The Courtship of Maria Theresa

It was a world of change. The old rules were being broken every day. There was a time when your husband died and your life was over. The only thing you were good for was cooking, cleaning and watching the grandchildren when they arrived.

Maria Theresa was forty-two years old the year Nick died. He pushed a young man out of the way of a falling pallet of boxes on the loading dock, and it hit him instead. He was an instant hero and she was alone.

Maria Theresa’s problem was she didn’t feel old. Didn’t think she was a used up old widow good only for babysitting grandchildren. Night was especially hard on her, that's when she cried for her Nick. The pleasures the night had always brought them. No matter what the day, how they fought, night was time for making up and for love. Often times with tears silently falling down her cheeks, she would touch herself as Nick had touched her. Remembering his hands, his sweet mouth touching her, she would dream and sweet release would come only then could she sleep. The light of day always dawned and she always felt cheated. The dreams were never the same as a warm loving man in your bed.

The children were almost grown. Two were already on their own, one soon to follow, three huge hulking sons. They tried to be gentle and to take their papa’s place, but it was impossible. She had lots of family, lots of friends but when it got dark, the lights went out, and it was time for bed, she was alone.

She wore black and cried for over a year, and for all that time Anthony Casanova watched and waited. He loved Maria Theresa, had since they were in grade school together, but Nick was the only man she had ever noticed.

Slowly he started talking to her, a hello with a smile here, a nice afternoon there. It made him feel good to see her smile back, and seem for just a few minutes to be happy. Valentines Day when she walked past his flower store, he happened to be out cleaning the sidewalk.

“Hey, Maria Theresa, come into the store for a minute.”

She did, and he gave her one perfect budding peach rose.

“I don’t want to presume, but a lovely lady like you should have a flower on such a day.”

He smiled as she blushed and took the flower with a nice “Thank you Anthony”

He kissed her cheek and told her it was a valentine’s tradition. He asked her, "You wouldn't want my business to go bad would you?' He laughed when he made her giggle. It was the most beautiful sound he had ever heard.

Anthony was a big man, over six-foot tall and heavy, a good Italian eater. He had dark hair and piercing eyes, he had never married but it wasn’t because the women didn’t swarm over him. All Anthony had ever wanted was Maria Theresa. Never married he yearned for a home and family. Maria Theresa was grateful for his flirting he made her feel like a woman again.

The week, after he gave her the flower, she went shopping for new clothes it was time to shed her black clothes. Maria bought many pretty things in colors from red to peach to lime green. She went to see Anthony wearing a peach dress with high-heeled sandals. She stopped in with a plant from her house, that was wilted and sad looking.

“Anthony” she called as the bell on his front door jingled.

He popped his head out and almost grinned with the pleasure of her visit.

“What can I do for you Maria Theresa, and let me tell you your enough to take a man’s breath away in that dress.”

She dimpled and blushed but swirled around to show him all of it. He found it delightful. She asked him about the plant. He promised to take it and see if he could rescue it for her, and then swallowed hard and said,

“Would you consider going out to dinner with me some night?”

She shook her head yes and then replied.

“Saturday night I have a wedding to attend would you like to go with me?”

He nodded almost speechless. “It would be an honor. Is that the DeAngelo wedding?” She said it was, and he said he was invited as well. He would pick her up at her house at six. She agreed and for the rest of the day, everyone who saw either one of them wondered why they were so happy.

Saturday night promptly at six o’clock Anthony rang the bell at Maria Theresa’s house. She let him in and he stopped and whistled. She was beautiful. She had been to the beauty parlor and her hair was up with curls all around her pixie like face. Because he was so tall, she had been able to go out and buy heels and so she was three inches taller than usual and her dress was a silken confection of faded red roses with a deep neckline that allowed him to feast his eyes on her luscious white breasts. Setting off her complexion and making it glow. She looked like a woman at least twenty years younger than her real age.

“You’re going to outshine the bride,” he whispered into her ear as he helped her on with her coat. Maria Theresa, who was very nervous about this dating thing, stood on tiptoe and softly kissed his mouth with a gentle “Thank You.” Before he would react she was jingling her keys and smiling on the front porch stoop.

