Shelly Pt. 01-08

Saturday was here. Our big night out. Shelly was decked out in a classic short black dress. Her legs encased in stockings. I know because I watched her put them on. Shiny black pumps on her feet. Shelly curled her hair and did her make up. She looked ravishing. I did my best to look good. I got a haircut earlier in the day, shaved before going out, pressed my suit and shirt, and shined my shoes. Shelly stood back and whistled when she looked me over. I helped her with her coat and opened the car door for her. We arrived at the restaurant. Our table wasn't ready just yet. We went to the lounge for a drink.

The band was playing some cool jazz. I asked Shelly if she would like to dance. Something we had never done together. I'm no great dancer, but as you can imagine, musicians can catch a beat pretty well. So, there I was on the dance floor with beautiful Shelly. Holding her in my arms and swaying gently. We stared into each other's eyes. Then Shelly laid her head on my shoulder. I held her tightly against me. This was perfect.

A fine young gentleman came to tell us our table was prepared. I escorted my lady to the table and seated her. We began with some wine and appetizer. Lots of time between courses. Shelly was close all the time. The waiter went through the specials and other items. It could have been a burger and fries for all I cared. I was with the most beautiful woman here. I was with Shelly.

There was French onion soup, bread. Later, grilled pork chops and green beans. Oh yes, more wine. Shelly had triple chocolate cake for dessert. Dinner ended and I settle with our waiter. I ask him to find us a table in the lounge.

He escorted us there. The band still played. I spent more time with Shelly on the dance floor. It was the most magical time. I lost track of how many dances we had.

Shelly whispered in my ear.

"Take me home Ben and make love to me."

Check!!!!

Shelly, Part Seven

I love weekends. I always have. College weekends are special. As an undergrad, there were football games and parties. Shelly and I still like to attend football games. We don't party like we used to. That has lost its appeal through the years. A drink every now and again is okay. Getting shitfaced is not responsible. Plus, it is expensive. Weekend is time off. That's the best part. Shelly and I arrived home without incident.

I was following her to the bedroom.

She stopped me and spoke.

"Give me fifteen minutes. I'll tell you when I'm ready."

I got a kiss and she disappeared. My jacket and tie were removed. I poked around in the kitchen and there was a bottle of wine. This I opened and pour a glass for Shelly and one for myself. I could hear Shelly moving about in the bedroom and could only imagine what she was up to. It didn't matter. She would be out soon.

Almost on cue, Shelly emerged. Her hair now fell on pink spaghetti straps. Those straps belonged to a sheer pink nightgown. I was awestruck. Shelly twirled so I could have the entire effect.

Then she strode towards me asking.

"Do you like it??"

I spoke.

"I like you in it. Shelly, you look stunning and radiant."

"Good answer." She replied.

"How about some of that wine?"

I held her glass to her. Shelly pulled me to the sofa.

"Let's have some serious making out first." She suggested.

This we did. Our hands went everywhere. Lips and tongues explored the other. I slowly put one hand between her legs. Gradually I worked my way around and then into her with my fingers. She closed her eyes and leaned back to enjoy.

I told her.

"Look at me. Look into my eyes. I want to see them when you cum."

I watched her face intently. Her breath beginning to come more rapidly. Shelly's mouth working wordlessly. She did what I ask and never broke my gaze during her build to orgasm. Watching her was amazing.

"Want to make love now?" I asked innocently.

Shelly took both my hands and towards the bedroom. I hurriedly undressed. She went back on the bed, pulling me atop her. Once the condom was in place, it was one of those slow, unhurried sessions. The past months had taught me about Shelly's body and what she liked. I also now knew what turned her on. This time, I slowly pumped her while gazing into her eyes once more. Self-control and knowledge made a fabulous session. We came almost at the same time. I had been waiting for her to cum. Afterwards, she spooned me.

"Next time." Shelly added.

"I want you to fuck me hard. I'll tell you what I want."

Anticipation is also much fun.

Sunday, as has become our habit, is lazy. The day before we return to the routine. A nap of some sort is normal for us. Oh, we might pick up the place some and run some laundry. There is usually a football game on the TV. But nothing like the week. We eat what we have around. Not anything fancy.

