Educating Dustin Rhodes Ch. 01

The night before she left, we ate junk food and then fucked our brains out before falling into a deep sleep.

Alex's alarm roused us early. She had booked an early flight so I dropped her off at the airport on my way to the ship. Her flight was a short hop and she'd be on Maui before I finished my first cup of coffee.

"I'll miss you," she said after our goodbye kiss. "I'll pick you up at the airport on the fourth. You can fuck me if you like when we get back to my place," she added with a mischievous grin.

"Gee, I don't know. I'll be pretty tired from traveling," I responded with a grin of my own.

"Then I'll get on top and fuck you," she declared, giving me a final kiss.

****

The flight home included everything I hated about air travel; cramped seats, crappy snacks, a weather delay in Chicago, and then the Friendly Skies lost my bag. Fortunately, I had the gifts for my family in my carry-on luggage. By the time I landed in Columbia, it was four o'clock in the morning on Christmas Eve. Mom and Dad, bless their hearts, met me at the gate and were thrilled to see me regardless of the hour.

Everyone slept late so we ate breakfast at noon. The airline found my bag and delivered it to the door early in the afternoon. All was well again.

My older sister dropped by to give me a hug before running some last minute errands. She, her husband, and their twin five-year-old girls returned later in the evening so the entire family could attend Christmas Eve services together. Afterward, everyone gathered back at Mom and Dad's for a late snack of cookies and eggnog.

Christmas morning was very relaxed. Mom and Dad were pleased with the gifts I had selected in various foreign ports and I was thrilled with my presents, feeling almost like a kid again.

Sis and her family showed up in the early afternoon. My nieces were ecstatic about the exotic items I had purchased for them overseas, which resulted in an impromptu fashion show of kimonos, silk scarves, necklaces, and bracelets.

Mom outdid herself with dinner, pleased to have her whole family together again. Everyone ate too much. Sis played the piano and we all sang Christmas carols until late evening.

Mindful of the time difference, I waited until nine at night to call Alex. It was unseasonably warm so I made the call from the front porch.

"Merry Christmas," she said when she answered on the third ring.

"Merry Christmas to you too," I answered. "Did you have a good day?"

"I really did. I love the holidays with my family. How was your trip? How is your visit going?"

"The trip sucked. I was delayed several hours and they lost my bag, but it was recovered and delivered yesterday afternoon. But the visit has been really nice. I'm glad I made the effort. Thanks for prodding me into action."

"You're welcome."

We talked for about fifteen minutes and then said our goodbyes just as my sister joined me on the porch.

"Is she pretty?" she asked with a grin.

"She's a knockout, her name is Alex, and she's about your age."

"Is it serious?"

"It's complicated," I responded.

"Uh oh."

"I asked her to marry me a few weeks ago and she turned me down. But we're still good together, so I don't know what the future holds."

"So it's all about sex, right?"

"That's a big part of it, but we like each other's company too."

"Your enlistment is up in June if I recall. Do you have any idea what you're going to do?"

"I don't know yet. Alex doesn't see us going the distance and I have this nagging feeling that she's right. I might just take my discharge, come home, and go back to school," I answered.

"School? You?" she asked, laughing softly.

"I've grown up a bit, Sis."

"I know you have Dusty and I know you'll make the right decision. Whatever you do, you know I'm in your corner. Mom and Dad are too."

"I know."

****

It was the day after Christmas. Boxing Day. My mother sent me to the supermarket with a list of supplies to replenish some of what she had used for various holiday dishes. My shopping finished, I was standing in line at one of the checkout stands. The woman in front of me was swiping her credit card as I began to unload my basket.

"I'll be darned. If it isn't Dusty Rhodes," declared a female voice I didn't recognize. When I looked around I didn't recognize any faces either. But what I did see was a pretty young woman bagging groceries at the end of the conveyor belt on my aisle.

"Don't recognize me, do you?" she declared.

"I...I...uh..."

"I'm Holly Blake," she interrupted, obviously enjoying my discomfort. "Remember me?"

"Of course I remember you," I replied, "but it appears you've changed a bit." I couldn't believe what I was seeing. The last time I saw her she was a disaster. She was anything but now.

