Dirty Boss by Mia Ford (23)

"Professor Moore is your husband?" I asked feigning surprise. She smiled bright.

"Yes, he is. We actually met here on this campus," she said proudly.

"How romantic," Gemma said smiling and stirring their tea. Their tea was ready, enough stirring, time to drink! 

"I was one of the nude models for his class. That's how we met," Sharon continued. "How do you like the class?" She asked me.

"Your husband’s methods are very interesting," I answered. If only she knew, I thought. She giggled and took a sip of her tea. Yes! I cheered inside. 

"Yes, I agree. So, what do you two plan on doing with your degrees when you finish?" She asked us.

"We're both enrolled in the education program so after we graduate, we plan on beginning careers as teachers," Gemma told her, taking her first sip of tea. I bit my lip to fight back a smile. 

"That's awesome! I wish you both luck," she told us.

"So, what do you do?" I asked her. 

"Well I used to model, as I told you, but now, I am retired,” Sharon answered, taking a long sip of her tea.

"You're pretty young to be retired," Gemma pointed out. 

"Well modeling careers don't usually last that long. After that, I tried some acting and was in a few small-budget productions. Now I'm a desperate housewife," she said with a chuckle and a sip.

"Do you have any kids?" I asked her. The question seemed to catch her off guard and sadden her a little.

"No, no kids," she said. I hadn't been paying Gemma much mind but when I glanced at her mug, she was almost finished with her tea! 

"Do you want kids?" Gemma asked her. Sharon blushed.

"It's a little too late for all of that," she said. Gemma shook her head in disbelief.

"No way! How old are you? 24?" She asked. I had to resist glaring at Gemma. Like seriously, there was no way that this woman was 24. Gemma must be feeling her ecstasy pill already. I think that Sharon was feeling hers too because she took Gemma's question as a compliment.

"You're too kind, but I am a little older than that," she said.

"Well you don't look it. You look really good!" Gemma said. I just let myself be happy at this point because they had both finished their tea, they were feeling the ecstasy pill and they were flirting! Sharon blushed.

"Thank you!" Sharon gushed. She looked a little red. She must've been hot because she removed her jacket, revealing a large bosom. Gemma stared at her chest. 

"Do you work out?" Gemma asked, finally looking away from Sharon's chest. Sharon was obviously enjoying Gemma's conversation. I rolled my eyes but no one saw. Neither of them were paying me any mind.

"I do," Sharon answered, resting her chin in her palm, her elbow on the table.

"It shows," Gemma said. Gag me! I decided that now was the perfect time to put on some music! I turned on Pandora on my phone and music started playing from the tiny speakers.

"I love this song!" Gemma exclaimed, jumping up from her seat. She grabbed Sharon's hand. "Dance with me!" Sharon half-ass resisted but ended up getting up and going with Gemma into the living room to dance. I followed them, bringing the music with me.

Once Gemma and Sharon started dancing, I turned the music up even louder. They were getting hotter and more into it so Sharon pulled off her shirt, wearing just a tank top and her jeans. She eventually took off her shoes and socks. I was surprised by how loose she was getting. Gemma was getting loose and was doing a lot of touching on both herself and Sharon. She kept putting her hands on Sharon's hips. Then she spanked Sharon, causing all of us to laugh. She danced behind her and Sharon actually started grinding on her while Gemma held her waist. One minute they were dancing and the next minute, they were kissing! They fell onto the couch and Gemma had her hand up Sharon's shirt, touching her breasts and her tongue down Sharon's throat. They had forgotten all about me. 

I started inconspicuously taking pictures. Gemma pulled off Sharon's tank top, popped her large breasts out of her bra and began sucking on Sharon's nipples. Sharon was moaning and writhing under Gemma. Gemma shoved a hand down into Sharon's jeans and began fingering her. I had so many pictures, I was grinning like a lunatic. Once I got pictures of Gemma eating Sharon's pussy, I knew that I had all the evidence I needed. I grabbed my things and decided to leave these two love birds alone. 

I walked back to campus with a new pep in my step. I was successful in my endeavors. I had won the battle, but there would be many more before I could claim victory of the war. As I was walking, someone called my name. I looked around and saw Richard sitting at a table, waving me over. This day just kept getting better and better! I walked over to him with a huge grin, that made his own smile grow.

"Hey," I greeted him as I sat down across from him at the table. There was a basket of French fries in front of him and a large drink.

"Hey, how are you?" He asked me. 

"I'm good," I answered. 

"You look it," he replied. I giggled and rolled my eyes. "You want some of my French fries?" I nodded and he pushed the basket towards me. "So where were you headed when I called you over?" He asked me. I shrugged taking a fry and eating it.

"Nowhere," I answered.

"Class?" He asked.

"I skipped it," I told him. He looked shocked.

"Bad girl," he said. I smiled.

"Maybe. You share your fries with every girl who walks past?" I teased.

"No just you," he answered sweetly. "So, why'd you make me do that pose in class today?" He asked. I laughed.

"You were a natural," I told him. He laughed. "Did you like that pose?" I asked him. He blushed.

"With the right girl, yea," he answered. I took another fry and played with it with my tongue.

"Am I the right girl?" I asked. He licked his lips.

"That's what I'm trying to find out." Suddenly I felt as though someone was staring at me. I looked past Richard and saw Professor Moore. He had just walked out of the Creative Arts building and was staring me down. I returned my gaze to Richard.

"Those fries made me thirsty," I told him. 

"You want my drink? I haven't drunk from it yet," he told me, pushing the cup towards me.

"You sure?" I asked before taking it.

"Yea, it's all yours. You can have the fries too." I grinned at him before grabbing the cup and taking a long sip. I knew that Professor Moore was watching and I was loving every minute of it. Once I had drunk enough, I took out my phone.

"What's your number Richard?" I asked him. He looked surprise by how forward I was, but told me his phone number anyway. "I'll text you," I told him standing up and picking up the basket of fries and the soda. I turned around and headed back the way I had come, feeling two pairs of eyes staring at my ass. 

I ate the fries as I walked. When I finished them, I tossed them in the trash and continued drinking the soda. As I reached my apartment building, I received a text message. It was from Professor Moore and said:

‘Is that your little boyfriend now?’

I rolled my eyes and laughed out loud. Professor Moore was jealous! He had nerve! I decided to ignore him and put my phone back in my pocket. I went inside of the apartment building and headed up the flights of stairs to my apartment. When I got to our door, I put my ear against it and listened. I didn't hear anything. I took my key out and unlocked the door, letting myself inside. Sharon was gone. I could hear music playing and Gemma singing in the shower. I was still hungry after eating those fries so I decided to wait until Gemma got out of the shower so that we could go eat lunch in the dining hall. 

I was about to lay out on the couch but thought better of it and instead sat in the armchair. Sprinkles came out of hiding and jumped on my lap. I pet her and she purred. With my free hand, I took my phone back out and scrolled through my contacts, stopping at Richard’s name. I text him:

‘Thanks for the fries and soda :)’

Moments later, he texts back:

‘You're welcome cutie ;)’

I bit my lip and thought about what to text back. I heard the shower and music stop and the bathroom door open. Gemma came out wrapped in a towel, wearing slippers, her wet hair dripping. 

"I thought I heard you come in," she said. 

"Where's Sharon?" I asked.

"She left," Gemma answered. There was a pause. Gemma was giving me this strange look.

"What?" I asked her.

"Did you put ecstasy in the tea?"

* * *

"What?!" I asked her incredulously. 

She looked up at the ceiling and spoke slowly.

"Did you put ecstasy in the tea?"

"No!" I exclaimed. Gemma stared me down.

"Dahlia, I'm going to ask you one more time. Did you put ecstasy in the tea?!" 

"Yes!" I blurted out, instantly regretting it after seeing Gemma's face turn red with anger. 

"Why would you do that? What the fuck is wrong with you?!" She demanded. I bit my lip, trying to figure out what to say. 

"I knew that you two would hit it off and I just wanted to give you a little push..." I said lamely.

"She's married!" Gemma screamed at me. "You made her cheat on her husband!" Woah, let's not give me too much credit. 

"I didn't make her do anything. She wanted to do that. The ecstasy just made her less inhibited," I said. Gemma shook her head.

"I can't believe you," she said and turned around, stomping away.

"Do you want to get lunch with me in the dining hall?" I yelled at her back. Gemma answered by slamming her bedroom door and turning her music on with the volume all the way up. 

"I guess not," I said to myself. I looked down at my phone at my last text from Richard and texted back:

‘Since I ate your food, do you want to meet me for lunch in the dining hall?’

He texted back:

‘Sure! :)’ 

I smiled and wrote back:

‘Ok, I'll see you soon!’ 

I got up and left the apartment without another word to Gemma. She'd get over it. She just needed some time to cool off. But when I got back to the apartment after having lunch with Richard, she still wasn't talking to me. It was a long weekend with Gemma giving me the silent treatment. I wondered how long she planned on holding this up. Since Gemma wouldn't talk to me, and I wasn't talking to Professor Moore, Richard and I had been texting all weekend. I really liked him. Not as much as I liked Professor Moore, but enough. When Monday came along, Gemma left for class before I woke up and I ended up walking to class alone. When I got there, on time this time, Richard had saved me a seat beside him. This definitely cheered me up. We flirted off and on throughout class which got us glares from Professor Moore. When we critiqued our sketches, Professor Moore ripped mine a new ass and told me that he needed to speak to me after class and to come to his office.

When class was over, Richard whispered to me, "that was harsh," in reference to Professor Moore's critique on my sketch. I waved it away to show that I couldn't care less.

"I haven't eaten, meet me for breakfast in the dining hall?" I asked him. He said yea and we parted ways. I headed down to Professor Moore's office. When I got there, he was already in there waiting for me with the door open. 

"Please, close the door behind you," he instructed. I did as I was told and sat on the chair across from him. He had his hands teepee atop his desk looking at me with disapproval. I almost laughed.

"I feel as though your little boyfriend is distracting you," he began. I rolled my eyes long and hard. 

"You have got to be kidding me," I said.

"No I'm very serious and I don't want to see your grades suffer as a result," he continued. Now I was getting annoyed.

"Yea right! I'm the best artist in that class. Including you!" I added with a smirk. 

"It's not about talent, it's about effort and your grades will reflect your efforts in my class," he said sitting back and crossing his arms over his chest. I did the same.

"I know what this is about. You're just jealous and mad because I'm showing Richard more attention then you!" I snapped. Professor Moore raised his eyebrows.

"Are you trying to make me jealous?" He asked. I didn't answer, I just gave him an exasperated look. "Is it because I'm married?" 

"That definitely has a little something to do with it," I said sarcastically, looking out the window. 

"I'll get a divorce," he said. I looked at him incredulously.

"Yea right! After just one fuck you're trying to convince me that you'll leave your wife?! You must think I'm stupid!" I was genuinely offended.

"It has nothing to do with the sex," he said. I rolled my eyes. He leaned forward and put his hands on the desk, reaching for mine, but I kept my arms crossed. "Dahlia, we have a connection." He was really starting to piss me off.

"You're just saying that because you don't want me fucking Richard!" I spat the words out and he cringed.

"Are you having sex with Richard?" He asked me.

"That's none of your business," I said looking out of the window again.

"Dahlia, I've never felt this way about anyone before, not even my wife. My wife and I haven't been intimate in a very long time," he told me.

"Save it. I don't want to hear it. As long as you're still married, there will be nothing going on between you and I. I'm no one’s side chick!" I said, standing up abruptly. I grabbed my things and left, shutting his door behind me. I was so mad that I was shaking. I had to get out of there.

Professor Moore text me:

‘Divorces take time.’

Before I could stop myself, I text him back:

‘Well maybe this will help speed up the process’

 and sent him the pictures of his wife and Gemma. Moments later, he started calling my phone nonstop, but I didn't answer. It started raining and I had to run home. I realized that I was crying. I had got myself in a mess! I let the rain wash away my tears. 

By the time I walked in our apartment, I was all wet. Gemma was there making tea. She looked like she wanted to make a snarky remark, but when she saw how sad I looked, she decided against it. 

"Want some tea? I won't drug yours," she offered. This was the first thing that Gemma had said to me in days. She was trying to make me smile but I wasn't in much of a smiling mood. I sat down at the table and she put a mug with a teabag and hot water before me. Then she went in the refrigerator to get the almond milk and brought over the sugar and spoons. We made our tea in silence. Meanwhile, my phone was vibrating like crazy in my pocket. I put it on silent. Gemma's phone vibrated on the table and she smiled at it, picking it up and texting someone back. 

"Sharon and I have been talking all weekend," she said happily. At this, my ears perked up. "We're planning on meeting up again. For a real date this time."  I genuinely smiled at Gemma. This was good news. Maybe I hadn't made a mess after all, maybe everything would work out for the best. 

"That's great Gemma. I'm happy for you," I told her. Then I remembered something that made me jump up out of my seat. "I'm supposed to be meeting Richard for breakfast!" I exclaimed as I rushed into my room to change out of these wet clothes. Gemma followed me and stood in the doorway watching me.

"Who's Richard?" She asked me.

"This guy from my Figure Drawing class," I answered her as I got dressed. Gemma nodded thoughtfully. Once I was dressed, I rushed past her, then doubled back and hugged her. "Thank you!" I said and then let her go and preparing to leave. 

"For what?" She called after me but I didn't answer. It had stopped raining but the ground was still wet as I hurried down the hill to campus, hoping that I hadn't kept Richard waiting too long. On my way to the dining hall, a deep voice called my name. It was Professor Moore. I ignored him and tried to keep walking but he caught up with me and grabbed me by the arm, steering me into one of the academic buildings. He didn't let me go until we were inside an empty classroom with the door closed.

"We need to talk," he told me.

"You need to be talking to your wife, not me," I said. 

"How did you get those pictures?" He demanded.

"Does it matter?! Will it change the fact that she cheated on you?" I snapped. Professor Moore looked pained and I felt guilty for hurting him like this, but now that my guard was up, it was going to be hard for it to go back down.

"We've already talked about divorce. I'm going to see my lawyer this week," he said it like it was supposed to make me feel better. "Dahlia please, look at me." I looked him in the eyes and saw his sincerity. "I love you," he said. Those three words were like a wrecking ball to my defenses. 

"Don't say it if you don't mean it," I told him. 

"I do mean it," he said. "And to show you that I'm serious, I got you something." He pulled a little black box out of his jacket pocket. When he opened it, there was a ring inside. It was rose gold with a cluster of pink diamonds arranged into a flower. The ring was beautiful, but I didn't understand what it meant.

"If you're not going to propose to me, please do not get down on one knee," I told him. He smiled and removed the ring from the box.

"This is a promise ring," he told me. He took my hand in his and slid the ring onto my finger. I loved how it looked, although I didn't want him to know it.

"A promise of what?" I asked him.

"A promise of forever. A promise that you are the only one to ever make my heart feel like this and that you are the only one who ever will. A promise that one day soon, you will be my wife," he told me. I fought a smile. This was all very convincing but I wasn't sure if I could trust him. Lots of married men make empty promises of divorces that never happen. I just didn't want to be naive. 

"I don't know," I said. He took my other hand, holding them both. The ring looked beautiful on my hand. 

"You don't have to. Not until I prove it to you and I will prove it to you," he said. Professor Moore pulled me to him and wrapped me in his embrace. I allowed myself to be held and eventually held him back, feeling the tension melt from within me. 

"Don't let me down," I whispered through tears.

"I won't," he assured me as he stroked my hair. I could feel his dick hardening against me and I suppressed a smile. I liked how much I turned him on. Professor Moore's hands slid down my body as he moaned into my hair. I nuzzled his neck and then licked it.

"Not here. Someone might see us," he said, but his hands were under my skirt and panties, caressing my ass.

"Then where?" I asked. I wanted so badly to resist him but I couldn't. He was still married, I kept trying to remind myself, but to no avail. I needed him too desperately. I slowly dropped down myself to my knees, looking up at him as I unbuckled his belt and pulled his hard dick out of his pants. 

"What are you doing?" He asked in a daze. I didn't answer him. Instead, I licked the tip of his dick. He shuddered and moaned. "We shouldn't." I begged to differ, and clearly, so did his dick. I wrapped my lips around his head, tasting the pre-cum on my tongue. Slowly, I slid more and more of him into my wet mouth until my nose was pushed up against his pelvis. Professor Moore was holding handfuls of my hair as he guided me back and forth. I stuffed him into my mouth until I gagged and he begged me to stop. A trail of drool connected my wet mouth to his dick as I pulled it all the way out only to shove it all the way back in. Professor Moore could barely stand and had to hold onto a desk to keep his balance. 

"Oh my God," he moaned. I grabbed hold of his shaft with both my hands, loving the way my new ring looked as I stroked. "Fuck!" He exclaimed, as he lost control. His body shook and he closed his hands, raising his head to heaven as he came in my mouth. I didn't release his dick until he was finished, making sure that I swallowed every drop. When he had regained control of his body, he pulled me up to him and kissed me passionately. His dick was still hard and sucking it had made me wet. "I need to fuck you," he told me. I wanted to bring him back to my place, but it was too risky. What if Gemma was there? What if he recognized it from the pictures? I bit my lip as I thought. There was nowhere else to go. 

"Let's go to my place," I finally suggested. 

"Ok, I'll meet you there. Text me the address," he told me. 

"Ok," I agreed. I turned to go, but he grabbed my hand and pulled me back into a kiss that made my heart beat quicken. All I could think about was him inside of me. "I love you," I told him before I could stop myself. 

"I love you too," he told me. 

I exited the classroom and then the building. What the fuck was I doing? This was crazy! I knew that this had the potential to backfire, but I didn't care. I took out my phone and text Professor Moore my address. After I pressed send, I heard someone call my name. It was Richard! He was leaving the dining hall and jogged over to catch up with me.

