Lydia's Dream Ch. 07-08

On the way home, Pam raved about the warm welcome. "I felt a friendly atmosphere in the church and everyone was super nice. They obviously love you, Tom, and were happy for you."

"Many of the ladies you met were close friends of ours. They helped with her care during the really rough times near the end. Only real friends will walk with you during times like that and I'm very happy to say they were for real. They will also embrace you if you let them."

"Of course I'll let them. I need all the true friends I can get."

"We all do. Now let's get ready for lunch. I promised Donna we'd pick them up in 45 minutes."

"Where are we taking them?"

"I'm a member of a local country club; so we'll go there. The dining is nice."

Pam touched up her makeup and put on a nice light tan knee length dress and a combination of jewelry from Lydia's collection. She was gorgeous.

We arrived at Rick and Donna's house a couple of minutes early. The reception they gave Pam was heart warming.

Donna answered the door. "Pam, it's so very nice to meet you! Tom, you look very happy and I can see why. What a lovely young lady! Please come in."

I formally introduced Pam to Donna as we stood in the entry hall.

"Donna, I'm delighted to meet you. Tom has told me so much about you and Rick that I feel I already know you."

Rick walked in and smiled. I introduced Pam and there was a brief awkward moment when they couldn't decide whether to shake hands or hug. Finally, Pam took his hand and hugged him also. They laughed. Pam captured the moment perfectly when she said, "Rick, I'm more of a hugger than a shaker."

Donna said, "Well, I should get a hug too!" They both embraced and smiled.

Rick said they were ready so we walked to the car and drove to the club, which was about 30 minutes away. The car was full of pleasant chatter the entire time as each got to know a bit more about Pam and vice versa.

Once seated at the table, Donna asked, "How did you two meet?" Pam looked at me and the smile on her face told me I should tell the whole story.

"That's what we wanted to tell you in person. It's an unusual but wonderful story."

Donna interrupted, "Before you begin, just let me ask. Did you two meet for the first time at the cabin on Tom's birthday?" Pam gasped.

That sudden tingling chill raced through my body once again. She knew about Lydia's dream. We both smiled and Pam reached for my hand.

I asked, "Did Lydia tell you about her dream?"

"Yes. She told me all of her dreams, I think. She also told Susan but I don't think Susan ever knew she also shared them with me." I glanced at Rick but he obviously didn't know anything. Donna also noticed, "Rick, I was her mother and you know how close we were. She made me promise to tell you everything after it happened."

I added, "Rick, don't feel you were the only one left out. So was I."

The server came and took our orders. For the next hour, we gave Rick the entire story and filled in Donna on the parts she didn't know. We shared the dreams Pam and I had involving Lydia. There were a number of tears quietly shed but the joy of how God had worked through Lydia thrilled us.

After lunch, we drove to our house and I made a copy of Susan's notes for Donna and Rick to read. We sat in the library all afternoon and talked about life and the future. Pam heard about Lydia from a mom's point of view. The two of them spent a long time talking in the kitchen. I knew Pam would fill me in later.

Rick and I took Angel down the mountain to gas her up. We stopped by one of my restaurants to say high to everyone. For late Sunday afternoon, the place was busy which is always a thrill for me to see. I circulated among the tables and greeted as many of the guests as I could before Rick and I gathered with my manager at the bar and had beers.

I could tell something was on Rick's mind so I asked what he was thinking. He replied, "Tom, is it possible that Pam has been in Playboy? She is very familiar looking."

"That comes up often. No, she hasn't but there's an adult model and film actress named Niki Lee who looks almost identical to Pam. She's the woman you saw in the magazine. Pam told me about her and how she's mistaken for her by a lot of guys. Pam is taller and four years younger. Other than that, they could be identical twins."

"Well, I don't know if I'm relieved or not. I always wanted to meet a Playboy model."

We both laughed. I knew that feeling.

We drove back to the house, joined the girls and decided to make a pizza for dinner. The girls seemed to have fun deciding on the ingredients and preparing the dough. We had a small commercial-quality pizza oven in the kitchen but I had not used it for several years. Thankfully, it still worked.

