? It's much better than a tape recorder under the bed."

With two more kicks and a wiggle, we stood naked; inspecting one another like it was our first time.

"I would never do anything like that," I said, gazing at her short bush. She hadn't bothered to shave during the weeks we had been apart.

"I know you wouldn't, darling, but can we pretend?"

"Pretend what we say is being recorded?"

"Can we?" she asked, moving in close and standing on her tiptoes. I felt her pussy touch the head of my cock as we kissed.

"You want me to talk dirty?"

Yes, tell me what you're going to do to me."

I cupped her ass cheeks to help support her and felt her wet pussy stroke my cock as she moved back and forth.