Chapter 3

Ruthie and I were a lot more comfortable around each other now. I could go by her and rest my hand on her shoulder, or when we were out and I was guiding her, I did not worry where my hand was placed. We sat for hours discussing how we could put together a book, with Uncle Peter pretty much at the center. The case histories that Ruthie would be compiling were possible only if Peter was the glue that held the stories together. First, we both felt that we had to get his permission.

I called the number, the one where I had first contacted him. "Peter here."

"Hi, Peter."

"Ralph, I've been meaning to call you. I was sorry I could not attend Nan's service at the cemetery last week, but you know how my Friday nights are. I'm sure you understand."

"I do. I was calling about something else." Peter interrupted me.

"Ruthie is all right isn't she? I worry so much that she will fall or trip or something."

"Ruthie's fine. You were talking to her a couple of weeks ago because she was not doing anything with her life. We came up with an idea and we want to discuss it with you. Would it be possible to come up here for two or three days? She wants to see you. Don't laugh when I say that, because I really believe she sees more clearly than you and I even if our images aren't before her."

"I agree. It sounds as though you two are getting closer and closer together. I was hoping you might. I knew from the start that Ruthie and you would become friends. Has anything more than that happened yet?"

"We are very definitely friends. We haven't taken anything to the next level yet. If it happens, it will be because we both want it to. About the visit--will you come?"

"How about day after tomorrow? I can stay Wednesday, Thursday and leave early Friday morning. Would that do?"

"Perfect. We will expect you."

We had a pleasant surprise when Peter brought his wife June, Ruthie's aunt, with him. I wondered what this would do to our presentation before Peter about what Ruthie has proposed collecting material for a book. I whispered this to Ruthie. She said, "It will be a shoo-in now. She is a dear and I'll ask her to hear what we have to say when we talk to Uncle Peter."

I wondered about it and waited to see how it would play out. After all, this was basically Ruthie's project even if it was my idea and I would be doing a lot of the work setting things up. Things that Ruthie could not do, because of her lack of sight. She also warned me that Aunt June was very plain spoken. She didn't have time to elaborate as they came in.

Aunt June squealed as she realized that Ruthie did not need her sunshades and that she looked just as normal as any person that had their sight. Peter knew about the change, but had been waiting to see for himself before breaking the news to his wife. I was given all the credit, and got a very wet, sloppy kiss, by way of thanks. Ruthie laughed at how disconcerted I was. She knew that it would be worse than this for me before her aunt and uncle returned to Boston.

Uncle Peter was fifty-six years old and Aunt June was three years his junior. I also gathered that June didn't participate in any of the groups, never appearing at any of the sessions. Peter however, kept her abreast of what went on and both used the happenings to titillate them to more than the normal amount of sex between husband and wife.

I discovered at supper that night, what my two days were going to be like, when I was asked by June, "Have you fucked my niece yet, Ralph?" She was serious and really wanted to know.

"No I haven't. We are waiting for the right time. We will know when that is."

"You aren't gay or have equipment problems, do you?"

"Last I checked, I saw no indications of it."

"From what I can see you have feelings for her and I know she loves you. She has said so and has for quite some time. I declare that tonight is that right time you were talking about. I could lock Ruthie's door with you inside with her and not let you out until I know for sure the poor girl is fucked the way she should be."

I gave in as gracefully as I could. "I'm up for it already," which brought a round of clapping from June and surprisingly, Ruthie.

Peter spoke up. "Okay, what is this project that Ralph wanted to talk about and how does it concern me?"

Ruthie and I had worked on our presentation. Peter, businessperson that he is, listened carefully all the way through before saying anything. "Well, it has merit. I like the idea of talking with the psychologist for added evaluations and comments. That will go a long way to lending credence to the book. He would probably be the only one to have his own name in the book anywhere. All the others would have to be anonymous, wouldn't they?"

"Maybe Ruthie could have her name on the jacket. That would have to be up to an attorney. She should get as much recognition as possible."

"I like the idea of the major case being Nan's. You would have to be careful, though, as I would hate for her parents to get a whiff of her real life. One they were not aware of. What do you think about my fetish being one of the cases, June?"