I pulled out two bottles of 2001 Tuscan wine and decanted them ahead of dinner.

Donna saw me and Rick gazing out the window in the library and walked over. She stood beside me and put her arm around my waist. I put mine around hers. She put her head on my shoulder and whispered, "I love her already. She is so much like Lydia I can't believe it. Her personality and natural beauty couldn't be better. I'm very happy for you."

I replied, "It's truly a miracle, Donna. I think Lydia somehow had a role in choosing her."

Pam walked over and I put my other arm around her waist. She asked what we were looking at.

"We were just standing here talking about how wonderful you are," I replied.

"Yeah, I'll bet. The pizza is about ready."

The girls had done a magnificent job. The thin crust was crispy but not tough and the toppings included all my favorites. After dinner, we finished the wine in the library before Pam and I took Rick and Donna home.

While driving back, Pam was bubbling over. "I can't believe how nice Donna is. It's like I've known her a long time. She told me stories about Lydia when she was growing up and how she went through the tomboy stage and the rebellious stages. She also told me how relieved she and Rick were when they first met you. Evidently, Lydia had your number early because she told Donna you two were going to be married only a month after you started dating."

"She did?"

"That's what Donna said. Obviously Lydia knew what she wanted, just like I do."

"You do, huh?"

"Yep, among other things, I want you as soon as we get home." She reached over and unzipped my trousers.

"Pam, I'm driving."

"Don't tell me you've never had road head."

"I guess you and I ran in different circles. Please don't distract my driving."

"Awww, okay. I'll deal with you when we're home."

****

After an exciting and very long love session that night, we collapsed into our pillows and talked. To my surprise, she calmly said, "I was raped one night when I was at Furman."

"Oh no!"

"I dated a guy for about a month. We had sex a few times and I liked him. The sex was very good and he always got me off. One night he asked if I would let him enter my butt. I said absolutely not. But the next time he had me in missionary position, he pushed my legs up so that my knees were holding my shoulders and arms down. Before I could even react, he rammed his erection in. No preparation, no extra lubrication or anything. He just impaled me and held me down until he came in my bottom. It felt like he had split me in two.

"I tried to hit him or scratch his face but I couldn't get my arms freed up enough to do that. I was screaming the best I could with his hand over my mouth but no one came to help me. Girls were always screaming when they had sex so no one paid any attention."

"Did you report him?"

"No, I was too ashamed that it happened. I didn't want to re-live it by telling the story over and over to the authorities."

"What happened after that?"

"Of course, I never would let him around me again. I heard he told some other girl that I let him have my butt so I told her what really happened. She wouldn't date him after that. I guess the word got around as he suddenly had a hard time getting dates."

"Too bad he got off without a penalty worse than that."

"Well, that's not exactly all. I was able to hit him in the back of the head with my chemistry book as he fled the room. It almost knocked him down. I also slashed the tires on his new Mustang Cobra and put a two-liter bottle of Coke in his gas tank after I ran a screwdriver up and down the car doors and hood. I had no idea the paint would peel off so nicely."

I laughed, "Good for you. No one saw you do it?"

"No, I had a friend who helped as a lookout. It was the middle of the night, and no one was around. I heard he was pissed big time, and I imagine it cost him many thousands of dollars to make the repairs. Plus those were very expensive tires. One of his friends told my girlfriend that he had just been dropped by his insurance company for having too many speeding tickets so all the repairs were on him. It was the talk on campus for several days.

"Did he try to accuse you of it?"

"He tried but I just expressed shock that someone would do that to his beautiful car. He probably had a lot of girls looking for a way to kick his ass so he didn't know who to blame."

"Remind me to never make you mad."

She smile, then squinted and frowned, "You better watch it, mister! I can be a real bitch."

"Yes, but you're an endearing bitch."

"Gee thanks." We cuddled and she gradually fell asleep as I cupped her breast.

An hour later, I was still very restless and just couldn't get to sleep. Rather than lay there and listen to her sleeping noises, I went to the library. As I gazed out at the city lights, for some reason I remembered a night a month or so after Lydia died.

