Ann: A Love Story Ch. 78

Ann dropped her fork on her plate when she heard me say that and I could tell I'd just hit on a new little fantasy that we'd probably be playing one day. For the moment, we let that subject drop just like that fork, mostly because the waitress showed up with our check.

A few minutes later, we were riding up the elevator, my arms around Ann holding her close to my beating chest. She had her head against me, her eyes closed as she slowly breathed in and out.

We walked down the long hallway, my right arm around her shoulder, her left arm around my waist. Ann yawned and as one would expect, I quickly followed. We were both tired and it showed as we sort of lumbered our way to the door of my room...well, our room, at least for the rest of the week.

I placed the key into the door, and opened it, not bothering to turn on the light. But I knew right away that things in the room were different than when I left. That wasn't just because housekeeping had come into the room to make the beds and clean. As Ann and I moved from the little hallway into the bedroom, I noticed our large toy chest at the foot of the bed closest to us. It was hard not to notice it, since it was so big and ornate, the big brass lock drawing even more attention to it.

Stopping in my tracks, I looked at Ann, who said, "I thought it would be nice if I brought our toy chest, in case you wanted to play this week."

"But how did you get it up here?" I asked.

"We can talk about that later, baby. I really need some sleep, and I can tell you do too."

And she was right. I was tired. So tired, that the thought of opening the chest to get out some toys to play with wasn't as appealing at the moment as spooning with my naked fiancée. I longed to lie beside Ann, her body nestled up against mine, clutching her to me as we fell asleep together. That seemed to be what she had in mind as well.

Ann wasted no time, starting to undress as she looked at the beds. "Which one is the sex bed?" she said with a little wink.

Pointing at the one with the trunk guarding it, I said, 'That one," as I took off my shirt.

"Mmm...just so you know baby...that bed is going to get a lot of action this week. But right now I want to use that one," she said as she pointed to the bed nearest the window.

I finishes undressing and moved to turn down the bed. When I looked back at Ann, she was just standing upright, having peeled her tight jeans from her long sexy legs. Watching her naked body as she stepped out of her Levi's, my mouth fell open.

"What?" she said as she looked down at herself, sort of self-conscious from the way I was staring at her with my mouth agape.

I laughed and said, "Nothing babe. You're just a pleasant sight for my tired eyes, that's all."

Ann ran her hand across her abdomen, brushing her smooth, silky skin several times. "Good...I was beginning to think I had something on me."

I picked her up, cradling her in my arms as I literally swept her off her feet. She let out a little squeal as I threw her onto the bed and climbed in with her. "You don't have anything on you right now, babe. But you might later today...all depends on where you feel like letting me cum."

"Mmm...that sounds naughty. I may have to go to sleep as Ann, and wake up as Anna."

"You're already Anna," I said as I drew her to me and kissed her. Then I rolled her over and pressed up against her, adjusting our bodies to spoon.

"I love you, Neil," Ann said, interlacing her fingers with mine as they gently played with the little strip of golden hair above her pussy. The very same hair that just the night before was the most amazing shade of red, matching perfectly with the wig she had been wearing. At some point after I'd left the room, Ann had dyed her landing strip, going back to the blonde I'd become accustomed to.

"I love you too, babe," I said, closing my eyes so I could go to sleep dreaming of the sexy woman in my arms...the one who went to such amazing lengths to make my life so perfect.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Ann was bouncing up and down in the passenger seat of my car like a little girl going to her first teen idol concert.

"Are you REALLY taking me shopping?" she asked for the fifth time.

"Yes...I'm taking you shopping. Why is that so hard to believe?"

"I don't know. Probably because I've never had a boyfriend take me shopping before on his own. I always had to drag them along."

"Well, see, there's the reason you don't believe me."

"Why's that?"

"Because...I'm not your boyfriend, Anna. I'm your fiancé."

"God, I love you SO much!" Ann said with a girlish giggle.

We'd woken up about five hours after going to bed, having taken the ultimate power nap. But instead of just fucking each other silly right away, I told Ann I wanted to take her out while it was still light outside. So, we took each took showers and got dressed so I could take her out to see some sights around town.

