Recovery Pt. 06

I could feel her breath on my ear and her fingernails scratching lightly along my thigh. She smelled fantastic. With her sitting so close to me, I began feeling a little foggy but relaxed. The power this woman had over me. She was intoxicating.

"What will it take for you to accept that I'm devoted to only you," Dottie asked, her eyes locked with mine. "When will you realize that everything good, everything positive and wonderful in my life, is because of you?" She scooched up closer to me. "What will it take?"

Dottie brought her mouth back to my ear. "A little road-head?" With that question she lightly squeezed my suddenly interested cock.

I groaned. "Jesus, why couldn't you ask me that like ten minutes ago? I just pulled onto our block."

"So? Does it matter where we are? We're still in the car. Doesn't it sound wonderfully sexy and naughty?"

I pulled my Jeep into our driveway. "It would but look over there," I said gesturing to the house across the street. "Mr. Hubbard is hiding from Mrs. Hubbard again, smoking around the side of his house."

Dottie smirked but leaned away from me and sighed. "Okay, fine. But we are doing this very soon."

I reached over and slowly pulled her dress up high on her legs and slipped my finger underneath, lightly rubbing over her moist panties. "Let's take this inside."

We could not get in the house fast enough. After a quick but satisfying romp, we collapsed into a heap and got some much-needed sleep.

*******

Thursday flew by for me. I sat next to Celeste during our Eastern Civ test, feeling a little distracted but confident. I was ready for this test. It was the rest of my life that I was unsure of.

Despite everything, despite her promises and pledges, I felt that Dottie was moving on with her life, that she was on a fast-track, while I was idling. If I was any kind of man, I would just tell her that she needed to go, that she needed to leave me behind. I shouldn't stand in the way of the success her life would inevitably be.

Celeste patted me on the hand and looked over at me, her head tilted slightly to the side. "Are you okay, Peter? You look a little...distant."

"Yeah, I'm good," I replied. "Just a little distracted, I guess. Got some stuff on my mind."

"Anything you want to share?"

I smiled at her. "No, I think this one is all mine."

Celeste looked down at the pen on her desk. "It's not because of me, is it? I'm so sorry I made everything awkward the other night. I thought I was reading something, but I was deluding myself." She looked back at me. "Can we just forget I said anything?"

"No, hey, it's not anything about that. Just a lot on my mind, with school...you know...other stuff." I noticed for the first time how beautiful Celeste looked. Her hair was in a French braid and she was wearing a light blue eye shadow that really caught my eye. Being one of the first genuinely warm days, she was wearing a pair of yellow jean short-shorts and a light blue tank top.

"I'm really embarrassed," she said. "I've never acted like that before. If I had known that you were seeing someone, I never would have said those things to you. I just took a shot."

I was momentarily at a loss for words. Oh my god, what is it with these women in my life? Any other universe, Celeste would be ideal, someone I would gladly want to spend all my time with.

"You didn't do anything wrong, Celeste," I said. "Under any other circumstance, at any other time, there is no way I would have turned you down. It's just a weird time."

She smiled at me, with just a hint of sadness in her eyes. "I get it. I'm sorry if I made things difficult or uncomfortable for you." She patted my hand again. "I really think we can be great friends, if I haven't screwed that up, too."

I smiled back. "You didn't screw up anything. But I'm confused. I thought we were already friends."

She laughed and rubbed my hand. Our instructor shushed the class and we put pen to paper. When we were done, I stopped Celeste at the door.

"You should come to a graduation party with Dottie and me," I said. "I can get you in pretty easily; I'm in tight with the band."

I gave Celeste directions and she assured me that she would show up.

*******

Graduation was a bit of a letdown on Friday. Dottie finished her high school career with high honors, of course, finishing third in her class of nearly 600 in GPA, and was one of two salutatorians. The only reason she didn't finish with an unblemished academic record was because of a B in driver's training in the 10^th grade. She never did master parallel parking.

The ceremony took four excruciating hours. My aunt and uncle, Carlie, Michael, and my grandma who drove down from Cleveland, all sat together to cheer on Dottie and Mollie. The problem was that we had to sit through four lengthy speeches, identifying a list of scholarships received from each student, a photo collage of the seniors and their activities, and more. We waited for hours to cheer for five seconds.