"Hey, what happened to us meeting up for lunch?" He asked me. I suddenly felt terrible for dragging him into my bullshit. 

"Um sorry about that," I began trying to quickly think up an excuse. "I had to meet with my professor." Richard nodded understandingly. 

"Well, what are you doing later?" He asked. I bit my lip uncertainly. 

"Richard, I don't want to lead you on. I'm already seeing someone. I'm sorry," I told him. He looked crushed but simply nodded his head.

"It's cool. A pretty girl like you, I knew I couldn't have been your only admirer," he said. I smiled. Richard was really sweet. He deserved better. 

"Well I'll see you in class," I said.

"See you." 

I sighed as I started walking again. As I trekked up the hill home, I texted Gemma to find out where she was. When she texted me back saying that she was in the apartment I groaned. I was hoping she'd be gone. I entered the apartment building and then went up the steps to our floor. I tried to think of a way to get rid of Gemma as I unlocked the apartment door. When I walked in, she was putting on her jacket.

"Where are you going?" I asked her. She grinned at me.

"On a date," she said smugly. I looked dumbfounded.

"With who?" I demanded.

"With Sharon," she told me. My jaw dropped in disbelief. Gemma's eyes dropped down to my ring. Now it was her jaws turn to drop as she grabbed my hand to get a better look. 

"Whoa! Who gave you this bad boy?" She asked.

"A friend," I answered vaguely. Gemma raised an eyebrow skeptically and put her hands on her hips.

"I'm your friend and I'm not buying you diamond rings," she pointed out. Before I could say anything else, her phone began ringing. She pulled it out of her pocket and checked the screen, smiling big when she saw who it was. She looked back up at me. "I've gotta go but we'll definitely talk about this later. Hello?" She said answering her phone and opening the door.

"Have fun on your date!" I called after her as she left. I pulled out my phone and called Professor Moore. "Where are you?" I demanded when he answered.

"I'm almost to your building," he answered. I breathed out a sigh of relief. That was a close one. Luckily Professor Moore hadn't run into Gemma because that could've been disastrous. "I'm parking around the corner now," he said, interrupting my thoughts. 

"Ok, I'm coming downstairs now," I told him. I left the apartment and ran down the stairs. When I opened the front door of the building and looked out, I saw Professor Moore walking toward me. I smiled and he smiled back. I held the door open for him and he followed me inside and up the stairs to my apartment. As we walked inside the apartment, I hoped that he wouldn't recognize anything from those pictures I had sent him. I grabbed his hand and tried to pull him out of the living room as fast as I could but I couldn't stop him from looking around.

"Let's go to my room before my roommate gets back," I told him. He let me drag him into my bedroom and I shut the door behind us. When he started looking around my room, I blushed. "Sorry it's a mess in here, I wasn't expecting to have company," I told him. He smiled at me reassuringly and took off his jacket.  

* * *

Professor Moore looked curious and that worried me. If curiosity killed the cat, I was the cat. I couldn't afford to have him looking around and looking too closely at things. I walked up to him and kissed him, pushing him down onto my bed and straddling him. I didn't waste any time pulling his dick out and moving my panties to the side. I was already wet so he just slid right in gasping as I sighed.

"Fuck," he said long and slow. I smiled and rode him just as slow, grinding my hips on him as he smacked my ass. I leaned forward and kissed him. Our tongues danced with our eyes locked. I felt like I was on a cloud. This was the first time we ever had sex in a bed. I bounced up and down on his dick making my ass jiggle. When he smacked it, I bit my lip and bounced faster. He was loving it. He let his head lean back into the pillows and I wrapped my hand around his neck, choking him. I leaned forward and licked his Adam's apple. Professor Moore grabbed me by the hips, pumping himself in and out of me harder and faster. I pulled my shirt off and then my bra, letting my breasts bounce to the beat. Professor Moore grabbed me around the neck and choked me while he spanked me. He slid his thumb in my mouth for me to suck as I began to come. I came hard and fast. As I came, he quickly flipped me over and took me from the back. Professor Moore pounded into me. I arched my back, throwing my ass back at him. He spanked me hard then grabbed a handful of my hair and pulled. The headboard was slapping the wall in rhythm with his strokes. We were loud, but I was still able to hear the front door open.

Gemma was back already?! I thought incredulously. And from the sound of it, she wasn't alone! My heart skipped a beat. I was barely aware of Professor Moore coming loud and hard inside of me. I laid down when he collapsed beside me. He was asleep on impact. I was barely breathing as I listened to every sound. I could hear Gemma and Sharon talking in the kitchen. My heart was pounding. Professor Moore started snoring softly beside me. All I could think was how crazy this all was. How did I possibly think that I could get away with this?! I was tired, but I wasn't stupid. Quietly, I slipped out of bed and tiptoed to my door, locking it. Just in case, I thought. Gemma never came into my room without knocking but I wasn't taking any chances. I returned to bed and lie on my stomach, trying to calm down. I listened for Gemma and Sharon and heard them go into Gemma's room. I tried to go to sleep but I couldn't. I feared that I might have a heart attack and die. Soon I heard moaning. They were fucking! I laughed quietly to myself. This was fucking insane! I pulled the covers from under Professor Moore and covered us with them before snuggling up to him. He wrapped his arm around me, holding me tight. I closed my eyes and tried to convince myself that everything would be alright so that I could go to sleep. I slipped into a dreamless sleep. I didn't wake up until I felt Professor Moore moving beside me. I opened my eyes. He was sitting up at the end of the bed, reaching for his boxers. I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes.

"Where are you going?" I asked. 

"I need to use the bathroom," he told me. 

All I could say was, "oh." He put on his boxers and stood up. Then turned around to look at me.

"Is your roommate back?" He asked me. I nodded. "I'll be quick." I swallowed. My stomach started to hurt as he walked towards the locked door. "Which way is the bathroom?" He asked me. I pointed to the right. He nodded and grabbed the doorknob. He tried to open it, then realized it was locked. It took him a few moments to get it unlocked but he did. 

"I love you!" I exclaimed before he left the room. He turned to look at me and smiled, then he walked over to the bed and kissed me.

"I love you too," He told. "I'll be right back." He opened the door and walked out, leaving it cracked behind him. I heard the bathroom door open and close. I laid back in the pillows and stared at the ceiling. Then I heard another door open. Gemma's! My eyes darted to my cracked door. I saw mother fucking Sharon walk past! I began having a mini panic attack. She knocked on the bathroom door. Professor Moore called out "just a minute!" She didn't walk back past. She must've been waiting in the kitchen. My mind was racing. I tried to come up with a plan for damage control but I was drawing a blank. I couldn't think. Every moment that passed, felt like a lifetime. I heard the bathroom door open and Professor Moore finally walked back into my room, closing the door behind him. Relief washed over me and I could finally breathe easy. This was exhausting. I sat up and looked at Professor Moore.

"I should probably get going," he told. I merely nodded. I simply didn't have the energy. While I watched, him get dressed, I listened for Sharon. I heard the bathroom door open and close, then the door to Gemma's room opened and closed. I got out of bed and threw on an oversized t-shirt to walk Professor Moore out in. As I led him to the front door, he smacked my ass, making it jiggle and me giggle. I turned and kissed him goodbye. I just wanted him gone at this point! 

"I love you," he told me.

"I love you too."

We hugged and he left. Nothing made me feel better than being able to close the door behind him! I turned around and leaned back against it closing my eyes. I needed another nap. As I stepped away from the door, I heard Gemma's door open and the sound of her and Sharon talking as they walked out. As they were entering the living room, there was a knock at the door. I froze as all the blood drained from my face. No. This wasn't happening. It wasn't him, it had to be someone else. Gemma and Sharon were now in the living room, fully dressed, ready to go. 

"Hey Dahlia!" Sharon greeted me. I forced a smile.

"Hey, how are you?" I asked. There was a knock at the door a second time.

"Is there someone at the door?" Gemma asked me. 

"Uh.." I turned to the door and looked through the peephole. Sure, enough, it was Professor Moore standing on the other side. I cracked the door open just enough for me to slide through. "You have to go!" I muttered to him.

"I know, but I think that I left my wallet in your room," he told me. My mind was racing.

"I'll go find it and bring it out to you," I told him. 

"Ok," he agreed. I exhaled. My heart couldn't take much more of this. Professor Moore was turning to leave when the front door opened, and there stood Sharon. My body turned to ice. They both looked at each other with disbelief and confusion.

"Marquise?"

"Sharon?" 

"You guys know each other?" Gemma was now standing in the doorway. 

"Yea, this is my husband," Sharon said, looking from Professor Moore to me, her expression changing. 

"And you're the girl from the pictures," Professor Moore said looking at Gemma. 

"What pictures?" Gemma asked. 

"Marquise what are you doing here?" Sharon demanded still looking back and forth between Professor Moore and I. 

"What the fuck are you doing here?!" He shot back. Sharon wasn't listening, she was staring at me. She looked down at my ring. She looked as though she wanted to sucker punch me. 

"Can someone please tell me what the fuck is going on here?!" Gemma shouted. 

"You're fucking my wife!" Professor Moore shouted back. The situation was escalating out of control and I was finding it hard to believe. Everything was going dark. I put my hand on the wall to try and keep my balance. I was slipping. Everyone turned their attention to me.

"Dahlia!" Gemma and Professor Moore exclaimed simultaneously. The last thing I saw was Gemma and Professor Moore reaching for me and Sharon glaring at me. 

When I came to, I was in my bed, but I wasn't alone. Gemma was sitting on the edge of my bed glaring at me. As soon as she saw that my eyes were open, she demanded, "what the fuck was that about?"

"What was what?" I asked weakly. 

"Don't play stupid with me Dahlia!" Gemma snapped. The way that she was looking at me was kind of scary.

"Well, what do you want to know?" I asked dryly. Gemma looked up at the ceiling and put her fingertips on her temples.

"I don't even know where to begin. So, let's start there. At the beginning. How do you know Sharon's husband?"

"He's my Figure Drawing professor," I answered. 

"Are you sleeping with him?" She asked.

"No," I answered with a straight face. Gemma stared at me long and hard with a look of disbelief and subtle hostility. 

"Then what was he doing here?" 

"Looking for his wife." With every answer, Gemma was getting more and more angry.

"How did he know that she was here?"

"I have no idea." Gemma looked as though she wanted to slap me.

"So who was the guy that was here earlier?" She asked.

"What guy?" Gemma's hands balled into fists.

"The one who was using the bathroom! The one who you were fucking when I came home with Sharon!" She screamed at me.

"Oh, that was Richard," I said nonchalantly. The way that the lies were just rolling off my tongue was unbelievable even to me. I almost wanted to laugh but I knew that Gemma might kill me. 

"Richard gave you that ring?" She asked me. I nodded. Gemma narrowed her eyes into slits and brought her face close to mine. "I know that you're lying. I know that you are more involved than you are leading me to believe and I'm going to find out what's really going on," she said. Then she got up and left my room, slamming the door behind her. Gemma was scary, but I didn't think that she would find out anything and if she continued seeing Sharon, she would only make it easier for me to be with Professor Moore. Professor Moore! I grabbed my phone. He had texted, called, and left voicemails. I decided to read the text messages first. They read:

‘Are you ok?? What happened?’

‘I'm so sorry! Please forgive me?’

‘I hope that you are alright.’

‘Please, call me when you get these messages.’

His voicemails said about the same things. He didn't know what was going on! Now, I laughed. Hysterically. Until tears fell from my eyes. Until Gemma yelled at me to shut the hell up. I think that I was actually going insane. I called Professor Moore. He answered on the first ring.

"Hey, are you ok?" He asked me as soon as he answered the phone.

"Yea, I'm fine. How are you?" I asked him.

"I'm alright. I'm sorry about all that. This is a mess," he said.

"It's not your fault," I told him. I started thinking, and wondered how he didn't suspect me. "How are things with your wife?" There was a pause.

"She's staying at her mother’s house," he told me. There was another pause. "So you knew that she was seeing your roommate all along?" I bit my lip. 

"Yea," I admitted.

"So, that's how you got the pictures? You took them?" He asked me. Tears sprung up in my eyes. 

"Yes," I answered.

"How'd you know she was my wife?" He asked me. I weighed the question over in my mind. 

"She told us," I answered. 

"So your roommate knew that she was married and she slept with her anyway?! While you took pictures?!" He yelled. Then he hung up on me. I fell back onto the pillows. Everything was unraveling and I didn't know how to fix it. My stomach growled. On top of everything, I was hungry. I checked the time on my phone. Dinner time. I got up and out of bed and got dressed. The rest of the apartment was quiet when I left my room. The door to Gemma's room was shut. I didn't know if she was here or not and I didn't really want to find out. I left the apartment and walked to the dining hall alone. When I got there, it was crowded. I scanned the place for Gemma, but I didn't see her. I got in line and grabbed two slices of pepperoni pizza, then went to get some soda. With my tray in hand, I tried to find an empty table, but there were none. Then I saw Richard smiling and waving me over. I grinned, happy that he was happy to see me. I made my way over to join him.

"Hey," I said once I was seated.

"Hey," he said. "How's it going?" I wished that I could tell him. Anybody! Keeping everything to myself was destroying me! I really wished that I could tell Gemma. We were supposed to be friends and I hadn't been a friend to her lately. All of a sudden, I was crying. Richard looked alarmed. "Are you alright?" I couldn't speak so I just shook my head. My body shook with silent sobs. Richard grabbed a bunch of napkins and handed them to me. I wiped my face and took a sip of my soda. 

"I'm fine," I told him but he was not convinced.

"You look anything but fine," he said. He looked so concerned that it made me start crying all over again. I didn't deserve it! I didn't deserve to have everyone worrying about me! 

"I'm sorry," I said through sobs. He just handed me more napkins.

"You don't have to apologize. It's ok," he assured me, but I knew that it wasn't ok. I was a bad person and I had fucked over and lied to all of these people. Used all of these people. I deserved to cry. I deserved worse! My phone started ringing in my pocket. I took it out and looked at the screen. Professor Moore was calling me. 

"I've got to take this," I said, sniffling and wiping my face. Richard nodded understandingly. I stood up and pressed 'Answer' as I walked away from the table. 

"Hello?" I answered. There was no answer. "Hello?" I repeated.

"I want to know everything and if you can't be honest with me then you will never hear from me again, understood?" Professor Moore said in a grave voice. I was out in the hall where no one could hear. I stood off to the side by a plant and a window. I nodded.

"Yes, I understand," I answered. When he didn't say anything else, I took a deep breath. "When I found out that you were married, I was devastated. I would have never slept with you or even pursued you or tempted you in any kind of way if I had known. I'm not like that. When I left your office that day, I ran into your wife and accidentally took her phone. I gave it to my roommate to give to her while I went to class, only I had no intentions of going to class. My roommate invited your wife in for tea. I stole ecstasy pills from my roommate’s room and slipped it in their tea. When they started hooking up, I took the pictures," I said. I could hear him breathing heavily so I paused.

"You drugged my wife?!" He roared. 

"Yes," I said quietly.

"You're fuckin crazy! Are you out of your mind?!" He shouted. I cringed and looked out the window. Maybe. "Why?" He asked. I was quiet. "Why did you do it?!" He demanded.

"Because I thought that if given the opportunity, your wife would cheat too and you'd definitely get a divorce!" I spit the words out as quickly as I could. A sob erupted from my chest, tears refilled my eyes. 

"I can't believe this. You've destroyed my marriage," he accused me. I crumpled to the floor, sobbing. Professor Moore hung up on me. I had fucked everything up and now everyone hated me. I heard footsteps and a shadow was cast over me. When I looked up, Richard was standing over me holding a plate wrapped in napkins. He held out his hand to me.

"Let me walk you home," he said. I took his hand and he helped me stand up. 

"What's in the plate?" I asked him as we walked out the building.

"Your pizza," he told me. I smiled.

"Why are you so nice?" I asked him. He smiled and shrugged.

"I don't know," he answered. As we walked, I thought about how easy things could be if I loved Richard instead of Professor Moore. But I didn't love Richard and things were damn near impossible. 

When we got to my apartment building, Richard handed me the plate. 

"Thank you, for all of this," I said with a smile. 

"You're welcome. I hope you feel better," he told me. We hugged and he started walking back to campus. I was just about to go inside when I noticed someone watching me from a car parked in front of my building. It was Professor Moore. 

* * *

I stood on the outside of the building and waited for Marquise to get out of his car and approach me. When he got close enough, I could see that he too had been crying. 

The first thing that came out of his mouth was, "hanging out with your little boyfriend?" I rolled my eyes. 

"He's not my boyfriend. He's just a nice person. He might be the only friend that I have left," I said. 

"Well, who's fault is that?" He asked me. I shifted uncomfortably. I hoped that he hadn't come here just to make me feel worse. "Why'd you, do it?"

"Do what?"

"All of it? The panties. Breaking into my office. Drugging my wife? Everything!" He said, throwing his hands up. I shrugged.

"I don't know! I've never done anything like this! I've never felt this way before," I told him.

"I guess, I just want to know that it wasn't all for nothing. That all the destruction and pain aren't in vain. I want to be more than just a casualty," he said. The way he was looking at me was breaking my heart. I had hurt him and I felt terrible for it! I felt like crying, but to cry now, in front of him, felt selfish. I had hurt him and now I was the one crying. I didn't want to make him feel bad for me. I didn't want anyone else trying to comfort me when I didn't deserve it. "I met with my lawyer today. My wife was served divorce papers," he continued.

"I'm sorry," I blurted out. "I'm sorry for the pain that you are feeling and for the way I did things. But I'm glad you're getting a divorce. I want to be with you. You belong with me," I told him. 

