Synchronicity for Six Pt. 04

Tom responded, "John, Dawn, you owe us nothing. We are both so happy that you are doing well together. But thank you so very much for this wonderful, thoughtful gift!"

Julie leaped to grab Dawn in a bear hug. Tugging her friend to her feet, Julie said, "Come with me for a minute." And they disappeared into the spare bedroom and closed the door.

Surprised at the girls' actions, Tom put the cologne back into the box. "So, how has the shift to the nighttime hours in the accounting lab been?" he inquired.

Meanwhile, in the spare bedroom, Julie held Dawn by the shoulders.

"Dawn, how much was that cologne?" Julie demanded.

"Jules, you know my situation. Please, ask Tom to just accept it." Dawn forced Julie to sit on the bed then joined her. "Oooh, this is MUCH better than the ones in the dorms." Dawn's eyes had a little sparkle of mischief which Julie picked up on, knowing Dawn the way she did.

"What's on your mind, girlfriend?" Julie asked.

"Could... could...," but the words just could not quite be spoken.

Julie's voice had a conspiratorial edge when she asked, "Do you and John want to spend the night, here in our apartment, in this bigger, more comfy bed, Dawn?"

"Could we? Really?"

"Do you have a change of clothes with you to wear tomorrow? I would not want you to do any sort of 'walk of shame'."

"Actually, yeah, we do out in my car."

"Tell you what, girlfriend. If you spring for the bagels tomorrow morning, like you would anyways, then yes, you two could spend tonight here and make good use of this nice, comfy bed."

Dawn grabbed Julie tightly and squealed in her delight.

"Hey, what's going on in there?" Tom called out.

Julie opened the door and she and Dawn stepped out. Dawn looked at John and gave a big nod which drew a smile from him. Obviously, Dawn and John had this possibility in mind all along, hence the extra clothes in her car.

"Honey, I'd like to extend our hospitality to our good friends for an overnight stay. It would be a good trial run for when David and Maggie visit us," Julie rationalized.

Tom paused for a minute. He was not surprised at this development, not that he'd planned on it but he did know Julie pretty well. He knew her friendship with Dawn was very strong, and he remembered how challenging it was to have physical intimacy on the dorm room beds. He poured the remainder of the wine among their goblets. He raised his cup in salute to his guests and confirmed, "Yes, be our welcome guests. I only request that you not disturb our landlord with your joy in each other." The other three nodded and raised theirs in response, and the good wine was enjoyed by all.

"It is still rather early, though, and I would like to hear about your holidays," Tom stated, looking at Julie who eagerly nodded.

Dawn settled in, snuggling against John, and began:

"Knowing we would be coming back to the same rooms this semester, all the stuff we needed to take fit easily in my car. So, I drove John to his home and stayed a few days. I believe his father accepted me," to which John nodded his head vigorously, "but his mother's going to be a tough nut to crack. I doubt anyone would be good enough for her son, but especially not a 'Daisy Mae' from the hills. Still, I tried my best."

"Yes, you did, 'Daisy'," John added, piling on to her statement.

"Well, your father was fairly easy to win over," Dawn said. "Anyway, after a long weekend with his parents, I went back home to Mom, Dad, and the brats and stayed there until I could come back and get into the dorms. We did communicate with each other daily, though."

"Dawn, your brothers are not brats. Sure, they think I 'throw like a girl', and that's probably true, but..." John redirected.

"No, John, they're brats. You did not have to grow up with them. I'm so glad to be here at school, away from them. What you experienced over Halloween was what they're truly like."

"That may be, Dawn, but I think your parents really liked me, and that's the important thing."

Julie decided to interrupt at this point.

"So, Dawn, your new roommate, Renée was it?"

"Yeah, 'Renée the Urban Rat'. She's from the 'big city' and she's just here for her MRS degree." Dawn looked around at the surprised faces. "Her words, truly. I have to keep stuff under lock and key, or else she'd be into it. This is gonna be a semester from hell, Jules."

"Oh, Dawn, I'm so sorry. I feel like I've abandoned you," Julie was nearly in tears. "You have all these things you have to deal with because I'm not rooming with you." Dawn pulled Julie into another hug and tried to wipe away the gathering moisture.

"You haven't abandoned me, Jules. You're following your own path beside the wonderful man you've found. Actually, this place is giving me ideas."