They sat at a table with the three sons and their dates and every time he tried to take Maria Theresa to the dance floor one of the sons would say “Sorry, Mama promised this one to me. It wasn’t until the last dance when he waited outside the restrooms that he managed to get her in his arms.

While the sons glared at him from the table he carefully took her in his arms and drew her close. “Your certainly safe Maria Theresa those sons of yours would take me apart if I was the least bit fresh.”

She moved her arms around his neck and settled in closer, her head tucked nicely under his chin, she felt like they had danced together all their lives.

“Were you thinking of being fresh to me Anthony? I was thinking it would be nice to walk along the shoreline before you took me home. I think I have had a little to much champagne and need the air.”

He looked at her and smiled. “I would love to walk with you, and I have thought of you and being fresh with you ever since you were a very sweet and very beautiful sixteen year old.”

To everyone’s surprise even her own. She stopped dancing and stretching up kissed him on his mouth in the middle of the dance floor, in front of friends and family and they then walked off and out to the patio into the dark.

Once outside, he stopped just out of sight and pulled her to him taking her mouth gently as he bent his head to her, and then deepening and demanding her answer to his question. When her mouth opened and they played with each other’s tongues and for the first time tasted each other’s desire, he knew she was ready to move on with her life. He carefully cupped her right breast and gently thumbed her nipple. It hardened under his hand and he felt her heart accelerate against his chest.

He backed off and looked deep into her dark sparkling eyes.

“I feel like I am sixteen and out on my first date.” She nodded and whispered “me too, I never dated except Nick and I am a bigger novice than any young Italian girl.

He kissed her nose. “I want much more of you, beautiful lady, then is proper or then you are ready for so lets go back inside and get our things and go out for coffee. She agreed and as they stepped inside her sons were just on their way outside.

“Gentlemen, did you want something?” They stammered and stuttered “We thought, We mean, it seemed.” She laughed and it had the sound of fairies dancing under a midsummer’s night eve.

“I thought not. Now Anthony and I are going out for dessert and coffee and we do not need a chaperone. Take your lovely ladies who have been sadly neglected here tonight and make them happy.” They nodded their heads and scuffled away feeling six years old again. Once they were safely out of sight she hid her face in Anthony’s chest and laughed until she was almost too weak to stand.

So began the romance of the florist and the widow. He was constantly hot as he dreamed about undressing her slowly as he sucked, her luscious breasts and tasted her firm upright nipples for the first time. He wondered what it would be like to watch a child at her breast. He knew she was in her forties but older women were having babies every day. It was a dream; he could live without if he had to if she were in his life.

The next morning, he called early, after Mass they went out for breakfast and then took a boat he had rented out and spent the day on the ocean. It was lovely. They got tanned, laughed a little, swam a little, ate the picnic lunch they had brought with them and petted like teenagers just discovering sex.

He thought he would have a heart attack when his tongue reached out and licked her tasting her sweet juices for the first time. She went wild under his hands and mouth and he had to kiss her quiet when she came soaking the towel under her with her juices.

Smiling she sat up and pushed him over. “Now it’s my turn and before he could say anything he was buried deep inside her hot wet wonderful mouth. She slipped her hands under his ass, and did wonderfully strange things that made him shake from the tremors of passion he felt. She danced her fingers over his very sensitive asshole and made him groan aloud in pleasure. No woman had ever done that to him, and it set him off much too soon, filling her mouth with his cream.

Laughing after she cleaned him up and they were cuddling she giggled “Wow, we had better not go to confession together this week. Father Brian would have us figured out in no time flat.

They both laughed and Anthony told her about the time, he caught Father Brian and Father Frank in the gym locker room being very uncatholic. Shocked beyond her ability to talk she could only gesture. He nodded “Yep Father Brian was pushing his nose into Father Franks belly as he worked on his cock, and Father Frank was using his hands on Father Brian. I don’t even think they know I was there.

They looked at each other and started to laugh, and almost ended up crying before they got the giggles under control. Just the thought of those two opposite priests gobbling each other was enough to send them into hysterics. One short, fat, and so old he could hardly bend over and the other tall and skinny with acne flawed face and bad breath.

