Lemon to Lemonade Ch. 02

I was certainly shame faced once I recovered. "I'm sorry Mike, but it's been such a long time since I felt attracted to a man with such intensity."

To Michael's credit, he waves it off. "And here I was thinking I was god's gift to the female gender."

I dragged him to me and whispered breathlessly. "You have nothing to fear with your ability. I was blown away. You do again even half what you did tonight and I'll be a very happy woman." My pussy tingled as I said it.

Michael and I talked then made love again. I was in heaven. This wasn't the raw sexual battering I'd experienced during my disgraceful episode of infidelity. This was tender loving and I was impressed by his stamina and ability to recoup so quickly. The most I have seen one man ejaculate is four times in one night, and Michael out did that by fifty percent and sent me into a sexual daze along with it.

When I walked into Bev's place the following day, she must have seen it in my face. "Well well, if it isn't the cat that has stolen the cream? What have you been up to my dear? You're simply glowing!"

I felt the blood rush to my face as it reddened. Having to admit to Beverley that I'd been sexually active again was embarrassing. "Mike and I...we...Ummm...we..."

Bev held her hand up. "No need to explain your amorous dalliances my dear. I'm way past caring about that kind of gossip. I'm surprised it has taken this long for your beau to persuade you. He's either a real gentleman or an incompetent wuss." Beverley cackled her head off at her little joke.

I just stood there with a quiescent smile on my face. "You finished laughing your silly head off. Michael is far from incompetent. He's the most wonderful lover I could possibly hope for. I dare say even a little better than James, but don't quote me on that. I think a little bias might be unfair to James."

Bev got herself back under control and started to make tea. "Okay Kelly, I can see you have something you need to get off your chest." I shook my head in wonder. Beverley could read me like a book.

"You do know you've finally made it Kelly? You've beaten the odds! I know there were many people who wrote you off, said that you were damaged goods, and only fit for societies rubbish dump. I have to admit it didn't look good at the start but my god girl; you certainly pulled your socks up and straightened yourself out. So what's your problem now?"

"I think I'm in love...No, no I know I'm in love. However that has brought up a lot of worries I don't know how to handle. Michael has been hinting for a while it might be a good idea to take our relationship to the next level. I don't know what I'll do or say if he pops the question."

Beverley frowned. "You worried you'll fail again?"

"NO!" I shouted in panic. Then a little more quietly, "I mean no, that's not it. I'm worried if or should I say when he finds out, I'll lose him. I'd be going back to being an 'A' class moron if I thought Michael wouldn't find out about my past. Right now I can walk away and although it'll be heart breaking, I know it won't hurt as much as if I go ahead with this relationship and he leaves because of something someone has told him."

Bev poured our tea and sat thinking. "Have you so little faith in Michael?"

I thought about it for a minute. "No, I don't think that. What's worrying me is if he finds out from someone else, then it can be said that I deceived him and he'd be right. I know what deception does to a relationship first hand. I don't want my next relationship, or marriage for that matter, to be under such a cloud!"

"Then you have only one avenue left to travel. You'll have to tell him!"

I sipped my tea and stared at the vase of roses on the table. "No...no, I can't do that either. I'll be tempted to sugar coat it. I need someone to tell him how it was, with all the gory details. Someone like you or mum perhaps."

I didn't get much sorted out talking to Bev, except that she agreed Michael needed to know what he was getting himself into.

Once I was home again, I remembered Michael was coming over for dinner. I thought of something James had said to me many years ago and because of that, I was racing against time as I looked at the clock. "Damn, I might not make it." I kept up the pace, flinging my clothes off as I checked the oven. I found out Michael loves roasts and pork was one of his favourites with plenty of crackling and applesauce.

With a quick peek out the window, I saw Michael pull into the visitor's carpark. "Yes!" I said to myself. One last trip to the bedroom to check myself over to see all was where it was supposed to be, I walked past the kitchen picking up the last item I needed on the way to meet my lover at the door.

The doorbell rang. "It's open!" I sang out then had an immediate frightfully thought. "What if he's not alone?" I had no time to panic any further as the door swung open. "Surprise!"