After the ceremony, we waited for the girls to say goodbye to friends and teachers, most of whom they would likely never see again.

Carlie would not be graduating until Saturday morning.

The Harper/McMillan clan went to my aunt and uncle's house for an intimate celebration, while Mollie went home with her family for a similar get-together. True to her word, she somehow worked out an invite to the Amador graduation blowout Saturday night. I'm not positive how Mollie got the invitation but I'm pretty sure Lisa's brother Dave had a face in his lap and a smile on his face. Sometimes it's better not knowing.

The girls received a bounty of gifts from family, and since Carlie was celebrating her graduation with Dottie, her parents gave her a long-awaited gift: a new car.

Well, not a new car, but a car that was new to her — a 1968 convertible VW bug. It looked pristine for a 50-year-old car, and I know that Uncle Paul painstakingly restored the whole thing himself (with occasional help from me). It was a shiny dark blue and fit Carlie perfectly. She was ecstatic.

One of the most surprising things to come out of the family party was Uncle Paul saying that he had made plans to meet with Michael's parents when they were scheduled to be in town in June, and if everything went well, he would consider letting Carlie go to Lake Geneva with Dottie and I. Carlie was stunned but so happy, she couldn't shake her beautiful smile all night long.

Aunt Dorothy bought Dottie a fancy new phone and some clothes (with Carlie's assistance). She also bought something from my dad's money but gave that to her privately.

We shared in toasts to the graduates and were then allowed to drink a few more. It was weird. I had never seen Dottie drunk but she was right on the edge, and I found out what an affectionate drunk she was. A few times I thought she was going to do something "inappropriate" in front of the other guests, but other than a few surreptitious crotch pats, she was good.

At one point, Dottie strolled over to me when we were out on the back patio. With Uncle Paul no more than 15 feet away, she leaned to my ear and whispered, "When we leave, I'm going to blow you before we even leave the driveway. When we get home, I'm going to fuck you so hard. I'm going to drain you all night long." She nipped at my ear.

"Jesus, Dottie," I mumbled, glancing over at Uncle Paul.

"That's a good idea, Peter," Dottie said loud enough for everyone to hear. "Why don't you play something for us?"

"Uh...I..." I was still stunned by her words and breathless from the look of intense lust on her face. "What?"

"Play us a song."

There was resounding agreement, so I went to my car and grabbed my Ibanez Talman acoustic and strummed out my best "While My Guitar Gently Weeps." Aunt Dorothy was the happiest with that choice and saved me from having to sing it. Her voice was better than mine anyway.

Midnight rolled around and Dottie and I were feeling a little stewed. Uncle Paul made it known that he would be driving us home in my Cherokee and Aunt Dorothy would follow us. Dottie looked dejected.

"But Uncle Paul, I have plans," she whined, her eyes unfocused. "We'll be fine."

I shook my head, chuckling. I ended up just carrying her to the car. I laid her out in the back seat and made sure her feet were tucked in safely before closing the door.

I gave my uncle my keys and climbed into the passenger seat. I felt a little lightheaded but was no doubt in significantly better shape than Dottie. I glanced back and she was sound asleep, snoring softly.

*******

Carlie's graduation on Saturday afternoon went much more swiftly than Dottie's, as she attended a smaller school and the powers that be seemed much more inclined to just usher the kids out the door. Thank God.

After the ceremony, we gathered for the requisite photos and hugs, then Michael whisked Carlie away for a private celebration, whatever that entailed.

Mollie came home with Dottie and I to get ready for the evening's festivities. While the girls picked out clothes and prepped, I gathered all my equipment together and psyched myself up for the performance. I was beginning to feel a little more confident in my skills but was still uneasy performing in front of others. At any rate, the party would be a good test.

As I was loading gear into my Jeep, Dottie meandered into the garage. She was still somewhere in the middle of being prepared, somewhere between perfect and goddess. She stood next to me, helping me arrange my equipment in back.

Dottie glanced to the door to the house and quickly stood on her toes and kissed me softly.

"I wanted to tell you something," she said quietly.

I leaned against the car. "What's up?"

She grabbed my hand loosely. "I had a dream last night. Some parts of it are kind of fuzzy, but I remember that we, all of us, were at my graduation and Mom and Dad were both there. Everyone was smiling and so happy."

"That's great, Dottie."