And, like responsible adults, we get to bed early. We try to be well rested. The weeks leading up to Thanksgiving would be filled with activity. Our students would be performing in the weekly undergrad recitals, there were the classes we attended, plus the stuff we taught.

Our own lessons with the tuba prof and continued prep for our spring recitals. The long hours of solitary practice. It was also time to begin looking for something to do after our graduation. Shelly and I both looked for postings and discussed possible jobs.

If you are going to work at a university, a doctorate is a must. This means several more years of research, depending on the program and what you are doing. The fact that we are both still quite young is a plus. This and we don't really have any roots so to speak. Except in each other. I guess we will see. As I have said, this part of our lives makes me nervous. I wonder if we might find a place that will take us as a team.

The week of Thanksgiving is short as you know. Shelly's mom lived about two to three hours away. It was a small town Shelly told me. As I drove, Shelly informed me of the divorce her parents went through. It sounded sad and ugly to me. There were topics I should avoid. Shelly had not seen or heard from her father in some years. Apparently, he had moved on with his life and Shelly was not a part of it.

And I said out loud.

"His loss."

I meant every word of it. Shelly is extraordinary. She is intelligent, deep, practical and beautiful. She is a wonderful partner in many respects.

We pulled into a small town. Typical of many. But it was where Shelly's mom lived. I was the house Shelly grew up in. Her mom, Marie, was waiting for us. She had food ready when we arrived. Marie hugged Shelly for the longest time. It was obvious she had missed her daughter. I made a mental note to be sure Shelly visited her more often. I was introduced to Marie after some moments. She looked at me with some skepticism. Shelly had told me Marie had little use for men since the divorce. I can understand that I suppose. But Marie made sure we were well fed. Later, I brought our luggage inside. I took my time doing so. This would give Marie and Shelly some time to talk.

And talk they did. I made myself scarce, pretending to be involved with luggage and unloading. I rather imagined there would be a time when Marie would want to speak with me. As you know, Shelly means a great deal to me. I hope I am able to impress upon Marie, the depth of my feeling for Shelly. We shall see.

It was very late by the time we got to bed. Mother and daughter had talked long. I was okay with that. We crawled into the bed Shelly had grown up in. She was very quiet. I just held her and left it at that.

The next morning, I woke, dressed and went in search of coffee. I found Marie in the kitchen, as though she was waiting for me. I poured a cup and sat at the table with Marie. She wanted to know about my family, my upbringing and a hundred other pieces of information. She finally got around to asking me how I felt about Shelly. I was honest as I could be. I love Shelly deeply. There were the concerns about our future. I told Marie I wanted a future with Shelly. I could see that Marie had at one time been a very beautiful woman, much as Shelly is now. But the past had worn on her. She felt used and thrown away. She did not want the same for her daughter. So much hurt in Marie. My heart went out to her.

Shelly joined us after some time. She had slept in.

"And what are you two talking about?" She inquired.

I answered quickly before Marie.

"Oh, you know, just stuff."

Shelly poured coffee and joined us. An ancient aunt of Shelly's would be joining us for the feast today. I made myself useful in the kitchen and helped with food prep. It would be a traditional meal of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole and a few other side dishes. It was more food than Shelly and I had seen in a long time.

Aunt Rebecca appeared about midmorning. She was very different than Shelly or Marie. The word "feisty" comes to mind. Rebecca sized me up not long after arriving.

She took both my hands in hers and spoke.

"Well now, he's a hottie Shelly. How good is he in bed?"

Shelly was embarrassed but said.

"Well Aunt Rebecca, I've got no complaints and he takes very good care of me."

Rebecca said to me.

"Ben, you've got a good one in Shelly. You two should make some babies for me and Marie to hold."

Shelly was mortified of course. Children were something we had not discussed and not in our near future. I had an immediate liking of Rebecca. We spent our time fixing food.

I was attentive to Shelly as I always do. This did not go unnoticed by her relatives. They both nodding and smiled more as the day went on. Shelly was just as attentive to me. I hope it was obvious we were in love. Rebecca and Marie both inquired of our future. We really had nothing to tell them at this point. We were looking into things. Marie wanted to see us for Christmas. She specified. "Us." It made me feel much more at ease. It was a great meal and time with Shelly's family.