Michael stood there dumbfounded. Well he would be, wouldn't he? I was kneeling at the front door waiting my lover, clothed in nothing but stockings and CMF's. Trusting the beer in hand would add weight to what I hoped was a wicked and sinful smile on my face.

"Ohhh dear! You sure can say surprise, a gorgeous surprise!" My heart rate quickened and knew it was working as I saw the bugle in his trousers grow. Michael quickly glanced over his shoulder suddenly remembering the door was still open and anyone coming down the hall would get an eyeful of his girlfriend on her knees and naked.

He shut the door and I handed him his beer, starting to unzip his fly. "Dinner will be at least another hour, so I thought there was something you might like while you wait." With that, I had his gorgeous cock out and tenderly stroking it. Looking straight up into Michael's eyes, I slid his truncheon into my mouth and sucked it straight down to the hilt. I held as long as I could, swallowing incessantly, desperately trying to control my gag reflex, with my fingers digging into his butt cheeks.

Michael groaned and I could feel his knees shaking. I felt his hand on the top of my head, although he made on attempt to control my actions. I slowly lifted my head off his organ, still swallowing until I had just the head in my mouth flicking it with my tongue. My eyes were watering, but I could see enough to realise the beer was as good as forgotten. "Fuck me dead," was all he managed to exclaim.

I grinned and coughed slightly, clearing my throat. "Great minds think alike! That's what 'I' was praying for! Aren't you interested in your beer?" Michael suddenly laughed and snapped the top off his bottle and swigged a good mouthful as I went back to sucking his cock. I bobbed my head up and down with increasing strokes. I could feel his cock twitching uncontrollably. I cupped his balls and massaged them as I finished him off before he finished his beer I'm pleased to say. After swallowing his spending and sucking him clean, I neatly tucked him back into his trousers and looked up with innocent doe eyes. "Was that good my love?"

He took one last swig and putting his now empty beer bottle down on the hall table, Michael then lifted me off my knees and picked me up. He carried me through to the bedroom where he gave me his answer and the most wicked tonguing of my life. I was thrashing my head from side to side as he lathered me with his expert tongue. Much later as we sat eating, he commented. "Where did you get that idea from?"

I grinned. "You liked it did you?"

"Damn woman, what's not to like? What did I do to deserve that surprise?"

"I was reliably informed it was one fantasy that most men have. I thought I'd like to try it to see if the person was right. He was as a matter of fact, but I have concluded that he was right in so many things!"

"Well that's one I can cross off my list of fantasies, not that I wouldn't mind if you do it again sometime."

"If you keep up what you did to me in the bedroom, then I can guarantee that while it won't be every time, I'll certainly make sure you don't forget what it's like." I then had a small concern. "Will you be telling your mates down the pub what I did?"

Michael looked at me with a stunned look. "You have got to be joking. Let me tell you a little about men and what they talk about with their mates. If you were a casual ...ummm..."

"Fuck, lay, piece of crumpet?" I jokingly helped him.

Michael chuckled. "Yeah, a one or two nighter, then I'd be bragging like crazy and having my mates green with envy. However I can tell you, no sane man would say anything like that about his steady girlfriend or wife. One thing is the guys would think I was bullshitting them. Even if I could convince them it was true, I'd be then be worried my mates were tryin to backdoor me from then on. No, better to say nothing, agree with the bastards that we don't get enough blowjobs and sit back grinning to myself thinking, "Tough shit guys, but I'm on clover here, eat ya hearts out!"

I giggled and felt good that I had made Michael's day and thought to myself. "Thanks James, you were right again."

~...~

I don't know if it was my stunt a couple of days ago, or if he was planning it for a while. Either way Michael caught me totally unprepared. I should have guessed something was going to happen, but I was over the moon when he informed me that it was his turn to surprise me and invited me to dinner. On the day of our date, he wasn't in the office as normal. I didn't think anything of it when he rang and told me he had last minute things to take care of and was it alright if I came past his place before we ate.

I knocked on his door about seven. When the door open he was dressed immaculately, his aftershave made its presence subtly noticed and made my head swim with pleasant sensations. Offering me his hand, he drew me in. "Step this way my lady, dinner will be a little while longer!"

