My Choice

Foreword: I didn't plan to write this story and honestly it took a different direction than I thought it would. With so many comments and requests for a more complete version of "Your Choice" I decided to give it a go. As I looked for inspiration, I came across an old song co-written by and performed by the esteemed Vince Gill. Which Bridge to Cross served as a loose basis for the following tale.

Additionally, I often make an obvious error in the story that all the critics feel the need to point out. (It provides me with a chuckle as they get so outraged.) In the first story, I changed the name of the supporting antagonist halfway through the story. That wouldn't work in this longer version so I went with the original name of Robert

Disclaimer: All sexual interactions are between fictional characters that are represented to be 18 years old or older.

Sandy

Robert and I had been high school sweethearts. We grew up outside Houston and were planning our lives together after graduating high school. I wanted to go to school to become a teacher but he always hated school.

"Sandy, I can't do another day in a classroom. I have to be outside, getting my hands dirty. I want to feel the sun and the wind."

"What are you thinkin'?"

"I talked to a recruiter but I can't see myself havin' no control over my life for the next 6 years so I can learn a trade. There's a program where I can join a supertanker crew as an apprentice machinist. I would get to sail and see some of the world. The pay is good so I can start savin' for our future."

I was caught off guard. Rob's dad worked offshore and I knew that he was thinking about it but I didn't have any idea that he was considering sailing. "How long would you be gone?"

"I wouldn't be gone, baby. I would sail for 4 to 6 weeks and then be home for around a month. I figured with your school schedule, it would give you the space you need to study hard and graduate quicker. We could marry next year, and I would have enough for a down payment for our house by the time you graduated."

"But we wouldn't see each other for a month or more at a time! We've never been a part for that long."

"Sandy, we're going to be apart anyway. You're going to be in school in San Marcos and I'm going to either be here or at sea. Once we get married, we'll rent a place near your school and I'll be there in between my trips."

"I'm going to miss you so much! I think your plan is smart and it makes sense but I hate that we'll be apart."

"Me too, Sweetheart but then we'll be together forever."

He took me into his arms and kissed me. I melted into him like I always do. I wrapped my hands around his neck and lifted my legs so I could wrap my legs around his waist. His strong hands grabbed my ass and held me up. "My parents won't be home until 5:30," I whispered in his ear. His head drew back and a huge smile spread across his face.

We had both turned 18 in the fall and had been consistently ramping up our explorations. We had made love for the first time during the Christmas break but it had been hard to find time alone in the new year. We had only managed a couple of quick sessions during spring break. It's like our parents knew what we were up to and were constantly cock blocking us. Today was a rare exception when we had the house to ourselves.

"Let's take our time then," he said softly and he sat me down. We walked up to my room and I immediately stripped off my t-shirt. I loved the feeling our his kisses trailing down my neck as his hands unclasped my bra. He was fascinated with my boobs. I didn't think that they were exceptional. I only wear a B-cup but they were enough for Rob and that was enough for me. His left hand slid up and cupped my right breast. His fingers found my nipple and began to tease it roughly. Instantly I wanted more.

"Kiss them, baby," I insisted.

Instantly he took my nipple into his mouth and began to pull on it with his lips and teeth. He was setting me on fire. I wanted to feel his cock and slipped my hands down to squeeze it through his shorts. The material was just enough to keep me from wrapping my hand around it. I unbuttoned his shorts and slid my hand inside his boxers to find my prize. He groaned as I began to move my hand up and down.

Suddenly, he pushed me back onto my bed and began pulling on my cotton shorts. I lifted my butt to help him. I laid back to let him look at me and removed my soaked panties. I slowly opened my legs to let his lusty gaze settle on my pussy. He sank to his knees and began to lap at my dripping slit. He wasn't great at it but I didn't know that yet. What he lacked in technique he made up for in enthusiasm. Soon I was writhing and wanting him inside of me. "Please Rob, please fuck me," my words tumbled out before I could even think about them.

I felt his tongue leave my slit and I looked at him as he towered over me. I felt so small and vulnerable but excited and completely in love. He guided himself to my opening as he crawled between my legs. Rob wasn't huge but I loved the feeling of pressure and fullness as he entered my tight cunt. "Ooooh," I gasped out as I felt enter me completely. Soon our hips were coming together erratically until he grabbed my hips and I let him set the tempo.

