Charade Ch. 01

"Jerry, kiss me, please. Just kiss me," Kim said plaintively, and I did. My lips met hers and we kissed softly and gently.

"I'm so embarrassed, Jerry." Kim had her head buried in the crook of my neck. "I wasn't sure that I could do what I just did. I planned on seducing you today. I wanted you so badly, I wanted us to make love. I can't imagine what you must think of me now."

I couldn't help it, I had to laugh. "Honey, what I think is that I'm one of the luckiest men alive. I can't even begin to tell you how you made me feel." I suspect that she had begun to suspect that for my very erect cock was lodged between her thighs, rubbing against the lips of her pussy. Still lying atop me, Kim began moving her ass slowly, sliding my cock along the lips of her well lubricated sex. My hips moved and my cock was quickly buried in her. Kim again gasped softly as she felt herself filled. We then made love, quietly and gently, her hips guiding me in and out until we both couldn't hold it any longer. I felt my climax building and as she felt me explode in her she again moaned and came with me.

**************

We became inseparable, ignoring all outside distractions, completely
oblivious to anyone or anything else. Fortunately it was now summer break between our junior and senior year and our obsession with each other didn't impact on our studies. I shudder to think what would have happened to our grades had this occurred during the school year.

Kim was spending more and more time at my place, sleeping over many nights. I hated it when she wasn't there, the place seemed so empty and squalid. Her arrival turned my humble abode into a palace for me.

We spoke of marriage, we felt it was inevitable. My fear was how she would view my sterility, my inability to father children. From something that I had always considered rather inconsequential, this now became very worrisome for me. My fears were allayed not long after our first discussion about our future.

"Jerry?" There was a question in Kim's voice. "I have to tell you something before we get too much further into our relationship." Her voice faltered. "There's nothing in this world I want more than to be your wife and spend the rest of life with. You know that I love you," and she looked at me with trepidation in her eyes.

"I don't want children, Jerry," she blurted out. "Please, Jerry, don't hate me. I know who I am and I know that I wouldn't make a good mother. I have given this a lot of thought, and I really don't want children." Her eyes glistened with unshed tears. "I'll understand if you want to break up, Jer. I really will."

Wow, now wasn't that an interesting development. I took Kim in my arms and comforted her. "Kim, if you don't want children, then I don't either," I reassured her. My sterility was now a non-issue, I could bury my worries, I didn't even have to bring it up. Little did I know....

The thing that rather amused me at the time was how Kim was so cavalier about taking her birth control pills. Oh, she would remember most of the time, say 6 or 7 days, but then she would just forget and skip a day or two. The fact that she never got into trouble just reinforced her contention that skipping a day or two really made no difference. I knew that this could be dangerous, but in our case it, of course, made no difference.

******************

"Jerry?" Kim said to me one afternoon, a question in her tone. "I think it's time for you to meet my parents. I've told them all about you and they want to meet you."

"Oh, oh," I muttered to myself. I should have expected this. I saw no way out, but I just knew that this meeting wasn't going to go well. They would take one look at me and know that this schmuck wasn't good enough for their only child. Jeez, I started feeling sick to my stomach, but I also knew that there was no way out of this. The meeting was slated to take place on Sunday, two days hence. I was stuck, this was going to happen.

I had done a little research on Kim's family. They were on the social register and very well known in the best circles. Bernard Van Horn owned one of the largest construction firms in SE Pennsylvania and had a net worth of hundreds of millions, (Gulp) Katherine Van Horn, his wife, was descended from the Lodges of Boston. (Gulp} They go back to colonial days. I was going to look like the proverbial pair of brown shoes at a black tie affair. I had no choice, I would have to endure.

Daddy sent "the car" into the city for us. A black, Lincoln Town Car, naturally, only the best for the little princess. Yeah, I wasn't happy and my attitude was shitty. Kim could tell, but she just smiled and told me not to worry. Like that really reassured me. It didn't take too long and the car pulled into a long driveway that curved into a landing area in front of the house. It was a large, gray stone two story colonial. I could see a four car garage off to one side. The grounds were immaculate, maintained, I was sure, by a crew of landscapers.

