If I Never Knew Your Name

I heard the emphasis she had put on the word 'friend,' so I knew she understood why I was here. I answered, "She's not really into gaudy jewelry, but she does like the occasional subdued bracelet or necklace." I then looked down at the jewelry displayed on the table. I could tell they were quality pieces as I admired the intricate workings of the bracelets.

The shorter woman, with black hair and brown eyes, walked up and asked, "Do you think she'd like a nice beaded bracelet like this?" She pointed to the tray with beaded jewelry in it.

I turned to look at what she had pointed at, and a bracelet with muted earth-tone beads drew my eye. It was beautiful, and I reached out to pick it up, looking questioningly at the woman. She nodded her head and said, "Go ahead."

I picked the bracelet up, noticing the heft, and looked closely at the fine details of the beads. I loved how the colors flowed smoothly from rich to muted and dark to light, indicating much thought had been put into mounting the beads. I couldn't help but smile, thinking about how Virginia would love this and it wouldn't clash with her outfit.

I decided I would get it for Virginia. I looked up to Cindy and said, "I think I'll get this for my friend."

As I reached out to hand the bracelet to Cindy, she smiled, leaned in, and asked, "You mean, lover, don't you?"

I smiled at the thought Virginia was my lover and quietly admitted, "It's that obvious?"

"Sweetie, a blind man wearing arc welding goggles could see the love in your face right now," Cindy said.

I glowed at the compliment, and just then, I felt heat on the back of my neck. I somehow knew Virginia was looking at me. I saw Cindy's eyes dart to a point behind me, and I saw how she reacted to Virginia's gaze, a reaction I've seen a lot of people have to her gaze.

I asked, "She's looking at me right now, isn't she?"

I saw Cindy nod before her eyes darted off to look at her partner. I could see Cindy was quite affected by Virginia's gaze. As I turned to smile at Virginia, I said, "I can feel it on the back of my neck, like the heat from a campfire."

When I met Virginia's eyes, I gasped as my breath caught from the intensity of her stare. I could see her love for me in her face, and we just smiled at each other for a beat before I turned back to Cindy to complete my purchase. Hoping it was in my budget, I asked, "How much?"

Cindy cleared her throat and said, "Twenty dollars plus tax." Her partner took the bracelet and started wrapping it up. Cindy then said, "That'll be $21.60 in total."

Relieved the price was in my budget, I quickly pulled a twenty and a five out of my wallet and handed them to Cindy. Cindy worked on getting my change, and I could tell she was still reacting to Virginia's gaze. I couldn't blame her. I knew the effect it had on me, making me all hot and bothered every time. Cindy gave me my change back, and her partner handed me the nicely wrapped bracelet.

I turned and headed toward Virginia and the boys, smiling my brightest smile as she smiled at me. Seeing her love for me on her face just made me glow in return as I came up to her and gave her a quick side hug. "Miss me?" I asked, fighting the impulse to lean in and kiss her.

"Every second you're not at my side," Virginia said in a low, sultry voice making my whole body thrill from the desire I heard in it.

Her eyes darted to the package in my hand and then returned to mine with a question in them. I knew she wanted to ask about it but didn't want to push it. I smiled at her unasked question and answered, "I'll show it to you later."

I took Mark's hand and said, "Let's go down to the end of the pier. Maybe we'll see a tanker out at the terminal."

"Oh, boy!" both boys echoed and started out ahead of us, nearly pulling us with them. Virginia and I exchanged a glance and laughed at the boy's enthusiasm. We quickly headed down to the end of the pier, noting the Roundhouse Maritime Aquarium was open. Since we had already paid it a visit, we just went around it to the rail and looked out over the ocean. We let go of the boys so they could roam about, looking at what they were interested in, making sure to keep an eye on them to ensure they didn't stray too far away.

A couple of tankers were docked at the terminal off-shore from the refinery in El Segundo. The boys excitedly pointed them out to Virginia and me. They watched them for a while, but they quickly grew bored since there was no sign of activity. While the boys watched the ships, I took the opportunity to look around at the vast expanse of the ocean. I fantasized about just getting in a boat with Virginia and sailing out to the horizon, just the two of us floating over the water.

Two guys were fishing off the pier, and the boys had stopped running around and were intently watching them fish. One of the guys noticed them and started telling them about the fish he was trying to catch. I watched, making sure he wasn't trying to lure them to go off with him, but he was just being friendly.