"Yeah," she replied. "After the commencement, I walked back to you guys and gave hugs to everyone. It was wonderful. I could feel Dad's firm hug and I could smell Mom." She looked wistfully out the garage door. "Meghan was there, healthy and laughing. I could feel her happiness. I kinda still can."

I wasn't sure how to respond to this happy moment of Dottie's, so I just grabbed her chin and kissed her softly.

"The best part is," she continued, "I went to you last and hugged you and kissed you. Everyone just watched us and smiled. They were okay with it all. No one was angry, no one judged us." Dottie grabbed my arm and leaned her head against my shoulder. "It was wonderful."

We stayed like that for a moment, until we heard Mollie shuffling through the kitchen. I patted Dottie on the butt and pushed her toward the door.

"Go get ready. I love you."

*******

I helped Steve carry his kit on to the rickety plywood stage, trying my best to keep bumping and scuffing to a minimum. The temporary stage was set up in what was at one time an old horse barn, though it had probably been decades since there was any equine activity in the building. The large, rectangular wooden structure had a dirt floor, with two large entryways on either side and two doors set perpendicular. The barn was some 100 yards from the main house.

Guests had yet to arrive, while people I didn't know were milling about, setting up tables and chairs, bringing out snacks and decorations, and generally preparing for the upcoming festivities. I knew that similar preparations were being carried out inside the house, as well.

The Amadors were as close to "old money" as you could get in central Ohio, and it showed. The house was massive; it boasted nine bedrooms and five bathrooms, a swimming pool and hot tub, tennis court, and two huge barns, one of which served as storage for Mr. Amador's classic car collection, all set on ten beautifully manicured acres as far outside the city as you could be and still be considered a Columbusite.

The whole property, though completely open, had a decidedly private feel to it and had a serious security system. No one without an invitation was getting in.

Why the Amador kids attended a public school instead of Wellington or Oakstone was beyond me.

As Steve, William, and I were concluding our setup and preparing for mic and sound checks, partygoers began to arrive. I could hear them filling up the house in the distance, but it took a while for revelers to begin meandering into the barn.

A couple familiar faces walked through the large barn doors and proceeded hesitantly toward the stage.

"Hi, Peter," Celeste said, wearing her brightest smile. "Nice cozy little shack, huh?"

I chuckled. "Yeah, crazy, right? Did you see the Ghost parked out front?"

Ashley, at Celeste's elbow, perked up. "Yeah, it's gorgeous. Those things are like 400k." She shook her head. "Ridiculous."

Celeste's eyes darted quickly up and down as we talked, her smile never leaving her face. She was wearing a knee-length black skirt and shiny white camisole top. Her beautiful chestnut hair cascaded down her back in waves and her eyes sparkled with amusement; she knew I was "appreciating" her.

Ashley stood nearby, looking good herself. She was wearing a simple pair of faded jeans that looked like they were spray-painted onto her curvy body. Like Celeste, Ashley wore a loose camisole, a vibrant electric blue. Her red hair was pulled back into a messy ponytail.

Celeste glanced around. "You ready for this? The place is really starting to fill up."

"Yeah, I think so." I stood up tall and looked around the barn. "Looks like there's going to be more people than I thought there were." I pointed back at Steve. "The only other time we've played together, there was only, what? Twenty-five people?"

Steve nodded. "Maybe. I think there's 25 people in that corner over there," he said, pointing.

Indeed, there was as many as 100 people in the barn, with more strolling in. Most were high school kids and were absorbed in their own thing; few were paying real attention to us. Not yet anyway.

"Where's Dottie?" Celeste asked, glancing around.

"I haven't seen her yet," I replied. "I suspect she'll be around soon, though."

Celeste struggled to keep eye contact with me for a moment. "What about...where is your...friend?" The last word was almost a whisper.

Celeste obviously wanted to know the whereabouts of this mysterious other girl I was seeing. I felt bad for being evasive and bending the truth, but what other option did I possibly have?

"I don't think she will be here." I gave a small smile and Celeste's eyes glinted.

I introduced Steve and William to the girls. Celeste was polite and engaging with the guys, while Ashley, of course, was quiet and obviously disinterested.

Steve was his usual gregarious self and soon had the girls laughing. His joviality was infectious, and he soon had even me smiling and loosening up.