Marie insisted we take back leftovers. We stayed until Sunday morning. Before she left, Rebecca took me aside.

"Ben, you are a fine young man. Shelly really seems to love you. Marie likes you too. Not a small thing. You two hold on to each other and you'll land on your feet and have a great life together. I hope to be seeing more of you Ben."

I felt confident enough to give Rebecca a hug. She gave me a kiss on the cheek. Shelly was quiet on the way back home. I didn't push. When she was ready, we'd speak.

It was still light when we arrived on campus. Plenty of time to unload things and relax before tomorrow. Shelly was still quiet. We sat on the sofa watching some football game.

Then, out of the blue, Shelly asked.

"Ben, do want kids?"

I was thoughtful for a moment.

Then answered.

"Yeah Shelly. I would like kids someday. Not now as we are both too busy with school. But yes, eventually I would like kids. More importantly Shelly. I think I want kids with you."

Shelly got a lot closer to me and asked.

"You mean like getting married, having kids, raising them and growing old together?"

I put my arms around her, pulled her in tight and answered.

"Yeah Shelly. All of that with you."

Then Shelly put her head on my shoulder and I held her.

We were up early Monday morning. Three weeks of insanity before break and the Christmas holidays. All the normal stuff we do plus there was a demand for TUBACHRISTMAS this year. It seemed they wanted us everywhere. Churches, meetings, malls and cooperate parties. It made us a few extra bucks and it was fun. Several of our students and even the tuba prof joined in. I was looking forward to the holidays and yet dreading them. It would be our last big break before graduation.

The final semester would be crazy busy for us both. So much to do. But I tried to push all that aside and enjoy my time with Shelly. We had both agreed not to get any presents for the other. Money was tight.

Shelly would meet my family. It would be overwhelming for her. I have four younger siblings. Shelly isn't accustomed to a large family. I had decided to stay in a nearby motel. There simply would not be room at Mom and Dad's house. There would be other family as well and the motel would give us a bit of privacy and a respite from the "Gathering."

And upon our arrival, Shelly was barraged by questions from my little sisters. Shelly, to her credit, took it all in stride. Mom and Dad had the place decked out in all of its Christmas finery they could find. There were piles of cookies and other festive snacks. I didn't remember it being this magical as a kid. But I had been away for a while. We stayed the first night much too late. Well after the kids had gone to bed. Then Shelly and I slipped away. Mom was sure to let us know when breakfast was served.

Shelly commented on the way to the motel.

"Wow that was some crew you got there. Almost overwhelming."

I spoke.

"Yes, they can be a handful."

Once in our little room, it had been a long day. We both wanted to shower and relax some. We showered, (separately). The room heat hummed in the background.

Shelly says.

"That family of yours is somewhat intense. It's a lot to take in."

I reached to hold Shelly's hand and replied.

"Yeah, I know. They have always been that way. I suppose it's why I don't go home much. I mean I love them, but I like my life now. I like my life with you at school. Even though we are so busy. At the end of the day, it's just you and me."

Shelly rolled over to look at me.

"Wanna mess up the sheets?"

Then she smiled.

My one word reply.

"Yeah."

We had set the alarm. I knew Mom would be prompt with breakfast. The motel had one of those little coffee makers in the room. Shelly and I made use of it. Once fortified with caffeine, we went forth into the winter chill and my family's home.

Shelly was warned that the place would be a mass of relatives. Assorted Aunt, Uncles and cousins, and Grandparents. It was my family's way. Mom and my aunts had prepared a mountain of food. There was bacon, sausage, pancakes, biscuits, toast, eggs in various forms, fruit, and breakfast casseroles. Any kind of juice you could imagine and one of those barrel sized coffee makers. Mom pulled Shelly into the kitchen to help with food prep. And I imagine to get to know the woman her son was living with. My sisters wanted to know all about Shelly. I could tell we would be exhausted by the end of this visit.

Mom had a particular way of entertaining. Meals were always huge and a big deal. By the time all was cleaned up, she was asking if anyone wanted a sandwich or cookies. There was seasonal music playing in the background. Dad has a massive collection of Christmas records he plays on a stereo that is as older than I am. The records are carefully cleaned and stored when done. Lots of music I remember growing up with.

