There Must Be a Mistake Ch. 07

With Gordon looking up at her, with those big dark eyes, she didn't have a prayer. Jennifer looked up at me, very unhappily. "I hate you."

I kissed her.

"I still hate you."

She made it through the tame rides easily. However, when she came off the children's roller coaster she was unsteady.

Gordon was screaming, "Can we do it again mom; please let's do it again."

I took pity on my fiancée and told Gordon we would take a little walk first. I thought Jennifer was going to kiss my feet.

We sat down by a play area for the little children, and watched him cavort with the other youngsters for about 15 minutes. When I called him back to us I told him we were going to continue looking for new rides instead of going back to the roller coaster. We found a train ride we could all fit on. Jennifer sat with Gordon. I sat alone in the seat behind them.

Jennifer looked tense. Gordon said, "It's a children's train ride; what could possibly scare you?"

When we got off a few moments later Jennifer was green. It was the train ride from hell. How they called this a children's ride was beyond me. It was a bumpy, 45-degree angle train ride that ran at speeds in excess of 20 miles per hour. It made sharp turns in dark tunnels, at unpredictable times. All the children got off the ride laughing and screaming for their parents to let them do it again. Gordon was no exception. I wanted the schematics for scientific purposes. I had to know the G forces involved in those turns. Jennifer was green. She needed a bathroom desperately. We went with Jennifer's needs first.

She was in there for quite a while, but when she exited the bathroom she looked a little better, not much; but better. She picked up Gordon. "I'm getting married tomorrow. I am not going on any more rides tonight. If I do they will have to take me to the church tomorrow in an ambulance. I will have to kill you because of it. I will miss you very much, but I want to get married. No more rides, okay?"

"Mommy it's 9:50, the park closes at 10 o'clock. That is ten minutes from now. There is no time to go on anymore rides."

"Are you sure you're not older than I am?"

"I'm positive."

"Come on you two it's time to go home."

******

Gordon fell asleep in his safety seat, before we made it to the highway. Jennifer and I held hands all the way to her home in Brighton. I parked the car in her driveway. I got out, went to her side, and helped her out of the car. As soon as I had her door closed, I forced her against the car, pressed our lips together, and forcefully pulled her body up against mine.

She hadn't been expecting anything like this. Her hands flapped around in the air, until they finally found their way around my neck.

I kissed her for a long time, before I let her come up for air. When her eyes re-focused on mine, I said, "Lady, tomorrow I am going to fuck you blind."

She held on to me as her body quaked. She pressed her head against my shoulder and bit it with her mouth. After a moment I felt the tension in her body leave, and her breathing returned to normal. I put her back on the ground, and let her try to stand on her own two feet.

She punched me in the chest. "God damn you Even, I just came."

I chuckled and put my head against hers. "Am I that good? Do you want to try it again?"

"Do you want to die on the driveway, with my grandmother looking through the window?"

"Should I wave to her?"

"If you want to get married with one arm, go ahead. Go home I have to get out of these wet panties. I will see you tomorrow at 4 PM. If you are late I will bury you alive."

"I wasn't late today. It was your grandmother's fault. By the way you owe the cookie jar another $10. That is a total of $60 in one day; I think that's a record."

"You owe the pretzel jar $10 also. You are a billionaire; be nice and pay my share."

"No one has ever accused me of being nice."

She walked towards her home, and her grandmother opened the front door for her. Jennifer turned and yelled, "LEARN TO BE NICE, QUICKLY!"

She kissed her grandmother as she walked in, but her grandmother stopped her.

"Did you steal that young man's virtue?"

"Grandmother, its high time somebody did, but I didn't."

"You smell like sex. Would you care to explain that to me?"

"No, not really; let's just say my soon-to-be husband has an excellent way of using and abusing the English language. He just abused my body with it."

Mrs. Stars laughed. "If he can do that to you with words, just imagine what he's going to do to you tomorrow with everything else."

"Grandma, you need a man."

"I'm too young for men my age."

*******

29. DO NOT DISTURB

I carried Gordon into the house when we got home. Getting up just after 6 A.M. and being active all day wiped him out. I could have shot cannons off in my room, and he would not have heard them. I took off his new clothes and hung them neatly in my closet. I put his PJs on, rested his head on a pillow, covered him with a blanket, and kissed him good night.

