IT WAS FRAUD—Part 3 of 6 by SENORLONGO

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We woke up early—really early, almost an hour before the alarm so I suggested breakfast at The Bear’s Den before she had to go to work. We showered together then I lay on the towels for what turned out to be her final application of the ointment. We dressed–me in a tee and shorts, Scarlett in scrubs–and I drove to The Den in my SUV. We had been seated for several minutes when I saw a friend from school approach the table. “Got a minute, Sean?”

“Sure, Rod; this is Scarlett, my girlfriend.”

“Just wanted you to know that a bunch of us were talking the other night about you and Troy. I was asked to go out to the jail and see him because I’m off on Fridays. Basically, I suggested in the strongest possible terms that he leave Boyertown when he gets out of prison. I told him he’d be a lot healthier somewhere else, preferably somewhere far away from here.”

“Thanks, Rod; tell the others I said ‘thanks,’ too.”

“Our pleasure, Sean. Nice meeting you, Scarlett.” He stood, shook my hand, and walked back to his table.

Scarlett spoke as soon as he was out of hearing range. “He was kidding, wasn’t he?”

“No, Scarlett, he wasn’t. We take friendship very seriously here. What Troy did wouldn’t have been acceptable if we were just acquaintances, but he was one of my closest friends. He threw me and twenty years of friendship under the bus and he did it for the worst possible reason–money. Telling his mother about it was one of the most difficult things I ever had to do. I’m actually glad that his dad is dead so he’ll never know what a total loser his son turned out to be. I just hope it doesn’t affect her relationship with my parents. She lives just across the street and they’re best of friends.” We finished eating and I drove Scarlett back to the house. She left ten minutes later after a nine and a half minute kiss.

I moved all of Lori’s clothes—all eight boxes—into the truck bed and drove to the office where I dumped them next to Sandra’s desk. She would create the necessary labels and make the arrangements for UPS to pick them up. I waited a while—until I could be sure that her aunt would be out of bed—and then I phoned. She knew nothing about what had happened and after I apologized in advance I gave her the bad news. “I’m sorry to tell you this, but both Lori and Marge are in the Berks County Jail. So are Lori’s boyfriend Michael and a former friend of mine. They have very high bail so they’re not going anywhere. They tried to make me into Lori’s slave so I would support her and Michael. Marge whipped me more than 4,000 times over a week until I was able to escape. They’re looking at long prison terms. Lori asked if I would send her jewelry, clothes, and cosmetics to you. I’ll have UPS pick them up tomorrow afternoon so you should have them in a few days. What you do with them then is your business.” She expressed her shock and apologized, but who knew if she was sincere or not. I really didn’t care. I had no reason to ever see her again.

I spent the rest of the day working the garden and lounging at the pool. Scarlett phoned me and I couldn’t stop myself from teasing her. She obviously wanted another invitation and I held out for all of a minute before agreeing. She expressed her mock exasperation with a big sigh. I laughed and asked if she wanted to stay over again. That resulted in another sigh from her and a hearty laugh from me. I had debated whether to tell her that I loved her, but I knew it was too soon. Little did I know.

We had the lamb chops along with rice and another salad. After dinner we went into the spa for another long hot session of not quite making love—doing everything but before coming into the swirling water. Scarlett would have laughed had she not been recovering from a massive orgasm. Once again I felt that I just had to tease her. “Boy…you are such a sloppy lover.”

“Huh?” I replied with just a thumb over my shoulder.

She saw the pools of water all over the deck and asked, “Who did that?”

My shit-eating grin should have told her, but that didn’t stop me from teasing her once again. “Let’s see…I’m sitting here pretty much motionless with my back to the wall and someone else is moving like crazy all over me.”

“Oh Sean, I’m so sorry. Do I have to add some water?”

Kissing her first, I answered, “First of all I’m not at all sorry. And…no, it will fill itself automatically. That comes in handy during the summer when it’s really hot. I am sorry for teasing you, but I just couldn’t resist.” Scarlett replied by sticking her tongue out then she pushed it into my mouth. Ten minutes later we were in the shower and ten after that we were in bed together.

Scarlett had climbed onto my body—head on my chest and knee over my thigh—and had snuggled in really closely when she whispered, “I love you, Sean.”

I rubbed her back and butt before whispering back, “I love you, Scarlett. I felt like I was dead before you came into my life. Now I’ve never felt more alive.” I would have continued, but I realized that she was sound asleep. I kissed her hair and joined her, falling into a deep sleep almost immediately.

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I almost always woke up before the alarm sounded and today—the Monday I would return to work—was no exception. I looked down to see that Scarlett was also awake. I was going to kiss her, but she rose up to ask me, “Sean…did I…did I hear you say…did you say something to me? You know…right before I fell asleep?”

I knew this was no time to tease her. “Yes, I did, Scarlett, my darling. I said that I loved you and I do. I also said that I felt like I was dead before you came into my life. Not only did I learn that the woman I thought I loved had betrayed me, but she and her mother had beaten me in an attempt to make me submit to their whims. You’ve made me feel more alive than I’ve ever been. I’m grateful, of course, but I’ve also learned to love you deeply. I hate every second we’re apart. You really made my day when you said you loved me.”

“Are you sure, Sean? You’re not on the rebound, are you?”

I had to chuckle. “No, I’m sure I’m not. People on the rebound are praying that their lost love will be restored. My love for Lori died a swift and sure death when I learned that she had drugged me and fucked Michael on our wedding night. And if I had any doubts they disappeared when she hit me with the champagne bottle. Okay?”

“More than okay,” she said as she moved down to kiss me. It was a short one because she had more to say. “Do you want to fuck me, Sean?”

“Fuck you? No, but I long for the day that we can make love together.” She kissed me again then we were up. Love would have to wait. Forty minutes later we stood outside and kissed again before Scarlett drove to the hospital and I drove just down the block to my office.

I knew I’d have a really busy day—meeting with Angus at nine and the architect at ten. I went over my plans with Sandra when she arrived at eight. I thought that she would faint when she saw my outbox filled with almost everything that had been in its partner when she left on Friday. My meeting with Angus went as expected. He was interested when I told him I wanted to try making the valve springs from my patented alloy. We could pour a one-foot by one-inch cylinder and stretch it out to almost one hundred feet of thin wire. Then we could coil it tightly and test it. To be safe I wanted the testing machine set at 5,000 cycles per minute for a minimum of one month. Angus agreed that we should create a shield in case a spring should shatter and break.

We had just finished when Dave Specht and three of his staff walked in with blueprints and a 3-D model of the new buildings. Dave told me that clearing the lot would start this morning. “They’ll start behind this building. I already have the areas staked. My people found two downed trees from one of the storms last year. The wood is suspect so they’ll be pushed toward the back. I assume you still want the branches and small trees there.”

“You bet! A bunch of my friends and I plan to make a lot of firewood Saturday morning. You’re welcome to join us if you want.”

“Thanks, but that sounds too much like work. Saturday is scheduled for the increase in your well from one inch to two inches. You’ll need the additional capacity for the new buildings.” Most folks in and around Philly would call our area “the sticks.” Other than Pottstown and Reading hardly anyone in our area has city water or sewer. Everyone I know has a well and a septic tank that empties into a drainage field. Our current one is adjacent to the existing building on the opposite side from the well, taking up 5,000 square feet. The new one would be dug right behind this one. We reviewed every step of the construction, paying attention to if and when construction might interfere with production. We were interrupted mid-meeting by the rumble of bulldozers and roar of chain saws outside.

Dave, Angus and I walked out the back door once the meeting was over just in time to see the first log truck pull away. Each one of those trucks was worth $8,000 to me. Oak, maple, and black walnut are never used for lumber. They’re used for veneer. They’re cut into big sheets of very thin wood then used in furniture and cabinetry over either pine or pine plywood. Solid oak or maple furniture would cost almost ten times what it currently costs. I laughed at a salesman who tried to sell me a “solid Brazilian rosewood” bedroom set. I did buy one for what was at the time my bedroom, but not from him and not from his store. I stood by watching as one of the bulldozers pushed the branches and smaller trees to the back of the open space. Anything still lying here on next Monday would be shredded and carted away to whatever use they wanted.