The four stayed up for a couple of hours talking about how Tom and Julie convinced their parents to allow them to cohabitate and what the previous three weeks had brought to the fore. About the delight and the challenges of living together and how they worked through the few issues that had arisen. When the conversation died out, Julie looked at the clock and it was 9 PM.

"Tom, would you please be a dear and help John bring in their clothes from Dawn's car?"

Tom raised an eyebrow at this but nodded his head as he handed John's coat to him and followed him out the door.

"Quickly, Dawn, before they come back. Do you need some condoms for tonight?"

Dawn gave a wry smile and answered, "Yeah, we used up the last of my supply earlier this week."

"There's a box in the nightstand of your room, put there for when David and Maggie visit. Should I begin working on Tom to have you and John be frequent Friday and Saturday night guests?"

"Oh, would you, please? Yeah, your place is really small, but Renée is making my life so tough and it hasn't even been a full week yet."

"We'll work something out. You may have to park in front of the next house down the street."

Dawn pulled Julie in for a tight and long hug. "Jules, you are too good to me."

"Let me work my wiles on Tom and we can talk about it some more at breakfast, okay?" Julie gave Dawn a kiss on the cheek and broke away as Tom and John came in the door with the clothing.

"Gentlemen," Julie declared, "it's time for bed. Ladies, start your gentleman's engines!" And she took Tom by his hand and led him to their bedroom. "Dawn, turn off the lights, will ya, please?" she called out over her shoulder. Julie shut the bedroom door and proceeded to earn Tom's agreement to host Dawn and John frequently in the coming weeks.

= = =

David had the presence of mind to text Alan of his impending arrival. Asking that his visit be a surprise for Maggie, he communicated his expected arrival just before supper. Just shaking his head, Alan complied with David's request and set the table for four after sharing this update with Rose. Surprising Maggie was one thing; surprising Rose was something completely different, especially when she was the one preparing the meal.

"Oh, good! Mother will be happy to see the four of us on the call tonight," she said aloud, catching Alan by surprise.

"Oh? Are we videoconferencing with your parents again tonight?" Alan asked. Rose grimaced and wrapped her arms around Alan's neck, pulling him into a kiss.

"Yes, please. I'm sorry I forgot to mention it. Don't you want to know what happened once my father returned home on Wednesday?"

Attempting a Clark Gable imitation, Alan declared, "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn." Then he continued in his normal voice, "But you do and that's important to me. It's fine, Rose. We can easily set it up after supper."

"Set what up after supper?" Maggie asked, coming down the hallway.

"Your mother has agreed to videoconference with your grandmother tonight. Do you want to help me get it set up once we finish this delicious meal?"

"Sure!" The front door opened just then and David stepped into the house.

"Daveyyyy!" Maggie shrieked and dashed to his embrace. "Oh, I've missed you, Davey!" Maggie proceeded to pepper his face with her kisses until he gently held her head and rubbed noses with her. "Not that I'm complaining, but why are you home?"

"A number of reasons, Magpie, chief among them is that I missed you, too. Is supper ready? I tried to time it." Holding hands, they walked to the dining table. Maggie then noticed the table was set for four and she looked at Rose and Alan. Alan just did a little shrug with a wry smile.

"Kids, come help me, please," Rose called out. The food was brought to the table and David took the place across from Alan, and reached out his hands. The blessing was asked and there was no further discussion while the food was eaten, although Maggie did cast rapturous glances at her boyfriend whenever she could manage.

"Okay, David, so why are we graced with your presence this weekend?" Rose inquired.

"First week, no assignments due until Wednesday, Rob and Amanda needed the room, and I missed my Magpie," he offered. "But, I will not be back until the 5^th." He displayed the Scout Sign, saying, "Scout's honor." Alan softly snorted at this, and smiled.

"You're gonna use up your bonus in gasoline and oil changes, David," he chided his youngest softly.

"Maybe so, Dad, but it's for a good cause." Maggie smiled broadly at David's words full of love.

Everybody helped clear the table, then David and Maggie headed to the Media Room to get Alan's laptop set up for the video call with Martha and Elliot.

"Hello, Mother. It's good to see you again," Rose began once the connection had been made and everyone was ready.

"Good evening, Rose, Alan, Margaret, and... David?" Martha responded. Then she frowned. "David, you weren't there on Tuesday. You'd gone back to school, as I recall."

