Every Time I Hear That Song

Again, she made sense.

"When did you get so smart?" I asked.

"When you left and ran away to the Marines." She said, a little bitterness in her voice.

The rest of the meal was a little subdued. When we were finishing up I said, "I'm sorry."

"You weren't thinking of me, nor should you have. I was 19, an adult, I should have been able to handle it. You obviously had a lot on your mind."

"I love you, Peanut." I said in a soft voice.

"I love you too. I just wish none of this would have ever happened." She said.

"I do too, but it has made me a better man. I have really found my place in this world because of this." I told her.

"So you don't think you'll ever reconcile with Maggie?"

"No, I think that ship has sailed." I said.

"You know she divorced Dillon." She said.

"Yeah, mom told me just after it happened." I said.

"Did she tell you why?" She asked.

"No, just said they got a divorce." I said.

"He cheated on her." She said.

I have to admit I smiled a little and said, "What goes around, comes around." Then I thought to myself, "What did she expect, he cheated with her knowing full well she was married and who she was married to. Marriage vows meant nothing to him, 'Once a cheater always a cheater'."

That was good information to know though. I wouldn't use it against her but at least she kinda knows what I felt.

We finished up and I paid the check. I brought her back to her office. She went into her office and as I was leaving Shelly said to me, "If you're staying in town tonight I'd love to show you around." I smiled and she gave me her number saying, "I hope to hear from you."

I went back to the 'vette'. I really did need to make the call. I called Maggie, after a few rings it went to voice mail. "She's probably at work." I thought to myself. I didn't leave a message. I couldn't, I didn't know what to say. I'll call her after 5:00. She should be out of work by then.

I called Kira's office. Shelly answered, I told her who I was and that I would love to be shown around. She squealed a little and asked me to pick her up at 6:00 giving me her address.

I drove around the city. I found a nice park off Route 66. "One day I'm going to drive Route 66 from beginning to end." I said to myself. I would definitely have to stop off in Winslow, Arizona.

I parked in the parking lot and walked down to the lake, across the boardwalk, and found a park bench to sit and think on.

After a while of disjointed thinking I said to myself. "You're a Raider. Think of this as a mission. What are the objectives, what are the best ways to accomplish that and try to think of any possible contingencies?"

So I formulated a plan, then plan B, C, and D, it all hinged on what was said and how Maggie reacted. Maybe she wouldn't want to talk to me at all.

I waited until 5:30 to call her. She answered tentatively, not recognizing the number. "Hello?"

I was speechless. It had been 6 years since I had heard her voice and at that time it was in the tone and volume of a heated argument.

"Hello?" She said again, annoyance becoming evident in her voice.

"Maggie" I whispered.

She gasped. "Kurt?" She said just as softly.

I found my voice and said, "Yeah it's me." Before I lost my nerve I blurted out. "Can we get together and talk?"

She responded somewhat sternly, "Yes if you're going to talk and not just yell at me."

"No, I think it's time to talk." I said.

"Sure, when and where?" She said mellowing a little.

"Can I take you to lunch tomorrow? You name the time and place." I said.

"Well, it's Saturday and the bank closes at 12:00 so why don't you pick me up about 12:15 and we'll decide where to go from there." She suggested.

"Roger." I said in my habitual Marine mission response voice. "I mean, sure that sounds good."

"Okay, see you then." She said in a voice still tentative but with a lighter tone to it.

"See you then." I said, my heart pounding as I hung up.

"That went okay." I said to myself. "The first step in a journey is sometimes the hardest to take." This was going to be a journey. I just hoped it didn't end in Hell like the last time we were together.

At 5:55 I was knocking on Shelly's door. She opened it and said, "Hi! I'm glad you're here. Let me grab my purse and we can hit the town." We drove around for a while, she really liked the Corvette. She pointed out some of the historic and interesting aspects of the city.

About 7:00 she asked, "What type of food do you like?"

"I can eat anything, and probably have." I said.

She looked at me quizzically, "Huh?"

"I've been all over the world, eaten most every kind of cuisine you could think of and some you've never heard of."

She smiled, "Well how about some good old American Southern Fried Chicken."

"That sounds great! It's been a while."

She took me to Ann's Chicken Fry House. I really enjoyed both the food and the company. She told me about herself and then she asked me about myself.