Kim pulled me from the car and led me to the front door. Pulling me inside, she called out: "Mom, Dad, where are you?"

As soon as her parents came into the large foyer, everything changed. Damn, they couldn't have been more gracious. They welcomed me as if I was a long, lost family member just rediscovered. They couldn't have been nicer. I have to admit that I was a bit flummoxed, certainly not expecting such a warm welcome, but as warm and cordial as Katherine Van Horn appeared, I could detect just a hint of caution in her manner. There was nothing overt, but I could sense a bit of coolness that she tried to hide. She did it well though and was friendly and proper. Yeah, that's the word, "proper." She was about 5' 5", blond, blueyed and still built like a young girl, at least from what I could see, despite her years. I'm guessing she was in her mid 40s. Was this Kim in 20 years? If so, I could live with that.

Now Bernie was another story. Yeah, he insisted that I call him Bernie; how incongruous. Here's this guy, around 50 years old I guess, tall, distinguished, worth a ton of money and he's insisting that I call him Bernie. But that's the kind of guy Bernie was. I know, I heard the stories; he could be a shark if he thought he was being taken and he could be vicious if provoked, but he could also be one of the warmest, kindest guys you could meet. For some odd reason he took an immediate liking to me. He was fascinated by my background, my school work and my major. I still remember his last words as we left that day.

"Jerry, I'm impressed with you. Continue doing well with your studies. You know that I can always use a good engineer," and with that he laughed and slapped me on the back. "Kim, you got a keeper, make sure that he doesn't get away." I had a grin on my face just like Dopey, the seventh dwarf.

"See, I told you not to worry. They loved you," Kim smiled and snuggled into me in the back seat of "the car" taking us back into the city. I gave a huge sigh of relief and thanked the stars that that was over. But a recurring thought came into my head; now it was Kim's turn. She would have to meet my folks. I smiled slightly as I compared my Mom and Dad's small, South Philly row house with the estate I had just visited - jeez, talk about contrast. Well, I knew that my folks would take Kim into their hearts, that's the way they were. I just hope that Kim would understand that there was rich and there was not so rich. It would be interesting.

Actually, Kim's visit to meet my folks didn't go badly at all. I could see her eyes widen when she first took in my parent's little row house. Kim had never been exposed to how the working class lived and this was a new experience for her. I have to admit she handled it well. It was only now and then that I was able to glimpse a strange expression in her eyes, a look that unsettled me just a bit. Was it contempt? disdain? No, I knew Kim pretty well by then; she wouldn't look down on folks who were in a lower economic level. She and my mom seemed to bond well and before I knew it they were in the little kitchen with Mom giving her a recipe for my favorite pot roast. I had to stifle a laugh, I was not sure if Kiim could boil water.

My dad took this opportunity to guide me outdoors where we sat on the stoop. He turned to me, "Jerry, Kim seems like a really nice gal and she obviously adores you. I hope that you'll be very happy together."

I could sense a hesitancy in his voice. I looked at him with a question in my eyes. His mouth turned a bit grim as he continued. "Jerry, you have to understand, Kim has only known a life free of want, a life of privilege. I suspect that, without her even realizing it, she will expect you to provide that same kind of life. I know that engineering can make you a good living, but I'm not sure it comes anywhere near what she will want. Look, I could be totally wrong, but it's something you should think about."

He clapped me on the shoulder and guided me back into the house. When the four of us were in the front parlor, my dad brought out wine glasses and stated that he had an announcement to make.

"Jerry, Kim, a toast to your happiness. May your lives together be long and filled with joy. And now I would like to tell you that we have sold the house and that we're moving to Florida. We bought a small, two bedroom villa on the west coast there and I have been offered a part time job. We have had enough of the cold winters and we'll be moving by the end of the month. Cheers"

He tipped his glass as I sat there dumbfounded. When I was able to get my voice back, I laughed and told them that that was great news and wished them good luck. I mentioned that they should keep that second bedroom ready for Kim and I when we came to visit. I again saw that look in Kim's eyes, but shrugged it off. I was happy for my folks.

