“Mom! Make him stop touching my project!”
“I can’t find my other pink sneaker. Mommy, I can’t go to school without my pink sneakers!”
“Ow! Mom!”
Morning at the Carter household was off to its usual start. Alan left the bedroom and listened to the commonplace chaos of mornings. Melissa was coming up the stairs.
“All of you, downstairs, breakfast is ready, and there’s nothing worse than soggy Cheerios.” Melissa hustled both boys toward the stairs.
“Don’t let him touch my project! I have to turn it in today!” Geoff insisted.
“Robbie’s going downstairs with you, mate,” Alan said as Melissa headed toward their daughter’s room. “Your project is perfectly safe.” Alan and Geoff had spent the past three evenings reconstructing the Great Wall of China with tiny blocks carefully cut from modeling clay.
“I’ll just have to hop everywhere, all day long!” Susie was saying.
Alan poked his head in the door of Susie’s room. “Need help, love?”
Melissa lifted five year old Susie and handed her over to her father. “Take her downstairs and feed them. I’ll look for the other shoe.”
“Can’t you just wear your white sneakers?” Alan asked his daughter as she put her arms around his neck.
She kissed his cheek. “They got gooky stuff on them when Geoff and Robbie threw me in the canal yesterday, Daddy. I need my pink sneakers. Or I can hop.” She suggested.
He carried her out of the bedroom as Melissa kneeled down and bent over to peer under Susie’s canopy bed. He took a second look at Mel’s rear end, and the way her baby doll pajamas ballooned out as she bent over, giving him an unexpected view of full breasts. Susie twisted in his arms and he headed for the staircase.
Both boys were finishing off their first bowl of cereal and Geoff was holding out his Power Ranger cup for more milk. Alan took the cup and moved to the refrigerator to get more milk while Susie climbed into her chair.
She was a petite blonde, with a pony tail, wearing a pink sun dress and one pink sneaker. She sat down and her green eyes grew wide. “Oh, here it is, Daddy!” She held up the other pink sneaker.
Alan touched the intercom button. “Mel, call off the shoe search, it’s down here.”
The intercom crackled. “Thanks, dear!”
Alan slid into the booth next to his daughter and started in on his own bowl of cereal. Melissa joined them, sipping on a glass of orange juice and refilling the respective Power Rangers, Star Wars and Priscilla Pony cups as needed. Each child always insisted on their own breakfast bowls and matching tumblers that their grandmother had given them for Christmas several years ago.
The back door opened and Sam Koenig poked his head in. “Hey guys! Come on, let’s go!”
Melissa pushed Susie’s foot in the pink sneaker and tied it. Geoff scrambled up the stairs for his project and Robbie slid underneath the table, kissed his mother quickly and headed out the door with his buddy Sam.
Susie kissed both parents goodbye and picked up her pink lunchbox with the pony on it. The kindergartener didn’t like school lunches so Melissa packed her lunch every morning. Geoff dashed past, calling goodbye. All the children were in the same school for this year. Next year he would head for middle school. Alan shook his head, wondering where the time had gone. They had grown up so fast.
“Whew!” Melissa sighed, standing to put away the milk and cereal. “Now to get you off, and I have an hour and a half before that conference call to get the house straightened up. Mom and Dad will be here this weekend, you know.”
Alan grinned and stood, pulling her in his arms as she closed the refrigerator door. “I know. And, I have a surprise for you, love.”
“Oh?” she asked, putting her arms around his neck. His hands worked their way underneath her pajama top, caressing her back. “What kind of surprise?”
“Soccer season has just ended, and we don’t have any kid related obligations this weekend, or any work ones, so I’ve made reservations for you and me at that new spa up at New Symrna Beach.”
“Well! That is a surprise. Just you and me?”
He brushed his lips against hers. “That’s right love. I don’t even want to hear the words Mommy and Daddy the whole weekend.”
“You usually just get a place at the Coastal Condos when you’re in this sort of mood.” His hands had moved from her back to her front, fondling her breasts underneath the cotton material of her pajama top.
“I don’t want us to have to cook, or look for a restaurant. The heaviest thing I want to lift is a Margarita glass, or a golf club. There’s a course right there, and a four star restaurant that provides room service. We can even go dancing on Friday night. And in between dancing and golfing I intend to take you to bed and make you scream with pleasure.”
“Mmm,” she responded. “Sounds wonderful.” He was nibbling at her neck now. She kissed his earlobe and said. “I’m getting wet just thinking about it.”
“Are you really,” he murmured, biting her earlobe gently. “I need to check this out.” His hands slid inside her pajama bottoms.
She slid her hand down to his crotch, feeling his interest. “Alan, don’t you have to pick up John?”
“I told him I’d meet him at the Eagle this morning. He can wait a few minutes.” His exploring fingers had found her wetness, and he moved to push down her pajama bottoms and lift her onto the breakfast table.
She laughed. “We haven’t had a morning quickie in ages.”
“I’m getting revved up for tomorrow. Just thinking about having you all to myself this weekend makes me horny.”
She unzipped his fly and spread her legs, welcoming him to her. “Then take me, flyboy.”
He caressed her warm and wet folds as she liberated him from his pants. “Mel, I want you so badly.”
She gasped as he penetrated her. He continued to use his hand to stroke her and she arched her back with pleasure. “Oh, yes! Alan, yes!” He reached out a hand and pushed aside the breakfast dishes. Plastic bowls and tumblers clattered to the floor and Melissa lay back on the table. He crawled on top of her, thrusting eagerly. She moaned as he prolonged her orgasm, holding himself in check even though he was nearing his own peak.
“Do it, flyboy! I want to feel you come!” She moaned.