"It is up to you, just as long as the benefits don't stop. Are you going to be one of the cases, Ruthie? Yours is far enough out to be interesting."

"Aunt June, I haven't told Ralph about mine yet, so he will be the one to decide after he finds out what it is."

"Do you want me to tell him?"

"No, I want to--," she stopped and finished with, "no not yet." This just left me more in the dark.

That night was a night for me to remember and cherish. It started with Ruthie confessing that she was not a virgin, losing her cherry in high school. She had been engaged at one time, her fiancé almost leaving her at the altar, by abandoning her just one week before the wedding.

She declared she had always been a one-man woman and could not stand the thought of having multiple partners or wife swapping, as Nan had done. "Really Ralph, my fetish doesn't involve other people to any great extent. If we marry, I will always be true to you, just as I expect you to be true to me. Now show me how you love me."

Just before I entered Ruthie the first time, she stated, "I'm not on any protection and this should be my fertile time. If you do not want to make a baby, then we will have to restrain ourselves. Personally I'd like to get one started right away."

"Do you think I would make a good father?"

"I can't think of anyone that would make a better one."

"Okay Ruthie, baby on the way." Before morning, I said it again. If Ruthie had twins, I would wonder. I have heard it was technically possible, but unusual.

Thursday was a day of sorting things out. None of us had ever thought about writing a book, much less attempting it. It was decided that we would start putting together everything we knew about Nan. Peter was going to write up some conversations he remembered having with her. June was going to write up some things she knew about Peter and his association with her and reminded Ruthie to do the same. I promised to contact David Wells and see if he would do the psychological bit. After this was all settled, I took them for a walk around my property.

Ruthie had been on the tour before and could remember when I mentioned some object or tree, what was coming up next of interest. June was amazed how wide open the land was and was feeling very insignificant and small because of it. She said she could live nowhere but in the city. After supper, it was a little chilly for a May evening, so I laid a fire in the fireplace. Peter remembered what a fine close feeling it had been when he was here in February at Nan's funeral.

"Let's pull out that spare mattress you said you had and we can all lay on it in front of the fire and be comfortable." Peter and I put it down and all four of us spread out on it, three of us staring into the flames and one feeling the welcome heat. I dozed off, comfortable and happy, dreaming of the loving I had experienced last night.

I awoke later with Ruthie beside me. Peter and June had gone to bed, so Ruthie said, "Ralph would you do something for me?"

"Sure, anything."

"Can I blindfold you, so you can experience what it is like for me when we make love?"

Getting excited, "Sure, whatever you wish."

She was prepared with a thin, folded shawl and put it tightly over my eyes. It was a strange lovemaking session for me. Ruthie was wild, more so than the night before. She gave more and demanded more in return. I tried and did my best, but I was worn out long before this insatiable woman beside me was. The fire was out in the fireplace, but I was sweating when we went into bed.

I awoke, spooned up against Ruthie. It had been years since I had felt this good in the morning. Even with Nan at our best, there was always this little nagging doubt in my mind--was the day going to end as good as it began? I did not have that feeling now--to me the day's end would always be better.

I was going to have some things clarified as soon as we got up. "Ralph, you are lying next to me just as nice as can be. You are not at ease, though, for I feel some tenseness in you. What's the matter?"

I didn't answer her question. "I was just thinking about everything. You, your Uncle Peter, and Aunt June. They will be heading back to Boston in a couple of hours. Let's go make them breakfast."

"You'd rather do that than stay here and play with me?"

"No, but we have the rest of our life to do that. We'll just put it off for a little while."

"Promise?"

"I promise."

We had finished breakfast and were drinking our second cup of coffee. I wrapped my cup with a knife. All chatter ceased and three faces turned in my direction. "Who planned that little episode last night in front of the fire?" No one said anything. "Come on, tell me? If I am going to be associated with the three of you, I have to have some honesty here." I glanced at Ruthie who had a scared look on her face. If I read it correctly, she was afraid I would demand that she leave. Her dull gray, sightless eyes swung toward June, which was a give-a-way.