"I'm on break as soon as I finish bagging your stuff. Do you have a few minutes for us to catch up?"

"Sure." I had all the time she wanted. Curiosity was killing me.

"I'll meet you at the coffee bar over there as soon as the next bagger relieves me," she said, pointing towards the Starbucks kiosk and its lounge area.

"Okay," I replied as I ran my card through the reader. Mom had given me her card but I had no intention of using it.

Holly's replacement showed up as I was pushing my basket down the aisle toward the kiosk. Seconds later she joined me.

"What can I get for you," I asked.

"A latte would be nice," she replied as she took a seat at one of the small tables.

"One latte coming up," I responded and then ordered a pair of them from the barista.

"How long is your break?" I asked as I set her drink down and took the seat across from her.

"Fifteen minutes," she answered, "so let's not waste any of it. Bring me up to speed."

I spent about three minutes recounting what I had been doing in the Navy since I last saw her three and a half years ago, leaving out a lot of details in the process. "And now I'm home for about a week before I have to return to Pearl Harbor. So what have you been up to?"

"Just school for the most part. I graduate in June. I work here part-time now but will shift to full time for the summer. I've been accepted at the university for the fall semester, but I don't yet know what my major will be. Math probably."

As she filled in some details, I was struck by the changes she had undergone. She was taller and had filled out nicely in all the right places. I was trying not to stare at her chest. She was perfectly groomed and was nothing like the silly teenager I would have expected. To round everything out, she was as poised and self-assured as Alex.

We talked for another ten minutes or so and then she glanced at her watch.

"Gotta go," she said. "I have a late shift tomorrow. If you don't have any plans, why don't you come over to the house for lunch? Mom's off all week and I know she would love to see you."

"I'll bet," I said with a grin. "The last time I saw her I had just hit a baseball through your dining room window."

"I remember that!" Holly said with a grin, "but I doubt that Mom will."

"Don't count on it."

"Come over about noon," she said as she rose to her feet. "I am so glad we ran into each other."

I watched her walk back to her station, admiring her legs the entire length of her trip. Shaking my head in disbelief, I wheeled my basket out to the car and headed for home.

****

"Holly Blake? How nice for you! She's a sweet girl. Everyone in the neighborhood just loves her," gushed my mother at breakfast the next morning.

"She's just a kid," I reminded her.

"Not so much anymore. She's quite grown up and wise beyond her years. Are you two going to get together some while you're home?"

"She invited me to lunch with her mother today at her house."

"Good! Donna is a wonderful woman. I'm sure you'll have a nice time. Give her my regards."

"I will, Mom."

I arrived on time and Mrs. Blake answered the door.

"Well, if it isn't the Louisville Slugger," she said with a grin. "Come on in. Holly will be down shortly."

While we waited, she quizzed me about my adventures in the Navy. I gave her the same story I'd told Holly the day before. Mrs. Blake was a good looking woman in her early forties. My father always said that if you want to know what a young girl will look like when she gets older, just take a peek at her mother. My assessment was that Holly had little to worry about as she aged.

It turned out that Mrs. Blake had prepared lunch but would not be joining us, declaring that she had errands to run and would grab lunch later. That was okay with me. I liked the woman well enough, but was quite pleased to be alone with Holly.

The lunch was nice and the company was nicer. I kept marveling at how grown up she seemed. After we cleaned up the dishes, Holly suggested that we go for a walk around the neighborhood. Within minutes, we began to encounter neighbors, most of whom Holly and I both had known for most of our lives.

Without fail I was remembered, good naturedly, for the various pranks and scrapes I'd gotten into as I was growing up but everyone made a point of singing Holly's praises. All had something nice to say about her and the positive impact she had on the local community. If there was a cause involving children or animals, Holly was a tireless contributor. And she still found time to get excellent grades. After half an hour, I understood that she was truly special and I felt lucky to be with her.

Completing our walkabout, we settled in on Holly's porch swing in the mild weather and talked the afternoon away until it was time for her to go to work.

"Are we going to see more of each other before you go back to Hawaii?" she asked.

"I don't see why not. Other than visiting with my family, I have no other plans."

"Good. I get my work schedule for the rest of the week this evening. I'll be home by nine tonight. If you call me after that, we can talk about what to do next."

