Ann: A Love Story Ch. 65

"What's that mean?"

"I know you kid me all the time about making friends so easily...and there's a lot of truth to that, because I do. But the reason why is, I've always had kind of a gift of discernment when it comes to reading people. I can tell who's genuine, and who's fake, almost instantly. I can also tell who's a good person inside, and who's evil. It's something I was born with, I guess. BUT...it's a lot stronger with women than it is with men. With men, I've always let my heart get in the way. Lord knows I've dated enough guys that were totally wrong for me."

"What are you saying, that you read men and women differently?"

"No really...the same signs are there. I just didn't listen to what my gut was telling me a lot of the time when I came to men, because sex was involved. I WANTED things to work out with some of the guys I dated, so I ignored the signs...instead of trusting what my gut was telling me, which was that most of them were bad for me from the start. But, I DO read women a little better, because I've never looked at them sexually before...and that's why when you said something about Garrett and Penny, and you kind of compared them to Chad and Dana, it made sense to me."

"What did?"

"Us...being with couples. It was okay in my head to have some fun with Garrett, because Penny was right there. Look, I don't have a problem if you and I do something with a girl every once in a great while, and it's just the three of us, as long as she's unattached. But if there's going to be a guy involved, I want it to be with a couple. I think there would be too much pressure to fuck him...and I'm not changing my mind about the no fucking rule. I'm soooo happy about that rule. Sucking Garrett was fun, but fucking him...no way."

"But, you were okay with what you did do, because they're a couple."

"I think that's the only way I'm ever going to be comfortable doing something like that, Neil. And again, it's not like I'm fucking the guy...but at least when things get to the point where he may feel like he HAS to fuck, there's someone right there that he loves to do that with. Does that make sense?"

"Actually...yeah, it does."

"Good. And just so you know, that's still going to be a pretty rare thing. I don't want you thinking that's going to happen with every hot couple we're friends with. It's going to be seldom, and selective."

I didn't know exactly what Ann meant, but I had a pretty good idea. Enough of one that I didn't want to debate it...I was just so happy that I'd been right, and that she had liked what we'd done, that it didn't make that much of a difference. I knew we wouldn't be doing it all that often, if we ever decided to do it again at all. I was more interested in what she thought about this last time, if it was our last time for a while, or forever.

"So...what was it like?"

"What was what like?"

"Our threesome, you know...you being with two guys at once. Was it like you thought it would be?"

"I have to be honest with you baby, I've never thought about what it would be like. It's never been a fantasy of mine. Threesomes are more of a guy's fantasy, I think."

"But you're the one that wants us to have threesomes with girls. I never said I wanted that...or did I?" I asked out loud, not remembering.

"Maybe you didn't. Maybe you did. I don't really remember," Ann laughed. "I just know I've thought about it ever since the trip you and Tina took. So yeah...THAT was a fantasy of mine. But I don't know of any guy that doesn't like the idea of being with two hot girls at once...and I didn't hear you complaining."

"No...I'm not complaining. But does that mean you didn't like being with me and Garrett?"

"I didn't say that," she laughed. "It was really hot. And it was fun. But it's not something I'd ever laid awake at night dreaming about."

"So...we should mark that off of our list as things we've tried, and move on then, right?"

"That's up to you, Neil. Like I said, I never said I didn't like it...I only said I wouldn't do anything like that unless it's with another couple. But just because we did it doesn't mean I'm going to start dreaming about it now. I think we should just let life happen, and if the opportunity for that kind of moment comes up again, we'll see how we feel about it then...together. Okay?"

I put my hand on top of Ann's, which was still resting gently on my leg. "Yeah, babe. That's fine," I smiled.

And it was. I had no preconceived idea of what our future would be like when it came to those kinds of sexual adventures. And I didn't want one, really. Just the thought that it could happen again was titillating enough for me to be excited. But like Ann, I wasn't going to dwell on it. Truth be told, Ann...all by herself, was all the sexual adventure I'd ever need. She was the most incredible, imaginative lover I'd ever been with.