"Kira said you were married once but she didn't go into any details." She said.

So I told her all of my travails, she was a good listener and I guess I needed that, especially to help focus for my meeting with Maggie tomorrow.

"Well, the best revenge would be a life well lived. It sounds like you're doing that in the Marines."

"Yes I am, I really like what I do, and I'm good at it." I said and then talked for about a half hour about my experiences in the Marines.

When I realized I was talking too long I looked at my watch and noticed it was almost 9:00. "Wow, I'm sorry, it's already almost 9:00. Did you want to do anything else tonight?"

"Sure, let's hit a bar I know that has a dance floor. You do dance don't you?" She asked.

"I don't know if you'd call it dancing but I can move to the music." I joked.

We hit the bar and I enjoyed the energy of the music, but really enjoyed the slow songs best. I got to press my body against hers. It felt good to have this woman's arms around me.

At about 10:30 she said. "Let's get out of here, I've got one more thing to show you." We left the bar and she directed me back to her apartment. When we got to her apartment she opened the door and stepped inside. I was still in the doorway when she turned around and put her arms around my neck, pulled my face down to her and gave me a deep kiss. "I said I wanted to show you one more thing. That thing is me. Kurt, I have liked spending tonight with you and hope you feel the same. If you like we can spend the rest of the night together. If you agree, step in to my apartment, if not I'll say goodbye here at the door.

I didn't answer her other than to lean down, pick her up and carry her into the apartment and into the bedroom. It was a little awkward at first, as most of these encounters start out to be, but we soon were intertwined, naked on her bed.

I started kissing her lips, worked my way to her earlobes and lightly sucked them. I worked my way down her neck teasing the soft flesh with my tongue and nibbling very gently. She giggled as I tickled her neck. I worked my way down to her breasts. I held them as I sucked first on one nipple then the other. They became rock hard as I lightly blew on them and flicked them with my tongue.

She pushed away and ran her hands down my abs toward my groin. Her hands found my shaft, hard as steel. She stroked it with one hand as she softly touched my balls with the other. Then she put her mouth to my swollen head and twirled her tongue around the tip. I have to admit I was about to explode. It had been too long since I had felt a woman's touch. I stopped her and turned her on her side, lying next to her with my face looking at her womanhood while she resumed her ministrations on my manhood. I smelled her aroma and dove in to taste her. I nibbled her lips, kissed her thighs, parted her lips with my tongue, exploring the wetness there.

When I started concentrating on her clit she moaned with her lips around my shaft. It felt so good, the vibrations traveling to my balls. Now I moaned, this driving her wild, she started pumping her mouth up and down my cock. I was going to explode. I concentrated on her pleasure point, flicking it, sucking it, caressing it with my tongue. My breath was coming quicker now, it was hot on her wetness. She was going wild on my cock, like a ravenous animal, she couldn't get enough. I pulled my face away and said, "I'm almost there." She didn't skip a beat, in fact she went faster and deeper, moaning more loudly.

I dove back in, intent on returning the pleasure before it was too late. I couldn't hold out any longer. I came, hard. As I did it caused her to cum. She swallowed all I had to give as she shook from her own orgasm. I continued to pleasure her, intent on giving her multiple orgasms in payment for the explosion she gave me. She writhed in pleasure letting my cock fall out of her mouth. She had multiple orgasms as I continued to work on her. After her body bucked in a very powerful orgasm she said, "No more, I can't take it."

We both lay heaving on the bed from the excursion. It was a pleasurable release as our heartbeats slowly subsided.

"Oh my God!" she said, "I have never had an experience like that in my life."

"I couldn't stop," I said, "I had to give you as much pleasure as you gave me. I enjoyed how it felt when you moaned around my shaft."

"I was moaning in pleasure. What you were doing to me was driving me crazy." She said.

I was still semi-hard, probably from the pleasure I had given. It had made me excited to see if I could recreate her multiple orgasms with my cock as well. I stroked it only a few times before it was hard. I guess seeing a beautiful naked woman lying beside you can do that. I positioned myself between her legs and slid into her. She moaned softly, exhaling a sigh. I started slowly pumping her increasing my speed with every thrust. I would be able to last a lot longer now that my need had been sated. I pumped long deep strokes insuring my pelvic bone put pressure on her clitoris with every thrust. I started to feel her vagina squeezing me, trying to milk me into another orgasm. I kept pumping harder and deeper as her breathing started to become short grunts. I knew it would not be long.

