Spirits in the Material World Pt. 12

"Now that you'll be together tonight, that would be most convenient, don't you think? I have to work the lab from 6:30 to 9, but we could call you around 9:30."

"Yeah, that would probably work, son. Who is Bruce?"

"Bruce Parker is the guy who owns the townhouse with the separate basement apartment which we found advertised and toured yesterday. He's a tall man, kinda burly, seems to work a white-collar job. He was in a shirt and tie combo yesterday when he arrived from work. He's African American and he's an Eagle Scout too! He seems very down-to-earth. He drives a newer Ford pickup truck. His whole place, both downstairs and his main living area all seemed well cared for and neat and tidy. I have a very positive feeling about him!"

"He's an Eagle, too? How very convenient! That says a lot about him."

"Yeah, it does. I'm looking forward to getting to know more about him and his family. We haven't signed anything yet except permission for him to run a background check and a credit check. But he's giving us a $25 per month "Eagle Scout" discount, and he only asking for a $250 damage deposit, not his usual $500. Seems to me he values the rank achievement as much as we do."

"I hope you're smiling about this like I am, Tom. How are you ever lucking into all of this?" Alan wondered.

"I think it's Mom. Why did Bruce's flyer, which is truly ugly and far from eye-catching, flutter and get my attention on Wednesday night? How is it that Jules and I just met this fall? And you and Rose? And Davey and Magpie? I believe it's Mom."

Alan's eyes suddenly filled with tears. In his heart, he felt the truth in Tom's words. "I cannot say that it is so, but I will not say it couldn't be, either."

"So, Dad, tonight, will it be by telephone, or are you willing to get with the 21^st century and we can video conference? I'm pretty sure that I can be alone with Julie in my room for a $20 bribe to Bill."

Alan smiled at Tom's joke. After all, Alan had just had a video conference where he was told at the end to go home.

"Yes, we'll gather around her laptop and video conference tonight. You two can make your sales pitch about why we should allow you two to cohabitate for the spring semester. Go on now, get your stuff ready. We'll arrange a sync time using old texting or ancient telephony technology. I love you, son. We'll talk more tonight."

"Bye, Dad. I love you too."

Turning up his car's radio, Alan focused on getting to Centreville safely.

= = =

Alan arrived in Centreville at 4:10 pm. Google Maps showed he was less than two miles away from the Lawsons' apartment, and he needed to stop and pick up some things. He had been taught it was never a good idea to show up totally empty-handed. He wanted to celebrate a couple of things, but responsibly. So, he picked up two bottles of sparkling apple cider and a bottle of a nice Chablis for just him and Rose. This store was the largest around and part of a regional chain known for its quality products. It also had a well-appointed florist shop attached. Alan stepped into the shop and his olfactory senses were assailed by the myriad of floral fragrances. "This is not a place for the sensitive sniffer," he thought.

He approached a pretty lady who obviously was an employee based on the apron she wore, and he asked for her assistance. He chose a dozen yellow roses in a light green vase and a dozen deep red roses in a clear vase. Thanking the nice lady for her help, he completed his journey to the apartment complex.

He backed into a place well away from the entryway to Rose's building and looked at the clock. It was just 4:30 now. He did not know how long he would have to wait for Rose to come home from work, but he hoped it would not be too long. He looked at his phone. There had been over a dozen missed calls and at least one new voicemail message left. He did not want to drag his happy attitude down, so he decided not to deal with those things at this time. There were also four text messages, all from his ex-team members. Every one of them expressing outrage at the company's practice and conveying their willingness to work for another employer. He smiled at that. Reaping what you sow was going to be a hard lesson for Bob and Sam and others to learn.

Then he saw Rose's car pull in and park in front of her apartment's building. She looked so very nice in her business suit and heels. Yes, tonight should prove to be a lot of fun, for both of them. As he watched, she climbed the stairs and opened the door to her apartment, entered, then closed the door. Carrying the two bunches of roses and the bottle of wine, Alan stepped from his car and strolled up to Rose's apartment. He arranged the flowers to hide his face, then pressed the doorbell and waited. And waited some more. Maybe the doorbell did not work. He tucked the bottle under his left armpit and knocked, loudly, with his right hand. He heard someone coming, and the door opened as much as the security chain would permit. It was Maggie and she was looking exasperated.

"Yes?" she snapped at Alan, not knowing it was Alan.

"Um, yeah, I have a delivery for Mrs. Rosalie Lawson at this address. Are you her?" Alan was trying to play this out as long as he could.

"MOM! It WAS for you!" Maggie stepped away from the door, leaving it somewhat open, and Alan waited some more. Rose showed up, looking harried in a sweatshirt and sweatpants.

"Yes? I'm Rosalie Lawson," she stated.

"I have special deliveries for Rosalie Lawson and Margaret Lawson," Alan continued while trying to disguise his voice and not show his face.

Rose closed the door and quickly undid the security chain, then reopened the door wider.

"Here, would you please hold this?" he said, handing her the bottle of wine. He slowly lowered the flowers and just before his eye line would have crested the flowers, he called out, "Magpie, these yellow ones are for you. So, I guess these red ones are for you, Rose, my love."

"ALAN!!!" Both ladies shrieked and Alan was yanked into the apartment by an ecstatic Rose.

"Surprised?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

"What are you doing here? At this time? You had to have left Middleburg at 2:30 to be here now," Rose spat out. Then she caught herself. "What happened, my love?"

"I was informed by your father that my presence was no longer desired at the office and that I should go home right away and was 'encouraged' by Carl the Security Guard to do so."

"You weren't hurt, were you?" Rose worried.