But I loved that Ann wasn't ruling anything in or out. Neither was I. We wanted to be open with each other sexually, and all during our trip, we'd gotten closer as a couple by being that way. Everything we'd done on our trip made our bond stronger, and our love for each other deeper. We'd learned about each other...not just sexually, but in so many other ways as well.

As much as I loved that she didn't want to change what we were doing sexually, what excited me more was that Ann wanted to take on life as a couple, and reach decisions on things together. We'd talked many times about what our life would be like once we were married. And I knew that would also be how things would be beyond the bedroom.

When Ann had said that we should just let life happen, and we'd make whatever decisions we'd need to as a couple, she wasn't just talking about sex. She was talking about life...period. We'd take on all of the challenges and decisions that arise in a marriage, and we'd handle them the same way. We'd look at them as a couple, talking things out and making choices as husband and wife...and the thought of that REALLY excited me.

What didn't excite me was that our trip was just about to end.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Whoever came up with the notion that it was 'good to be home' had no clue what they were talking about. The premise was that, no matter how great your vacation was, the ending was always welcome because you get to sleep in your own bed. But it was pretty obvious to me as I stared at my ceiling that the person that coined that phrase hadn't come home to sleep in an empty bed. And they certainly hadn't had the kind of vacation I'd just had.

But in some ways, it was good to be home. It had been good to see my Mom and Dad...who were waiting patiently for us to arrive. Well, one of them was more patient than the other...but they were both thrilled we were home. Ann and I pulled into the driveway of my parent's house a little after 8, and they'd come outside to welcome us home. And as happy as they were to see me, they were even happier to see Ann.

At first, that struck me as a little odd, but then I realized that their unabashed euphoria in seeing Ann had to do with the fact that it was the first time they'd seen her since she'd become their future daughter in law. When they'd last seen Ann, she was just my 'girlfriend' for the week she'd been home. And watching my Mom hug Ann, crying uncontrollably, got me a little worked up too.

My Mother had never acted that way towards my first wife. Not once. Sure, she treated her cordially...but my Mom knew all along that my Ex wasn't the right woman for me. She just couldn't tell me that. Yet as I watched Mom hold Ann, crying on her shoulder, I could feel the love she had for my fiancée, and I could feel Ann giving that love right back.

"I'm so happy for you Ann," Mom said to her.

"I'm happy for you too, Mom," Ann said, surprising her by calling her that.

"You're happy...for me?" Mom said as she pulled back a little.

"Yeah...you're going to get Neil out of the house soon. I know how much fun you and Dad must have had this week while he was gone. You'll be able to have that kind of fun all the time once we're married," Ann said with a little laugh.

Mom caught her breath a little as she reacted to what Ann had just said. She smiled...one of those sweet, motherly smiles, and said, "Oh...Ann. You're so adorable. You are such a change from..." And then Mom caught herself, and she started crying again.

Ann grabbed Mom's hands, holding them tight as she looked her warmly in the eyes. "It would be hard not to compare me a little to Neil's Ex, Mom. It's only natural."

"Ann...I'm...so sorry."

"Don't be. I'm going to take very good care of your son. And I'm going to make you very proud of THIS daughter in law...I promise."

My Mom grabbed Ann again, hugging her close. "You already have, Ann. You already have," she whispered.

Seeing Mom hug Ann tightly, and lovingly, made my heart soar. Ann just held her, letting Mom get out whatever emotions she needed to get out. She wasn't crying anymore. She was just holding Ann, breathing deeply. It was a special moment...shared between the two women I loved the most on the planet.

And then...there was my Dad. When my Mom finally got around to letting Ann go, Ann walked the few steps over to my father, standing in front of him with a huge smile. I'd only seen my Dad cry a few times in my life, but it wasn't unprecedented. He was never ashamed to do it, wanting me to know that it was okay for men to show their emotions under the right circumstances. And apparently, this, for him, was one of them.