"Yes, Grandma, I had. But I missed Maggie so much that I had to sneak back home for one more weekend with her. I had no assignments due and my roommate could make good use of the room in my absence." David gave her a wink, and Martha flushed slightly at his cheekiness. She was quite pleased at his use of 'grandma' with her.

"Elliot? Elliot! Come here, please," Martha called offscreen. As her husband sat next to her, she asked with an edge to her tone, "Do you have something to say to your daughter and her family?"

"Rose, I'm sorry for any drama I brought to your house. In Alan, you have chosen a better man than I have been, and I felt threatened. Both of you, can you please forgive my actions?" Elliot wasn't looking at his feet nor at the camera but somewhere in between, trying to project humility and sincerity.

Alan's eyebrows raised at this confession and Rose shed a single tear, knowing how much it had cost her father to make this admission. Maggie and David were silent in their amazement. Alan quickly answered, "Of course, Elliot. It's all water under the bridge and over the dam now."

"Thank you, Alan. Your graciousness seems to know no bounds." Elliot turned slightly to Martha and asked, "May I return to my basketball game, dear?"

"Just sit here, hold my hand, and stay with me for a couple of minutes, please, Elliot." Martha then turned her attention to the screen and camera before them. "Rose, when may I come and visit for a couple of days, alone?" The edge to her voice could still be heard by everyone.

"Could you come on February 5^th and stay for three or four days, Mom? That's when David's coming home again, and it gives us time to clean properly for guests. Not that Alan hasn't done a good job keeping the place clean, but there's clean and then there's properly clean." Rose gently squeezed Alan's hand at her words to take away any hurt.

"Yes, Rose, that would be lovely. I'll have your father make my reservations tonight, once his game is over."

"I'm looking forward to your visit, Mom. Please don't be too hard on Dad, though."

"Okay, dear. You may now go back to your game, Elliot."

"Thank you, dear." Elliot bent and gave Martha a kiss on her cheek then slunk away, back to his basketball game and his beer. Martha's eyes glinted with pleasure at his token of affection in front of his daughter and her family.

"I'm sure we'll talk again between now and then, Rose. You ladies take good care of your men, please. They seem to be good matches for you."

"They are, Mom. That they are. We'll talk again early next week. I love you both," Rose replied.

"And we love you too, Rose. Good night!"

= = =

Saturday, January 23

The alarm sounded on the phone at 7:30 on Saturday morning, waking both her and her man. Fumbling with the device, she eventually silenced it as consciousness intruded. She sniffed and her nose filled with his scent. Her cheek rubbed against his bare chest, and his heartbeat and breathing filled her ear with their rhythms. She was wrapped around him and could think of no place else she would rather be at that moment. His nose nuzzled in her hair, and his lips on her forehead led her to tilt her head back and seek out his lips with hers.

Lips met first followed soon by tongue tips; positions were adjusted. Panties were kicked off and shorts were tugged down to his ankles. She threw her leg over his body and straddled him. His morning wood pressed deliciously against her very sensitive bits, inflaming their passion for each other. Slow, gentle coitus inevitably led to a more energetic version, and the day began wonderfully for the pair. Similar sounds could be faintly heard from the other bedroom nearby, despite the closed door, and the realization that they were not alone in their coupling drew smiles from both.

"Come on, Davey!" Maggie tugged at him. "I've gotta get ready for work, and you, mister, are taking me! I'd really love a cup of coffee and something to eat, please." Hips swaying, she headed for the bathroom to get her shower.

'Yep, this is MUCH better than waking up to Robert's snoring,' David mused. With a slight groan, he got out of bed, slipped on shorts and a t‑shirt, and headed downstairs to fulfill Maggie's request. He paused at his dad's bedroom door and listened. He heard the shower running and some faint giggles. With a broad smile, he descended to the kitchen.

= = =

Miles away, very similar events unfolded in Tom and Julie's off‑campus apartment that morning. No alarms sounded. The rooms involved were much closer together. The sounds from one room spurred activity in the other. Saturday began on a very happy note for everyone involved.

Satisfied for the time being, Tom emerged first, tugging on a t‑shirt and shorts. The floor was very cool against his bare feet. He strode quickly into the kitchen and flipped the switch on for the coffeemaker to begin its brewing. He looked around and was dismayed to find very little suitable for breakfast. Knowing the brew cycle took 15 minutes, he returned to Julie to present her with the problem at hand.

