Terri and Cal

Part One of Thorne and Bridges, an expanded version of my Terri and Bess story. Special thanks to Apophenia and Sherry Darling for Beta reading.

Terri Ross, orphaned at age ten, fled her abusive stepfather's home at seventeen. With help from a women's shelter she completed her GED and, after turning eighteen, obtained work at the perfume counter of a department store.

Cal Thorne launched a highly successful web-based company. Now a multi-millionaire, he is 47 years old, divorced, with two sons in college.

Shopping for Love

Cal had been told he should have his clothes tailor-made, and he could certainly afford it, but he'd always been happy buying off the rack at J.C. Penny's. Two pairs of slacks had popped their front buttons recently so he stopped by the mall on a Saturday afternoon. The men's department was on the second floor. He strolled in, heading for the escalator at the back. But he stopped dead before he reached the perfume counter: six men and two women were standing in line to be helped by the stunning young lady there. Cal joined the line.

He wasn't in a romantic relationship. He didn't have a sister. He would never buy perfume for his mother. But Secretary's Day was coming up. He didn't have a secretary either, but the clerk didn't need to know that.

At six-three, he towered over the others in line, giving him an excellent view of the young woman: golden blonde waves of hair down her back, large green eyes tastefully made up, luscious red-lipsticked lips, face fit for a magazine cover, hourglass figure, what an incredible package! He guessed five-five, though perhaps she was wearing heels.

He took out a small notebook, wrote something on a page and tore it out. When his turn came he said "Secretary's Day, you know, I'm thinking something subtle but sophisticated."

"Try this." She sprayed something on her wrist and held it up to his nose.

"Ahh, not bad. Oh, I just remembered, I wrote something down." He reached in his pocket and passed her the note, which read Any chance for a date?

She read it, smiled, and said "We don't have that in stock at the moment." Cal's heart sank. "But perhaps tomorrow? I'll be here until six." She flashed him a brilliant smile and handed him back the note.

He returned her smile and said "I'll check back tomorrow, then. Oh, is there a place to sit down while waiting for someone?"

"Yes, there are some comfortable benches toward the north end of the mall. That's what I'd recommend."

Cal walked off floating on air. Obviously, she already had plans for the evening, and had to be careful what she said that might be overheard by a manager, but he would be waiting for her on one of those benches tomorrow at six. He left the store and almost reached his car before he remembered he still needed slacks!

First Date

The next afternoon he returned to the store and passed by the perfume counter; his heart pounded when he saw her and they briefly locked eyes. She arched her brows but quickly returned her attention to her customer. He bought his slacks, left the store and waited at one of the benches. Six o'clock came and went, but of course she'd merely said that's when her shift ended. She found him at six-fifteen. "Mind if I sit a minute? Standing in heels gets tiring."

He noticed she had switched to flats and looked to be 5'2 or so. "Have a seat. My name's Cal."

"Hi Cal, I'm Terri. I'm not sure what you have planned, but can I make a request?"

"Certainly."

"I'd like to just go to the park, get some junk food from the taco trailer, and watch people."

"Fine with me. I'll cancel our reservations."

"And where was that?"

"You'll have to allow me another date to find that out."

She laughed, low, melodic and enchanting. "Okay, I'm ready to roll."

It was a short drive in his Benz to the park. They bought nachos, burritos and soft drinks and found a table with a good view of the playground and the reservoir. Kids were running and climbing, swinging and laughing, while their parents, grandparents or other adults watched them and chatted with each other.

"I loved coming here when I was little." She looked wistful, and a bit sad, then shook it off and said. "Now tell me about yourself."

"Well, I went to middle school and high school here, then college."

"Play any sports?"

"Benchwarmer for basketball."

"A century or two ago?" She gave him an impish grin.

"I'm forty-seven. Why did you agree to go out with me?"

"Since I started that job four weeks ago, I've been asked out seventy-five times. I accepted eight."

"Eight, huh," he said. "How did they go? - if you don't mind me asking."

Terri shrugged. "Two couldn't stop talking about themselves. One asked how I stood with Jesus. The next guy asked, right off the bat, if I enjoyed giving blow jobs. One spent the whole evening talking about his ex. One couldn't keep his hands off me, and called me a slut when I told him to fuck off. One was quite sweet - and also gay, so I have no idea what that was all about."

