A Beautiful Wish Ch. 07

"Well...I...uh...," he stammered, "I've been eating better and I've been doing some laps in the pool on my lunch break."

"Oh, good for you. Well, we'll have to get you some new duds then. You look like a hobo in those things. Hell, they look like they are going to just slip right off you."

Dawn turned to Jessica and said softly, "That is all part of his plan."

Jessica stuck her fingers in her ears. "La la la, too much information!"

A few frozen waffles later and they were out the door. Jessica stopped George before he left the kitchen, "George, please don't forget that you're taking your sisters home after work. And I'm making dinner for everyone tonight, so don't make any plans."

As they walked to the car, Dawn asked, "George, have you ever wondered what your parents were like when they were your age?"

"How do you mean?" He asked as they climbed into his car.

"Well, they were both young and vigorous. And they lived together for a number of years before they had you."

George had never heard much about that time in their lives. To him, his mother was always just a mother. She was a very cool mother, but a mother nonetheless. He had heard much about his father's adventures in college. But beyond the fact that they had conceived George, not many other details had been given about their love life.

"I only know what I saw. They hung out together a lot. They didn't like to go out separately. They rarely fought, and when they did it was never about anything serious. They just seemed happy together."

"Does that not remind you of anybody? I believe much of your expectations about relationships came from what you observed as a child. You watched them kiss and hug and show affection for each other. But, did you ever wonder what they did when you were not looking?"

"Isn't that like, against the law, or something?"

She gave him an amused smile, and said, "They did what we do, your mother loved your father like I love you."

George sat in silence for a moment. It had been so long since he had seen his parents in love, he had almost forgotten. But they had been, desperately so, and it made him feel really good to remember that.

"Thanks, Dawn," he said finally, "I needed that."

"My pleasure, George," she said quietly.

He started the car, but before he put it in gear, he paused. He was feeling something so powerful that he had to address it. Without thinking, he reached across the seat and hugged Dawn tightly. Her closeness let him remember a time when things might not have been perfect, but they were good. He hoped he could make the feeling last.

She whispered, "You will never have to wish it, but you will be loved like you remember. I promise."

George didn't reply, but he knew.

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"Fuck this place! And fuck you, Chip!"

A middle-aged woman that George recognized as the head counselor for his sister Corina's group stormed out of Chip's office and almost slammed into him as she huffed down the all. George and Dawn watched her leave, confused and stunned.

"Don't worry about it honey," came a woman's voice from inside the office, "you made the right call."

"I know," said Chip in a tired voice. "Let's just try and figure out what we are going to do about group A."

"I can fill in until you can hire someone else," she added quickly.

"Absolutely not. You know what the doctors said. I can't have you walking around the campus all day long. And chasing around children no less." Chip sounded much more stern than usual.

George turned to Dawn and whispered, "Wish me luck."

She gave him a quick peck on his lips and straightened his hair. "Good luck, and thank you, George."

George knocked on the open door frame and entered.

"Oh, hey there George," said Chip. He was sitting down behind an old teacher's desk which was covered with paperwork. Several filing cabinets seemed to be exploding with documents. His office wasn't small, but next to Chip's girth, it felt like a closet.

Chip was a corpulent man, easily approaching four-hundred pounds, though he was known as being a thoughtful and dedicated, if a little quirky, college professor. He had rosy cheeks and a bouncy walk, though today he looked tired and somber, like he needed one more weekend.

"I'm surprised to see you here so early, especially considering how often you've been late, recently," he said as if he was expecting George to apologize. He had a reputation for being fatherly to the staff, but this was the first time he had done so to George.

"Uh, yeah, sorry about that. But I got a new alarm clock that works like a charm, so I won't have any more problems"

Dawn's voice floated into his head, "I know how I'm waking you up tomorrow."

"Shh," he replied.

"Glad to hear it, glad to hear it. So, what do you need, son?"

"Well, actually, I need a favor..."

Chip forced a laugh, "Sorry George, but I think I might be short on favors today."

"Honey, at least listen to him." Chip's wife Anne sat on a stool in the corner with a pile of papers of her own. She may have once been pretty, but her cancer was common knowledge among the staff. It was in remission as far as George knew, but the ravages of chemotherapy had taken their toll. She looked thin, pale, and weak. She always wore a ripped camp tee shirt around her head as a bandanna to cover her patchy hair.