I took Virginia's hand in mine and squeezed it as we shared a smile. I went back to looking up and down the shore, seeing the beaches were filling up with people who were tanning or playing volleyball. I could see the nets set up for the professional beach volleyball tournament I had heard about on the radio. I wanted to leave the pier before the crush of people descended onto the beach.

I turned to Virginia and said, "There's going to be a beach volleyball tournament this afternoon. We should get going before the streets become impassable."

Virginia said, "Yes, we probably should. Are we going to go see a movie with the boys?"

"Yes," I said. "I thought we'd go see the movie 'Back to the Future.' I think the boys will like that."

Virginia smiled and said, "Sounds good." She turned and called to the boys, "Matthew, Mark, let's go. We're going to go see a movie."

The boys spun around, broad smiles on their faces, and yelled, "Yeah!" They came running up to us and took our hands, and started for the shore. Virginia and I shared a laugh as we were pulled along, the boys saying, "Hurry, Mom! Hurry, Aunt Ginny!"

Weaving our way between the tables, I noted the table I bought the bracelet from was gone. We quickly made it back to the parking lot and our cars. In case we got separated, Virginia and I discussed where we were going. We agreed to meet up at the South Bay Galleria on the corner of Artesia and Hawthorne Boulevards. Virginia helped me get the boys buckled in my car before giving her a quick side-hug and got in myself. Virginia headed off to her car while I backed out. I barely cleared the parking spot before someone else pulled into it.

Luckily, the traffic away from the beach was light, so I quickly made my way through the busy streets until I reached the South Bay Galleria parking lot. I parked near the entrance closest to the movie theaters. I got out and helped the two boys out, and headed for the doors. We didn't need to wait more than a minute before I saw Virginia coming up to the entrance.

We went in together and made our way to the theater, where Virginia bought our tickets and asked the boys if they wanted any popcorn. When they enthusiastically said yes, she laughed and ordered a large tub of buttered popcorn. We made our way into the theater and found four seats together. Matthew sat to my left, and Mark sat to my right. Virginia sat next to Mark.

Once the lights went down, Virginia put her arm over the back of Mark's seat so she could touch my shoulder. When I felt her touch on my shoulder, I turned my head, and our eyes met over Mark's head. I saw her desire for me, and my body heated up. I reached up with my right hand and placed my fingertips on the back of her hand, and before I knew it, the movie started. The boy's excitement brought me out of my reverie. I turned back to watch once it started, but to be honest with myself, all I could think about was the feel of her hand on my shoulder and the desire I had seen in her eyes.

The boys really enjoyed the movie as I had hoped. Virginia and I exchanged looks throughout the movie, and I would reach up to touch her hand on my shoulder from time to time. I could feel Virginia occasionally make circles on my shoulder with her finger, making my breath catch and pulses shoot through my body. My nipples ached, and my pussy burned each time as I reacted to Virginia's touch.

While we were heading out to the food court for lunch, the boys peppered Virginia with questions about the science in the movie. Virginia smiled and enjoyed interacting with the boys, trying her best to answer their questions. Thank God she had paid more attention to the film than I had. We shared glances from time to time as we left the theater and walked through the mall, and the smoldering look I saw in her eyes made my heart clench. I hoped she saw that same look in my eyes.

There was a Panda Express in the food court, and the boys excitedly asked if they could have Chinese for lunch. We shared a look, and Virginia laughed and said, "Yes, let's get some Chinese!"

We lined up and picked out what we wanted. If you weren't familiar with Chinese food, I liked that Panda Express displayed pictures of all of the dishes to make it easier for you to see what you're ordering. The boys both ordered the Orange Chicken while I ordered Kung Pao Chicken. Virginia ordered the Beijing Beef. We all got iced tea to drink. Virginia paid for lunch, and we picked up our food and drinks and found a table nearby to sit at. Virginia and I sat together on one side while the boys shared the other side of the table.

We held hands under the table while we ate. Virginia kept up a lively conversation with the boys, asking them how they were doing in school and their extra-curricular activities. I was thrilled Virginia was so into the boys, and I reflected on that Sunday after our first date ...

September 1985

I was in the middle of cleaning the bathroom when the phone rang. I had no right to expect Virginia would be calling, but I ran to the phone anyway. I picked it up and breathlessly said, "Hello?"