***************

Kim decided that between what her parents were paying for her lodging and what I was paying for the one room "apartment" we could pool our resources and get a real apartment close by. Her reasoning made sense and that's what we did. We were able to rent a relatively nice apartment not far from where I was now living. Of course Kim insisted that she now needed a car to get he to school so daddy got her a 300 series BMW. Well, she needed a car so I really had no cause to complain.

Our senior year went well. Kim was busy with her studies and with wedding plans. Since I had little to do with either I concentrated on my school work and made sure that my grades were high. It was funny; between my school work, Kim's school work and the time she spent on the phone and with her Mom planning this wedding, we actually had less time with each other then before we began cohabitating.

A rather unsettling event occurred about two months before graduation. Kim returned home and interrupted me at the computer with startling news. "Jerry, I got the job, the part time job. I start next week, it's just two nights to begin with but if things work out I'll have a promise for full time when I graduate. Isn't that great," she gushed.

This was all new to me and I pressed her for more information. She informed me that it was with a large publishing house in center city and she would be a probationary assistant editor. After graduation, the probation period would end and she would assume full time duties in that position.

I complained (or whined) a little. "Jeez, Kim. We see each other so seldom now, it's like we're strangers living in the same place. It will be worse now."

"I know, Jer. But this is a golden opportunity . Please be happy for me, honey. It's what I've been shooting for," she pleaded.

So I just bit my lip and shut my mouth. How could I begrudge her this opportunity? I forced a smile on my puss and tooki her in my arms.
"You'll be great, honey. You'll knock them dead. It won't be long before you'll be a senior editor once they recognize your talent."

She laughed gleefully and danced around the apartment, while I had this forced grin on my face, wondering why I was experiencing a cold chill of foreboding.

Actually, it worked out fairly well. Kim spent a couple of evenings at Crown Publishing during the week when I had late classes, so we really didn't miss too much time together, at least no more than usual. The end of the semester came quickly and before I even realized it the date of the wedding was here. She was to be a June bride. I had only invited a few friends from school and of course my parents came up from Florida. I tried to get Ben Klein to come in from Calif., but he still had a couple of finals and couldn't miss them. It was a bit strange; there were over 200 guests for this shindig, held of course in one of the ritziest hotels in town, and only a handful were my family and friends. I went through the entire day and evening in a bit of a haze, just allowing events to carry me through.

The only part of the day that really stood out was a conversation I had with Bernie, Kim's father. Later in the evening he took me aside and escorted me into a room off the ballroom. It was outfitted like a study with easy leather chairs and walls full of books. I briefly wondered what the hotel used this for.

"Jerry," he began. "I know that you have resumes out, but I want you to really consider coming to work for me. I need to supplement my technical department and I want you to train with Don, our head electrical engineer. Look, Jerry, this isn't a sinecure, this is a real job with a lot of room for advancement. The fact that you're the boss's son in law won't mean shit to the guys you'll be working with, plus I'll pay you more than anyone else," and he grinned at me.

What the hell, I'm not stupid. I recognized that this was a good deal for me and it wasn't like this was a handout. I would give a 100 percent and Bernie knew it. He was also sensitive to the fact that I felt very strongly that Kim and I would have to make it on our own. We shook hands and that was our contract.

My folks gave us a beautiful sterling silver service for 12 which I'm sure put a crimp in their budget. My In-laws gave us a 10 day vacation in Jamaica. I felt a bit funny about that, but I realized that it would be boorish to refuse or complain about them paying for our honeymoon. I just began to feel uneasy about the influence the VanHorns were going to have on my relationship with Kim. Kim and I had had a few conversations about this topic and she knew how adamant I was about making it on our own. She would pooh pooh my concerns, but they were very real to me.