There was no problem there. He thrust harder, coming with a moan of his own as she squeezed him tightly. “Oh, Mel,” he gasped. “Oh, baby!”
They held each other tightly for a moment, recovering from the intensity. Then he pushed up so he could watch her face. She smiled and closed her eyes and he slid slowly out of her. She sighed as he did so. He knew her well and knew how much she enjoyed that final part of their lovemaking. He crawled off the table and took her hands to pull her up.
“Good thing we have strong furniture.” He commented, tucking his shirt back in and zipping up his fly.
“Oh, it’s one of my criterion for picking out furniture,” Melissa replied with a laugh as she stepped back into her pajamas. “It must be able to hold us both in passionate moments.”
“That’s my girl,” Alan said with pride. “I can’t wait for tomorrow.”
“Obviously,” Melissa laughed again.
The door to the garage opened up and John stepped in. “Was I supposed to pick you up, or meet you at the Eagle?” he asked. He took in the breakfast dishes scattered across the floor and raised an eyebrow.
“Good timing, brother-in-law,” Melissa said. “Take this horny man with you and let me get my house cleaned up.” She placed her hand against Alan’s bottom and squeezed as she pushed him toward the door. “I’ll see you tonight. When will you be home?”
“Late,” Alan replied as he headed for the door. “In order to take tomorrow off, there’s a few things I need to make sure are finished up today.”
“All right,” she said cheerily. Her voice dropped an octave and turned sultry. “I’ll be waiting for you flyboy.” She could tell by the looks on their faces that she’d made both men’s blood pressure increase, and she laughed as they closed the door. She set about picking up the breakfast dishes. She still had a conference call scheduled, but if she got some other paperwork out of the way she would be able to drop by the mall before it was time to pick up the kids from school. She intended this to be a weekend to remember.
John got home at about nine that night. His family was all curled up on the sofa. Helena was quietly reading a Just So story and Tori sat beside her, eyes wide and listening so intently that you would never imagine that she had heard these stories dozens of times before. Sam was curled up on Helena’s other side, head in her lap and fast asleep.
His two girls looked up and smiled in welcome. He joined them, picking up Tori and sitting down so that she was in his lap. Helena never missed a beat and finished the story while Tori leaned her head on her father’s shoulder.
“I told them they could wait up for you,” she explained.
“Sam didn’t make it.” Tori added.
He brushed back his daughter’s silky black hair. “Well, I’ll see him in the morning. If you two can get up early enough, we’ll have a swim before breakfast.”
“Okay!” Tori agreed enthusiastically. Somehow both children got up easier and were more cheerful with the promise of exercise first thing in the morning. John was glad, since that was when he preferred to exercise too. Weather permitting, they swam two or three mornings per week before getting ready for school.
John stood, lifting Tori with him. “You’re getting pretty big, for me to carry you to bed, little girl.”
“Not that big, Daddy,” she assured him. “Not yet.”
“Okay. Not yet.” He leaned her down so she could kiss her mother without disturbing Sam. “I’ll carry you off first, then come back for your brother.”
He headed for the stairs to take her up to her room and tuck her in. Once she was safely in bed, all kissed and tucked, he returned for Sam who didn’t stir until he was likewise tucked in bed.
“Daddy?” the boy asked sleepily.
“Yes, little man?”
“I waited up for you.” Sam said with a yawn.
“I’m home now. Go on to sleep.”
“Okay,” the boy replied turning over with a sigh.
Helena was waiting for him in the den with a glass of wine. “We’ll have all the children here tomorrow night, plus Mom and Dad.”
“Alan was sure eager to get away with Melissa this weekend. I have the distinct impression that I almost walked in on them this morning.”
“You almost did. Melissa told me so when I picked up the kids this afternoon. She’d been shopping for something ‘new and out of the ordinary’ to wear for him this weekend. They were both ready to get away.”
“And when do we get our turn?”
“Next weekend. Mother and Daddy are going to spend the week at their place in Vero Beach and come back up here next weekend to help Mel and Alan out with the kids. What would you like to do?”
“How about flying out to New Orleans for the weekend? We haven’t been there in ages.”
“That sounds lovely. Can I talk you into spending some time in antique shops?” She cut her eyes up at him.
He put his arms around her. “Oh, I’m sure we can work out some kind of compromise. We do what you want for a while, then what I want.”
“I have the feeling I know what that will be,” She said with a smile.
He leaned down and kissed her. “I’ll try to make it worthwhile for you.”
The next morning Alan took the children to school while Melissa finished packing. She was ready when he returned with the Navigator. He hefted their golf clubs into the back and the two suitcases. “You know,” he teased her, “we’re only going for two days.”
“And I want to look my best for you. We’re going dancing two nights, remember? And golfing.”
He pulled her into his arms. “But I intend to provide clothing optional activities the rest of the time.”
“And I think you’ll like the options I’ll be providing,” she smiled, kissing him. “I did a bit of shopping yesterday.”
“I thought I saw one of those pink and white striped bags in the trash.”
“Mmmhmm,” she said, giving him another kiss, deeper, longer, more leisurely.
When they pulled apart, Alan asked, “So, do you want to hit the road, or head upstairs.”
“Let’s go!” Melissa said with a laugh. She headed for the passenger side of the car.
The day was sunny and pleasant, a perfect Florida day. Alan opened the sunroof and the windows. Melissa cranked up the radio and they headed up A1A singing along with the country station. They stopped for a walk on the beach before leaving the Merritt Island wildlife preserve. It was nearly noon when they arrived. Alan tossed the keys to the valet and they headed inside. While Alan checked in, Melissa looked at the restaurant menu at the concierge’s desk. She ordered pressed Cuban sandwiches and a pitcher of iced tea for lunch, to be served as soon as possible.
