Chapter 7

A shaft of morning light fell across the bed. Brian roused and glanced to his left. Debra lay on her back, the bedcovers coming just above her navel. She still was breathing deeply and regularly simultaneously through her nose and parted lips. The sunbeam from the window illuminated her breasts.

Brian took the opportunity to examine them closely. He watched them move with her breathing. In the sunlight he could see her skin was downed with the finest white hair. A barely discernable network of faint, blue veins he could make out through her skin. One crossed her pale, pink areola on her right breast. The sun seemed to make her pale skin glow like alabaster.

He grasped the covers, pulled them up so they were across her shoulders. She stirred and rolled onto her side. The sunbeam fell across her eyes. “Mmmph,” she said and pulled the covers over her face.

“Debra -- are you awake?” he asked.

“I am now,” she said with a yawn.

“How did you sleep?” he asked.

“I was having a disturbing dream.”

“What sort of disturbing dream?”

“You were in it. I was on the beach, wearing a bikini.”

“You in a bikini on the beach?”

“Yes,” she replied. “I was lying in the sun and it was burning me. I could smell my skin burning, peeling, and flaking off. Then, when I went inside -- I wasn’t an albino any more. I looked like my mom -- brown hair, brown eyes and my skin was tanned. And my vision -- was perfect. I was so happy to be rid of this ... condition that has afflicted me my whole life.”

“How do I fit into this?”

“I’m getting to that ... I saw you and you saw me and...” She bit her lip. “You didn’t want me any more.” She brushed tears from her face. “You told me to go away -- that you never wanted to see me again.”

“Debra -- it was only a dream. It wasn’t real. Dreams are your brain’s way of dealing with odds and ends ... sorting wheat from chaff.”

“Something in me must’ve triggered it. Brian -- do love me because I’m an albino or in spite of it?”

“I love you because you’re you,” he replied. “Your skin and hair and eyes are part of you, Debra.”

“So you love me in spite of it,” she said.

“I wouldn’t say that. I’ll admit I first was attracted to you because of your albinism...”

“You said you liked the odd and unique.”

“Yes, I do ... but I fell in love with the person inside. I wouldn’t care if your hair was purple, your eyes were orange and your skin was green. I’d love you just the same.”

“You’d probably like me better that way,” she replied.

“I like you anyway I can have you.”

“There was a time when I was in seventh grade. I was begging Aunt Gemma to take me to a salon so they could darken my hair so I’d fit in. What would you think if you came to pick me up for a weekend and I had Kaycee dye my hair brown or auburn?”

“I don’t think those would be good colors for your skin. Red would be better, but you’d need to paint on some freckles. You’d be better off dying it black. I think raven hair with pale skin is a good look.”

“Sort of a Goth or Emo look,” she replied.

“Yeah. I wouldn’t care for it -- but I wouldn’t stop loving you.”

“Do you really mean it, Brian?”

“I really mean it.” He stretched out under the covers beside her and coaxed her against him. He caressed her shoulder blades and her arm.

“We talked earlier about my low self-esteem. I guess I was afraid you only liked me because I’m so unusual ... a trophy.”

“I’m in love with the Debra who lives inside you. Your physical appearance is only icing on the cake.”

She drew in a deep breath and released it. Then, she kissed his lips. “I feel better, now.”

“What do you think of last night?”

“My head is still swimming. I can’t believe we did what we did.”

“It was phenomenal progress, Debra. I’m happy for you.”

“I can’t believe how powerful my second orgasm was.”

“Are you still having twinges?”

“No ... they’ve faded. I remember you saying you were in awe of the female orgasm. I guess I’m in awe, too. I had no idea that was in me.”

“You don’t know the half of it, yet,” he replied.

“What do you mean?”

“Imagine your second orgasm ... only continuous for fifteen minutes to a half hour...”

“Is that even possible?” she asked.

“ ... or wave after wave of orgasmic ecstasy washing over you for twenty minutes straight -- putting you into an altered state of consciousness. I assure you it is possible.”

“When you said you wanted it to be glorious -- is that what you wanted me to experience?”

“It is.”

She snuggled against him. “I guess I have a lot to learn.”

“Sex is like any activity. You improve with practice.”

“So, what do you think we should do tonight?”

“Well -- we did nothing but neck for six weeks straight. If we did what we did last night for six weeks straight that would be okay with me.”

“Do you mean it?” she asked.

“I do.”

“Aren’t you eager to go all the way?”

He kissed her light hair. “I’m in no hurry. I have some ideas on how to make it special.”

“What ideas?”

“I don’t want to spoil the surprise.” he replied.

“Give me a hint?”

“Hmm ... I think it would be fun to go somewhere special for a weekend ... a sort of mini pre-honeymoon. Then we could deflower each other in a special setting.”

“I’m not a virgin and neither are you,” she replied.

“Virginity is a state of mind, mostly -- don’t you think? If you tell me, Brian -- tonight I’m a virgin ... I have to respect that. You can be a virgin whenever you want to be.”

“Oh, I do love you, Brian.”

“I love you, too. Let’s say we get up. I can make French toast for breakfast. I have some real maple syrup.”

