Is Enough Really Enough? My Tale

All too soon her legs relaxed and fell beside his on the bed. He pulled back slowly; enjoying the feel of withdrawing from her body though conflicted about having to leave. He pulled the condom off, tying the end, and dropped it into the wastebasket he found by her bed before he flopped back to the mattress pulling her to him.

For long minutes they rested, neither one having the energy or the breath to speak but communicating their love for each other through touches and caresses. Arch wasn't sure but he may have even dozed off for a bit as when he next opened his eyes he found Elizabeth looking down at him with a very satisfied smile on her face.

"I'm sorry, did I fall asleep?" Arch asked sheepishly.

"Just for a few minutes. I don't mind, you worked pretty hard and you deserved a cat nap," she said as she ran a finger down his chest.

"I just don't want to think I'm the kind of guy who makes love to a woman and then rolls over and goes to sleep. I enjoy the closeness of the afterglow, almost as much as a woman I suppose," he said thoughtfully.

"Believe me, we had a very nice afterglow before your little snooze. What did you think all of that cuddling and caressing was?" she said with a naughty grin.

"I thought we were still making love, baby, just without the penetration," he said as he caressed her cheek.

Elizabeth looked into Arch's face and saw the love he had for her reflected in his eyes and she choked up a bit, tears slipping unbidden down her cheeks.

Arch saw the tears and wondered what he'd said wrong. "Honey? Are you OK?" he asked cautiously.

Elizabeth wiped the tears from her cheeks with the back of her hand and dropped to his chest, grabbing his head with her hands and laying kisses all over his face. She kissed the tip of his nose then she pulled back slightly. "I'm more than OK, darling. It's just been so long since I've felt like this... so long since someone has said that they love me, I was a bit overwhelmed I guess. Please don't worry, I'm so happy I could bust. I love you Arch, I love you so very much and I thank God that you came into my life."

"It is me who should be thanking God for bringing you to me. I never thought I could feel this way about a woman again after..." he trailed off not wanting to say more.

"Shh, I know, you don't have to say anything more. I've felt the same way. After my husband and I broke up I pretty much gave up hope of finding another guy I could love. I was sure I could never trust another man after what he did, and for a number of years I didn't even try. Then as the years passed and no one I met interested me I figured all the good guys were taken and stopped looking. Even when I met you and I started to feel those old feelings again I didn't take them seriously since you didn't seem to be interested," she said quietly.

"I wasn't," he said contritely. "I guess I was still hurting too much to want to put myself through the effort. It took quite a while for me to get out of my funk. I'm just glad you didn't give up on me. I can be pretty thick-headed at times and I shudder now to think what I might have missed if you'd decided I wasn't going to come around."

"You never had to be concerned about that. I knew you were worth the wait and since I'd been alone for 10 years giving you time to come to your senses wasn't a hardship," she said with a saucy grin.

"Come to my senses, eh?" he laughed. "Well I suppose that's what it was. I still have to thank Bill for opening my eyes though. I don't know how much longer I'd have been clueless without his prodding."

"It wouldn't have been too long, Arch. I was planning on being a bit more obvious in my attraction pretty soon anyway. I was going home with wet panties too many nights to let it drag on very much longer!" she said smiling.

Arch groaned at the thought of her going home with wet panties because of him. Again he thanked his lucky stars he'd found this wonderful woman. He felt her wiggle on him and, despite having come three times already, he felt himself stiffening. He hadn't got hard four times in one day since his teens and certainly not in many years, but he wasn't about to question his good fortune. He pulled his lover down to him and kissed her tenderly. He rolled them both over and then reached down to get another condom.

Elizabeth saw the condom and she got a wicked idea. Grabbing it from his hand she asked him to lie on his back. She was sure that Arch thought she was just going to put the condom on him and give him a ride, which she was, however, she was sure he had no idea of the method she planned to use to put the condom on him. She tore the packet open and placed the condom on the end of his penis. She rolled it a fraction of an inch down his shaft and then she moved her head to the crown and started to sink down on his shaft, rolling the condom down as she went.