The bellman arrived with their bags, offering to check the golf bags in at the pro shop. Alan agreed and they headed for the elevator. The building was a high rise with a glass elevator on the outside of the building. It afforded a beautiful view of the nearby ocean and the coast to the north and south. Alan handed Melissa a keycard.
“You’ll need it in the elevator. We have the penthouse suite.” Alan explained.
Melissa raised her eyebrow and nodded, slipping the card into her purse. They slowed to a stop at the top of the building. The view was breathtaking. The elevator opened into a small vestibule with fresh flowers on a credenza opposite the elevator doors. There were only two doors in evidence. The bellman led them to the right hand door, and used his passkey to open the door.
Melissa stepped into a bright living room decorated in green and pink pastels. To her right was a wall of windows with a view of the ocean. The wall curved discreetly so that the elevator shaft could not be seen, nor could anyone in the glass elevator see into the apartment. There was a small wet bar on the opposite wall and a doorway. Another doorway stood opposite the entryway. The bellman walked past her opened the door to the master bedroom. He placed the suitcases on the low chest of drawers that was designed to hold them, all the while pattering on about the amenities of the suite: a private kitchen, two more bedrooms, gym, tennis court, helipad.
“Helipad?” Melissa asked, incredulous.
“It’s reserved for your private use only. It won’t disturb you in any way.”
Melissa nodded. Alan tipped the man and asked Melissa if she had ordered lunch. She nodded. “Say mate, can you see that the lunch is delivered quickly and without disturbing us?”
The young man glanced at the bill Alan had handed him and his eyes grew wide. “There’s a service entrance to the private kitchen. I can bring the lunch up myself and leave it there for you.”
“Thanks. That would be great,” Alan said, dismissing the man with a look. The bellman nodded and headed out quietly.
There was a bouquet of fresh roses on the dresser in the bedroom with a card in them. Melissa opened the card and read the message as Alan wrapped his arms around her. She smiled at the message and turned to brush her lips against his. “Thank you, my darling. I love you too.”
Alan turned her around and pressed his lips against hers. “Even after nearly ten years, I can’t get enough of you, love. I want you right now.”
“I’m all yours. Shall we check out the shower?”
“They assured me the master bath contained a large shower and a garden tub too. How about a bath?”
“Long, leisurely, hot?”
“Definitely hot.”
She peeled off the white t-shirt she was wearing and sauntered toward the bathroom wearing only red shorts and high heel sandals. Alan followed pulling off his own shirt, kicking off his shoes and unzipping his pants. Melissa offered a delicious view of her bottom as she leaned over to turn on the faucet. There was a bottle of bubble bath next to the tub. She poured a liberal amount in the tub and turned to smile at her husband.
While the tub filled, the two kissed ardently, caressing and pleasuring each other eagerly. Alan pulled her pants off and trailed kisses down her body. When the water was ready Melissa took his hand and they settled together into the warm water in the large tub.
“Mmmm, nice.” Melissa said, her head pillowed against his chest.
He ran his hands up and down her body. “I should have fixed us some drinks.”
“Lunch will be here soon, and I’m a bit hungry. But this is a wonderful way to wait.”
“Yeah, yeah it is.” He nibbled at her neck.
Melissa turned so she could kiss him more easily and he slid inside her. It was exactly what they both wanted. They moved together, pleasuring and giving pleasure, knowing each other’s tastes very well. When Melissa was satisfied she melted into his arms with a sigh, completely relaxed. He continued to hold her as the water cooled. Then Melissa got up and chose one of the thick terrycloth bath robes from the back of the door. “I’ll get lunch set out.”
“I’ll be right there,” Alan replied.
She set out the lunch on the balcony. The view was beautiful. They exchanged smiles. This reminded them of Melissa’s condo down in Vero Beach. They had both loved the place, but raising children in a highrise was something neither wanted to do. Active children needed plenty of space to roam. The orange groves, canals and yard around the house was much better for the children, but the condo had been a place they had both loved.
After lunch they opted for a walk around the grounds to explore the place. There were walking trails that wound around the golf course, and a beautiful pool. They went for a swim and signed up for a tee time the next morning. Alan also made dinner reservations at the restaurant, and Melissa peered into the restaurant where the band was setting up for the performance tonight. It sounded like good dance music to her, and they both looked forward to it.
They rode the elevator back to the penthouse and as Melissa opened the door, Alan swept her off her feet and carried her to the bedroom amid her delighted giggles. They had plenty of time for leisurely lovemaking before preparing for dinner that evening.
Melissa recalled another afternoon of lovemaking when she was living at the condo and her parents had interrupted their preparations for dinner out when they arrived. She loved her parents, and had grown closer to them after her marriage to Alan, but she was glad they wouldn’t be interrupting them this evening.
Melissa had chosen a low-cut short dress in red that she knew would attract Alan’s attention—as well as any other males within range. She looked at her hair in the mirror and considered changing the color and style. There was a nice looking salon in the lobby of the resort. She’d been a blonde for some time now, mainly too busy to bother with the details of coloring, but perhaps it was time for a change. Perhaps she would be a strawberry blond for a while, with soft curls. That would match the green velvet dress she had brought for tomorrow night.
She put on the ruby earrings that Alan had given her ages ago, before he left on the Moon. The matching ruby anklet was always in place on her ankle and she wore a pair of high heel sandals that showed it off to great advantage. She moved to the bedroom where Alan was tying his tie. He gave her a long appreciative look, tie forgotten. She winked and crossed to the telephone, opening the little booklet that gave extensions for the different services. She punched in the number for the beauty salon and asked for an appointment tomorrow afternoon. She accepted an appointment for 3:30 to do nails, a facial, a perm and dye.
Alan moved up behind her and put his arms around her waist. “I thought we were going to do things together this weekend.”