I drove Ann to an outlet center that Tina had scoped out during our 'mission'. It was housed in a huge four-story factory in the middle an old industrial center that had been converted into a trendy shopping district, just off one of the main streets running through the downtown area. There were all kinds of name brand outlets intermingled with stylish accessories stores and clever craft shops. There was also a dozen or so little eateries and specialty food shops scattered about the place.

Tina had discovered the place when Ann asked her to scout out the town, wanting her to find out what the area had to offer so Ann wouldn't feel like she was walking in blind. It was hard enough for Ann to move from a place she loved so much back to Indiana. But she at least knew Indiana, having lived there before. Moving to a place she'd never been to would be asking a lot. The information that Tina had gathered helped Ann make a more educated decision.

It also helped that Tina loved the town herself. In a way, that helped sell Ann on it, because she trusted Tina. Not that Ann didn't trust me...but Tina could give her a woman's perspective, which was something that I knew she needed. Tina did that, and more.

Ann had also talked extensively to Carol, getting more feedback as well as personal details that Tina didn't have. Carol had lived in the area her whole life and she gave Ann the real scoop on the town and the surrounding area, both good and bad. All of that made Ann feel more comfortable. As we drove through the streets lined with huge trees and old, stately homes, Ann was looking around, taking it all in.

"It's so beautiful here," she said as we passed a huge city park, the deep green grass perfectly manicured.

"Yeah...the scenery is pretty spectacular. Fall is so amazing with the leaves changing colors."

"I know...I LOVE the mountains, Neil. They're so different than the ones in California."

"I really hope you're going to like it here, Ann. I want you to feel comfortable."

"I'm going to love it here...because YOU'RE here."

"You say that now...but it's still going to be our home, and I want you to be happy."

"I AM happy, Neil. And I'm going to be happy because of how you treat me. You're taking me shopping now and I didn't have to ask you. Trust me...I'm going to do everything I can to make you happy because of how wonderful you are to me."

I hoped, and actually prayed, that what Ann said would be true. I wanted her to be happy and I hated the thought that I might bring her somewhere she'd end up being miserable. I doubted that could happen, because of Ann's personality and the way she lived life. She seemed to bring happiness with her wherever she went. But if there were any possibility that she'd end up hating where we were going to live, for whatever reason, I'd be looking for a new job somewhere else. I wouldn't be able to live with knowing Ann was unhappy.

Yet Ann seemed find every street we drove down more charming than the last. And when we pulled into the parking lot of the outlet center, she was practically giddy.

"OH MY GOD...this place is soooo COOL!" she said as she saw the building.

"Yeah...they really did an amazing job of remodeling it," I said as I pulled into a spot and parked the car.

When I opened the door for her, she said, "Is this where Tina got her shoes?"

She was referring to the hot stilettos Tina purchased to go along with the red dress that Ann had found for her. "Yeah...I think so. There are more stores across the street and another outlet center near the hotel, but I think she said she got them here...why?"

"Just wondering. I'm just excited...she said there are a lot of great stores in here."

"Well, let's go see for ourselves," I said as I held out my arm for her.

Ann and I walked in the main entrance and started making our way around the wooden floors of the first level, marveling at how open and clean the place looked. The outside of the building seemed to be all windows which let in the natural light, making the place sort of sparkle. The hallways lined the windows with the stores on the interior. Ann put her head on my shoulder, holding my arm as we walked.

"Neil...can I ask you a question?" Ann asked after we'd walked up to the second floor so we could browse around some more stores.

"Sure, babe...what is it?"

"Did you really mean to bring me shopping?"

"We're here, aren't we?"

"Yeah...but we could be back at the hotel right now...you know. And..."

"Ann...it's not like I don't want to make love to you, if that's you mean. I just wanted to show you some of the town."

"I know...but we've been apart for three weeks, and I kind of thought..."

"I'm sorry, Ann. I just figured after last night..."

"I wasn't with you last night, Neil. Barbara was," she said with a little wink.

A sly grin flashed across my face when I realized what she was getting at. "Aw...babe, I'm so sorry. You're right...that was so selfish of me."

Ann snickered for a second and said, "It's okay. I just wanted to make sure you really wanted to bring me shopping...I'm not used to the idea of that yet."