The only real disagreement we had (ok, it was a doozy of a fight) came when we discussed where we should live after graduation and our wedding. Kim only insisted that we buy an apartment in one of the high rise buildings in center city. It would be close to her work as well as close to the Van Horn building where I would be located. I tried to explain to her that we had nowhere near the resources for that kind of expenditure and that we would rent a nice apartment near the center of town. Then, when we could financially afford it, we could look for something to buy.

Kim was furious that I wouldn't accept help from her folks. I told her in no uncertain terms that mommy and daddy were not going to be cash cows for us. We would either make it on our own, or not make it at all. Kim saw that I was intransigent and finally and grudgingly gave in. It was an argument that I won at the moment, but I didn't know at what cost.

We did find a nice two bedroom, two bath place not far from where we both worked. Kim had her car and I would be able to hop on a street car which would drop me off at work ten minutes later. It was really convenient. We went into hock for the furniture, but I was able to control Kim's spending and we had the place furnished nicely in no time.

Bernie was true to his word. My job was no cake walk. I was introduced to Don Malone, a big, heavy Irishman, with a shock of white hair. I think he forgot more about engineering that I had learned in the four years in college. He might have been gruff, but he took me under his wing and I learned. Boy, did I learn. I began to realize that graduating from the college program was just the beginning of my career in this field. We wrote performance requirements, we developed maintenance schedules, we planned and designed layouts, we developed time and cost estimates on construction projects. It was a training program that was invaluable to me as a trainee and I took to it like a duck to water. Our work day ended at 5, but it was not unusual for me to remain until 6 or even later, cramming in as much as I could.

Kim was also immersed in her job. She loved the excitement of meeting with and working with new authors and developing projects to introduce new works to the market. Two years into the job she was now no longer an assistant, but a full fledged editor. She was making pretty good money and we were trying to sock away as much as we could for a place of our own. Since we were not going to have children, our plan was to buy an apartment in one of the luxury high rises in center city, a place that Kim wanted from the outset.

I also noticed that instead of Kim finding pleasure in our new place, she constantly denigrated it, even going so far as to once calling it squalid. It was obvious that she wasn't going to be happy until she was settled into digs that she thought appropriate to her station. I resented her attitude and our relationship became a bit strained. .

Ben Klein and I kept in touch. He kept trying to get me to move out to California, but I was content where I was and I also knew that there was no way I was going to convince Kim to move. I tried to convince him that getting me to move was a dead issue, but he would bring it up now and then. I had to laugh, he was such a character.

****************

It started with a telephone call. It was a Friday, early evening and I had quietly made reservations at one of the poshest restaurants in town, I had two dozen roses delivered, which were now sitting in water in a very pretty crystal vase. I also had a little velvet box containing two diamond earings as a gift for my beautiful wife It was our 2nd wedding anniversary. I bet she thought I had forgotten, she hadn't said a word to me about it.

The ringing of the phone startled me from my reverie. "Jerry?" It was Kim. "Honey, I'm really sorry, but it looks like I'm going to be late again tonight. We have a million things yet to do about the turnout of Paul's new novel and I'm going to be here for at least another few hours. I'll grab something to eat and see you around 10 or so," she rushed.

She didn't even give me time to reply before she hung up. I sat with the phone still in my hand, gazing at the roses on the sideboard. Did she even know that it was our anniversary? I wondered. Was that job of hers more important to her?

I thought back to the past year. We were both immersed in our jobs, I realized, and had not paid too much attention to the most important job we had; the job of keeping our marriage alive and well. It was almost as if we were friends sharing an apartment. In the last couple of months Kim was almost always either at work, or preoccupied with work. When they had begun work on the introduction of Paul Lavell's new novel, that's all she could talk about. Her excitement was infectious and I was happy for her; although I got a little tired about hearing how wonderful Paul was. I had the occasion to meet him a couple of times and was not too impressed. Oh, he was a tall, goodlooking guy, but I could sense a bit of arrogance in him. He seemed to think that me being an engineer was funny, for some reason.

(Oh, what a hit we made
We came on next to closing
Best on the bill, lovers until
Love left the masquerade)