“We are,” she said with a laugh, turning to cup his cheek with her hand. “You can do without me for a couple of hours. There’s got to be come kind of sport on to watch. You can go to the bar and do guy things.”
“I can do guy things with the boys,” he said, leaning forward to kiss her. “I want to do mushy co-ed things that I can’t do while the kids are around.”
“You’ll get your chance, flyboy, don’t worry. I want to look beautiful for you.”
“If you make yourself any more beautiful, I may not survive the experience,” he said, grinning.
“You are so sweet,” she said with another kiss. “You always know the right thing to say.”
“Just lucky, I guess.”
She pushed him back and finished tying his tie and he moved to the dresser and opened the top drawer. “You look gorgeous. Perhaps you’d like to wear this?” he asked, handing her a box.
She took it from him and opened it. It contained a diamond and ruby dinner ring. The diamonds swirled around the central ruby like a galaxy. “Oh, Alan. It’s incredible.” She bit back a question of how much he must have spent on it. It was such a wifely thing to do. She decided to let him have his fun. The diamonds were all large, and the ruby larger. She already wore a large diamond on her left hand, and a ruby ring that had been her grandmother’s on her right hand. Alan slipped the ring on the middle finger of her right hand.
“It’s kind of heavy.”
“But it’s lovely. You know how much I love rubies.”
“They’re fiery. They match your personality,” he said with a smile.
She kissed him and they headed downstairs for dinner. They enjoyed their quiet meal together with a bottle of champagne. When they left for the bar they switched to margaritas. She knew she had the attention of every man in the place, and she made sure they knew she had noticed, but her attentions were devoted to Alan, and she danced for him alone. The band played a mixture of songs, everything from big band to disco, even a few country songs. They spent most of the time on the dance floor, enjoying the feel of their bodies together. The dances they sat out they spent in a dark booth in the corner of the room where they could drink their margaritas and Alan’s hands could roam up her thighs. She leaned over and whispered to him that she was wearing a new lacy red thong. His breath was hot against her ear as he told her just how that news affected him. They kissed hotly and Alan suggested that they might want to continue their celebration upstairs. She leaned over, inviting him to look down her dress and accepted his invitation.
She removed his tie in the elevator. As they rose higher, looking out over the dark ocean, she unbuttoned his shirt and he moved his hand up her thigh, hands searching for that lacy thong. If there was anyone below watching the glass elevator, neither one cared. Alan fumbled with his key card at the door while Melissa pulled back his shirt, moving her hands through his ample chest hair. When the door opened he pulled her inside, closed the door and pressed her back against the door.
“Remember that first time I went to Alpha?” she breathed in his ear. “We did it standing up against the wall?”
“Mmm. I couldn’t believe you were really there.” He had found the thong and pulled it down her legs. He moved his lips to her earlobe and down her neck. “Oh, Melissa. I loved you so much then. And I love you even more now. You are so hot.”
She stepped out of her panties and used the heel of her sandal to caress his leg.
“I want to spent the whole night making love to you.”
“Then I suppose we should move a little further into the room,” Melissa said with a smile.
Alan stood back and took her hand. He led her to the table and she noticed that there was a bottle of champagne chilling on the table. “Well, flyboy. Are you trying to get me drunk so you can take advantage of me?”
“Mrs. Carter! I’m absolutely positive that no one can take advantage of you without your willing cooperation.” He popped the champagne cork and she held the two flutes for him while he poured. “Come to think of it, I don’t ever remember seeing you drunk.”
“By the time I met you I’d figured out what my limits were. I like a good buzz, but don’t like recovering from a drunk. I’d mellowed out quite a lot by the time you met me.” She leaned back and took a sip of the champagne.
Alan settled in next to her. He touched his glass to hers. “I wish I had known you when you were a wild and crazy teen. We would have torn up the town.”
“Or killed each other. I wasn’t exactly easy on boys that I dated at the time. I didn’t mind getting them in trouble, or being in trouble myself. I think we’ve done pretty well together, you and I. Plenty of hot sex, dancing, and enough partying to enjoy ourselves. Plus a profitable business.”
“And three beautiful kids.”
“I thought we weren’t going to mention them tonight.”
“Well, I know. But they are great kids. I’m really proud of them.”
“I have to admit, I didn’t think I’d be a particularly great mom, but it’s kind of grown on me.”
“You are a terrific mom. In fact, you’re pretty terrific at anything you set your mind to.”
She looked him up and down speculatively. “Why don’t we take this champagne to the bedroom flyboy and I’ll show you what I’ve set my mind to tonight.”
Alan grinned and stood quickly. He picked up the cooler and his glass and ushered his wife into the bedroom.
It was a good thing they had a late tee off time. Melissa was habitually up with the sun but the two of them had barely dropped off to sleep when the sun rose that morning. Alan got out of bed, closed the drapes and crawled back into bed with his wife. He curled around her and she didn’t even stir. He fell back to sleep with his hand on her breast and a smile on his face.
When they did wake up, Alan called room service for hot coffee and sweet rolls. They showered and enjoyed coffee and rolls on the patio and headed down to the golf course. As they collected their bags, Melissa made a suggestion.
“Care to make a little wager on the game, flyboy?”
“What did you have in mind?” Alan asked cautiously. Mel didn’t play golf often anymore, but she still played well.
“Oh, how about winner is on top first after the game.”
“Sounds like I win, either way, love.”
“We both do, that’s the beauty of it.”
“I’ll take that bet then.”
The day was beautiful and they enjoyed the day and the game. The two were fairly evenly matched. Both were quite good, and both loved the game, but they rarely got the chance to play together. The two held hands as they made their way down the fairways. Few people were out on the links that day, or had played earlier and retreated to the club house so they had the course to themselves.
