Spirits in the Material World Pt. 17

Turning the boxes around, Jack opened the first one. Inside was Rose's engagement ring. The diamond sparkled under the store lighting and the antique interwoven design gleamed. Broad, happy smiles abounded from everyone except Maggie. Her hands flew to her face and tears burst from her eyes and gushed down her cheeks, marring her light makeup. She did not know where to turn, and she just stood there and bawled silently, overcome with what she now knew was to be her mother's engagement ring.

Maeve was the first to see Maggie's plight, and she quickly fished out some tissues to blot the tears away. She hugged Maggie closely, as a grandmother would her granddaughter, and Maggie instinctively hugged Maeve back, hard. Maeve exchanged a knowing glance with Jack and smiled in a way that Jack had not seen in a long time.

"But why is the metal kinda pinkish?" Maggie asked.

Jack answered, "Because that, dear Margaret, is called Rose Gold."

The significance of that information did not need to be explained to Maggie. Tears began to flow anew, and she abandoned Maeve for Alan, pulling him tightly to her. "Oh, Dad!" This declaration caused eyebrows to raise all around, except for Alan, who simply did his best to comfort his new daughter. "You are so wonderful, to me and Mom! Where have you been all of my life?" she sobbed, soaking his shirt completely in spots. Maeve gently pulled her away and guided her to the restroom to dry her face and restore her makeup.

"Well, the independent judge seems to have given it a ten point oh score," Tom quipped. "Seriously, everybody, this is totally awesome! I'm going to have to be prepared for Jules having a similar reaction, aren't I? Dad, when are you going to ask her?"

"I'm thinking Christmas Eve, once we get the tree up and decorated and before we head off to the worship service."

Maeve had rejoined them, leaving Maggie to compose herself. "So, she'll have the ring to show off at the Christmas Eve service?"

"That was my nefarious plan, Maeve. Do you need to whet some other ladies' appetites?"

After a brief lull in the conversation, Jack opened the other box to display the two wedding bands, and again everyone was very pleased with the end products.

"Can you please keep this box in your vault until we need it?" Alan asked. He received assurances from Jack and Maeve that the rings would be safely kept until desired. "Wonderful! Tom, I think we're done here now. Do you have the boots to take home?"

Alan pocketed the box with Rose's ring and gave Jack, Maeve, and Alice all hugs. He even had a hug and a forehead kiss for Maggie who had returned to the group. "We'll see you for supper, Magpie." And Alan and Tom departed for home.

Maeve and Jack disappeared to the back of the store while Alice resumed Maggie's training. David showed up at 4:15 to convey Maggie home. Maggie clocked out and bid Alice and Jack a good evening and they left to get in David's Jeep. He took one look at Maggie's face, her eyes specifically, and said, "Tell me all about it."

"Tell you about what? My first day?"

"Maggie, there's a very good reason why I'm the family champion at B.S. Your eye makeup is different from what it was this morning, and I can see some very faint tear traces. So, tell me all about it, please."

Sighing, Maggie relented.

"Mrs. Johnson brought me more comfortable shoes, from her own closet nonetheless, to wear for the afternoon, and Dad and Tom came in with her to pick up the engagement ring for Mom. Oh, Davey!" and she launched into a new set of tears. David stayed focused on his driving to get them home safely, so he couldn't spare a lot of attention on Maggie. She was pretty much done when he pulled into the driveway next to Tom's red Jeep.

David unfastened his seat belt and turned to Maggie.

"Ok, we're now home, safe and sound. What was it about the engagement ring that brought you to tears, Maggie?"

"It's just that the ring makes all of this so real, so concrete. It has been what she has needed for so long, and she's so happy with your dad in her life."

They got out of the car and went inside. David led Maggie into the living room, and they sat, side by side, on the sofa, cuddling. Then the cuddling soon led to soft, light kissing. Which led to much more serious kissing. Which was as far as either of them was willing to go right then.

When they took a break from the kissing, David complimented the wedge sandals on Maggie's feet. She smiled somewhat deviously and lifted her feet to rest on his lap.

"They belong to Mrs. Johnson. I ought to return them to her tonight. It was very kind of her to lend them to me as well as bring them to me at the store. I should call her, don't you think?"

She flexed her feet and wiggled her toes to show off the nail polish.

