Our Last Anniversary

As I sat in my office, going over the itinerary of the anniversary present I had purchased for my sweet wife, I figured that splurging on our 25th was worth it for all the years of love and devotion she had shown me and the kids. I mean we had raised three wonderful kids, two boys and a girl, the last boy now off at college two months ago, making us empty nesters and my wife had sure shown an uptick in her sexual desire ever since Dustin had left. Rose was dressing sexier and so often initiating sex, something she had seldom done since the Kevin was born.

We were going to be flying down to an all-inclusive, adult only Caribbean resort for a week where we could enjoy each other to our hearts content. We had a beachfront cottage with a spectacular view and I had booked us for a couples spa treatment, with the works. We also had para-sailing, snorkling, sight-seeing and other activities planned. When the week was over, we would board a small cruise ship and travel around the islands for the next two weeks visiting different ports until we got to Puerto Rico where we would spend another week there exploring and relaxing before flying back to Miami then flying back home to LA. I had been saving for this anniversary present for her for nearly 3 years, not to mention not taking my vacation hours so I could have the time off.

Rose makes more money than I do and I'm OK with that. I'm Michael Hunter, by the way and my lovely wife is Rose Kelly Hunter, and I could hardly wait until the big anniversary party next weekend. I work for Tri-State Construction and am in charge of setting up and manning our big jobs and over-seeing construction on a lot of them. We build big office buildings, schools and industrial complexes all up and down the West Coast. Bill Rielly, the owner/CEO has tried several times to get me to take a management position but I've always told him I'm not a pencil pusher. Let me be with the men and I'll make him money. I've proved myself to him and he's treated me right with some nice bonuses, even to the point that he started putting them in an offshore account that set up for me as a little tax shelter to surprise Rose one day when we retired. I 'technically' didn't know about it though I had the bank account number and password for it.

Rose was a school teacher but when they mandated that she had to learn Spanish, she gave them the finger and got her realtor's license and got started. I think her figure is what made her the bucks, it's also what attracted me to her when I first met her. Rose had worked her way up to the second highest paid agent in her firm, only topped by her boss, Rex. Although in the last year she seemed to be working harder and later hours to make her self imposed sales quotas.

As I sat at my desk, I thought back to the day I returned from active duty to my parents' house. As the taxi let me off, I grabbed my duffle bag and headed up the walk and heard the yells and screams of people having fun and lots of splashing going on. What my parents hadn't told me was that they had put a pool in, plus they had new neighbors move in next door and I walked in like normal, right in the middle of a pool party with the neighbors. When my mother saw me, she screamed my name and nearly knocked me over trying to hug and kiss me.

She pulled me out to the back yard where my father, Buck was grilling hamburgers and hot dogs. Then I saw her. Standing on the diving board was this strawberry-blond beauty. Her long hair, hanging partially down over her breasts, looking so sexy, especially in that little bikini, that my mouth went dryer than the desert than I had just come from. She took a step then bounce and made a double flip in the air and a perfect entrance into the water and my father and mother clapped, me too. Then another cute but younger version of her came up to me and said, "I can do it just as good as she can." I watched at this mini-me ran to the diving board, nearly falling as she made the corner on the wet concrete and when she got to the board, she took a deep breath, stepped off, then bounced, did her flip, and did a perfect belly-flop. Ker-Splat. Mom, dad and I let out a big simultaneous moan.

The beauty had climbed out of the water and hadn't noticed the mini-me lying face down and motionless for about 30 seconds, so without thinking I dove in and grabbed her. She threw her arms around my neck and kissed my lips and said, "I knew you'd save me. You're my hero." My father knew I'd been played and he and the beauty laughed. When I got out, my mother handed me a towel and introduced us. The beauty was Rosalyn Kelly Baker, Rose, from next door and the other was her little sister, Evelyn, and her parents would be over in a few minutes.

Mom said, "Michael, why didn't you tell me you were coming in early?"

"I wanted it to be a surprise." I said. Evelyn was still hanging on to my arm.