"You're the craziest person I've ever met. But I've got to admit, no one’s ever gone to these lengths for me. A part of me thinks that you're trouble. And you are. You're dangerous. You could ruin me if you wanted to. But I made you a promise and I meant it. I love you Dahlia," he said, 

"I love you too Marquise!" He opened his arms to me and I almost jumped into them. It felt so good to be back in his embrace. We stood like that for a while, just holding each other. It was getting dark out and the temperature was dropping but his arms kept me warm. We pulled back and he tried to kiss me but I stopped him.

"What if someone sees us?" I asked him.

"Then they'll have been lucky enough to witness true love," he said. I grinned and we kissed. His kisses warmed me inside and I didn't want him to leave.

"Do you want to come inside?" I asked.

"Do you think that's a good idea?" He asked back. I shrugged and frowned, then smiled once more.

"Probably not, but I want you to come inside anyway," I told him. We let each other go, only to hold hands as we went inside. We didn't let go as we went upstairs or when we entered the apartment. It was dark inside with no lights on, and quiet. I closed the door, turned on the living room light, and set down the plate of pizza on the coffee table. I didn't think that Gemma was home. Before we could do anything else, there was a pounding on the door. Alarmed, I checked the peephole but whoever was on the other side had it covered. I called through the door, "who is it?" There was no answer. Whoever it was, just pounded again. Professor Moore stood beside me as I opened it. I gasped when I saw who was on the other side. It was Sharon and she was a mess! Her eyes were red and swollen from crying and she smelled as though she had been drinking. As soon as the door opened wide enough, she lunged at me. We both went tumbling to the ground.

"You fucking bitch! I knew you were fucking him!" She growled through gritted teeth as she attempted to wrap her hands around my neck. Professor Moore pulled her off of me before things could escalate any further. "This bitch set me up!" She yelled and spit on me. It landed on my shirt. I was so disgusted that before I could even think about it, I cocked back and slapped her as hard as I could. She struggled against Professor Moore's arm trying to get to me. He had to restrain her with one arm and keep me back with the other.

"This bitch set me up!" She shouted. 

"Calm down!" Professor Moore yelled. 

"No! She set me up and ruined our marriage!" She screamed. We glared at each other. She was panting and bucking like a wild animal. Sharon wanted to get to me in the worst way.

"I would have never done that if she hadn't drugged me! Yea, Gemma told me what you did!" She said. My eyebrows shot up my forehead. I couldn't believe that Gemma had told her. "I should press charges!"

"Calm down!" Professor Moore repeated. She took deep breaths but spit at me again. This time it landed on the floor at my feet. Sharon started sobbing. 

"Don't do this Marquise! Don't let her destroy us! You know that she set me up!" She cried.

In a calm, quiet voice, Professor Moore asked, "did she set you up when you continued to see and sleep with her roommate? Were you on drugs this whole time?" Sharon didn't say anything. 

"Do you love her?" She asked. Professor Moore didn't answer right away. "Do you love her?!" She shouted.

"Yes!" Professor Moore's deep loud voice boomed, filling the whole apartment. "I am in love with her. And I want a divorce." Sharon's body went limp. Defeated, she grabbed a bunch of papers out of her purse and tossed them on the floor where her spit had landed.

"There! There's your fucking divorce!" She snapped. "I just wanted to hear you say it. Let me go!" She demanded. Professor Moore released her and stood between her and I, blocking her from being able to reach me. Sharon stood up, straightened her clothes, and patted down her hair. "A match made in hell," she said before turning to go. Professor Moore shut and locked the door behind her. Then he bent down and picked up the signed divorce papers, wiping the spit off on his leg. Professor Moore sighed and plopped down on the couch. He grabbed my hand and pulled me onto his lap then moved my hair to check my neck before kissing it.

"Are you alright?" He asked me. I nodded and leaned back onto his chest.

"Yea, I'm just tired," I answered. Tired was an understatement. I was exhausted! "I'm going to take a shower," I told him and stood up. He stood up with me.

"Can I join you?" He asked me, putting his hands around my waist. "Let's remove this first," he said lifting up my shirt. I raised my arms and helped him pull it off me. We started making our way to the bathroom. Professor Moore threw the shirt in the trash on our way. When we were in the hallway, Professor Moore pushed me up against the wall and put his lips on mine. I closed my eyes and kissed him back. As we kissed, we helped each other undress until we were both naked. Professor Moore tried to have sex with me right there in the hallway but I slipped past him giggling as he chased me the rest of the way into the bathroom. I turned on the warm water, letting it run into the tub before turning on the shower head. I climbed into the tub first and Professor Moore climbed in after. I only had one sponge so we'd have to share. 

I lathered the sponge up with body wash and bathed Professor Moore. I took my time washing his back, remembering the first time that I saw it. I hugged him from behind, resting my face against his soapy back while I washed his chest. He felt so strong, so solid! We stood that way for a few moments. I didn't want to let him go. He took the sponge out of my hand and spun around in my arms to wash my back while I continued to hold him. I looked up at him, wrapped my lips around his bottom lip and sucked on it. Professor Moore let the sponge fall to the floor of the bathtub so that he could grab two handfuls of my ass. He slid his tongue in my mouth and his hands back and forth over my soapy ass. One of his hands reached up and grabbed hold of my hair, pulling my head back and elongating my neck. Professor Moore’s mouth kissed down from my lips, over my jawbone and onto my neck. I closed my eyes and moaned as Professor Moore was making his way down. His tongue licked over my hard nipples and down my flat stomach. When he licked the tender flesh where my thighs met my pelvis, I gasped. I lifted my leg up onto the edge of the bathtub as he continued his descent. He sucked and licked my inner thighs then teased the outer lips of my pussy before licking my inner lips from bottom to top. I sighed and grabbed his wet hair. Water sprayed down on my back, dropping off of me and onto him. He put his warm mouth on my clit causing me to shudder and purr. My clit was so sensitive and the intensity of him suckling it made me try to push away, but he held onto my thighs and kept sucking. 

"Oh my God," I moaned, tossing my head back. I stopped trying to push him away and instead pulled him closer by his hair. His wide tongue licked my pussy then slid inside of it. I kept his head steady as I rode his face. His hand slid up my thigh and I felt his thumb slide inside of me as his mouth returned to my clit.

"Oh!" I cried out as I ground my body on his face and thumb.  He could tell that I was about to come because he went faster, his mouth and thumb working together to bring me to climax. 

"Oh yes!" I exclaimed as my body went stiff, the orgasm taking over my body and making my legs shake. Professor Moore kept on sucking my clit, his thumb soaked from my orgasm. When I was done, I went limp and all I wanted was sleep. I felt a little guilty for leaving Professor Moore satisfied but he seemed to understand. He turned off the water and handed me my towel then he took one of our extra towels to dry himself with. We left the steamy bathroom wrapped in towels and went into my bedroom, shutting the door behind us. I didn't even care if I was dry. I collapsed in a heap on my bed and crawled under the covers, tossing the towel on the floor. My bed felt so good and warm! I snuggled my pillow and closed my eyes. 

Professor Moore turned off the light and climbed into the bed behind me. He wrapped his arm around my waist and pressed his body against my back, his hard dick stabbing me in the back. I smiled but didn't move. He slid his dick between my legs, then back and forth against my pussy, making a wet sound. I was still wet. We both knew what he wanted and I knew that if I gave it to him, I could finally go to sleep, so I tooted my ass up so that his dick was pointing directly at my pussy and let him slide in. I gasped as he entered, instantly feeling more awake and aroused. Maybe he wouldn't be coming alone after all. He flipped me onto my stomach, until I was pressed flat into the bed. I arched my back and poked my ass up while he straddled me. Professor Moore slid inside me and he felt so delicious that I licked my lips. He held my ass cheeks as he slowly slid in and out of me. I poked my ass up higher so that he could go deeper. He started going faster and deeper. Professor Moore grabbed my hair and pulled, making me arch my back even more. Then he licked my ear and I whimpered in delight. I turned my head to the side and he stuck his tongue in my mouth. We kissed wet and sloppy as he stroked. I was loving this position and from the sounds of his moans, so was he. 

"Omg I love you so much!" He exclaimed as he pumped harder making my ass jiggle. I could tell that he was about to come because he was going so hard and fast that I couldn't think. He was hitting my spot and I cried out as I squirted! He was caught off guard but kept going, squeezing my ass as he came inside of me. We were quiet. All that could be heard was our heavy breathing.

"Did you just squirt?" He finally asked. I smiled and blushed into the pillow.

"Yes," I told him. He slowly slid out of me and climbed off the bed. I turned my head to the other side to watch him crack the window, letting the cool night air in. He crawled back into the bed to lie down on his back beside me. I laid my head on his chest and listened to his heartbeat. 

"I've never experienced that before. That was amazing," he said. I smiled and closed my eyes. I finally felt at peace. 

"I love you," I murmured.

"I love you too," he told me. I fell asleep to the sound of his heartbeat and the wind outside my window.

* * *

Professor Moore's divorce was long and exhausting. Sharon was out for blood. The only way she wouldn't file a police report against me for the drugs was because they were Gemma's but even that had barely stopped her. Professor Moore had to let her keep the house. Gemma had moved out of the apartment leaving me alone with the lease and the full rent. She didn't tell me where she was moving to but I suspected that she was staying with Sharon. Since I now had an empty room available, Professor Moore moved in and we split the rent. I dropped Figure Drawing 101 with Professor Moore and took it over winter break with a different professor. We didn't want to take the chance of someone accusing him of special treatment toward me. Since I was no longer his student, he asked that I cease calling him professor, although I found it endearing.

With everything that had transpired, I had done a pretty good job at keeping it all private, but I couldn't hide the fact that Gemma had moved out from my mom. When my mom found out that Gemma had moved out and left me with the rent she was concerned. When I told her that I already had a new roommate and it was a man, she demanded to come check on me. Growing up, I had never known my father. He died when I was only two years old. I barely remembered him and ever since his death, my mother had raised me all by herself. Being a single mother had made her strong and very protective. It had always just been us so my mom and I were very close. So, when she told me that she would be coming over the following weekend, I was more than a little nervous. When I told Marquise, he seemed nervous too. He was recently divorced, old enough to be my father, and he was a professor at my school; most parents would see these as red flags. I saw it in his face that we were both thinking the same thing so I put on a reassuring smile and placed my hand on his.

"Don't worry, I'm sure my mom will love you," I told him, but I was trying to convince myself. My mom was an older woman and with this being said, she wasn’t that much older than Marquise. I would be graduating soon and I wanted both of them to be there supporting me so I needed this visit to go as well as it could. 

As the time approached for my mom to arrive, butterflies filled my stomach and I just couldn't relax. Marquise and I tried to act normally but there was an air of apprehension hovering right above us. Marquise had made a home cooked meal to celebrate my mom’s arrival that had taken him all day to prepare. When she called to tell me that she was outside, my heart skipped a beat. I felt conflicting emotions. On the one hand, I had missed my mom and it had been difficult going through all this drama without being able to talk to her about any of it. On the other hand, I was afraid that she wouldn't approve of me and Marquise's relationship. I valued my mom’s opinion highly and it would be devastating if she told me that she didn't feel that Marquise was right for me.

I wiped my sweaty palms on my jeans as I ran down the stairs to get her. When I opened the door, and saw her for the first time in months, a grin spread across my face and my eyes filled with joy.

"There's my pretty girl!" She greeted me with a grin just as big, her arms outstretched to embrace me. She hugged me long and tight. It felt good to be in my mom’s arms. I almost felt like a little girl again. I was a spitting image of my mom, just a younger version. I got my blonde hair and clear blue eyes from her, as well as my smile. My mom looked really good. She worked out and was really fit, so if she wanted to, she could probably beat Marquise up. She held me at arm’s length to get a good look at me, and then she noticed my promise ring. She pulled it up close to her face, staring at it.

"This is real!" She exclaimed. I blushed and smiled sheepishly. 

"Yea," I said simply. She turned her intense stare on me.

"Who gave you this?" She asked me.

"My boyfriend," I answered. Her eyes widened and her brows rose.

"Boyfriend? You have a boyfriend and you didn't tell me? A boyfriend who can afford diamond rings at that! We have a lot of catching up to do! Where's your apartment?" She asked looking around.

"On the second floor," I told her as I led her upstairs. My stomach was doing flips as we approached my door. When I opened it, we were immediately confronted by the delicious aroma of dinner. 

"Mmmm, it smells good in here," my mom said sounding pleasantly surprised as we walked in and I closed the door behind us. "Did you cook?" She asked me. Before I could answer, Marquise came walking out of the kitchen, removing an oven mitten from his hand. 

"No, I did. I'm Marquise," he said with a smile as he held out his hand to my mom. My mom looked caught off guard as she stared at Marquise and shook his hand.

"Hello Marquise, I'm Monica, Dahlia's mom," she said politely. I had a smile plastered to my face as I watched helplessly from the side. "So, what did you cook?" She asked.

"Come find out, dinner is ready and will be served in the kitchen," Marquise announced as he turned around and walked back into the kitchen. My eyes were on my mother but she paid me no mind as she stood up and followed Marquise into the kitchen with me following her. My mom sat down at the table but I hesitated.

"I'll set the table," I said.

"No no no. Sit. This is my jurisdiction," Marquise said. I sat down beside my mom. I couldn't read her. I had no idea what she was thinking and that scared me. Marquise set the table and placed the food in the center. There was a carved turkey, baked macaroni and cheese, broccoli, and mashed potatoes. "Dig in!" Marquise declared. My mom began helping herself, then I made my plate and finally Marquise fixed himself a plate of food. For some reason, Marquise and I were waiting for my mom to eat before we started eating. She stabbed a piece of turkey, brought it to her lips, opened her mouth and closed it around the fork. She removed the fork and we watched her chew. 

When she finished chewing, she swallowed and finally spoke.

"This is delicious!" She said. "I'm impressed! How did you make the turkey? I've never tasted a turkey this juicy!" Marquise looked pleased with himself.

"Thank you, thank you! I cooked it in a crock pot for twelve hours," he told her. At this, my mom looked genuinely impressed.

"And what was the occasion?" She asked.

"Your arrival of course!" He exclaimed. My mom laughed. I was grinning from ear to hear. We were off to a great start. Marquise's dinner was a success. But if I knew my mother, and I did, this was just the beginning. My mom was not easily distracted or impressed and I was sure there would be an interrogation. My mom took another bite of her food. Then washed it down with a glass of white wine.

"So, Marquise, what is your relationship to my daughter?" She asked. And it began. 

"I'm her boyfriend," he answered. My mom watched him over her wine glass as she took another sip,

"You're a little old to be a Boyfriend, don't you think? And how old are you?" She asked. My face went hot as I blushed. My mom didn't hold any punches. 

"I'm thirty-five," he answered. My mom’s eyes widened.

"Thirty-five. So, you're thirteen years older than my daughter. And what are your intentions?" She asked.

"I intend to marry her."

"Did you give her this ring?" She asked motioning at my hand.

"Yes."

"So why not an engagement ring instead if you intend to marry her?" She asked. I felt like I was watching a tennis match, I kept looking back and forth from Marquise to my mother. 

"I didn't want to propose to your daughter before meeting you. Especially since I am sure that she would like you to be there for such an important moment," Marquise answered. I felt like he was handling himself quite well in front of my mother. 

"Do you have kids? Have you ever been married before?"

"I do not have kids and I am divorced." My mom nodded and took another bite of her food. Marquise and I did the same. 

"Well, I'm sure that Dahlia has already told you that her father is no longer with us. Dahlia is all I have and I am very protective of her. I need to be sure that she is in good hands at all times. Are you living here?" She asked.

"Yes I am."

"Do you work? What do you do?" 

"Yes, I am a professor here at the university."

"Ah," my mom smiled and nodded. "So, that's how you two met! Do you usually date your students?"

"No, this was the first time," he assured her. There was an awkward silence. I stole a glance at my mom. She was finishing up the last of her food. When Marquise clapped his hands together, it made me jump.

"So, who's ready for dessert?" He asked enthusiastically. My mom looked up in surprise. I guess she hadn't been expecting dessert.

"Did you make it?" She asked him.

"Yes, I did," he answered as he cleared the table. He served us each a plate of sweet potato pie with whip cream. "The whip cream is also homemade." He sat back down. Again, we waited for my mom too take the first bite. When she began chewing she closed her eyes and moaned.

"This is delicious! Where'd you learn how to cook like this?" She asked.

"I was also raised in a single parent household and my mom taught me everything she knew," he said. 

"So, mom, are you spending the night?" I asked her. This was the first time I'd spoken since we sat down. She shook her head and finished chewing.

"No, I was. But now that I've met Marquise, I feel reassured that you are well taken care of," she said with a smile. I was so relieved that I started crying. The tone was much lighter after dinner. Our bellies were full and our spirits were high. I was feeling good about my mom’s visit when I walked her to her car.

"So, what do you think of Marquise?" I asked her once we were alone. 

"I like him. He's a little old, but your father was fifteen years older than me when we got married," she said with a smile. I smiled back. 

"I'm glad because he loves me mom and I love him," I told her. 

"Well he better because I love you and if he hurts you, I'll kill him." We laughed, hugged and kissed goodbye and then my mom watched me go inside before driving off. When I got inside, Marquise was washing the dishes. I walked up behind him and wrapped my arms around his waist, resting my head against his back.

"Thank you," I murmured.