"Well, you should get used to it. You ought to know by now that I'm not like the other guys you've been with."

Ann got on her toes and kissed me on the cheek. "I know baby. I know."

We covered the rest of the second floor then went up a flight of stairs to yet another level, going from store to store to see what they had in the outlet center. Ann seemed to be looking for some store in particular. I assumed it was the shoe store where Tina had bought her fuck me pumps, but there were a lot of shoe stores, and we'd yet to really walk into one.

Going up one last flight, we strolled along the halls of the top floor and I could sense Ann was a little frustrated, but she didn't say anything. In fact, she was still beaming and bubbly. Still, there was an underlying vibe I was getting that told me she was just a little pent up. The way she was clinging to me, kind of humming happily, made me think that maybe I was probably wrong.

We took the elevator to the main floor and to my surprise, we were still empty-handed. Ann hadn't seemed all that interested in shopping. We'd only gone in to about a dozen stores. She was just looking and I couldn't figure out what she was looking for. At one point, I thought maybe I should just take her back to the hotel and do what she'd suggested. The thought of making love certainly wasn't a bad one and the more it crept into my mind, the more I wanted to.

When Ann said she was hungry, I realized I was too and that thought suddenly took precedence over sex. We stepped off the elevator and walked around the bottom floor, looking for a place to eat, finally finding one in the center of the building. It seemed to be an incredible deli, so we went in.

Just inside the door was a little brochure display where Ann found a map of the outlet center, listing all its stores. She flashed a quick, happy grin as she glanced at it before folding it and putting it in the back pocket of her jeans. Five minutes after placing our order, we sat down, each of us with a custom-made sandwich and organic chips.

"This is delicious," Ann said, taking another bite of her turkey club sandwich.

I swallowed a bite of my Philly cheese steak and said, "So is this. Here...try some."

Ann moved back a second and said, "Are you serious?"

"Sure...why?"

"I don't know...some people freak out about sharing food like that."

"Do you?"

"Well...no. But I don't remember ever having someone offer..."

"Again, babe...I'm not like most guys. Besides, I plan on kissing that pretty little mouth of yours several times a day, EVERY day, for the rest of my life. I don't care about your germs, lover. I only care about you."

With that, I put my sandwich in front of Ann's grinning face so she could take a big bite. She chewed it, moaning, then happily offered me a bite of her sandwich and we shared a little laugh.

If it was possible, Ann's mood got even better. She was practically beaming as she sat across from me at the little table. She pulled out the brochure she'd gotten when we walked in and was looking it over.

"Oh my God...there's another whole building," she said with a gasp.

"I told you that when we got here, Ann. It's across the street,"

"Ohhhhh," she said as she folded the paper again and stuffed it back into her pocket.

"Did you find what you were looking for?" I laughed.

"No...but I will. Can...can I ask you another question?" she asked, almost nervously.

"Sure Ann...you don't have to ask permission. It's me."

"How...how much can I...spend?"

"What?"

"Today...how much can I, you know...what's our budget today?"

A little stunned by the question, I wondered, "How much do you want to spend?"

"I don't have any idea...I just want to know what the limit is so I don't put us..."

"Ann...we don't even have a house yet. Or any bills to speak of. We don't have a budget. I know we will, but as long as we don't go crazy, buy what you want."

"I love you for saying that, but do you have a number in mind?"

Standing, I took the tray and dumped the garbage before returning to help Ann from her chair. Taking her into my arms, I gave her a long, soulful kiss right there in the middle of the deli.

I looked deep into the big brown eyes Ann was batting at me when we broke off the kiss, and I said, "Babe...I just spent a thousand dollars last night on a hooker. I'm pretty sure the sky's the limit for you after I did that."

"Don't call her that, Neil! Barbara is an escort," Ann said, giving me a playful slug on the arm. "And you really don't mean that I can spend anything I want. So tell me the truth...how much?"

I felt the mood shifting significantly, the sexual tension starting to rise like I knew it would at some point. I could see it in her eyes and the way she was moving her body against me. She had that naughty look on her face that always gave me an instant hard-on, the huge bulge I was suddenly sporting in my jeans being Exhibit A. With Ann feeling naughty, that changed what I called her.