"No, dear, I was not physically hurt. As I look back on it now, I wasn't emotionally or psychologically hurt, either, at least not by today's events. I had already packed my personal stuff up in a box because I had seen a couple of others be escorted out once their exit interview process was completed. So I won't ever have to go back there again."

Maggie lifted the roses to her nose and took in their pleasing aroma.

"Thank you so much for the flowers, Alan. They smell wonderful!"

"Yes, they do, love," Rose chimed in. "Now we just need something to put them in."

"Ah, I have two vases out in the car. Let me go get them. May I also bring in my overnight bag?" Alan asked, halfway teasing.

"You had better! I don't want you running around starkers in front of my impressionable young daughter!" Rose chided, also teasing.

"Mom, Alan, I'm really close to finishing my Brit Lit paper. Would you please excuse me for a bit?" Maggie asked, laying her roses down on the dining table.

"I'll be right back with the vases."

"Sure, honey, go get that monster completed. We can order Chinese for supper once you are done."

"Oooh, now there's additional motivation for me!" Maggie grinned, then hurried back to her room and her paper.

Alan swiftly returned to his car and extracted all the items he had brought, then hurried back into the apartment. It was beginning to become much more seasonably appropriate, and he was just in a t-shirt.

As he entered the apartment again, Rose was waiting for him by the door. She was a little surprised at all the things he had with him, but he pressed his index finger to his lips in the universal 'hush' sign, then fastened those same lips to hers, very effectively silencing her. She was still recovering from the wonderful surprise he brought to her, but she was enjoying the hell out of it as well. But she still had questions she wanted answers for. Backing up, her lips pulled Alan along as he did not wish to break the kiss.

The back of her knees reached the sofa, and she slowly sank to it, still pulling Alan's face with hers. She wrapped her arms around him and lost her balance, pulling him down on her, much to her delight. They lay there, wrapped up in each other, practically lost to the world in each other. Neither had honestly realized how much they had physically missed the other.

After ten minutes of assuring their bodies that the other was truly here, their immediate hunger had been sufficiently sated that they could sit and talk. Rose sat up while Alan stood up and he took the sparkling cider and put it in the refrigerator. He also put in the bottle of Chablis to chill. He then picked up the vases and partially filled them with tap water and added the contents of the preservative packet. Placing the vases on the dining table, he placed the yellow roses in the light green vase and the red roses in the clear one. Stepping back, he was mightily pleased with himself.

"Oh, Alan," came a soft, sing-song voice.

He turned to see Rose sitting back in a corner of the sofa, her sweatshirt being pulled up, exposing her navel. His eyes widened and his cock sprang to life, which is exactly what Rose had hoped would happen. She crooked her finger at him, effectively pulling him back into her embrace with a complete willingness on his part. He stopped at his overnight bag first, though, and extracted his lab report. He completed his sojourn across the living space to kneel before her, and he handed her the report with as much of a flourish as he could muster.

"For you, my lady, reassurances from a third party that your errant knight is quite clean and safe."

"Not that I had any doubts or worries, my lord, but your comprehensiveness in your assurances is MOST appreciated. Permit me to reward you for your gallant efforts on behalf of my peace of mind." And she pulled the sweatshirt completely off, revealing only Rose. She had been changing when he rang the doorbell and knocked and had not had time to do anything more than throw on the sweats. Now, she was so happy that she had not had time for anything more. She tugged his head to her chest and rubbed her rapidly stiffening nipple into his mouth, and he needed no more encouragement or instruction.

He did to his Queen exactly what the knight errant should. He worshipped her. Over and over again. Left side, right side, back to the left, back to the right. Equal time for both, as one could become jealous of the other. Her pussy quickly became extremely lubricated in anticipation of worship there. Her hips squirmed and bucked, and she had a small orgasm just from having her breasts worshipped and adored.

"Alan, let's take this to my bedroom, NOW!"

"As you wish." Alan could channel "The Princess Bride" just as well as his sons could.

= = =

"And done!" declared Maggie as she put the finishing touches on the bibliography for her Brit Lit paper on "The Impact of the English Monarchy on British Literature". She saved the document, then saved it again to her cloud account. Then she saved it once again, this time to a USB jump drive. Now she had her weekend free, sort of. She would need some time on Sunday to prepare for her Calculus final on Monday. But tonight and Saturday were now free! Flopping on her bed, she buried her head in David's pillow and inhaled deeply. "Breathe deep the gathering gloom, Watch lights fade from every room," she thought. It had been somewhat new to her, the Moody Blues' 'Nights in White Satin', when they had danced to it that Saturday after Thanksgiving. But she was intrigued by Graham Edge's poetry which is often heard at the end of the song. "But we decide which is right, and which is an illusion."

As she breathed in, she thought David's scent was fading, and that made her a little sad. Then came a tapping at her bedroom door.

"Maggie, may I deliver another present to you?" Alan asked, through the door.

She leaped from her bed and rushed to the door, flinging it open and wrapping Alan in a big hug. A little taken aback, Alan found he liked this hug from Maggie.

"You say you have another present for me?"

"Yes, I do. I figured you could do with a recharge." And from behind his back, he pulled David's extra pillow which he had detoured to retrieve as he was leaving his house.

"Squeee! Oh, Alan, this is EXACTLY what I wanted! How did you know?" Maggie demanded.

"I was young, once, and totally besotted myself. Enjoy. We'll be ordering supper in an hour or an hour and a half," Alan informed her. "Now, please ignore any extraneous sounds emanating from down the hall. All is well and it's only getting better."

With a wide, knowing grin, Maggie chimed in, "Your future's so bright, you gotta wear shades." She kissed Alan on the cheek and closed her door and made a beeline for her bed.