Arch felt her place the condom on the tip of his penis and closed his eyes at the sensation. Expecting to feel her hands sliding down his shaft he was startled to feel her lips on the head of his penis. He opened his eyes to see his shaft disappear between her lips and feel the condom being rolled into place. He knew it was fully in place when he felt her nose bump into his pubic hair!

Elizabeth ran her tongue back up his penis on the return trip and smiled devilishly at him, satisfied that she'd pleased and surprised him.

"Oh God, baby, that was SO awesome! Nobody has ever done that for me before," Arch said impressed at her talents.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it. I learned that little trick a long time ago but I haven't had much chance to show off so I thought I'd do it for you. Now, lay back and enjoy the ride, darling. I'm going to have some fun now!" she said as she plunged down on his penis in one motion.

Elizabeth was true to her word; she worked Arch's penis like a virtuoso, changing angles and depths, hitting all her favorite places with his shaft and pleasuring him immensely in the process. She felt his hands on her breasts and that sent her into a higher level of ecstasy as he squeezed her breasts firmly and pinched her nipples, sending streaks of lightning directly from her nipples to her clit. This new stimulation caused her to increase her pace, if that were possible, and it brought both of them to the edge where they tumbled over at the same time. Screams and grunts filled the room as Elizabeth stiffened at the bottom of one of her plunges while Arch pushed into her from below in his release.

Elizabeth collapsed on Arch's chest where he wrapped his arms around her and laid kisses on her hair as she rested. Feeling sleep coming over him he stretched and was able to grab the sheet which he pulled over them and in this position they both fell asleep.

*****

The relationship between Arch and Elizabeth moved quickly after that first day. They spent most of their free time together, at his place or hers, doing everything a couple in love do when alone. At this time in his life Arch new himself and he felt he knew Elizabeth pretty well too so it wasn't long before thoughts of marriage entered his mind. He picked up a ring he was sure she'd like but also arranged with the jeweler for an exchange if it might be needed and then he made reservations at the restaurant where they'd had their first date.

They were seated at the same table and they chatted animatedly throughout the meal. After dessert was finished, and before they were to move to the lounge for dancing, Arch reached into his pocket and pulled out a small blue box. Dropping to his knee in front of her he opened the box.

Looking directly into her eyes he asked "Will you marry me, Elizabeth?"

Elizabeth saw the beautiful ring sparkling in the box and the heart leapt into her chest. She had to swallow a couple of times before she could find her voice.

"Yes! Oh yes! I will marry you, Arch!" She threw her arms around his neck squeezing so hard he thought she'd break his neck.

He pulled the ring from the box and slipped it on her finger where it fit perfectly. They were interrupted in their reverie by applause from the diners around them, which they acknowledged, blushing the whole time. They made their way to the lounge where they found a bucket with champagne at their table, courtesy of the management.

The rest of the evening passed quickly and they left early to continue the celebration at her place.

*****

Arch woke early that Saturday morning, light from the window filtering around the shade. He reviewed the last few months of his life and still couldn't believe his good fortune. After the last bleak years of his marriage and the dark years after the divorce he never thought he'd be this happy again. He felt truly blessed that love had found him twice in his life. There was one thing that tempered his happiness, he needed to tell Dee of his engagement and he wasn't looking forward to it.

He had to tell her in person. He owed her that much after all they'd been through together, as he sensed that she still held out hope that they might get back together some day. Oh she never said anything like that when they had lunch periodically, or when he saw her at Bernie and Debra's functions, but he could see something that he interpreted as hope in her eyes, especially when she would be talking to her sister and he could see but couldn't hear them. He hated to hurt her with this news but he also didn't want her to hear it second hand. It had to be done and he had to do it soon. Monday at work Elizabeth would be sure to say something to her friends and then the cat would be out of the bag. He sighed and continued to stare at the ceiling.