I went to my den and made a sign on poster board: "DO NOT DISTURB." I taped the sign to the outside of my bedroom door. I walked into my room, closed, and locked the door. I could see everyone thinking that Jennifer and I were consummating our marriage a little early.

I set my two alarm clocks, neither of which I could get to from my new bed. One was set for 12 PM, the other for 12: 05 PM. The first clock sounded like a car horn, the second like an oncoming freight train. If they didn't wake me up, Gordon would be all over me, because he would be frightened by the noise.

I didn't bother to shower. It would be the first thing I did when I woke up. The problem was I couldn't fall asleep. A certain young woman was not at home. She had every right to do what she felt comfortable doing. I had every right to worry about what she was doing.

At 17 years old, Rod was already sexually active for two years. He could talk a girl out of her panties before she realized they were in his hands. He went from skirt to skirt, just as Julius did, but he was a good man about it. Julius had a reputation, and for some reason girls couldn't stay away from him.

Rod may not have made love to his partners, but he was gentle and caring while he had sex with them. He had many repeat relationships.

Julius only knew one way to have sex hard and angry. When he fucked a girl, he fucked her as if he owned her body and soul. Many of his conquests loved it, and came back for more. Others felt degraded and never returned to him.

Rod started worrying about me being gay, because I never went after any member of the opposite sex. I assured him I wasn't, but I wasn't interested in sex either. I wanted to get into MIT and to do that I had to focus all my energies on my studies. It took me long enough to convince him, but I did. I'm sure he was responsible for more than 50 girls asking me for a date. I gently refused. I gave them the same reason I gave him. I told them I felt honored that they asked me, and let each one of them down politely. Unfortunately, for me, none of them seemed disappointed.

************

Just after 2 AM, I heard the pneumatic pumps kick in. She, no, they were home. ('Even relax or you going to have a heart attack. She is a big girl and she can defend herself. Let her grow up at her own pace, trust her. Divine, the sister you adored did a wonderful job helping her accomplish this task. Let your daughter prove it. Go to sleep; you have a big day today.')

I closed my eyes, and followed my own advice. My body was very happy I did, she was safe at home. That was all that mattered.

Delicious and Gray saw the sign on my door and laughed as they walked by. She stopped at the entranceway to her room, turned, and kissed him like a lover, not just a friend.

Gray returned her kiss with as much ardor as she put into it. His hands started to roam. She did not stop him when he went after her bottom, because it pressed her against his maleness. This excited her. However, when he went for her breasts, she protected them with her arms and said, 'No', I'm not ready for that yet.

Gray, to his credit, backed off immediately. "I am going to be with you for a very long time. I hope you feel about me, the way I feel about you. I want to continue going out with you. If you're not ready for a year, or two years, it's fine with me. Please remember, we going into stasis in 10 years, I would like to have children with you before then."

"Gray, you are my first boyfriend. I don't know how I feel about a long-term relationship yet. This is all new to me. Please don't push me, or rush me. Let me learn at my own pace."

"I promise I am not going to do to you what Rod did to Rosalynn. Please take all the time you want or need. I will be working on the spaceships frame for the next 10 years or longer. If you find you want me, I will always be around."

"When are we going out next?"

"Where would you like to go?

"I've always wanted to go flying."

"How did you know I was a pilot?"

"When you opened your wallet to pay for dinner tonight, your AOPA (Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association) card was visible."

"Don't take this the wrong way Delicious. Do you want to fool around in the air, what do you want to learn how to fly?"

"How much fooling around were you planning on doing?"

"When you're piloting an aircraft, you can't fool around."

"Is teaching me to fly like you see men teaching women how to play golf?"

"Unfortunately no; I can't put a nine iron in your hand, stand behind you, put my hips by your ass, my arm across your breasts, and on your downswing rub your pussy with my hand. If it was that easy, pilots would be lining up and paying 18 to 35-year-old women to learn how to fly."

"I'm not 18 yet."

"I know I would pay you double."

Delicious leaned forward and kissed him. It was not a friend kissing a friend. It was a promise of more to come.