"Could you please take them off and give me a foot massage?"

Knowing that a foot massage for Maggie would likely result in a cock massage for him, David was instantly on board with the idea. He unbuckled the straps and slowly, gently, and almost reverently removed the sandals from her feet. He began to squeeze and rub and stroke her feet, which were still clad in her stockings. The hem of her skirt rose up and he could occasionally catch a flash of her pink panties, and he would catch a waft of aroused female fragrance at times as well.

David's caressing helped to restore some blood flow to Maggie's feet while her teasing rub by the off foot helped to restore and accentuate the blood flow to David's groin. Which is what Maggie wanted all along.

At supper, all four sat and talked. Maggie shared how she was able to help someone on her first day and how happy that made her. Tom shared how everyone was so happy when Alan picked up the ring for Rose. Alan shared how he was happy to be able to share that moment with Maeve and Jack. He also shared how he was considering asking Maeve and Jack to join them when he proposed to Rose on Thursday once the tree was decorated. Everybody thought THAT was a great idea.

Then the focus shifted to David. He said his day was pretty much like every other day on lifeguard duty. There were a few new faces, some first-time lifeguards who needed some additional training, and a toddler had to be fished out of the pool when he fell in and almost drowned.

"What?!?" the other three exclaimed when he mentioned it so offhandedly.

David related how the child had wandered away from his mother and had toppled headfirst into the pool. David had been watching the whole situation evolve and he was diving in for the child almost before the child's feet got wet. David had reached the child in seconds, but some water had been sucked in and so the EMTs had to be called in.

Just then Alan's phone rang with a call from Jack Johnson. There had been a piece in the local news broadcast about a toddler being saved at the pool, and David was named along with the fact that he was filling in for the regular senior lifeguard. Other people kept trying to call Alan as they saw the news segment too. For David, this was why he kept his Water Safety and Red Cross Lifeguard certifications up to date. Yes, a life was saved, and catastrophe had been averted, but it wasn't all that spectacular to him. He just did what needed to be done when it needed to be done. Oh, and he was requested to work on Wednesday as well.

Before Alan ended the call, Maggie asked if she could speak with Maeve for a couple of minutes. Taking Alan's phone, she stepped into the kitchen for a little privacy. Maggie thanked Maeve profusely for the loan of the sandals; they had definitely saved her feet! Maeve replied that Maggie should consider them a gift from her and to wear them in good health. This brought a few more tears to Maggie's eyes, but she happily accepted the gift, to Maeve's delight. Maggie ended the call with, "I am looking forward to seeing you on Thursday at the very latest." That last bit from Maggie probably had more impact on Maeve than Maggie ever imagined.

Returning to the dining table, Maggie gave the phone back to Alan with a blown kiss. She then told the guys about Maeve's gift of the shoes which drew smiles from all three. "Now, to address the elephant in the room," she stated, decisively. "David, you need to forgive Julie for her comment and... LET. IT. GO!"

Staying true to his words to Rose the night before, Alan was letting the kids handle this, so he leaned back in his chair slightly and crossed his arms across his chest and just observed. Maggie was a little Spitfire, much in the way Laura could be, and Alan was both amused and melancholy at the resemblance.

Then Maggie was doing her Idina Menzel imitation. "Let it go, let it go, over you all this must flow. Let it go, let it go, forgive and forget it, you should you know."

David could not keep a straight face, although he did try. Tom didn't even try.

"Ok, ok. She had no idea she was like jumping up and down on my 'hot button'," David allowed. "And after today, ain't nobody gonna think I'm just a 'pool boy'."

"Except for me. You're MY 'pool boy', Davey!" Maggie was on the edge of her chair, watching closely. As soon as David began to rise from his chair on the other side of the table, she bolted for the stairs with a shriek of anticipated joy and payback. And David was hot on her heels.

"Well, now that we know where they'll be and what they'll likely be doing there, I think you should call your girlfriend and share this news with her. I would suggest that you recommend that she apologize to David, if you haven't already. I'm quite finished with the unnecessary drama," Alan declared. "I'm gonna clean up and set up the coffee for the morning, then go to my room and talk with MY Lawson girlfriend. Good night, Tom. I love you and I'm so proud of all that you do and all that you are. And thank you for bringing Rose into my life."