I slipped my hand between us and used my finger to diddle my clit as we raced to completion. I could hear a growl in his chest as he neared his orgasm, "Almost there, baby, almost, almost," I chanted until I thrust up to meet his hips and clenched his dick with every muscle in my pussy. He groaned and shot his seed into me as I was still riding the waves. I opened my eyes to see him grinning at me, "Wanna do it again?" He asked with pure joy.

"Uh-huh," I said as I caught my breath. He wasn't soft but some of the hardness had gone down. I reached down to stroke him again and he whispered, "Please." I hadn't taken him in my mouth after we had fucked before and I didn't think I was going to like it but I loved Rob and wanted to please him.

I got on my knees and began to lick and suck. I could taste my juices and his spunk which I didn't care for but he was hard again in less than a minute. I got up on the bed on my knees and laid my head down on the mattress. I arched my back and spread my pussy open for him with my fingers like I was a porn star. I'm not but I wanted him to feel how much I wanted him and so I put on a show. "I love you, Robert. Give it to me, baby."

He entered me slowly and I savored the sensation. I looked back over my shoulder and loved the look of rapture on his face. He was enthralled with me and my body. "I love you so much, Sandy. We're going to be doing this when we're 90."

"I'm going to make you keep all the promises you make to me in bed, Rob," I said with a smile.

****

August came and I went to school in San Marcos, and Robert went to sea. His first trip went smoothly and he was so excited to tell me all about his adventure. We talked once a week while he was at sea but he made it back to Houston at the end of September and was in San Marcos the first day of October.

I ran to him as soon as I saw him outside of my residence hall. "Robert! I'm so happy you're here," I screeched as I jumped into his arms. "I missed you so much, baby," I told him before I laid my best kiss on him.

"I missed you too, Sandy. It was amazing seeing everything but all I could think about was I wish Sandy was here. Are you busy tonight? I would love to take you to dinner."

"That would be great! Let me run up and change. I would take you with me but Alyssa is in the room."

"How's the roommate thing working for you?"

"It's fine but I wish we had the room to ourselves tonight."

"I have a hotel room; you could stay with me."

"We might be able to spend a couple hours there but I'm sure that Mom and Dad would let me know about it if they heard that I was out all night, especially when they know you are here to see me."

"So, let'em talk. We're adults now."

"Baby, they're paying for my education. Let's not rock the boat too hard the first time you come to see me. I promise after a couple of hours you won't be able to do anything but sleep anyway." My lecherous grin was matched by the one on his face.

We ate quickly and we were in his room by 8. Our time apart had left both of us ravenous. I was on my knees with his dick in my mouth 2 steps inside the door. I knew that the oldest business in the world is alive and well in almost every port that he could have stopped in and I wanted him to know that he would never need to visit a paid lady to get the lovin' that he was looking for. "Oh Sandy, I have been dreamin' about this since the first night I left."

"You didn't visit anyone else on any of your stops?" I asked him earnestly.

He looked me directly in the eyes and answered with sincerity, "Never, Sandy. You're the only one that will ever have me like this baby. I love you."

I started to cry tears of joy and buried his cock in my mouth as far as I could. I loved Robert and he loved me. I sucked his dick with love and devotion. I wanted to please him and pleasure him in every way that I could imagine. I felt his hand slip to the back of my head and I let him set the tempo as he glided in and out of my mouth.

"Sandy, I'm getting ready to come, baby," he groaned. I appreciated his warning and backed off just enough to use my tongue as a dam so that he wouldn't gag me on his spunk. Judging by the volume, he had been saving it all for me. I couldn't swallow quickly enough to keep it from running down my chin. When he finally finished, I backed off and looked at him while I gathered all of his come from my chin and fed it into my mouth.

"My turn," he said in a low growl. Quickly I found myself sitting on his face grinding my pussy into his mouth. He had his hands on my hips and was holding me tight against his face. "Oh, oh, Rob!" I screeched as my whole body began to tremble. He latched on to my clit and I was overwhelmed by the sensation. I grabbed his hair with both hands and squealed my way through the biggest orgasm of my life.

