Life in a Small New Hampshire Town Pt. 02

I ran up the stairs and knocked on her door.

"Chris?"

Chris

I was ready to step into the shower. Shiloh had never been up to my room before. My first reaction was, 'What did he say to her? Is she okay?'. I wrapped a towel around myself and ran to the door.

"Sorry to bother you. Erik's in a jam and needs me to be his photog at some event Saturday morning. Do you think you can handle Long Lake by yourself?"

"No problem."

She turned and went back down. She couldn't see the relief that swept across my face. I threw on a robe and slippers and joined her.

"Chris is going to cover Long Lake. Let me give you my cell number. Text me details: time, location, etc..........What kind of event is it?....... I can do that......I need you to pick up a memory card and a spare battery......After you text me, I'll return text you what I need."

She gave him her number and hung up. She looked at me with a grin on her face. I ran over and gave her a big hug. Nothing needed to be said. A classic instance where actions speak louder than words.

I took my shower, pulled on my flannel jammies. It was late September in New Hampshire and the nights were getting cooler, but not enough to turn on the heat, so, yeah, bring out the flannels. Tom and I talked each night around 9:00. Tonight, he initiated the call.

After 'how was your day' and other chit chat, I asked, "Do you have plans for Saturday morning?"

"Not yet, but it looks like I might now."

I laughed. I explained the farmers market situation.

"Would you like to assist me? It's not hard, but takes all morning. I'm sure I can handle it myself."

"I'm in."

"If you're an early riser, you can meet me at the farm, otherwise at the market in Long Lake."

"The farm's good. More time to spend with you."

I started to give directions, when he interrupted me.

"You mean the old Benoit place?"

"How did you know?"

"Chris, I grew up in Appleton."

"Oh, right."

Up here, people often refer to farms by the previous owners' name. Thus, 'the old Benoit place'. If Shiloh ever sold it, it would become 'Shiloh's old place'. We moved on to other topics, eventually saying our good-byes.

Friday

During a lull in the market, I asked if Shiloh if she was okay for her gig tomorrow.

"Surprisingly, yes. There's something about Erik that's.... I don't know. He exudes trustworthiness."

I felt the same about Tom.

"Tom's coming over tomorrow at 7:30 to help me load and work the market with me."

No comment, just a warm smile.

Saturday morning

Chris

As usual on market days, Rachel came over to care for Sierra. Tom drove in just as Shiloh was leaving. She gave him a wave as she passed. Tom probably didn't think much about it. But damn! The progress Shiloh has made.

After the first market last summer, it became abundantly clear that Shiloh's pick-up was wasn't well suited for carrying the canopy, tables, a couple of chairs and several coolers of produce. She bought a used utility van which Tom and I now loaded.

Tom was a natural people person and was great to work with. At closing, we loaded up the unsold product and headed back to Appleton.

"Would you like to come over for dinner tonight?"

"I'd like that."

"Any dietary restrictions? Anything I should avoid?"

"I'm not a fan of tofu, but enjoy most everything else. Time?"

He chuckled.

"We agree on tofu. I know it's supposed to be good for you and good for the earth, but I've never been able to convince myself that I could like it. How is seven?

"Perfect."

"Chris, you're welcome to stay the night. Still no strings attached. I bought new linens and pillows for the couch."

"I'm.... not sure. I'll think about it. That's not a no."

We arrived at the farm.

"Take anything you want, especially the 'soft' items."

He picked out some romaine, tomatoes, a cuke, a bunch of scallions.

"Here, take a cantaloupe. Yesterday we sold out in Appleton, today we sold only one. I can vouch that they are delicious. I tossed him one.

We finished unloading.

"See you at seven."

When I moved from home, I brought with me mostly work clothes. The black jeans and burgundy polo I wore last week, and the dress I wore to the wedding, were the only 'decent' clothes I had. I made a quick trip to the local Walmart and found a dress that I both liked and fit me. I also picked up some flats that complemented the dress. It occurred to me that I should expand my wardrobe a bit while I was there, as I hoped to see Tom again and three outfits was hardly adequate. Besides, I had been working hard all summer and had barely any expenses; I could afford to splurge a little. I ended up with a half a dozen tops and bottoms that offered several possible combinations. I picked up some new panties and bras. Sexier than what I was wearing. A good start. Also, I added a box of condoms.