I could hear soft romantic music in the background and most of the lighting was subdued with candles spread around the room. Guiding me through to the dining room Michael picked up a glass of wine and handed it to me. The table was set with two lit candle, making it obvious that we weren't going out for dinner as I had first thought. The single long stemmed rose lying across my place mat was corny and charming none the less, certainly a thoughtful touch. "This is amazing Mike! You did all this for me?"

Michael looked around the room as though he was looking at all the preparations. "Ahhh yeah sure, I can't see any other woman in here, so it must be for the one I love!"

All I could do was slap his arm. "You know what I mean, this so lovely. I don't know what to say?"

"How about you dance with me until you find the right words?" Michael led me into the lounge room where he'd shifted some furniture to give us room. It was like a fairy tale dream come true! I melded into my lover and he held me close. I felt so at peace, I didn't want this to end. We danced for a while until Michael indicated that it might be an idea to eat. "I think we both might be needing the strength to finish the night.

I marvelled at the Fettuccini Carbonara Michael had prepared. "You like? I certainly hope so! It's about the only thing I can cook to any degree that's edible! There's wine trifle for dessert, you don't need to cook anything to whip one of those up! " He stated with a silly grin on his face. I just shook my head.

We finished eating, had a couple more dances and sat on the couch playing tongue tag. The whole evening was so wonderfully romantic, I couldn't help feel mellow and very amorous. I just couldn't have asked for more. This was the full court press, right down to the intimate sweet little nothings he whispered to me while dancing.

I could see something was on his mind as we sat there looking into each other's eyes and I started to get anxious myself. Then he did what I was afraid of from about half way through this wonderful evening. He dropped to his knee and asked the very question I was dreading.

"Ms. Kelly Garret! Will you marry me?"

The look on his face and the way he nervously fumbled with the engagement ring broke my heart and the tears fell like a waterfall. The confused almost sad look I got made it worse and all I could do was sit and weep. Michael wrapped his strong arms around me, not saying anything. Then soothing and reassuring me that everything was all right, "I understand if you don't want to get married right now, but I thought we were getting to that stage that...." He trailed off not knowing what to say next.

Once I got myself under control, I suddenly realised through the sadness and confusion, who could help me try to help Michael understand my reluctance to accept his wonderful offer. I got up, took out a pen and paper from my purse, and wrote down an address. Handing it to Michael I sniffed, "There's something about me that you need to know."

Michael put his finger to my lips to silence me. "The only thing I need to know is if you love me as much as I love you!"

I shook my head, removing his finger from my quivering lips. "Tonight has been so wonderful; I do love you more than you could possibly know. In a perfect world that is all we need, however, I'm not perfect by any stretch of the imagination. I have done some terrible and evil things in my past Michael, things that I'm ashamed of, things that should never have been done."

I took a tissue from a box on a side table and dabbed at my eyes. "The nightmares will haunt me for a long time to come. Before you make your offer again and I sincerely hope you do, if you do, you need to talk to this person. I could tell you, but I have to admit I'd be guilty of watering down the severity of my actions. I believe this person will give it to you straight. Talk to them and then come to me if you still want to pursue this."

Michael looked at the address on the paper for a long time and then put it in his pocket. "I can't see how anything can change my mind, but if it's what you want Kelly, then I'll do as you ask."

I smiled sadly. "It not what I want, but it's what has to be. I couldn't live with anything else."

I got a text message the next day. "Kerry's Café in the mall. Tomorrow at noon, we need to talk!" I shivered at seeing that message. It didn't look to be abusive, but it made me uneasy just the same."

I was sitting there drinking my coffee as a familiar voice broke my thoughts. "Why did you send him to me Kelly? Why not to someone else, someone who might give you a better hearing?"

I stiffened at his voice, a voice I hadn't heard in years. Without turning around I spoke. "Because you are the only one who could possibly get through to Michael just how bad I was, James. Anyone else would pull his or her punches. You're not a vindictive man James, I know that. I knew you would tell it like it was and be truthful til it hurt. I'm praying that you did just that."

James sat opposite me saying nothing until a waitress came to take his order. "I told him everything like it was. I told him what you were like and how you manipulated our marriage. I told him every single detail. I left nothing out, not even what transpired at Pamela and Chadwick's place." James's eyes bore into me to emphasis what he had just said. "Every little detail Kelly, I felt no malice as I related it. There was no emotion Kelly, just facts. I'm not sure he believed me, but he certainly listened."

