Cream Filled: Car Games

My girlfriend Stephanie and I had made plans to go along with her parents to spend the Christmas holiday at her aunt and uncle's house. It would be a drive of several hours and I was cautioned to be ready to leave on time and while I had complied, the appointed hour for our departure had come and gone without any word from them. Eventually Stephanie called to say that she and her parents were running a bit behind. But after another dragging hour of idleness, they still hadn't shown. Knowing punctuality was a guiding principle in her dad's life, I was certain that Mr. Nick would not be in a good mood when they did finally get to my place.

On the other hand, despite the wait I was in a great mood. If timing in life is everything I sensed things had reached the right point to do what I wanted to do concerning my relationship with Stephanie. All the stars, planets and whatever else needs to align for our good fortune to come about seemed to be in the correct places.

For example, after a year and a half of frostiness, her parents had actually invited me to spend the biggest of holidays with them and their extended family. Stephanie's aunt, uncle and cousins would all be there and even one set of grandparents had flown in from Greece just for the occasion. As far as good omens go, I don't think I could have asked for better.

Still more fretful minutes passed but eventually Stephanie called to say that they were out in the parking lot waiting for me. Zipping up my jacket, I grabbed my suitcase then locked my apartment door behind me and headed down to meet them. The day was cold and grey to the point that I wouldn't have been surprised to see that the snow that had been forecast for later on begin to fall at any moment. With a grunted acknowledgement of my presence, Mr. Nick cheerlessly took my suitcase and opened the back of their silver SUV and started rearranging baggage to accommodate mine.

Opening the door I got in behind the driver's seat, smiled at Stephanie and greeted Athena, her mother, who was sitting in the passenger seat up front, as pleasantly as I could. Her mom returned my hello and then decided she had best supervise Nick's rearrangement of the luggage. With a pained expression at hearing his increasing grumblings, she unbuckled her shoulder harness and got out.

"How do I look?" I quickly asked Stephanie. "Am I presentable?"

"You look very nice," she answered with a tone of near surprise after giving me a quick head to toe appraisal.

We hadn't seen much of each other outside of work the past couple of weeks. First I was sick with a lingering cold and then she'd been on her period but as we'd discussed the night before on the phone, we were both feeling fine now and anxious to be together again in more ways than just close proximity. Intimacy seemed a long shot with a houseful of people though and there was no way her family was going to let Stephanie and me share a room.

She leaned over and kissed me briefly yet sweetly and as I was savoring the momentary bliss of her soft lips pressed to mine, I was hit with an unfamiliar and alluring scent.

"God, you smell fantastic," I exclaimed, leaning back from her after drawing in a deep jasmine and sage imbued breath. "Is that a new perfume you're wearing?"

"Do you like it? I got it at the mall last night," she explained enthusiastically, then with a slightly guilty expression added in a whisper, "it was expensive."

"Like it? I love it," I confessed as Stephanie, her dark eyes glittering with satisfaction that her talent for making herself irresistible to me had been reaffirmed, sat back and smiled.

After adjusting and locking my own shoulder harness into place, I settled back eager for the ride to be under way. My plans were coming together perfectly and I felt confident that this weekend was going to turn out to be a great one. Maybe the greatest of my life up to that point.

"You'll like Uncle Jimmy and Aunt Sofia," Stephanie remarked casually over the grating sound of her mother loudly informing her father that there were fragile items in some of the bags he was rearranging. "They're nothing like mom and dad, they're actually very sweet."

"But will they like me?"

"What's not to like?"

"Why don't you ask your parents? I'm sure they'd be happy to discuss it at length with you."

Stephanie tilted her head back, laughing heartily as she tucked serene ebony waves of shoulder length tresses behind her ears.

"Trust me, they have several times but that is entirely beside the point. My aunt and uncle will like you and little Christos and Petrea will love you."

"Christos and Petrea...?"

"My nephew and niece, I'm sure I've told you about them. They're both absolute dolls. He's six and she's four. I can't wait to watch them open their presents."

"Oh yeah, I remember now."

Actually I'd remembered all along, it's just that I always got a kick out of watching Stephanie's dusky eyes shine while a joyful smile illuminates the subtle olive tones of her face whenever she talked about them.

