Grace Saves Henry Ch. 07

Grace lazily opened her eyes. She liked this house. She would love any house if it was in Santa Cruz. Automobile noises took second place against the waves coming in to shore, even though the beach was two blocks away. Al was still asleep, but one arm was possessively wrapped around her, and he had a smile on his face that made her happy. She had decided to call him Doug only if they were at work. The bulk of this man made her feel protected--something she needed since thoughts of Stephen still managed to crowd their way into her thoughts, disturbing her dreams. She shivered, hoping he was still in jail.

Al heard her give a little whimper, and felt her hesitance. He pulled her closer. "You're safe, little one," he whispered. "I'm right here for you. He doesn't know where you are."

She clutched at his arm. "Are you sure? How do you know?"

"Last evening, while you walked down to the beach, I contacted Detective Hooker for updates. Stephen is still in lockup, being very vocal complaining about his rights being violated. But his bail has been set so high that no one has been able or even willing to bail him out. Others are too afraid he'll jump bail. Mexico was mentioned as a possible location he would run to. Not you."

"Oh, he would talk about places in Mexico he had visited. Acapulco, Cabo, Puerto Vallarta, Zihuatanejo. He only knew that last one because of the Shawshank movie. I don't think he ever went there. Such a poser." Al's efforts had been worth it, as he felt her relax and heard her sigh.

She reached for his cock to see if he needed assistance with morning wood. Surprised, because he was flaccid. "Don't you need me anymore?" Worried that she would be cast aside.

He chuckled. "I've lived alone too long, managing my mornings with my hands. I've already been up, and took care of it, before I realized you might want to help. Don't worry. I have plenty left for you. I figure we can stay here until after lunch, and then we'll drive back over the hill to Henry's house. Bella, how long do you think you'll be at the hospital?"

Grace loved his nickname for her. "All I know is that by himself Henry usually stays there at least two hours. I have a whole list of things to try while we're there. I think it will be best for me to stay with him tonight, and then you and I can come back to Santa Cruz tomorrow. Okay?"

"That's fine. As long as you keep me informed via text. I'll go to my office this afternoon after I drop you off, and complete those meetings I postponed. And make some important phone calls too."

"This is Friday. To think it was just last Friday at lunch time that he sent me this text." She showed it to Al. He knew about it, of course, but to actually see it... made it more real:You have until 6:00 p.m. to come and remove all of your belongings from here. After that they will be thrown in the dumpster. At 7:00 p.m. my new girlfriend Belinda will be moving in.

"So much has happened since then, it feels like a year instead of a week."

He shook his head. "I can't even say all the things I am thinking. You'd be shocked at my language. He had no idea how precious you are, did he?"

"I was so appalled after I read it. It made me feel like a pet that has been thrown away, like the ones they show on TV all the time. Thank God for Henry. We saved each other."

"I've been thinking about Henry. How to show him our gratitude. I know he's a genius. What do you think he would like at work? For recognition?"

She considered. "Anonymity, for one thing. He's really rather shy. Then... well, you must know there are two types of career ladders at Wakefield for engineers. Those that give more responsibility, up the ladder and in charge of more and more people. Then there are the Individual Contributors... who like to work on projects, not manage people. I think Henry as a Senior Engineer is an individual contributor. A promotion to Principal Engineer maybe. Most of all, for Henry, he wants to finish his Ph.D. He told me he's about halfway done with his dissertation. I know he'd like to finish it. But, he can only work on it at home, because working on it at work means he would not be able to get the patents for himself."

"So... perhaps the best thing for him would be to give him a sabbatical. I'd be willing to give him a whole year. Then he could come back to work, as Principal, use what he developed, and receive royalties if any of his patented ideas get used. What do you think?"

"If Doreen wakes up soon, he could also use that year to be home with her! To rekindle their love, it would be awesome!"

"You make it sound like a sure thing. What makes you so positive that Doreen will wake soon?"

"Remember when Henry told you the hospital called and said she had moved? He told me it was an unusual time of day. I think her brain is starting to work again. I'm anxious for tonight. To see her for myself."

"I'm beginning to think that your presence might just be the magic that Doreen needs. I'll wait until I hear from you, after tonight, before I tell Henry about his sabbatical."

