I Knew the Bride

There were a few artists that recorded 'I Knew the Bride (When She Used to Rock and Roll)', but our favorite is by the man who wrote it, Nick Lowe. It has a certain charm, hard to explain, but for us it paints an image of a woman who is a pleasure to know and watch as she dances through life - bringing joy to those around her.

Everyone portrayed in the story below is over eighteen. This is fiction; as always, all characters and events, etc. are figments of our imagination and have no connection to any living or dead persons, real places, or true events.

I Knew the Bride

My face broke out in a grin as I watched Lisa Casey walk up the aisle on her father's arm. I almost said out loud what I was thinking, "My god, she is a beautiful bride." Lisa caught my eye, and in that way she has, gave me a secret smile in return. The wedding photographer, who was doing her best to be non-intrusive, took the bride's photo just at that moment, capturing it for posterity.

Lisa continued up the aisle. I looked up to her destination, the glassy-eyed groom standing near the altar, a giant grin on his face. Why not? He was about to exchange vows with the 'it-girl' of Liberty County, Texas - the female that almost every red-blooded heterosexual wanted to date, and/or fuck.

I probably wouldn't have been invited to this shindig; but was currently dating Lisa's cousin Dana. I later learned that Francis Casey, Lisa's mother, asked her what the hell she was thinking, Francis considered it bad manners for Dana to ask me to be her escort, given my past relationship with Lisa. Lisa laughed when Dana teasingly told her Aunt Francis, "I get horny at weddings and who better to relieve the itch than Nick?" Dana said Lisa agreed with her and shut down the entire controversy by giving Dana a hug and telling her I was welcome. That's why I'm here, standing next to Dana and watching Lisa as she glides down the aisle in her classic wedding dress, approaching her intended, Trey Chase.

The reception, limited to one-hundred-fifty guests only because Lisa sternly told her father, "This is MY wedding and not some damn political-business payback convention" was held at the town's country club. The number of guests may have been fewer than whatever her mom and dad wanted, but her father, who happens to be the town's mayor and owner/president of our local bank, still insisted on hosting a blow-out affair.

I watched as Lisa finished the traditional father-daughter and bride-groom dances before she cut loose, dancing to a fast number with her two bridesmaids. I've been to many weddings in my life, but don't remember any bride being able to move with such grace and passion. The woman loved to dance. Dana leaned over and whispered in my ear as we watched the dancers. "I hope like hell the dress doesn't fall apart. It was her mother's wedding dress and they had a seamstress in last night making a few last minute adjustments."

Of course, Dana and I both knew that there were a few score of men, young and old, hoping those seams did fall apart. But the dress held up and Lisa danced most of the night. At one point during a slow number, Lisa was dancing with Trey and I had Dana in my arms; there may have been a signal I didn't see because without a word, Lisa and Dana switched partners.

Lisa took the opportunity to talk. "Thanks, Nick. You've always been a great friend and a wonderful gentleman. Thanks for staying true to our agreement by keeping our arrangement secret."

"You're the one who spilled the beans. I knew you told Dana, but Dana said your mom knew too."

"I did tell Dana; it just came out one night when we were drinking at home. She promised to keep our secret and I trust her. And you're the lucky recipient of my indiscretion; Dana couldn't wait to jump your bones after I got engaged to Trey."

That made me smile, but I had to ask. "What about your mom; how did she find out?"

Lisa leaned back and looked at me with those beautiful blue eyes. "She caught me sneaking in one morning. I couldn't lie to her. Her lips are sealed."

I had to ask, "Trey doesn't know?"

"We haven't shared our pasts; neither of us want to know. It's funny; I think he's afraid I have a dirty past because of the way I flirt and he's not willing to know about it. He'd probably be surprised to find out I've been to bed with three men in my life, including him. Luckily, one of those men was you and you showed me how good sex could be. Trey's the lucky recipient of your training."

I looked over at the head table to find Lisa's mom giving me the evil eye. I smiled at her and made up my mind to ask Francis Casey to dance later just to let her know I didn't have any evil intentions. The song was about to end and Lisa had one last thing to say.

"I'm going to ask a favor of you, Nick. Trey grew up in a sheltered environment and I know he feels like a fish out of water in our small country town. He needs a friend like you. I know he's dying to go fishing, but he's embarrassed by his lack of knowledge. Think about it." And she squeezed my hand and walked toward the lucky groom. Dana came back and we walked back to our table with her arm in mine.