"And my grandparents are wonderful too. They've been married forever," she sighed contentedly. "I'm so excited."

"Well I hope I make a good impression but honestly I'm still kind of shocked that your parents even invited me to go along."

Stephanie stifled a quick giggle.

"In the first place, you will make a good impression because you are a good person," she pointed out with a reassuring expression to accompany the enthusiastic pat of my knee. "Secondly, my parents didn't invite you, I did."

"What? I thought you said --."

"No, what I said was, that my parents said that we were going to my aunt and uncle's for Christmas," she clarified, "and then I told them that you were going to come or I wasn't going."

Having taken an invitation which I thought Stephanie had only relayed to me as proof positive that her parents had finally gotten over their long simmering animosity toward me about what she and I had done in and to their house while they were in Greece a couple of summers back, I was now stunned to learn the truth. Not only had they not invited me, Stephanie had blackmailed them into letting me go.

She had been as guilty as me and maybe more so, but it was me who bore the brunt of their ire. For nearly two years I've felt that whenever they looked at me all they saw was an indelible trail of peanut butter, jelly and whipped cream meandering through their house and ending in a sordid mess in the sanctity of their bed.

"Great, Stephanie, that's just great."

"Oh, stop, they've accepted it and Aunt Sofia and Uncle Jimmy really want to meet you."

"They've accepted it..." I muttered, as my good mood turned to annoyance at Stephanie's continuous manipulations of everyone around her.

When her parents had returned from their vacation that summer and found a broken lamp, picture frame and inexplicable stains then realized I'd been an active participant in the defilement of their home, Nick had fired me from my job at the donut shop. Then Stephanie called to tell me that her dad had changed uncharacteristically changed his mind and wanted me to come back to work. In reality, she had threatened to move in with me and get pregnant unless he rehired me.

Maybe I should take comfort in knowing I'm not the only one she can manipulate. Nick took me back all right but both he and Athena had maintained an icy demeanor toward me. Not that I could blame them, I would probably have been just as pissed at me in their position but while taking it all without complaint, I have to admit at times it glazed me like a donut that Stephanie seemingly faced no consequences.

The hatch vehemently slammed shut behind us then Nick and Athena got in their seats up front.

"Here we go!" Nick sang loudly, though the scowl he wore belied the enthusiasm of his tone.

"Did you guys have some trouble getting started?" I inquired not so innocently, knowing it was probably because of Stephanie that they were late. "I was expecting you a while ago."

"Hah!" Nick scoffed as he smacked the steering wheel with an open palm. "It was these two. They have to change their clothes and repack their bags fifteen times before we can get started. Goddamn it! Now it's going to be dark before we get there and we'll be lucky if we beat the snowstorm."

Quickly Stephanie and Athena glanced my way and cast withering looks at me before they turned to assail Nick. Their recitation of his shortcomings quickly silenced him though his already swarthy complexion darkened further.

There were times I actually felt sympathy for Nick. After all, I've found enduring Stephanie's mercurial temperament to be demanding enough. It's hard to imagine bearing the stress of dealing with her and Athena and the demands of running the donut shop. Despite my disappointment over his unwavering disapproval of my relationship with his daughter, he is in most regards a decent man and a good father.

Chastened by Stephanie's and her mother's glares and still pissed by Stephanie's deception, I decided that it would probably be best not to say more. Stephanie had certainly received my peevish message, so I sat in silence waiting for us to get going. She disdainfully placed her oversized handbag and a pillow from her bed on the seat between us and settled back to ignore me by looking out the window of her door.

Maybe the heavens still needed a bit more aligning after all.

"Ready or not, we're going," the still scowling Nick announced as the vehicle began to move.

He cranked up the heater fan nearly instantly raised the temperature in the vehicle's cabin several degrees. The overheated air blasted from strategically located vents to quickly envelop us with the scent of the lavender and sandalwood-heavy cologne that Nick always applied in excess. Its overbearing presence seemed inescapable and I was tempted to roll down my window some despite the cold outside.

