Happy Anniversary, Baby Ch. 08

And she hung up, scoffing. "What a jerk."

"What was all that about?"

Bonnie rolled her eyes and flipped her wrist. "Oh, he just wanted to tell you again how sorry he was for causing all this pain."

Her tone was disdainful and scornful. That made me smile. I went back to eating my slice of pizza.

Bonnie asked, "Have you taken a shower today?"

"Why, do I smell?"

"No, of course not. I was just thinking it would be one more simple thing to help you feel better."

"Good idea," I said. "Because, as I said earlier, thoughts of things like food and what have you are way down on the list."

"I know," Bonnie said softly. Then she brushed off her hands, rose from the couch and held her hand out. "Come on. No time like the present."

I rose from the couch, too, and put my hand in hers.

"Which way is the bathroom?"

"Come on," I said. "This way."

Hesitating only slightly, I led her down the hall to the master bedroom, and from there to the master bathroom. I couldn't help but notice the empty spots where Jack's things had been.

For a moment, it was hard not to get emotional at the reminder.

"Here, let's get you undressed," Bonnie said, reaching for my shorts.

"I can do that," I said, sounding slightly humorous through my tears.

"Just let me take care of you," Bonnie said softly.

"Okay..."

She got down on one knee, found the drawstring to my shorts and tugged on it.

I rested my hands on her shoulders and wiggled my hips as she tugged my shorts off my hips and down my thighs, past my knees, and down my calves, where I stepped out of them. After that it was easy to simply pull my t-shirt up over my head.

There I was, quite naked. I reached inside the shower stall to turn on the water. "I got the rest of this. You can wait in the living room--"

I broke off as I realized Bonnie was not going anywhere, because she was busy getting naked, too.

I said, "Uhm...what are you doing?"

She took off her sweater first. "I thought that was obvious. I'm going to join you, silly."

"Why?"

"Well, someone's got to scrub your back for you."

"You really do want to take care of me?"

Bonnie held me by the arms and gave me a swift, gentle kiss.

I stood there, feeling vulnerable and emotional, mostly because I couldn't believe that after everything with my husband, someone could still want me.

I felt a tear run down my face.

"Oh, honey, don't do that," Bonnie said softly.

"Sorry," I said, sniffing.

"Don't be sorry," she said gently. "Just help me take off these jeans before the water turns cold."

I laughed through my tears, like sunshine breaking out after a rain shower. Then I reached over to unzip her jeans, slipping them off her. She had to wiggle her hips just as I had done.

She threw her jeans on top of her sweater, then quickly stripped off her bra and panties, where they joined her sweater and jeans.

Finally she was naked, too.

I reached inside the shower stall and put my hand under the water. It was warm. So I turned back to Bonnie and held my hand out to her.

She eagerly put her hand in mine. Together we stepped inside the shower stall and got under the stream of water.

The shower was one of my favorite things about the master bathroom. It was easily large enough for two people, not like the shower in the little bathroom down the hall, which was barely larger than a telephone booth.

So Bonnie had plenty of room in which to thoroughly lather me up from head to toe, and for me to do the same to her.

In the middle of soaping each other down, somewhere we started kissing.

I didn't stop her. If anything, I returned her kisses. It was so nice to kiss.

There we were, in the warm, moist shower, surrounded by water, our bodies wet, slick and soapy. It was too easy for us to rub our bodies against each other as we kissed, at first slow and sensual, then grinding our pussies together hard and fast and feverish, our voices mixing together as we came at the same time.

God, it was beautiful.

We kissed for minutes on end, until the water started to get noticeably less warm.

In a pause between kisses, I said, "I think the hot water is running low..."

"I know," she said. "A pity."

I giggled. "What say we take this to the bed?"

"I'd love to, honey."

I kissed her softly as we rinsed off as quickly as possible under the rapidly cooling water.

Then I reached past her and grabbed the knob to turn the water off. Together we stepped out of the shower stall and took our time drying off.

Eventually we left the bathroom and made our way over to the bed.

Kissing every step of the way.

Playfully, Bonnie pushed me so I fell on the bed, laughing. She climbed on the bed, chasing after me, also laughing as we rolled all over the bed, still kissing.

Finally she pinned me to the bed, her eyes locked with mine as she started another round of tribbing, a slow sensuous grind.

Even with my young lover Staci, we'd never done anything like this.

I stared into Bonnie's sky-blue eyes as she grinded against me, her breathing coming deep and heavy, and so was mine.

Incredibly, we both came at the same time.

Bonnie sank down into my arms and we kissed for minutes on end, my brunette hair mixing with her blonde hair.

"Lauren, I have to confess, I've been wanting to do this since the first moment I saw you. And I'm not even a lesbian."

