Bridge Group Ch. 10

He climbed into the bed and surveyed the friendly log walls of the room and went contentedly to sleep, pulling a huge goose down comforter up to his chin.

By Saturday afternoon he had finished the tasks he had set in fixing up the cabin. There was time for one schuss down the mountain, he thought.

He was on top of the mountain by 2PM and slipped off the chairlift and then side slipped to a stop. He stood looking out over the mountains while he adjusted goggles and zipped up against the cold wind blowing a light snow in his face.

After a few stretching exercises to warm up his muscles, he started down the mountain, following a long easy trail that lead across the mountain in several long graceful switchbacks. It was a comfortable way to get his skis under himself before tackling the more challenging blue and black runs.

The snow was perfect and the hushed whisper of his skis a pleasure to his ears. He drew up in one of the turns and paused to look out over the valley. No vacation pleased him more that these mountains, jutting steeply all around him. He felt ten years younger and knew that by the end of a full day of skiing, he would likely feel ten years older than his 42 years.

He pushed off. The trail was busy with happy skiers. The faster ones calling out ‘’right” or “left” as they passed slower skiers. With their goggles on, strangers often look familiar on the slopes. He noticed a woman passing him that looked strangely familiar in her tight red pants and tasseled cap. He shrugged it off and followed as she moved quickly out of sight and left him lazily and easily traversing the mountain.

The trail brings you shooting out a long slow incline to stop in front of a large deck where you can have a drink and be warmed by the sun. He parked his skis and clumped up on the deck to order a dark German beer. He took a long refreshing drink of the heavy beer and ordered a second one before he finished the first. His muscles felt nicely stretched and a friendly ache fell pleasantly over his body from the unaccustomed exercise.

Far across the deck he saw the red tasseled hat that passed him on the trail, now with goggles up on her forehead.

“Christ!” he thought, and ducked deep in his seat. “I don’t believe it. That can’t be Joanne.” He glanced again. She was facing away from him now. Eventually, he convinced himself that he was wrong. It was unlikely that she would go skiing. The next time he looked he couldn’t find the bright hat and he relaxed.

“That’s all I need, for her to find me up here with Jolene,” he thought.

Later, he decided to have dinner at the lodge and left a note on the door for Jolene. There was a brief wait and then he was seated near the entry of the restaurant.

“I’ll have a Canadian Club Manhattan, please.” The waitress left him to ponder the menu.

“Hello, Jack.”

He knew the familiar voice, of course. He looked up to see Joanne’s sunburned face looking healthy and fresh.

“Hi. Uhh, .. hi, how are you? I thought I saw you earlier. .. .. surprised to see you.”

“It’s good to see you. Did you get my valentine?”

“Oh, yes, sure. Sorry. I .. I liked it. The flowers were nice too,” He laughed and she smiled.

“Well you used to give me flowers. Turn-about, I guess,” she said.

They said in chorus, the same question. “Waiting for someone?”

“Look, Jack. I’m sorry about this. Jolene isn’t coming. She called me. “

“What? How .. .. did .. ..how .. ..?”

“Can I sit down?”

“Yes, sure.” He ordered her a drink. “Manhattan?” she nodded.

“Well, I guess it IS a surprise then,” he muttered, staring into his drink and wondering what to do with this conversation.

“She’s nice. I like her. I didn’t want to like her. I didn’t want to talk to a girl half my age who is making it with my husband! But she was trying to help. She’s quite a friend of yours.” Joanne had almost slipped into an angry diatribe. She calmed herself down.

“Well, .. yes, I guess. She’s a nice girl. She told you? . .. .. that we were .. ..” he wasn’t sure how much Jolene would have told.

“No, I already knew that. I saw you together at a restaurant. You left before I got my nerve up to cause a scene! Aren’t you glad you left early?” she smiled tightly and looked at him meaningfully.

“Yeah!” he said, unable to stifle an uncomfortable laugh.

“Are you in love with her?”

“Of course not,” He said matter-of-factly.

She nodded and looked silently out over the restaurant.

“There was none of your stuff in the cabin, .. .. ..” he began again.

“Didn’t want to press my luck,” She said, tilting her head and smiling a tight-lipped smile that fell just short of contrition.

They sipped their drinks, both wondering what to say next.

“Look, Jack, I am very sorry that I hurt you. I really am.” A tear forced itself from the corner of her eye, and she brushed it back. “The problem is, that I’m not sure I can say I’m completely sorry for everything I did. It was all a long progression, wasn’t it. And we enjoyed it right up until I broke the rules. I’m sorry. I was hoping that, up here in the mountains, we might start the way back, just relaxing together and maybe not raking over the whole .. .. .. well, you know, .. .. we start shouting, .. .. ” she paused.

Jack lit a cigarette.

“You’re smoking again?” she said, stifling a criticism.

“Yeah, .. didn’t know what to do with my hands, you know .. .,” he laughed

“I pace the house a lot. Maybe it’s the same?” she said. “Anyway, you don’t have to decide this minute. I have a room here at the lodge. I’ll go away and leave you alone if you wish. Just let me know.” She moved to stand up.

“Uh, no. Don’t go. Stay and have dinner. Shall we?”