Madison was one of Lydia's friends from church. She was very helpful to us during her last four months of life.

She called one afternoon and brought over a very nice roasted chicken, salad, some steamed veggies and a lemon pie. She mentioned her husband was away so I asked her to stay and eat with me. After dinner and a nice bottle of wine, we sat in the library and talked a long time about many different things. Until then, I didn't know much about her. We had seen each other numerous times but she was one of many friends of Lydia and our conversations were always about Lydia's health and the needs we had.

She told me during the conversation that she and her husband had decided to split. He had moved out several weeks before and she was by herself. I knew she was hinting and flirting. I let it happen and even encouraged it. It had been more than six months since I'd had sex.

Madison was a sultry young lady with a lovely tan and a very athletic body. She had dark brunette hair, hazel eyes and was about my age, maybe a year younger. I could still remember the lovely fragrance she wore.

The next thing I knew, we were kissing as if we had been lovers forever. She was into sex and knew exactly what she wanted. She unzipped my trousers and stroked me as we kissed open-mouthed with tongues dancing.

We did it every way she could think of that night. I'm not sure where she learned all those positions. I still remember her words. "Tom, I know you and I are very different people and I don't expect anything but companionship while I try to get my life back in order. Could we hook up with no commitments? We can take care of each other's needs for a while."

I don't know why I was willing, but I was. Lydia had encouraged me to date and find another woman to love but I knew Madison was not likely to be that woman. Still, my sexual urges took over and I agreed.

That began two months of a relationship that I'll never forget. She would come over a couple of times each week and it was pretty much non-stop sex for an hour. She knew a lot more about it than I did. She must have been watching a lot of videos. I was always almost raw the day after one of our sessions.

Madison stayed overnight many times and I enjoyed seeing her walk around the house with breasts jiggling and butt cheeks bouncing. She was a lovely young lady in the prime of her life. If sexual fulfillment was the only requirement in a marriage, I would have married her ten times.

Madison decided to sell her house and move back to Kansas City to be with her parents. We had our own little going away party with almost two hours of non-stop sex. That woman was amazing. Other than our enjoyment of sex, we really didn't have much in common so I always knew our time would be limited.

She returned to close on the house and we managed to get in a couple of hours before she left for the airport. That was the last time I saw her. It was over and time for both of us to move on. But it was the stuff of erotic dreams.

As I settled back under the covers and snuggled against Pam's back, I felt a great relief that she and I did have a lot in common and were just about a perfect match in many ways. Pam woke when I touched her and she turned to face me.

"You're cold sweetheart. Where have you been?"

"I was having trouble getting to sleep so I sat in the library for a while."

"Come here and cuddle with me. I'll warm you up."

She did.

****

It was drizzling raining Monday morning and a cold front had moved into the area overnight. I took coffee and walked to the window in the library. A thick smoky gray cloud blocked any view.

I heard Pam walking in the kitchen and the beans being ground for her coffee. When she entered the library, she was wearing that lovely burgundy housecoat and was barefooted. She came and wrapped an arm around my waist and joined me in gazing at the wall of gray clouds.

I said, "It looks like a real mess out there today. At least the temperature is too high for ice or snow."

"Is it okay for me to call Donna today and take her to lunch?"

"Sure. She would enjoy that."

"When are you meeting with Ron?"

"We left it open but I'll call him in a few minutes to set it up. I also checked Mom and Dad's schedule and their ship docked this morning. I'll give them a call in about an hour since they're sure to be very busy disembarking."

"Tom, I just realized, you've never told me their names." We laughed.

"You're right, they're just Mom and Dad to me. Mom's name is Sarah and Dad's is Jim."

"So your brother's name is really James Jr."

"That's right. But Dad goes by Jim. What do you think about inviting them over for Thanksgiving?"

"That'd be super. Do you think Donna and Rick have anything planned? Maybe they'd also like to come."

"Let me check. I should have thought about that yesterday."

Pam leaned into me for a kiss and brief hug before walking for another cup of coffee. Checking the weather forecast, I learned the clouds and fog should lift by noon.