My heart thrilled when I heard, "Hi, Bonnie, it's Virginia. How are you doing today?" From the tone of her voice, I could tell this wasn't going to be an "I'm sorry, but I don't want to see you again" type of call. I had gotten so many of them from the guys I dated I would have just died right there if it had been.

I thought to myself, "Oh, God, she's really interested in seeing me again!" My body was nearly vibrating in excitement before I happily replied, "Oh, Virginia, it's good to hear your voice." I then quietly added, "I miss you already," not wanting the boys to overhear anything.

When Virginia answered, "I miss you too, baby," I nearly exploded with joy. She had called me 'baby.' Then I heard her say, "Got a minute to talk?" I immediately thought, "Oh, God, maybe she is having doubts."

I hesitantly asked, "Yes. What's up?" hoping it wasn't what I thought but wanting to get it over with if it was.

"I've been thinking ... a lot ... about us and how we can make this work," Virginia said. My heart clenched as I hopefully thought it wasn't going to be something bad. Virginia went on, "I know how important Mark and Matthew are to you, and I'm thinking that I need to get to know them, and them, me. In that vein, I was wondering if we could get together next weekend and take the boys with us to the boardwalk or have a picnic on the beach?"

I nearly fainted with relief, and then I was thrilled she actually wanted to get to know the boys! At that moment, I knew this was going to be different. I nearly laughed from relief when I said, "That sounds like a wonderful idea. I'm free next Saturday if you want to get together. We could do the pier in Manhattan Beach and maybe take in a movie?" I mentally crossed my fingers, hoping I hadn't gone too far, too fast.

When Virginia replied, "Great! I'll pop into Jack's a couple of times this week for lunch, and we can firm up times and places," I thrilled again. She was okay with my suggestion, and she wanted to get to know the boys!

Relieved, I replied, "Sounds good. I'm looking forward to seeing you." I was mentally jumping up and down in excitement. "She's serious about a relationship with me." I thought to myself.

Virginia then said, "Just one thing; when we see each other in public, and I'm in uniform, we have to be circumspect. It's not that I'd be ashamed of us being a couple, but I can't have anything get back to my commander that can be misconstrued."

I could tell she was hoping I didn't take it the wrong way, so to lighten up the mood, I said, "Okay, so, kissing is not an option?"

It worked because Virginia said, "No. At least, not in public. God, I want to kiss you so much, but I'll just have to wait."

I could hear the desire in her voice, so I replied, "Me, too," putting all of the passion I felt into it.

Before we could exchange any more sweet nothings, the boys decided just then to get into an altercation. I heard Mark cry, "Mom, he's picking on me again!"

Virginia quickly said, "Well, sounds like you have some 'mom' things to take care of. I'll see you Tuesday at Jack's. Bye for now."

Disappointed at the abruptness with which the call ended, I said, "Bye for now," before hanging up. I sighed. Before I turned to see what the boys were up to, I wiped the smile off of my face. Mark was standing there with tears in his eyes. Matthew had a guilty look on his face, holding the object of contention, a Hot Wheels®, in his hand.

"Matthew," I said, trying to be stern, "You need to apologize to Mark."

Knowing he was in the wrong, Matthew handed the Hot Wheels® back to Mark and said, "I'm sorry, Mark."

Mark took the Hot Wheels® and said, "Thank you, Matthew."

I couldn't contain my happiness any further, so I started smiling widely and pulled both boys in for a hug. They both looked surprised at my actions, so I explained, "Virginia wants to take us all out Saturday. She says she wants to meet you and get to know you."

Whether they were actually happy about meeting Virginia or glad I was so pleased, they both started smiling and hugged me back. Matthew looked up at me, a smile on his face, and asked, "She really wants to meet us?"

"Yes," I said, pulling them both in for another hug. "Isn't that great?"

"Yes, Mom." "Yes, Mom," both responded, Matthew a little more enthusiastically than Mark. Mark was always a little shy around people until he got to know them. Matthew always seemed eager to meet new people. Matthew then asked, "Where are we going? Are we going down to the beach?"

"Well," I said as I let go of them and stepped back, "we still need to figure that out, so Virginia's going to see me at work this week to make plans. I'm pretty sure, though, we'll be going to the pier."