Mom said, "Michael, go get out of those wet clothes and put on some shorts. Ralph and Linda will be here any minute." I kept looking at Rosalyn and she was sure smiling at me. I went into my old room and it hadn't changed a bit in the 4 years I'd been gone. That was the summer before my junior year at college and I was in the ROTC when I was called up. I had done my duty and was glad that part of my life was over and I was home. I was going to get my degree in Business Management finished up and then find me a job. I rummaged through my old clothes and found that most of my things didn't really fit as I was a lot slimmer than when I left so I rummaged through my ditty bag and found some shorts then threw on an old college tee shirt, tennis shoes and walked out.

Dad and Ralph had set up a couple of folding picnic tables and mom and Linda had set places and my father said, "Don't just stand there, sit down and eat boy, you're skin and bones. Didn't they feed you over there?" I grabbed a hamburger bun, fixings, two burger patties, some potato salad and sat down. As soon as I did, Evelyn slid in next to me, all goo-goo eyed. Rose was sitting across from me and was trying to ask questions as I ate. It's hard to answer with your mouth full of food. I hadn't eaten since dinner the night before and this was really good, especially the potato salad and I asked who made it. As I looked around, Rose had her hand slightly raised up.

I looked at her and said, "You made this?" She nodded. Being a smart ass, I said, "Well then, I guess I'm just going to have to marry you so I'll have a steady supply of it, won't I?"

She turned bright red but both tables broke into laughter and Linda stood up and brought over a bowel and said, "You haven't tried my cucumber salad yet. You may want to marry me," she giggled as she plopped a spoonful of her salad onto my plate. Damn, it was good too.

Evelyn tugged my shirt and said, "I helped mom slice the cucumbers. Want to marry me?" As Linda walked back to her seat in her tight swimming suit, I thought that if that's what Rose would look like when she got older, I would make out like a bandit. She was a doll, a definite MILF.

After dinner, mom brought out her stuffed cupcakes on a platter. She makes these chocolate cupcakes with holes in the middle and fills them with a white chocolate mousse filling and then tops them with chocolate fudge frosting and they are to die for. As she walked by Ralph, he tried to stop her to get one by grabbing her bathing suit and she yelled at him, "Stop it Ralph, you're going to make me lose my bottoms."

Ralph smiled and said, "And such a cute bottom it is, Carol." I wondered what was going on with our parents. As she pushed the tray in front of me, I told mom I was too full to eat one and she seemed upset so to make her happy, I took one. We finished and I walked into the front room.

Out of nowhere, Rose appeared and said, "'Want to see if we can walk off some dinner and make room for that dessert?" Who was I to argue with this vision of loveliness? I mean she could have been a Playboy centerfold if she had the right make-up. Her tits were the perfect size, not to big but not too small. Maybe a C cup. She had changed out of that little bikini and was wearing a silk-like crop-top tank top and a pair of white short-shorts and pumps, her nipples stuck out far enough I could have hung my keys on them.

Somewhere along the way, I'm not sure when but we began holding hands as we walked. I looked over at her and said, "What should we do with this cupcake?" Rose looked at me and said, "Let me have a bite." She took a bite and her eyes rolled back in her head. "Oh my God, I think I've died and gone to heaven! Your turn." So, I took a bite. Then I held it so she could take a bite and she took a very big bite this time, getting a lot of chocolate on her face. I was a smart ass and said, "What are you trying to do, give yourself a clown face?" She grabbed the cupcake out of my hand and before I could do anything, she had shoved it into my mouth and face so we both had chocolate covered faces. She took a bite then pushed the rest into my mouth and after finishing that cupcake we laughed at each other's faces. We found a car and checked ourselves out in the reflection of the window and I said, I guess we need to find a place to wash up, don't we?" Rose got this gleam in her eye then began to lick the chocolate off my face. So slowly and sexily that I thought my johnson was going to rip through my shorts. When she was done, she smiled and said, "Ok, Michael, now it's your turn." I began to lick off the chocolate off of her face as she held me close. I could feel her rubbing her crotch to mine. I got the last of the chocolate off and said, "All clean," and she pressed her lips to mine and dove her tongue into my mouth, looking for my tonsils.

We didn't make it back to my house until after dark and I walked her to her front door. Her father said, "Thanks for bringing her home, Michael, we were about to send out a search party."