I was standing there watching when my cell rang. It was Scarlett. “Hi…busy morning?”

“You know it.”

“Miss me? I’m missing you something awful.”

“I am and probably even more.”

“Say it. Tell me how much you miss me.”

“Okay…I miss you a lot…more than a lot.”

“Oh, I guess you’re not alone. Who’s there with you?”

“Just my friend Dave, the architect, and Angus, my production supervisor. We’re checking on the first of the tree removal. We’ve been meeting most of the morning. I’ll have to work through lunch.”

“Okay, just as long as you actually eat something.”

“I know…something healthy.”

“You still have to tell me how much you love me.” She was laughing crazily when she finished.

“You just don’t care how much you embarrass me, do you? Okay, I love you very much and I miss you even more. Satisfied now?”

“Yes, I’ll be done around 5:30 so I’ll be home before six. Is that okay?”

“Better than okay. How about Chinese tonight?”

“A lot of salt, but okay if it’s not going to be every week. I’m glad you love me, Sean.”

“Yeah, so am I.”

“Okay, I’ll see you soon. Bye, my love.”

I turned around to see Dave and Angus staring at me. “Mind telling us who that was? We know it wasn’t Lori.”

“No, that was Scarlett. Sandra enlisted her to rub an ointment into my back. I really pissed her off when I offered to pay her. She’s a RN at the hospital in Pottstown.”

“Not wasting any time, are you, Sean?”

“No, I guess not. She told me that she loved me last night so I reciprocated. She really is a wonderful person.”

“Great in the sack?”

“I wouldn’t know. We haven’t. It’s a long story and although I’m sure you’d be interested I’m not going there…and neither are you. Let’s get back to work.”

I spent most of the afternoon dealing with the specs for the Toyota valve springs. We made the alloy and began the process of stretching it out, running it through a series of reduction wheels that made it thinner and thinner until it reached required gauge. I ordered a 100 foot spool of the alloy specified by Toyota so we could make comparative tests. While my team handled the physical labor I was working at the computer to determine what each spring of each alloy would cost to produce and then how much I should build in as profit. I learned that my patented alloy would cost ten percent more to manufacture so I needed to show it was more than ten percent stronger and more durable in order to sell it. That would take time.

I was really whipped when I got home around 5:30. Scarlett joined me just before six, exactly as she had predicted. She had a plastic bag in her hand as she ran to me and into my arms. We kissed, tongues dueling fiercely as our lips mashed into each other. Breaking it she asked, “Did I embarrass you badly?”

“No, I did take a little joshing, but that’s all. Basically, all I did was remind them who’s paying the bills. Want to change before we go out?” Of course, she did, changing into a tight tee and even tighter short shorts. I drove her down toward Pottstown to Peking Gourmet, one of many mostly good Chinese restaurants in the area, but my favorite, by far. After scanning the menu we decided on combination plates as our best option. Scarlett chose the General Tso’s Chicken, telling the woman at the counter that she wanted it spicy. I chickened out, choosing Orange Chicken. When asked if I wanted it spicy I said no, thanking God that they had asked.

We ordered a large bag of crispy fried noodles as a starter and I introduced Scarlett to Chinese mustard, telling her to use only a little. I knew she had taken too much when she reached for her soda in an act of desperation. She agreed then that the mustard was STRONG! We had a few laughs when Scarlett tried to use chop sticks. I had learned from experts—the Chung family. Danny and his parents had lived just a few houses from my family and we had been very good friends. I ate at his house often and was glad to return the favor right up until his dad was transferred to his firm’s home office in Houston. Even then Danny and I communicated regularly by email until I went to Penn State where demands of academia and wrestling caused us to lose touch. I wondered then if I might be able to look him up when I went there on business.

After stuffing ourselves I asked Scarlett if she wanted to go home or if she might like to go out for a drink. She opted for the drink so I drove her to Ralph’s. Ralph’s is an institution in Boyertown. I was once a regular, but pretty much stopped going when Lori and I got serious. She felt it was too low brow for her as if anything could be lower than her. I had known Ralph for years. He was Fred’s and Roy’s father, buying the bar when he retired from the Montgomery County Sheriff’s office. The boundary line between Berks and Montgomery counties was also the line between Boyertown and Gilbertsville. Boyertown school district was one of only a few that had students from two different counties. Even though the high school was in Berks, it belonged to the Ches-Mont League—schools in Chester and Montgomery Counties.

As we walked in I waved to a few guys I knew from work. Even though it was crowded we were able to find two stools together near the far end of the bar. I ordered a Bud and was a bit surprised when Scarlett joined me. One thing about beer—it affects your bladder. Forty minutes later Scarlett excused herself to the ladies’ room.

We were having a good time and everything was fine until I had to relieve myself. When I returned Scarlett was surrounded by three guys, one of whom was trying his damned best to pick Scarlett up. She was just as determined to turn him down. I was only a few feet behind the lout when I heard him say, “Sure, you’re saying no, but we both know that you really mean yes.” He was bigger than me by a few inches and heavier by about forty pounds, but mostly, I thought, he was seriously overweight. I had used the gym or swam daily before the wedding and I would again once I had the all-clear from Doc at tomorrow’s appointment.

I thought at the time that the light approach would probably be best so I was almost laughing when I announced my presence. “Thanks for looking after my girlfriend, guys, but I’m back now.”

The big guy who was determined to make an ass of himself turned his back as he told me to get lost. “She might have come in with you, but she’s leaving with me.”

Okay, that didn’t work so I went to Plan B. “I believe she said no and since I know her a bit better than you do I know that she means it.”

“Look, Jack—take a hike. Not only am I bigger than you, but perhaps you noticed that there are three of us and only one of you. Get lost while you can and let me get back to the business at hand.” Then he made a big mistake. He pushed me away. I stepped between him and Scarlett, a look of determination on my face.

He turned away to put his drink on the bar and I knew what was coming next. I only hoped I knew where. I flexed my abdominals just a second before he threw the sucker punch. Because of the way he was facing I knew it would be from his off hand—his left. It bounced harmlessly off my abdomen, but before he could react I shot my right hand out to grab and constrict his throat. Good wrestlers have exceptionally strong shoulders arms and hands. Strength there was even more important than strong legs and a powerful back.

I held him in a tight grip at arm’s length as he croaked, “The cops…. I’ll call the cops.” I was sure he would have continued his feeble threats had there not been a shockingly loud BANG on the bar behind him.

Turning in that direction I saw Ralph holding what he called his “Equalizer.” It was a beat up aluminum bat—a holdover from his softball days. “That’s a damned good idea. Then we can all tell them that we saw you throw a punch at Sean and how all he did was defend himself. Or, we could just wait here for about five minutes until my son, Fred, arrives. He’s a detective with the sheriff. I’m sure he’d find the story really interesting.

“Sean, just lead this asshole down this way.” He walked toward the front of the bar where he had his “Hall of Fame”—dozens of photos of Boyertown’s best athletes in action all neatly arranged and hung on the wall–an entire row of which was dedicated to me . I pushed and asshole stumbled backward until we had arrived. “The man you tried to sucker punch is a big hero around here. Not only was he a fantastic athlete, but about eighty people earn a real good living at his factory and soon that number will almost double. He’s one of the most respected people in this community. Here he is wrestling varsity in eighth grade. That was the only year he lost a match and that was in the state finals. These are from his high school career—grades nine through twelve—All-State and All-American every year and undefeated. These last four are from his career at Penn State—undefeated and All-American there, too.

“And if you think he’s alone I suggest you take a look behind you.” There were four of my biggest and strongest employees flexing their muscles. They were part of a group unofficially called “The Forgers.” They worked with crucibles of molten metal all day. I have the most modern winches and lifts to handle tons of metal to be poured into molds, but there were times every day when small crucibles had to be lifted and moved by hand. Our smallest, filled with iron or steel, weighed more than 200 pounds and dropping it was never an option. That was why I paid these men an additional five dollars an hour.

The biggest and strongest, by far, was the unofficial leader Paul Martin who, at six feet four and two hundred and fifty pounds of muscle, looked as though he was just itching for a fight. But before anything could be said or done Scarlett spoke. “You’re going to have to let him go soon, Sean. He’s turning cyanotic.”