"Even if his work isn't completed at the end of the year, he could be so much closer to being done, he is sure to be excited about it. Do you give out sabbaticals very often?"

"Some companies give them out after so many years of employment, and the most time I've heard is usually six months. Sometimes only three months. At Wakefield we make it dependent on the ranking and stacking method of yearly performance evaluations. Six months max sabbaticals given to the best engineers. Sort of a bonus, if you will. One year one ofyour best engineers got a six month sabbatical and built a new house with it."

"Oh! That must have been Terry. He mentioned something about building his house a couple years ago. Do you also rank and stack the free use girls?"

"We do. And to do that we need to get feedback from their users. We send out surveys."

"Oh. Is that why I got such a good raise? Ranking and stacking?" She giggled. "I know I'm stacked."

He laughed. "Yes, you are. And you ranked way up there, too. In such things as 'Willingness to learn new things' and 'Offering to take on more work' and the all-important 'Cheerful attitude and ability to suck cock.'

They both laughed. "Tell me that last one isn't real," she giggled though.

"It isn't real. If it was on the list you'd still rank high. But we do take into consideration the number of times each girl is requested. Hey, we're an engineering firm. We love to quantify things. You've only been here for a year, or you would have been given a sabbatical, too."

"On my evaluation, in the section where Mr. Cameron was able to write his own thoughts about me, the very first word he wrote was 'Cheerful.' I had to stop and think about that. I never think of myself as cheerful. I just... am. To see that in writing made me feel good."

"I read your evaluation. I saw that word, too. And I must say, even with the ordeal with Stephen, after spending three days with you, it's the perfect word to describe you. The other thing is... being around you makes me more cheerful, too. That I did not expect. Maybe you are magic, after all."

She kissed him. Then he kissed her. And then much more happened, creating much more cheerfulness. And they hadn't even gotten out of bed yet.

They packed up the car just before noon. The paintings were still wrapped in their protective blanket. Al cushioned them well so that they wouldn't slip. He was satisfied that they would not be damaged during the 90 minute ride.

He wasn't in any hurry to get her to Henry's house. Al realized he had become accustomed to her presence. Even her off-key singing made him smile. She knew by heart many of the old rock songs that he loved--even some that surprised him, such as the old Zager and Evans hit, In The Year 2525.

He dropped her off at Henry's house, waited for her to unlock the door and go in, and then waited a bit longer to assure himself that no one was lurking in wait. She opened the door and waved goodbye, seeming to say, 'I'm safe.' He hadn't even asked her to. Great minds... He drove to work.

Grace slowly went from room to room, looking for things that Doreen might have cherished. Nothing breakable, but maybe she has a favorite pillow, or afghan, or nightie. Something tangible, with a nice feel. There! In the easy chair that Henry said is hers. A small pillow, looking like it would fit behind her back.

She found a tote bag in Henry's closet, and put the pillow inside it. So much for her sense of touch. Now, make a playlist of love songs. For hearing. That took her much longer. She hoped Henry made one, too, as she asked. Next, scent. Looking in the master bath, she found only one scent of men's cologne. No after shave, but that makes sense. He doesn't trim his beard very often at all. She spritzed a bit of Henry's cologne on the little pillow. Maybe she could find a favorite perfume of hers that Henry liked. She found one, Chanel's Coco Noir. She dabbed a bit of that on a handkerchief, then stuck it in the tote.

Lastly, taste. That might not be a good idea.I need to ask Henry what her favorite food is. Maybe we could do something that way. But maybe we shouldn't. Overload might not be a good thing. So... instead... a list of things for the two of us to talk about while we are there. Mostly sex. Things that he liked that his bride Doreen did, things that he likes that I do, and things that I like that he does. She added them all to the list.

She wandered into the garage, just to look, and got shocked. Her bicycle was... beautiful! She decided it had to be a new one. She sent a text with picture to Henry.Is this a new bike? It can't be the broken heap we got from Belinda, could it?

Henry replied:Sure it can. It was fun to do! I haven't worked on a bicycle for over 20 years. It was supposed to be a surprise for you.

Grace:Trust me, I was very surprised! Can I ride it around the block? Is it done?