"Enough baby, please let me go! It's too much!" I gasped trying to get away from him. He finally released me and smiled with a satisfied look on his face. He rolled me on my back and began to fuck me missionary-style. I stared at his handsome face. His hair had grown out on his voyage and he was so tan. He looked like the most striking man I could imagine. He rode me until I reached my climax again and stayed inside of me while I caught my breath before he finally began to pound away for his pleasure.

"Give it to me, Rob. Give me your come. My pussy is aching for it, baby." His eyes went wild and then squeezed shut as he ejaculated deep inside of my womb. He collapsed on top of me and I held him like he was my whole world. After a brief moment, he rolled off of me and pulled me into a protective arm snuggle. I felt so safe and connected to him.

"I missed you, Sandy. After all the places and things I saw, seeing you running toward outside your dorm was the most beautiful thing I've seen in months."

"Baby, you're so cheesy! How long did it take you to think that line?" I teased him.

He turned to me and smiled, "It took me a month but I thought my timing and delivery were pretty good. Don't you?"

"Yeah, you big goof. You did good," I replied with a smile. "When do you head back out?" I asked contemplatively.

"I'm home through the new year. There are some repairs that they will be making while we're in port. I will be shadowing the engineer and chief mechanic, so I will get paid and get some valuable experience."

I smiled at his news. I know it's selfish but I hated when he left. "I'll make sure I spend my entire Thanksgiving and Christmas break at home then."

****

"Robert!" I shrieked when I saw him on his knee beside our family Christmas tree on Christmas Eve.

"Sandra Esther O'Neil, I'm completely devoted to you and will be for the rest of my life. Will you do me the honor of being my partner for life; will you marry me?"

"Yes!" I squealed with joy. "Oh Rob, I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you!"

My parents recorded our happy moment and celebrated with us. My younger sister immediately started talking about plans and bridesmaids' dresses. It was one of the happiest days of my life.

****

Shortly after Valentine's Day, Robert's mom called me. I was a little upset because Rob hadn't called me on a day meant to celebrate lovers.

"S-S-Sandy," she sobbed

"What's wrong, Ms. Debbie?" I asked as I felt the panic rise.

"He's gone, Sandy, Robbie is gone the, the pirates took their ship last week and now my Robbie is gone," she wailed.

"What do you mean?! Ms. Debbie, what pirates? Where's Robert?"

Suddenly I heard a muffled sob and Kenneth, Robert's dad, spoke, "I'm so sorry to have to tell you like this, Sandy. The company Robert worked for contacted us last week and told us that his ship had been captured by Somali pirates. They demanded a ransom for the crew and the oil. The company sent in a negotiator but the pirates killed all the shipmen and are trying to get money for the captain and first mate. Robert is dead," He choked on his words as he said the last part.

"NOOOOOOOO! Please God no!" I shouted as I collapsed.

"Sandy..." I heard from my phone.

"Yes," I managed to say, "I'm here but I don't know what to do."

"Sandy, we're so sorry to have to tell you this way but the news is going to be released today and we didn't want you to find out some other way. We're going to hold a memorial service for Robert next week sometime. We hope that you'll be able to attend."

"Yes sir, I'll be there," I got out through a choked sob.

"We're here for you, Sandy. Robert loved you with his whole heart and we love you too."

"Thank you, Mr. Kenneth. I don't know what I'm going to do without Rob."

"We'll get through this, and one day you'll be able to look back at your time with Rob and celebrate all of the love. Right now it hurts because of that love but one day the hurt will die down and we'll just remember the love."

The service was the following Friday. It was a standing-room-only crowd. We didn't have a body to bury so we filled the chapel with pictures and mementos. There wasn't a dry eye in the entire congregation. I sat with Rob's parents. It was one of the hardest days of my life.

****

The next two years passed in a malaise. I went back to school and did what I had to do because I didn't know what else to do. My former friends referred to me as "the widow" because I wouldn't go out with them or even hang out. I was either in class or in my dorm room. I didn't feel like trying to connect with anyone.