Then Ralph interrupted. “I’ve never seen you guys in here before. Where are you from?”

“We live in Reading,” one of the buddies said.

“Then why aren’t you there? Don’t they have bars in Reading?”

“We would be, but he’s been thrown out of almost half of them.”

“Yeah…well, he’s being thrown out of this one, too. Get out and don’t come back.” He emphasized his point by banging The Equalizer on the bar. I frog walked him to the door, but Scarlett stopped me before I got there.

“Hold on for just a second, Sean.” No sooner had she finished than she reared back and slapped her antagonist so hard his head jerked back even though I was holding him in an iron grip. “That’s for treating me like a piece of meat. Maybe the next time you’ll stop and think before becoming an obnoxious ass. Be happy I only slapped your face. What you really deserve is a good kick in the balls…maybe two.”

By now I had reached the door so I gave him a shove out just as Fred was walking in. I introduced Scarlett to him and to Ralph and I thanked The Forgers for having my back by buying a round. Scarlett and I left fifteen minutes later in Fred’s company in case the idiot had stuck around hoping for some revenge. He was nowhere to be seen so I thanked Fred, driving home in only a few minutes.

Scarlett stopped me when we were in the family room to take my blood pressure with a machine that she had kept in the kitchenette for a possible emergency and checked my abdomen for possible injury. My blood pressure was normal—107 over 63—and Scarlett’s tapping and probing detected no signs of weakness or injury to my abdomen.

“I don’t understand how you did that. It looked like he punched you really hard.”

“I saw the sucker punch coming. That’s always the act of a coward. I’ve seen it maybe three or four times before and it never has been successful. I was able to flex my abdominals and hold them so what he hit was a bit of a surprise to him.”

“I was surprised you didn’t try to hit him back.”

“Well…wrestlers don’t usually punch people although there are some obvious exceptions like Michael, Troy, and my ex-mother in law. We usually know enough to take the average opponent down pretty easily and even more important we know how to keep him down. I’m really beat why don’t we go up and take a shower before turning in?” Scarlett pulled me up from the chair and led me to the bedroom where she insisted on stripping me and washing my body as we kissed and fondled each other. I marveled at how responsive Scarlett was, by far the most responsive woman I’d ever been with although we still hadn’t made love. It turned out that my wait was much shorter that I could have hoped.

It was Tuesday night after we’d managed the dinner mess and walked together at Scarlett’s request to the hot tub. We were naked as we always were when Scarlett straddled my lap, trapping my hard-as-nails cock between our bodies. Rotating her hips at fantastic speed she rubbed the underside of my erection with her clit. Her clitoris was somewhat larger than what I had thought was normal, poking out from under its hood a good half inch or more when she was sexually stimulated. I had taken plenty of science courses at Penn State, but only one of them was in biology. I wondered often if there wasn’t a relationship between a clitoris and a penis. Both swelled and became hard when stimulated before and during sex.

The movements of Scarlett’s body were creating waves in the tub and many of those waves pushed water—gallons of it—onto the pool deck. Then—suddenly—she made what I thought at the time was a big mistake. She rose up too high and when she moved back down I slid into her hot wet canal.

With anyone else I would have driven up, pushing my pulsing erection into her cunt, but this was Scarlett—a twenty-five year old virgin who had promised herself that she would wait for Mr. Right, the man she’d spend the rest of her life with. Apparently Scarlett realized what had happened, too. I remained perfectly still as she gazed into my eyes for several seconds then smiled as she drove her hips forward ripping her hymen in an instant.

I kissed her tears from her face, but in that second I saw her pain evaporate to be replaced with total rapture. If I thought that Scarlett’s motions earlier had flooded the deck, what she did now dwarfed them completely. It was no exaggeration to say that she went wild on my cock. Her arms were around my neck as she kissed me wildly, her tongue plunging deeply into my mouth. I pushed up, lifting Scarlett with every thrust, but being careful about her safety.

We rode each other furiously for what turned out to be many minutes, but seemed to be only seconds and we were both getting very close. I was worried until Scarlett abruptly broke the kiss to tell me, “It’s okay. I’m on the pill for my period.” Then she kissed me again just before we both came. Just as she did last night, Scarlett screamed into the night, shaking and gyrating wildly as I erupted into her core even as my mouth absorbed much of her scream.

I held her tightly both because she was really out of it and because it was the best thing I could think of doing at the time. I picked her up and carried her out to the deck once the water stilled. Sitting her on the lounge, I wrapped the towel around her inert body and dried her with the utmost care. After we were both dry I carried her up to bed. It was early, but it had been a long and tiring day.

My appointment with Doc Crawford had gone exactly as I had hoped earlier that afternoon. He praised the person who had applied the ointment, telling me that it had been done perfectly and that my back, although still red and a bit swollen, would eventually heal almost completely. He even mentioned Mederma as an excellent way to flatten the scars and improve mobility. I told him I had it covered.

I had gotten home before Scarlett so I removed my wallet and keys from my khakis, took off my sneakers and socks and fell backward into the pool. I was floating there when Scarlett arrived laughing. I tried to pull her in with me, but she wanted no part of it. Well, that’s what she told me, but allowed herself to be caught a little too easily. I picked her up and carried her to the pool’s edge where I fell back into the deep end.

We laughed and kissed and groped each other for more than an hour until Scarlett’s growling stomach told me she was hungry. I grilled some chicken parts along with several ears of fresh corn from my garden. Scarlett threw together a salad and we ate naked again on the pool deck before our first real coupling.

Scarlett had just recovered from her ordeal, what the French call “la petit mort” or “the little death” with her head resting lightly on my shoulder. “I’m glad I waited, Sean. It was incredible…the most incredible thing I’ve ever experienced. I never dreamed it would be so wonderful. Hell, I never believed it COULD be so good. Just tell me we’re going to do it again.”

“I think I could go for that, but just now I think we need to go inside before we get chilled.” Scarlett looked up and I looked straight into her eyes. They told me a lot, virtually everything I had wanted to know. I saw the depth of her love and her lust, but mostly I thought that I saw her love.

Scarlett walked on unsteady legs upstairs, both arms around my waist. She was laughing when we reached the living room at the sight of my swelling erection. “I think I’m going to get my wish a bit sooner than I realized.” She walked into the bedroom then led me to the shower, her hand on my cock.

She moved into my arms and kiss once the water was warm. As warm as it was I didn’t think the shower could have been hotter. Scarlett was all over me. “Oh Sean, I need you so badly. Can we do it right now…right here?”

I knew exactly what to do, moving my hands between her thighs and backing her against the wall. We kissed again then I moved her legs over my shoulders as she pulled my cock into her slit. This time I did move, driving into her core as she gasped and moaned in her ecstasy. Once again she went wild on my cock, writhing and twisting and meeting my every thrust with one of her own. I didn’t know if I was rubbing her clit, but I was sure that my erection was pressing against her G-spot on every thrust.

I had no idea if I would be able to cum and I didn’t care. This was for Scarlett. I wanted her to crave our sex—to want and yearn for it as much as I did and I wanted it more than life itself. I had even more staying power than usual because I’d cum only minutes ago. I thought that she had cum at least twice when I moved my right leg back against the other wall for leverage and reached down to twist her clit. The result was explosive.

I was glad then that I had moved my foot because, had I not, I was sure that I would have dropped my incredible lover. As it was, I was afraid I might go deaf when Scarlett screamed at the top of her lungs, signaling that she had lost control of her body to the power of her massive orgasm. It went on for perhaps twenty seconds during which she was more a rag doll than a human being.

I held her for several minutes before slowly lowering her legs to the shower stall floor. Even then I had to support her because when I released her she slid down until she was sitting with the shower hitting her straight in her face. The water did its work, reviving her almost immediately. She looked up adoringly with a big goofy smile on her beautiful face.

“I take back what I said earlier, Sean. There was nothing I could have done to understand and realize what a beautiful and fulfilling experience making love could be. What it could be with someone I loved like you.”

I was laughing when I replied. “I think you had a lot to do with it—at least half. C’mon, I think we need to get out of here while the water’s still hot.” I pulled her up on her still shaky legs and led her out to the stool to dry her body and her hair. Then I led her to bed. She kissed me good-night and we were asleep in minutes.

