The large white plantation house sat several miles outside of town, but I had never minded the drive. I always enjoyed the trip to the semi-isolated home, the scenery a pleasant sight that never seemed to get old. I parked my car and made my way up the large front steps of the house, the floorboards creaking under me. It was the original house, built before the Civil War, and the little faults like that floorboard only attested to its age and the history that it had witnessed. No, I had no problems making the hour-long trip out here to visit these clients.
After taking a brief moment to straighten my tie, I knocked on the door, which was soon answered by the house’s maid, Helen. An elderly woman, she recognized me on sight. “Well, hello, Mr. West!” she greeted me. She stepped back, letting me into the spacious foyer. The sounds of a distant piano swam through the air, the gentle melody giving the home an aura of comfort. “I’ll go get Susie. You can wait in the parlor if you’d like.”
Thanking her, I moved to the parlor. The entire house had Victorian-era décor, and the parlor was the centerpiece. A few chairs, a couple of large couches, a mirror over the fireplace’s mantle, and the handsome coffee table were all authentic or imitation Victorian furnishings, placing visitors in that long-ago period. I sat down with a sigh and put my briefcase on the table in front of me, awaiting the mistress of the house.
The soft chimes of the piano stopped, and I could hear the soft beat of footsteps on the hardwood floor as they came closer. I turned my head to greet the young woman that soon stood before me.
Susie had definitely blossomed into womanhood, the change suddenly obvious and drastic in my mind. This family had been one of my first clients after I left college, and Susie had been an obnoxious and loud pre-teen, just starting to be a trial to her parents. Now, she was a demure and polite young woman, with a maturing beauty that left me breathless. Her slender form was encased in an ankle-length pastel yellow sundress that hugged the sultry curves of her body. Her long blonde hair hung loose to the middle of her back and seemed to glow in the light that flooded from the windows, giving a soothing and evasive halo about her head. It was hard for me to believe that this same heavenly creature had once dyed her hair bright neon pink several years ago.
She smiled at me when I stood, striding forward to grasp my outstretched hand. “Mr. West!” she said. “How are you?” Her long, graceful fingers were warm and soft in my grasp.
We broke apart, but I couldn’t help feeling reluctance at it. “Please, call me Allan,” I told her. I opened my suit jacket and pulled out the small rectangular velvet box that I had in my pocket. “Happy belated birthday,” I said, giving it to her.
She took the box, her perfect smile brightening her face. She opened the package slowly and gasped as she saw its contents. The simple silver heart-shaped locket inside was a nice addition, I thought, but the real jewel of her gift was the diamond tennis bracelet. It had been a pain trying to find the two, but regardless of the cost, I knew that they were perfect.
Taking out the bracelet, she set the box down and struggled with the clasp, finally wrapping the jewelry around her slender wrist. She picked up the accompanying locket and handed it to me.
“Help me?” she asked, turning her back to face me.
I took the locket and lifted it over her head, spreading the near-invisible strands to wrap it around her elegant throat. She lifted the tresses of her hair out of the way and I clasped it closed, the scent and feel of her skin around me causing my heart to race. It had been awhile since I’d seen her, and her sudden beauty was causing thoughts that I shouldn’t have been thinking.
I stepped back from her and she turned around to look at me, spreading her arms at her sides. “What do you think?” she asked.
It took me a second to find my tongue, which had felt as though it had fallen somewhere around my feet. “You look like an angel,” I said quietly. I regretted the words the instant that they slipped out, but they still felt good to say. Her parents were my clients, my best clients, and my body was stirring for their daughter. My mind was in turmoil.
“Thank you,” was all Susie said.
I could feel the awkwardness in the air between us, as though neither of us was sure why we were there or what we supposed to do. Perhaps I shouldn’t have gotten something so personal for her gift, I thought.
I cleared my throat, breaking a silence that I hadn’t known existed. “So, uh, where are your parents?” I asked. “They wanted me to come out here today.”
“They went to visit Grandpa in the hospital,” she said.
“Oh, I’m sorry, Susie,” I said. Grandpa Patterson was her last living grandparent, and had been in a nursing home for a couple of years now.