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

My friendship with Lisa began three years before her wedding day, soon after my return from a four year stint in the Marines. I won't bore you with the details of my time as a Marine. I did come back in one piece, satisfied I'd served with honor and glad to be home with my family and good friends. The welcome I received in my hometown was almost overwhelming, I expected my parents and siblings to be there, but as I walked off the commuter jet at our local airport, I had to hide the tears when so many people showed up to welcome me home.

The second night home, Tom and Bill showed up at my folks' place. "C'mon, we're headed to The Barn for drinks and dancing." Tom and Bill accepted my mother's hugs and her threat. "Don't you two get my boy into trouble."

"Ma, you know better than that." Tom answered. My two best friends always called my mother 'Ma' and she loved it.

We walked into The Barn and it didn't take me thirty seconds before my eyes latched on to the spinning girl on the dance floor. Her dance partner was barely keeping up, although trying desperately. The song ended, the girl got on her toes to give him a quick kiss on the cheek before skipping back to the table where her girlfriends sat laughing and clapping. The man she left behind did his best to retain some dignity, walking back to his friends at the bar and taking a drink from his longneck.

"So, who is that?" I asked Bill, gesturing with my head toward the girl. She was one of the prettiest girls I'd seen in a long time, even before your eyes moved down to the body poured into those tight blue jeans.

Bill wasn't surprised by my interest. "Remember Dwight Casey's little sister?"

I had to do a double take. "The one that was always trying to hang out with us and made a pest of herself? Dwight would always call his folks to get them to pick her up. She was what - four years younger than us?"

Bill smiled. "The age difference is huge between fourteen and eighteen, then shrinks to nothing between twenty-one and twenty-five."

The three of us sat at one of the tables and ordered a pitcher of beer. Bill continued to fill me in. "Lisa Casey returned to town earlier this year after graduating from some community college in Florida. She's in here at least two nights a week. She dances and drinks, but never gets out of control. Lisa's earning a reputation as a tease, but even still, guys never stop asking her to dance. If you watch, she'll turn down most of the guys."

Tom added, almost to himself as he looked out at the dance floor, getting his courage up, "Dancing with the boys, treating them all like toys."

We sat at our table drinking our beers; now and then Bill or Tom would ask a lady to dance. I held down the fort, positioning myself to watch Lisa Casey out of the corner of my eye. She was constantly approached; when she did get up to dance, it was a joy to watch. I've been to strip joints on three continents during my stint in the Marines, but I rarely saw a woman in any of those places that compared to Lisa when it came to moving with such eroticism - even though Lisa was fully dressed in a relatively conservative manner compared to most of the other ladies in The Barn.

My mother didn't raise a fool; when I saw half the men getting shot down and most of the other half being made to look silly out of the dance floor, I knew I'd have to up my game. The only men who got a second dance were the few that kept up with Lisa. I intended to be one of the lucky ones when I got a chance. I went home that night, slightly sober, with an additional item on my 'to-do' list. The first item was 'find a good job', the second item, 'get a girlfriend', and the newest addition, 'find a dance instructor'.

Finding a job was relatively easy. One of the refineries just outside of Houston was hiring and the mechanical skills acquired during my time in the Marines were in high demand. Within a week of my return to town I had a decent job. Unfortunately, it was on the swing shift, which severely cut into my play time. I used my days by going back to school at the local community college, taking business classes and, believe it or not - dance classes offered by the PE department.

Real life happens while you're working to make your plans a reality. My reason for attending a dance class was to polish my skills on the dance floor and wow Lisa. Then one afternoon, it was the fourth class, I was paired with Sandy Abbasi for the first time. Sandy stood five-ten in her heels and had the body of a pin-up. She fit perfectly in my arms and, as we danced to a fox-trot, her dark eyes looked up at mine. Her smooth right hand clasped my left with a strength I found appealing. My right hand was resting on her back, just above her waist, and I could feel the strength of her core.

We were both concentrating on where our feet should go, so there was little time for chit-chat or introductions until after the music stopped. Before we switched partners, I took a chance. "My name's Nick Bottom; can I buy you a cup of coffee after class?"

