Chapter 1

MP put the locket back over her head, swearing once again to never remove it. She took my hand and led me upstairs. Had anyone ever questioned my mother's magical powers they would have been silenced by seeing my room. We had a big house—a colonial with five bedrooms and five and a half baths. I had the biggest after the master suite—12 by 12 with a small walk-in closet and private bath. Now the room was 12 by 20. Mom had removed the wall, merged the two carpets and changed the color, fixed the walls and ceiling, and painted the room. Gone were my boyish decorations, replaced by accents more suitable for a young couple which, of course, we were. The walls were a light creamy color, the carpet a light mauve. In the middle of the long wall was a queen sized bed flanked by a dresser for MP and an armoire for me. On the opposite wall between windows that had been moved apart since I was last there were identical desks, each with its own computer networked to a color laser printer and a large flat screen TV. Most important was the second closet because I knew MP had a ton of clothes. Also, my bathroom had a stall shower; the other had a tub which I was sure we'd use together sometime in the future.

The next day after her father had gone to work MP and I walked to her house to pick up whatever clothing we could carry. Her mother came to the door, tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry, Mary Patricia, your father took all your clothes to Goodwill the day you left. There's nothing here. I'm so sorry. I don't know what I'm going to do without you here." MP hugged her mother, telling her not to worry. We'd keep in touch with her and, after all, we were only two doors away. When she was done I also hugged and kissed her. "That's for raising the finest person I've ever known—the most loving, caring, most unselfish person in the world. I promise I will love her forever."

When we arrived home MP told my mother, "It's not a big deal. I can get underwear and almost everything else I need at Wal-Mart."

Scowling, Mom replied, "No daughter of mine is going to buy her underwear or anything else at Wal-Mart! Wait here, Jeremy." She left, walking up the stairs in a hurry. She returned a moment later handing me more than $3,000. "You're too young to use a credit card so take the cash. Take MP to Victoria's Secret first, then to some of the other boutiques in town. If you run out of money I'll get you more. MP, buy what you want, don't skimp on account of the cost." She shooed us out the door.

I absolutely hate shopping and sitting in Victoria's Secret among all the bras and panties was embarrassing, but MP made it all worthwhile when she told me she'd give me a special show when we got home. All told we spent five agonizing hours buying her new clothes and shoes. Why girls need so many shoes was a mystery to me. We put all of it into her closet except for one box which she refused to show me. "Later," she said kissing me gently on the cheek.

After dinner we retired to our room. I was still pretty well whipped from my ordeal of the past few weeks. I may be a wizard, but I'm also human—I need sleep like anyone else. I led MP to the bathroom, planning on showering together, but she shook her head "no." "Not tonight, I have something special for you and I want it to be a surprise." She kissed me—just a little peck—and left. I showered and climbed into bed naked, turning the lights out. A few minutes later MP emerged from the other bath. She was wearing the sheerest baby doll I'd ever seen. It was a color that exactly matched her flaming red hair. With the light behind her I could see the silhouette of her perfect body—her slender legs, her curvy hips, the swell of her breasts, and the alluring spread between her legs. It was an incredibly erotic sight. If this was her surprise it was sensational. I forgot immediately how tired I was. I became erect in a millisecond. I started drooling in anticipation of making love with this delightful creature.