“They went up to see him and find out what’s wrong. They left this morning, but I don’t know when they’ll be back. They said qiqitv.info they’d call as soon as they could.” She paused before speaking again. “So what did my parents want you to come out here today for?” Susie asked, shifting the topic. It seemed as though her grandpa was a topic she didn’t want to dwell on.
“It was about you,” I answered, sitting down. She sat down beside me. I opened up my briefcase and pulled out several papers, some pamphlets, and file folders. “Since you’re eighteen now,” I began, “all of the accounts and trusts that your other grandparents had put into your name are now yours. Now that they’re ready to be put in your hands, your parents and I were going to sit down and discuss everything with you. We were going to arrange the transfer today, but it looks like it’ll have to wait.” I paused. “Actually, we could do most of it now, if you want. Or, you can wait for your parents. It’s up to you.”
Susie shook her head. “No, we can do it now. You drove all the way out here.”
For the next several hours, I laid everything out before her: legal documents, financial status, responsibilities, my role in the whole thing, her parents’ wishes, and everything else that she had to know. She was now a fairly well-off young woman thanks to her grandparents, and I tried to explain what that entailed. I knew that it would be a little much for her, so I tried to put everything in words that she’d understand. To her credit, she seemed to grasp everything very well. Helen stayed close and refilled our drinks as the hours passed by until she left for the day. Fortunately, Susie and I were also almost done.
“Well, that pretty much covers it,” I said, stretching my back. “Is there anything that you didn’t understand and want me to go over again?”
She shook her head. “No, I think I get it.”
“Then I guess we’re done for now,” I said. I started to gather up the papers that we had strewn over the table. Snapping the briefcase shut and picking up the suit jacket I had taken off a few hours before, I got up to leave. “Tell your parents that I said hi, and we can finish this later. All we need now is their signatures.”
Susie got up with me, barring my way to the door. “Do you have to leave?” she asked.
“Well, no, I can stay if you’d like.” I put the suitcase back down and took my jacket back off. Sitting on the couch, I regarded her as she sat beside me. “What did you need?”
She shrugged, looking as though she was mulling something over in her mind. As I watched that innocent troubled face, my feelings toward her came back with a rush. I’d managed to keep them quelled during all the legal talk, but they hadn’t left.
“What’s wrong?” I asked. Along with my sudden desire to feel close to her, I also felt concern at her quietness. I could tell that something more than her grandfather’s health was bothering her.
Her mouth opened, but the phone rang, silencing her. She stood up and went to answer it. “Hello?…Yes, he’s here…Yeah, we’re almost done. How’s Grandpa?…Okay…Okay…Alright…Love you, too…Bye.”
“Your parents?” I asked after she sat back down.
“Yeah,” she said. “Grandpa had a mild stroke. He’s doing better, but they’re going to spend the night up there with him. They said they should be back tomorrow afternoon.”
“Well, that’s a relief,” I said.
She nodded silently, that troubled look coming back to her.
“So, how’s school?” I asked, trying to take her mind off of whatever was bothering her. Her face lit up as we talked about her education and her plans for college. I could tell that she was eager for the next step. As we talked, whatever was bothering her seemed to fade. Until, that is, I asked about her boyfriend.
“We broke up,” she said, her eyes downcast.
“I’m sorry, Susie,” I said. I couldn’t help my heart going out to her. “Was it serious?”
She sniffed, and I could tell she was trying to hold back tears. “It was for me. I guess it wasn’t for him.”
I pushed down the urge to offer consoling words. Phrases like ‘It’s for the best,’ or ‘There are plenty of others,’ and ‘You’re still young’ had bombarded me from all sides when I was her age, and I got sick of them quickly. I knew that those wouldn’t help her. So I pulled out my handkerchief and offered it to her instead.
“Do you want to talk about it?” I asked. “I know that’s what’s been bothering you.”
She let it all out. Between sobs, she told me the whole story, from how they met to how they broke up. At first, I felt as she did: he seemed like a decent guy. As her story continued, I started to see things about him that bothered me. By the time she told me that he’d broken it off with her, I was glad that she was free of him, even if it did hurt her something fierce.
I gave her a few minutes to calm down before I asked the question that was burning in my mind. “You don’t have to answer this if you don’t want to,” I began. She looked at me expectantly, so I bit the bullet and asked. “Had you two…well…While you were dating, had you ever…?” I knew what I wanted to ask, but I couldn’t.