* * *

Graduation 

I was finally graduating! It had been a long four years and a lot had happened but now I was at the conclusion and it felt so damn good! When I got my diploma, my mom and Marquise were there cheering me on and taking pictures. Afterward, Marquise treated us to dinner at an upscale restaurant on the pier. I was wearing a beautiful gold dress that hugged my curves and my hair was curled into spirals. As graduation presents, my mom had got me a new car and Marquise had got me a puppy named Delilah. I couldn't have been happier. After dinner, the four of us, Marquise, my mom, Delilah and I, went for a walk along the pier. The night sky was clear and the stars winked down at us. We walked along happily looking at the water. Marquise held my hand while my mom walked Delilah. We let them walk ahead of us a bit so that we could have a moment to ourselves. 

"I am so proud of you Dahlia. You deserve all of this and then some," Marquise said, holding my hands in his. "A while ago, I made you a promise and I've been waiting for the right moment to fulfill that promise. So, I figured, what better time than the present? Your mom’s here, this band is here," he said and out of nowhere, a small band started making music behind us. It caught me off guard and made me laugh. My mom was standing near the band, holding Delilah and smiling at us. "I know that we haven't known each other that long and in the short time that we have been together, it's been a rollercoaster, but you make me feel alive! Your love sets me free and I want to grow older with you," we all laughed at that. "I want to be there when you accomplish all of your goals and when you become the woman that you envision yourself being. I want to make you my wife, build a home with you and fill it with kids that look like you. I want to be your last." Marquise dropped down on one knee and my jaw dropped. I had to remind myself to keep breathing. Marquise held my left hand as he reached inside his suit jacket with his other hand. Out came a little black ring box. Involuntarily, tears filled my eyes. I had to blink them back to keep them from ruining my makeup. 

Marquise opened the box revealing a diamond ring that looked like a twinkling star in the moonlight. There were diamonds arranged like a rose with diamond petals. Around the platinum band were smaller diamonds. Marquise removed the ring from its box. He held my left hand as he slid the ring onto my ring finger. The diamonds sparkled in the light. 

"Dahlia Winters," he began. "Will you do me the honor of being my wife?"

I nodded causing the tears to sprinkle out my eyes.

"Yes. Yes!" I said as cameras flashed. There was a photographer too! The band started playing another song as Marquise and I kissed and embraced. A part of our journey had recently ended but we were ready to embark on the next chapter together, for better or for worse. Till death do us part. 

* * *

It was supposed to be an innocuous evening but, just like life on the waves, presuming that calm and peaceful seas lay ahead was a mistake you might only be able to make the once.

Kurt was often looking to live by such seafaring philosophies. He was in love with the ocean and tried to interpret all of his life’s lessons in the way that he envisioned an experienced old sailor from voyages of yore might. Something that was true whether or not he happened to be at sea or, indeed, 50 kilometres inland as he then was.

The occasion was pretty casual in appearance, at the same time as being pretty essential for the future of their livelihoods in that it was a dinner invite from his father’s business partner. Clive Furse’s family home was in Portland and represented one of two households that benefitted from the profit margins of Aqua Yachts: a luxury yacht hire business co-owned by Furse and Kurt’s father Earl Wyden.

Some twenty years ago the two of them had collaborated, investing their fortunes into setting up the business which was still going strong. Since then they had both raised families that would one day inherit and, because of the love he developed for the sea, getting involved in the family business was not a difficult decision for Kurt to make. Sure, the profits and the lifestyle would have made that choice fairly easier anyway, compared to hunting around on the jobs market, but Kurt honestly felt that it was in his blood to live on the coast.

His father had been the more hands-on of the two as far as maintaining the fleet was concerned, meaning that Kurt had grown up being able to learn about how to prepare a vessel for seafaring. Furse, on the other hand, had focused on the financial side of the business, as well as the marketing, which he was able to keep afloat farther inland at his Portland offices.

Socialising between the two families had been fairly normal when growing up and they were all on a first name basis. This meet up was the first-time Kurt had seen any of the Furses for nine months, however, because he had been on an extended break with friends traveling around Europe. That was part of a pledge to see the world someday, which Kurt had enjoyed although what he learned most of all from the experience was that the best thing about travel was coming home. He was pleased to be back with his father’s yachts and, as far as he was concerned, there was enough to see upon Oregon’s coastline and its Pacific waters to last him the rest of his lifetime.

In truth, he would have rather been there than in the backseat of his dad’s 4 x 4 Honda heading to Portland, but the meetup was also important for another reason.

Last week had seen Clive’s daughter, Darlene, return from college. She had been over in Boston for her higher education but was now home for good. The two families had realized that it had been the first time any of the Wyden’s had seen Darlene for three years and what better reason for a big family meetup to mark the occasion?

It was this addition that would live up to Kurt’s philosophy about peaceful seas, in that an evening at the Furse household seemed the most unlikely candidate for a life-changing event. Other than staying at home in front of the television, he would not have imagined a better way of avoiding anything out of the ordinary.

The Furses were fairly orthodox people. Kurt couldn’t imagine them doing any bad deeds in the world whatsoever and, if any man served as an example that money does not always corrupt, it was surely Clive Furse. The business he co-owned had earned them big bucks, but Clive continued to live simply. Other than the benefit of having a fleet of luxury yachts for his holidays, he believed in good traditional living, shopping locally and attending church on a Sunday. Simple pleasures like walking and bird spotting were his personal hobbies; certainly no one would ever catch him squandering away hard earned money buying rounds of drinks in some fancy bar or behind the wheel of a flash motor. Money and success provided Clive’s family with a blanket of financial security and he had no hang ups about the type of person he was.

Kurt respected the Furses for sure; in fact, the two families would probably always be friends even as the new generations grew up differently. If he was honest, however, he would have to admit that he expected the meet up to be a bit tedious. So, he was a full nautical voyage away from being able to predict that the evening would indeed result in a detour into stormy waters.

None of that was obvious as they arrived. Clive and his wife Beatrice greeted Kurt’s parents, Earl and Brenda, and the three of them were welcomed inside where they sat down at the dining table. A glass of wine each was poured as they awaited the roast and the Furse’s two young boys, Michael and Dennis (13 and 9 years old) joined them at the table also.

After a few remarks on how big the boys were getting (unfortunately in width as well as height, Kurt couldn’t help noticing), the two co-owners kicked off a typically safe and dry conversation about business. Clive was always obsessed with discussing how everything had changed now that the Internet was everybody’s port of call. That was hardly new at all, though Clive still talked as if the online world was wild and adventurous. Fortunately, he had an able team of skilled office staff who were able to ensure that business kept up with the ways of the world, otherwise he would have had trouble treading water.

As all this went on, Kurt sat like a good guest, having painted a polite smile on his face that he intended to keep intact for the rest of the evening, regardless of how bad the jokes were. But fifteen minutes in and something arrived that would see him sit up and start to pay proper attention: and that something was Darlene.

With not having seen the girl for three years, when she had been eighteen, Kurt was aware that she was going to have changed a little. All the same, he would not have believed anyone had they told him that an image of pure lust was about to walk into their leaden evening meal.

She entered without introduction, Clive not even seeing her approach as he rabbited on about algorithms. Kurt saw her before anyone else and genuinely could not believe the transformation. His memories were of a stick-thin girl with a nice smile but relatively little else going for her in terms of appearance. Either a student’s life had done well for her or else she was just a late developer, however, because the young lady he beheld was quite the opposite.

Darlene had the kind of curves that a twenty-five-year-old male notices whether he wants to or not (unless he’s another way inclined). It was not even that she was dressed to put on a show, wearing only a casual V-neck sweater and jeans, but both of which fit her so perfectly that the fabric hugged her curves from her shoulders to her ankles. If her waist was out of shape in any way, like the two young boys, then Kurt’s eyes would have seen. Instead he saw nothing but loveliness, alluring and desirable.

Seeing her approach, Kurt had to be grateful that people had always judged him as laid back. If he was not good at keeping his reactions inside, then he might have completely lost his cool and made a fool of himself. Countless horny students must have succumbed to such instincts over the last few years and so he was thankful to be able to collect his wits and look casual.

‘Ah! Here’s the confident graduate,’ said Clive, after turning to see that his daughter had joined them. ‘Say “hello” to some old friends.’

‘Hello Mr and Mrs Wyden; hello Kurt,’ Darlene said, greeting them all with a smile that was too shy for her looks.

‘Darlene, congratulations!’ his father offered and the conversation then took a detour into polite questions about how her studies had gone.

Relieved to not have to say anything for a time, Kurt sat back and had the convenience of observing Darlene further as she was the centre of attention. After a little while he realized he was not really listening to what she was saying, however, having been waylaid by the shores of his imagination.

Eventually he caught up and discovered that, though she might look the part, Darlene was still very much her father’s daughter. Hellraising student days had not really found her and she had rejected the accommodation of the residence halls almost on arrival. No doubt whatever sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll she witnessed there temporarily was repellent, as her parents intervened and found her a house with three mature students instead. They were all strict Catholics, Kurt would learn and, though it was none of his business, he could not help but speculate on whether sexual liberation had completely passed Darlene by.

The thought served to confound and excite him at the same time.

His ears would then perk up again on detecting what might have been a possible contradiction, in that Darlene had in fact accepted an offer of engagement during her time away.

This revelation was revealed mischievously by young Michael, who was then reprimanded by his father and had to sit with a sulky face for the next ten minutes.

‘She nearly married a country boy,’ he had announced, with a snigger.

‘Mikey, you behave from now on or none of the fine roast your mother is serving will ever make it into your stomach,’ Clive ordered.

‘I’d have noticed if there was a ring on your finger, Darlene,’ said Kurt’s mother, trying to spare the girl’s blushes.

‘That’s OK, Mrs Wyden,’ Darlene replied, for some reason deciding to explain herself. ‘I was in a relationship for a little while; with the son of a priest, but it was a big mistake.’

A priest? Kurt thought, trying to picture how much sex a girl who lived in a house full of Catholics and the son of a priest might manage and finding it hard to conclude it could have been anything more than your average choir boy.

‘Oh! I hope it wasn’t difficult for you,’ Brenda commented.

‘In a way it was,’ Darlene admitted. ‘His mother was a little overbearing and, erm… manipulative. Luckily I saw it wouldn’t work and called it off.’

‘A lucky escape,’ Kurt offered, with a smile, realizing that he had not said a word to her as yet.

‘Well… yes! You could say that,’ Darlene replied, blushing a little and then casting her eyes down at the table.

As subtle as her reaction was, it enthralled him. He trusted that the older generation sitting nearby were too ancient to pick up on it; the boys too young (though Michael was smirking a little), but he picked up on it alright. Darlene was shy of him.

If she had been before then he hadn’t noticed, but then he hadn’t found her interesting enough to scrutinize back then. She was only human though so why not presume that there were reasons for her being nervous about seeing him again? Although her choice of clothing was restricted because of her parents being present, she had certainly made an effort with her makeup and her hair was perfectly straight. Kurt preferred female hair to be wavy, but she looked exquisite all the same.

Having expected to find nothing of interest in the evening, here was a fascination that Kurt wanted to learn more about. Was the Furse’s suddenly hot daughter completely uncharted by man? Or was her outward show of pureness hiding the trail of some adventurous souls who had already embarked? If so did that make her damaged goods, or did it mean that treasures had been left behind for others to enjoy?

Kurt had no way of knowing what interpretation to favor without setting out to find out for himself, but that was the way he liked it. A question that was less tantalizing, however, was whether or not she was taboo.

The Furse family had structured their lives so as to keep their daughter away from loose living and bad influences. They were hardly likely to welcome a rogue like him coming along and sweeping her off her feet. The respect between the two families probably meant there was a presumption that he would restrict his fast living to other localities.

Unless he could get Darlene out of his head then that social harmony risked being tested – and that was easier said than done when she was sitting barely a reach away.

‘So tell me, Darlene,’ he asked, when there was a lull in conversation, ‘now you’ve lived on both do you prefer the West Coast or the East Coast?’

Though in conflict over the possible consequences, Kurt could not resist seeing how she responded to him again. The more she blushed and appeared self-conscious, the more perilous his course of action was likely to become.

‘Oh, this is my home, I guess,’ Darlene replied, looking a little uncomfortable that everyone was looking at her. ‘The East Coast is busy and exciting for sure, but I guess I’m an Oregon girl.’

‘You can’t beat coming home, huh?’ said Kurt, with a raise of his glass. Darlene smiled back at him. Strangely, he then noticed, what had originally been her best feature was the only one that was now less vibrant: her smile. It used to be carefree but now it had a melancholic quality. Something had changed her since she had been away but, being hidden from the opposite sex as she had been, Kurt was at a loss to guess what it was.

‘Kurt would know all about that. Tell her about some of the places in Europe you’ve been on your travels,’ his father then put in, inadvertently encouraging him to brag and impress her. ‘Which were the most impressive?’

‘The most impressive?’ Kurt considered. ‘Cologne, Vienna, or Prague perhaps, but I think Darlene would love Florence or Paris the most. Girls prefer the romantic places, so I believe.’

‘Whereas you prefer the places with the best beer is what you’re saying?’ his father added correctly.

‘But I’m an Oregon man too, after all,’ Kurt continued. ‘And our clients prefer cocktails, so I’d better get used to finer living.’

Mentioning clients inevitably directed Clive back to business talk, but Kurt was satisfied he had impressed Darlene. There was some kind of chemistry across the table he was sure of it, though he was underestimating just how much his curiosity was about to soar.

After the first course, he excused himself to go to the bathroom and, before heading back downstairs, found that he was enticed by being in close proximity to her bedroom. The Furse’s had a fairly large house but it was obvious from a nightgown hanging from the end of a single bed, whose this bedroom was.

The upstairs had thick carpet and, because there were no squeaky floorboards, Kurt found himself daring to step inside.

How he would love to be in that room alone with Darlene when her family were absent. The idea was so dangerous that it caused intense nerves in the pit of his stomach, only they were good nerves and the kind he desired more of.

Whether such a liaison could ever happen was fraught with complications and, knowing the chance might not come, Kurt was desperate to discover something new about her before leaving the room. Did she have a diary he could read an excerpt from maybe? If so it was hidden away and the room was fairly tidy except for the one suitcase in the middle of the room. Darlene had not been back long and so had probably been rummaging for clothes or makeup in there and had failed to zip it back up.

Seeing that there was easy access, Kurt decided to lift the lid to find out what he might see. Some fancy underwear might have sent his pulse racing even more, though all he saw at first were two neat piles of jeans and t-shirts. That was un-amazing until he saw that something was lodged between them. Moving the jeans to one side, Kurt then couldn’t believe his eyes.

Were, they handcuff?

Yes, they were and something else too. Perhaps he was the naïve one or else that was a pair of black nipple tassels.

An evening that was already rated nine out of ten on his intrigue meter was suddenly off the charts. For Kurt, there could be no holding back anyone, regardless of familial concerns. He simply had to find out what this Darlene had become since leaving. Was she really a man-shy religious nut who would make the Virgin Mary proud, or else a closet nymphomaniac with a ravenous sexual appetite?

Someone would find out first hand eventually and he wanted that man to be him.

Back at the dinner table, his eyes lit up opportunistically on seeing that their dessert was cherry-pie with stripped pastry. As Clive continued to yap away about brochures, Kurt surreptitiously manipulated the pastry in order to spell out ‘DATE?’, before turning his plate in Darlene’s direction and gently tapping the table cloth.

Darlene paused halfway through a mouthful upon seeing the question, then looked up into his eyes to see if he was being serious. In response, he gave the slightest of cheeky smirks and a shrug of the shoulders, then was thrilled to see she had to look away for fear of smiling too much in front of everyone.

It took him a few minutes to get his answer, because she was a bit more paranoid than him about how to arrange the pastry. When she had finished, however, it read a big ‘YES’.

* * *

Despite the positive reply, Darlene seemed to grow shyer of him after having accepted. There was a look on her face that suggested she did not quite know what she was doing, but that only proved all the more enticing to Kurt.

Darlene was both a fascination and a puzzle to him. On the one hand, she was up for a date and had nipple tassels in her bedroom; on the other she looked to be as timid as a mouse and had a history that suggested very little experience of men – if any. A voyage of discovery was ahead, as long as he could figure out the logistics of setting sail. Darlene might have accepted the idea, but no means of discussing where and when presented itself at the time. Plus, the more Kurt thought about it, the more complicated a date seemed. Especially as it seemed safe to presume that she did not want to give her parents a single clue that she had anything of the kind planned. Certainly, they would not be revealing to their families that they were having any kind of liaison, but it was also likely that the returning goody-two-shoes hardly went out and met men at all. Hopefully she would prove resourceful enough to come up with an excuse for getting out of the house one evening, but before that Kurt had still to figure out how to go about contacting her. Calling up the family home and asking to speak with her was just not the way to go; the Furses were far too Victorian and would be onto him like a finely-cast reel.

After heading back home with his parents, while nursing a state of unclear anticipation, Kurt decided that tomorrow would be a good day for finding a solution. He was back at work and there is nothing like a good sea air for clearing the mind and offering some clarity.

Aqua Yachts boasted some fine vessels and he had dedicated the whole day to the maintenance of his favorite; a 50-foot, one-million-dollar fly-bridge called Arial, requiring only one or two crew members depending on conditions. The company had larger and more expensive vessels, but this was the kind he could often take out for personal use also and, so long as you knew what you were doing, it suited him completely. Its three cabins meant he could invite his best friends to join him on the ocean – or not – and he had complete control over what was on the itinerary.

Although the day was only for maintenance, Kurt enjoyed spending time on Arial anyway and thought he would have time to test its performance out on the water at the end of the day, so long as the weather remained calm. He had always felt grateful for the company’s market position; in that they were neither at the high nor the low end of the market. Their clients were rich enough so that they did not have to scrape around in order to stay afloat, while they did not have to worry about maintaining the giant vessels that the super-rich billionaires craved either. That would have meant supervising a massive team of people and having little time for the solitude he enjoyed. As it was, however, the company only needed to employ half a dozen maintenance engineers, whom he was able to personally train and build up strong and trusted relationships with, as well as a dozen cleaning staff. The crews that clients required to take them out on the water were employed on a per-job basis – though he occasionally did that himself also.

