Chapter 10: Finding My Place

Our routine was set in place all through December and into the New Year. I would pick her up at her boarding house promptly at five-forty and we would make our way through the darkened and mostly empty streets to the station. I'd purchased a good set of snow tires and we were rarely late arriving, more often the first in the news room. Sylvia wasn't a morning person but she was determined to be on time and reliable, not wanting to give Conrad any chance to criticize her.

She had her talk with Conrad, although I had to goad her a couple of times if for no other reason than to put an end to her constant frustration at not having my job.

"You were right. He was straight with me. He said he would give me the next opportunity. He wanted me to work with you because he said you knew how to compose stories better than I did. I don't know how he could know that but I wasn't going to argue with him. He also said that my coming to him demonstrated initiative and that I did want a chance at the job. Until now, he wasn't sure."

"There you go. Just like I figured. You don't tell him you want the chance and he doesn't know."

"Thanks, Hal. I'm so glad you pushed me into telling him. I owe you."

"A beer and a pizza will do the trick."

She laughed. "You work cheap. How about Friday night, our usual at Luigi's?"

"Works for me."

We had fallen into a friendly companionship over the last two months. Christmas had come and gone and New Years was upon us. I had been invited to a party with Renata and Bruno and I was pretty sure they would expect me to invite Sylvia. She had quickly become a Friday afternoon regular at the pub.

"What are you doing New Years Eve," I asked her as we drove to work early that week.

"Nothing. My roommate, Donna, said there might be block party but I don't know the people so I'm a little nervous about going."

"Then I have a solution. I've been invited to a party with Renata and Bruno and I don't have a date. Would you consider coming with me?"

"Uhhm, yeah, I guess so."

"You don't sound too sure. I promise to be on my best behaviour."

"No ... no ... it's not that. I just ... I mean ... well okay. I would like to go with you."

"You still don't sound too sure of yourself."

"I'm fine with it, Hal. You just caught me by surprise."

"I'll pick you up at nine o'clock if that's okay. Don't eat too much because Bruno is looking after the food and that means there'll be lots and it will be great."

"Okay," she smiled but I got the sense that she still wasn't quite certain about our date.

When we arrived at the Polipo home the party was well underway. Bruno's brother Antonio, or Tony, greeted us at the door and his younger sister, Carlotta, introduced herself almost immediately. Hmmmm, A-B-C for family names. I had learned Bruno's real name when we were in Europe and I had seen his passport. Bonfilio, "the good son," seemed appropriate somehow but I could understand how it might be a bit embarrassing for a promising linebacker on a college team.

Both Tony and Carlotta would be leaving with their dates for the restaurant at ten-thirty. They would join their parents for hosting a New Years party. Their dates didn't seem to mind at all that they were being roped into helping. From the first time I met Bruno I realized how important family was to him and it rubbed off on the people around him, including me.

I was limiting myself to less than one glass of wine per hour, hopefully staying sober enough that I wouldn't be caught up in some New Years Eve roadblock on the way home. That would be embarrassing for Sylvia, as well as expensive in more ways than one for me. I was far less cautious about the food however. As I expected, it was plentiful and incredibly good. I sampled dishes I'd never heard of before and wished I'd brought a notebook to write down the names.

Sylvia was a bit shy for only a few minutes until Renata rescued her and introduced her to some new friends. In no time at all they were laughing and she looked relaxed and happy to be at the party. That helped me as well. I was still wondering if she had reservations about this evening but I could feel them vanishing as the evening wore on.

Sometime after eleven, I became aware that Sylvia was staying close to me. Right by my side in fact. I could feel her hand on my arm quite often and caught her looking at me more than once. She was nursing her white wine just as I was being cautious with my red so I didn't think she'd overindulged. Just the same, there was no mistaking that there had been a change in her behaviour since we had arrived.

As midnight approached, the champagne, or rather an Italian version, Prosecco, was opened and the glasses filled. Bruno conducted the countdown and we all raised our glasses and welcomed the New Year, 2002. I heard more than a few people express the hope that the horror of 2001 was never repeated and that this new year would be one of peace and hope. I wondered how many of us thought that was possible.

I'm not sure when I found I had my arm around Sylvia but she took my glass of sparkling wine from my hand and set it down with hers on a nearby table, turned to me and kissed me. It wasn't a peck on the cheek but something a good deal more personal. At first I was surprised but, as the kiss deepened, I brought her closer to me and responded.

When we broke we looked at each other and I knew then we had changed our relationship. I wasn't yet sure what it would become but it was no longer a hands-off friendship. This wasn't some liquor-induced frivolous moment. The look in her eyes said differently. That look also said that soon she would want to leave the party ... but not by herself.

"My roommate's gone for the night. I have the place to myself. I'd rather not be alone, Hal. Not tonight."

She couldn't have been more direct if she'd asked me to take her home and fuck her. I had only a few seconds to decide and it wasn't difficult.