She kissed him on the cheek and said, "Don't worry daddy, I was in good hands." As she walked past him, he said under his breath, "It's where his is hands were is what I was worried about."

Rose was a very smart girl and had a 4A grade point average from a young age which helped her graduate from high school early so now she was going to start her senior year of college at the age of 19 studying to become a teacher. She wanted to teach middle school English of all things. She still needed to get her Master's degree to get her teaching certificate but she said that was no big deal as she was already working on it.

Rose and I spent a lot of afternoons talking and getting to know one another and building a strong relationship. I was finishing up my Business Management degree and wanted us both to have our degrees before we were married. We had a lot of things in common. We dated and even though some of our sessions got hot and heavy, we never went past third base. The day we graduated, in front of both of our parents, I knelt down on one knee and proposed to Rose. She accepted and we were married at the end of August. Somehow her mother already knew we were going to be married then. Go figure. The invitations had already been printed up and the hall rented months before I proposed I later found out. Evie was her bridesmaid.

I had been working for Butler Construction from the time I graduated, for nearly two years, then we heard that we were being bought out by Tri-State. Everyone received their checks and pink slips on Wednesday and I went home and told Rose. She was said, "Michael, I know you can find a better job. Let's work on your resume` tonight after dinner." We worked until she was happy with it, being married to an English teacher does have its advantages at times. The next morning, after Rose left for work, I enjoyed a second cup of coffee and had I had printed up several copies of my resume` when my phone rang and it our secretary from work, Susanna. "Michael, where are you?"

"Why? I'm at home? I got laid off just like everyone else." I told her."

Susanna said, "You big silly, didn't anybody tell you, Tri-State bought us out, including all the employees. Now get your ass back down here and get to work before you really are fired and I mean pronto, buster."

I was really glad there weren't any observant policemen on my trip to work that day because that old truck of mine was sure haulin' ass and cutting the lights mighty close but I got there and thankfully they had covered for me and I made it in time for the all staff meeting with Bill Rielly, the new owner.

Bill was a cool guy, he had started from the ground up, and I do mean just that. Digging ditches and worked his way to the top. He made a short speech then a large catering van pulled up with a ton of hoagies, snacks, goodies and drinks while Bill walked around and introduced himself to every employee and found out what they did and asked them how they thought they could improve the company if they had the chance. When he came to me, I really laid it on him, though I figured he'd just file it away for another day. He was surprised that I had a Business Management degree.

What shook me up was the next morning, when I walked in, I was told I needed to go downtown to Tri-State's head office and meet with Bill. I wasn't sure if it was a good thing or a bad one. I asked my lead man if I should take a company truck or my personal car and he said, "Better take your own car kid, you may have pissed the old man off with the things you said to him yesterday." I quickly packed all my tools up and headed out. All the way over there, I was going over what I had said to him and for the life of me, I couldn't remember what I could have said to make him upset but was really afraid I was getting laid off. Once there, the secretary led me to his office door. I walked into his office on eggshells.

Bill welcomed me in with a hearty handshake and asked me to sit down, then said, "Michael, you gave me a lot to think about last night once I got home. At first, I wasn't sure about some of the things you said, but then I started talking it over with Patsy, my wife." He pointed to the picture on his desk, she was a lovely woman. "She's the one that convinced me you were right about several things and she went online and we checked a few things to validate what you had said. I don't think you're in the right spot out there busting your balls in the field so I'm bringing you in and I'm giving you the job of running a job or two and see how you do. How does $40 an hour, company truck, company credit card, plus medical, vacation, and bonus pay sound to start. If you do well on these two jobs, I'm sure there will be bigger and better things ahead for you. Be here at 7:00 tomorrow morning, OK? Take the rest of the day off on me."

I didn't know what to say, so I just stood up, walked up to him, shook his hand and said, "Thank you sir, I'll do my best for you and the company. That I promise." I calmly walked out of the office and waited until I was at the street at my old truck. Then I'll bet they heard my yell two blocks away. Shit, I had been making $14.50 an hour and now I was in this new job and making this kind of money at 28 years old, that was obscene I thought to myself. Wait until Rose hears of this. She was going to be hysterical.