It was still early evening, so Tom retired to the media room for his time with Julie.

= = =

Julie had spent Tuesday inventorying the kitchen and the living areas. She arrived at the realization that pretty much everything from those spaces would be needed by them and would work well in their new apartment. Further discussion was needed, but the dovetailing of their need for stuff and her mother's need to move similar stuff was almost perfect. There were some extra bedroom furnishings, beds and dressers and such, but they should not need to purchase much new stuff for the apartment. That was the good news for Tuesday. The not-so-good news was that she didn't have a good idea how to start an apology to David, in part because she still did not believe she owed him one. It was just good-natured teasing, right?

Rose had texted saying she would be delayed getting home. Evidently, a few of the longer termed bank tellers had taken her out for some farewell libations and munchies, so Julie was on her own for supper.

Tom called Julie in the early evening, and she was like a puppy who had been left home all alone, which essentially she had been. Julie spent half of an hour detailing how much of the stuff from that apartment could go right into use in their new one.

"So, what's new in your corner of the world?" she finally asked.

"Maggie started her job today at Johnson's Jewelers downtown..."

"I should call her and talk with her..." Julie began but Tom interrupted her.

"I'm not 100 percent certain she would answer your call right now. She's a little involved with her 'pool boy', last I knew."

"So, he IS a glorified pool boy!" Julie exclaimed.

"Whoa! STOP RIGHT THERE!" Tom roared. "That 'glorified pool boy' saved the life of a three-year-old today because he was paying attention when nobody else was!"

Julie's gulp was audible, even to Tom. He continued.

"David is not now, nor has he ever been a 'pool boy'! You would be well served to eliminate that phrase from your vocabulary in regard to him. He has to wear this tight red swimsuit as his lifeguard uniform, and he's justifiably sensitive about it. And for the record, this was the fourth life he has saved while on duty."

"I didn't know. I had no idea..." Julie's voice trailed off in her embarrassment.

"He made the local news tonight because that child's parents are important people around here. Now, Jules, I love you," Tom said, softly and tenderly. "And we don't need any more unnecessary drama this Christmas. Thursday's gonna be drama-filled as it is," he foreshadowed. "So, please, please practice these words and mean them: David, I'm sorry. I did not mean to insult you. Please forgive me."

She repeated, "David, I'm sorry. I did not mean to insult you. Please forgive me."

"Good. Now keep practicing and tell him tomorrow when you see him. He's on duty again tomorrow but should be home by 5 pm."

Julie let out a soft sob which Tom heard, and his heart ached because he was a hundred miles away and could not comfort her.

"Jules, this is all part of the package deal for both our families. Just make nice with my brother and all will be well. I'm fairly sure Maggie is working on him to be very accepting of any olive branch you offer. I believe all will be forgiven, and we will all be the better for it.

"Ok, Tom," Julie sniffled. "I love you so very much."

"And I love you, so very much, Julia, very much. Our families are just part and parcel with us in our relationship now. And my dad says, 'Thank you for bringing Rose into his life.' Actually, he thanked me, but we both know it's all on you. You did a very good thing there. Now, get enough rest and we'll see you tomorrow when we see you. Texting or calling when you leave would be a very good idea."

"I'll do that, Tom. I miss you and I need you. Please don't let go of me."

"I will always be there for you, Julia Ann Lawson. I love you. You complete me. Get some rest. Bye."

"Goodbye, Tom. Until tomorrow."

= = =

Wednesday, December 23

After a raucous evening of coupling, David and Maggie both thought it would be a good idea to take it easy, sex-wise, for a little while. Which is how it was that he awoke spooning his girlfriend as his alarm sounded at 7:30.

"Magpie, would you please reach the clock and stop the alarm?" he requested, groggily.

Her hand darted out and slapped at the clock a couple of times before she got the snooze button tapped. It was too bad that respite would only be for nine minutes.

David levered his body up and he heard her croak out, "Coffee, please" as he stepped from his bedroom. After flushing and brushing, now fully awake, he skipped down to the kitchen. Where Alan sat drinking coffee, reading the newspaper, and eating some toast with blackberry jam. David swiftly got out two coffee mugs and poured the last of the creamer into one of them. He filled both mugs with the brew and turned to his father.

"David, were you aware that the little boy you saved yesterday was the mayor's grandson?"