He teared up a little as he opened his arms for Ann and she walked into them. They hugged, and Ann said, "Hi Dad...how are you?"

"I'm happy," he said, in an understatement.

"Really...I couldn't tell," Ann said as she reached up and wiped away the little tear that was about to run down her left cheek.

"Yeah...I knew you two would have a great sex life the moment we found out you were getting married, sweetie. But I never thought about how that would mean more sex for me too."

"DARREN!" my Mom said in shock, before she started to giggle.

Ann winked and said, "Glad I could help."

We unloaded my things from Ann's car, getting them into the house. And then we spent the next twenty minutes or so just visiting. Obviously, even though we'd touched on the subject of sex outside in the driveway, Ann and I shied away from delving into any of THOSE details of our trip. But we did talk about our time in California, and the long trip home.

Mom did broach the subject of our late Sunday arrival though. "We expected you home sometime yesterday. Did the drive take longer than you thought? Or did you start out a day later?"

I started to answer her, but Ann beat me to it, saying, "We just wanted one more day together, Mom. I'm sorry...I should have let Neil call you so you wouldn't worry."

If I'd had said that, I probably would have gotten a lecture about our changing itineraries without letting them know. I'd told my parents to expect us late on Saturday. To arrive about 24 hours later than they expected had to have had them both worried. Well, Mom. Dad wasn't necessarily the worrying type, at least until he had to. We would have had to have not shown up on Sunday for him to start to wonder where we were. But being the day late like we were, meant he would have had to deal with my Mom worrying, which in turn meant he had a whole different kind of angst to deal with. In fact, it was Dad I was expecting the lecture from, just because he had to deal with Mom's heightened level of concern.

But by Ann saying what she'd said, and the way she said it, it kind of disarmed both of my parents. "You didn't LET him call," Mom said with an odd grin.

"Well...he was kind of busy, keeping me happy, if you know what I mean," Ann said with another sexy wink.

Dad looked at me, and big 'Atta Boy' grin appearing on his face. Mom turned a little red, but she said, 'Well, we understand Ann. Where did you stay?"

"The Holiday Inn..."

"Oh...that's nice...Darren and I have stayed there before. So at least you were close. I'm sure you got some rest then, not having to drive so far today."

"I wouldn't say we got a lot of rest...but we WERE in bed," Ann said she took a nonchalant drink from her Diet Coke as she sat with her legs crossed, her left foot bobbing up and down slowly.

Dad let out a little chuckle and said, "I had that exact same feeling when we stayed there, Ann. Funny how you can stay in a nice hotel that markets itself as a place you can get a great nights rest, and you end up leaving more tired than when you got there."

Ann smiled at my Dad and said, "Well, I guess it was just another case of 'like father, like son', then. Neil ought to sleep well tonight."

But I wasn't. At least, not yet. I couldn't get the day out of my brain...and I missed Ann. Before her, I used to sleep in the middle of the bed I was lying in. But when I crawled in between the sheets, I found myself on the right side, wondering why there was an empty space to my left.

"At least the empty space in my heart is filled now," I said to myself as I stared at the same spot on the ceiling I'd been looking at for the last ten minutes. I let out a little sigh. "I wonder if Ann's sleeping any better than I am." When I'd last seen Ann, it seemed like she probably would be. She was a lot calmer than I would have guessed, having officially moved back home with her parents.

I'd followed Ann back to her folk's house in my car, not wanting her to have to unpack by herself. Besides, it seemed really impolite to let her just go home by herself. So, we both made the 5 block drive, crossing the main street through town to the little ranch she was going to call home for a while. As soon as we pulled into the driveway, I got out and opened the hatch of my car. And then I opened hers as well.

"What are you doing?" Ann asked as she got out of her car.

I grabbed the big plastic laundry bag of sex toys she'd placed back into the box we'd kept them in on the trip, and placed it in the back of my car. Closing my hatch, I said, "You said you had all the ones you needed. So until we find something better to put those in, I thought it would be easier for me to hide them instead of you. My Mom's not going to be snooping around in my room...or my car."