"I'll call you. Have fun at work," I said with a smile.

"Actually, it is fun. I like the people I work with and I know many of the customers," she replied with a pretty smile of her own.

****

"How was your lunch, dear?" Mom asked as I came through the door.

"It was very nice and then we took a stroll around the neighborhood. I think we ran into at least one member of every family within a three block radius. Everyone seemed glad to see me and they are all clearly impressed with Holly."

"They should be. She is a very nice young lady. Are you going to see more of her before you go back?"

"Probably. She's at work now and is supposed to get her schedule for the rest of the week. I imagine we'll have a couple of opportunities," I replied just as the phone rang.

And it continued to ring throughout much of the evening. It took a while for me to realize that Holly and I were the subject of every call. Mom was in her glory as neighbor after neighbor called to gossip. Dad just rolled his eyes as we went into the family room to talk and sip Maker's Mark.

Holly had enough gaps in her schedule for us to get together several times during the days that followed, usually for lunch, once for dinner and a movie. Mom, who is the most organized woman on the planet, kept forgetting things on her grocery list. I was sent to the supermarket daily with an odd list of things to buy. Strangely enough, Holly was working every time I went.

Finally, it was time for me to return to Pearl Harbor. I had lunch with Holly and we agreed to exchange e-mails. After a final dinner and a pleasant evening with my entire family, I boarded an early flight the following morning for the long trip home.

Alex kept her promise, picking me up at the airport and then fucking my brains out. It was good to be back in her arms.

****

I had been back a few weeks when Alex and I were enjoying post-coital bliss after some particularly energetic morning sex. I was lying on my back with her cradled in the crook of my arm and her head on my chest.

"Is she pretty?" she asked softly.

"What? Who?" I countered, stalling for time.

"The girl back home."

I don't know how women do that. Some sort of radar I suppose. It's unnerving.

"What makes you think there's a girl back home," I answered, not liking where this conversation was heading.

"You've been a little distracted since you got back."

I decided to play it straight.

"She's just a kid. I've known her since she was a toddler. She won't even graduate from high school until June. I had lunch with her a couple of times and we walked around the neighborhood once visiting with folks we've known all our lives."

I did not tell her that Holly and I had traded e-mails almost daily since my return. They were harmless enough but I found myself looking forward to them.

"Did you fuck her?"

"Jesus! No! I never laid a hand on her."

"It's just that you seem to be a little distant."

"I don't mean to be and she has nothing to do with it," I lied. "You know we have another deployment coming up in a month. That's been on my mind a lot. Plus I have to decide whether or not to reenlist. We get back about two weeks before the end of my enlistment."

Alex lifted her head and gave me a long look. "Okay," she said. And that's all she said.

From that point on, there was a subtle difference in our relationship. We still fucked ourselves silly whenever we got the chance but there was a slight, but perceptible, emotional distance between us.

A couple of days before my deployment, Alex dropped a bomb. We had just had what turned out to be our final sexual encounter.

"Dusty, when you get back from deployment, I won't be here."

"What? Why not?" I asked, completely stunned.

"I'm going back to Maui. When I was home I discovered that the resort business has a lot more to offer than I thought. Plus my folks are expanding the business and they could use my help."

"I...I...don't know what to say," I croaked.

"Don't say anything. We had a great run over the past year. I wouldn't trade out time together for anything in the world, but it has run its course. I want you to shower, get dressed, and go back to your ship."

I started to make a scene but then changed my mind. Alex was right.

"Can we at least stay in touch?" I asked. "You are very important to me."

"Of course we can. I would love to know where you are and what you're doing. When you decide about your enlistment, let me know what your plans are."

Fifteen minutes later we kissed goodbye at the door to her apartment, breaking apart when we both began to sniffle. I had to sit in my car for a couple of minutes to regain my composure. As I drove away, I could see Alex at her window watching me leave, one hand holding the curtain aside and the other clamped over her mouth.

Alex's decision made mine easy. I would take my discharge after deployment and return home to Columbia. I had skills to pedal as an electrician and the GI Bill if I chose to go to school. A whole new world would be opening up for me.

****

To be continued...

*****

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