"No, not specifically. I thought the family believed they were important in the local area; they sort of gave off the air of entitlement and weren't responsible for watching their own child. I was unaware of their relationship to the mayor."

"Given this development as well as the printed promise of a follow-on article, I think you should be prepared to give an interview or three. I'm just sayin'."

"Thanks for that warning, Dad. I have to get this cup-o-brew upstairs to her ladyship. I'll play chauffeur for her again today.

"You two ARE being careful, right?" Alan asked. "You know what your grandpa used to say: 'Be good. And if you can't be good, be careful. And if you can't be careful, name it after me.'"

"Absolutely, Dad. Although I'm running a little low in my supply. I'll get some more today. I have been reminding her to take her pill every day. We are being careful." With that, David headed back upstairs carrying two full mugs.

"Ohmygod, Davey, you're a godsend. Gimme that now, please!" Maggie pleaded. Taking a sip, she squinted her eyes against the morning sun and damned near purred her delight.

"You need to become more vertically oriented, Maggie, and get a shower. Please remember to take your birth control pill," David reminded. "I'll gladly take you to work and come and fetch you again today if you like, but you need to get moving."

Taking her mug with her to the bathroom, Maggie sauntered out of the bedroom with her best ass wiggle to spin up her boyfriend. Just because they were taking a break from having sex, it didn't mean that she couldn't tease his cock a little. And she knew David thought she had a great ass.

While Maggie was showering, David took a quick inventory only to discover he had two condoms remaining. That simply would not be enough, so he would have to either get some from Tom or go buy some more. As Julie was to arrive today, getting some from his brother was a non-starter.

Maggie emerged from the bathroom and shooed David to fix her something to eat while she dressed. A nice lilac blouse, dark knee-length skirt, off-black pantyhose, and the gifted sandals completed her attire for Day 2. She found some leftovers she could take for her lunch along with a can of Diet Dew. David had made her some cinnamon sugar toast, but they were out of creamer so she would have to make do with some milk instead. Maybe she could get David to stop at Fourbucks on their way downtown.

Tom appeared in the doorway, somewhat bleary-eyed, and then stood stock-still at the loveliness before him.

"Maggie, you look very beautiful this morning, almost as if you had a glowing aura about you. Dave, be very careful with her; if I wasn't so hung up on Julie, I'd be all over Maggie," he warned.

David had always been very complimentary to Maggie, but for her to get that from her sister's boyfriend was pussy-tingling for her. "It's nice to catch the eye of someone you didn't intend to," she thought with a shy smile of gratitude at Tom.

"You had better take lessons from your brother, David. It is always a good idea to compliment the one you care for so deeply," Alan said, not looking up from his paper. "You had best get a move-on, you two. David's likely to have some distractions while at work today."

Maggie did coerce David to go through the drive-thru at the Fourbucks store on their way, and he pulled up in front of the jewelry store at 8:58. Maggie's coercion tactics had included hiking her skirt up high enough so that David could discern her yellow bikini panties through the pantyhose top, as well as promises of rumpus time that evening when the other two couples were sure to be going at it.

"Good morning, Miss Lawson," Jack called out as she entered.

"Good morning to you, Mr. Johnson," she sang back, eliciting a big smile from him. She quickly made her way to the backroom to place her lunch in the refrigerator. Alice entered the store as Maggie was emerging from the back.

"Alice, I'm going to introduce Maggie to the other store's personnel. You have the conn," Jack announced. Alice gave Maggie a pitying look, then smiled at Jack and accepted the conn. "Come along with me, please, Maggie."

Feeling a bit impish, Maggie looped her arm through Jack's as they walked the few blocks to the other store where Jack held the door open for her. With a similar layout as the other store, this one seemed to focus less on the high-end jewelry pieces, such as rings or sets of encrusted jewels, and more on watches, necklaces, and bracelets. There were three salespeople behind the counters, one guy and two girls. The guy appeared to be flamboyantly gay, and one girl seemed very masculine. The remaining girl was about Maggie's age, and she seemed pleasant and personable. "Dennis Peters, Mary Lowe, and Chrissy Tompkins, this is Maggie Lawson. She will be working at the other store with Alice until Alice leaves next week." Jack pointed out each person as he introduced them.