She laughed, and he said, "That's seven. What about number eight?"

"I'll let you know," she said, and grinned.

"So you thought I might cut you some slack, being old, decrepit, and past my prime?"

She threw her head back for a long, rich laugh. "I wouldn't put it quite like that." She looked over toward the swings; several were empty. Jumping up she exclaimed "Come, push me! I want to fly high."

Terri ran to a swing and climbed on; Cal noted they looked large and sturdy enough for a woman her size. He grabbed the ropes below where she held on, stepped back and then flung her forward.

"Wheeeeeeeeeee!" Then, as she swung back, "Higher!" Anyone would assume they were father and daughter, revisiting old times.

He backed up, let his hands touch her lower back and be driven back, then once again flung her forward. "Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!" Her upswing almost reached horizontal. He moved to the side to watch her, golden hair streaming, eyes glistening, a huge smile on her face.

He let her swing freely several more times before catching her, his arms closing around her, his body absorbing her pendulum force and transmitting it to the ground. He stood for a moment, his arms full of woman; she sighed, turned and said, "Thank you, Cal."

She climbed off the swing and put her hand into his; his arm felt a jolt. They walked toward the pond where he rented a canoe. She settled in the bow, facing him in the stern, and he launched them out across the water, paddling slowly while she dragged one hand through the water.

Heading for an inlet on the far side of the pond, he put the canoe in a shady, secluded spot. She tied a rope from the bow to a low, thick tree branch, then scooted back to rest her head on his chest. He secured the paddle in the boat and circled her arms with his. She stared up to the branches and glimpses of sky and fluffy clouds.

"I take it you're not married, Cal?"

"Divorced. Two boys in college."

"Why the divorce?"

"Maybe I put too much effort into my business, not enough into my marriage."

"What kind of business?"

"I run an internet service that matches cargo with available shipping."

"Does that take all your time?"

"Actually, I've been thinking I could turn more of it over to my staff. I've got good people working for me."

She craned her head back to look at him. "How long have you been considering such a change?"

"Since yesterday afternoon."

Her laugh was again rich and musical. He wanted to hear that laugh every day, for the rest of his life. She turned her head back and he kissed her hair. She squeezed one of his hands.

The light began to fade; she untied the rope and he paddled them back to the marina. They walked hand in hand to his car. "Should I drive you home or call a rideshare or do you have a car at the mall?"

"No car. Home please, 331 Peachtree Lane."

Far too quickly he pulled up to her house. "May I see you again?"

"Friday night. You can make that reservation, if you like."

"Pick you up here at seven, then."

"I had a wonderful time, Cal. Thank you! Please don't see me to the door." She kissed his cheek, let herself out and into the apartment building, giving him a wave before disappearing inside. His cheek continued to burn all the way home and well into the night.

Falling Fast

The next five days dragged on forever, but he began the process of backing off and letting his staff take on more responsibility. When they brought something to his attention, he resisted the urge to issue instructions; instead, he asked "What do you suggest?" This threw them for a loop; after letting them hem and haw for awhile he would follow with "Come on, spell out a specific plan of action." Once they did, in all but two cases he ended with "Proceed." In the two exceptions he said "Well, we do need to keep in mind..." highlighting a key consideration they appeared to have overlooked.

Friday he informed his staff he would be busy that evening but to notify him if California slid into the Pacific, World War III broke out or the Martians landed. Otherwise he expected them to deal with things as best they could; he would check in Saturday afternoon.

At six fifty-five he stood outside 331 Peachtree Lane, staring at the double row of buzzers. Which was hers? Should he resort to simply pressing all the buttons? He looked at the names; T. Ross and T. Williams were the only ones starting with 'T'. He pressed the first and waited; no answer. He tried T. Williams; an unfamiliar voice responded "Yes? Who is it?"

"Sorry, wrong buzzer." He tried T. Ross again. No answer. Could it be one of the others? Was Terri a middle name or nickname?

The speaker crackled. "Cal? Is that you? Sorry, I'm running late. Come on up to number eight." The door clicked open. He walked in and up the stairs, knocked on number eight. "Door's open!"

He let himself in. The living room had a stuffed chair, couch and TV; the kitchen was off to the right, two closed doors were to the left, which he assumed were to the bedroom and bath. A blow dryer kicked on behind one of the doors.