Then it was time to open presents. Shelly and I took a back seat just to observe. This was a big deal to the younger ones. Ripping and flying wrapping paper everywhere. The room was filled with smiles. Shelly watched all this with a kind of wonder. Given her family history, this would be very different for her. The carnage was bagged and cleaned up.

Mom summoned all the women to the kitchen to begin preparation for Christmas dinner. She made a point of asking Shelly to help. The men and boys turned on a football game and became deeply engrossed in it. I kept one eye on Shelly to see how she was managing things. Mom had her right in the thick of things as though she had always been part of the family.

Late in the afternoon, all was ready. Dad placed a stack of Christmas records on the turntable. I don't think he will ever give that thing up. Relatives were seated everywhere. The ladies had turkey, ham, chicken, meatloaf for meats. There were yams, mashed potatoes, green beans, parsnips, steamed broccoli, and at least five kinds of salad. When you thought you couldn't take anymore, the desserts came out. The pies were apple, mincemeat, cherry and pumpkin. There was also chocolate cake, white cake and red velvet cake. Ice cream was served with each item.

Since the women had cooked, the men were to clean the kitchen and all. This we did without complaint. Many of us were suffering from carb overload. The crew began to dissipate early in the evening. Shelly and I got ready to leave as well.

Mom pulled me aside and spoke.

"Can you be early for breakfast tomorrow? I have something for you."

She looked serious, so I said sure.

Shelly and I made it back to the motel without passing out. Shelly dropped her coat on the floor and flopped fully clothed on the bed.

"I'm exhausted." She spoke. "Is it always like that?"

I found a place on the bed next to her.

"Yup, always. As long as I can remember. A house full. Did you enjoy it?"

Shelly was quiet for a few moments. As though she was going through all the activities of the day in her head.

"Yeah, I did. They treated me as if I belonged with them. Christmas with my mom was always kind of sad and quiet time. This was nice."

I told Shelly that Mom wanted us there early tomorrow. Shelly gave me a questioning look.

"I don't know why." I spoke.

Then we got ready for bed. A strange room. A strange bed. But a very familiar and welcome feel of Shelly next to me in the darkness.

Shelly, Part Eight.

The alarm sounded. Shelly and I showered quickly, dressed and headed out the door without the benefit of coffee. Mercifully, Mom had the giant coffee urn up and ready. Dad took Shelly to the living room on some pretense. I was sure Mom had him do that. Mom and I sat at the kitchen table.

She was never one to talk around things and came straight to the point.

"Ben, your father and I can see that you love Shelly very much. So we have decided to give you this."

A small black velvet box was pushed across the table.

Mom continued.

"We know you don't have a lot of money. But if you want, you can have this. These belonged to your Great Grandmother."

I cautiously opened the box. There was my Great Grandmothers engagement and wedding rings. The setting was old fashioned and they needed cleaned. I was speechless. The future was something intangible for us. Yes, we wanted to stay together. But marriage? I told Mom thank you. Shelly and Dad returned to the kitchen.

"Where's breakfast?" Dad inquired, and he gave me a wink.

Mom and Dad knew we would have to leave that day. We were expected at Shelly's Mom's. I returned to the motel to gather our stuff. Shelly stayed with my folks. It was time to go. We stood at the door. Dad shook my hand and gave Shelly a fatherly hug. Mom was more aggressive. She hugged me hard as she always does. But Shelly hugged much harder.

Mom was a little teary eyed when she said.

"You two take care of each other. Come back soon."

Then we got in the car. Shelly stared out the window for the longest time. A small box burned in my pocket. Should we? When should we? So much to consider.

A few hours later, Marie was happy to see us. It would just be the three of us. Not the huge family gathering. We would stay for a few days and then return to campus. Marie seemed reluctant for us to leave. She seemed small and lonely. I told Shelly we should have her go to campus and stay with us for a few days. The pretense would be that we needed her to take care of us while we did other things. Shelly liked that idea.

We would have a couple of weeks before classes began. Shelly and I would use the time to practice. There would be few interruptions. And practice we did. Many long hours. We took a break for New Year's Eve. No parties for us and stayed home. We had splurged on a couple bottles of relatively cheap wine. This would be the extent of our celebration.

College football was the TV choice. We sat together on the sofa. About one bottle into it, Shelly reached down to my crouch.