Elizabeth woke slowly, gazing at her left hand she saw the ring Arch had placed there last night. It still seemed like a dream to her and she was loath to stir further. She heard a sigh from the man next to her and turned her head to see Arch staring at the ceiling, obviously lost in thought.

"Morning, darling, is there anything wrong?" she asked carefully.

Arch turned to see his fiancé looking at him with concern written on her face. He needed to dispel that look quickly.

"No, honey, there's nothing wrong. I was just thinking about something I have to do but I'm not looking forward to it. I have to tell Dee about us getting married," he said softly.

"Oh?" she asked curiosity evident in her voice.

"Yeah. I feel like I owe it to her. We had a lot of years together and she shouldn't have to find out through the grapevine. I'm just not looking forward to it. I mean how do you tell your ex-wife you're getting remarried? 'Hi Dee, congratulate me, I'm getting married?' I don't know what to say," he said plaintively.

"You're a good man, Arch. Most guys wouldn't be thinking of his ex-wife's feelings at all. You'll think of something that will break the news as gently as possible, I know you will."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, honey. I'm going to need the moral support. I'll call her later today and invite her to lunch tomorrow if that's all right with you?"

"Sure, no problem. I'll have you for the rest of the day and the rest of our lives so I can spare you for lunch tomorrow. I think I'll ask Joy to lunch as well, I don't think I can wait until Monday to brag!"

"That's a good idea, Elizabeth. But please ask Joy to keep mum until Monday. I want to have a quiet Sunday afternoon with you before all of our friends find out. You know we won't have a moment's peace once word starts to spread. Speaking of which, do you have any preference for when you'd like the ceremony?"

"Gee, Arch, I haven't had much chance to think about it. You just proposed last night and then we spent the rest of the night dancing and making love! My mind has been kind of occupied!" she said with a smile to ease her tone.

"Sorry, honey, I just figured I'd ask since it came to mind. My preference is the sooner the better, so whatever works for you works for me."

"I'll think about it and let you know, darling. Join me in the shower?" she said with a grin that hinted at more than getting clean.

"Be right there, baby. I'll wash your back, and a few other things!"

*****

It was 12:55 and Arch was seated at a table at a trendy outdoor café. He looked at his watch for the third time in three minutes, realizing that time wasn't moving fast enough for him. Just as he was looking at his watch yet again he noticed the maitre de directing Dee to his table. He stood and pulled out the chair for her. Seating himself back down he began.

"Thanks for coming, Dee. I appreciate you meeting me on such short notice," he said more nervously than he'd wished.

Dee saw the tension in his face and heard it in his voice and became concerned. Despite their time apart Dee still knew him well enough to know that he had something he needed to say and he was sure she wasn't going to like it. Pasting a smile on her face she had to wonder what it could be.

"No problem, Arch. You know I enjoy our lunches together," she said. She assumed that whatever he had to say it wasn't good news so she decided to get it over with quickly. "You seem nervous about something, Arch. Is it something I've done?"

Leave it to Dee to see how nervous he was and to want to cut to the chase. "No, Dee. It's nothing you've done. I have something to tell you. I didn't want you to hear this from someone else, I owe you that much." He paused, looked into her eyes, and drew in a breath to compose himself before continuing. "I'm getting married, Dee."

'Married! He's getting married!' she thought. The last thing she expected to hear today was that! As much as she tried not to admit it she'd held out hope that, some day, Arch would change his mind and come back to her. Debra had mentioned it many times. Arch just needed to get over the hurt she'd inflicted on him. Once he was able to deal with that he'd miss her and he'd also realize how much she'd changed. How much she was like the woman he'd married, not the shrew he'd divorced. Her hopes had risen slightly once they renewed their friendship, despite Arch's being very specific about the nature of the relationship. Now her hopes were dashed at her feet and she had to steel herself not to cry. She'd done this to herself; worse, she done this to HIM. She'd hurt him so badly that his love for her was not enough to overcome the hurt. Realizing that she'd been quiet far too long she figured she'd better congratulate him, though that was the last thing she wanted to do.