On one of my particularly hard deep thrusts she exploded with another orgasm. She screamed in pleasure into her pillow, having the presence of mind to not want to wake the neighbors. I continued to pump through two more orgasms before we both finished with an intense release.

I fell to the bed exhausted. This was definitely a better workout than my daily routine at the gym. I think I will skip that tomorrow.

We woke to the sounds of birds singing in the trees outside her window. It was 8:00. I looked at her, she said, "Let's hit the shower, I'll lather you up." Wow, she was insatiable. I did need a shower so I did not protest. I was already hard with my morning wood so I bent her over and tried my best to push her through the shower wall. I was unsuccessful, but she enjoyed my effort none the less.

We dressed and I asked if she wanted to grab a bagel or something. She said, "Sure, but I've got a lot of errands to run today so we can't spend long, as much as I would love to.

"I have to be back in Ada by 11:30 so as long as I leave by 10:00 I should be fine."

We had an enjoyable breakfast. When we parted I kissed her and told her, "I'm glad I picked my sister up for lunch. I got to meet you and I've really enjoyed our time together. Thank you for the sightseeing tour. All the sights!" I said with a grin on my face.

We both laughed. She said, "I hope to see you again."

"Well, I'm only in town for about another week than it's back to the 'War on Terror'." I hoped she would not be disappointed if we did not get back together before I left.

It was 9:50 when I hopped into the 'vette' and started down the highway to my parent's house, a wide smile on my face.

I pulled into the driveway at about 11:30 and went inside. My dad had gone to the hardware store for something. Mom said, "I didn't know you were spending the night at Kira's."

"I decided to stay in Oklahoma City for the night." I said evasively.

I went down to the basement and got dressed for my meeting with Maggie. I decided to go casual; sandals, shorts, and a light shirt. It was Oklahoma in the summer after all.

I arrived at the bank where Maggie had worked since her senior year. She walked out into the parking lot at 12:15 and looked around. She looked at her phone, probably checking the time or to see if I had called to cancel. She didn't recognize the car, or the person sitting in the driver's seat. I had changed quite a bit since I had left. My hair was short, typical Jarhead style, I had always worn it a little long before I had gone into the Marines.

Opening my car door, I got out. She had turned to see who was getting out of the car. Her eyes went wide, then she slowly smiled.

"Hello Maggie" I said as she walked toward the Corvette, looking at it. "It's a rental." I said

"You sure have changed." She said.

"You have too, you're looking even better than I remember." I wasn't just blowing smoke, she did look good.

"Thanks, I can't believe how different you look." She said "You're not the skinny kid anymore."

"The Corps has been good to me." I said.

We tentatively hugged each other, neither of us were comfortable, that was obvious. "So where do you want to go for lunch?"

"Are you okay with Pigskins BBQ?" She suggested.

"Sure, I haven't had good BBQ since I left." I said, regretting saying it right away as I saw the reaction to that last bit of the statement.

"Okay then." She said kind of bluntly.

We drove to the restaurant in silence, each of us snatching quick glances at the other. We were seated immediately and the waitress came over to get our drink orders.

"Hi Maggie, how are you today?" She asked.

"Okay." Maggie said.

"What can I get you to drink?"

"Coke will be fine." Maggie replied.

Then she turned to me saying, "What can I get you?"

"Sweet tea" I said.

"Is there any other kind?" She said as she looked at me again. Then she said, "Kurt??"

"How are you doing Theresa." I asked.

She looked at Maggie then back at me. She must have stared for at least 30 seconds. I felt a little uncomfortable.

"Wow, I didn't recognize you. Wow, Kurt and Maggie sittin' together in a booth." She said a little louder than I thought was necessary. A number of the patrons had turned to look when Theresa, a fellow classmate, said that. "Let me get your drinks and I'll be right back." She said as she turned away.

"Maybe this wasn't a good idea." Maggie said.

"We had to do it sometime, we need to talk." I said, sounding more confident and in control than I really was.

She nodded.