My parents kept reminding me that I was young; that I needed to process my grief and then get on with my life. I couldn't explain to them that I didn't want to get on with my life. This wasn't supposed to be my life. I was supposed to marry Robert and then we would build a life together. How could I build a life if my partner was gone?

Things changed when I met Tom at the local high school during my student teaching internship. He was an assistant baseball coach and chemistry teacher. He had been out of school for 2 years and worked in the classroom down the hall from the English classroom I was interning in. We bumped into one another a few times in the teacher's lounge and cafeteria.

I was immediately impressed with and attracted to Tom, something that hadn't happened since Rob. He was friendly and flirtatious but never inappropriate or unprofessional. He had an easy-going personality and quiet confidence. He wasn't hard to look at either.

I was guessing around 6'2'' and 210 lbs. He moved with the natural grace of an athlete. His light blonde hair struck quite a contrast with his dark brown eyes and tan skin which was probably the product of extended time outdoors. For the first time since I fell in love with Robert, I let myself get carried away in lust.

He would tease me when he caught me staring at his toned butt. "You can take a picture with your phone and make it my contact photo if you let me put my number in," he said with a smile. "It's probably my best side," he joked self-deprecatingly.

"You can put your number in but if you want to talk then you'll have to take mine as well," I replied.

"I would like that a lot," he answered with a genuinely warm smile.

We began talking at school and in our daily lives. I talked about where I was from and where I hoped to teach but I stayed away from anything too personal. We chatted for about 4 weeks before Tom brought up the idea of a date.

"Sandy, I have really enjoyed getting to know you a little. You haven't mentioned a boyfriend or anyone else so I'm going to take my shot and ask you out. I love to take you out on Saturday. I was thinking we could drive down to the Riverwalk. We could grab a bite to eat and check out some live music."

Oh Shit! I thought instantly. My face must have betrayed my inner thoughts because instantly he said, "Hey, don't worry about it if you aren't interested. I..."

"No, I want to," I quickly interjected, "It's just that it has been a while since I went out on a date and I'm nervous."

"No worries, Sandy. We'll keep it super lowkey and just enjoy hanging out."

"Thank you, Tom," I answered trying to keep the tears out of my eyes. "I need to go to the bathroom before class starts in just a minute."

He watched my face with some doubt but replied, "Sure, I'll give you a call to set it up."

*****

That first date was fantastic and led to many more. Tom was funny, kind, compassionate, and so intelligent. Our conversations would bounce all over the place; I was amazed by his ability to speak credibly on almost any topic. We found a bond in our mutual appreciation of obscure and archaic English words. Our musical tastes were different but compatible. It was like having the best-looking best friend in the world.

One night as we talked late into the night, he kissed me. I was anticipating and dreading this kiss. I was attracted to Tom but my heart still held onto Robert and what we had. I immediately teared up and turned away.

"It's okay, Sandy. I just had to know where this was going. We can still hang out but we'll leave it as friends."

"No Tom, please. I like you and believe that I could love you but my heart is already full. I'm not sure what to do."

"Who is it that has your heart, Sandy?"

My chin trembled as I said, "Robert Matthew Williamson. He was my fiancé until he was killed by Somali pirates two years ago."

"Sandy...I'm not sure what to say. I can't imagine how you feel. Wanna talk about it?"

I opened up my phone and told Tom about my life with Robert. I shared our pictures, our love, and our hopes. Then I told him about losing him. He held me as I cried and once again mourned the loss of my love and our dreams.

"Sandy, I want you to know that I think you're incredible. I would love to pursue you but I understand that you might not be ready for that."

"You're wrong, Tom," I blubbered. "That's the hard part because I am ready. I want to let you into my heart but I'm afraid of forgetting Robert."

"You don't have to forget him, baby. He's a part of your journey and you wouldn't be the woman sitting with me today without him. I respect what you and Robert had. Maybe we could build something just as beautiful."

I leaped into his lap and kissed him with passion and desire. "Tom, I want to try; I want to love again. I'm tired of being alone and afraid to love."

"We'll walk together and hopefully find something special."

After that I let myself dream about life again. I dreamt of a life with Tom and me. I was alive again and happy to be alive.