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The rest of the week just flew by. I was busy by day at work between working on the Toyota proposal and keeping track of the planned expansion of my business. Angus had started interviewing potential employees, bringing the interview results to me every afternoon. Only three times did I overrule him—twice with disabled veterans and once with a woman I had known back in high school. She had married young, the result of an unplanned child when she was in eleventh grade only to learn that her “beloved” was a drugged out bum. She’d had a really tough time raising her child as a single parent, especially when she was cast out by her own family. Anyone with that kind of determination could work for me any time.

I left work early on Friday afternoon so I could do some shopping at one of the meat markets at Zern’s. I had called ahead on Thursday afternoon to ask if I could buy ten pounds of chuck chopped. Not only were they willing, but they gave me a discount, as well. I also picked up five packages of hamburger rolls and another eight for hot dogs and brats. I knew a lot of my buddies loved cheeseburgers as much as I did so I picked up two packs of American cheese. It’s white in many places in Pennsylvania although it tastes the same as the yellow stuff.

Scarlett met me at home with a large sausage pizza and we placed it in the oven to warm while we took a quick swim—naked as usual. After eating and having a great time, we began the chore of turning all of that chopped beef into forty quarter-pound burgers. I had also taken two packages of Nathan’s hot dogs from COSTCO out of the freezer to thaw. Six packages of Johnsonvillle Brats were already in my family room refrigerator.

Now my hands were covered in raw beef fat and I was in a mischievous mood so I rubbed them over Scarlett’s breasts. She shrieked in mock horror, getting her revenge a few seconds later by smearing her hands over my face and hair. We were laughing hysterically when we kissed and I carried her up and into the hot shower. I had two bars of soap so we could wash each other simultaneously. That was the idea tonight so we could rush into bed.

We’d had the most incredible and the most awe inspiring love making I had ever imagined and that’s exactly what it was—making love. Our every motion was designed and inspired by the pleasure it would bring to our partner. I thought only of her and I knew by what she had done that she was doing it for me. For the first time of my life I gave no thought to my orgasm, not that I was hurting. Scarlett made sure that I was taken care of in the very best fashion. I never had any difficulty falling asleep once she was done with me.

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We were up early the following morning—me to my factory, Scarlett to hold down the fort at the pool. I walked from the parking lot to the well just as Dave’s assistant was giving the instructions to the well driller. I stood by silently until he was done and was just about to speak when a passing pickup honked its horn. I waved at Fred as he sped by, his wife Judy and their two girls with him. Fred would drop them off and introduce them to Scarlett before joining me behind the factory where we were going to make big branches and small trees into firewood.

Fred had been with me a few minutes when his brother Roy drove up. All of us had our own chain saws, but only Roy had a log splitter. Dave and Rod and two others soon followed. We’d done this before, probably a dozen times so the work progressed swiftly as we filled all of the truck beds equally until they could hold no more safely. Even then we continued cutting and stacking logs big and small. One truckload would go to my parents’ home tomorrow morning. Another would go to Nick and a final to Sandra and her husband, Sal D’Ambrosio.

We worked non-stop for more than four hours and when we were done we were sweaty messes, covered with dirt and sawdust. Only when we had finished did we drive the short distance to my house and my pool. I left my wallet, keys, and shoes in the truck then snuck around the back of the house to find all of the wives and all of their kids laughing as they jumped off the diving board or did cannonballs from the side. Me—I just fell forward as I heard Scarlett laugh at the sight of me.

I knew the water’s surface would be covered with sawdust, but I didn’t care. The pool men would be here on Monday as they always were and they’d get anything that wasn’t caught in the skimmers. I must have set a good example because my pals—lifelong friends all—jumped in right after me. That was when Scarlett removed her cover-up—one of my Penn State Wrestling tee’s—and everyone had their first look at her spectacular body. Everything went quiet until she dove in and swam effortlessly to my side where she made very sure that everyone understood how things were with us. She pulled me under then pressed those lips I’d learned to love into mine. We stayed under for more than a minute and I knew I’d hear it from the husbands and wives alike when we surfaced. There were a lot of hoots and hollers, but I didn’t care even a bit. I just pulled Scarlett—my Scarlett—into my arms and kissed her again.

It was just after 12:30 when I started the grill, knowing that it would take at least ten minutes to get it up to speed. During that time Fred’s daughter Natalie and Scarlett took orders for hamburgers, cheeseburgers and hot dogs or brats . I wasn’t at all surprised to see that Judy had brought potato salad or that the other wives had made a coordinated effort—tossed salad, coleslaw, chocolate chip cookies, blueberry pie and one of my favorites—fresh strawberry pie. There were two of those.

I put the meat on the grill at 12:45 and I still had enough room to grill the rolls. Luncheon was served at 1:00 on the dot as I used the spatula and tongs to pass burgers or hot dogs or brats onto one waiting plate after another. Finally, Scarlett and I took our food and sat on one of the lounges. “Having fun,” I asked.

“You know it! I was a little afraid of being the only stranger here who didn’t have a bunch of friends, but once Fred introduced me to Judy and their girls I realized how silly that was. Judy introduced me to the others and they all made me feel at home. Well…I guess I am sort of at home, but you know what I mean.”

“I do. These are really great friends and even better people. We stick together and support each other. That’s one of the reasons why Troy’s actions hurt so much…in some ways even more than the whipping. But he made his own choices just like all of us. Hell, I don’t want to talk about him. We need to have fun.” I had just finished when Rod’s son asked if he could have another hot dog. I laughed as I tousled his hair. “Coming right up,” I said as I walked quickly to the grill. I had four additional orders by the time I was there.

We spent the entire afternoon in the pool either swimming or playing volleyball or just standing around drinking. The others had changed into their suits, but I remained in my tee and my jean shorts. There was no way I was going to expose my back to my friends—not for quite a while, anyway.

I did have two big pieces of the fresh strawberry pie and even Scarlett had to agree it was great. I’d had it with several different kinds of crusts—regular baked piecrust and graham cracker being my two favorites. The whole fresh berries were covered in a clear red glaze before covering the entire pie in a thick layer of real whipped cream. I didn’t know if it was a local specialty, but I did know that I had loved it all of my life.

The party started to break up around five with all of the women pitching in to handle the clean-up before hugging both Scarlett and me. Finally, Fred joined me as I drove my truck to the rear of the yard where I stored my firewood. I already had two ten foot rows of seasoned wood held in place by sections of one-inch galvanized pipe that I had driven into the ground. He climbed into the truck bed to pass the logs down to me. Twenty minutes later the bed was empty so we drove back to the factory to load another shipment. Up early tomorrow morning I’d take this one to Mom and Dad, and load another for Sandra and Sal. If I could find the time I’d also take care of Nick. If not, I could deliver his during the week.

>>>>>>

I had tried to get out of going to Sandra’s on Sunday for an afternoon of drinks, socializing, and dinner, but she wouldn’t take no for an answer. I figured I was stuck so up early I delivered the wood to my parents, stacking it as quietly as possible then it was back to the factory for another load. I dropped that behind Sandra’s garage. I managed to finish with Nick’s load just before noon. Scarlett had left me a note telling me that she had to go home, but would see me later. I ate a quick sandwich so I wouldn’t be drinking later on an empty stomach then grabbed an even quicker shower before dressing in a golf shirt and shorts.

I could make this drive in my sleep. Sandra and Sal lived on the same street as my parents. My folks lived toward the northern end; Sandra was almost a mile farther south. I pulled the Porsche up to the curb, noticing Scarlett’s Civic parked across the street. I recalled thinking that was how she knew Sandra, but I was wrong. That was proven to me as soon as I rang the bell.

I was completely surprised when Scarlett opened the door. “Wha….What are you doing here? I thought you were going home.”

I could see that she was as surprised by my question as I was in seeing her here in Sandra’s home. “Oh my God, Sean; I am so sorry. I thought that Sandra had told you up front that I was her niece, but I can see now that she didn’t. This explains so much, like why you tried to pay me.”

“I don’t understand, Scarlett. You never referred to her as Aunt Sandra.”