"You mean I was your first woman?"

"Yes. You are my first female lover..."

"Wow," I said. "I'm honored to be your first."

"God, I love you, Lauren. I know it's too early to say that, but I do."

"I hope you won't be too hurt when I say that I'm not sure if I can say that I love you, too, but in time I will."

Bonnie just kissed me. "I know you will. But now let's just lay here and enjoy the after glow."

I pulled the blankets up and covered our bodies. Then I rested my head on her pale chest and fell asleep in her arms.

* * * *

Bonnie and I were about to leave the office together. We had arrived at work together, after a morning yoga session, followed by a very satisfying shower. Shower sex was becoming a thing with us.

Over the last several months, Bonnie has been the one constant in my life, against the backdrop of many changes.

I don't know what I would have done without her. Like I said, if it hadn't been for Bonnie, I would have broken down weeks ago.

Just last week, the divorce became final. I'm still deciding how I feel about that. I haven't cried over Jack, my lost marriage, or the divorce, in several weeks.

Sorry guys, but it would have taken a special kind of man to have gotten me through my darkest hours.

We were just about to take our lunch break, when I heard Gabrielle's voice. "Lauren? Bonnie? Could you come in here before you go, please?"

I exchanged a nervous glance with Bonnie. She shrugged, then gestured as if to say, After you.

So we both went into Gabrielle's office.

She was seated at her desk, for once, looking rather cold and official. As we entered, she looked up from the papers on her desk. "It's come to my attention, through the grapevine, that you two have become quite the nice couple."

I didn't know what to say to that. "Uhm..."

Then Gabrielle smiled. "I'm glad to see it. I was rather worried about you, I have to admit. I'm glad Bonnie was here to help you through it."

"Me, too," I said, highly relieved. "She's been incredible."

Next to me, Bonnie beamed at me.

Gabrielle continued. "Well, I wasn't going to be of any use. My husband has been working with me on our marriage, and I'm afraid I wouldn't have been able to spare you any attention."

I said, "So...you approve?"

Her smile widened. "Yes. I approve. Just practice discretion around here. Okay?"

"Right," I said, wanting to laugh, feeling my face heat up.

"So, you two off to lunch?"

"Yes," Bonnie said. "Our relief is here. Mine and Lauren's."

"Good. See you two in an hour."

"Thank you," we both said, headed to the door.

Out in the hallway, as we waited for the elevator, Bonnie turned to me. "Hey, are you doing anything tonight?"

"Nope," I said. "Why do you ask?"

"How about if I come over and we can order dinner?"

I smiled. "Sounds nice."

"How about if I come over at seven?"

"Seven it is," I said.

The elevator arrived. We stepped in. The doors closed.

"With the afternoon I have scheduled, dinner sounds good."

"Yeah? What do you have to do this afternoon?"

"At four I have a dentist appointment," I said. "My favorite."

"I know," she said, sounding sympathetic.

"Come on, let's go get lunch."

"You're on!"

The elevator door promptly opened.

We both stepped on, trying not to smile shyly.

* * * *

I came inside the front door of my house and slammed the door closed, just before the tears fell.

There was an unpleasant surprise waiting for me at the dentist's office. As I came in the door and approached the front desk, I looked and saw none other than Jack, sitting there with Raquel.

Who was clearly pregnant.

How far along exactly, I couldn't tell, but she was sporting an obvious baby bump. She had a serious pregnancy glow. As I was coming in, they were having a conversation about something, which came to a screeching halt when they saw me.

For some reason the sight of her pregnant had thrown me off badly. In all our marriage, Jack had never even talked about having children. Now apparently he couldn't pop them out fast enough. He just hadn't had the right woman, I guess.

That hurt.

At the time, I simply turned away and faced the secretary. "Hi, my name is Lauren Underwood and I have an appointment at four..."

But now I finally let the tears flow. I'm glad I hadn't taken the time to say anything to them. I just would have made a scene.

It took a long time for me to get my shit together, to be present when Bonnie came over. I didn't want Jack and Raquel to occupy my thoughts at all.

I listened to one of the meditation recordings that Bonnie had given me. I took a shower, even though I didn't really need one. Most telling of all, after my shower I put on clothes that I would usually wear to yoga--a white t-shirt over a sports bra with black capri leggings, and put my hair up in a bun.

When Bonnie came in a couple of hours later, her happy smile instantly changed, her words changing even as she came in, bearing a large aluminum foil pan.

"Hey, honey, I brought your favorite--uh-oh, what's wrong?"

I smiled through my funky mood. Bonnie was getting too good at that. "Nothing," I said. "Just that I saw Jack at my dentist today. With his fiancee. Who's pregnant."

Bonnie promptly put her burden on the kitchen table, then turned and enfolded me in her arms. "Come here, let me give you a hug."