She nodded. “Just once,” she said. “He broke up with me after that.”
I was glad that he wasn’t near me right then. I’d known Susie too long not to feel anger at this guy’s betrayal.
Now that she’d answered the question that I couldn’t ask, it was easier for me to continue. “Was he your first?”
She nodded again. “He wanted to, and everyone else was telling me how much fun it was. So I finally let him.” She put my handkerchief up to her eyes again, wiping away more tears. “It was awful. I didn’t think it was going to be like that; I thought it was supposed to be something special. It wasn’t special or fun. Afterward, he went around bragging to all his friends that we’d done it, and that just made me feel worse.” She sat quietly for a few minutes, drowning in sorrow. By now, I had shifted closer and was holding her hand, trying to offer a little comfort. “He used me,” she said bitterly.
“I know that this probably won’t be what you want to hear,” I began slowly, “but you probably should.” I hesitated, but she looked at me, waiting for me to continue. “There are a lot of people out there that will try and use you like he did. It’s not nice, but it’s true. It goes especially for you, because you’re young, beautiful, and with these trusts, you’re now pretty well off.
“What you have to keep in mind, though, is that you’re also smart, with a good sense of right and wrong. If something doesn’t feel right, then it probably isn’t. Take your time before you jump into anything; make sure it’s what you want. If you do something, do it because you want to, not because of what anyone else says.”
I stopped, suddenly feeling really foolish and a lot older than I really was. “Of course, you probably already know that,” I said, grinning, trying to lighten the atmosphere.
She grinned with me, and I felt better. “Thanks,” she said.
I withdrew my hand and we sat quietly for a few minutes, sipping our drinks. I sat regarding her, admiring her inner strength. She sat with her eyes turned down to the handkerchief she held in her lap, dealing with whatever thoughts were going through her mind.
“It’s not really like that, is it?” she asked, breaking the silence.
It took me a moment to realize that she’d spoken. “I’m sorry. What?”
“Sex. Is it really heartless and pointless?”
I cleared my throat. “I like to think it isn’t.”
“Will you show me?”
I jumped in my seat, the shock at her question overwhelming my senses for a moment. “What?”
She raised her eyes to look at me, and I could see the determination and sincerity in them. She was serious, I realized. “Will you have sex with me? I want to know what it’s really like.”
I shifted, suddenly feeling claustrophobic. I cleared my throat again. “I don’t think that’s such a good idea,” I said, stammering. My loins, however, begged to differ. All they saw was a beautiful and willing young woman.
“Why?” she asked.
Oh, the answers I could have given her. “Well, it wouldn’t be right,” was the only answer I could say.
“Nobody has to know,” she said, shifting closer and taking my hand in hers. “Helen’s left for the day, and my parents won’t be back until tomorrow.”
My vision narrowed only to her presence, everything else forgotten. We were still in the parlor, weren’t we? What time was it? Her determination was whittling away my resolve. I couldn’t let this happen, but all I wanted to do was bring her into my arms and roam my hands and lips over her body.
“You’re just eighteen,” I said weakly. “I’m thirty. It wouldn’t be right.”
“I’m old enough to make my own decisions,” she said, the words sounding vaguely familiar. “If I’m going to do something, I should do it because I want to, not because someone else says I have to.”
Who the hell told her that nonsense? Her fingers started to gently stroke my hand, shorting out the circuits in my brain. It had been awhile since I’d been with a woman, and my need was starting make itself known. We were alone, willing, and had many, many hours left to ourselves. Her eyes were wide, vulnerable, and the clearest blue that I had seen in years. She had bared her soul to me, shown me what she wanted above everything else. So why was I hesitating?
“Why me? Why are you so eager to do this? You should wait until you’ve met someone special.”
“But you are special,” she said. “I trust you, Allan. I want to know what I have to look forward to. I want to know that there are men out there who won’t use me like Bobby did. I want to know that it can be special and tender. I think that you can be the one to show it to me. Please?”
She sounded so fragile and desperate that my heart went out to her. Could I fulfill her, make her happy? She had moved closer, her head inches from me. Her breath smelled of cinnamon, her eyes piercing through mine, causing my heart to race. I kept myself in fairly decent shape, but the fear passed through me that if she got any closer, my heart would stop from exhaustion.