“Don’t tell her I said this, but it was all vanity. Sandra is much younger than Sal. She was only twenty-eight when I came to live with them. She told me to just call her ‘Sandra’ because she felt that ‘Aunt’ made her feel old. I’ve always called them Sandra and Sal as a result. Again Sean; I am so sorry. Please accept my apology.”

“I do accept it, of course.” Scarlett smiled for the first time since I had arrived as she tiptoed up to kiss me. Then she took my hand and led me through the house. I knew that it was part of the same large development as the house my parents had bought. This was the first major growth spurt that Boyertown had experienced in the 1970’s. Sandra had told me that the original owners had made several improvements over the years—double glazed windows and new vinyl siding, and a new roof. I stepped out the family room door and walked down to the brick patio.

The original owner had paid plenty to create this oasis in the back yard. The patio was, according to Sandra, fifteen feet by twenty, with a wide island of arborvitae, rhododendrons, and other evergreen shrubs in addition to several flowering dogwoods shielding the patio from the rest of the yard. It really was an idyllic situation.

I greeted Sal with a handshake and Sandra with a hug. Sandra had told me months ago when she was hired that she loved the area. The foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains could be seen in the distance to the southwest. Seeing those distant trees change color in the fall always made me appreciate the wonders of nature.

Sal had come here as part of a massive reconstruction of Route 100, a major N-S artery that connected I-476 in the north near Allentown with the Pennsylvania Turnpike in the south before ending near West Chester where it merged with Route 202. It was an old and in some places curvy road that was two lanes most of the way. At one time it was more than adequate, but since Route 422 had connected the entire area with Philadelphia a major housing boom had made it obsolete and even dangerous.

Sal was a construction manager, specializing in road and bridge construction. The Route 100 job was expected to take at least fifteen years so Sal expected to retire when the contract expired. “My career will expire when this job does,” he had told me with a laugh. That was almost six months ago.

We were talking and enjoying a cold beer when Sal suddenly said something about making some barbeque sauce for his ribs. He climbed the steps into the house only a few seconds before Scarlett told me that she had to pick up some more beer at the nearest Wawa store. All of a sudden Sandra and I were alone and I had the feeling that it wasn’t accidental. My suspicions were confirmed a few seconds later.

“You’re hardly a fool, Sean so I’m sure you realize that I arranged for us to be alone so we could speak privately.”

“Couldn’t we do that at work?”

“No, there are always people in and out of the offices and what I have to say is not for other ears. I think that Lori came to visit you in the office two or three times a week while you were engaged. I would have expected to see total love in her eyes and face, but I never did. Instead, I saw scorn, disdain, and disrespect. Obviously, I would have said something if I had known what they had planned for you, but I didn’t have a clue. Believe me–you’ll be infinitely happier with Scarlett.”

“What? I thought…isn’t she waiting for Mr. Right?”

 

“Before I respond to that I have something I want you to see.” She rose from her chair and led me through the kitchen and down the hallway toward the bedrooms. She opened a door and I followed her in. “This is Scarlett’s room.” She opened the closet door and I was surprised to see only three empty hangers and a couple of empty shoe boxes. Next she opened the drawers of the dresser. They were as empty as the closet. There wasn’t a single item belonging to Scarlett in that room.

“Now…what did you ask?”

“Isn’t she waiting for Mr. Right?”

Sandra almost laughed as she responded. “She was. She did.” I was dumb struck. Why hadn’t I seen? Why hadn’t I realized? Well, I realized now, but what was I going to do about it? I was still thinking when Sandra led me back to the patio. Sal magically reappeared and a few minutes later Scarlett rushed in with a twelve-pack of Bud.

I did have a really good time and Sal’s ribs were much better than mine. I realized then that he used the very lowest flame for much longer than I ever did, basting with barbeque sauce several times. I left at eight with Scarlett telling me that she’d see me soon. She kissed me quickly at the door then stood there to wave me good-bye.

It was a short drive—only about a mile and a half—but it was enough. My decision had been made when Sandra showed me Scarlett’s room. I walked into the family room then took the stairs three at a time. I had everything I needed in an envelope on the kitchen counter less than five minutes later. I went to relieve myself then took a seat in the kitchen until Scarlett arrived. She was tentative as she entered the kitchen.

I stood then took her hands into mine. “I saw your room this afternoon. Weren’t you going to wait for the right man?”

She smiled now. “I did, you know. I waited my entire life for my Mr. Right and I found him—the man I want to spend my life with—the man I want to father my children. He’s a wonderful person. That’s why I love him so much.”

“Then I think you’re going to need this.” I passed the envelope to her.

The questioning expression on her face said it all so I told her to open it. Inside she found a brass key and an index card with a six digit number. “You’ll need the key to our house and the alarm code, too.”

“Did you…did you say ‘our house?’” She leapt into my arms, pressing her lips to mine when I smiled and nodded. She broke the kiss quickly. “Nice–actually much better than nice–but there’s something else on my mind. I can’t wait to get your clothes off.”

“Funny, I was thinking the exact same thing.” I know I can be pretty dense sometimes, especially when it comes to women. Just look at what happened with Lori, but I had been taken completely by surprise this afternoon. I knew that Scarlett had strong feelings for me, maybe even love, but I didn’t dare believe that she thought I WAS THE ONE. Damn—I WAS THE ONE! I thought it couldn’t get any better when I walked into the bedroom with Scarlett in my arms.

Making love with Scarlett had been; take your choice—fantastic, unbelievable, unparalleled–in the past, but it was nothing like it was tonight. We rushed through the shower and were still dripping when Scarlett led me to the bed at a run. She lay down, legs spread wide and knees up, inviting me into her core. “No foreplay tonight, Sean. I want you to take me hard and fast. Ram that beautiful cock into me and tell me I’m yours.” That was all the invitation I needed.

Climbing between Scarlett’s long slender legs took only a second and a second later I had lined up my cock with her oozing slit. Looking into her grinning face I pressed home, pushing all of my meat into her in a single forceful thrust. Scarlett for her part moved up to meet me, forcing the head of my cock into her cervix. I’d been told that this could be painful, but if it was it did nothing to deter Scarlett. It was the hardest, most animalistic fucking I’d ever experienced and I knew, therefore, that is was the same for Scarlett.

There was no way that either of us could withstand such an onslaught for very long. Scarlett’s breathing became rapid, shallow, and irregular as her orgasm neared. Her movements were erratic and powerful even though she was beneath me and I held her in place with my arms and legs until…suddenly she froze in place, inhaling until her lungs seemed to burst. Then with a mighty exhalation and an even mightier scream she erupted. I knew that was my line, but this time, as she came, she also squirted what seemed to be a gallon of her aromatic ejaculate. That was more than enough to set me off. I grunted as with each thrust I injected millions of actively swimming sperm cells into her womb.

I was a sweaty mess when we had finished, but Scarlett was worse. She lay there beneath me like a worn out dishrag, semi-comatose and lying in a pool of her own juices. I leaned down to kiss her then pulled out and carried her to the tub. A few minutes later I had her seated in hot water up to her shoulders. Her head was lying back on the tub’s wall when she opened her eyes. “Sean…wha…what happened?”

“Remember that really huge orgasm you had our first time?” I continued once she had nodded her agreement. “Well, I think you had the grandmother of that one. I won’t pretend to know exactly how or why, but you squirted something wicked. You drenched me and our bed and you were really out of it. That’s why I brought you here. I need to get the quilt and sheets and mattress pad into the washer. I’m just glad I put a vinyl cover over the mattress or we’d have to wait until it dried out before we could sleep on it.”

She looked like a little girl when she looked up at me to say, “I’m so sorry, Sean.”

I had to laugh. “Don’t be. Most guys would kill for a sexual experience like that. So…did I make you mine?”

“God, yes. I love you so much, Sean. I never thought I could love someone as much as I love you.”

I leaned forward to kiss my love. “I’m glad, because I love you every bit as much and I have no intention of ever letting you go. Enjoy the bath. Relax and I’ll be back as soon as I can.” Then I kissed her and bounded out of the room.

My cleaning crew usually did the laundry as part of their contract, but I knew what to do. I had often done the laundry when I was at Penn State and even later when I was living at home. Yes, I even washed my mom’s undies and bras. I spent less than ten minutes getting the job done then I ran back upstairs for a new sheet set and a blanket. I had the bed washed and dried and new sheets and blanket installed when I retrieved my lover from the tub.

