String of Beads

Andie and I kept our reservations for the houseboat and just as I knew we had a fantastic week together. We fell so much more deeply in love with each other in those few days and yes we stayed naked most all the time. I even proposed to her while we were naked on the sundeck. I needed the sun to make the engagement stone look bigger. We made so many memories that week alone and have vowed to go back again one day. I did stand on the rear deck alone and talk to Leanne for some time and threw a kiss to the winds. Andie wiped the tears from my eyes and we started a new page in our lives.

For five years we wrote some great stories and collaborated on one that became a best seller for a short time. We went places and did things. We had a great and fulfilling life together. That is until an unexplained and massive infection invaded her world. She suffered very little as it happened so incredibly fast. God how I loved that woman. My world collapsed and I was totally and utterly lost after she was gone. I was so thankful to have had her for that short time but I felt cheated too. The Gods had blessed me with Leanne and then taken her from me. Then they blessed me with Andrea for those five years and then they took her from me as well. To this day I don't remember what I did for the next year. I do know that if I tried to write I saw her sitting there near me writing or reading. I did finally force myself to at least try, but it was slow going for a while. It turned out to be good therapy and I eventually returned to Gunter to get control of my health.

One day in late spring soon after resuming my Gunter visits I picked up the mail and as I walked toward the house I leafed through all the crap like we all get plus a few important pieces like a check I'd been hoping would show up, and then I saw it. A letter from Leanne. I stopped in my tracks. My God why would she write me now? It's been over six years maybe seven. I made myself wait until I was inside and I tore it open. In her distinctive style she said, "Dear Otto." God I hadn't heard that in so long. "I don't know where to begin so much has happened to us both. First, I had promised I'd let you know what I thought of your novel and I've waited far too long to do that. Like you I always keep my promises. The novel. I can't think of anything I can say that will do it justice. I don't think I've ever cried that much over a book in my life. I relived that week in my mind every time I read it. We lived such an intense life that week and yet I think handled it like pros. I've never been more impressed and overwhelmed by a man in my life than I was you that week. You were so kind, so understanding and so loving all through a situation that had to seem to you bizarre at the very least. I'm sure you've since figured at least some of it out. Anyway back to the story. You did such a wonderful job of telling it like it really was and yet weaved enough fiction through it to protect us just as you said you would. I still have the book and like I said, have reread it

more than once. God the memories it brings back. They are so fresh in my mind to this day. Maybe one of these days I'll see you again and tell you everything about that time and after. It was a very hard time for Jerry as you can imagine but he spoke of you often and without saying so knew we were making love. He was only concerned with my happiness at that time and you certainly made me happy Lon. This was supposed to be about the book only and I keep wandering. I'm so sorry for your loss Lon I know what you've been through. I hope life is getting better for you as no one in the world deserves it more. I apologize for not sending you a note when I heard of your loss but too much time had passed when I finally heard and I was afraid I'd just renew your pain. Forever yours in thought and until we can meet again one day, Leanne"

I hadn't realized it but I was crying like a baby. I don't know why I was but I was. Just hearing her words brought back so much happiness and sadness, elation and heartache. All of those at the same time and I just lost it, crying like I hadn't since Andie had died. I finally put the letter in my drawer along with the disc of our pictures, the houseboat brochure and a small box.

In the coming weeks I regrouped and was writing feverishly. I had not had the frame of mind for porn in some time and the best I could do even then was soft erotic short stories, but at least I was producing again and getting my shit together. I got drunk with Rex but it wasn't the same for some reason. Maybe it was because I had enough money I didn't care if I did buy every time. My God I was too young to just turn into a vegetable. I needed to get out or something but I didn't know what.

I was at my desk trying to decide about my next project when the doorbell rang. Looking through the peephole I saw a guy in a couriers uniform and when I opened the door he handed me a good sized box. I signed for it and took it in wondering what the hell it could be. I cut it open and saw twelve bottles of wine and when I pulled one up I saw the Shiraz. Oh man the Shiraz. It could only come from one person. There was no note but hell I knew. I quickly opened a bottle and poured a glass. I held it to the light and saw that beautiful color and then I held it to my nose and smelled that smoky grape smell. And then I let it tumble over my tongue. I could feel the velvet softness of it and taste that wonderful smooth taste I remembered so well. God how it took me back to a happy time. When the doorbell rang again I was afraid it was somebody that wanted to take the wine away saying it was a mistake. I do have strange thoughts sometimes. I went to the door but saw no one through the peephole. Contrary to my own safety policy I opened the door and there standing in the sun looking just the same was Leanne.