“French toast? After all that pizza? I swear I gain two pounds every weekend we’re together. You feed me too well.”

“You don’t look like you’re packing in on to me. I guess it means we have to work it off.”

“Okay ... I want to take a shower.”

“You take your shower while I make French toast. Then, if you want to do schoolwork ... I can find something to do.”

Debra swung her feet from the bed. Brian stood, approached her and embraced her. “That’s a sight I’ll never tire of seeing.”

“What’s that?”

“A nude you.”

She pulled a cosmetics pouch from her overnight bag. Brian pulled on a pair of boxers and a tee shirt. He watched her disappear into his bathroom.

He headed for his kitchen where he heated a griddle, cracked some eggs and soaked slices of bread in them. The water in the shower began to run.

Brian was testing the heat of the griddle when he heard a shriek from the bathroom. He dashed to the door. “Debra -- are you all right?” he asked through the door. Hearing no answer he opened it and stepped inside. “Debra,” he repeated, “are you all right?”

He could see her shadow on the shower curtain. “I’m fine,” she replied. “I’ll be out in a minute.”

“I thought I heard you cry out.”

“It was nothing.”

“Did you see a spider or something? Scald yourself?”

“No -- it was nothing. I’ll be right out.”

She emerged with a towel around her hair and another around her torso. “Come and get it while it’s hot,” he said.

“Let me get dressed, first.” She stepped into his bedroom and returned in fresh jeans and a knit top. Her hair fell around her face as wet, white tangles. “One advantage of a perm is -- you let it air dry.”

He placed a plate before her. She picked up her fork and knife and cut a morsel. “So -- what happened in there?” he asked.

“If you must know -- I was doing my homework assignment and got a bit carried away ... okay?”

“You masturbated to orgasm?” he asked.

“Yes -- it sort of startled me and I let out a yelp.”

“You know, Debra -- now that you’ve experienced orgasm ... and you know how easily you can achieve it ... you don’t need to do any more homework ... unless, of course, you want to.”

She broke into a broad smile. “I’m way ahead of you, Brian. I had already figured that much out.

Brian cleared the breakfast plates. Debra set up her laptop on the kitchen table. “Do you have much work to do?” he asked.

“I have to write a paper -- an analysis of a decision and an appeal. It’s due Monday.”

“I’ll let you work, then. When did you receive the assignment?”

“Two weeks ago.”

“Two weeks! Are you just starting it?”

“I work best under time pressure,” she replied. “Don’t worry -- I’ll knock it out and it’ll be at least a B -- guaranteed.”

“God, I envy people like you.” He stood behind her, parted her still damp hair and nuzzled her neck.

“Do you want me to finish this before dinner?”

“Okay, okay ... I’ll leave you to your work. I’ll find something to do.”

“What are you working on?” she asked.

“Oh ... Bob wants some test plans for my latest project by Friday. I think I’ll confound him by turning them in on Monday.”

“But -- he’ll just give you more work, won’t he.”

“Hmm ... I’ll turn them in on Wednesday afternoon, then.”

Brian cleared the table and Debra assisted loading his dishwasher. “So what do you want to do tonight?” he asked. “Watch something, play some cards ... or go straight to bed? I think we made such progress last night we can skip some of the long, drawn-out preliminaries.”

“One of the things I liked about last night was us going slowly. I liked feeling my arousal build, bit by bit.”

“If you like it slow, we’ll do it slow. Someday, I’ll come home to find you so horny you want it fast -- we’ll tear each other’s clothes off and make drunken monkey sex right on the floor.”

“I don’t think that sounds like me, Brian.”

“Probably not -- but a guy can dream, can’t he?” Brian glanced at his watch. “It’s not even six yet. I don’t think we have three hours of material to cover tonight.”

“Is that how long we were making love last night?”

“From first kiss to post-coital bliss -- yes, about that.”

“Well ... I’ve never been big on cards. I did see some interesting titles in your collection.” She stepped to the bookshelf where he kept his DVDs. “Like Water for Chocolate -- what’s that about?”

“It’s Mexican film -- a love story about forbidden love. It’s a bit like Romeo and Juliet.” He examined the case. It is dubbed into English ... unless you habla Espanol.”

“Not even a poco, she replied. Does it have a sad ending?”

“Yeah ... But it’s a post-script ... a voice-over. You don’t see anything bad happen.”

“I’m not in the mood for a sad ending.”

He flicked through more titles. “How about this one? Warm Water under a Red Bridge? It’s Japanese ... I think it’s what passes for a sex comedy there ... forget it, not dubbed, only subtitled ... unless you want it dubbed into Cantonese.” He flipped through more. “Here -- Whale Rider. It’s in English, set in New Zealand among contemporary Maoris ... about a twelve-year-old girl.”

“Is it a kids’ film?” she asked.

“Just because it’s ABOUT a twelve-year-old doesn’t mean it’s FOR twelve-year-olds. No, it deals with adult themes ... and it has a very satisfying ending.”

“Okay -- I’m in the mood to watch something.”

“I’ll make some popcorn. Do you want something to drink?”