A few minutes later she was dry and we found our customary positions for sleep—her head resting lightly on my chest and her still oozing pussy on my thigh. Not surprisingly, we fell asleep quickly.

>>>>>>

Scarlett and I were at her car for a good-bye kiss when I had an idea. “Wait here a second, okay?” I left her to run into the garage and a few seconds later the middle of the three doors rose up and open. I ran back out with the remote from my truck. “Park your car in here where I know you’ll be safe. I can keep my truck over here on the side.” I could see Scarlett’s total love in her eyes and her face when she kissed me. Then she left with a wave, on her way to some surgery during the day.

We knew we were going to be together for life even though I hadn’t quite proposed yet. She didn’t know the when or the where although I had a really good idea about both. I closed up the house and drove to work. Normally, I would go to the gym, but we were understandably slow moving this morning.

I was at my desk when Sandra walked in, coffee in her hand. “Normally, I’d ask how your weekend was, but I think I have a pretty good idea how it went.” I didn’t say anything in reply, but Sandra still chuckled as she turned around and walked to her desk. Angus joined me a few minutes later. He told me that one of the “official” Toyota valve springs—the spring labeled as Number2–had broken over the weekend, shattering into about a dozen pieces. The test was only four days into my projected thirty-two. I made a note. We wouldn’t do anything with the broken spring. Its breaking showed that entering the testing area could be extremely dangerous.

We had been in our meeting for almost an hour when I rose to ask, “Any doubts?”

“Nae, nary a one,” he replied in something he assured me was actually English, but was often barely discernible by me. We walked together to the rear of the factory, arriving just in time to see a massive cauldron of molten steel moving by winch over a series of hot molds. We stood back—a normal precaution—as the steel was poured slowly, filling the sixty molds completely until the cauldron was turned back to vertical and was returned to the wheeled sled at the edge of the furnace. Although the pouring had been a difficult task, the next one—refilling the cauldron—would also be dangerous, maybe even more so.

Putting any cold metal into a vessel of molten material was an extremely dangerous procedure. The sudden drop in temperature can cause the molten metal to splatter. Many unwary people have been severely burned through their carelessness. Today Angus and I watched carefully as Paul Martin and his crew followed each step carefully and correctly, heating the solid steel by placing it over the top of the cauldron before slowly lowering it into the pool of molten material.

“Well done, guys,” I exclaimed. “Take a little break so Angus and I can have a word. I’m sure you know that this furnace has been sold to a company out in Pittsburgh and we’re getting a new and much bigger furnace as soon as the new building is finished and approved for occupancy. You’ll be out there mostly on your own so Angus and I agree that you’ll need some on-site supervision. That’s why we’ve agreed to promote you to foreman, Paul. Starting next Tuesday you’ll get a ten dollar an hour raise. Clark, you’ll be the Assistant Foreman at an additional five an hour. Congratulations to both of you. Paul, you’ll need to take on another two workers so if you know someone here you’d like to transfer, let Angus know. Otherwise, we’ll advertise and you and Angus can conduct the interviews.” I shook hands with Paul and Chuck as the other “Forgers” applauded and patted Paul on the back. That his leadership had been so readily accepted by the crew was a major factor in his selection.

Paul stopped me as I was about to return to the office. “Thanks a lot, Sean. This means that I can ask Ginny to marry me. She works, but only at McDonald’s so her pay isn’t much, but we’ve needed it. I can’t wait to get home so I can ask her.”

“There’s no need to thank me, Paul. You earned it. You’re a great example for the rest of the crew and it shows in their respect for you. All of my decisions should be as simple. I’d wish you good luck with Ginny, but I’m sure you won’t need it. That woman is in love with you.” I shook his hand again, returning to the office a few minutes later.

I went outside to watch the pouring of the footing for the new foundry building. It was four feet deep by three wide with a half-inch thick piece of rebar bent at ninety degrees every foot exactly three inches above the top of the concrete. These were exactly placed using several lasers. The three inch height would place the blanket of rebar mesh exactly in the middle of the six-inch thick slab. Why all precision and all of the rebar? The machines we used were heavy and the impact of the hydraulic piston on the lower plate could easily shatter thinner and weaker concrete. I’d seen it happen when I was working at my first job in Pittsburgh.

I had been home that night for about a half hour when Scarlett ran up the stairs to hug and kiss me. “Too bad you weren’t here about ten minutes ago. You missed an interesting phone call. My cell rang and I could see it was my mother. It went exactly like this:

“Hi, Mom. How are you? How’s Dad adjusting to retirement?”

“We’re both fine, thank you, Sean. Don’t tell him I said this, but he can be a real pain in the butt.” I laughed as I heard Dad yell that he heard

that. “That’s not really important, Sean. How are you doing?”

“Much better, Mom; a nurse from Pottstown Memorial came in to rub a great ointment into my back twice a day and it’s really helped me.”

“I’m glad. You said she came to help you. Does that mean she’s not coming any longer? I’m assuming we’re talking about Scarlett.”

“Remind me to have a chat with my gabby sister, but yes, it was…it is Scarlett, but she doesn’t have to come by because she moved in with me officially yesterday.”

“Don’t blame Gail. She wasn’t the only one. I also heard from Nick and Judy Ryan. They were all very favorably impressed, but don’t you think you’re rushing things?”

“We’ve talked about that several times and we agree that I’m not on the rebound.”

“Well, I agree there. Any love you thought you had for Lori must have died when you learned what they wanted to do with you and, of course, all of that torture would have just about killed anyone else. Anyway, I wanted to remind you about the party on the Fourth. I hope you plan to bring Scarlett. I’d like to meet her…Dad, too.”

“Yes, I’ll definitely bring her. Want me to make my beans, too?”

“That’s a great idea. Okay, come around two. I’ll see you then…Scarlett, too.”

>>>>>>

“Is that what really happened, Sean?”

“I swear to God that was a literal conversation.”

Scarlett looked down for a few seconds and I could tell that she was thinking. “Sean, do they have a pool? I just heard on the local radio that the temperature is supposed to be mid to high nineties. That kind of heat can be dangerous. Do you think they’d consider changing it to here?

Would that be okay with you?”

“Of course. In fact, that’s a great idea. You’ll already know more than half the people from Saturday. There’s the phone. Call my mother and ask her.”

Scarlett checked the contacts and a minute later the phone was ringing. “Hello, Sean, did you forget something?”

“No, Mrs. Sloan—it’s Scarlett.”

“Well, hello dear; this is an unexpected pleasure.”

“Thank you. I was just telling Sean that it’s supposed to be really hot on the Fourth—mid to upper nineties—so we were wondering if you’d consider moving the party here so everyone could use the pool. I worry about heat stroke in that kind of heat.”

“That’s an excellent and considerate idea, Scarlett. Give me a day or two to contact everyone and I’ll call you back. When do you usually take your break?”

“I’m a surgical nurse so I never know, but if you call me I promise to get back to you as soon as I can. Here’s my number.” After giving it I heard Mom tell Scarlett that she was looking forward to meeting her.

Scarlett said the same and the call ended after Mom said, “Just don’t let Sean make you do all of the work.”

Scarlett laughed. “Don’t worry about that. I’ll work him like a dog.” We both laughed once they were done. “I like your mom, Sean.”

“Yeah, I have to admit she’s a really good person.”

“She must be. Look at how you turned out.” Then I shut her up the best way I knew—by kissing her.

>>>>>>

The rest of the week went pretty much the way Monday did. The floor of the foundry building was poured on Thursday and Friday. It was interesting watching how the floor was leveled using lasers and how the bases for the I-beams that would support the roof were placed, again using lasers so their position was perfect. So, too, was the placement of the bases for the wall panels. I was glad that Dave Specht, my architect and friend, had recommended this company to me years ago. They had done a great job on my original building and on the upgrade and they were doing even better on the new buildings. There seemed to be an unending river of concrete trucks on both days. I was really looking forward to having a three-day weekend, not that I’d have all that much time to rest. We had a busy time planned.