Saturday morning

Shiloh

Erik's gig was another wedding, this time in Big Falls. The wedding was in the church, reception next door in the church hall. It was to be a 9:00 AM service. Seemed early to me. They wanted photos in the church, during the service, as well as at the reception. Erik was already there and set up in the hall when I arrived. I got the SD card and spare battery and headed over to the church.

The bride and groom were early twenties and made a lovely couple. I took many shots at the church. At the reception, servers wandered throughout the hall, offering hors d'oeuvres. Erik did his job, people danced, others socialized, some sat in the chairs placed around the perimeter of the room.

The cake was cut around 11:30. The hall was empty by noon. Erik gave me the background.

"Neither family is well to do. The bride and groom, supported by the families, elected to not have a sit-down meal. Rather, they scrimped and saved, so the couple could have a real honeymoon. They're headed to the Manchester airport to catch the last flight to Miami, on to Jamaica tomorrow morning. The hors d'oeuvres were all prepared and served by friends. The bride's father, Michael, is an old friend. Just like you did at Olivia and Derrick's, today's music was gratis."

"Erik, that's so kind."

"I do need to settle up with you, though."

"After what you just told me, not a chance."

"That wasn't my intention. You bailed me out. I couldn't let Michael down. Let me at least take you out to dinner."

"That won't work. I have a two-year-old at home. Maybe a raincheck sometime?"

"I'll hold you to that."

It was quiet for a few moments. 'Should I or shouldn't I' kept reverberating through my head. Erik turned and headed towards his van.

"Why don't you come to my house for dinner tonight? I'd.... like to get to know you a little better."

'There, I said it. Please say yes. Or no. Hell, what am I getting myself into?'

"That would be very nice. I can't think of anything I'd rather be doing tonight."

"There is one bit of complexity, two actually. Sierra, my daughter will be there, at least until I put her to bed. Chris, who works for me, also shares my house. You may have seen her at the wedding or at the farmer's market. We share meals, but she often goes up to her room after dinner is cleaned up. So, she will be there, at least through dinner."

"What time?"

"Seven."

"Any preferences, dislikes or restrictions?"

"Nope."

I gave him my address and we both left. I was contemplating 'What did I just get myself into?'

Saturday afternoon.

I picked up some salmon steaks on the way home. When I got there, my van was parked in the yard, but Chris's car was gone. I sent Rachel home, planned out the rest of the meal, and started prepping while Sierra napped.

Chris came in in the middle of the afternoon, carrying several bags from Walmart and headed up the stairs. A few minutes later she returned and filled me in on the market.

I recapped the wedding.

"Afterwards, Erik invited me to dinner as a 'thank you'. I declined. Sierra."

"You know I would have taken care of her."

"I suspected, that you might offer. However, all those bags of clothes indicate that you might have other plans."

"Tom is making dinner for us. I needed something new."

"I figured with you working the market together all morning, and all your late-night phone calls, that was a real possibility."

Chris blushed.

"Is it that obvious?"

"Yes. Taking all of that into consideration, I invited Erik to dinner tonight."

Chris looked stunned.

"Close your mouth, Chris, or you might swallow a fly."

"I.... Shiloh.... are you sure? Do you want me to stay tonight? Let me call Tom."

"Yes. No. Don't you dare. I am an adult, you know."

"But everything you've gone through..."

"Kate has helped me put my past into perspective. For too long I've lived my life as the girl who was raped. It was brutal. I still have the scars to remind me. But I am the woman whose testimony put Dick Semen in jail, who held her head high and finished her final year at college, who gave birth to an innocent little girl, who's started a new life for herself, who shares her house with a wonderful friend, who is not going to let that rape define me for the rest of my life, who is finally seeing the world isn't all bad, that all men are not all like Dick Semen. I'm finally ready to embrace life again. This is 'just dinner'. It's a small step, but it feels right."

Chris came over and bear hugged me, practically lifting me off the ground.

"I've been waiting for this Shiloh to emerge. I knew you were in there. I'm.... uh.... probably staying at Tom's tonight. If you need anything, any time tonight call me."

"It's just a dinner date. He's definitely not staying the night. I'm not quite ready for that. Yet."