On the seventeenth hole Melissa started her swing just as a seagull flew low right in front of her. It interrupted her concentration and her swing was off. The ball took off from the force of the swing and headed straight for the rough. “Damn!”
“You want to do it over, love?”
“No, no. That wouldn’t be fair.” She looked speculatively at the pine trees and azaleas that lined the fairway and smiled. “Find my ball for me and I’ll blow you.”
Alan laughed and headed down the fairway with her. “Another win, win situation, right?”
“Of course. Where did it go, anyway?” She strode along next to him, looking over into the bushes.
“Right about there, I think,” Alan pointed out. He put down his bag and found a break in the tall bushes.
Melissa followed him. It was shady under the trees, and once past the bushes, there was very little underbrush. Pine needles covered the ground, with a few little spindly plants pushing up between the trees. Alan stepped ahead of her, just past a pine tree. “Here it is, love.”
The ball lay in plain sight just past a large pine tree.
“Why thank you, my dear.” She put her arms around his waist and kissed him. He pulled her to him and the kiss deepened.
“Have I told you lately how much I love you?” Alan asked.
“Mmm, not since we got out of bed today,” Melissa said. She moved her hands to his fly, moving her hand along his zipper.
“What are you doing?”
“Giving you your reward.”
“Here on the golf course?!” he asked with surprise.
She unzipped his pants. “Why not? No one can see us here.”
“Honey,” he protested. “You’re going to get us arrested. I’m pretty sure this is illegal.”
“Only if we get caught. I thought you wanted to know what I was like as a wild and crazy teen.” Melissa knelt in front of him. If he told her he wasn’t interested, he would be lying and she knew it. She fondled him and kissed the end of his shaft. He gave a gasp of pleasure as she ran her finger up and down his erect penis, then took it into her mouth.
He almost asked her if she had made a habit of this as a wild and crazy teen, but realized that he didn’t really want to know. She moved onto and off of his shaft, and cut her eyes up at him as her teeth scraped against his sensitive skin. He reached down and caressed her hair and smiled at her. “Oh Mel,” he sighed.
She reached up to caress his balls through his pants and he closed his eyes, enjoying the sensations his wife was giving him, and knowing that he didn’t want her to stop any more than she intended to stop. She increased her tempo and he relaxed into his release. She pulled slowly off of him and stood gracefully. He leaned against the tree and hugged her. “You’re something else, you know that?”
“You inspire me.” She smiled brightly. “I’m not moving the ball. It’ll put you too far ahead.”
“Then play it through,” Alan said with a laugh. “It’ll take you too many strokes to get out of here anyway and I’ll still win.” He stepped back and she picked up the club she had brought along with her.
“If I can get it back onto the fairway with one stroke, I can still beat you.”
He kissed her neck then stood back. “And if I end up on top will that be so bad?”
“Not bad at all, flyboy. It never is.”
She hit the ball back out onto the fairway as predicted and they moved out from under the trees. Alan felt like laughing. He could understand completely what a rush Melissa got from doing things like this, but he was sure glad they hadn’t gotten caught.
The game ended and they headed for the showers. After a late lunch Melissa kissed him goodbye and told him to behave while she was making herself beautiful for him. He assured her again that she was already beautiful, but she insisted on leaving. They made plans to meet in the bar at six. He watched her walk out of the restaurant and knew she was deliberately swaying her hips in an exaggerated manner just for him.
At six he was dressed and awaiting her in the bar. The bartender brought him a beer and explained that a lady had sent a message that she would be a few minutes late. He settled in with the beer and watched the basketball game on the television over the bar. He didn’t see her when she walked into the room. She walked up behind him and he noticed her perfume first. It was that sexy variety that she knew drove him wild.
“Hello flyboy. Miss me?” she asked in a low sultry voice.
“You know I always do, love.” He said, standing to greet her. His eyes went wide. He hadn’t thought it possible for her to change her looks so completely. Her hair had gotten longer recently, but now it was a strawberry blonde with soft curls that framed her face. The hair only reached to just below her ears, looking much shorter, and much fuller. She wore large dark green hoops in her ears, and a dark green velvet dress that bunched up around her neck, then plunged to a bare back and a tight short skirt. Her hose had a bit of a dark pattern to them like large fishnet, and he was certain that they were held up by garters. The skirt was too tight to hide any sort of underwear. She wore dark green suede pumps with stiletto heels. “My word you look incredible.” He kissed her cheek, not trusting himself to start anything more intimate. The tiny bar table wouldn’t hold their weight, and there were too many other people around.
“Thank you,” she said smugly, pirouetting so that he could see her from all angles.
“Great hair color.”
“I like it. It’s been ages since I changed it, and I thought I saw some gray yesterday.”
“Impossible.”
“It is now,” she laughed and slid into the chair next to him. She crossed her legs and he could see the top of her stockings. He grinned at her, knowing she had made that move very deliberately.
He signaled the waiter and she ordered herself a beer.
“Our dinner reservations aren’t until seven,” he explained.
“That’s fine. I intend to sit here and encourage you to look up my skirt,” she said with a wink.
“I won’t need much encouragement,” he replied. He took her hand and caressed her palm with his thumb. “So are we going dancing again tonight?”
She leaned forward and he was mesmerized by her moist and sparkling lips. “Only horizontally. And I believe you’re scheduled to be on top.”
“I did come in one stroke under you.”
“Damn seagull,” she said, eyes sparkling.
“Lucky Alan,” he returned.