I shuddered at the possible ramifications of what I'd done. I could feel the tears of loss as James sat there gazing off down the mall. "Thank you James. I appreciate your truthfulness. I don't know where this will go from here, but at least it's out in the open now and I'll deal with it from here."

We sat there not talking for quite some time. It was a strained silence that neither of us could seem to break. Before James got up to leave, there was something I needed to say, "I'm sorry for what I did to us James." James looked me straight in the eye but said nothing, just waiting. "I know I've said it a million times, but I know now exactly what I'm apologising for."

James scratched his ear as though he was debating with himself what to say, finally he came out with, "That man is probably as big a moron as you, so you two should fit together well!" James quipped nonchalantly with the flick of his hand, and then smiled and it raised my spirits. "I forgive you Kelly." My eyes misted as he went to get up, then he stopped with a sly grin on his face. "Mikki says thank you for the wedding present. Most unique wedding present we received. Got double and triple of everything else, but yours was certainly a one off."

"I smiled as I dabbed at the tears tracing their way down my cheeks. "No problem, I enjoyed making the plates. Did mum tell you?"

James smile broadened and shook his head. "No you idiot, you just did! Some day you'll learn to keep your damn mouth shut! We asked everyone who went to our wedding and no one knew anything about it. While discussing it with Mikki, I remembered you took art classes in school and excelled at it then put two and two together. It wasn't too hard to work out."

I grinned as I shook my head. "I never could pull the wool over your eyes, could I James? Did Michelle really like them?"

James winked. "You bet she did. Your mum has been keeping us abreast of your recovery. Mikki's been after me to thank you for some times now, but I didn't know if you wanted the exposure. In addition, for what it's worth...I also told buggerlugs that I really think you have changed for the better. I told him you spent a lot of time and effort scrubbing at those leopard spots of yours. Took yourself back to bare metal from what I can understand. I told him as far as I'm concerned; you're as clean as a whistle."

"Buggerlugs? Mikki? What's got into you James? Hypocorisms aren't your thing!"

James shrugged. "I still rather be called James, but I don't get antsy about it anymore. You're not the only one who needed to get their head out of their arse. I figured if you can do it so can I."

I giggled as James finally got up to leave. "Don't be a stranger! Drop over sometime, there's a china cabinet Mikki wants to show you." He started to walk off throwing over his shoulder in a louder voice, "You owe me Kelly, you have a habit of running up my credit cards. Which reminds me, Mikki and Sarah think you have a wicked taste in clothes! Apart from that, pay your bloody debt; don't let the five grand I paid for that damn china cabinet go to waste!"

He slid his hands into his pocket as he casually disappeared into the crowd. "I pay all my debts, and you've just stuck me with the damn bill for coffee, a coffee you invited me too, you bastard!" I shouted after him, those close to me frowned at the giant grin on my face. I was giggling, I could see his head throw back and his shoulders jiggling up and down as though he was laughing heartily, still with his hands in his pockets. I just shook my head. "At least Michelle and Sarah had got the use of all those clothes I bought on James's credit card, just before he threw my arse out with the trash."

That's when Beverley's little saying came back to me. "Never do anything for one reason only!" I took a chance to make myself feel better, hoping that it would be well received, but not expecting anything to come of it. Now I know my present had a twofold benefit. Beverley? She's a damn smart woman, that woman!

~...~

My coffee with James was Saturday, I was nervous all weekend waiting for either the phone or my doorbell to ring. I somehow managed to get through to Monday morning. I was sitting at my worktable trying to finish my latest design. I had my elbows on the table and my head in my hands, I just couldn't concentrate.

"Do you have a gambling problem as well Kelly?"

I looked up to see Michael again leaning against the doorjamb of my office with his arms folded. My brain took a few seconds to register what Michael had just said. "Do you always lean against doors when you ask stupid questions?" I took a breath and let it out slowly, "As far as the gambling goes, for what it's worth, no, not that I know of!" My face was neutral and belied the emotions running rife through me. My heart felt like it was beating itself to death, I could feel the pressure of my pulse in my temples. I was worried ever since my meeting with James about Michael's reaction, and now he was here.