"Good night Gray, I'll see you in the morning. Thank you for a very lovely evening."

Gray leaned forward and kissed her. "Thank you my sweet for a very delightful evening. I look forward to many, many, more of them, until you get sick of me, or until I am in the position your father finds himself this evening. Get some sleep you have to look gorgeous tomorrow afternoon."

He took a few backward steps, before he turned and walked towards his room.

Delicious knew she made the right decision, but it was a very hard decision for her to make. She wished she wasn't so wet down there, while they were talking. It made the decision to stop him so much harder. She had to talk to her dad...and to Roz. This freedom he gave me was going to be really hard to deal with. It was easier being held back. I had someone to blame for stunting my growth. Now it's only me out here, and the decisions I make have real and immediate consequences.

"Why did he have to break his word, and take her to bed tonight? He would have been married in 12 more hours. Dammit dad, I need to talk to you. I know what I'll do; I'll call you on your cell phone. If you are busy you won't answer it."

"I know its wrong dad. You must be letting her sleep; otherwise she will look like hell tomorrow afternoon. Here goes nothing."

My cell phone rang and I knew it had to be Jennifer. The bride always has jitters the night before she got married. She probably wants to yell or tear my head off for one reason or another. Imagine my surprise when I heard my daughter's voice on the other end.

"Dad, did I wake up Jennifer?"

"I don't know how you could do that, she's at her house with her grandmother, in Brighton. Why are you calling?"

"You sign, it says, "Do Not Disturb." I thought you and Jennifer got a head start on your wedding night."

"No, we didn't. I repeat, "Why are you calling?"

"Would it be okay with you if we talked for a while? I have a lot on my mind, and I need to talk to you. I need you to help me work on parts I can't figure out."

"I'll be in your room in a moment."

I put my new lounging jacket on, the one with the leather cuffs. I left my bedroom door open, just in case Gordon got up and walked to Delicious' room. I knocked twice, walked in, and found her fully dress lying on her bed.

I tried to lighten the mood in the room by saying, "I forgot my folio; I will be right back."

She cut me off at the knees. "Very funny dad; where is your giant cigar? Isn't that your 'Soprano' outfit?"

"Yes it is, tonight I am playing his therapist; what can I help you with little girl."

"Freedom is hard; I never thought it would be. I thought it would have a calming, relaxing feeling on me, but it doesn't. You have to watch everything you do, because suddenly everything you do has consequences. The responsibility is yours, not someone else's."

"Someone grew up in a hurry today. Did something happen you didn't want to happen?"

"No, my night was perfect, even though you tried to sneak out of the restaurant."

"We didn't want to interfere with your night. I told Gordon you wanted your privacy, and wanted to kill him when he waved to you."

"It didn't matter, it was over in a few seconds, and we were back to being by ourselves. Gray wants to make our arrangement exclusive. I told him I'm not ready for that type of arrangement. I told him he's my first boyfriend. I told him everything I felt, and that I needed time to grow. He said it was fine with him and he would be around for the next 10 years working on our project. If I decided I want him as much as he wants me, he would always be around. He is taking me flying next week, and I am looking forward to it. I like being with him. I'm afraid I will get carried away because of my feelings for him."

"I think you'd better explain that to me a little better."

"Please don't laugh at me, because when I'm with him, I get wet. Before the touching, and the kissing, while we're talking, I'm walking around flooded, and I don't know why."

"Yes you do. Be honest with yourself, you were out on your own with a handsome young man. You can do whatever you want. There is nothing stopping you anymore. You are trying out your wings for the first time. Many young birds don't fly the first time they leave the nest. They fall to the ground. Some of them are lucky. Their parents are around to save them. Others are not so lucky. They get injured. They become food for other animals, unless someone protects them. You are never going to be alone. I told you that the first week we were together. If you decided to leave the nest when you are 18 years old, I said there would be guards around you keeping you safe. The same is true now. I haven't abandoned you, I told you I trust you enough to go out on your own, and grow up a little at a time. You can't do that if I smother you every moment of the day. Your mother, my sister did a wonderful job helping you become a strong, independent young woman. I don't believe there is anything anyone could put in front of you that you cannot do. Experience it, enjoy it, put it on your things to do list, and do it before you're too old. Enjoy your life, don't rush through it. Don't let Gray make your decisions for you. If you decide he is the one you want to have as your first man, enjoy it. If you decide he's not, release him by telling him so. Be honest with him, and yourself. As far as your leaking problem is concerned, wear a pad, and take an extra one with you, just in case."