All in all, the job and the demands upon him were just how he liked them. Kurt knew he was very lucky and had no complaints. Although there was a certain doubt that something was missing. It would have been self-indulgent to complain or linger over what that might be, but he would occasionally find himself looking around as if he was not one of the luckiest guys in Oregon.

Whenever he got that feeling it had become a habit to go looking for girls to obscure whatever the problem was. Being in great shape – and with a selection of luxury yachts to choose from – Kurt did not find drawing female attention very difficult. Deep down he knew that the money, the ocean and the cocktails made that a lot easier than it otherwise would be, though it was also safe to say that he was pretty confident with the ladies anyway. Sexual conquest was as much a part of the landscape as the sea and the sky. The only complication being, because everyone knew where to find him, that of avoiding several bitter ex-girlfriends who had thought to accompany him and his lifestyle a bit more permanently.

Darlene represented something different, however. That much was clear from the start.

It was not that he had not gone for girls who could be considered ‘hard to get’ before, but they had usually come with the surroundings. Darlene might have had a direct connection with him as a Furse, but she clearly came from a part of society unlike his own. Her family lived its life very differently to what he was familiar with and, if it was not for business, the two of them would probably never have met.

Why was he singling her out for the extra effort, therefore? It was not an easy question to answer, despite how attractive she was. Even without the complication of risking upset to inter-family unity, the flirtation might have seemed unfeasible. For some reason, he couldn’t get her out of his head all that day, however, and thinking on how to get near to her was clearly clouding his vision as to why she was worth the effort when there were more convenient hot bodies to go chasing.

As predicted, getting in touch with her was not as easy as contact is with most people these days. Without the chance to ask for her phone number, he was reliant on social media. However, he was right to predict, before even checking, that the Furses had not developed much enthusiasm for that side of things either. Though in that sense they were very much alike (Kurt thought of Facebook as a waste of time unless all you cared about was being nosey). But he did have an account nevertheless and Darlene having one would have made matters simpler there and then. All he found was an empty icon next to the name Darlene Furse, which suggested that she might have had an account at some time and deleted it (or else someone of the same name), but that was all and of no use. Twitter and Instagram then seemed like long shots and proved to be so, with Kurt even thinking he would have to resort to some Romeo and Juliet-style calling up at her bedroom window instead. That was before he thought of LinkedIn, however, and there she was.

Like all the other social media sites, Kurt’s presence on there was an unenthusiastic one. He had done nothing with the account, to keep him in touch with ex-colleagues and fellow professionals or otherwise, but he did have one. A curious mugshot of Darlene also answered to his search and so there was his means of contact.

After punching the air, he spent a few moments wondering why she had chosen such a furtive looking pic. She looked more like the Darlene who had jetted off to the East Coast three years back; plain and not even showing off her best feature in that she was not smiling. It looked very much like she was reticent about the picture being taken at all… but no matter. He would be able to say he had made a use of LinkedIn at last, as he clicked on the friend’s request feature and typed in the message box: ‘Good to see you again Darlene! You still up for that date? Kurt.’

He had to wait an hour for a response, during which time he did wonder whether Darlene still had an email connected to the site. The truth is that there are so many disconnected and half-hearted accounts littering the online world that is supposed to be running our lives, but he was to get lucky. His fascination was not completely unreachable after all and so her response came back:

‘I am if you are. What do you have in mind?’

‘There are some nice restaurants with sea views here,’ he replied. ‘I could pick you up one evening and choose one of them. I was just wondering how to prize you away from your parents without them knowing.’

‘There are some old friends I can claim to be meeting up with,’ she replied. ‘If you can pick me up from town instead?’

Awesome, he thought, not only had she not changed her mind, she’s already been thinking of the logistics. It all boded well for what kind of date they would have. Plus, going behind their parents’ backs was proving more of a turn-on than he had realized it would.

‘How about this Friday?’ he then asked.

‘Thursday would be better. Less obvious,’ she replied. ‘Also, is there something more casual than a restaurant? I’ve met a few more of dad’s clients since I got back and some of them might be hanging around near the harbor.’

Well, this is a first, thought Kurt, a girl asking me to think less extravagantly when I’m trying to get her into bed. Everything about the scenario was suggesting that dating Darlene was going to be very different to anyone he had dated before – and he was all for embracing the draw of mysterious waters.

‘How about the bowling alley? As long as you don’t expect me to be any good at it,’ he then suggested.

‘That sounds like a better option. Though I’d be nervous of doing it.’

Nervous of doing what? he thought. Had she seriously been so held back from youthful pursuits that she had never been in a bowling alley?

This girl was reserved; seriously so. And yet she was still saying ‘Yes’ and allowing him to lead with the suggestions, giving him the impression that he had come along at exactly the right time for what he most desired: a quest of mutual discovery.

‘As I say, it’s not something I’m great at,’ he replied. ‘Will just be nice to have your company without the parents. I didn’t really feel I could ask you about college with them there.’

He realized that response eluded to wild times she was supposed to have had that she possibly hadn’t, but it would still serve as a convenient conversation topic. The fascination as to whether Darlene was a dark horse with a more expansive lifestyle or else someone who had hardly known a man’s touch had not lessened since the dinner.

The correspondence drew to a close then. Having agreed a date, Darlene asked for his mobile number and only told him to head to the centre of Portland at 6pm on Thursday. It was clear that she was intending on giving someone the slip before seeking him out and probably because her parents would insist on dropping her off in town. All of which only made Kurt more excited.

They were playing with fire in a way, even though it was not obvious how fierce the flames were. Was Mr Furse an overprotective parent whose amiable outer shell would crack if he heard of a bad boy carting his little girl off, or would he suck it all up and carry on as normal? It was hard to read because it was hard to imagine him in a state of fury but, either way, he was not one for conducting relationships in a ‘proper’ fashion. Kurt was not about to trot up to the man’s door and ask for permission to take his daughter out to dinner. Rather he’d have as much fun as he could before be deciding whether or not it was in his interests to involve parents at all (and almost certainly not). So, sneaking around was going to be in order – if, that is, she did not turn out to be one of those girls who demanded his hand in marriage before hands were allowed below the neck and above the knee.

Anything was possible, but that was exactly how Kurt preferred life to be. Like an ocean voyage, it was all about embracing mystery and allowing fate and destiny to seek you out if it so chose.

Thursday evening came and Kurt sat parked up in the Pearl District of Portland, thrumming his fingers on his steering wheel and wondering whether to go and get a coffee somewhere.

It was 5:15 and he was early – mostly through not wanting to be late, but the traffic had been kind. There was only 45 minutes to wait, by which time Darlene should have called him and let him know where she could be picked up from. The older he got, however, the more Kurt found that he became bored very easily and so he sat in his car feeling tetchy and uncertain.

Why that might be was something of a puzzle, being the laid-back type. But it was almost as if some outside force was telling him that time was precious and not to sit idle.

As it turned out, he had nothing to worry about, because something uncanny then happened.

There he was looking out over Columbia Square when who should turn the corner but none other than Darlene heading his way.

Have I completely underestimated this girl, he thought, wondering how she could possibly know where he was? That was his first thought anyway; his second was how staggeringly dazzling she looked. If he had thought meeting her in the company of their parents and in homely surroundings had been an eye opener then seeing her out and about, with the wind in her hair, made him see that he had booked a date with a real bombshell.

She was dressed in a lilac one-piece that hung from one shoulder only and ended just above the knee. Fitting her curves perfectly, for someone of her background it probably amounted to being that dress she had always wondered if she would have the nerve to wear. Kurt thought that she looked like pure class and immediately saw that he would have to act quickly to show that she was with him. Eyes were turning her way, scanning her up and down as the male gaze does and, if he wasn’t swift enough, he might have to end up fighting several rivals off.

Getting out of the car and trying not to look like he was rushing in closing the gap between them, Kurt fixed her with his best John Travolta grin.

‘You never told me you worked in intelligence, Darlene,’ he said.

‘What do you mean?’ she asked, returning his smile though seeming a bit shyer of him than her appearance suggested.

‘How would you know I was here otherwise?’ he asked.

‘Oh! This is where everyone comes,’ she replied.

‘I don’t understand.’

‘It’s just an observation people have always made. Anyone who arrives in Portland from the west always chooses to stop in the Pearl District.’

‘No kidding.’

‘No one knows why, but I thought I’d come here and then call if you were elsewhere.’

‘Well, it was a good call,’ he told her, ‘here I am – and here we are.’

‘Yes,’ she replied, sounding a little giddy as she failed to sound casual – a response he could not help but love.

‘I hope it wasn’t too difficult getting around your parents?’ he asked.

‘Not so hard,’ Darlene replied, with a shrug.

‘Did you have to give someone the slip to get here?’

‘No, a trusted friend dropped me off,’ she revealed. ‘She owes me a few favors.’

‘Well, good! That’s come in handy,’ he said. ‘Means we can enjoy a nice evening together. Shall we?’

Darlene accepted his invitation and they were soon in the front seat of his Toyota, heading back to the freeway and the coast. Kurt had always avoided going for the flashiest cars. In part, it was unnecessary when you had access to a fleet of luxury yachts, but he also thought it a good move in showing that he did not feel the need to be really flash (even though the truth was he would have preferred a Jag). His date did appear impressed enough by his motor, however, though he did wonder if that was more because she had never gotten into the front seat of some guy’s car and been whisked away in this fashion before.

With his anticipation for a fabulous evening stirred, Kurt simply had to find out the truth about her, but knew that patience was a virtue (so they say). Hopefully there would come a time for more interesting questions later. For the time being he just had to make sure she was comfortable enough in his company and set about helping her to relax and trust him.

‘So, we didn’t really get the chance to talk the other day,’ he began. ‘I guess we can make up for that this evening.’

‘Without our parents listening in,’ she agreed, still looking unsure of herself.

‘Absolutely! Are you really pleased to be back? I know people can feel a little lost after finishing education.’

‘Oh, I know what you mean,’ she agreed, responding well to his hint of compassion. ‘There are a lot of decisions to take and my dad’s talking of a job in his office, but…’

‘But you’re not sure about accepting an easy route via your parents.’

‘Yes, but–’

‘Ha! It’s OK,’ he said, reading her mind. ‘You can’t offend me. I love life on the ocean so joining the family business was an easy decision for me. But each to their own, if you want to follow your own path I’d say go for it.’

‘You’re right. The problem is I’m not completely sure about what I want to do, it’s just that…’

‘That you don’t want to be railroaded by your parents.’

‘I worry if I make the wrong decision I’ll be stuck there, or else I would have accepted by now. What do you think?’

‘No one should feel trapped. Do you have any idea what else you’d prefer?’

‘Only vaguely. I think I’d prefer something more expansive. More… adventurous, I guess. Like what you do – but I’m not sure my parents will be very supportive about that.’

Kurt loved that she had used the word ‘adventurous’, suggesting there was something inside her yearning to break free. The evening was getting better by the minute, as his earlier summations of her character were being proven sound (he had been guilty of imagining such things before).

‘Are they a little overprotective of you?’ he asked.

‘In a sense,’ she admitted. ‘They’ve never been outwardly strict but I get a lot of silent pressure from them.’

‘Because they know you can read their minds?’

‘They’re pretty good at that,’ she nodded, acknowledging the weight of expectation upon her never to do anything that brought shame upon their orthodox ways. Presumably sneaking off with a young gentleman without getting their approval for whom he was came under that banner, but Kurt resisted saying anything to cause her further dilemma. Darlene was rebelling against her parents later than most but he was not about to be playing Devil’s advocate. He might be the temptation, but the risk was all hers to take.

There was something he was dying to ask about though and, feeling he could not do so directly, he used the context of her parents to give her the opportunity.

‘Were they supportive when you were with that guy at college?’ he asked, wondering if she would reveal more about why that had not worked out.

‘Erm… well, that was a little funny,’ was her curious reply and he sensed both a reticence to discuss the subject and also a need to explain something.

‘You mean they didn’t come around to the idea?’

‘No, I mean the circumstances were… untypical.’

‘Untypical?’

‘Yes, because it was his mother who masterminded the whole thing,’ she revealed.

‘Oh, really! How does that work?’

‘It’s weird, but I think she was on the lookout for a good Christian to be wed to her… to her precious son.’

‘That does sound weird.’

‘It was. Looking back, I can see that when he first asked me over to dinner it was at his mother’s suggestion. It was then that she urged me to tell my parents and invited them over – of course they got right on a plane and came around to stay.’

‘No kidding?’

‘Before we had even… before we really knew each other properly, our parents were organizing things.’

Kurt had been aware that she had been about to say something different then and had to bite his lip for want of asking what it was.

‘I guess it’s something to learn from,’ he suggested instead.

‘You got that right! I’m not making that mistake again,’ she insisted, and he could tell there was much more to it. However, he interpreted the discontent that had driven her away from… from whomever it was, to be something to do with religious habits. Though not anti-religious in a passionate sense, Kurt had heard numerous stories about people acting wacky because of their faith – even those who, to an outsider, might appear a bit harmless and boring.

‘Well, you’ve met my mother already,’ he told her. ‘So you know she’s a bit barmy but at least there’s no surprises there.’

Darlene offered him a big smile to acknowledge that and appeared to be relaxing a little as they headed towards the coast. Kurt was a little wary of himself from that point on, however, as eluding to some form of long-term intention so early in a first date was really not his way. Even though he had only mentioned the idea that their parents might one day find out about them in a light-hearted manner, he would have to keep an eye on what he was saying. Having never gotten to know her very well, the fact that they did go years back did clearly mean there was some familiarity there all the same. Which meant that his usual relaxed sweet-talking was subject to a few pitfalls. He would have to be on his guard and look out for them. As hot as Darlene was, thinking on bigger subjects, like long-term relationships, was just not his way.

Fortunately, if he guessed right, she was a little unused to the whole going out on a date scenario to pick up on subtle hiccups. Which meant that he could set the standards, without fear of not measuring up to whatever had come before.

It was all too easy, in fact. Despite that they belonged to very different families and lifestyles, the complicated part – in getting her to step out and meet him – had been achieved. A girl like her would not have been coerced outside of her comfort zone if she was not attracted to him in some way. As long as he did not behave like a complete letch there was no reason the evening could not be a success – though the question remained as to how far Darlene was willing to go. Was she going to slap him around the face and run to daddy the moment he tried to run his hand up her skirt, or was she a secret sex fiend who would teach him a thing or two?

For the rest of the way there he decided not to pry anymore, instead allowing her to pick his brain about some of the places he had been and what he got up to out on the ocean. Again, such a line of questioning made everything seem all very easy, because he knew his responses would inevitably be so impressive. Even a girl who wasn’t into him would have to consider being so in order to put her feet up and sail out on a luxury yacht every weekend.

It was a good job his work / hobby was so impressive because, as he had indeed predicted, his bowling was not. Kurt supposed he would at least beat Darlene – and she was not particularly good – but that was not what happened. Admittedly he had not been on a bowling alley for a while, but when he used to occasionally head there with friends he had been good enough to pick up one or two strikes. Instead almost every ball he sent down there veered off to the right and he was at a loss to say why he had suddenly become so bad.

‘I feel like my right arm must have been knocked out of line and I haven’t noticed,’ he said to Darlene, as they neared the end of their second attempt to build up something like a score.

‘It must be the gentleman within you, letting me win,’ she replied, quite a way off the mark herself though her aim with the bowling ball was better. For sure, watching Darlene go back and forth as she practised her technique was inspiring quite the opposite to gentlemanly thoughts within him. The way her curves approached the task was certainly distracting more fellow bowlers than he alone. So much so that he decided that must be why his aim was so bad – the ten-pins down the end of the lane were not really what his aim was focused on, but another score entirely.

Playing bad was no loss, after all, especially after Darlene changed the subject and said ‘You know, I think I’d love to be out on the open ocean like you someday. Sounds dreamy!’

* * *

Picking up a date without an alternative plan was not really something a man like Kurt would ever consider. It was a devious and convenient ploy to have, but he would have thought a guy who failed to take advantage of it a bit dense.

Why else was it so easy to shrug his shoulders and say ‘fine’ when Darlene turned up her nose at a fancy restaurant? The fact that their date kicked off in some dive of a bowling alley did not matter when you had a luxury yacht or two just a short walk away to make up for it. Of-course Kurt had made sure that a vessel was available for his use and that one just happened to be Arial.

‘Why wait for some day?’ Kurt replied to Darlene’s speculation. ‘If it’s something that you’d like then we can make it happen now.’

‘If it’s something you would like’, he had said, as if it could possibly fail in sweeping a girl off her feet. In this, he would have to admit, he had Mr Clive Furse to thank. Though Darlene would have been on numerous ocean voyages when her parents had taken advantage of the fleet themselves and taken her on holiday, the reality was that they had always been family affairs. She had never been out on the ocean with friends, or with a date for that matter – and so the idea was still exotic to her.

‘What do you mean?’ she asked, showing genuine surprise at the idea. ‘You can’t be taking out the company’s yachts.’

‘What do you mean, Darlene?’ he replied. ‘Of course I can.’

‘You… you can’t do that?’

‘I can.’

‘How?’

‘Darlene, if there’s one person who’s able to take the yachts out whenever he likes it’s the guy whose job it is to maintain them. Unless you think there’s someone else around here who would do a better job?’

‘But what about fuel and stuff?’

‘Where are you expecting me to take you? Hawaii?’ he said, laughing as he deliberately misunderstood.