“You know that I don’t speak for all men,” I said softly.
She grinned. “I know,” she said, and our lips met.
She was a little more forward than I like, but as her soft lips touched mine, my complaints went out the window, along with my reservations. I let her take the initiative, showing me what she wanted before I did anything. Our bodies now pressed together, and I acted on the desire to hold her. I lifted her onto my lap and wrapped my arms around her waist as her arms wrapped around my shoulders. She was the perfect height, so I didn’t have to tilt my head too far up to have access to her succulent lips. When her mouth opened against me and her tongue peeked out to fleetingly stroke across my lips, I opened myself for her.
As our tongues slipped out and caressed each other, desire began to flow between and within us. I could feel my cock hardening, pressing against the confines of my slacks to gently nudge against her thigh. Leaving one arm wrapped around her waist, I ran the other up and down her back, feeling her body through the thin fabric. I kept my touches gentle and brief, never focusing on one area for too long. This young woman wanted to know how beautiful, special, and precious sex could be, and I intended to show her.
I moved my arm down her waist over the flare of her hips, feeling her shift above me at my touch. I continued downward until my hand rested on her thigh, feeling her heat through the dress. One of her hands mimicked my movements, gliding down my shoulder to skim over my chest. The dress shirt that I was wearing seemed awfully hot and confining all of a sudden, but I bore it, letting her explore me.
I’m not sure when it happened or how long it took, but I could tell when her desire was starting to affect her. Her breathing had quickened, her hands and fingers were wandering over my chest and shoulders with more frequency, her body was writhing a little more urgently, and our kiss was getting more passionate and demanding. I wrapped my arm around her back until I could just feel the swell of a breast with the tips of my fingers. It was just a glancing touch, hardly noticeable, but her accompanying moan told me that her body’s desire was awakening. I slowly caressed the swell of her breast with my fingertips, feeling her softness, swallowing her urgent moans.
I felt a deep loss when she broke our kiss. She stood up, withdrawing her body from my hands. Her cheeks were flushed with desire, and her eyes revealed her need to me.
“Come upstairs,” she said, offering her hand to me.
I clasped my hand in hers and let her lead me upstairs to her bedroom. Walking into her room, I saw the light from the setting sun highlight the four-poster queen-sized bed that rested against the large window. I noticed shelves of books and CDs, posters, small stuffed animals, a small television, a desk, and a number of other things that one might see in a young woman’s bedroom. To me, they were all superficial decorations. I stood at the foot of her bed and turned around to watch her as she shut the door and locked it.
“It’s starting to get dark,” she said. “Do you want me to turn on the light?” Her fingers hovered over the switch, waiting for my answer.
I shrugged. “I’ll leave that up to you,” I said.
She withdrew her hand and stood there facing me. I didn’t move from my spot, regarding her as she regarded me. Wordlessly, she reached behind her and began to undo the buttons at the back of her dress. I watched her arms fall as each button was undone, and I wasn’t sure if I should do anything, so I didn’t. I just watched as this vision slowly revealed herself to my hungry and appreciative gaze. Finally, her hands came back to her front, and rising back to her shoulders, she slowly pulled the yellow garment down.
Bit by bit, Susie’s glorious ivory skin was revealed to my eyes. The dress fell to reveal her breasts, encased in a simple white bra, crested by her locket. The dress continued to plummet over her tight stomach until it caught on the gentle flare of her hips. She forced it down, revealing the white lace panties that covered her womanhood. Free of her hips, the dress fell to pool at her feet. She stood there with her hands clutched in front of her hips. I vaguely noticed the bracelet around her wrist sparkling in the evening’s fading light. I looked up at her and saw a pleasing flush coloring her cheeks.
“Do you think I’m beautiful, Allan?” she asked.
My mouth had gone dry, and I had to swallow a couple of times before I could speak. “God, yes,” I said softly.
She stepped out of the puddle of yellow fabric and approached me. Some part of me was afraid that her closeness would kill me and I wanted to retreat, but I was already pressed against the foot of the bed. With no place to go, I stood there dumbly as she came closer, her eyes never leaving mine, the flush seeming to spread as she grinned at my awkwardness. I had known this girl for years, and the idea of this happening was still something my mind was trying to accept.