Chris

I couldn't help thinking that Dr. Kate must have some mystical healing powers. Then I realized that I wasn't giving Shiloh the credit she deserved. Kate may have been the guide, but Shiloh was the one conquering her demons.

I showered, put on the dress I bought, applied a little make-up and looked at myself in the mirror. I was pleased with the result.

It occurred to me that Shiloh and I were both taking some pretty big steps tonight, milestones for each of us.

Saturday, 7:00 PM

Chris

I stopped to pick up a bottle of wine on the way. As I was waiting to pull out of the parking lot, Erik's DJ van passed in front of me.

After giving me a hug, Tom asked, "Are you starving, or would you like to relax with a little wine first?"

Although I wouldn't admit it to him, I was really nervous and hoping it wouldn't show. Relaxing would be a good thing.

"Wine would be nice right now."

"Why don't you take that bottle into the living room. I'll find the corkscrew and a couple of glasses."

I sat on the couch, in the middle. Room on either side of me for Tom. Remember to sip. It's alcohol, not water. Calm down.

Tom sat to my left, picked up the wine bottle and laughed.

"Is it not good? I don't know much about wine. The clerk said this one 'goes down smoothly'."

"I'm not a connoisseur either. I was laughing because it's a screw cap. I won't be able to demonstrate my remarkable cork removing skills."

"If it's that important to you, to impress me with your 'remarkable skills', I can go back and fetch a bottle with a cork. I must warn you it takes a lot of skill to impress me."

He looked up and we both burst out laughing. Tom poured the wine and we spent the better part of an hour in light conversation.

"Hungry yet? We're having Fettuccini Alfredo. Everything's ready, besides the actual cooking. The food will need about 20 minutes, start to finish.

We moved into the kitchen. Tom started the pasta water heating. The table was set, including candles. He turned on some classical mood music. It felt a bit like a seduction scene from a movie.

As predicted, 20 minutes later the pasta was ready. He brought out two Caesar salads, poured some sparkling water and topped up our wine. The food was delicious. After we finished eating and taking care of the dishes, we returned to the living room, bringing the wine bottle and glasses with us.

"Tom, that meal was wonderful. Where or how did you learn to cook?"

"As you know, my family wasn't well off. Fast food was considered an extravagance, so I never developed a taste for it. Our dorm at UNH was all suites, each with a small kitchen. Charlie loved to cook and had a flair for it. His enthusiasm rubbed off on me. I continued to expand my repertoire. Between a few basic cookbooks and the internet, I now have a core group of recipes to choose from. Cooking is easy. Once you have mastered the basics, everything that follows is just a variation on a theme."

We sat in silence for a few moments.

"No pressure here, but we have this wine waiting to be consumed. I'd like to relax and enjoy it with you, but worry about you driving home late at night. You know that you're welcome to stay tonight, still with no strings attached."

I had pretty much already decided to stay when Shiloh dropped her bombshell about Erik. That was the deciding factor. No way was I going to interrupt what may be developing between them.

"In a smaller voice than I meant to use, I said, "I have a small overnight bag in my car."

Tom stood up.

"Let's go get it before it gets any colder."

After dropping my bag by the door, we returned to the couch, Tom poured some wine, and we snuggled close to warm up after being out in the chilly autumn air.

"Two Netflix movies arrived today; "Oceans 8" and "Won't You be my Neighbor". It's only 9:15. Interested?"

"I loved Mister Rogers."

He started the movie. Half way through, Tom paused the movie, got up, took the empty wineglasses and bottle to the kitchen and returned with a blanket. He settled into the left corner; I snuggled as close to him as I could as he covered our legs with the blanket. He alternated draping his right arm behind my neck and massaging my right shoulder and laying his arm on my left thigh, while gently massaging it through the layers of blanket and my dress. Nothing overtly sexual, but none the less sending a clear message. For the most part, I kept my left arm on his right thigh. Quietly.

The movie ended. When we stood up, his bulge was obvious. He folded the blanket, placing it on the couch. Decision time. I moved in to hug him, pulling him closer with my right arm while cupping his erection with my left hand.

"I want you, Tom. All of you."