‘No, it’s just… isn’t everything audited?’

In your dad’s world, he nearly found himself replying.

‘Sure, but there’s always a bit of leeway,’ he explained. ‘Part of maintaining the fleet means taking them out for test runs every now and then. If you think you’ll enjoy it why don’t we head on out there now?’

Darlene remained in protest for a bit longer, pulling a face that suggested they would be doing something naughty. That only encouraged him more; there are few things that turn a guy on more than being able to demonstrate to a lady how free his lifestyle is.

‘Come on,’ he said, after she had been wavering for a while and just needed a bit of a push. ‘If we get out there in the next 40 minutes we’ll be able to watch the sunset. Always beautiful to see.’

Sporting a furrowed brow, undoubtedly the whole idea of being out on the ocean remained surreal to Darlene. She allowed her to lead him nevertheless; that was all that mattered.

After getting hold of some takeaway fries and a milkshake, they were soon trotting off down the harbor, chatting away about some of the memories they had of being at sea. Kurt found that Darlene had become steadily easier to speak to all evening and sensed that she was relaxing in his company. That was probably a significant step considering she had very little experience of coercing with the opposite sex, and the idea that his invitation was helping her to come out of her shell somewhat was a pleasing one. Even though it came via an ulterior motive, it felt good – for some reason.

As usual the harbor was fairly busy. Lots of people licking ice creams and eating donuts while, for a most part, the yachts were largely coming in rather than setting out. Experienced as he was, however, Kurt knew where the best spots were to avoid any incoming traffic. While also knowing that, as long as conditions were favourable, and there were no clusters of islands to look out for, manning a vessel is actually easier at night so long as everyone remembers to turn their lights on. That was only because he knew what he was doing – and he was looking forward to impressing Darlene by showing her how capable he was.

‘Here’s the one for us,’ he announced, much to his date’s surprise as they came upon Arial.

‘This one? You’re joking, aren’t you?’ she asked, genuinely astounded. He could tell what she was thinking; this yacht is far too big and impressive for just the two of us.

Exactly!

‘Or we can go find a bigger one, if you like,’ he feigned, pretending to misunderstand again.

‘What? That’s not what I meant. Surely you’re not going to take this out on your own?’

‘Not on my own – with you,’ he replied, resisting looking up at her to see the look of shock on her face and adding, ‘Come on then, hop on.’

‘With me? I’m of no use, believe me,’ she warned, though accepting his hand and stepping on board.

The next half an hour progressed just as Kurt had envisioned. Him appearing deliberately far too laid back about taking the yacht out to sea, in order to keep Darlene permanently poised between being impressed and alarmed. Watching her shoulder some of the responsibility was also fun, as he casually requested she take over the controls for a couple of minutes on their way out. Of-course he was not giving her any real command, only the illusion of it, but it was enough to make her feel high with having the control of a luxury yacht at her fingertips. At the same time, taking the controls back off her just as the panic was about to become unbearable made him feel heroic.

Soon they had negotiated their way passed all the other vessels, then subsequently the navigational buoy that indicated they were out on the open ocean. Kurt didn’t happen to mention that aiming for the buoy allowed him to be confident that none of the incoming vessels were going to hit them, only saying ‘Trust me, it’s all going textbook’, every time Darlene tried to call for caution in case one of the other yachts suddenly swerved their way.

‘I do this all the time,’ he assured, wondering whether having her put so much trust in him would lead to her letting him man another kind of ship before the night was out.

Eventually he stopped trying to make her nervous and, taking advantage of a calm and open water, shut the engine off so they could float and take in the view.

‘Come on, let’s take in the open ocean,’ he suggested, with Darlene having been hovering over him in the control room up until then, too nervous to throw caution to the wind and stand out on deck. His ruse seemed to have the desired effect. Darlene stooped looking like a frightened bunny the moment they stepped out from cover and took in a wider view. He had yet to meet anyone who didn’t enjoy being at sea once you got them out there. Especially on such a glorious day. The waters around them were taking on many irresistible shades, thanks to the dying light that, for some reason, often makes color appear more vibrant. Kurt had thought of everything, however, taking advantage of his date’s speechless state and disappearing into the cabin, only to reappear with a couple of cocktails.

‘Oh, my!’ was Darlene’s response as she took hold of the beverage, which he handed over without asking whether or not she wanted one. He thought that the best way considering how timid she was, though usually he would have had a hard time getting the girls not to drink. ‘Is this strong?’ she asked.

‘It’s a Sea Breeze,’ he told her. ‘I thought it might be ideal.’

‘What’s in it?’

‘That would be telling,’ he teased, feeling that a bit of mystery would sound more impressive than replying ‘vodka, grapefruit and cranberry juice’.

Watching Darlene take her first sip of the concoction, while holding it with both hands as if it might explode, Kurt tried his best not to laugh. He was liking this girl, he realized, more than most. There was nothing pretentious or fake about her and, though she was nervous of the adventure, she clearly looked determined to defeat whatever intimidation plagued her. Most probably she had been dreaming of stepping out for some time and his free spirit was just what she needed.

‘So does it beat the East Coast skyline?’ he asked.

‘Oh! You bet!’ she replied. ‘Don’t get me wrong, Boston’s impressive, but I didn’t expect this. We’re so close to the water on this vessel; I’ve always felt so up high before and looking down at everything.’

‘This is much better, huh?’

‘Definitely!’

‘That’s why I’m not that keen on the bigger vessels,’ he told her. ‘They’re more for private parties than for the sea, but this is more personal. I feel at one with the ocean a lot more.’

‘I think I understand now, why this can become so addictive – and why you love spending so much time out here.’

‘This is my favorite place,’ he admitted.

‘I think I thought it was something to do with….’

‘With what?’ he asked, seeing that she was unsure of the summation she was about to make of him.

‘Well, with having a big toy to yourself, I guess,’ she said, ‘but I can see now it’s a lot more than that.’

‘Ha! I guess that does come into it,’ he admitted, ‘but everyone who spends time on the water has to take pride in what they’re doing. Negligence leads to accidents, but our parents’ business would sink pretty quickly if anything like that started to happen.’

‘I see now why they have such faith in you,’ she reflected, taking another sip of her cocktail.

‘Oh, but I don’t tell them everything,’ he admitted. ‘They might raise a few eyebrows if they knew you were here for example.’

‘Tell me about it,’ Darlene agreed, looking a little abashed. It was his first subtle move towards taking their date to another level and he liked the fact that she was blushing, even though nothing particularly forward had yet occurred.

‘Darlene, there’s something I’m curious about,’ he then said, before backtracking, ‘but actually I don’t want to ruin a good sunset.’

‘It is beautiful, isn’t it,’ she agreed. ‘But go on, I’m not that secretive – at least I don’t think so.’

‘It was just something we talked about at yours place the other night, but I thought you might not want to go into it with our families there.’

‘You’ve gone to such an effort with all this, ask me what you like,’ she insisted.

‘Oh, this is no effort at all, I’m just delighted to have your company,’ he said, with a shrug.

‘If you say so,’ she replied, showing her first sign of being shrewd enough to compete with whatever wit he offered. He paused a moment, considering her college degree and wondering whether, although she was inexperienced, Darlene might be twice as clever as him. But it was only a temporary detour.

‘I was just wondering if there was more to it?’ he went on. ‘I mean between you and that guy? – but I know it’s none of my business.’

‘Oh, that! If you mean am I heartbroken or something, then don’t worry.’

‘No, actually I was worried you might be scarred by something,’ he replied. ‘That was why I was a little unsure about asking you out, in case there was something you didn’t want to go through again.’

He was not being entirely sincere on both counts, choosing his words as tactfully as he could in the hope of prying. As it turned out, however, his guess proved fairly close to the mark.

‘You get that impression, huh?’ she said, thoughtfully. ‘And there’s us doing our best to show that everything is normal.’

‘Don’t worry if you don’t want to talk about it,’ he urged, while thinking completely the opposite.

‘No, not at all,’ said Darlene. ‘If I don’t feel secure enough to talk about it out on the open water then where?’

‘Secure?’

‘Yeah! What happened was, the guy turned into a bit of a stalker,’ she revealed.

‘A stalker? Jeez, I thought it was the mother you said was weird.’

‘That’s right, she was. I think that’s why I didn’t clue on that he was a little bit unhinged also, because I was focusing on her too much,’ Darlene explained. ‘The truth is she wasn’t even half the trouble.’

‘Was he aggressive?’

‘You wouldn’t think it to look at him. It all came when I decided we weren’t head over heels for each other, like our parents wanted us to be, and then his nature changed completely.’

‘He didn’t like you having a mind of your own?’

‘The best way of explaining it is that he had a real sense of… entitlement about him. As soon as I called it off he responded as if I was taking away some kind of birth right. At first he started telling me how I had to change my mind and come back to him, egged on by his mother of course, but that soon progressed to calling me all kinds of nasty names.’

‘Sounds like a real psycho.’

‘They were positively medieval. It opened my eyes a bit to some of the wacky religious types my parents still socialize with. Most of them are lovely people, but there’s always one or two at every church that act as if they are the judge of everyone.’

‘He didn’t hurt you, did he?’ Kurt asked and it was as he did so that he stepped closer, sensing his chance. The story was just perfect for making him look the concerned and compassionate type. Whomever the barmy Christian she was talking about was he felt like patting him on the back and saying ‘well played’. Through being weird and unhinged the dude had missed out on the hottest of babes, at the same time as virtually chasing her into his territory.

‘Not… like that,’ Darlene replied, ‘but, erm… I was intimidated for a while. Felt like locking myself away from the world.’

‘I’m glad you didn’t.’

‘Thanks for asking me out, Kurt. It really gave me a boost,’ she then said, smiling sweetly his way and, if he couldn’t step forward and kiss her then, when could he? Darlene had not flinched at all from their closer proximity, though she still looked shy of him. They were alone on the ocean, with the lights of several other yachts visible about them but not close enough to feel like they were intruding. The setting sun meant they were now casting shadows on the cabin behind them, while the temperature was also cooling slightly. Kurt was not the most romantic type, but he knew how the ladies loved a taste of the sublime when giving themselves over to a man’s embrace.

Everything was perfect, especially Darlene. It still seemed absurd that such a girl would get through college without having the boys trailing around after her, but it had taken her a while to step out and he wasn’t about to complain.

Leaning gently forward, Kurt paused for effect, thinking it looked good to show hesitation. The pupils of Darlene’s sea blue eyes widened, showing him it was a good move, but he could tell then she would let him. Then their lips met and the kiss took him back to being fifteen years old when he had first kissed a girl properly. The reason was for that was in sensing the nerves that made Darlene rigid were the same nerves of a girl who had never been kissed properly, just as Marlene Foster had never on that day they were late for lessons.

Kurt was not prepared for such a reminiscence, which made him glow inside in a manner no girl had ever caused. Who would have thought the daughter of Clive Furse would knock all the others out of the water, but Darlene was doing so despite her in-experience.

But then Kurt also realized, in a sense this experience would be something knew for him also. Back when he had taken that first step with Marlene, shyness had held him back from going one step further and, for a number of reasons, they had never gotten around to it. Since then, despite his many conquests, Kurt had always been with women who knew what they were doing. Up until now he had not concerned himself that he had missed out on anything. That was until his lips met with Darlene and he was transported back to first love.

Suddenly he was nervous too, as he realized that, in a sense, now was the chance to make up for that one that got away. Darlene was stiff and trembling just as Marlene had been, but his experience meant that this was an opportunity to go one step further. Being a first kiss sure fed his ego, but being the first kiss who then led the girl all the way too was something else entirely.

Nothing was certain. Even if Darlene wanted him she might still hold back, imagining they needed longer together before taking the next step. He knew that some girls who were less comfortable with being sexually active liked to test men by making them wait. If so, that would be a disappointing end to an evening that had gone perfectly so far.

Kissing her sweet lips, Kurt’s next subtle move was to gently place his right hand on her shoulder then, when she did not shrink from his touch, he stepped closer so their chests were almost touching. Indeed, as they became delightfully breathless, their chests did touch and Darlene did not give in to any of the voices telling her ‘no’. He knew she must have been competing with a few of them, because her breathing was staggered and her trembling increased. That was how he knew that she must have waited too long for physical love and wanted him to take her in his arms and put things right, because she did nothing to discourage him and their kissing became more passionate.

When Kurt opened his eyes again it was darker; the sun setting fast. There seemed nothing more to say and he sensed that the dying light helped to hide her shyness somewhat.

Taking her by the hand, he gently guided her back into the deck and then down the steps into the first cabin. If Darlene didn’t want to go all the way with him then she would surely have said so by then.

The air was electric between them, because Kurt also felt pressure and nerves about getting it right. Knowing that he was taking her into uncharted territory, he was anxious to make sure the voyage was well manned. Getting it right mattered more than he realized and he longed for her to take as much pleasure from the lovemaking as he.

Inside the cabin he kissed her again, running his fingers gently through her hair before loosening her shoulder straps and letting her dress fall to the floor. Usually he would have proceeded swiftly onwards, considering that his mainsail was perfectly aligned, but he knew that with Darlene he still needed to take his time. These were sensitive seas, but ones that knew of man’s tendency to pillage. They needed to know that he arrived without arrogance or supremacy and only wanted to dock there as an equal.

Feeling the bare skin of her midriff on his hands for the first time, Kurt was struck by how soft and delicate she was – and yet all woman. If she had commanded him to do something there and then, he felt he would have swayed to her will, but she was unaware of her power over him and so he maintained the illusion of control.

In a state of passion, he could not recall for some time – if ever – Kurt found the nerve to act confidently. Leaning into her, Darlene allowed him to take her weight and dip her in the manner of a gentle waltz. But, instead of spinning her around, he let the momentum take her onto the bed and then lay beside her. All the while their lips refused to part, though his hands were becoming ever more adventurous, loosening her bra and stroking her wonderful legs and inner thighs.

Darlene had begun to moan a little, even before they were naked and he knew that each sound of delight and yearning she made was genuine and not for show. She was not trying to impress him needlessly, but being led by him and letting him be the one to teach her the pleasures of love and desire.

Her body did not disappoint. The change he had seen in her when first casting his eyes her way at her parents’ house had not been imagined, but was at his fingertips. Being unclothed together and feeling the length of her body against his was like being challenged to accept a lost treasure without knowing whether or not it could really belong to you. Like many an explorer before him, however, he would risk whatever curse or consequence that might arise as a result because to take and possess meant everything to him. It was his nature to yearn for such a find, despite knowing all the perils of the sea.

And so, it was his doom to suffer if fate so decreed.

In the meantime, any sensations he felt were quite the opposite, however. Darlene continued to let him lead the way, but all the rigidity in her had melted away and she was fully compliant. She might have been a novice, but one blessed with fine natural talent and that was all that mattered. They responded instinctively to each other and no doubt she was surprising herself in the process; she was surprising him too and he was sure there wasn’t a luckier man alive on the entire West Coast that night.

Afterwards they lay in each other’s arms for some time. Indeed, until there was no more light coming in through the windowpane at all and the only reason they could still see each other was the artificial light from the deck that made its way through the door.

Kurt had, of course, made sure the yacht was sufficiently lighted so any passing vessels had no reason to come dangerously close, while he also knew they were nowhere near any significant traffic. This part of Oregon’s coastline had been set aside for luxury, but the sea taught caution nevertheless and it was a few checks of their position that caused him to get up at last. At that point Darlene said she would come with him, but he assured her he would only be a minute and then returned to lie down beside her again after having a naked check of the deck that anyone with binoculars might have found amusing.

He judged they still had an hour to kill before having to get back, with the aim of getting her home around midnight (though he didn’t care that much if she was a bit late – it wasn’t as if she had made a habit of such things in the past and the idea of Clive Furse having sleepless nights amused him).

Unusually for Kurt, he found he had the need to seek reassurance from Darlene that the experience had been to her liking – even though his ego told him it had been fabulous for them both.

‘I hope I haven’t put too much pressure on you?’ he said as he lay back down, causing a confused expression to turn his way.

‘What are you talking about?’ she asked. ‘You put no pressure on me whatsoever.’

‘That’s good. It’s just that I know some women feel pressure if a date has gone well. You have to believe me I didn’t plan to kiss you when I did – it just happened.’

That was sort of a lie and also sort of true, in that he had planned it but it would also have happened anyway.

‘I guess you need to get to know me a bit better,’ was her response. ‘I’ve really not been the kind of girl who does this often – what am I talking about? I haven’t done this at all.’

‘You mean you’re a…?’

‘Oh! Not quite – I don’t really know,’ she confessed. ‘I sort of still think of myself in that way – though not after this evening of course,’ she added with a smile.

‘How do you mean?’

‘I guess I should just tell you. I did have a sort of sexual encounter with my ex – I don’t know if you got the impression they were a bit against sex before marriage.’

‘I did get that impression.’

‘Well, truth is that when we were still getting along and it looked like we would see it through – mostly because I wasn’t thinking and had my head in the sand – we did decide we’d give it a go.’

‘In case you’re worried, Darlene,’ Kurt added, ‘you could have had all of your college tutors and I wouldn’t think less of you.’

‘I’m not so sure about that, but thanks,’ Darlene replied.

‘So, you say let’s give it a go but – what, was he weird in the bedroom as well, or something?’

‘Not weird, it just didn’t go very well,’ she revealed. ‘Neither of us knew what we were doing and – I guess I’m not officially a virgin but I know you’re the first to get it right.’

Kurt took all that to mean that Mr Orthodox had had a bit of a faulty sail. His boat may have temporarily docked but was washed back out to sea before it could hang around and enjoy the amenities.