I went back to my old building and told Susanne that I was moving up in the company but to keep it under her hat. I didn't want the news to get out just yet. I knew there was going to be hard feelings among the men as I was still a young snot according to some of them. On my way home I stopped at the liquor store picking up two bottles of champagne, stopped at the florist's and picked up a dozen red roses, then to the grocery store and got two nice steaks and went home. I stuck them on the counter wrapped in wax paper after seasoning them then went and set up the briquettes in the barbeque so I just had to lite it. I put two big potatoes in the oven then got all cleaned up. Now I was waiting nervously for Rose to get home.

When she walked through the door, I could tell it had been a rough day. She threw her purse on the couch and her big bag on the table mumbling, "Homework, yuck!"

"Sit down, honey, you look like you had a rough day. Here, let me rub your feet for you." Rose loves it when I rub her feet. She plopped down on the couch. Her head was laid back and her eyes closed and she said, "Why did I want to teach middle school kids? I swear I need a whip and a chair. I had to send five kids to the office today for behavioral problems, four of them girls. What's with kids these days."

Pulling a chair up in front of her I rubbing both feet for a good fifteen minutes before I asked, "Would you like something to drink, my love?" She nodded so I reached into the freezer and got out two champagne flutes then took out a bottle of champagne and when the cork popped, Rose's eyes flew open to see what I was doing.

I poured her glass, she got this big grin and said, "Michael, you got a job, didn't you?" I just smiled as I finished filling my glass then pulled her up and to me and softly kissed her then handed her a glass.

"Let's toast to a new beginning of our life my love, I have a new job that if I can prove myself, will probably make us a lot of money." We clinked our glasses and she wanted to know all about it as we walked out so I could light the barbecue. During dinner, I explained what happened and how I thought I was going to be fired and how Bill had offered me the job and that a lot of it was probably going to mean a lot of work on my part, including extra hours.

Rose looked at me and said, "Like I don't spend a lot of extra hours grading papers. I hate these state mandated tests, they don't really show what these kids know. I'll be lucky if I get done by breakfast." After dinner, she made me up an answer sheet of acceptable answers and I helped her so at least we were done by midnight. I was hoping for a little congratulatory sex but she was too worn out and I got a raincheck.

Our second anniversary was coming up and Rose wanted a big party so I had gotten a ton of smoked meats from a local butcher shop and their double smoked beans, and Rose made her potato salad and Linda made her cucumber salad. Mom made several cakes, dad bought a keg of beer, and Ralph brought some bourbon and tequila. The house we were renting had a big back yard and we had one of those above ground pools so everyone was having a blast. Lots of food to eat and lots of booze to drink. We had one hell of a celebration. There was some dancing going on and I was surprised to see my mom and Ralph dancing very close together on a slow song, then I noticed that so were my dad and Linda only they were in a corner in the living room by themselves. I shook my head, it must have been the alcohol, I thought.

About 10:00 the party petered out and almost everyone left, except our parents, Evie and us. Linda and my mother were hammered and I suggested that the guys get them home as they were making more of a mess in the kitchen than they were cleaning up and Rose wasn't much better. Linda suggested that Evie stay and help us clean up. They had been gone a few minutes and Rose picked up a half full beer can and went to chug it, only someone had been using it as an ashtray and she began puking. I asked if she was alright and she said, to give her a few minutes. She went into the back yard and we heard her puking again. I went out there and brought her in and took her to our bedroom, putting her to bed. Evie and I spent the next two hours cleaning up the mess. I was so tired I just plopped down on the couch and a minute later, Evie sat down next to me with a half a bottle of Tequila and handed me a shot glass. I said, "Sweetheart, I don't think I really need another drink right now."

She said, "Come on Michael, have one drink with me then you can go to bed, please?" I shook my head but she poured our glasses full so I took a shot with her. I sat the glass down on the table and before I could get up, she had filled it again. I looked at her and she just said, "Please?" so I clicked glasses with her and we downed our shots. Honestly that's the last thing I remember until I woke up in bed with my wife the next morning, finding I was completely naked.