"Oh, boy!" both boys yelled as one. They both loved going down to the pier, and I would make sure that was on the agenda when I talked to Virginia. As I mentally tagged what I wanted to talk to Virginia about, I remembered Virginia had said boardwalk. Then I remembered she had told me she was from New Jersey and had spoken about the boardwalk where her parents had taken her when she was young. Then I recalled the old Drifters tune 'Under the Boardwalk' I had heard on the radio when I was young.

With that, I went back to cleaning the bathroom, the tune going through my head, while the boys went off and held an animated discussion about where they wanted to go. I was thrilled they were so excited about seeing Virginia ...

October 1985

I was brought out of my reverie when Virginia squeezed my hand and jokingly said, "Ground Control to Bonnie. Come in, please."

I started and realized everyone was looking at me expectantly. "Oh, sorry," I said. "What did you ask?"

Matthew asked, "Can we go to the park for a while before we go to Grandma's?"

Virginia squeezed my hand again to let me know it was okay, so I said, "Sure. That sound's like fun." Then I realized I had barely put a dent in my food, and the boys were almost done. I gave Virginia's hand a squeeze in return before focusing on eating my Kung Pao Chicken. I listened to the boys discussing the movie with each other, saying how neat the DeLorean was that Marty had driven around in.

Virginia joined in the conversation and tried to explain the science behind what they had seen in the movie. She tried to explain the 'Grandfather Paradox' to the boys when asked about the people disappearing from the photograph. I think I understood it, but I'm not sure the boys did. I was amazed at how intelligent Virginia was and how willing and patient she was to explain herself without talking down to us. I really enjoyed listening to her explain things in terms I could grasp.

Finally, we were all done eating, so we bused the table and headed out to the car. Both boys took one of Virginia's hands while I took Mark's other hand, and we walked out to my car. I loved how the boys have just taken to Virginia and how Virginia has taken to them. Virginia helped me buckle up the boys before giving me a quick side-hug before she headed to her car. We would meet at Pollywog Park and spend some time there before taking them to Mom's place.

We made it to the park without incident and joined up in the parking lot before heading over to the play area. There were quite a few people here today, a lot of them having blankets spread out on the grass, enjoying the nice weather. Many Frisbees® were flying around, so I got our Frisbee® out of the trunk for the boys to play with. Before I knew it, all four of us were involved in throwing the Frisbee® around, and I loved how athletic Virginia was. I knew she was a runner, but she moved so smoothly and gracefully I started getting hot and wet watching her.

After about twenty minutes, Virginia and I begged off. We went to sit on an unoccupied bench under a tree to cool off. The boys were just so full of energy, and I couldn't keep up with them for very long. At least they would go down easy tonight, having worn themselves out. As we sat on the bench, I leaned in and said, "Watching you move around like that, chasing the Frisbee®, made me all hot and bothered. God, I can't wait to get you alone."

"I have to say the same about you," Virginia said, locking eyes with me. I fell into those sapphire blue pools, and I think I let out a soft low moan because Virginia smiled and leaned in to whisper in my ear, "God, Bonnie, when I hear you moan like that, I soak my panties."

Of course, hearing Virginia say that just made me want her even more. As I fought to keep from throwing my arms around her, my nipples tightened and ached as I pictured peeling her damp panties down and burying my tongue in her pussy. That just made me squirm even more as my pussy continued burning and flowing like the Amazon River. I flashed back to our first date and our first kiss when we were dancing at the Purple Orchid and how my pussy had been just as wet and hot ...

September 1985

As we left Pee Wee's Place to head to the Purple Orchid, we held hands, and I kept looking over at Virginia, wondering if she was feeling the same thing I was feeling. I was nearly breathless from my chest being so tight. "God, I want her to kiss me," I thought as we paused at the back of her car.

I could see the desire in her eyes, and my nipples tightened and ached as I fell into those sapphire blue pools. Before it got too intense, I reluctantly let go of her hand and got in the car. Once Virginia had the car in gear, and on the street, I took her right hand in my left hand and held it until we got to the Purple Orchid.

As we came up to the place, I could hear the thumping of the music. We had to drive around a bit to find a parking spot. We got out, and we headed for the entrance, holding hands. I think Virginia was a little more nervous about this than I was, so I squeezed her hand as we came up to the door. Virginia paid the cover charge, and we went on in, the blare of the music hitting us as we walked inside.