I took Scarlett out for dinner on Friday night, but not for a big meal. That was by mutual agreement. I would normally go to The Pit Stop, but instead I drove to the Greshville Inn where I knew we could get soup and a sandwich. We had just taken our seats at the last table when I saw Paul Martin and Ginny enter. I stood and waved them over to the table. Scarlett had already met Paul so I introduced her to Ginny. “Scarlett, I know you’ll remember Paul from our adventure at Ralph’s and this charming lady is his fiancée, Ginny. Why don’t you join us? I’m sure you’ll have to wait for half an hour, at least for another table to open up. We’re only having soup and a sandwich because we have a busy day ahead of us tomorrow.”

“Yes,” Scarlett added. “Sean’s taking me to Hershey Park.”

“That’s a really good time, Scarlett, but I’m sure it will be jammed, seeing as how this is a holiday weekend. You’re not from here, are you? Where do you live?” I was chuckling inside because I wanted to see how Scarlett would answer.

She hesitated not even a second before telling her, “I used to live with my aunt and uncle. My aunt is Sean’s secretary, but as of last Sunday I now live with Sean.” Ginny looked at me and I nodded with a smile. Then our waitress came with menus. Scarlett and I agreed on a crock of French onion and turkey club’s with chips instead of fries. When Paul and Ginny agreed with our choices I told the waitress that we’d have one check and that I would be paying.

“You don’t have to do that, Sean.”

“It’s my pleasure. I still remember that you had my back at Ralph’s. Say, do you guys have any plans for Monday?”

“No, for one thing I hear it’s going to be really hot. We’ll probably just stay home and try to stay cool, maybe watch a ball game.”

“How’d you like to come to my place? We’re having a big party.”

“I wouldn’t want to intrude.”

“Paul, we’re going to have between thirty-five and forty people there and I’m sure you know most of them. You know my folks and Fred and Roy Ryan and their wives. I think you know Dave Collins.”

“Is that the rug guy?”

“Yeah, he graduated with me. We’re only going to have burgers, hot dogs, and brats plus whatever salads and things the wives bring. Fred always brings a big keg of Bud so the beer’s covered. I’m also making a big pot of beans.”

“I could make some devilled eggs, Sean. If I boiled thirty eggs, that would give us sixty which should be plenty.”

“Great idea, Ginny. Don’t forget to bring your bathing suits. I’ve rented two cabanas and I have a shower on the pool deck. Plus, you might want to bring a sweatshirt and some folding chairs if you have them for the fireworks.”

“Is Fred going to object? Fireworks are illegal.”

I had to laugh. “Where do you think we get the fireworks from, Paul? Fred told me there was a huge bust out in Manatawny—more than $250,000 retail value—that were confiscated back in April. My guess is that more than half found their way into the hands of the deputies. One thing I can guarantee—no firecrackers.

“Fred was on duty about seven years ago when he took a call from some EMT’s who were called to an accident at a party in Douglasville. Some young teenagers were playing with cherry bombs and they carelessly threw one too close to an infant in a stroller. When Fred got there he had to arrest the three boys. One of them was Judy’s nephew.”

“Wow! I’m glad I wasn’t in his shoes, but I guess he had no choice.”

By then our beer had been served and the conversation turned to other things like when Paul and Ginny planned to be married. She told us that she had always dreamed of being a June bride. “So we’re trying for next June. We have to get the church and find a catering hall, but it won’t be too fancy because we’re paying for it ourselves. You probably don’t know, but I’m an orphan. I grew up in foster homes. Most of them were okay, but the last one was a disaster. My foster father tried to rape me several times. He was a big drinker—drunk probably two or three times a week.”

“I’m surprised he was accepted as a foster parent.”

“He was good at hiding it. So was his wife. They only did it for the money and so he’d be able to find young girls for sex.” I could see how upset Ginny was becoming so I suggested that she had told us enough. Then Scarlett told them about her parents. She and Ginny compared notes until our crocks of onion soup had been served. I had always taken my parents for granted, mostly because virtually all of my friends also had two parents, including a stay-at-home mom. My parents drank, but in moderation and, even then, only on a Friday or Saturday night.

We had a great time, but split up as soon as dinner was over. Paul and Ginny wished us a great day at the park as they walked off hand in hand. Scarlett and I drove home, in the hope of a quick swim in the pool and shower so we could jump into bed and each other’s arms.

Scarlett had always been an energetic lover, giving as good as or better than she received. Tonight, she was like the cat that swallowed the canary, hugging me tightly as possible as soon as we were out of the Porsche. She was laughing as we struggled up the stairs, but still refused to release me. I was laughing, too, when I told her this would be an interesting shower with both of us dressed.

“We’re not taking a shower. We’re jumping into bed the way we are and then I’m going to strip you naked and make the most incredible love to you.”

“I thought you did that every night.”

“I do, but tonight will be special. You’ll see.”

I couldn’t help myself. I laughed like crazy. “So, does that mean all of our previous times together were boring?” I laughed again when I saw the shocked expression on her face. Then I kissed her nose and whispered, “You know as well as I do…it’s always special—actually better than special. In fact, it’s so special that I need it now…right this very second!”

Scarlett had my clothes off in less than thirty seconds and hers in even less. I turned the quilt and sheet down then pulled Scarlett to me as I fell backward onto the bed. She pressed her breasts into my chest  

as her lips sought mine. Our faces were covered in spit in no time as Scarlett began to eagerly hump my thigh.

Breaking the kiss I asked, “Wouldn’t it be better if you did that on my…?” I never had the chance to finish. Her leg moved over mine and a second later I could hear her sigh as I stretched her pussy muscles around my organ.

Considering how active she was I was surprised that she moved down my shaft so slowly. She was looking straight into my eyes when she told me, “I love all of it, Sean. Well, I love all of it because of you, but I love this part most of all. Feeling you enter me just makes my whole body tingle like you wouldn’t believe. That’s why I try to make it last as long as possible.”

“I don’t mind at all. It’s every bit as good for me.” Then I made myself look like a liar as I drove into her at a furious pace. Apparently, she liked this part, too if her constant moaning and her frantic movements meant anything. She began to move with me, driving her big hard clit into my abdominals and my pubic bone. I knew now from our prior couplings how to get her over the top, hopefully more than once. I squeezed her nipples between my thumbs and forefingers. That had always worked in the past and it worked now. Her body began to shake uncontrollably and she would have screamed had she not gripped my head strongly and pressed her lips into mine.

She squirted then, drenching me and our sheets. I continued to drive into her—harder and harder, faster and faster. I knew I would come soon so I moved my mouth to her nipple and gnawed. She didn’t squirt this time. She flooded me and as her back arched she screamed like a banshee. It was just in time, too. I thrust into her so strongly that I lifted her bodily almost two feet into the air. Five more times my cock erupted until I was totally spent. I fell back onto the mattress, a hot sweaty mess, and Scarlett was almost unconscious as she lay in a shallow pool of our combined sweat. My house wasn’t air conditioned. That wasn’t usually necessary. Instead, we had cross ventilation—windows on all four walls that were fully open in July. Some nights the room was actually chilly even though the daytime temperature might be in the nineties.

>>>>>>

Scarlett helped me to strip the bed early the following morning then I loaded the sheets and quilt into the washer. We showered quickly. Okay…it was quick for us, and I drove the Porsche to The Bear’s Den for a quick breakfast. I was surprised when Scarlett suggested that we get omelets. “We have no idea what we’ll be able to eat all day so we’ll need something solid in our stomachs,” was her justification. That worked for me.

If you used either Mapquest or Google Maps to plot a quick route from Boyertown to Hershey you’d get a pretty good result. But if you had lived in the area almost all your life as I did you could do a whole lot better. I drove west on Route 422 until turning south about five miles east of Reading onto an old farm road toward Morgantown where I’d find my way onto the Turnpike into Hershey. I’d never take this road on a school day when I could get stuck behind a school bus with no opportunity to pass for miles, but it was a Saturday in July and I knew that the Porsche would handle the many curves and hills easily. I sped through the farms at almost 55 miles per hour, saving more than ten minutes over what Mapquest might suggest.

Scarlett and I had a few laughs as we drove through the little town of Hershey where all of the streetlamps were the shape and color of Hershey Kisses. I parked a ways from the entrance under a light pole and we walked to the park. I had purchased our tickets online and printed them in the office on Thursday. Sandra had walked them to my desk with a smirk on her face. “I thought we weren’t supposed to do personal printing in the office.”