Reaching across the table she laid her hand on his. "Congratulations, Arch, I'm happy for you. Who is the lucky woman?"

Arch could see that despite her calm exterior Dee was upset, but he hadn't expected anything else. As he'd suspected, she had harbored hope of reconciliation between them and now that hope had been killed. Despite his feelings of happiness over his situation he still felt badly for her.

"Her name is Elizabeth Canne. She's the CFO at the medical center. We've been dating for a while now and I felt the time was ready to move forward with my life, but not before I told you first."

"I appreciate your concern for my feelings, Arch. You always were worried about me, even when I didn't deserve it. You're a wonderful man Arch and my biggest regret is that I lost you through my own stupidity."

She felt tears well up in her eyes but she refused to cry. It wouldn't do anything but make Arch feel badly and he didn't deserve that. She dropped her head for a second to compose herself.

"When is the wedding and am I going to be invited?" she said with a false smile.

"We haven't set a date yet, and yes, you're invited, if you want to be," he said softly.

"I do Arch, I do. You've been good to me over the years and as your friend I want to share in your happiness," she said sincerely.

Arch had been curious about one thing for a long time and now seemed to be as good a time as any to satisfy that curiosity.

"Dee, may I ask you a question? It's kind of personal though."

"You may ask but I may not answer, it depends on how personal it is."

"Fair enough." He paused and looked into her eyes hoping she saw the sincerity in them. "Dee, why did you break off your engagement to that British guy? I've always wondered about that. You looked happy in the picture of you two in the paper?"

Of all the things he could have asked, this question was the last one she could have expected. Should she tell him? Yes, he deserved to know, especially after his making special arrangements to think of her feelings.

"It's complicated, Arch. I was swept off my feet at first. Trevor was very charming and self-assured. I met him a few weeks before at a party Debra dragged me to. We were introduced and he seemed taken with me and he monopolized my time the rest of the evening. We saw each other about every day you know. He's rich of course so we ate in the best places and went to swanky parties, and he bought me a number of very expensive gifts. I was overwhelmed, to say the least. Debra thought he was great for me too so she let me know I'd be a fool to stop seeing him," she paused to take a sip of water.

"His proposal at that party was a complete surprise too. Everyone was congratulating me and seemed so happy for me that I didn't think too much about the whole situation before I said yes. It was at that time the photographer snapped the picture that ended up in the paper. It was the next day that reality set in. I didn't know Trevor all that well! He was a very nice man, handsome, certainly a good catch, but I didn't love him. I hope this doesn't sound funny but I'd been in love once and this wasn't like that." She hung her head and a shudder ran through her body. Plucking up her courage she raised her head, straightened her shoulders and continued.

"Once I realized that the decision was easy. I called Trevor that day and told him I was sorry but I couldn't marry him. He was devastated as he really did love me, having fallen in love at first sight. I told him I didn't feel that way about him. He asked if I thought I could grow to love him, he'd wait for me. I was honest with him and told him no, I didn't think I could grow to love him and it would be unfair to string him along. I used the excuse of not wanting to move to England with my friends as the reason since that issue hadn't come up before I said yes, but Trevor knew the truth. He went back to England the next week and I've never seen him since."

"I'm sorry to hear that, Dee. You deserve to find love too. I hope you can find some one to love you soon."

Arch squeezed the hand that she had laid over his earlier in their conversation, letting her know he felt her pain and that he was serious about her finding happiness. Seeking to lighten the atmosphere he motioned for the waiter and they continued on with their lunch as the friends they were.

*****

Arch stood at the front of the church with Bernie Green waiting for his bride to enter. He gazed out at the crowd of friends and family nodding in greeting as he caught their eyes. He was surprised but pleased to see that Dee had obviously brought a date. He didn't know how serious it was, nor did it matter. He felt it showed progress for Dee that she was at least dating.

His attention was directed to the rear of the church by the strains of the Wedding March. There stood his beautiful bride on the arm of her father. As the music played she made her way toward him and toward their future.

End