She leapt off the bed and into my arms. "You know for a new dad you are pretty good at this stuff."

"It's not that hard. I think of what I would normally have said in this situation. Then I reversed it, because you know what any man would do is going to be wrong. Therefore the new answer becomes the right answer. You tell it to the young woman. She tells you how smart you are. Then she tells all her woman friends how intuitive you are about a woman's feelings, and problems. If the man is single they come after you like a swarm of bees. He gets lucky more often than not. If he's married, his wife sees all these women coming after him. She decides that he has a better catch than she thought he was. She starts treating him better than she was before. It's just logic.

Delicious kissed me. "Dad you are so full of shit."

"I knew I could get you. That will be $10 please."

"You fed me that whole line of garbage at 3 o'clock in the morning just to get $10 out of me?"

"Yes, I told Gordon he would be the winner Wednesday night. I want that jar has full as possible."

"You are impossible dad. What time are you getting up?"

"We are getting up around noon."

"Three hours to get ready for your wedding. That is more than enough time. I will see you then. Good night dad, thank you for everything."

"My bill will be in the mail."

"So will my check."

30. I DON'T WANT TO FUCK THIS UP

I have two options; I can wake her up, or I can kill her. It's 9:30 AM, and my body clock informs me that I am awake. I don't wish to add money to my son's fortune, so I don't explain to my body clock exactly what I think of it, or tell it exactly where I want it to go. I look at that little bundle sleeping next to me, and I do not believe he moved all night. He looks so peaceful laying there. I use my cell phone and take several pictures of him.

It's much too early to start dressing for today's life altering event. I step into my new closet and dress casually. I go down to the kitchen only to find out I am not hungry. I decided to go for a walk to visit my sister. I don't want Gordon to wake up to an empty house, and start rummaging around for something to eat. I place a spoon, a bowl of cereal, a glass of milk, and orange juice on the table. I cover each of them in plastic wrap, and write my son a note:

Good morning my little man, I have gone for a walk to visit my sister's grave. It is 10 o'clock and I will be back in the house before 11 o'clock. Enjoy your breakfast. I have one word of warning for you. You are not allowed to play with Sequoia, unless an adult is with you. If you do, it will be considered a 'Bad Word.' You will not win the money in the pretzel jar. I love you, Dad.

I did not know which temptation would be greater for him. He loves playing with Sequoia, or at least that's what he thinks he's doing on IBM's marvelous machine. However, his eyes light up every time someone puts money into the pretzel jar. This was going to be a close call, but my money is on the pretzel jar. Today is Sunday, and as far as Gordon is concerned, in four days he would be richer than Croesus. He just might be after he starts investing in those penny stocks. I smiled inwardly and wagered that Grayson would purchase the same stocks Gordon would.

It is a warm, dry, perfect September morning as I walk towards Divine's resting place. Wildflowers had taken over the entire area, and it looks beautiful, just as my sister did. I knelt down and told her I know we have a daughter together. I am angry with her, because there was a way out of her problems. If she told me what was holding her to her marriage I could have bribed Julius, and had him out of life within hours, if not days. Our lives would have been so sweet together. I cried for the loss of the things that could have been.

Out of nowhere, a rain shower passed overhead. There wasn't a cloud in the sky, and it was raining heavily on me. Within moments I was soaked to the skin. Was my sister crying too? When it stopped I looked around and there was not a cloud in the sky, but I saw a rainbow. Divine really loved rainbows. When we were children she would stop to stare at them until they disappeared. She told me they were her good luck charm. If she was ever sad, they made her happy. If she was ever worried, her worries went away. She became a whole new person, and demanded me to be happy for her. Was she telling me to go on with my life and be happy for her? Was she was happy where she was? Was she in the stars awaiting my arrival? I promised her I would be there one day.