Several emotions crossed his face which I couldn't read. He pulled me tightly to him, one arm on my upper back and the other on my ass. He leaned down, kissed me gently, lips just touching, backed off, looked into my eyes, smiled and kissed me again. I could feel his erection growing in my hand. He parted my lips with his tongue. I felt his tongue searching for mine, found it, danced with it. I could feel my nipples harden against his chest, my panties getting damp, my heartbeat rapidly increasing, his erection feeling huge in my hand. He backed off, took me by the hand leading me towards his bedroom.

"Wait. I need my bag."

I retrieved it and headed into the bedroom as Tom was turning down the bed. I opened my bag grabbed my toiletry bag and entered his bathroom. I noticed Tom had provided a new toothbrush. I used my own. I finished my nightly rituals and returned to the bedroom.

Tom had moved the candles from dinner to his dresser and lit them. All the other house lights were turned off, more soft mood music was drifting through the air. While he was in the bathroom, I opened the box of condoms and put two on the night stand.

I was sitting on the edge of the bed, apprehensively waiting his return. He sat down beside me, pulled me into a hug, looked me in the eye, kissed my forehead and asked,

"Are you okay? Besides looking beautiful, you look.... concerned. You do know that I both want you, very much, but I have longer term plans for us. I don't want to lose you because you aren't ready, felt forced."

"When I was in 4-H, I did some show jumping for a couple of years. In a show, you are approaching the first jump, galloping full speed, on an animal that weighs 10 times what you do, adrenalin flowing like never before, apprehension as high as the jump, you and your horse act as one, connected together for the sole purpose on clearing the fence, you land successfully, the exhilaration is indescribable, the next jump is easier, you finish the course and wonder what you were worried about.

"The analogy isn't perfect, because, you don't do a show without practicing a hundred times. If you can overlook that detail, I'm headed at full gallop for my first jump, yes, I'm apprehensive, but I know that all of humanity before me has done this. You're my stallion, you've cleared this jump many times before with other riders, I have complete trust that you'll get me over my first one safely, and know that each successive time will be both easier and more exhilarating."

"Your stallion, huh?"

"Well, I know from holding you earlier that you're not a gelding, and I'm not into mares, so you're a stallion by default."

We both laughed, breaking the tension I felt.

"For the record, I'm only 24. I may be more experienced than you, but not by a lot."

"You've done everything to make tonight special for me. A wonderful home cooked meal, candles, soft music, cuddling on the couch together. I want to ride with you over that first jump. Undress me, make love to me."

Tom removed his shoes and socks, knelt down, gently extracted my foot from my new flat, rolled down my sock, and repeated with my other foot. He then took a couple of minutes to massage each foot, concentrating his attention on my heels and soles. He slid his hands up the outside of my lower legs, under my dress, continuing up my outer thighs until he reached my panty line, then moved inward, down the edge of my panties, finally down the inside of my thighs. After sitting next to me, he reached behind me and unzipped my dress, pulling it forward, releasing my arms from the sleeves, one at a time, letting the top of my dress fall onto my lap.

He reached behind me to undo my bra, realized that it was a front closure, moved around front and opened it. Tom slid the bra off my shoulders, releasing my breasts. He inhaled sharply, looked up to my face, smiled at me, moved down and planted a light kiss on each breast. My nipples were hard and my breasts felt wonderful as he cupped them and gently kneaded them.

Tom had on a polo shirt. I undid the one button still buttoned, he raised his arms, I reached down for the bottom and lifted it up over his head. We stood up, my dress fell down, gathered around my feet. Tom picked it up, draped it over a nearby chair, leaving me in only my panties. We embraced each other. There was no mistaking his excitement. I sat back down, unbuckled his belt, lowered his zip, and helped slide his pants down. He stepped out of them, laying them next to my dress. He stepped back in front of me, his bulge directly in front of my face.

I looked up at him, smiled, looked back down and worked my fingers into the front of his boxers. I pulled them away from his belly and slid them down past his penis, letting them drop to the floor. His penis was pointing straight up, the head was shiny with his moisture, the shaft visibly throbbing, with prominent veins running the length of it.

I wrapped my hand around it, feeling warmth. It was, inexplicably, both hard and soft at the same time. I pulled the head towards me, noticed the flaring edge, the leaking liquid emanating from the opening in the tip. I released it and it sprang back, hitting his belly with a distinct 'whap'. I touched the head, spreading the liquid around. Tom began squirming.