"Actually," began George, "I think we can help each other."

Chip's office chair creaked loudly as he leaned back. "I'm listening."

"I saw Mrs. Jackson storm out of here. Did she quit?"

"Not quite," said Anne somberly.

"We let Mrs. Jackson go, can't really say why. You understand."

"Ok, well, you'll be needing a new counselor for group A right? I have an idea."

"You have someone in mind, then. Let me guess. Friend of yours, right?" He sat forward and frowned. "Listen, I want to help you, but I can't just hire anyone. We screen our employees extensively. You can't be too careful when you are putting children in someone else's hands."

"I know that, but if you'll just meet her..."

"I'll meet with her. But the process will take at least a week. You know how Gordon is, he reads the rule book more than a Catholic reads the Bible."

"Sorry Dawn, this isn't looking too good."

"It is alright. He has a valid point after all. I am not a known quantity like Karen is. This is good for her though, it puts her line for a promotion, does it not?"

"Yeah, but... oh Dawn, your a genius! I'm buying you a pizza."

"What is a pizza?"

"George?" interrupted Chip.

"Yes? Sorry..." he stammered.

"You kinda spaced out there for a second."

"Well, I was just thinking that if you promoted Karen to head counselor, you could hire my friend as a Jr. counselor without a problem right?"

Chip rubbed his large chin as he thought. "Hmm, they do leave the Jr. counselors up to me, and Karen is easily qualified."

"I brought her with me, in case you wanted to interview her."

Chip turned to his wife, "What do you know? George came prepared today." He reached into a desk drawer and pulled out a bundle of papers. "Let's do this quick, campers will get here soon."

George spun around excitedly and poked his head through the threshold so he could motion Dawn inside. As she entered, Chip took in a sharp breath. He stood up quickly, which made his chair slip out behind him and bang against the wall, and straightened his shirt that had bunched up around his mid-section.

He extended his hand quickly, "Hello, hello! Chip Reynolds. You are?"

"Dawn. Dawn Lovecraft."

"Pleasure," said chip as he took her hand. "Sit, sit, please."

Dawn sat across from Chip on an old footstool. Even in the uncomfortable chair, Dawn sat up straight and dignified, her legs crossed. From George's position in the doorway, he had a wonderful view of her long legs folded over themselves.

"I'll get right down to the nitty-gritty. Why do you want to work here?"

Dawn tilted her head as he she wondered out loud, "What a great question." After a moment to collect her answer, she said, "I believe this place would be a source of endless opportunity and experience for me. All the people and activities. The campus is so beautiful. George has told me so many wonderful stories about this place. And working here would allow me to be close to him!"

From the corner came Anne's voice, "Oh, I see!" She smiled at George.

George blushed. "She's really good at reading people. She'd make a great child psychologist one day."

"That's good, that's good. Have any experience with kids?"

"None so far, though I have read quite a bit."

"Hmm," he rubbed his chin and began marking something on his paper in front of him. "Have any references then?"

"Um...well, no."

"Hmm, yeah, that's gonna be a problem. Usually, a teacher gives our applicants a recommendation. Gordon won't like it if I hire you without one."

"I'd vouch for her," said George quickly.

"I bet you would. And believe me bud, if that's all that was required I'd hire her in a second. Linda tells me you're one of the best swimming coaches she's ever seen."

"Really?" asked George surprised.

"Mr. Reynolds, if I may?" began Dawn. "I understand that we have placed you in a difficult position. Please understand that if you cannot help us, there would be no hard feelings. I am confident that I could find a job elsewhere."

Dawn gazed at him, her countenance filled with grace. "But if you would take the chance, I know that you would not be disappointed. There is nothing in this world that I cannot do, or do well. You would honor me by giving me the chance to prove it."

Chip studied Dawn intently. Dawn didn't seem to mind the scrutiny. As Chip stared thoughtfully at her, Dawn stared thoughtfully back.

"Oh honey, just do it, you know you want to," piped Anne from the corner.

"Dear, you are ruining the suspense!" Chip laughed, "Alright, I'll hire you. I just wanted to make sure that you could keep a cool head. You'll need that with these little monsters."