Henry:Wait until I get home. I haven't adjusted it for you yet. Glad you're back. Love you.

Grace decided to take a nap. She didn't know how long they would be at the hospital. She took her clothes off and slipped into Henry's bed. She thought of Doreen, hoping they would be doing the right things for her this evening.

Three hours later, Henry sat on the bed and ran his hand over her body. "Grace," he whispered. "Wake up, Gracie, are you hungry?"

She moved, opening her eyes. "Henry, you're finally here." She held out her arms. He leaned forward and she wrapped her arms around him, letting him pull her up.

"God, I've missed you. Everybody missed you! I'm so glad you're back." He kissed her, then looked at her and frowned. "What are all these bruises? He hurt you! Why that... "

"Shh, Henry, it's okay. We... our sex became rather vigorous Wednesday morning. I surprised myself by liking it. A lot."

"Grace, I can see the imprints of his hands. You're tiny in comparison. Was he apologetic at all?"

"Oh yes, he was quite worried that I would leave in a huff. I had to reassure him it was all right."

Henry shook his head. He realized there were depths to Grace that he might never find.Maybe I'm not enough for her.

"Did you say something about food?"

He laughed. "Yeah. I brought home some takeout. Tacos, refried beans, rice." He kissed her. "How are you? Still worried about Stephen?"

"It comes and goes. I'm fine, then I remember Tuesday, and I start to freak out all over again. Douglas spoke to Detective Hooker, and found out Stephen is still in jail. No one will bail him out. But I keep thinking that can change. And then..."

"Douglas wants you back, doesn't he?"

"Probably. But tonight I'm all yours. He had distracted me in Santa Cruz... so that I didn't brood about it. His rental house is very close to the beach. It made me wish it was mine. I love the beach so much."

They were eating, and trying to avoid talking about Doreen. Finally, though, Grace had to ask. "Henry, did you manage to gather any of Doreen's favorite songs?"

"Yes, I was really lucky. She had made several playlists, and labeled one Doreen's Faves. I have it on my phone now."

She told him what she'd gathered from around the house. He was impressed.

"How long will they let us stay there with her?"

"As long as I want. Twice I even stayed there all night. That was during the first year. As long as we wear a mask, and let them interrupt us if they need to, they don't mind."

"Can we play music for her?"

"Yes, as long as it's not real loud. Talking is the same: not too loud."

"As long as she can hear us. All our talking will be for her."

Dinner was finished. Henry wanted to set her bicycle up for her size. "Did you test it? Riding it?"

"Yeah. It's a sweet bike. I could see why you saved up for it. I put a couple new things on it. A holder for your phone, and a camera, much like a dash camera in a car."

He had her sit on the bike seat, then adjusted the seat so her feet reached the pedals correctly. She rode it around the block, hopped off and hugged him. "Thank you, Henry. It's perfect. It must have taken hours." She kissed him.

"Only about four, once I had the replacement wheel and tire. A lot of it was just cleanup. The bike shop guy helped me with suggestions, too. He was as outraged as you were with the way they abused it. He even gave me a helmet."

They were done in the garage. Grace was anxious to thank Henry in a more personal way. He grinned and let her pull him into the bedroom. It might be a long night at the hospital, so they decided to fuck, and then get on their way. It was a hurried session, just thirty minutes. Henry chuckled to himself, thinking that thirty minutes with Doreen used to be considered a long session.

"You still look very sexy with your haircut and beard trim. Did others at work notice?"

"Yeah. I got compliments. And teasing. So mostly I stayed in my office."

At the hospital, Henry introduced Grace to the nurses. He called her his co-worker and told them they would be using music that Doreen liked, just so they would be aware and not think they played it for themselves.

"What do you want to do first?" Grace asked him.

"I usually start by holding her hand. But tonight, you said we should include her in everything, right? So let's get that little pillow out and put it by her head. Also, I usually whisper, but tonight I think I'll be a little louder. I tell her about my week. Only the good things. I'll leave out the parts about Stephen."

He began by introducing Grace to Doreen, as they planned, and Grace spoke so Doreen would hear her voice. Then Henry started playing Doreen's playlist of music. After each song they would talk a bit. Grace guided their conversation to things that she thought might interest Doreen, such as how nice Henry was when he helped her move out, and offering a room for Grace. That helped establish Grace's presence in Henry and Doreen's home.