Theresa came back with the drinks. "Wow Kurt, you've changed, you're buff!" She had always been kind of free with her comments, both good and bad.

I blushed and asked, "Can I just get a ½ rack of ribs?"

"Sure honey, what would you like Maggie?"

"Just a pulled pork sandwich platter, please." Maggie said.

"All right, I'll get them right up." She said and left, sensing a little tension between us.

We looked at each other as she left. I didn't know what to say, luckily Maggie did. "So tell me what you've been up to since you left." There it was again, the reminder that I took off.

So I told her about my signing up for the Marines, basic training (that was hell, I almost didn't make it), being stationed in Kuwait, then going through Raider special forces training courses. I told her of all the places I had been. I bet I spoke for a half an hour.

When I was done she looked at me and said, "Marine life agrees with you, I can tell you really love it. You have a passion in your voice when you talk about it."

"Yes I do, I took a bad situation and made it into a good one for me." Again I regretted saying it right after the words left my mouth.

We sat in silence for about a minute. "So I've been talking all this time, tell me what you've been up to." I said.

"Not much, I still work at the bank, I'm head teller now. They are wanting me to take courses to become a loan officer. Can you see me becoming a loan officer, writing loans for people buying houses, yet I still live in an apartment."

"You can do anything you set your mind to do. You just have to believe in yourself." I told her.

She looked at me and then broached the subject. "You know I married Dillon, right?"

"Yeah, my sister told me during a phone call about a month or so after our divorce."

"Yeah, well that was a mistake, I should have never done that. I was just so lost and alone and he was there being nice and supportive. I didn't love him though and he sensed it. I guess that's why he went looking for someone else to feel close to. We divorce about a year or so ago. I'm now twenty eight years old, a divorcee twice over with no kids."

She got really quiet. I didn't say a word. Then she said, "Could you take me back to my car now?"

"Sure." I paid the check and we left. Theresa had a sorrowful look on her face. I guess she could tell our moods and she knew the thought of us getting back together was probably not going to happen.

As we were driving back to the bank I said to her, "Maggie, my mom is having a bunch of people over tomorrow after church. I know Kira will be there and she'd like to see you again, will you come?"

"I'll think about it." She said as she got out of the car. Then she turned back to me and said, "You do look good Kurt."

"You do too Maggie."

When I got back to my parent's house I had 5 messages. Like I said, Theresa had always been free with her comments, she must have spread the word. I called them all back and we decided we would meet up at Crossbones Saloon at 8:30.

I asked my mom what I could do to get ready for tomorrow she said that I could run to the store and pick up a few things. I hopped into my car and went up to Abbott's Grocery and filled my mother's list. As I was checking out the owner came over and shook my hand. "Kurt, we really miss you around here, but thank you for your service to our country."

"I miss you too Mr. Abbott. I never got a chance to properly tell you goodbye and to say thank you for all the opportunities you gave me. I wish things could have been different."

"I understand Kurt, but you deserved all those opportunities. You were a hard worker, I'm sure you tackled the Marines with the same commitment and determination."

"Thank you sir, I appreciate that." I walked out thinking to myself, "I would be his store manager by now." He was a good man.

At Crossbones I waited for my friends to arrive. They all came in as a group. There must have been 20 of them. Theresa pointed me out, "There he is, that's him." Most of them couldn't believe it. We shot the shit for a while, had a couple beers, danced, and generally made stupid comments to each other. It was like old times.

The waitress was making frequent trips to our tables, probably more than she really had to. Then she brought me a beer and said, "This one's on me" as she set a new coaster down with her name and telephone number on it. She looked at me and gave me a wink.

She was at least 5 years younger than me, a couple of the guys hooted as I put the coaster in my shirt pocket. At around 11:30 I told the group that I had to leave. I gave the waitress a big tip with a bigger smile and headed for my parent's house.

Sunday morning at church the people welcomed me with handshakes and hugs. They all thanked me for my service. A number of them commented on my physical changes and how great I looked in my dress uniform ... most Marines do.

After church the people started showing up at my parents. The house and backyard were full. I made my rounds talking to relatives and old friends. I was out back on the deck when I noticed it got a little quieter. I looked around for the reason and saw Maggie walk through the sliders. My stomach tightened but I smiled and waved at her. The volume of the crowd went back up.