Turning to just look out my window instead, I hoped to become inured to the olfactory assault from Nick's cologne and yearned for a breath of Stephanie's rich and enticing new fragrance. But as annoyed at her as she was at me I was determined not to be the first to apologize. Instead I gazed absently out the window, while miles passed and the landscape changed from suburban to rural and the exit ramps of the interstate became spaced farther apart. Nick turned on the radio surrounding us with the sounds of sugary pop songs from an Oldies station and further isolating me.

We'd driven an hour or so without a word passing between Stephanie and me. Every now and then I'd glance toward her but we were still separated by her bag, pillow and the chasm of our pride. The heat of my anger had faded and I was pretty sure hers had as well. My thoughts turned to heat of another sort. Despite the awkwardness of being trapped for hours in a vehicle with her parents, I was yearning to hold Stephanie, kiss her and make love to her.

Pride was one thing but it had been two long, sexless weeks.

Without a glance at me, Stephanie reached into her big bag and brought out a paperback which she opened and began to read. Since she was otherwise occupied, I took the opportunity to study her. Pangs of longing were further sharpened by the knowledge that she was in more ways than one out of reach.

God damn it but she looked more enticing with each moment. A visual treat of soft skin and sable hair framed by the window, silhouetted and backlit with the grey light of the gloomy day, she none the less shone. Staring at her only made my ache for Stephanie's touch continue to grow unabated.

Just go ahead and apologize and be done with it.

"Jason was asking the other day about the Christmas traditions we Greeks have," Stephanie stated suddenly without raising her eyes from her book. "I'm sure I forgot to mention a lot of them. Why don't you guys tell him about how you celebrated when you were growing up in the old country?"

"Oh, I don't think Jason wants to hear all that," Athena replied.

"No really," Stephanie replied, swiveling her head toward me and eyeing me sharply. "He's really into all that cultural stuff. Aren't you?"

How I loved the little bitch.

Without a book of my own to withdraw into and not wanting to take a chance of further alienating her parents, I spent the next hour and a half listening to Nick and Athena recall Christmases past. It actually was kind of interesting and even nice to see them smile as they enjoyed each reminiscence. Still it was plainly evident that I needed to even things out with Stephanie.

At this point I was pretty sure she wasn't still mad at me. No, this was just another phase in the cycle of her moods. She was going to wear me down with boredom and conversation with her parents until I caved in and apologized. True, I could have been big about it and just given up but what would be the fun in that?

Eying her as she earnestly ignored me, I realized that while she knew what I found irresistible in her, I'd come to know a thing or two about her these past few years as well. There was more than one way around her ire and an apology might not be necessary after all.

"You look really beautiful," I said softly but loud enough that I knew she could hear me.

She closed her book but didn't look up.

"That's why we were late, jerky boy" she explained in a wounded tone. "I wanted to look good for you."

"It was definitely worth the wait," I assured her pausing for emphasis before continuing. "You look so beautiful I can hardly take my eyes off you."

As calculated a comment as it might have been, it really wasn't an exaggeration. Stephanie wore a long dark blue overcoat but despite the coldness of the day had chosen a short black leather skirt and a white turtleneck of soft and fine looking wool. With her sable hair, deep brown eyes, tawny skin, glossed and unconditionally kissable lips, she was as irresistible as I'd ever seen her look.

"Thank you," she replied perfunctorily and turned her head toward me, her displeasure dissipating but not altogether gone. "Is there anything else you'd like to tell me?

Leaning towards her I took a few deep, stimulating, Stephanie-laden breaths while I pondered her question. She was angling for an apology but I was determined not to have to give it to her, even as I nodded my head positively in response.

"Have I told you today how much I love you?"

"No," she answered with studied petulance.

"That's because I've realized that there just aren't words that can truly express to you just how much I really do."

Once again that I meant every word of it didn't matter in this context. The important thing was that it wasn't an apology. Stephanie smiled at my answer but I saw the momentary flicker of realization on her face as she leaned back against her headrest.

"That's what I tell people when they ask me why I love you," she answered with narrowed eyes. "There's just no way to explain it."

Despite the fact that she was on to what I was up to, my plan still seemed to be working to some extent. Her demeanor was softening, but I reminded myself Stephanie was frequently the most dangerous when she didn't outwardly appear to be agitated.