In a moment, Pam returned with a pad of paper and pen. "Give me the names of your three restaurants. We'll go to lunch at one of them."

"Oh, okay. The River Bistro is the oldest one. My dad started it in 1980 and its been updated twice. The second one is named The Meeting Place. It's downtown and close to a number of office buildings. It does a big lunch business and will be crowded, I hope. The newest of the bunch is the one I started. It's called The Rusty Rudder and is, of course, focused on seafood. I started it six years ago and its done well in a market that's more focused on meat. It's up in Hixson, just north of town."

We both had cold cereal and fresh fruit for breakfast and then donned our rain jackets for a quick jog of one lap in the light mist and drizzle. Returning, we showered and, as usual, took turns washing each other and playing around pulling and caressing various body parts.

After dressing, Pam called Donna and invited her to lunch. Donna quickly accepted and they agreed that Pam would pick her up at noon. She and Rick had already committed to a neighbor for Thanksgiving so couldn't be with us.

I asked Pam to join me on the call to my parents. The phone rang several times and then Dad answered.

"Hi Tom, how are you doing son?"

"Hey Dad, I saw your ship docked this morning and just wanted to check in with you. It's been a long time. Did you have a great cruise?"

"Your mom and I enjoyed this crossing. The seas were relatively calm and I think they've improved the cuisine since our last time on Celebrity. We were invited to the Captain's table one night and Sarah was in heaven sitting next to the big boss."

"I'll bet that was fun. When does your plane land in Chattanooga?"

"About 1:00 pm."

"Do you want me to pick you up?"

"That'd be great son. We have bags to collect so don't come before 1:30 or so."

"Can you turn on your speaker and let me tell you and Mom something important?"

"Sure. Sarah, come over and sit next to me. Tom wants to tell us something. Go ahead son."

"I've met the most wonderful young lady. It was a miracle that we'll tell you about later." There was silence for a couple of moments.

Dad said in a shaky voice, "Tom, that is the best news anyone could ever give us. Is she with you now?"

"She is and we are on the speaker. Her name is Pamela but she goes by Pam."

"Hi Mr. and Mrs. Sumter. I can't wait to meet you."

Dad replied, "Pam, we are delighted and look forward to meeting you. If Tom is as excited as he sounds, you must really be a special young lady."

"She is, Dad."

Mom came on, "Pam, I can't wait to meet you. I love your accent. Where are you from?"

"I'm from Greenville, South Carolina. We do kinda speak a little funny over there."

Mom replied, "It's a lovely accent that I wish I had."

I said, "Pam is having lunch with Donna today so I'll meet you and take you home. How about joining us for dinner tonight so you can meet her and we can get caught up?"

Dad responded, "That sounds good son. You pick the place and dinner is on me."

"Thanks Dad. See you at 1:30. Love you both."

They both said, "Love you too. Bye."

Pam smiled and said, "They sound very nice. I could wait until tomorrow to have lunch with Donna. Do you want me to go with you to the airport?"

"No, go ahead to lunch as you planned. I'll just pick them up and drop them at their house. We'll spend a lot of time with them tonight." I also wanted to prepare Mom and Dad for the fact that Pam was living with me. They were old-fashioned about that sort of thing. Thankfully, they never found out about Madison.

"I'll call Ron and go down to meet him at the office. Anything you want me to do while I'm out?"

"Not that I can think of. Can I drive Angel to lunch?"

"Sure. Donna has ridden with Lydia in her many times. Just be careful with the weather like it is."

"Tom, you promised to not say another word about my driving."

"Sweetheart, I'm not talking about your driving. I'm concerned about the road conditions. I trust you but the car can be unstable on slick roads. Understand?"

"I guess I'm glad you're worried about me."

"Hey, you're the young lady who'll give me six children some day. I've got to keep you healthy."

"WHAT? NO WAY! I'm not having six kids. Maybe two or three but then you're getting snipped, even if I have to do it."

We stared at each other and pretended to be mad before bursting into laughter and kissing. "I love you, Pam."

"I love you too, Tom."

End of Chapter 8. Please vote and leave comments.