I couldn't get her inside fast enough. I babbled, smiled, kissed her cheek offered her wine and only when she put her hands on my arms and kissed me on the lips did I shut up and stand still a minute. "Hi Otto."

"Hi Leanne." "I hope you don't mind my coming."

"Are you kidding? I've been sending mental calling cards to you for a long time. Would you like some wine? I just happen to have a wonderful Shiraz."

"I'd love some." With trembling hands I poured us both wine forgetting I'd already poured myself one and we went to the living room. She sat on the couch and said, "Sit next to me would you Lon." I sat so close to her she had to move over a little.

"Oh Leanne it's so good to see you again."

"I'm so glad to see you too Lon. We have so much to talk about."

"Can you stay a while?"

I could swear she was looking right into my soul when she said, "I can stay as long as you'd like me to."

"Let's start with a week and then take it from there."

"I don't have any clothes."

"You don't need any we'll stay naked all week." That cute banter lasted about that long before we had our arms around each other and we were holding on to each other, afraid that fate would intervene and pull us apart again. At some point later we decided to breathe and ease our hold on each other. "My God Leanne you haven't changed a bit, it's like we just came ashore."

"Thank you Lon. You look thinner."

"I am but I'm coming back and now I'll come back faster just from seeing you."

In a serious tone she said, "You have an idea of all that happened I guess."

"I have a pretty good one yes. When I was able to put it all together I vowed I would one day tell you how in awe I am of you and Jerry but mostly you. My God how you made it through that week I'll never know."

"I made it because you were there mostly. I didn't know the extent of his illness yet but he and I had done a lot of talking as you can imagine. I don't know if he knew we would make love or not but he knew I wouldn't leave him. He also knew that I was in love with you as well as him. I..."

"You were in love with me even before the houseboat?"

"I have had such strong feelings for you for so long Lon but I think I really realized it when the three of us took that walk in our yard."

"I never knew that. But you were in love with Jerry too."

"I was, I really was. It's difficult to explain but that's all in the past now. I heard about Andrea but not for some time and I'm so sorry you lost her."

"Thank you. It was a sudden and unexpected loss but we had several good and happy years together. I really did love her and she reminded me so much of you."

Chapter Seventeen

"Remember your note asking me throwing a kiss to you on the winds?

"I remember it perfectly." Andie and I went back down soon after Jerry died and I stood on the rear deck and talked to you for some time before throwing that kiss to the winds. I cried like a baby and Andie dried my tears. She knew I loved you too but she didn't know your name. She was like you in her strength. She helped me recover from losing you." Leanne's eyes were wet with tears as she looked at me.

"Did you really talk to me that day?"

"I talked to you for some time Leanne. I told you how much I loved you and how I'd always love you."

After a pause she said, "As I remember it you never lie."

"I never do. I may stretch the truth but no I never lie."

"You just said you'd always love me."

"I did say that and I do still love you. I'll love you forever."

"Lon can we..."

"Honey we can do whatever we want and right now I want to kiss and hold you. I want to catch up on all of those years we've been apart." We kissed and held and kissed again. We cried, told each other again and again we loved each other and kissed again. God she felt good in my arms. Those glasses of wine were still sitting there when we got up in the morning.

"Tell me again how we could spend a week Lon?"

"We can spend it naked while we talk and make love. We can stay naked while we plan a houseboat trip. We can stay naked while I ask you to marry me."

"I...did you just ask me to marry you?"

"I did yes. I can't stand losing you again and don't have a ring to offer you at the moment but will you marry me?"

"Yes, yes I'll marry you honey. Let's do it quickly before something happens to us again."

"I wish I had a ring for you but until then I'll give you this." I reached into the desk drawer and removed that small box next to her letter and the disc. Opening the box I removed a long leather strand of Indian love beads and hung them around her neck. She looked at them and then at me, ran her fingers over them and held them to her lips as tears ran down her cheeks. It was a rare day that I didn't see her wear that string of beads at some point after that.

Now we are married. Honest to God married and thankful for every minute. Oh yes and we have our own houseboat, the Shiraz. Nice sounding name don't you think. We look for beads and save them, we make love in the moonlight in our runabout and oh yes we do indeed skinny dip and stay naked most of the time we aren't in port. They kind of frown on nudity around the dock. You know how these Southern Baptists are.

The End.