"Okay June, I'm going to say some things about what I think you three have been keeping from me. I want to know how far off the mark I am when I finish speaking. First, Peter told me what his fetish is. I believe he told me the truth. What I do not believe is that he first became aware of it when he saw his daughter having sex on the couch at home. I think it has been a part of your life most of the time you have been together.

"Also I don't think it was his daughter he saw, I think it was Ruth. You skirted the issue about some fetish Ruthie has. I think I have figured out what it is. I think Ruthie is an exhibitionist. She has covered it pretty well since she has been here with me, but even then she has done some things that made me wonder.

A couple of times she has inadvertently spread her legs just enough for me to see her panties. I didn't think much of it at the time, but I have seen her sitting in a park downtown when she was waiting for me. She did the same thing. She would wait until she could hear people around and then her legs would part.

"One time a little old lady came up and told her to close her legs. She did, but a few minutes later, she was back doing it again. Poor, pretty, blind girl just didn't know, right? I love seeing Ruthie and I love to watch her, so do not think I was spying on her.

"Last night was too obvious for me. Here we have Peter who is an admitted voyeur and we have Ruthie who is an exhibitionist. The temptation was just too much. Ralph, the unknowing man is so much in love with the woman that he is going to make his wife, he will never notice. Blindfold--bullshit! I heard the light come on after the blindfold was securely in place and you picked the wrong stair tread to sit on. Every time you shifted, it squeaked."

I paused and looked directly at June. "It had to be you that set up the whole thing. I think you are always thinking of ways to feed Peter's fetish, so he will get all excited and fuck your brains out. You know about Ruthie's fetish and this was a way to satisfy both your husband and your niece. How am I doing so far?"

My answer came when Ruthie came around and put her arms around me. "Ralph, does this spoil your love for me. I'll die if it has."

"No it hasn't. I just want you to be honest with me."

June's face was bright red. She knew that she had abused my hospitality and jeopardized her niece's happiness. "What can I do to make it up to you? I'm so sorry, really I am."

"I think you should be punished and Peter, too. For all of your explicit language, I suspect you are a very private person. Tonight, Peter is going to miss his party in Boston with the group. You and he are going to put on blindfolds and do just what Ruthie and I did last night. Tonight Ruthie and I are going to be observing you right in front of the fireplace."

"Please, no. No one has every seen me undressed. I couldn't, honest."

"What about me last night? I did not have a choice. What about you Peter?"

"I've watched people satisfy their fetishes hundreds of times, but June is the only one that has done anything with me because of it. I don't know."

"You have a choice. You can leave now or anytime."

"Or?"

"Or what?"

"Or nothing. It just would make me very disappointed and I will try not to let it color our relationship. Ruthie and I can become involved in a different project. Look, I'm going to take Ruthie for a walk. You talk it over. If you are still here when we get back, we will find something fun to do this afternoon and forget about this--until this evening, anyway."

Peter and June were still there when we returned. I didn't mention anything that had taken place last night or our discussion this morning. Peter had a little smile on his face at times. June was decidedly antsy. Ruthie whispered to me when I guided her into a basket shop we had decided to visit, "Aunt June is turned on! Who would have believed it? Are you going to watch them tonight? I mean I thought you were going too far, blackmailing her like that. Maybe she has her own little fetish that she doesn't know about. Let her try for a change to cope with something that isn't so easy to deal with."

"I don't know about watching her, but I'll let her think we are, anyway." It was a fun afternoon and I made it even better for Ruthie when I said, "We are on the second level of the store. Let me place you by the head of the stairs. Anyone looking up from the first floor will be looking directly up your dress. Come with me." By the time I had her placed right, her face was flushed and Ruthie's breath was coming in little short gasps. I whispered, "I'm going to leave you now, but I won't be far away. Have fun."

Peter and June came up to the second level by another staircase and asked where Ruthie was. I indicated where she was standing. "Everyone coming up the stairs can see up her skirt. I think she likes it, for she has slowly inched her legs apart so people can get a better view. I think we better rescue her before she faints from the excitement."

When we got in the car, I gave Peter the keys and I sat in back with Ruthie. She asked, "I take it you are okay with my fetish?"