"We can leave anytime you want, Sylvia. Just tell me when."

"Now. I finally worked up the courage to do this. Take me home now, please."

We said our thanks, wished our hosts and friends a Happy New Year and left for the short drive to Sylvia's. I got some knowing looks from Renata and Bruno but nothing that would embarrass my date. We rode in silence until I pulled up in the driveway at her boarding house. There were no lights on in the house anywhere.

"Donna's at her boyfriend's for the night and the place is pretty much ours," she said as I switched off the engine.

"Are you sure about this, Sylvia?"

She turned to me and smiled. "Yes. Are you having second thoughts?"

"Not if you aren't but I didn't come prepared. I mean, I wasn't planning ... this ... so..."

I didn't get any farther as she covered my mouth in another deep kiss. I decided to shut up and let her lead.

The house was warm as Sylvia switched on the hall light and led me to her room on the main floor. It was nicely furnished with a dresser, wing chair, small desk, and a double bed.

"Do you share a bed with Donna?" I asked.

She laughed. "No ... she has the room next door," she said, pointing to an adjoining door. "At least we have some privacy but it isn't soundproof."

She walked back to me and put her arms around my neck, gazing up at me with a nice smile.

"I've been thinking about this since the first day you walked into the newsroom for your interview. It's taken me a long time to work up the courage to tell you just how much I'm attracted to you."

"You should have said something sooner. I was attracted to you too."

"I thought so but I wasn't sure. Even tonight, or when you asked me to go to the party with you, I wanted to right away. But I knew if I did I'd want to bring you back here with me. I wasn't sure if you'd be okay with that. I was afraid you might say no."

"I know. I didn't know why but I knew you were hesitant about tonight. I just didn't guess it was about us being together. I'm glad it's happening though," I said as I pulled the zipper in the back of her dress down to her waist.

We didn't rip our clothes off in some frantic rush to have sex. Instead, I slowly undressed her and she cooperated by turning to make it easier for me. As the clothes and then the underwear came off I was kissing her neck, lips, and lastly her breasts as I finished my delightful task.

She had already unbuttoned my shirt and released my belt. Why is it men's clothing was never designed for seductive undressing? It always felt awkward to me, right from the beginning, and I don't think it would ever get better. But Sylvia didn't seem to notice. She was evening up the state of undress until we were equally naked and had fallen on the bed together.

It was strange that I thought of Ginny at that moment, learning from her just how a woman would respond to foreplay. Sylvia was no exception. She reacted very quickly to my lips, tongue, and finally fingers as I brought her to her first orgasm. She was quite vocal in her appreciation both during and after my manual stimulation.

"Oh, Hal, that was the best. But you need to finish what you started. I'm so ready I can hardly stand it."

I didn't need to say anything at that point. I pulled her on top of me and entered her as smoothly as if we had rehearsed the move. She immediately responded with a grunt of satisfaction and again became vocal in her approval of my move.

I didn't exhaust my repertoire that evening but there wasn't anything we wanted to do that either of us objected to. If she had one favorite though it was when she was nearing her orgasm and I rolled on top of her and finished in her in long, powerful strokes. That didn't fail to bring the desired result.

I took a quick look at the clock and saw it was past three am. We were exhausted but Sylvia was in a happy mood.

"I knew it would be like this. I just knew it. God, Hal, you pushed every button I have and maybe a couple I didn't know about."

"You let me know that you approved so I just kept pushing buttons."

"We have to do this more often. I'm sure it's very good for my physical and mental health."

"What about your roommate? I'm sure she'd hear us through that door."

"I don't care. I'll get a gag so she won't hear so much," she laughed.

"I've been thinking about getting my own place, now that I've got a permanent job. I'm twenty-three and still living at home. I love my parents but it's time to move out. I'm sure they'll appreciate getting their privacy back and not have to listen to me banging around at four in the morning."

"Want a roommate?" she grinned.

"Why don't we see how this goes first? Let's not rush into anything yet. This is all new to both of us ... I mean ... taking our friendship to another level."

"But you wouldn't mind a regular visitor, would you?"

"No ... that would be nice."

"Yeaaaah," she said as she snuggled up to me even closer. "That would be nice."

"I better get going or my parents will wonder what happened to me."

"No ... please ... stay. Call them in the morning. They know you well enough to trust you. I want you here all night."

I thought about it. It was appealing and I didn't think my parents would panic if I didn't show up before noon.

"Okay ... you talked me into it."

"Goody. You're going to get a nice reward for that," she giggled as she took my deflated cock and began to provide oral stimulation.

When I awoke later that morning the clock radio said it almost eleven o'clock. Well, by my calculations I got almost seven hours of sleep. I'd had little to drink the previous evening and nothing after the sparkling wine at midnight so there was no hangover. I lay there watching the rhythmic breathing of Sylvia as she continued to sleep. The call of nature insisted I get up and find the bathroom.