At her puzzled look at his empty hands, he remarked, "It's brewing. But we have a slight problem of the rest of breakfast. I could not find enough of anything to offer, not even enough for us. Ordinarily in this circumstance, I'd have dragged you out to IHOP or Denny's, foregoing any coffee here."

"That's okay, Tom. I negotiated with Dawn last night for them to provide some delicious Panera bagels for us. It might take a starter cup of coffee to get them going, however. Let me go delicately inquire of our friends as to their preferences. Before I do, was having them here overnight okay for you? I sort of sprung that on you." Tom grimaced at her words.

"Honestly, Jules, it's like the line from 'Cool Hand Luke': 'What we've got here is... failure to communicate.' First the thing with inviting Bruce, now this little kerfuffle." He held up his hand in a 'stop' signal. "Admittedly, these are minor things, but they seem to demonstrate our not being accustomed to living together. I believe decisions which impact both of us should be made by both of us." He paused for a few moments, gathering his thoughts while Julie was still taking it all in.

"It's these sorts of things that we need to iron out between us. I'm not the world's greatest at sharing my stuff either, but I'm very willing to work on getting better at sharing. I think it's the arbitrariness of these decisions and how they could impact me or us that is causing me concern. They seem to involve other people, too, and you know that's not my area of expertise. While you might be likely to bring others into our lives, I would be more likely to make background decisions.

"Yes, I screwed up by not talking with you as I was working things out about which job offer to accept. On the other hand, you gave me the space I needed last weekend and you didn't seem too concerned about what was on my mind." Tom reached out and took Julie's hand in his. "While I want nothing more than to spend the rest of my life with you, we have not formalized the commitment we both feel. I'm very sorry if I hurt your feelings about deciding the initial step on my career path. I have not yet sent off my acceptance, and I think it's a decision we both should agree upon. Would you like to talk about it sometime today?" Right then there was a knocking at their bedroom door.

"Jules, can I speak with you in the kitchen, please?" Dawn asked through the closed door.

"Sure, Dawnie. I'll meet you there in just a minute." Julie pulled on her sweatshirt and sweatpants, and put her feet into her slippers. Kissing Tom briefly, she answered him. "We'll see how today plays out. Perhaps we'll get some couple‑time this afternoon and we can talk about it then, okay?" With that, she was out the door.

Julie's mind swirled around Tom's admission that he had screwed up. She didn't know what to make of it, and by then her feet had carried her into the kitchen. Dawn was seated at the table. Julie pulled up a chair and focused on her friend.

"Jules, I wanted to thank you, face to face, for giving us, me and John, a comfy place to be together overnight. His roommate is not as accommodating this semester as he was before Christmas. And I've shared with you the horror of 'the Urban Rat'. Last night we both slept so well! I think you heard us a little this morning, right?"

"Uh‑huh, sure did. It sounded like a lot of fun, for you both."

"Jules, this is hard for me to ask, but can we stay here tonight as well? It's only because we're such good friends that I can bring myself to ask this." Dawn practically pleaded, including puppy dog eyes, "I think last night went pretty well, don't you?"

Julie gave a little laugh at Dawn's theatrics. To buy a little time, she got up and poured two mugs of coffee, ameliorating the contents with a couple splashes of Amaretto‑flavored creamer. Carefully returning to the table, she presented one to her friend, and they sipped in companionable silence. Julie had not yet answered, so Dawn was trying to be patient and bide her time. Finally, Julie set her mug down.

"Dawn, I need to get Tom's buy‑in before I can give you a firm answer. We've both been making some decisions since moving in that we should have first consulted with each other about. He and I need to talk and synchronize with each other. For now, let's assume that you two will stay over again tonight. It's gonna cost you enough Panera bagels for today and tomorrow, as well as ingredients for supper tonight. Would tacos be okay with you?"

"Oh, boy, that sounds great!" John offered from the doorway. "With refried beans and all? I don't do hot sauce, but what the dorm cafeterias claim to be tacos are a joke." He shuffled in wearing a t‑shirt and shorts, but he had the presence of mind to put on a pair of socks to buffer against the cold floor. He poured a mug for himself and added the available creamer, commenting, "I've never tried Amaretto‑flavored creamer. Is it good?"