As a result of her revealing story, Kurt felt quite smug. No guy who was in his mother’s pocket as much as Darlene’s weird ex was should have been a match for him in the bedroom anyway, but it was still gratifying to know that when she compared the lovers she’d had he would look like something of a sex god.

It was then that another curiosity returned to him and he faced the dilemma of whether or not to question her. Most likely there would be no better opportunity but it was potentially awkward in revealing that he had been in her bedroom. At the same time, it might provide a perfect tonic to her own embarrassing story, meaning they could both have something to laugh about.

For better or worse, led as ever by sexual intrigue, Kurt decided to get it out in the open and ask her.

‘While we’re on the subject, Darlene,’ he began, ‘I have a bit of a confession of my own.’

‘Really?’

‘But you have to try not to think less of me. It sort of happened accidentally on purpose, if you take my meaning.’

‘Not really. It’s too dark in here for you to have filmed us so what can you possibly mean?’

‘Damn, I didn’t think of that,’ he replied. ‘No, I’m referring to when we met at your house the other day.’

‘As you said, it wasn’t really possible to talk at the time.’

‘That’s right, but I must confess, I sort of stepped into your bedroom.’

‘You sort of stepped into my bedroom?’

‘Well, alright! I did go in there.’

‘You didn’t have time to be trying on my dresses.’

‘To explain myself, I was looking for advice of some kind.’

‘From the imaginary gnome who lives in the cupboard?’

‘He was no use. No, what I mean is I was looking for inspiration… a context of some kind. You know, so I could make a connection with you.’

‘It seems to have worked. So, what was it?’

‘I was being a bit of a chancer, I admit,’ he said, now making it all up, ‘but I thought that if you had a poster of a band, or a book we’d both read it would make for a good conversation starter. I guess I was trying too hard; you’re not furious I hope?’

‘I should be – but no,’ she replied. ‘Truth is the idea excites me; I’d like to take you into my bedroom, Kurt. Getting around my parents’ scruples in that way might never be possible though.’

‘Yeah, I sort of got that impression,’ he said, with a wry smile.

‘So did you get your inspiration?’

‘That’s where the awkward question comes in.’

‘Why’s that? Kurt tell the truth now, were you going through my underwear draw?’ she asked, amusing him in that she was talking to him like he was a naughty child.

‘Not guilty, Judge!’ he replied. ‘The thing is – and this is not my fault – but your handbag looked like it had fallen open.’

‘Oh, is that all you’re talking about, sanitary towels?’

‘Erm, no!’

‘What then?’

‘Darlene, there was definitely something hanging out that looked to me very much like a nipple tassel.’

She could have gotten away with the fiendish truth then, had she simply shrugged and said something like ‘That’s just a joke birthday present from a friend’. But Darlene did not do that. Instead she put her hand up to her mouth in a desperate attempt to cover something up (even though the rest of her body had nothing on).

What followed would lead to Darlene blushing again. Not because she was naked or had just made love properly for the first time. Supposedly that’s when it becomes difficult to blush even more, but she knew that Kurt was on to her and was simply not as good as him at fibbing.

The first certainty that Kurt got out of her was that the tassel was there for a purpose. It was not a joke present or something accidentally acquired, though getting her to elaborate and assuage his curiosity proved challenging. She clammed up, not from trying to deceive him but through being embarrassed by the truth.

In the end, it was only through revealing a few fetishes of his own that he was able to coax it out of her.

‘I’m a leg man, with a thing for Sharon Stone,’ he admitted. ‘Plus, I don’t know why, but I’ve always had a desire to make love in a hot air balloon.’

After laughing at the idea of that one, Darlene gave in and told him. So, was she secretly a fast lady who had deceived him about her virtue and attended lots of orgies? Not at all; it was actually all just a matter of taste – though he did find it delightfully fiendish and especially for someone of her background.

‘I’ve always had some kind of fascination for… well, erotic things, of a certain taste,’ she explained, reluctantly, then asking him ‘You know that word “burlesque”?’

‘Burlesque? Yeah, sure!’

‘Well, that kind of thing.’

‘No kidding!’

‘I’ve never actually done any of it but, occasionally, I like to go online and look at some of the quirky gear they wear. I don’t look at porn; I’m not into that.’

‘Me neither,’ Kurt lied.

‘And nothing masochistic or sick, you know. I’ve just always liked what that kind of clothing looks like and had fun imagining myself wearing some.’

‘Darlene, you’re getting more interesting by the minute.’

‘I guess it’s silly.’

‘Not at all,’ he said, dismissively. ‘All the sex secrets that people keep and you’re worried about good old-fashioned burlesque. What have you got to worry about?’

‘But it’s not exactly something I’m ever going to be involved with.’

‘Why not?’

‘Now you’re teasing me.’

‘I’d love to see you with your tassels on.’

‘That’s just something I dared to order online one day, then didn’t want to lose track of where it was so I stupidly kept it in my handbag.’

‘So if I asked you nicely you wouldn’t dress in something burlesque for me?’

Darlene looked about to slap him down and refuse but then wavered at the idea. He could tell that, with him there, she was starting to feel brave and he was determined to take full advantage of that.

* * *

Kurt got Darlene home around midnight but his yearning for her was quite a long way from being satisfied. He wanted a lot more of her and learning that this sheltered little church goer had a repressed kinky side was going to occupy his imagination for some time.

Being at sea so much, he had often dreamed of finding his mermaid and what it would be like. That girl that drew his fascination more exceedingly than anyone else could, to the point that could be described as irresistible. He had located her in the most unlikely of places, 50 kilometres inland at the Furse residence, but that was exactly how he loved life to be: unpredictable.

As far as he could make out, Darlene was besotted with having a man at last and not at all reticent about meeting up again and carrying on where they had left off. Plus, on the way back he had talked her into trying something with those secret yearnings of hers.

Of course, she thought it impossible at first, but he convinced her to start looking online for some naughty clothing she would like to model for him. The deal was that she would then email a link to him, he would order the items and they could be delivered to his place. Kurt didn’t mind the risk of having that kind of attire hanging around the place if it meant having more sexual adventures with Darlene. In addition, she had promised to bring her nipple tassels to complete the set.

Pulling up around the corner from her parents’ house, it then took a bit longer than it should have for Darlene to get inside. The two of them started snogging each other again and came very close to getting very carried away. Indeed, Kurt was about to suggest they move into the backseat when what they knew to be the light from the Furse front porch came on and they decided against doing so. Reluctantly they stopped groping each other but Darlene agreed that, even though she was not sure how and when, they would organize to see each other again very soon.

For the two days that followed Kurt spent much of his time racking his brains for how that could be achieved. Doing so was less easy than he imagined, despite being equal part adventurous and devious. The Furse family lifestyle was just too boring to allow for very much that was flexible to happen at all. Not wanting to wait for the next time Darlene was able to fake another town meetup with an old friend, Kurt was getting desperate when an email from his new lover served to present them with more opportunities.

Perhaps Darlene would prove the brains of the outfit after all, because she had decided to take her father up on that job offer. Though still unsure about whether she wanted the position, it had become more attractive due to the possibility of a transfer to the coastal offices if the trial period went well. In which case, they would be in close proximity and she could even move away from Portland and Clive Furse’s beady eyes. Additionally, having a job to attend nine to five meant a temporary loan of a company car (until she could get her own) and, more importantly, the potential to expand her social life. Which, who knows, might just include a few evenings meals, dinner parties or trips to the gym with fellow colleagues – or so she could claim.

Suddenly they were being presented with a whole list of possibilities and Kurt took heart that his desires would not be frustrated.

There was something else that Darlene sent him via email as well. One link to a lingerie website and another to a burlesque page. After signing into a checkout basket on the lingerie site, Kurt saw several items listed that Darlene had described as ‘In your best interests’. Whether they were a gift for her or for him was hard to be certain, but Kurt liked the fact that he could not see any pics of the items, meaning he could look forward to Darlene showing him by modelling them herself. Next to the second link she had written, ‘Almost went for something like this, but maybe next time’. Clicking on the link then took him to an image of a sultry Taiwanese lady wearing black panties and something lacy around her breasts that could best be described as a disintegrated bra. The seductive Eastern beauty also had nipple covers on, because that shawl covered up very little.

Kurt had to get up and go to the gym an hour early that day, because he knew what he would end up doing with that image in his head if not.

It became difficult to organize anything extensive for that first week, largely because Darlene was indeed dragged into a few extended workplace events in order to welcome her to the team. They did meet again on the Thursday night, however, when they did finish what they had left off in the front seat of his car. A week had never seemed so long to Kurt and, by the time they met, their longing for each other was so potent that they did not even get to the cinema seat their rendezvous had been suggested for. Instead they spent the couple of hours they had together behaving like pure white trash in the car park, but agreed they would start having proper meetups again the next week.

Seeing as the ordered items had already arrived, Kurt was keen to make sure that came around sooner rather than later and convinced her to let him pick her up Monday evening.

That was the day the fiendish Darlene, who had kept her secret yearnings within for so long, was about to step forth and reveal herself. The Darlene he had seen a hint of when first coming across that nipple tassel; the secret that had stirred his own desires for her. The Darlene who was his to discover alone, who every hot-blooded male who had ever seen her simply had no clue existed.

She consented to being wined and dined that time, at his house in Pacific City. There would be time for epic burlesque voyages out on Arial, as soon as they could negotiate some time off together, but he couldn’t wait until then to see Darlene coming out of her shell. Waiting might only bring up complications or, if that initial excitement should fade somehow, cause her to lose her nerve.

After sampling his best attempt at cooking Italian and with the support of a glass of wine, a nervous looking Darlene took hold of the package he had signed for one week ago and disappeared upstairs. Before she did, Kurt had told her he wanted to make love to her in a manner that suited the sheer naughtiness of burlesque attire and she had agreed. Though unsure exactly what he had in mind, she gave him consent and all that was left was to wait for her to re-enter the living room.

What had she gone for? he wondered. Did it rival that see-through shawl the Taiwanese lady had been wearing? If so, he pictured himself launching onto her as if from a diving board. As it turned out, she had been far less obvious and more imaginative than that. Perhaps because it was her first time, understandably so, she had opted for the full gear and seeing her clad in such a way caused him to sink to his knees instead in sheer admiration.

Instead of a see-through shawl that looked like the slightest gust of breeze might blow it away, Darlene had opted for a full corset. Low at the bosom, which it hung so tightly around that both breasts seemed at risk of bursting out at any moment, the tightly-drawn pink number came in a shade of pink not so dissimilar to the color of her skin. A peeping Tom would have had to look twice to be certain that she was not naked. The corset followed the curve of her hips so that it ended just above the panties, though attached were some white and pink flower arrangements that caused him to wonder whether the panties were indeed beneath. Black high-heeled boots accompanied the corset, as well as a pink-rose headband that contrasted with the erotic clothing by offering an unbelievably innocent-looking face. A photograph from the neck up would have failed to reveal her true nature as a vixen, but Kurt was in her presence and knocked sideways by the transformation.

If it was not enough that there was a vision of such lust before him, Kurt was also to learn that being dressed in a way she had always wanted to did something dynamic to Darlene’s character. It was as if wearing the corset served to put her in character and she was not the shy creature he had seduced on the yacht anymore, but instead a dominatrix.

‘Are you looking my way, sweetie?’ she asked, with her hands on her hips and only lacking a whip to turn him into a slave.

‘You’ll have to forgive me if I drool at all,’ was his reply, which she returned with a wide and knowing grin.

The first time they made love had been all soft and gentle, but they were then to prove there was many layers to their sexual desire.

Darlene’s secret love for the erotic led them onto an isle of lust and raunch, of which Kurt had heard rumor but never ventured. He had never read the Karma Sutra either but imagined they must have ticked off a fair few positions that evening. (If not created a few of their own that would have been difficult to describe to an artist, not without a modern knowledge of some of the mod cons included in his living room.) On the carpet, the sofa, against the wall and climbing up the stairs; they prowled about like cats on heat making love multiple times as a subplot to his main task of trying to figure out how to get her out of that corset.

Kurt was helping her to find the real Darlene and, though he was taking at least as much pleasure along the way, for some reason it felt good to be a part of her awakening, regardless of the sex.

The two of them headed back to work with a glow on their faces, humming sweet songs as they went about their daily chores and looking forward to when they would next be able to continue the adventure.

Much to Kurt’s surprise, however, he was going to see her a lot sooner than expected. They had scheduled another secret liaison for the weekend, but little did he know that more than one strange twist of events was underway.

When the first of them came, it was completely unexpected and Kurt did not even have any of his seafaring philosophies in place to ride the storm. Hearings news of illness in the family is a sure-fire way of grounding anyone and that was exactly what happened on Wednesday morning.

Of all people, it was his father. Earl Wyden had always been a vision of good health and hardly ever even visited the doctor, but on that morning, he was rushed to hospital suffering a suspected stroke.

It was a scare that was accompanied by a sigh of relief, because the stroke was very mild and the doctors were happy to discharge him a few hours later. They would continue to monitor his heath and suggest some diet changes for a time but the family was assured there was no reason it should reoccur and that there was no lasting damage because they had reacted quickly.

On hearing the news, Kurt had insisted on driving them home from the hospital that afternoon and stayed at his parents’ house until the evening. He hoped that his presence might improve his mother’s spirits, who was clearly nursing a number of anxieties about Earl’s long-term health, while he was also keen to see how his father looked himself.

At 6pm he was just about to help his mother start cooking dinner when the doorbell rang and, to his complete surprise, Brenda returned to the living room followed by none other than Darlene.

Some extreme thinking flashed through his mind as to why she might be there. Had she been broken by the stress of keeping their relationship from their parents and come to announce they were going out with each other?

As it turned out, there was no need to brace himself for drama because it was all just a coincidence. Kurt did not know, but there were important company papers that needed to be signed that day and his father had been scheduled to head into Portland for an accounts meeting. Obviously, because the health scare had occurred, he could not make the discussion, but he had spoken to Clive over the phone from the hospital and suggested that someone bring the papers around for him to sign in the evening. Because Clive could not come himself, he had thought it a good idea to send the family a friendly face by asking Darlene.

Earl and Brenda were delighted to see an old family friend right then, greeting her warmly and asking her all about how her first days in the job had gone. All the while they had no idea there was something going on, though Kurt was aware he was saying very little, being afraid that the chemistry between them might be obvious when they spoke.

Darlene stayed for dinner and so the evening proved another warm family gathering. It was only when she got up to leave that Kurt was able to get a moment alone with her, as his father had some boxes of paperwork he had intended to take to Portland earlier that day.

‘Don’t even think of it, dad,’ he ordered, when Earl seemed about to get up and do the heavy shifting. ‘I’ll take them to the car for Darlene; you do as mom says and put your feet up.’

For once his father had no choice but to listen and Kurt headed outside with Darlene.

‘You gave me a surprise there, babe,’ he told her.

‘I know! I volunteered at the last minute and only considered that you might…’

But she cut her sentence short and Kurt turned to find her staring down the road at something.

‘Is something up?’ he asked.

‘I don’t believe it! It’s him,’ she replied, clearly struggling with what to think.

‘Who?’

‘Jefferson – he’s right there in that jeep, staring right at us.’

‘Who’s Jefferson?’

Of course, Kurt had never actually asked for the name of Darlene’s ex. Up until then he had complete zero interest in the man and, being worlds apart, he never expected to lay eyes on him.

‘My crazy ex. He must have been following me all the way from Portland,’ said Darlene.

‘Are you sure?’ Kurt asked. He could see the man’s face but could make out no distinguishing details. If asked to describe this Jefferson, he would have probably asked you to picture the most boring looking man in the world; a cardboard cut-out with a pair of thick black-rimmed glasses.

But Darlene seemed pretty sure.

‘He must have come all the way over from Boston. What does he think he’s doing?’

It had been a fairly surreal day and so perhaps Kurt can be excluded from staring back a bit dopily at first, but Darlene’s last question caused him to wake up a little. If there really was some weirdo following his girl about the place, then he was not going to stand idly by.

‘Damn straight, girl! I think I’ll be having a word with this bozo,’ said Kurt, dropping the box of papers onto the front lawn and then taking the first purposeful steps of what was going to be a march towards this Jefferson. His movement saw a response from the jeep, however, and so he only managed a few steps before stopping. From what he had heard of the man, standing in the road when he was endeavouring to speed by was quite possibly not the wisest decision.

How unhinged was this guy, after all?

The two of them then stood back and watched the jeep pass by, at which point Jefferson wound his window down, stuck his head out and shouted, ‘You slut! Burn in hell!’

Then he carried on past and down the road. Kurt got the impression he was trying to speed away but, from the sound of the engine, there was the distinct impression that Jefferson was having trouble getting the vehicle into gear.

‘Well, that wasn’t very nice,’ Kurt reflected.

‘And I thought it was all over with,’ said Darlene, ‘I can’t believe he’s followed me all this way.’

‘You did say he had been like a stalker.’

‘Annoying phone calls and Facebook messages, but nothing like this.’

‘That was why you deleted your Facebook account?’

‘That’s right!’

‘It’s all falling into place. If you thought, he was only a mild stalker up until now then he has just raised the stakes.’

‘Tell me about it, I’d better get home.’

‘What are you talking about?’

Darlene had looked about to be getting in her car and leaving, but Kurt could not see how that was going to help the situation.

‘What do you mean?’ she asked. ‘The best place is at home until he leaves.’

‘Are you serious? I’m not letting you out of my sight until this matter is dealt with.’

‘But what can be done? Stalkers don’t get prosecuted, it’s too difficult.’

‘I’m not having you waiting around for this to end, wondering whether he’s going to appear around the next corner. It isn’t on!’

‘But… I have to go home. Kurt, we’ll give the game away.’