She was in full seduction mode through drinks and dinner. Almost every word she uttered was some kind of sexual innuendo. He felt as if the temperature had increased in the room. She caressed his leg with the toe of her shoe as they ate dinner, but sat across the table from him so he could only listen and feel and want. He enjoyed letting Melissa orchestrate the seduction. She ordered for them. They started with oysters for an appetizer, which she leaned across the table to feed him at one point. After a small green salad, she ordered him a steak, and told him that he would need the strength provided by the red meat. She had blackened grouper and offered him a taste, holding the bite on her fork and watching as he ate it, then licking her fork slowly while maintaining eye-contact. For desert they had fresh strawberries, a favorite of hers. She managed to eat the strawberries slowly, deliberately and seductively. The way she placed them in her mouth reminded him of their activities on the golf course earlier in the day.
During the meal he became aware that other men around them kept dropping their forks. A waiter walking past nearly dropped a heavily laden tray. He knew that Melissa had eyes only for him, but she seemed to be affecting every man in the room. She was loving every minute of it.
By the end of the meal he was highly aroused, and eager to leave with her. She laced her fingers with his and strolled next to him to the elevator. He was hypersensitive to her swaying hips, brushing gently against him as they walked. They entered the elevator and she moved close to him. He leaned over to kiss her but they were both surprised when the elevator stopped on the second floor and two men in business suits stepped in. They each pushed a button, one for the eighth floor, the other for the sixteenth. Using proper elevator etiquette neither made eye contact, but Melissa shifted impatiently and Alan noticed one of the men glancing at Melissa’s legs, then checking her out in the reflection of the mirrors on the elevator door.
Mel leaned over and brushed her lips against Alan’s ear. She whispered, “I want you.”
He turned slightly toward her, knowing his reaction to her words was obvious. He also knew she was thoroughly enjoying herself. The car slowed at the eighth floor and the first man got off, giving them a backward glance full of envy. Alan put his arm around his wife and smiled. He whispered back to her. “Your sex appeal is leaking darling. You’re turning on every man in the building.”
She smiled and gave him a steamy look, completely ignoring the other man on the elevator. She kissed him softly on the lips. The other man shifted uncomfortably and as the elevator slowed and stopped. He exited quickly and Melissa put her arms around Alan’s neck. “You’re the one I’m interested in.” She delivered a hot kiss full of promise that lasted the all-too-short distance to the penthouse.
He stepped off the elevator with her into the empty vestibule, and pulled his key out of his pocket. Melissa stood behind him as he opened the door. When he turned around to usher her in, she had stepped out of her dress, revealing a small, almost nonexistent bra in dark green; the tops of her nipples peeking over the lacy top. A matching lacy g-string accented rather than hid her crotch. Green garters held up the patterned stockings, and the black stilettos made her just slightly taller than him.
“You take my breath away, love.” He said with a grin, taking her hand and ushering her inside. He closed the door and flipped the lock to “do not disturb” and drew her further into the room.
She turned and began to undress him, kissing his chest as she unbuttoned each button.
“Love,” he moaned.
She placed her finger on his lips. “No talking. Just take me,” she ordered. She turned and headed for the bedroom, hips swaying, confident that he would follow.
He pulled off his pants, shoes and socks and followed. The covers had been removed from the bed. Melissa had obviously set up their play area before joining him in the bar. She was closing the drawer to the night stand as he walked in, and she turned to lie on the bed, legs spread, welcoming him. He crawled up from the foot of the bed, eager to play. He caressed her legs through her stockings, removing each shoe and tossing them away, then rolling down her stockings one by one. He delivered soft kisses to her inner thigh and she moaned with pleasure.
The g-string came apart easily. She had worn such items before and he knew exactly how to take care of them. He continued to plant kisses up her abdomen. As he moved within her reach she began to touch him softly and lightly. He unfastened the clasp on her bra, and pulled back the cups, kissing each breast reverently. He placed his lips over each nipple in turn. She was already aroused, nipples tight, but she moved against him, enjoying the attention he was giving her.
He moved up to her neck and her lips. As his tongue touched her lips she opened her mouth, welcoming his probing and moving her hands to his hips, encouraging him to enter her. He slid in easily as she wrapped her arms around him. She held him tightly as they enjoyed the feeling of being joined. Alan slid out and thrust gently in again, then detected something… different.
“What?” He pulled back, looking into her eyes. “What is that?”
“It’s called a love fizz. It’s supposed to tickle.”
“It feels… strange.”
He pulled out and pressed inside her again. The fizzing sensation returned. “I… it…” He pulled back again and looked down between her legs, then pulled back to kneel between her legs. “Mel!” He reached down between her legs and his hand came away covered with purple foam. He looked down at his penis which was similarly coated. “It’s… purple.”
She pushed herself up on her elbows. “They come in all sorts of colors.”
He looked down at his crotch and his hand and into her eyes. “I don’t like it.”
“It’s just a sex toy, Alan.” She reached to pull him down on top of her.
“We haven’t ever used sex toys, Mel. You’re hot enough without them.”
“I just thought it would be something different, out of the ordinary.”
He glanced down at the purple again. “We don’t need them, honey.” He made the effort to try again. He leaned forward to kiss her, but both knew immediately that the mood was broken. “I’m sorry honey. I just… I’m unimpressed.” He rolled off of her to lay beside her.
“You’re turned off, you mean!” Melissa was amazed. She had been anticipating a hot night of making love again, and Alan had never been uncooperative.
“I’m sorry, Melissa. But it just looks so… purple.” He looked at his hand, wondering what he could wipe it on. They stared at each other, neither knowing what to do.
He turned toward her. “Look, Mel. Why don’t we go take a shower together and wash it off. We both like taking a shower together.”
Melissa looked disappointed, almost ready to cry. “I just wanted us to have a little fun.”
“We will, honey.” He leaned over and kissed her neck. “Come on, let’s go get in the shower.”