Her face lit up when she smiled. "Yes, I'd like that." She turned and walked toward the young man who was her next partner while I found myself standing in front of Jess. Jess and I previously danced together during the last class. As the next song started I wasn't paying attention and stepped on Jess' foot.

"Nick, pay attention with those size twelves!"

"What?"

"You stepped on my toes, dufus. Quit looking at Sandy and pay attention." Jess said this with a chuckle. Jess was a sweet girl; 'girl' being the operative word because she was only eighteen.

"Sorry Jess."

As I turned Jess so she was now facing Sandy, Jess laughed. "You two have something going? She's giving me the stink eye."

"No, I just met her and asked her out for coffee."

"Well, I can see the attraction; that's one beautiful babe."

I stopped dancing and looked at Jess. She straightened me out.

"I'm gay, Nick."

This was the first time Jess shared her sexual orientation and it surprised me. Most of the lesbians I knew in the service were sort of butch, Jess is a cute little nymph.

"There's going to be a lot of disappointed guys when you come out."

"Can't help it. My folks think it's a phase. Mom keeps hinting she went through a 'phase' during college. But at long as I remember, I've been attracted to girls."

"Me, too!"

Jess laughed at my comment. The girl has a wonderful sense of humor.

"Thanks, Nick. You didn't change a thing or look at me funny when I told you. Your parents taught you well."

Suddenly, I became concerned. "Do you think Sandy's gay?"

"Not unless my gaydar is broken; she's definitely into you."

The song ended and class was over. I gave Jess' hand a squeeze before I walked over to Sandy. "Ready?"

Sandy Abbasi was different from any of the women I dated up until that day. I always went for the blonde, blue-eyed cornflower girls; Sandy has dark almond-brown eyes with black hair. Her skin reminded me of the color of the sand after a wave washes ashore.

Over coffee I learned how this Mid-Eastern beauty ended up living in South Texas.

"Dad left Iran immediately after Ayatollah Khomeini's takeover of the country. His father was a Muslim and his mother a Jew. Dad read the writing on the wall, left Iran and ended up in Houston working in the same industry as he had over there, as a chemical engineer in an oil refinery. He met and married Mom, a Jewish girl from Chicago. Actually, Mom's dad was Jewish, her mom a Catholic, so I'm kind of a mutt. Dad wanted to name me 'Jerusalem', but Mom vetoed that."

I could relate to Sandy's religious mix since my mother is Baptist, Dad's an Episcopalian, neither are religious and for some reason they made me and my siblings attend church with my Lutheran Aunt Gloria until we left home after high school. Maybe they just wanted us out of the house for some Sunday morning 'private' time.

On our second date, I took Sandy out to my Uncle Jason's ranch and that's when I learned our time together would be short-lived. Sandy, the oldest of three children, was home temporarily from the University of Illinois to help her mother after her father's stroke and her mom needed help with the two younger siblings. Her father was recovering and Sandy would be heading back to Champaign-Urbana at the beginning of the next semester to finish her senior year. She'd already been accepted to U of I's College of Veterinary Medicine. Sandy told me all this while moving through Uncle Jason's horse barn; stopping to pet each of the newborns.

I had to ask. "So, what's with the dance class?"

"I needed a PE credit. Seemed like a good way to get some exercise and get the credit. Are you complaining?"

I only smiled in reply, showing Sandy my best imitation of Teddy Roosevelt, hoping she'd accept that as an answer. How do you tell a woman you've only dated twice, haven't even kissed and is leaving soon - that you're already falling in love with her? Best to let some things left unsaid.

The surprise was that evening, on our way back to the city, Sandy asked if we could just have dinner at my apartment. "Let's pick up a pizza, a bottle of wine and a movie."

It was a surprise, but not nearly the surprise I received when we walked in the door. I barely had time to open the wine before Sandy had her arms around my neck and pulled me down for a wonderful kiss. She broke the kiss but kept her eyes on mine.

"Let's skip the movie and eat in bed." She poured two glasses of wine and walked toward the hallway. "This way, right?"

I picked up two plates and dished a slice on each plate, then followed her. By the time I reached the bedroom door, Sandy's blouse was on the floor and she was removing her bra. With a plate in each hand, I just stood and watched. The shorts and panties were next. She gave me a few moments to take in her beauty - a perfect set of C-cup breasts and the dark patch of hair hiding the juncture of a pair of long, shapely legs. Her brown skin practically glowed.

