Elizabeth To Beth

Next, Beth asked What about the sex part?"

I paused a moment to think.... "Well, I'm sorry about the handcuffs.

I was way out of line and over reacted. You really caught me by surprise and I am funny about my wife's things." "I am sorry I slapped your... ah, bottom. But I have to tell you, Beth, as bottoms go yours is a perfect ten. I promise I won't hit you again if that's what you are worried about. Oral sex, I will leave that up to you. I won't demand it, and I will be happy to return the favor."

"I am a man, Beth and you are a woman...no, make that a beautiful woman."

"Men have urges...needs. I have not been with a woman since my wife died. I mean in the bedroom...I'm sure you know what I mean. I guess I just wasn't ready. Until you came along, I had not even thought about being with another woman. They just don't measure up to you.... well, maybe Margaret does. I have been thinking about you since I first saw you under the black walnut trees.

"Maybe I'm still not ready. I really don't know, Beth. When I was married this used to be our house, now it's just mine. "What I do know is that I caught you in my bedroom. With my wife's things and sleeping in our bed. That's the main thing in my mind. For the next few days, this house can be an "ours" home again."

"May I ask you a question, Beth? Why were you there? Can you answer that question?"

Beth remained silent.

Do we still have a deal, Beth? Perhaps you want out? Just say so. I was out of line and I really can't blame you. I apologize again for the handcuffs Beth. I'm really not into that M & M thing. And I know that is not an excuse. I really don't know what came over me. Yes I do know, I was angry, but I'm not angry now. You may leave right now, although I wish you wouldn't. My word is good. I'll keep my part of the deal and not think anything less of you. Do you mind that I call you Beth, Elizabeth?"

Elizabeth angrily relied. "Yes, damn it! And it is BDSM, Richard, not M & M." Beth then turned and went back into the house, slamming the screen door.

When the steaks were ready I brought them into the house and put them on the kitchen table. Beth had sliced the tomatoes and set out the potato salad. There was also homemade chocolate chip with walnut cookies; the black walnuts were from my trees. Beth must have baked them in her apartment earlier in the day. Bea and I used to look forward to them every fall, putting aside enough bushels to last until next season. We always gave Margaret and Linda half a bushel each. I lost all interest in that after Bea died, as with most things until Beth entered my life. There would never be another Beatrice. But the table was set for two people as it used to be, and Elizabeth was here with me. Most importantly Beth answered one of my questions. Elizabeth was sitting at the table, waiting.

"Elizabeth, the steaks are ready." "One of them is rare and the other medium rare. If they are not to your taste I will put one back on the grill for you."

"The medium rare is fine thank you. "Apology accepted."

We ate a quiet dinner and I noticed Beth studying me and not saying anything. I told her where everything was and again encouraged her to look around. I made us a pot of fresh ground coffee and made a big fuss over the cookies.

While Beth was doing the dishes and picking up the kitchen I went outside with my cell phone. I telephoned Linda. Linda was my wife's best friend and her hairdresser. Linda's ex- husband was a no good self-centered bastard.

He was doing time in Clinton for rear-ending a motorcycle at a stop sign killing the rider. He was drunk at the time of the accident. While in prison, he refused to give Linda a divorce. I made a phone call to Clinton Prison. I talked to a Sergeant I went to the academy with.

The next day Linda's husband was given an attitude adjustment. Afterwards he graciously agreed to the divorce, signing the papers and mailing them back immediately upon receiving them. He was told never to go near Linda again in his lifetime.

Linda vowed at the time to never to have anything to do with men again. However Linda's current boyfriend, Sam is a great guy and thinks the world of her. Her ex-husband ruined Linda's credit with his gambling and drinking and expensive toys. Fortunately for Linda, she had the foresight to secretly save money. It was in an account in Linda's maiden name that her then husband knew nothing about. Linda planned to open her own Beauty Shop someday.

I cosigned a loan for Linda to buy a building, becoming a silent partner. Linda used her savings to remodel. Linda now has 6 employees and paid off her loan early. Linda insisted that Beth would get all of her services pro bono. I made an appointment for Elizabeth on Saturday morning. The shop was closed two weeks for her employee's vacations, but Linda agreed to open up just for us.

I told Linda most of the story leaving out the sensitive parts. I explained ahead of time to exactly what I wanted done saying it would be a surprise for Elizabeth. Linda thought it would be fun.