He rolled over, trying not to leave purple stains on the sheets, and trying not to look down. The whole purple foam thing gave him the creeps. Melissa also headed for the bathroom, and started the shower.
It was his turn to try to seduce her. He took the wash cloth and massaged her gently. She stepped back from the faucet. “I can’t get my hair wet yet, the perm won’t set.”
“Okay, no problem.” He adjusted the spray to shoot lower on her body and continued to soak her and massage her, whispering in her ear how much he loved her, and wanted her, and needed her.
They washed carefully and headed back to bed; all purple foam gone.
Alan dimmed the lights and Melissa pulled up the top sheet as she lay down. Alan slid in beside her and ran his hand along her side.
“Alan? Not right now, okay? Just hold me?”
“Okay, sweetheart, whatever you want.” He pulled her to him and cuddled her, both still feeling awkward in a way they never had with each other.
They drifted into an uneasy sleep.
Melissa’s dreams were uncomfortable and foreboding. They started out with visions of purple foam and proceeded through hot deserts where she roamed searching for Alan. Sometime during her wanderings she met up with the ants. They bit at her unmercifully, but not around the ankles. They crawled up her legs to her crotch and bit her there over and over again. She awoke with a start, her hand between her legs, the itching overpowering her. She removed her hand and tried to resist the itching, but she couldn’t.
Alan lay next to her, sprawled on his back and snoring slightly. He looked utterly relaxed and deeply asleep. She shivered with resistance as the itching became almost overpowering. She slid out of bed and headed to the bathroom, closing the door before turning on the light so that she didn’t wake him. She was red and swollen and it itched like hell. She touched the reddened area gingerly. It was warm to the touch, as if she were feverish or infected there. Also, as soon as she touched a spot, it seemed to itch even worse. She looked around for some kind of powder or lotion to perhaps stop the itching, but this wasn’t her own bathroom, and there wasn’t anything. She pulled her cosmetic case out from under the counter. Moving made the itching worse, and the swelling was increasing. It scared her.
Her knee-jerk reaction in times of trouble was to call her twin. Her cel phone was in the bedroom in her purse, so she turned out the light and slid out of the bathroom. Using ambient light, she quietly found her phone and headed for the living room. She turned on a light and sat on the sofa, touching the speed dial code 001 that was her sister’s number.
On the third ring John answered with a sleepy voice.
“John, I need to speak to Cake.”
“Mel? Do you know what time it is?”
“If I had wanted time and temperature, I would have called that number,” Melissa snapped. “Just turn over, hand the phone to Helena and go back to sleep.”
She waited impatiently as he muffled the phone and said something to Helena.
“Mel? What’s wrong?” Her sister asked quickly. She didn’t sound sleepy at all, but Helena had a knack for being instantly awake, and always had.
“Remember that ‘love fizz’ I told you about?”
“Mel, please tell me you didn’t wake me up in the middle of the night to talk about your sex toys.”
“Listen, Cake! I think I may be allergic to it. I used one tonight, but only for a little while. Alan absolutely hated it. So we showered and washed it off, but I just woke up itching, red and swollen in places where I really don’t want any of those symptoms.”
Helena’s tone changed to her Doctor voice. “How swollen?”
“Pretty bad.”
“Mel, can you still urinate?”
“Well, I haven’t exactly tried. Want me to go try to pee? I’m not looking forward to it. It’s the itching that’s driving me crazy!”
“How about your breathing? Any changes?”
“Changes how?” Melissa asked. “I’m itching like crazy and you’re asking about my breathing. I didn’t snort that thing, Helena.”
“Will you please listen to me?” Helena said urgently. “Melissa, if you are having a histimine reaction, and a bad one, it could effect the way you breathe. Remember that time when we were kids and you got into that hornet’s nest down by the creek?”
“Please don’t remind me. I spent a week in that dreary little hospital in Texas.”
“Exactly! They even had to put you on a respirator for a while. Melissa, I think you ought to go to the emergency room.”
“Not a chance am I explaining this to some strange doctor! No way!”
Melissa heard Alan’s voice from the doorway to the bedroom. “Explain what hon?” he asked sleepily. “Who are you talking to in the middle of the night?”
She turned, frustrated. “I’m talking to my sister.” With her typical unabashed style, she motioned him forward and spread her legs. “Take a look at this.”
Alan’s eyes went wide. He considered himself rather an expert on the state of his wife’s private parts. “Melissa! Holy Shit!”
Helena heard her brother-in-law’s uncharacteristic exclamation. “What? Mel, let me talk to Alan.”
Melissa was still having a hard time keeping herself from scratching, and feeling very weary. “Here, she wants to speak to you.”
“Alan? What do you see?”
“Helena, she’s all swollen. It looks like her thighs and lower abdomen are swelling up too, and her skin is very red.”
Melissa lay back on the sofa. “Ask her what we should do.”
Helena heard her. “How far away from here are you?”
“No more than an hour, probably less at this time of night. There shouldn’t be any traffic.”
“Meet me at the office as soon as you can. And Alan, if she begins to have any trouble breathing, just stop the car and call 911 immediately.”
“Helena? How serious is this?”
“I won’t know until I see her, but if she’s allergic to that stuff, it could be very serious.”
“We’ll be there shortly.” Alan disconnected and picked up the house phone. He explained to the concierge that his wife was ill and he wanted his Navigator out front in five minutes.
“Get dressed,” he told Melissa.
“I don’t know what I can wear. Not pants, that’s for sure.”
“Then put on a robe and let’s get going,” Alan replied. He headed for the bedroom and pulled on his khakis, a polo shirt and shoes without bothering with socks. Melissa was wearing the large terry cloth robe provided by the hotel. Her own night wear was not the kind to wear in public, Alan was sure of that. She had slipped on the deck shoes she had worn with her shorts on the way up here. They headed for the door and the elevator.