She was right, unless he kept his distance their families would find out all about them.

‘I’m not ready to tell my father about us. It’s… it’s just happened so quickly and I’m sure he’ll think less of me.’

‘I don’t want anyone thinking less of you, sure, but–’

‘Look, we’ve dealt with him before. I’d better go in case he reappears to follow me.’

‘But he’ll know where you live.’

‘I’ll call home before I get there,’ Darlene insisted, getting in her car despite his protests and adding, ‘I don’t know when we’ll see each other again but I’ll be in touch when this dies down.’

Kurt was still in protest mode, but Darlene was far more strong-willed than he had previously given her credit for. Unfortunately, her vision was limited in terms of getting rid of this Jefferson. He could tell she was going into siege mode and believed the matter needed to be dealt with more directly.

It had been a strange day with strange twists and, if Kurt had been capable of thinking faster on his feet, he would have got in that car with her. Regrettably the instinct to be more assertive with protecting his girl only set in once he saw her speeding off around the corner.

Driving off like that was a daft idea; Jefferson could be lurking in wait from numerous streets and it was more than an hour’s drive to her home in Portland.

A sensitive family atmosphere had tired him out, but it was time to get his head in gear and decide what should be done. Either that or lose Darlene for good. Previously he had not been one for complicated relationships but seeing her speed off like that – possibly in danger – did something to him.

There was something unbearable about the whole thing – and then it dawned on him what an idiot he had been.

* * *

The nightmare had returned and Darlene’s stomach was in knots.

She did not know what to make of Jefferson’s psychological problems and, as she sped away from the Wyden’s place, any way she decided to look at the problem proved disheartening – if not downright disturbing.

Just when life seemed to be getting good. Just when she had found a man at last and seemed to be spreading her wings (albeit far from her father’s view), she had ended up taking two steps back instead of forward.

All those sinister overtones that had been hanging around in Boston ever since she had broken it off with that creep had returned. Back then she had always resisted reporting him to the police; had suffered the phone calls through the guilt she felt about letting someone down, when she should have been focused on acknowledging how disturbed the man was.

Escape back to Portland had been her way out and, rather than complicating things further, she had looked to that as the end of it all. When she was done with college she would be free and that thought alone had caused her to hang on in there. She had a lot to learn about getting herself into situations that were imposed upon her by a restrictive familial outlook and regretted ever walking into the situation. Even so, she thought the time to make up for that mistake and learn from it would be ahead. Instead, as she caught sight of him watching them, Darlene learned that the mistake would keep following her around.

What could possibly be done about such an obsessive and offended individual? She had closed her Facebook account because he had been sending lengthy and unhinged diatribes about purity and righteousness. Implying to her that she risked being turned into a whore like the rest of society’s women. All because, during one frank conversation, she had admitted lamenting the fact that she had not had at least some experience of being with the opposite sex.

When it came to leaving him, that admission gave Jefferson his ammunition. He accused her of giving into the devil and chasing those lustful dreams. She was leaving him to be seduced and would soon be wanton.

Of course, though she would have expressed it in different terminology, the irony was that this was exactly what had happened. She had met up with the Wyden she had always fancied and found that he now liked her too. But that was none of Jefferson’s business. Returning home had offered a certain amount of clarity on life and she no longer believed in hiding herself away from the world. It was there to experience and they were two consenting adults. His disapproval, or his daft old mother’s, for that matter, did not mean anything to her anymore – if she could only kick him out of her life for good.

Feeling she had succumbed to a false dawn, Darlene began to reflect on all that had happened over the last couple of weeks. Though she had wanted to seek a more expansive lifestyle, she had expected to discover one very slowly and had been completely surprised at a handsome man turning up to sweep her off her feet.

Giddy from the attention, in the back of her mind it had occurred to Darlene that Kurt deciding to look her way was unforeseeable, in that nothing had ever passed between them to suggest he might. Maybe he had thought her too young to flirt with before and so held back. Whatever the decision she would admit to finding no issue with his change of mind. It felt good to have been noticed so quickly and, though what then happened contrasted sharply with her tendency to be so regimented and planned with everything, allowing him to lead the way was a real turn on. Kurt was helping her to discover so much about herself that she had always repressed. He had always struck her as confident and focused. Two character traits she really admired. So, she had taken a chance in deciding to trust his intentions and the chance seemed to have paid off, even though their relationship felt like it was a no-strings style. But now Jefferson had turned up again and reminded her of that old proverb. That you may be through with the past but the past sure isn’t through with you.

The idea that God might be punishing her for being promiscuous after all flashed through her mind. She found the strength to dismiss it for now, reminded of her last New Year’s Resolution to have the courage of her convictions. Darlene did not believe in all the restrictions she had allowed overcautious parents to place on her life, though those convictions would have to survive a lot more tests than ever before. Jefferson was edging towards the extreme – if he had not already – and the journey home was not yet proving effective enough in seeking a solution.

Plus, if the overall scenario was not bad enough, things were about to get a lot more complicated.

Thinking back, she had not considered listening to Kurt’s advice when Jefferson had driven past calling her a ‘slut’. Her instinct had been to keep the males out of the matter, thinking that if she asked Kurt to stick up for her it might only make matters worse. Someone could get hurt or end up in prison and she feared such a scenario as a result of a problem that was following her around.

Hindsight caused her to change her mind when she saw Jefferson’s jeep in her rear-view mirror. Sticking together when presented with uncertain and perilous circumstances, as Kurt had suggested, was not such a bad idea after all. What had she been thinking speeding off like that? Now she was being tailed by a closet psychopath and leading him right to her parent’s place. It would surely have been better to hide behind Kurt’s exquisitely toned shoulders than her poor old dad, who she could not imagine saying ‘boo’ to a goose, but it was too late to do anything about that now. They were heading to Portland, if the embittered jester was not planning to knock her off the road before they got there.

The truth was that he already had her home address, so leading him there was not revealing any secrets. Knowing what his intentions were, however, was a completely different question. At worse he had something violent in mind, at best the same kind of pestering via phone calls and such that she had put up with in the past. Or maybe something in between.

Likely enough she would soon find out.

The kilometres between the two of them and Portland were eaten away, though very slowly to her own mind, meaning that Jefferson and her family might be due for some kind of showdown. Any idea of speeding away from him was quickly dismissed; Darlene was not comfortable with fast driving and considered that to be a sure-fire way of getting in an accident. Somehow the right blend of wit and resilience needed to be achieved although, as far as she was aware, there is no manual for dealing with obsessed individuals.

Her parents’ drive came into view and Jefferson was still tailing her, showing no sign of turning off for an alternative destination.

Determined not to let him any closer to her house than she had to, Darlene employed the handbrake as soon as she was on the drive, so as to make sure his jeep could not follow her up to the house. It did not look like that was his intention, however, as rather than hang around challenging her to move or getting out of the car, Jefferson drove on by.

Something told her that was not the end of it and, even as she then put the car into gear and sped up to the garage with the hope of getting inside as quickly as possible, Darlene was aware the menace had proceeded to pull up just a short distance up the road.

Indeed, the swine did not even give her enough time to get to the front door. No sooner had she stepped out of the car when she heard his jeep door slamming shut and turned to see that he was heading up to the house on foot.

This was unbearable. She would have to burst into the house and tell her parents, without giving them heart attacks, that her unhinged ex-boyfriend was pursuing her up the drive and needed to be dealt with somehow.

But then things became even more imminent because her dad then emerged from the front to greet her. No doubt he was curious as to how Earl was doing but, before even being able to get past ‘Hello, Darlene…’ her dad was interrupted by the rudest and most absurd performance that had ever been witnessed about that quiet family home.

‘Mr Furse,’ came Jefferson’s whiny voice, though at a volume as if he was addressing an audience, ‘it is my duty to inform you that your daughter is a slut.’

‘What’s this?’ Clive Furse asked, a frown on his brow as his ears sought to adjust to the peculiar spectacle being performed across his lawn. Darlene open-mouthed and desperate for the right words to say that might bring this nightmare to an end.

‘I said she is a whore,’ Jefferson went on, ‘I declare I have seen her with a man. She is a strumpet; she is a sinner and she brings disgrace upon your family name.’

Oh, please say this isn’t happening, Darlene thought to herself, having no idea which way to turn for help.

For a good half an hour, Kurt had been kicking himself for not thinking more firmly on his feet and protecting his girl there and then. He spent far too long delaying his chase because he did not wish to alarm his dad that there was anything serious going on which, potentially, there was. Then, when he finally set out he managed to hit every red light on the way out of town.

Uncertainty breeds doubt and along the way he found himself asking all kinds of desperate questions as to whether Darlene was in trouble. Perhaps she had been chased off the road already and he had driven on by because, when clarity descended, he felt sure that this fruitcake Jefferson would have found a way to follow her. There is only one main freeway leading from Pacific City to Portland after all, so the guy would not have to be Einstein to relocate the girl he had called a ‘slut’.

They both had a head start on him, but Kurt was the type to put the pedal to the metal and, providing nothing had forced Darlene into making an alternative plan, he was determined to reach the Furse’s residence.

Maybe I should have bought a Porsche after all, he caught himself thinking, but fortunately he found that his vehicle served him well.

It must have been about a mile from the Furse’s house when he caught sight of a familiar looking jeep and – if he wasn’t very much mistaken – a silver Fiesta it appeared to be tailing. Unless it was a very uncanny coincidence, that was his girlfriend’s inherited company car being tailed by a foul-mouthed religious extremist with whom he had a bone to pick.

Kurt guessed a little what the swine must have been up to and held back a tad in order to assess what was his best move. If possible, he would have liked to ensure the gentle Furse family avoided any unhappy drama. That was not achievable, however, and Kurt arrived on the scene in time to hear Jefferson spouting out his self-righteous insults in the direction of Clive and his daughter.

A week or so earlier, Kurt had been considering a means by which to sneak up to Darlene’s bedroom window and it was a peculiar twist of fate that such preparation would return to benefit him now. Had he approached via the drive then Jefferson would have seen him and had plenty of room to flee, but seafarer’s legs don’t often make for sprinter’s legs and he did not want that.

Instead he took advantage of the line of finely pruned fir trees that Clive had been so kind to love and nurture to three times the height of a man. So, it was that he was able to approach a shouting and preaching Jefferson without being seen, until at the last minute when he came out of the shadows and challenged him.

‘What’s all this then?’ he asked, giving Jefferson the time to turn around and face him before planting a fist on the side of his temple.

Jefferson went down like a sack of spuds, immediately trying to get back up, but then falling straight down again as if the brain had taken a few seconds to realize how hard it had been shaken. Kurt had seen boxers knocked out in such a way before; trying to get back up and then falling down again. It was unclear whether Jefferson wanted to get back up to fight him or to run away, though it might just have been the panic at being hit that took him a while to decide to lie still and let the effects wear off.

Kurt felt slightly sorry for him then, in knowing he was the better built of the two – but not that much. Had he been prone to violence he could have hurt the man a lot worse and probably gotten away with it, considering Jefferson had been pursuing a young lady for over fifty kilometres.

Understandably then there was something like chaos on the Furse’s front lawn. Beatrice and even one of the neighbors both ran out to find out what was going on and everyone seemed to have a dozen questions each, that were being directed at no one in particular because it was not obvious who might have all the answers.

Most perturbed was Mr Clive Furse himself (unless you count Jefferson who remained sprawled on the ground), who was trying to take in his daughter’s assurances, deal with questions from Beatrice over what had happened, as well as figuring out why Kurt was there.

At some point clarity reached Kurt through the cacophony and he realized that this was his moment. If anyone could set matters straight it was him and, as it so happened, the chance was exactly what he had wanted.

You see, something unusual had been happening to Kurt over the last few weeks that, probably because he was unused to the notion, caused him a while to clue on to. For sure he was aware that Darlene was something special among his list of bedroom conquests, in that she was different and physically speaking the most desirable of anyone he had ever met. In a short time, he had grown attached to her to the point of not even asking himself the question of how long should this last. Usually he was in the habit of deciding that this or that girl should last for a night, a week or a month. That he had not come to address the question about Darlene had been explained away because it was such an enticing mission of discovery. There was so much more to accomplish and so why cut it short? Although it turned out there was a lot more to his feelings from which there was now no escaping.

When peril had turned up outside his parents’ place, Kurt had first recalled his mermaid analogy. In doing so he had been tempted to kick himself for not considering that a man’s ultimate image of desire – the mythical mermaid – only appeared in order to lure a man into danger. Why had he overlooked such a fundamental aspect of that whole scenario?

But then the realization hit.

As Darlene disappeared into the distance and the haze of a weary day dissipated, fear helped Kurt to locate a piece of inner knowledge that had completely eluded him.

First it struck him that he could not bear the thought of anything bad happening to Darlene. Why had he let her leave like that at such a time? Then he understood why he should feel so protective and afraid for her well-being? Because he was falling in love with her; that’s why.

Heck, he almost certainly was in love with her, if all he had heard about it was true. That sick feeling in the stomach; that yearning to see her reaction all the time; the desire to share every aspect of his lifestyle with her as if in her company it all made so much more sense.

OK, so he had been directing most of his efforts into organizing a seascape of sexual exploits. He was a horny young male and such an approach was true to his character, but he accepted in that moment that there was more to this girl. They made sense together; amazingly they had a similar spirit of adventure. It had just taken a bit longer to coax it out of Darlene.

The wait was worth it though. Finally, he came to understand what that niggling feeling that something was missing from his life had come to represent. He did have a yearning for companionship after all; that was what was missing. Kurt wanted to settle down and share his life with a long-term partner who he loved and cherished.

It was all so soppy and romantic. So much so that, if he wasn’t completely love struck he would have lurched and vomited at the idea.

That didn’t happen, however.

What did happen instead was a springing into action that only concluded when he walloped that dick Jefferson around the head – and now, with no sign of caution or inner conflict whatsoever, he was prepared to go one step further.

‘Mr Furse, I can explain everything,’ Kurt announced and everyone turned his way to listen to his words, Darlene clearly the most apprehensive right then in hoping that he had found a convenient excuse for them both.

‘The truth is that this… Jefferson guy, did see me with your daughter and get the wrong impression.’

‘That’s right he got the wrong impression,’ Darlene butted in.

‘Yes, you see, I think he jumped to the conclusion that I’m something of a chancer who was trying to sweet-talk someone he once had eyes on – if you’ll forgive the terminology.’

‘Oh, I’m aware of how… of how young people talk,’ Clive responded, though looking like he was about to join his company’s co-owner with a visit to the emergency ward.

‘The truth is Mr Furse, that I have been dating your daughter.’

‘What?’ Darlene exclaimed, as Clive stared back blankly.

‘Yes, I have been dating her, but not for some wicked reason as this idiot is suggesting. No, I am in love with your daughter.’

There was a pregnant pause as Darlene’s second attempt to interrupt then caught in her throat.

‘Yes, I am in love with Darlene,’ he then went on, ‘and, if you have no objection, I would like to ask for her hand in marriage?’

Then it was over to Clive and, before replying, he had to look around at everyone present to see that this was really happening. Clearly the information was taking a while to sink in and, by that point, even the half comatose Jefferson was sitting up and listening to proceedings.

‘In… in love with her you say,’ Clive replied at last, uncertainty hanging in the air. ‘Well, I don’t possibly see how we can stand in the way of such a thing and so sincerely delivered.’

Clive turned around to look at his wife, checking that there was nothing like disapproval on her face, before turning back and saying, ‘Kurt, I’ve known you since you were a delightful young boy and, though we still think of you like that in some ways, it’s clear you have since grown into a man. Please be assured that we have no objection.’

Kurt managed a smile in hearing such favorable words, but he knew that the request was completely out of the blue and that was only the half of it.

Turning around to look at Darlene then, Kurt saw that she was still in a state of shock. At best perhaps thinking this was some ploy to outwit Jefferson; at worse she was completely mortified that he was taking such a drastic step.

‘Darlene, I’m sorry this is unprepared and that I have no engagement ring as yet,’ he told her, ‘but, as your father says, I am sincere. I am in love with you and wish to ask for your hand in marriage.’

The wait, between asking for Clive’s blessing and speaking to Darlene had made Kurt nervous. After he had gotten the words out he took a big gasp of air and then realized how scared he was in case it was all too weird and she said ‘no’.

There was a wait… an insufferable wait, during which Kurt sensed Beatrice bristling and dying to cry out to her daughter to say something. Had he put her in an unworkable situation or was the penny just taking so long to drop that he actually meant it?

It happened. The penny dropped.

Darlene’s face softened into a smile and he could read on her features that she knew he meant it.

‘Kurt, I’d love to, you incurable romantic,’ she said and relief washed over him like tidal waters over the driest desert.

There were cheers, hugs and congratulations all round. Clive must have shaken his hand a dozen times and all they could say was how beautiful it was that the two families had yet another reason to feel such close bonds.

There was some comment about the fact that Earl and Brenda were not present, but they all agreed that, on the morrow, they would head to Pacific City and bring some joyous news to the poorly father and worried wife.

At some point during the merriment (which the unintroduced neighbor insisted on hanging around for as if a part of) Kurt saw that Jefferson had risen and was skulking off back to his jeep. His walk had the air of a dejected person who had given up on something. If so that was best for him and everyone and, if not, he would be by Darlene’s side through whatever problems she faced.

Before they went inside for refreshments his fiancée linked arms with him and whispered, ‘That was incredible; I had no idea you were in love, I just thought you wanted to sleep with me.’

‘Now what on earth gave you that impression?’ he asked.

So, it was a happy end for the seaman who had found his mermaid after all. Although, as superstitious folk might say, the sea is a cruel mistress.

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There are more bonus stories ahead…..just look what you want to read next via the Table of Contents (TOC)

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