Linda first met Elizabeth when she came over once a week to bring what Linda called "her leftovers". Actually Linda was cooking extra for me during the week and freezing mine. Linda wanted to make sure I ate at least one good meal each day.

Linda liked Elizabeth from the start and thought Beth could be good for me.

Linda would often tell me. "It is not good to live alone, Richard. Beatrice has been gone for almost 5 years now. You have to move on, Richard. Bea would have wanted that."

When I went back in the house Elizabeth was at the sink finishing the dishes. I walked up behind Beth and put my arms around her waist and rubbed her tummy. Then I finished helping Beth wipe them and put the away.

"It is my bedtime, Elizabeth. I am going upstairs to read awhile." Do what you normally do before bedtime. Eventually you will come upstairs. When you get there and if I am still awake I may want something."

I picked Beth up off of her feet and spun her around.

"Richard, what are you doing, put me down! Can't you at least wait until I get up there?"

"We need to get something straight about your bottom, Beth. I misspoke, it is a perfect ten thousand!"

I kissed Beth on the lips before I put her down and then I went upstairs.

In the morning I woke lying next to Elizabeth. My arm was around her waist and Beth was wearing a simple white silk nightgown. Beth was snuggled up close to me.

I went downstairs and made coffee and returned with two cups. I then woke Beth up handing her one. Elizabeth sat in the bed with her legs folded underneath her, sipping her coffee.

"I thought you said you wanted something when I got upstairs."

"I said that I might want something, Beth, and I got it. I woke up next to you didn't I? What could be better then that?"

I sat on the bed looking at Beth and wondering if she could swim. I would love to show Beth the small swimming hole I made for Bea in the creek. Elizabeth finished her coffee and as she got up, Beth touched my face. "I like you better without the mustache." Then, Beth went into the bathroom and closed the door.

"Elizabeth, honey, please don't use all the hot water." When it was my turn, I took the cold shower.

After my shower I found Elizabeth downstairs in the den. Beth was wearing her terry cloth robe and had a towel around her damp hair. Beth had my wedding picture in her hand.

Elizabeth turned to me and said. "You look so young in this picture, Richard. How old were you here when you were married?"

"I was eighteen and Bea was sixteen when we eloped. There wasn't anything that he could do about it as Bea was of legal age. I did ask Bea's father's permission to marry Bea in a their church. At that time, the man hated me. Bea's father told me that I would never amount to anything. Bea's father told me that he would never allow a longhaired, ponytail wearing godless heathen hippie to ever marry his daughter.

"You had a ponytail, you... Mr. Conservative, I don't believe it!" Beth said, rubbing my head.

"I have pictures and can prove it. I had to cut off my ponytail when I became a Correction Officer. You know the department has regulations for hair length for males, but not for women."

"You would look some much better if you grew it longer, Richard. Especially since you shaved off your mustache. Tell me more about the Bea's father."

"He laughed in my face, Beth. Then he pointed a 16 gauge double barrel shotgun at me and started counting to ten."

"What did you do then, Richard?"

Laughing, I replied. "I ran like hell, Elizabeth! We were married for 22 years when the cancer took her. "

"Is Bea short for Beatrice, Richard? "Yes, Beatrice Louise...my Bea."

"You have never told me anything like this before, Richard. Your Beatrice Louise was a very beautiful woman."

"You have never been my wife before, Elizabeth. And, well you know Beth... you are too.... beautiful and smart. Bea and I told each other everything. Beatrice was the only woman...Bea was, well...I mean the only woman I have ever known."

"Do you mean made love to, Richard?"

Yes...you have never told me anything either, Elizabeth.

"Did you have any other girlfriends, Richard?"

"Just Bea, I knew her since kindergarten."

"Did you have any boyfriends, Elizabeth?" Quite few actually, when I was in high school, but none serious, except for my last one, Sean O'Brien. I met Sean during my first semester in my Political Science Class at Notre Dame. We agreed about everything. I thought Sean was so sensitive, Richard, and a free spirit, joining all the environmental and worthy political causes on campus. There were no roots growing up under Sean's feet. And Sean was very wealthy; his family was old money. Sean took me to places I never could afford or even knew about. We went to the Bahamas on winter break for a week and had real French Champagne and Iranian Sevrvga Caviar every day there for breakfast. I was twitterpated with Sean.