"So am I forgiven?"

"For what?"

"You know, before."

Stephanie smiled and shrugged her shoulders which I took as a sign of acquiescence.

We'd been riding for a couple of hours so it was a welcome break when we stopped at a travel center just off the interstate for a bite to eat and to top off the gas tank. We were almost through with lunch when the first snowflakes began to fall from the slate dark sky. Quickly, Mr. Nick jumped up from his seat and hurried us toward the exit.

"I knew it!" he exclaimed and muttered something in Greek that didn't sound like it meant anything good.

"Relax, Nick," Athena suggested. "It's only a few flakes."

"Really, Dad," Stephanie chimed in. "You and Jason are the two biggest worry warts."

Inwardly I cringed at what Nick might think of being likened to me. Stephanie had probably pondered the same thing before offering her passive-aggressive comment.

"That's because you and your mother are just alike. You never worry about anything at all."

Did I hear him correctly? Did Nick just imply solidarity with me against his wife and Stephanie?

Before anyone could respond to his accusation, Nick hurriedly stomped off to the car leaving the three of us to trail behind him in stunned silence. He had barely let us get in and close the doors before we were in gear and heading toward the entrance ramp and back onto the interstate.

We merged into traffic as the snow began falling more quickly.

"You could learn a thing or two from Jason," Nick stated to everyone's amazement. "He works, he goes to school, he's responsible."

"I work. I go to school," Stephanie protested vociferously, her dark eyes widened at the sting of her father's words.

"He has an apartment, he's responsible," Nick added.

"Are you saying you want me to move out?"

"No, I'm saying I want you to be responsible. Look at those boots."

"What's wrong with my boots?"

"How much did they cost?"

"I needed a pair of boots for the winter," Stephanie explained.

"How much did they cost?"

"$350," Stephanie confessed after a pause, "or so."

"Hah!" Nick exclaimed triumphantly. "You don't see Jason spending $350 on a pair of boots, do you? Why not? Because he's responsible."

Stephanie's jaw dropped and I felt a grin spread across my face until she slid her eyes my way.

"Gee, since we're so much alike, maybe Mom should sit back here with me and Jason should sit up front."

While Stephanie's comments were directed at her dad, her eyes were locked on me now, black and merciless as a shark's.

"OK, you two that's enough," Athena interjected with forced cheer in her tone. "It's Christmas. This is supposed to be a time of giving."

"Yes, it is," Stephanie agreed ominously.

Athena turned on the radio and tuned it to a station playing all relentlessly cheerful holiday songs and carols and turned the volume up to discourage further conversation. Maybe she thought it would coax a more convivial mood out of us. In response Nick turned up the heater fan coaxing further dispersal of his aftershave.

"Christ it's hot in here," Stephanie complained loudly.

"Watch your language," Nick and Athena scolded in unison and once more comfortably in agreement.

Stephanie unbuckled her seatbelt and peeled her coat off, twisting her shoulders and raising her chest as she maneuvered her way out of the garment.

The way Stephanie's nipples showed dark and hard beneath the white softness of her sweater made it obvious she wasn't wearing a bra. This wasn't exactly her usual winter wear nor what I would expect her to have put on for a long car ride to go see her grandparents. She not only had wanted to look good for me, she was dressed for seduction.

She placed her handbag down on the floor by her feet and I got a look at her infamous calf-high black leather boots. Stephanie twisted toward me causing her ripe breasts to jiggle so sweetly. The sight and the nearness of her body were arousing a familiar stirring in my pants. With her coat off, the scent of her new perfume reached me in a welcomed and enthralling wave.

Next she raised her arms and pulled her hair back to rearrange it, causing Stephanie's breasts to lift and press against the soft material of her top. The thin white fabric made her hardened chocolate colored nipples look like they were small, dark gems beneath a dusting of snow.

She was probably as horny as I was after several days of celibacy, plus a fight always seems to get her butter melting. For my part, I was rapidly getting hard so I folded my hands in my lap to conceal my inflating situation. Stephanie smiled proudly at the ease with which she could arouse me.