“Goes to show there is someone for everyone in the world and at her look of sadness he continued sometimes two.”

Maria Theresa cuddled closer and asked with a tremor in her voice, "You think Anthony? Is it possible to love again?”

He took her face and looked deep into her eyes. “It is when you believe and someone who loves you has waited all his life for his turn. Maria Theresa I would never push you into anything or want to scare you but someday you will marry me.”

She turned with wide teary eyes. “Marry me? You want to marry me?” He laughed “Always all my life. I also want to fuck you silly every night of your life. I want to have babies with you if we can. I want to raise your sons the rest of your life like they were my own, and did I mention fuck you the rest of my life.”

She giggled, “Yes that came up a few times. Oh! Anthony, it seems like a short time but I have known you all my life. I would love to marry you, and if we want babies, we need to get started.”

He kissed her hard and turning the boat on headed back to shore. Back inside his car they headed out the coastline to New Jersey and finally rented a motel room.

Once inside they were both shy and nervous. It was like being virgins and trying sex for the first time. He reached for her and gently pulled her T-shirt up over her head and reaching around took off her white cotton good girl bra. He kissed each nipple and said, "We are going to have to fix your taste in underwear a woman like you deserves lace and silk and gorgeous soft wonderful things close to her skin. “She smiled and thanked him but said “Those kinds of things aren’t practical and they are so expensive.

“Maria Theresa, you’re about to become my woman and practical has nothing to do with what happens to you. Practical is for children my love, who are just married with no money. You I can and will indulge.”

She reached and unbuttoned his shirt and softly kissed her way up from his belt and suckled his nipples until she felt him shivering under her hands.

“Anything you say Anthony now please finish undressing me.”

He did with tender delicate care. He kissed his way up her legs over her tummy and settled in caressing and nibbling on her beautiful nipples. As she responded to his attentions, he was fascinated to see and feel them enlarge and thicken and grow deep red in her passion.

She would never be able to hide her arousal from him if this was any sign. He delicately sniffed the air and the sweet scent of her arousal met his nostrils. He dipped his fingers down, scooped up some, and licked his fingers clean. She moaned for him and pushed him down her body.

“Oh Anthony make me come, I love the feel of your fingers and your tongue between my legs.”

He turned her so she could reach him, and proceeded to do as he had been asked. He knew when she quit sucking on him she was ready to fly and sticking two fingers into her deep he found and massaged her secret spot and she came flooding him with juice.

Turning her around with his hand still making light teasing circles on her clit, he found her wet and open center and gently pushed forward. She cried out his name as she circled his waist with her legs and whispered “Fuck me hard please.”

He did, speeding toward his own pleasure and when she came tightening down on his cock, he obliged her by spewing his juices deep inside her body. It was heaven, it was hell, he hoped it would never end. Anthony had this feeling it was the only time he would be like this with her, and wanted to enjoy all of it. He surprised himself when he wasn’t soft and continued to stroke her as she worked toward another climax. He surprised himself when he gave her just as much juice the second time. It wasn’t until they were resting together either thought of protection.

‘Oh Anthony, what if I get pregnant?” He laughed and said “We will shock all the neighbors and your family and mine and get married and raise one beloved baby.

“Would you marry me?” She asked. He shook his head yes and asked “today, tomorrow or any day there after.”

So it was that they came home and announced their engagement, fought with the families and a month later got married. Maria Theresa wasn’t pregnant from that day but God smiled on them and within two years she was and delivered a beautiful baby girl, who is the apple of her brother’s eyes.

They still don’t like Anthony much, but are getting used to him and his ways. The little girl was named Nicholette after their father that pleased many people. They are always welcome in their mother’s new home, and the youngest son still lives in their old house. The brothers visit regularly.

Anthony and Maria Theresa now close the Flower shop for long lunch hours and on Sunday and at forty-five it appears they may be adding to their family once again. Maria Theresa visits Nick twice a year at the cemetery and never tells him that as good as their life was, this time around with her Anthony it’s better in a different way. They are more settled, less jealous and they know enough to take time for one another.

Goes to show that sometimes the second time around can be as good if not better than young passionate love.

(c) 3-14-03