It was good to see several other people I knew filing in. Aaron Rockert, a kid from my baseball team who graduated with Dottie, came to the stage and chatted for a minute. He was a shorter guy, maybe 5'8", but a solid 220 pounds. His longtime girlfriend Jane was with him, as always.

Aaron leaned in close to me, conspiratorially. "Jesus, Peter, what the fuck's with these babes here? I should have picked up the guitar years ago."

"Ha! I know you're kidding. Jane's awesome."

He chuckled. "Yeah, she is. But the girl in the skirt," he glanced quickly toward Celeste. "Damn. You'd better get on that quick, or someone will before the night's over."

I smiled. He was right, of course. She was going to be very popular tonight. "Nah. She's just a friend from school. She helped me survive Eastern Civ."

He sighed and shook his head. "Whatever, dude. You're dumber than you used to be." He lowered his voice to a whisper. "She wants to bang you so bad."

I playfully shoved him, and he grabbed Jane's hand, ambling off to greet some friends.

William started his sound check, adjusting his amp as necessary, looking back to his friend Chase, who was working the board. I did the same, adjusting my amp and talking into the microphone.

"Check, check," I droned, listening for pops and sensitivity. Everything seemed to be in order. Glancing out at the suddenly mildly interested teenagers milling about the barn, I spotted my sister standing near the back, flanked by Mollie and Carlie, a bright smile on her face as she watched me prep.

Celeste and Ashley wandered over to Dottie for a friendly greeting. My sister responded with an apparently friendly greeting and engaged in small talk, though I couldn't hear what they were saying.

When Celeste turned to talk to Carlie, Dottie's eyes flicked back to me. Slowly, she poked her index finger in my direction, without the hint of a smile and her eyes burning. I was going to pay for inviting Celeste.

Steve tapped my shoulder from behind.

"You alright?" he asked. "You ready?" I nodded and stretched my fingers. Steve sat at his kit and counted off, before diving into "Basket Case." Everything else faded into a rock and roll haze.

Occasionally, I would glance around the audience, which seemed to have doubled in size. Looking toward the back of the barn, it was becoming more difficult to see Dottie or the others. On rare occasions, I would catch a glimpse of Mollie and Carlie laughing, or Celeste trying to politely rebuff boys trying to lay on the charm very few possessed.

At one point, an opening in the crowd revealed my sister to me. While the rest of those gathered were starting to really get into the band's performance, dancing, singing along, or simply swaying, Dottie stood stock still, her arms crossed, eyes locked on me, a sultry and aroused smile on her face.

At that moment, she didn't care about the music or her friends or anything else. I could see it clearly. She cared about nothing but me at that moment.

Fuck, she was gorgeous. I held her gaze as long as I could but eventually looked away to engage the guys on stage with me.

The band seemed to be doing well. The crowd was really amped up, jumping around, singing to songs they knew. Many of those gathered moved toward the stage. It felt fucking awesome, a high I had never experienced.

About halfway through our set, the girls split apart some and I saw Dottie and Mollie talking with their heads together, engaged in what was apparently an intense conversation. It went on for a while, then Mollie put her hands on the sides of my sister's face. After a moment, she hugged Dottie fiercely. It looked like a nice moment for them. Both girls were dabbing at their eyes.

Celeste and Carlie had wandered toward the front and were really feeling the music. I don't think I had ever seen either of them that animated. It was an awesome sight watching the two of them bouncing up and down and against each other. It was impossible to not smile.

I glanced back to Dottie and saw that she was talking with a guy I didn't know, and Mollie was nowhere to be seen. They were just chatting, but my sister repeatedly shook her head side-to-side, maintaining her pleasant smile.

I felt myself beginning to get irritated, but fortunately we were playing Pixies' "Nimrod's Son," so I was able to mask the irritation with aggressive guitar playing. Eventually, it seemed the dipshit talking to my sister apparently got the hint and moved on.

Unfortunately, moments later he returned and handed a drink to Dottie. She took it and smiled. Alarms screamed in my brain. I dropped to my knees near Carlie.

"Carlie!" I yelled. "A guy just gave Dottie a drink!"

She shrugged, a big grin on her face.

"Jesus Christ, Carlie!"

Realization hit her hard, her eyes opening wide. She turned and darted toward the rear of the barn. I glanced up. Dottie was gone.