Sandy broke my spell. "Your turn, Nick."

I put the plates on the dresser and stripped. Sandy walked toward me and crushed our naked bodies together; her hard nipples pressing into my chest, her tummy against my semi-hard cock.

"I've wanted to see and feel your body since our first dance. I was disappointed you didn't get hard. My roommate's romance novels always have the guy getting hard when they dance with the beautiful princess. I thought maybe you didn't think I was sexy."

I took Sandy's hand and put it on my cock, letting her feel it grow. "Does that answer your question?" I kissed her; one hand on her back, pulling her into me, the other hand on her breast, her nipple between two fingers.

"I've been a good girl, Nick. Not a virgin, but only with a few boys, all during long-term relationships and never after two dates. Make love to me, please."

If I was smart, I would have told her to get dressed and taken her home. It would have been the smart move because making love to this beautiful woman only led me deeper down the rabbit hole. As I laid her down on my bed, I took the time to kiss every inch of her body; from her lips to her neck, both breasts before turning her over on her stomach so I could start on her neck, down her back to the perfect globes of her ass. I turned her again and started at her feet this time, up her legs and finally to my ultimate goal. Although she kept a patch of hair above her vagina, her lips were shaven. My tongue played in between those lips, I spread them with my thumbs and dug deeper. Until now, Sandy was purring, but as soon as my tongue wiggled its way inside her pussy, she let out a moan and grabbed my head with both hands to pull me closer. I moved one thumb up to tweak the hard nub of her clit. In less than a minute I was rewarded with the sweet taste of her cum.

I'm like most men, I love hearing a woman vocalize her orgasm and Sandy didn't disappoint. "Oh Nick, Nick, Nick. Stop, no don't stop. Yes, stop, stop. Let me catch my breath." Sandy's cries were fairly innocent; it turns out she never curses, that includes taking the Lord's name in vain.

Before Sandy could recover, I moved up and kissed her. Sandy hesitated when she saw her fluid on my lips, but I didn't let her, I grabbed her head and wouldn't let her avoid either my lips or my tongue as it probed her mouth. My hips were between her legs and my hard cock was slowly teasing her clit, moving up and down. When we broke that kiss, Sandy looked at me.

"I thought it would taste icky. That's the first time for me; it's kind of sexy."

"Do I need a condom?"

"You better. I'm not on birth control."

I reached over to the nightstand, grabbed a packet and slipped the condom over my hard-on. Sandy was on her elbows watching me between her legs. I leaned forward, keeping the tip resting on her pussy lips. "Put it in." I said.

When she hesitated, I took her hand and placed it on my cock. "I've never..."

"Sandy, I want you to show me what you want. You don't have to, but I want to know if you want me inside you."

"I do, but..."

"Then show me. Tell me where you want me. Not with words."

Sandy placed the tip at her opening, then pulled me toward her with her feet on my ass. She was wet from her orgasm and my cock slowly worked its way all the way until our pubic bones met.

Sandy had a beautiful look on her face, the kind of look a woman gets when the first bite of Tiramisu hits her tongue. "So good, so good, Nick." That was my cue to begin working it. I kissed her lips and jerked my hips back and forth. Sandy grabbed my upper arms and put pressure on my ass, her feet mimicking my movements - pressure, release, pressure, release. Every time I reached the top or bottom of my stroke, I paused to give her an opportunity to feel emptied and then filled. Within ten or so minutes Sandy's hands squeezed my biceps, signaling a second orgasm.

I watched her cum this time. Remember - the first time my head was not in position to see anything. It was thrilling to see her eyes flutter, her mouth form a perfect 'O', and her whole body shudder. When she finished, I stopped and withdrew. Sandy looked at my still hard cock inside the condom.

"Did you cum, Nick?"

"No, I have another idea. Have some wine."

I walked into the bathroom, removed the condom and used a washcloth to remove the condom taste from my cock. My cock was still three-quarters hard when I returned to the bed. Sandy was sitting up with her back against the bolster, sipping on the wine. I drank some of my wine, took her glass and placed it back down on the nightstand and kissed her, the taste of the chianti was on her tongue.