“You’re not, but I’ve never cared about the occasional personal use. On the other hand, if you were to print 1,500 programs for your church you’d hear from me in a heartbeat. That kind of thing has only happened once and that person no longer works here.” I folded the tickets and placed them into my shirt pocket, moving them into the door pocket in the Porsche as soon as I was home.

I learned that day what a roller coaster junkie my beloved was. We went on every one of the big coasters at least twice, beginning with the SooperDooperLooper, with Scarlett almost running as soon as we had been admitted. We stayed late, finishing our day with a totally unhealthy funnel cake and a large Coke that we split. The parking lot was almost deserted when we walked to the car. I saw the potential danger clearly when we were about fifty yards away.

“See these two guys by the lamp post? They’re going to be trouble or they wouldn’t be here. Take the remote, get in, and lock the door. Then I want you to call 9-1-1 and tell the police that someone is attacking me and trying to steal my car. Make sure you stay in the car where I know you’ll be safe.”

“But, Sean….”

“No, buts; please do as I ask.” I pressed the remote and handed it to Scarlett. She was safe in the car when the first asshole approached. I was pleased to see that his friend remained leaning against the post. That should make things easier.

“Yo, man—nice wheels. I want this car.”

“Well, stay in school and study hard. Get a good job and who knows. Maybe you’ll be able to get one just like it; maybe even better.”

“Don’t try to get funny with me, Jack. Give me your fucking car and I won’t have to stick you. If you’re really quick about it maybe I won’t fuck your lady. Then again, maybe I will. She’s lookin’ fine.” He pulled a knife, flashing it in front of him. The blade was thin and about five inches long, but I wasn’t impressed.

“If you plan to cut me you’d better get to it. My girlfriend has already phoned the cops. They’ll be here soon. Too soon, I think, for you.” I moved away from the car so I’d have room to maneuver as he stepped closer, swinging the knife from side to side with every step.

I knew that most people would try to stay as far away from the knife as possible, but I knew better. I had taken a physical education course in self-defense at Penn State. It was just something I wanted to relieve the pressure of all of the engineering and math classes I’d had to take. It was in that class that I learned the secret of knife defense—get in close where you can control your opponent’s arm and keep the knife away from your body. He was swinging wildly as he approached until he changed strategy and tried to stab me. That’s what I was waiting for. I grabbed his wrist with both hands and it was only when I pushed him away as I twisted his arm that I realized that he had actually stabbed the side of my abdomen, not that the wound would help him—just the opposite, in fact.

I actually did more damage to my body pulling the knife out than he did plunging it in. Rolling his wrist away from me forced him to bend back or do permanent damage to his shoulder and when he did I moved my right hand to his belt. I doubted that he weighed more than 160 pounds so I lifted him up to my chest easily and slammed him into the asphalt. His head bounced with such force that he was knocked out immediately. I turned quickly to his friend who still hadn’t moved from the lamp post.

I could hear the sirens approaching as he spoke, holding his hands up peacefully. “Not me, man; I got nothing to do with this. I tried to tell him it was stupid, but he wouldn’t listen. It’s the crack, man. It makes him crazy. Just tell the cops I had nothing to do with it, will ya? I don’t need any of their shit.”

I looked down to find that I was bleeding pretty heavily and apparently Scarlett did, too. She ran from the car, tearing her tee shirt from the bottom, stopping just below her bra and then tearing sideways until the cloth had parted. She pressed the folded cloth into the wound, using the compression to stem the flow of blood that had already ruined my shirt and shorts. The cops pulled up a few seconds later, with the EMT’s less than a minute behind them.

I tried to get them to treat the kid even as I described what had happened. His friend corroborated my story as did Scarlett, but all they did was put the kid onto a gurney in the rear of the ambulance. I sat on the rear bumper while one of them cleaned my wound, applied bacitracin ointment, and covered it with a clear plastic adhesive.

My side was sore, but other than that I felt fine. We finished up with the police around 1:30 and Scarlett told me that I was in no shape to drive home. “We’re finding a motel and staying over. The officer here told me he would go with us. I’m sure one look at us would scare anyone in a motel office. They’d probably call the police so….” Then she kissed me and gave me the bad news. “We can shower together, but we’re not making love. Your wound bled badly and it needs to heal a bit before you can put stress on it.”

“Suppose I promise to lie perfectly still and….”

“Not tonight, my love. Give me the keys. You get to be the passenger for a change.” I would have complained, but even a minor twist of my torso caused a whale of a pain in my side. Scarlett opened the door for me and helped me into the seat. A few seconds later she had adjusted her seat and she drove away, following the police car to a nearby Comfort Inn. The cop went into the motel office with Scarlett to explain why her top was torn and bloody. We got a room on the first floor around the back. Scarlett parked under a bright light, taking care to lock the car as she led me into the room.

“Let me help you, Sean. Just stand as still as you can.”

“I’m not crippled, you know.”

“I know that, but you’re injured more than you realize. That wound is at least an inch deep. That means you have muscle tissue damage and that’s going to take more than a week to completely heal. They did a good job on you—exactly what I would have done. C’mon, we need a shower then it’s off to bed for both of us.”

Scarlett carefully pulled my ruined Penn State Wrestling tee shirt over my head while keeping my left arm down. I realized the wisdom of that when I tried to lift my arm a few minutes later. “Sean,” Scarlett scolded, “you need to keep still. Moving around like that is just going to hurt you. Please, Sean.” Then she kissed me as she led me into the shower. It was just a tub with a plastic curtain so she held my right hand to steady me.

“This covering is waterproof so you will be able to shower and even use the pool, but—please—no swimming for at least a week.” She warmed the water and washed me from my head to my toes then she washed her body and stepped out to dry me. A few minutes later we were in the bed naked, but not to make love and, unfortunately, not in our usual position. Before falling asleep Scarlett jumped out of bed, going first to her purse and then to the bathroom sink.

She returned with two large tablets and a cup of water. “Take these, Sean. Each one is 500 mg of Tylenol. You could probably use a preion painkiller, but this is all we have for now.” I hated to take any kind of medicine, but I respected Scarlett’s knowledge and experience so I followed her advice.

Sleep came, but not for more than an hour and about four hours later the Tylenol had to be renewed. I woke with a moan. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the kind I loved. I was in pain—real pain—and once again Scarlett ministered to me, providing the care and love that I needed. She bounded up to the bathroom basin, returning with two more Tylenol. “This is all I can give you for a while unless we stop off early tomorrow to buy some naproxen or ibuprofen. Too much Tylenol can hurt you.”

“Yes, Ma’am. Thank you. I love you.” Scarlett supported my head while I drank then she returned the cup to the counter, slipping back into bed with me seconds later.

“I know you’re having trouble sleeping, Sean. I’ll give you a blowjob to help you, but you must promise me that you’ll remain still.” I agreed as she moved between my outstretched legs. “Don’t forget your promise, Sean. I’d hate to have to stop when you’re almost there.”

My cock was already pulsing and twitching as Scarlett wrapped her small, but strong, hand around my shaft. Then she leaned forward to lick the spongy head. The room was dark, but some light found its way around the edges of the drapes. Scarlett was slow and deliberate as she licked me and it was all I could do to keep myself from humping her hot mouth. However, I had given my word and I always kept my promises—plus, Scarlett had been right. I’d had a terrible time falling asleep the first time and the throbbing pain I was experiencing now was even worse. Thank God I had Scarlett to take my mind and my thoughts in another direction.

Looking down in the dim light I could barely see my erection disappear into Scarlett’s mouth and throat. I wondered then how she could get all of it in without choking, especially with her limited experience. Experienced or not, Scarlett was getting the job done in magnificent style—sucking and licking and forcing my rock hard cock into the roof of her mouth. She’d been at it for almost five minutes when I felt the rumbling in my core. I was trying to hold it back until Scarlett encouraged me. “C’mon, Sean–give it all to me. Cum for me, my darling.” And then I did. Oh God, I came like never before even though I dared not move. Scarlett licked me clean then kissed my cheek and snuggled up against my right side. Miraculously, I fell asleep almost immediately.

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