Helena had slipped out of bed and out to the den as soon as Melissa began to tell her what the problem was. She turned off the phone and headed back to the bedroom to dress. She quickly explained to John that Melissa was having an allergic reaction to something and Alan was bringing her back to the office so that Helena could treat her. John didn’t ask for details, and quickly turned over and went back to sleep. Helena dressed and headed back out of the bedroom. She was surprised to find her mother coming down the stairs.
“Helena? Is everything all right? I heard the phone, and then heard you talking when I got up to use the bathroom.”
“That was Melissa, Mother,” Helena explained. “She seems to be having an allergic reaction to something, and Alan is going to bring her back here.”
“Oh my. That hasn’t happened to her in ages, has it? Is she all right?”
“So far.”
“Did she get bitten?”
“No, it wasn’t an insect.” Helena had no wish to explain what it was to her mother.
“I’ll get dressed and go with you. You shouldn’t go out alone.”
“That’s all right mother, you don’t have to do that.”
“Or, I could get your father to go with you if you think you might need another medic.”
“Really mother, don’t bother. I can take care of it.”
“”It’s no bother. You’ll find out one day. Even when your daughter grows up, you still worry about her.”
Helena could see she wasn’t going to get out of this. But she would rather take her mother than her father. Her mother would at least wait outside. Her Dad would be in the examining room with her, and she knew Melissa would rather go to some stranger than explain this one to their father. “I’m going to start the car. Don’t take too long,” Helena said, giving in.
“I’ll be right there. Should we take our car? I think we’re parked behind you.”
Helena shook her head. “I’m driving the company car. This is business.” Helena was on retainer to the company. Melissa had worked out an arrangement with the insurance company that covered all the employees of CK Industries and their families. By using Helena as their primary care physician, they eliminated even a small co-pay and kept their insurance premiums down as well. Helena was on call and also made appointments for non-emergency situations. It also allowed her to set her own hours and spend maximum time with the children.
They drove to the small corporate park where CK Industries had its headquarters. Although Melissa preferred to work from home as much as possible, she had hired a hard nosed chief financial officer who kept them all in line. Alan and John had a half dozen young engineers who also worked from there and there was also a small office staff. There were twenty employees who worked in the home office here, and another twenty who worked on the Rock. Much of the actual labor was subcontracted to companies carefully chosen by John, Alan and Melissa. The hotel would be completed soon, and CK Industries had already signed contracts for two other construction jobs on the Rock. John and Alan both enjoyed the constructive creativity that the company allowed them, and Melissa seemed to coordinate everything effortlessly. Helena knew that John had no regrets about leaving the space program behind, although they had both been apprehensive at first.
Alan pulled up mere minutes after Helena arrived. She didn’t even want to ask how fast he had been driving. He moved around the car and helped Melissa step out. She looked positively ill. She kissed her mother on the cheek without commenting on her presence and headed for Helena’s small but well equipped office. Alan and Susan stayed in the lobby. Alan paced nervously.
“Alan? Exactly what happened? Helena just said that Melissa was having an allergic reaction, but she wasn’t stung by anything. I don’t know of anything that she’s allergic to other than hornet stings.” Susan asked her son-in-law.
Alan rubbed his hand over his face. This certainly wasn’t something he wanted to explain to Susan. He tersely explained the ‘love fizz’ that Melissa had tried.
He shook his head and collapsed onto the sofa. “She didn’t tell me anything about it, or where she got it. She just sort of sprung it on me. I… well, I guess I reacted badly.”
“You reacted badly? She’s the one with the reaction.”
“No, before. When we tried it. I, well…”
“In the vernacular of the sixties, it was a real turn off?”
“Like a light switch,” he admitted with a sigh.
Susan chuckled sympathetically. “Well, it doesn’t look like it’s something she’ll want to try again.”
“I’m glad of that. Though right now, I’m just hoping she’s going to be all right.”
“Helena will take good care of her. I’m sure she’ll be fine.”
They sat quietly for another quarter hour until Helena came out. Alan and Susan both stood. “She’s going to be fine,” Helena assured them. “It seems to be a reaction to the dye in that tablet. I’ve given her a strong antihistamine and the swelling has stopped. The dye has burned her mucus membranes and she’s going to have to take it easy for the next few weeks, but she’ll recover. It doesn’t seem to have done any permanent damage.”
Melissa joined them, still in the terry cloth robe. She carried a tube of medicine and a bottle of pills. Helena explained to Alan. “The ointment is to be applied until the inflammation goes down, and the pills are sedatives to help keep her from itching. She can take one when you get home.”
Alan asked his wife, “We’re going home?”
Melissa nodded. “If you don’t mind. Helena says no intercourse until I’m over this, and I’d just as soon be sleeping in our own bed.”
Alan nodded. “I’ll go back up there and pack up in the morning.”
“You get some sleep too, Alan. The kids are fine with us today and they can stay another night too,” Helena said. “Melissa will need some rest to get over this.”
The four locked up the office and headed their separate ways. It was after four in the morning when Melissa and Alan crawled into their own bed. She curled into his arms with a sigh.
“I’m sorry,” she said softly.
“It’s okay. I’m just glad you’re all right. Helena really scared me with all that talk of you having an allergic reaction and maybe having a hard time breathing, or it effecting your kidneys.”
“I just wanted us to do something out of the ordinary.”
“We seem to specialize in that,” Alan said with a laugh. “It’s certainly a weekend we’ll never forget.”
“Alan, I love you so much,” Melissa said drowsily.
He kissed the top of her head and laid his cheek against her soft curls. Life with Melissa was certainly never dull. They both drifted off into a sound sleep.
Maureen J. Long
March 2001