"You mean twitterpated, like Bambi was, Elizabeth? I said, smiling. "I love that movie, Elizabeth. As a matter of fact, that was the first movie I ever saw in a theater. Margaret took me to see Bambi when I was eight."

"Why didn't you go with your mother, Richard? My mother took me to see my first movie when I was three.

"My mother left when I was four years old, Elizabeth. It was just Dad and I along with various housekeepers until I was five, old enough to start school. Not that Dad treated me badly, but for the most part as I got older he just ignored me. Dad was always working and his job required him to work late most nights. That is all he did because that is how he coped for Mom leaving us. Which pretty much left me to fend for myself. When I was 8 years old, I so wanted to see that movie, but I didn't have a ride in to town. I earned the money feeding Margaret's chickens, gathering eggs and cleaning out the coop. Margaret was first married then. She and her husband Dan just bought the house across the road from us. Margaret couldn't have children and she sort of unofficially adopted me.

"Margaret had chickens?"

"In those days Margaret did."

"Why didn't Margaret just treat you to the movie."

"Well, Margaret tried, but I wouldn't let her. I told Margaret a man has to stand on his own to feet and work for what he wants."

"You told Margaret that when you were 8 years old."

"Yes"

"Like you are doing now with your arms folded across your chest, Richard?" Beth said, touching my face a second time and smiling. "You smell nice, like Aqua Velva. Are you wearing cologne for me?"

"Ah...yes I suppose so Elizabeth. I answered putting my hands in my pockets, embarrassed and enjoying it.

"What ever happened to Sean, Elizabeth?"

"We were engaged to be married and Sean gave me a 3-carat diamond engagement ring. My parents threw us a lavish engagement party, more than they could afford. All my family and friends were there. I come from a very large family...............and Sean's mother interfered.

"It's not right, Beth. I get the picture, the bastard. It sounds like Sean didn't even have the sand to tell you himself."

"I never saw Sean again, Richard. His mother called my mother from Boston on the telephone to break off the engagement. Sean's mother, Mrs. O'Brien was brutal and right to the point. Mrs. O'Brien said no son of hers was ever going to marry a lower middle class polock and a Catholic to boot. My cousin Stanislaus didn't like Sean from the start, and tried to drive to Sean's parent's mansion in Boston. He said he was going to give Sean a piece of his mind, followed by a piece of his right fist and then his left fist, plus both feet. Fortunately for Sean, Stanislaus's 1965 Harley panhead broke down half way there and our father's were able to stop him in time. Stanislaus was more like a brother to me then a cousin; we are the same age. All my boyfriends from high school were afraid of him, and so they should have been. Stanislaus liked to fight and was good at it. He wouldn't back down to anybody and spent more time in detention then he did in class. God help any of them that didn't treat me with respect; they answered to him.

Would you like me to braid your hair for you, Elizabeth? We have an 11:00 AM appointment, but first I thought we might go out for breakfast."

"You know how to do that, braid a woman's hair?"

"Why wouldn't I, Elizabeth?"

"Never mind, Ricky." Beth said, smiling.

"You must have talked to Margaret, Elizabeth. Nobody else calls me that.

I surprised Beth by styling her long brown hair in a six-strand braid, showing off. "You look lovely with your hair that way, Elizabeth. Would you please go to your apartment and pick out a nice dress? I have plans for us afterwards"

Beth returned in a pale yellow summer dress with 3/4 length sleeves. It was light muslin cotton material and was soft as the petals of a daffodil and it came down to her knees. Beth was wearing sandals and her makeup was lightly applied and perfect.

Beth turned to model the dress for me, the soft light material moved like a pale yellow cloud with her as she turned.

"I wandered lonely as a cloud that floats on high o'er vales and hills, when all at once I saw a crowd, a host of golden daffodils beside the lake, beneath the trees, fluttering and dancing in the breeze; Continuous as the stars that shine and twinkle on the milky way...and there she was standing, my beautiful Beth in a yellow summer dress.

"William Wordsworth never said, " there she was standing, my beautiful Beth in a yellow summer dress". Beth said, smiling and obviously pleasantly surprised. The next line to the poem is; "they stretched in a never-ending line along the margin of a bay: ten thousand saw I at a glance, tossing their heads in a sprightly dance."

"You are right, Elizabeth, but I like my version better." And then I kissed her cheek, offering Beth my arm.

"Richard, what happened to your father? You never talk about him, is he deceased?"