"You mean it?" bounced Dawn.

"Yep. I'll vouch for you. That means my neck is on the line if you don't work out. Do we understand each other?"

"Yes sir!"

"Great! Ya know, it's really amazing how this worked out. One minute, I'm down a head counselor, the next I'm hiring a very pretty and articulate replacement. That's... what is the word... serendipity!"

Anne went back to her papers and muttered, "Such a dork."

"It's true," he admitted. "Okay, Dawn, we'll fill out paperwork later. I need you and Karen to get acquainted before the campers get here. She should be able to fill you in on all the details. Bottom line, don't let them kill each other, and for heaven's sake, don't lose any of them."

Anne stood up, "Come with me dear, we need to get you a camp shirt, and maybe go over the dress code."

"Um, honey," said Chip sheepishly, "I, uh, need that paperwork finished pretty quickly. Maybe we should let George get one for her."

"Mr. Reynolds, I am perfectly capable of making the journey to the equipment room without collapsing."

Chip glanced at George and Dawn nervously. He said quietly, "Dear, please, it's three sets of stairs, and you promised..."

Anne huffed in frustration as she sat back down and continued working. Chip pulled a set of keys out of his desk and tossed them to George. "You know where? Leave them close by, I'll tell the P.E. guys where to find them."

Dawn stood and shook Chips hand once more, "Thank you so much, Mr. Reynolds. You will not regret this."

The couple moved briskly to the stairwell. Dawn was overjoyed, skipping and bouncing as they walked, whispering excitedly, "I have a job! I cannot believe it, I have a job!"

George led her down the stairs to the gymnasium. The equipment room was in a nook on the far side of the massive room. There were many keys, and it took a moment to find the right one. Finally, the padlock on the large wooden doors gave way, and George and Dawn entered.

George took a quick look to find the box that contained the extra camp shirts. This was no easy task, as the college had collected a wide range of sporting gear over the years. George always liked going in there for its dark and mysterious atmosphere. The exposed brick walls, heavy wood beams, copious amounts of dust, and poor lighting, gave it an old attic-like mystique. There were as many as eight rows of shelving, all overflowing with old soccer cleats, football helmets, hockey sticks, and even cricket bats. There were large crates filled with all different sorts of balls, stashes of orange cones and field markers. The whole room smelled of old sweat and dust.

But George didn't have time to look for very long. As he spotted the large cardboard box labeled CAMP SHIRTS stacked precariously on top of some blue gym mats, he heard the door to the room shut tight. He turned just in time to catch Dawn, as she jumped up to wrap her arms around him and kiss him lustfully. She pushed him hard into the mats, which knocked the box over so that a cascade of blue camp shirts washed over them.

George was surprised by the suddenness of it, but couldn't bring himself to stop her. "Whoa! Is it still morning?" he thought.

Dawn smiled widely even as she continued to kiss him. An extra large shirt had landed right on top of her head, obscuring half of her face. "What can I say? I can be feisty, and find shirts at the same time."

She pulled away, and began to peel off her tank-top. "Babe! What are you doing?" he said out loud.

She ignored him, and threw her shorts down. She was determined and giddy. "George, I am so happy right now I could scream. So unless you tell me stop, you are going to get some."

Without another word, George threw off his clothing in a frenzy. She was finished first, and helped pull his shorts down. Once all the pesky clothing was out of the way, George lifted her up so that she could wrap her legs around his waist, and flung himself around so that her back was against the mats. They kissed as George slid into her dripping pussy.

Her cries of passion were loud enough to get them into trouble if someone were to enter that side of the gym, but neither of them could think to worry about it.

"Oh, George! You are amazing! Fuck me baby!" she cried. For the first time since he met her, George felt like he really was just fucking her. There was no foreplay, no build up, no pretense. It was hot, sweaty, and primal.

Running on pure adrenaline, George couldn't think beyond what was happening below his waist. The sounds of skin on skin, along with their salacious moans, blocked out all reason. He held on to her as tightly as he could, and wanted to be even closer. Her feet locked at his back, and her fingers grasped his head and neck. They came quickly and powerfully.