Grace held Doreen's hand for a while, and in between songs started telling Doreen the kind of work that she does, first about being the model for an artist. She went into detail about that job. Henry heard it all for the first time, so he asked some provocative questions about the relationship between the artist and the model. Grace showed him pictures of Samson's art, and then some pictures that Douglas took of her modeling.

"I was reminded of how much I loved modeling for Samson. I'd like to start modeling for him again. First, because it gives me a chance to be naked, which I love. Then because I love Sam's art. And lastly because I can be a free use girl for him. He needs sex as a tool for his creativity."

"Grace, did Douglas watch this? You modeling naked for the artist?"

"Yes, he did. He enjoyed it, too. I was glad of that. It got him aroused. And afterward, we ended up having a threesome. My first threesome! That probably added a few more bruises on me."

Grace changed up the music, starting to play her own Love music playlist. She chose songs for Doreen. First up was Time In A Bottle. Henry liked that one a lot. After it ended they talked about it.

Before playing another song Grace started talking about having sex with him. She wanted him to speak out loud about what he liked from Grace. Giving head was tops on his agenda. He even tried to describe how it made him feel--why he liked it. Then Grace mentioned that she liked doing it, mostly because he enjoyed it so much. To swallow his cum was a big reason, too. She made it sound fun, exciting, and tasty.

Their routine became playing a song, then talking about sex, over and over. Henry started telling Doreen how much he missed making love with her. Telling her the things he wanted to do with her, to make her feel loved. Fingering, that he'd never done before, that Grace taught him how good it felt. Grace brought out the hanky with the perfume on it, and switched it with the pillow.

Henry was holding Doreen's hand, about two hours into their visit, when he felt Doreen's hand move and pat his. He was astonished! Grace saw it happen, too. She wrote in a notebook the time and the action. Henry started crying. He began talking to Doreen, telling her how much he loved her, how he would be a better husband.

That was when Grace knew she had done the correct thing, deciding to come with Henry and to work hard to fill Doreen's senses with love and happiness. She started crying, also.

A few more minutes went by before a nurse glanced their way. She was thinking their tears meant that Doreen had died. She came rushing in and just then witnessed Doreen's hand moving a second time, again patting Henry's hand. Fresh tears from Henry made the nurse start to cry. She ran out to get a doctor. Grace started a new song. Billy Joel's Just The Way You Are.

The nurse and a doctor came rushing in. They checked vital signs, comparing them to others, and watched as Doreen patted Henry's hand again. Doreen, with a tube down her throat, started to cough. Grace and Henry were moved out of the way while they worked on removing the tube from Doreen's throat.

"Grace, those last two songs are also on Doreen's playlist. I never thought to compare your list with hers. Do you think...?"

"Anything is possible now, Henry!" They were hugging each other.

The nurse and doctor called Henry back in. They wanted both him and Grace to continue whatever it was they were doing for another half hour, at least. Doreen was breathing on her own, without the tube. He was glad that Grace had to be in there, too.

The next half hour was jubilant, and Henry started talking about all the things he wanted to do with Doreen once she was back home.

"What about tonight, Henry? Should I stay here with you? I feel like I'm intruding now."

"No, no Grace. They want us both to leave soon, so they can monitor her without our presence. We'll go back home. But tomorrow... "

"Tomorrow morning Douglas is going to pick me up and we'll drive back to his Santa Cruz house for three more days. I still need my own recuperation. We'll stay in touch, of course. I think on Tuesday I'll be going back to work. Unless something else happens."

Henry had some paperwork to fill out, so Grace sat out of the way and sent a text to Douglas, her Al.Doreen moved her hand 4 times and touched Henry's. She coughed and is now breathing on her own!

Al:Excellent! Your magic worked! Should I come get you? I don't want you alone in Henry's house.

Grace:No, they have told Henry to go home for the night. Tonight I'm his.

Al:Text me tomorrow. It will take me 35 minutes to get to his house from mine.

Grace:I'll send you a text just as soon as I wake up. I'm starting to feel like I'll be in the way. Very soon.