"He packed up and left, no warning, no nothing. I was sixteen years old and was never much at home anyway. After school I worked any odd jobs that I could find. I was saving my money to marry Bea.

"I have no idea what happened to Dad, and have not heard from him since. As for my mother, I don't remember her at all. I loved my father, Elizabeth, and I am sure in his own way he loved me too. Dad taught me three important things. If you can't pay cash, don't buy it because you can't afford it. If the playing field isn't level, don't whine, do something about it. Never back down or be scared away if you are in the right or feel strongly about someone or something. I walked over to my desk and removed the watch from the stand under the glass dome and the yellowed page torn from a book folded underneath the wood base.

"Before he went, Dad left me my Great-Grandfather's 19-jewel Elgin pocket watch, and handed it to her. I also unfolded and let Beth read the poem from Edmund Vance Cooke (1866-1932) "How Did You Die"

We had breakfast together at a local restaurant, famous for their sourdough pancakes I sat next to Beth and stroked her braid telling her not to be nervous about her haircut. And Beth let me, sitting closer and opening up some more about her self.

I found out that Beth never dated much after Sean dumped her. As a matter of fact, I was the only man Beth had even spent the night with since college. Finally, in all the time that Beth was with Sean, and even after he gave her the engagement ring, Sean never once told Beth that he loved her.

After a wonderful breakfast we drove to Linda's to keep Beth's appointment. When we got there, Linda greeted us warmly, locking the door and closing the shades. "We are closed this week for vacations." Linda explained.

"I opened up especially for you, Elizabeth. I am glad that after all this time you decided to come to me for your hair. Richard told me that you wanted your hair cut a little shorter. But not too short, and made the appointment, Just leave it up to me dear."

Elizabeth looked at me and smiled sweetly. Beth then said. Yes, Ricky is so thoughtful."

Linda turned and gave me a look, and then smiled. Elizabeth then went to sit at the manicure station. Linda removed the remaining color, filed, and buffed Elizabeth's nails finishing with a coat of clear nail polish. When this was done, Linda had Elizabeth go to the chair at the cutting station.

"Did Richard braid your hair for you?"

"Yes, Ricky did a wonderful job. He is just full of surprises."

"I thought I recognized his work. Beatrice only came here for trims. When he retires, Richard is going to come and work for me. Right, Ricky?" Linda added teasing me. They both had a good laugh at my expense.

Just wait until I see Margaret, I thought to myself.

Linda took Beth's hair out of the six-strand and redid it in a simple three-strand braid. Linda then placed a second rubber band on Elizabeth's braid and handed me the scissors.

"Would you like to do the honors, Richard? Cut just above the second rubber band."

"Sure, thanks, Linda."

Leaning over I kissed Beth's cheek and whispered. "Remember, you agreed to this Elizabeth."

I will never forget the feel and sound of the scissors while I cut off Elizabeth's thick braid. Or the look on Beth's face when I held it in front of her like I just won a blue ribbon at the fair. Now it was Linda's turn to finish the final cut. Linda had Elizabeth get up and sit down at the shampoo station. Linda washed and conditioned Elizabeth's hair. Then they returned to the cutting station for a comb out.

Elizabeth's hair had gone from waist length to four inches below her shoulder blades. It looked thicker and fuller then ever.

"Elizabeth, I am going to cut off another inch to even up the bottom. I will cut it straight across like you had it, but will I layer the bottom slightly so it curls under naturally."

When Linda was done, Elizabeth's hair fell three inches past the bottom of her shoulders blades.

Linda took me to one side and said. "I have and idea and want to do something special for Elizabeth. I'm going to curl it first."

Linda combed a light setting lotion in Beth's hair and then rolled it up in, long, round curlers.

While Beth was under the dryer, Linda brought out homemade pound cake and coffee. Linda makes the best pound cake in the world, just as Beth makes the best cookies, and I told them so.

"Linda, you make the best pound cake in the world.... but Elizabeth makes the best walnut, chocolate chip cookies in the universe!"

Soon the timer on the dryer went off. Linda removed the curlers from Beth's hair and arranged the curls.

Long sausage curls now kissed Beth's shoulders and caressed her back, framing Beth's beautiful face. Pulling the curls away from Beth's face Linda pinned them up on the back of Beth's head. Linda fussed with Beth's curls until the curls fell just to the nape of her neck.