We stayed like that for a minute.

"Are you okay?" Bonnie asked softly.

I nodded. "I will be. It really threw me off seeing her pregnant."

"I know. That always sucks. But let's not talk about them. Let's talk about us, shall we?"

I smiled then. "Yes. Let's eat. I'm hungry."

Whatever Bonnie wanted to talk about, she apparently wanted to take her sweet time getting to it. Only until after we'd had dinner and moved away from the kitchen table to the living room and sat on the couch, did she say anything about it.

"Dinner was good," she said.

"Yes," I said. "It was good."

I got the feeling Bonnie was nervous. About what, I wasn't sure.

She rested her hand on top of mine and said, "I'm glad I've been here to help you through your tough times."

"Yes," I said. "I don't know what I would have done without you, and that's a fact."

"I hope you haven't tired of me," she said quietly.

"Are you kidding?" I replied. "It would take a long time for that to happen. You know I love you."

Bonnie blushed. "But, have you fallen in love with me?"

I had to think about that. I looked up into her blue eyes. "Yes. I have. I've fallen in love with you, Bonnie."

A look of the most intense relief stole over her face, and she squeezed my hand warmly. "I'm glad to hear you say that. I love you, too. Which is why I want to do this."

Suddenly Bonnie slid off the couch and got down on one knee.

I covered my mouth.

From somewhere in her purse that she had dropped on the coffee table, she produced a tiny black velvet box, and opened it.

I gasped out loud. Nestled inside was a ring with a single gemstone.

Bonnie reached over and gently took my left hand and slipped the ring on my ring finger. I was speechless.

"If you want, I won't ever leave your side," she said, her lips barely moving.

I held her face in my hands, ring and all. "Stay with me..."

We kissed passionately.

* * * *

Six months later, I sat before a lighted makeup mirror, getting the final details done on my bridal makeup.

Bonnie and I couldn't afford a real wedding, even on our combined salaries, but Gabrielle worked more than a few miracles. True, most everything was donated, or borrowed with the expectation of being returned the next day, but that was okay because it was just one day anyway.

Bonnie and I had the rest of our lives together. There was still the formality of getting married, but I was impatient to get it over with.

I couldn't believe I was getting married for a second time -- to a woman.

My daddy had absolutely refused to give me away, so Bonnie's father had volunteered.

Staci was fussing over me, even though as the maid of honor, her main role was to stand at my side and look pretty, which she was doing very well, dressed in the Greek theme I had chosen.

"All done," Staci pronounced, putting away the makeup brush and gently placing the veil on top of my head.

"How do I look?" I asked, with trembling lips.

"Beautiful," Staci said. "I'm so happy for you, Lauren. After everything you've been through, you deserve it."

"Thanks," I said. "A long way from that strip joint, aren't we?"

Staci gave a wink as if in reply, then leaned in to give me a hug and a kiss. "Give me a call and I'll come dance for you two as a wedding gift."

"I might take you up on that," I said, blushing in turn. "Sure your boyfriend wouldn't object to that?"

Staci winked. "You let me worry about that."

"But let's get this show on the road."

Staci led me from the side room where she had been tending to me, then found Bonnie's dad, who patted my hand as I threaded my arm through his. I gave him a tremulous smile.

The door wardens opened the doors. The music started.

I had a curious sense of deja vu as I walked down the aisle. But this time I felt perfectly at ease as I floated down the aisle.

I didn't devote any brain power analyzing this. I just basked in the flashbulbs going off and the murmurs of approval.

It didn't prove difficult inviting people to come see the wedding. Turned out that both Bonnie and I had lots of friends, who were happy for us, both men and women.

I had not invited Jack or Raquel. But Gabrielle waved at me from her place in the pews.

Finally we arrived at the altar, where Bonnie awaited, looking more beautiful than I had ever seen her. Lifting my veil, her father swiftly left my side, taking his seat.

Then I joined Bonnie at the altar.

"Dearly beloved," began the priest. "We are gathered here together on this joyous occasion, to witness the joining of these two persons in holy matrimony. This union should be entered into freely, without fear or doubt. If there is any person in this room who does not feel these two should be bound in matrimony, let them speak now. Or forever hold their peace."

The words hung in the air. So did blessed silence.

Bonnie gave me a smile. I returned it.

"Very well," the priest continued. He called for the rings. I felt my pulse quicken. Bonnie slipped the ring on my left hand, and quickly recited the vows. Then I slipped a ring on her finger, and did the same.

Finally, the priest said, "And now, by the power granted to me by this state, I now pronounce you wife and wife." He looked at Bonnie. "You may kiss your bride."

And Bonnie bent down slightly to kiss me.

THE END