A complete mess from head to toe, they couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of the situation. They took a moment to catch their breath, giggling like children. A quick wish got them presentable, but neither spoke about the encounter. George had always needed some sort of debriefing from Dawn whenever they tried something new. Not this time. He was happy it happened, happy that she wanted it... just plain happy.

Before leaving, they collected a few shirts for Dawn that fit her reasonably well. She wore a small, but her large breasts made fitting into a small somewhat of a challenge. She opted for the tightest fit possible, but George insisted she take a few that would be larger, just in case. They left the equipment room behind, it's walls having a new story to tell, and emerged with an obvious glow.

It was a little too obvious. As George snapped the padlock back into place, he heard whispers and giggles moving away from them. George and Dawn exchanged looks, he was worried, but Dawn seemed unaffected. He peered out into the gym, hoping to see whoever it was, and determine if they had an idea of what he'd been doing. All he caught were the doors to the gym creaking shut.

"Oh crap," said George. "Do you think they saw us?"

Dawn took on her faraway look as she scried for information, "No, but they did hear me scream your name. They having a feeling it was you, but they do not recognize my voice."

"Shit! Do you know who it was?"

She scried again, "Two young women. Twins, it looks like. And copper hair."

"Michelle and Danielle. Fuck, this isn't good."

"Pardon me, George, but I do not see the problem. They did not see us, and thus have no proof. And even if they did, would others not be impressed?"

Like always, Dawn's simple logic left him feeling like a jittery old woman. "Uh, well, I guess. But those bitches don't need proof. Gossip is their weapon."

"Alright then, would you like me to erase their knowledge of our encounter?"

George was tempted, but this was exactly the kind of power he was afraid of. "No," he said as he sighed in frustration. "It's the same as with Rocko. I'll just have to deal with it."

Dawn laughed, "Aww, poor George. He got laid in the equipment room. Oh the humanity!"

"Hey, shut up," he whined even as he laughed with her.

She sauntered up to him, and pulled him close using the loose waistband of his shorts. "Our audience aside, thank you for indulging my impulses."

George rested his hands on her curvy hips, "I think you like an audience."

"If I do, it is because you want me too. I am only what you need after all." She pushed her hands inside his shorts and let her fingertips slide over his thighs. "And I do so love being what you need."

He blushed. "I guess that was pretty cool, huh?"

She looked up at him like she wanted to pounce on him again, and said softly, "That... was... hot."

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George showed Dawn to the concrete amphitheater that served as the main meeting area for the campers and counselors. It was still quite early, and only a few campers were scattered about, playing card games, chatting, or just spinning in circles. The counselors had broken off into their respective groups. Karen was in her usual place at the far end of the bottom row. She was busy marking off something on a clipboard, and didn't notice them approach. She looked much better than she had on Friday, though she appeared a bit overwhelmed.

"She is lovely," whispered Dawn. "Beautiful legs, gorgeous hair, pretty face, I am starting to see why I look the way I do. You have good taste."

George replied, "There are lots of pretty girls here. But she's one of the few that isn't stuck up about it."

"Beauty on the outside, and on the inside? Phew, you are a hard man to please."

"Sup Karen!" greeted George as they got closer.

"Hmm? Oh! Hey George." She managed a smile even though something was weighing on her.

"You okay," he asked.

"Yeah. I mean, I guess. Did you hear that they fired Mrs. Jackson?"

"I, uh, may have heard something."

"Yeah, well, they promoted me to head counselor. Which is great and all, but it's a lot more work than I thought. I'm still waiting for my replacement."

Dawn stepped forward with her hand outstretched. "Hello!"

Karen was a bit startled. "Oh, hi. Are you..."

"Your servant. My name is Dawn."

"Great! I, um, I guess we should go over a few things... before the rest of the kids get here. Sorry, I'm not really used to being in charge."

Dawn laughed and gave a knowing look towards George, "Me neither. But I will help you. No need to worry."

Karen looked relieved, "Good, I need all the help I can get right now."

At the top of the stone bleachers sat a younger Asian boy in his teens. He had spiky black hair and wore a blue bandanna emblazoned with the Superman logo on his forehead. A large pair of earphones, like those used by a DJ, hung around his neck and connected to his backpack. He was staring at Dawn as if blinking might make her disappear.