Studiously avoiding the rocks that would cause a shouting match, they had a second Manhattan, a good steak and a good Australian wine. Slowly, the conversation became more relaxed and even turned to some reminiscing about happier times.

“I’m curious about the last set of photos.”

“I’ll bet!” she laughed. “I found one of those photographers who advertise ‘intimate photos for Valentine’s Day. I tried to think of something you might like.”

“Nice. I brought it with me, by the way.”

“Hmmmm, you’re not good at this dating thing, then, are you?” she smiled. “Bringing an album like that along on a major date?”

“You may be right about that,” He smiled.

“I’m falling asleep from all the fresh air, Jack. Want to get together tomorrow.”

“Yes. That’ll be good. 10 O’clock?”

“OK. Fine. Thanks for dinner.”

At the front door, she kissed him on the cheek quickly and then headed off toward the elevator.

He watched as she walked away, then turned and went out into the cold. He lit a cigarette and slowly walked to the car. The snow crunching under the wheels made a sad little background to the short drive to the cabin. He was about to turn the key in the lock.

“Oh, fuck it, I give up!” he said quietly, and then got back in the car. He parked by the door and made his way to the elevator, hoping he recalled correctly the room number.

After pausing for a moment, he knocked.

“Just a minute.”

A minute or two passed and the door swung open.

“You knew I would come back?” he said, sounding angry.

“No. In fact, I didn’t think you would. But just in case, I wanted to .. .. I wanted it to be nice.” She stood in the same negligee from their wedding night. She parted it and stood before him in white panties, bra, garter belt and stockings, with strappy high heels.

“”I thought we should both stay in the cabin,” he began.

“How about staying here tonight? I have champagne.”

He stepped inside and she pressed close. Her tongue slipped between his lips. He slipped his hands under the gown and fondled her bottom through the white satin panties.

“I have a surprise for you. I’m not sure .. ..well, not sure you’ll like it,” she whispered.

He opened the Champagne and poured two glasses and raised his glass to hers with a clink.

“Try me.”

She gulped visibly. He wasn’t sure what to expect. She took a long sip of the wine and looked into his eyes.

“Do you remember a year or two ago that you typed two words into Google and we laughed at the results you got?”

He thought about it and nothing registered. “Remind me.”

“Restore Virginity?” she said.

“Oh yes, that was a shocker,”he laughed. “Unbelievable.”

They had been astonished to find there were many websites listed; cosmetic surgeons who promised an operation to make you a virgin once again. It was connected to the need for certain religious faiths to marry only virgins.

”You’re kidding!” he said, astonished. “You didn’t!”

“She nodded slightly. The ultimate fantasy. That’s what I thought, anyway. Is it OK with you?”

He closed his eyes and shook his head. “Good grief, I can’t believe it. Why on earth .. .. .. ..?” Jack took a long drink of the champagne and refilled their glasses.

They stood looking at each other and he refilled the glasses again. He finally put the bottle on the nightstand and turned the light off, leaving the room lighted by a single candle on the dresser in front of a large mirror.

They stood swaying in each other’s arms and slowly moved to the king-sized bed. Joanne’s legs bumped it and she sat down and began unbuckling his belt and then unzipped his pants and slipped them down his hairy legs. Her hands went to his shirt, tore at the buttons and removed it.

“Do you remember?” she said, looking up.

“Can I skip the throwing up part?”

“Yes, please do. I think you were excited!”

“Still am, Joanne, .. .. I still am.”

He knelt between her legs and put his hands on her knees as she spread them for him. She put her hands on his head and pulled him closer. His lips brushed the soft cushion of her mound under the satin panties and he kissed a lingering, sensuous kiss between her legs. He felt the creamy pouch of moisture behind the panties and tugged it aside with a finger. The finger led the way to her pussy and his tongue moved up her slit, opening her to him. He sucked her clitoris gently and listened for the moan he knew would come.

“Hurry darling, .. .. please. ..”

Jack inhaled deeply the scent of her sex and pressed his tongue into her one more time, tasting her familiar juices. He knelt on the bed between her legs and moved over her. Her hand guided him, fingering the shaft tenderly.

“Are you sure .. ..? Won’t this hurt?”

She nodded and pulled him closer.

“Yes, .. .. but it will be fine.” She said.

He pressed, feeling the lovely soft folds of her pussy against his cock head and then the heat of her vagina surrounding him. Once again he felt the resistance of an opening too small for him. Once again he looked into her eyes. He leaned forward and kissed her lips. Her hands reached down his back and urged him to thrust through the barrier.

“Now!” she said.

He thrust and felt it yield and tighten around his cock, and then he was through. It was tight around him, but he was past it. Her eyes looked shocked for a moment of pain, and then she closed them tightly, wincing with pain. She moved slightly pushing on to his cock a little more, then relaxed and smiled up at him.

“Mmmmm, .. .. .. it’s .. OK, she gasped. But it feels good. Fuck me, darling.”

“The last time we did this, we started quite an adventure!” he whispered in her ear as he began slipping in and out of her.”

“Maybe this one can be just as good?” she whispered. “Oh, Jack, you feel so good! Ohhh, .. yes, like that. MMmmmmmmn.”