"Anna...I just said I spent a thousand dollars on Barbara. How can I say you can spend any less than I did?"

Ann's reaction to me calling her Anna was quick, but noticeable. It was like I'd just raised the stakes, yet she was still going to play out the hand. "You're telling me you're going to let me spend a thousand dollars on whatever I want today?"

I shrugged and said, "It's your money too. If you want to spend that much, I'm not going to argue. Trust me...I know I got my money's worth last night," I winked.

She literally shivered as my words hit her. I'd meant what I said. If Ann wanted to continue to pretend that she'd been Barbara the night before, and that Barbara was supposed to be a real person, I wanted Ann to know that Barbara had done her job, and done it very well. And...what Barbara had done to me, and for me, had been worth every penny.

I knew that Ann had a thousand dollars in cash on her...or at least, she had it the night before. I'd given her five hundred-dollar bills and she'd placed those inside five others, which were supposed to represent the down payment that Heather had to pay Barbara just to set up the night. So, I gave her the money, telling her that I wanted more than just her company at dinner. And 'Barbara' hadn't disappointed me. She'd told me she was a professional, and that she was good at her job. Although I didn't have any other experience being with an escort...or any other type of call girl for that matter, I knew enough about sex to know that I'd indeed gotten a bargain.

I told Ann that with my eyes as she held my hand. And that made her eyes sparkle like diamonds in a spotlight.

"Soooo...you're really telling me that I can spend a grand today?"

I didn't want to ruin the fantasy...the notion that Barbara was real. However, I also wanted Ann to know that I knew what SHE had done as Barbara. I guess, in a way, I was speaking to Ann and Barbara at the same time when I said, "We both work, Anna. Well...you were working, and until you get out here, I'm sure you'll find a way to make a little money on the side. The bottom line is, it's our money...and if you want to spend a thousand dollars, it's okay, because I know you EARNED it."

I squeezed Ann's hands when I told her she'd earned it, wanting her to feel the words as both Ann and Barbara. She immediately got what I'd said, and what I'd meant. I supposed I could have been surprised that she had, but I wasn't. Frankly, I expected her to...just another instance of connecting with Ann on a level far beyond that of any woman I'd ever been with. I'd have been more surprised if she DIDN'T pick up on what I meant.

Ann's eyes lit up and she pulled the little brochure from her back pocket as we walked hand in hand out of the deli. Then she reached into the front pocket of those tight jeans retrieving something else. Flashing me the big wad of cash from the night before, she said, "Let's go shopping baby. I want to spend some of my hard earned money."

~*~*~*~*~*~

I was standing on the sidewalk next to the building we'd just been in, staring across the street at the other outlet center that was part of the complex. Ann was staring at the map in her hand, reading the list of the different stores that were in the outlet center. And she was getting increasingly frustrated.

"It's not here," an exasperated Ann finally grumbled

"What's not here?"

"It's a store Tina told me about. It must be at that other outlet center near the hotel."

"What's the name of the place?" I asked, looking over Ann's shoulder and reading the list.

"I think she said it's called Henrietta's House. But I can't find it on this damn pamphlet anywhere."

"I think that's it right over there, babe," I said as I pointed past Ann to her right.

Ann looked up and then she turned to me. "Tina said it was a part of the outlets."

"Maybe she just meant it was next to it," I said, shrugging my shoulders.

Ann took my hand, leading me across the street, suddenly upbeat again. "Come on, baby. I think you're going to like this place."

Henrietta's House was just that...a house. It was one of several very old houses that had each been converted into some kind of specialty store on the north side of the street. They were in what was now a prime real estate position, right across from one of the big parking lots of the main outlet center and literally next door to the smaller one. Henrietta's was in the middle, between a flower/card shop and a homemade candy store.

The house was a small white two-story with yellow trim on the huge front porch. It was just a guess, but based on the history of the town, I figured it easily was over a hundred years old. The small, tasteful sign next to the sidewalk announced it, but that was pretty much it from the outside, at least until you walked up the five wooden stairs to the narrow porch. It was only then that I could peer through the front windows, and I smiled at what I saw inside.