"You think of everything, baby. Thanks," Ann said as she gave me a quick kiss.

When I had slammed the hatch of my car, it must have alerted Ann's parents that we were there. Before we could get anything out of the back of her car, we heard the garage door opening. Ann's Mom came racing towards us, having to duck underneath the rising door...not wanting to wait for it to fully open.

"Oh my goodness...we were worried sick about you two!" Jean said as she hugged her daughter.

Marlin walked up behind Jean, and I stuck out my hand for him to shake it. Instead of getting his big paw, he shook his head and opened his arms, grabbing me in a big bear hug.

"That's my fault...I should have called to say we were going to be another day," I said as I hugged Marlin back, taking the hit for our not calling, just like Ann had done for me with my parents.

Marlin grabbed the back of my neck as he looked me in the eye. He gave me a knowing wink, and said, "I've made that trip a lot of times in my life, young man. I know how long it takes."

I had a nervous grin on my face, wondering what he was getting at, and thinking that the 'hit' I was going to take for Ann was going to be one that I didn't like. She'd gotten off with a hug and a smile; it looked like I was going to get a boot in the ass. But before I could come up with anything to try and deflect the blast I felt was coming my way, Marlin surprised me.

"Don't be nervous, Neil. I would have done the same thing...I'm sure Ann was in no hurry to move back home. I hope you two had a great time last night," he whispered in my ear.

"We did, Marlin. Thanks for understanding," I said, a little in shock.

"Thank you, Neil," he said, his eyes a little misty.

"For what?"

"For bringing my daughter home safely."

Jean gave me a big hug too...once she'd let go of Ann, and after that, they helped us drag all of Ann's things into the house. Because of the welcoming we'd gotten, I hadn't noticed at first that Jean's car wasn't in the one car garage. But as I walked though it, I saw the dozen's and dozen's of boxes that Ann had mailed home, now taking up most of the room in there.

"How are you dealing with that?" I asked Jean as we walked into the house.

"Oh...it's okay. I'm just glad that you two are home safe," she said graciously.

"Bullshit," Marlin said with a hearty laugh.

"MARLIN," Jean said, louder than I think she anticipated.

"Aw...tell the truth Jean. It's driving you nuts to have to park outside, and you know it."

Ann put her hand over her mouth and said, "I'm sorry, Mom...maybe we can rent one of those storage places. Do they have one in town?"

"Sure...brand new one," I said as I thought about it.

"That's bullshit too," Marlin said quickly. "You two need to save your money for more important things. We're not going to be inconvenienced that long. It's not going to kill Jean to have to deal with it. Besides, I told her I'd scrape the car off, or clean it off if we get snow."

Ann groaned. "Damn...snow. I forgot all about snow!"

"That's right, babe...we're going to have a winter wedding," I laughed. ~*~*~*~*~*~

Winter seemed a long way off as I lay there in my all too empty bed, not sleeping. Even frost on the windshield seemed like it was a long time from happening. It was towards the end of September, and we were going to be getting married sometime in early December. I could only hope that time would go by as fast as the last week had seemed to.

Still, there were so many things we had to do to get ready for the wedding, like getting with the minister of Ann's parent's church so we could actually set the date. And the very first thing on that list of things I needed to do, was show up for what I was sure was going to be a rather eventful first day back at the plant in the morning.

It's a funny thing about time. Sometimes you want it to pass quickly. Case in point, I wanted time to fly, so that Ann and I wouldn't be apart very long, and I wouldn't have that empty feeling I had inside me at the moment, attempting to go to sleep alone in my bed. But as I stared at the clock for the hundredth time since my head hit the pillow, I was actually praying that time would stand still for a little while, so I could actually get some sleep before I faced the unknown when I got to work.

As the clocked steadily ticked off the seconds, I groaned. "If I go to sleep right now, I might get 4 hours of sleep."