He settled down on the chair, and glanced around the room. There were several potted plants including some flowers and one tall shrub. There was a bookshelf to the right of the TV; several library books were scattered around on various flat surfaces. He got up to investigate.

One book was a romance novel by Julia Quinn. Another was a biography of John Adams. A third was titled Triassic Life on Land. A fourth was Poor Economics. All but John Adams had bookmarks located somewhere in the middle, suggesting she liked to read multiple books at once. Under Poor Economics was Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility, not a library book; he spotted a gap in the bookcase in a cluster of Austen's novels.

Triassic was sitting on top of a stack of fashion magazines, Vogue and Elle. Terri seemed to have a wide range of interests! He put the book back on top of the magazines just as Terri emerged from the bathroom.

She was wearing a light green dress, sparkling green pumps, small jade earrings, her hair tied in a bun with a green ribbon. She smiled brightly, said "How do I look?" while making a slow twirl.

"Fabulous!" The dress came mid-thigh, showing plenty of shapely leg, curvaceous rump, and spectacular cleavage. Her makeup was picture-perfect, accenting her beauty by appearing not to be there. What a living doll!

"Hope I didn't run too late."

He glanced at his watch; it was seven twenty-five, and it would take more than twenty minutes to drive to the restaurant, but he'd made the reservation for eight o'clock. "You're fine. More than fine! But we'd better get going."

On the way to the restaurant he he said "I notice you like to read."

"Oh, yes, my mother used to read to me and when I learned to read myself I just couldn't get enough."

"I used to read a lot, seems I never have the time any more. I did read one of Jane Austen's novels, Pride and Prejudice."

"That's one of my all-time favorites! Elizabeth gets the wrong idea about Mr. Darcy and he gets the wrong idea about her sister Jane but they manage to straighten things out. I read an amusing comment on the story -- which character, in the end, was the biggest winner?"

"Elizabeth, I suppose?"

"Mrs. Bennet, her mom -- she got three of her five daughters married off!"

They both laughed. "I'll have to admit I never would have thought of that."

"Women of Jane Austen's class in those days really had few alternatives: marriage, or being supported as a spinster by relatives."

"Did Austen herself ever marry?"

"No, she did receive one offer and turned it down. Persuasion, published after her death, is thought to be based on her own life."

Conversation continued all the way to the exclusive restaurant; Cal realized how easy Terri was to talk to. He also noted the turned heads and stares as they were shown to their table; that wasn't unexpected and, truth be told, he'd looked forward to showing her off. She seemed unaware of anyone but Cal. She basked in his attention without playing the coquette.

Seated, he ordered appetizers and asked if she'd like wine.

"Oh, no, I'm, that is..."

"Of course. A glass of Riesling for me and..."

"Sprite, please."

When the hostess left he said "So there goes my plan get you drunk and take shameful advantage."

She laughed, that low, musical sound he was becoming addicted to. "My stepfather was an alcoholic. I decided I would wait until I was at least of legal drinking age before trying anything. And I didn't want you to get in trouble for contributing to my delinquency. Did you have a plan B?"

He burst out laughing. "Give me a minute, I'll think of something." Her smile was dazzling.

"So you had a tough childhood?"

"Yes, and someday perhaps I'll tell you about it, but if you don't mind I'd rather not dwell on that tonight, Cal. I'd like just to enjoy your company."

"Of course, didn't mean to pry."

"Thanks, Cal. You're very tall -- did you play any sports?"

"Basketball benchwarmer. I got to play if the score was very lopsided either way. But I always stood out in the team pictures."

"I'll bet. Did you go to college?"

"Yes, I was working on an engineering degree but I got busy with an early web-based business and dropped out."

He talked about his business until the waiter took their order and then the appetizers arrived. As they worked on those he said "I saw you had a book on the Triassic. Tell me about that."

"Fascinating period, between the Permian and the Age of Dinosaurs, the Jurassic and Cretaceous. The ancestors and relatives of mammals, known as Therapsids, dominated the Permian, then mostly got wiped out in the Great Extinction. During the Triassic dinosaurs, crocodiles, other reptiles, amphibians and the surviving relatives of mammals fought it out until the dinosaurs took over while the mammals emerged as small burrowing or night-time creatures."

"Wow, all sorts of stuff there I know nothing about! Do you like reading about prehistoric creatures?"

"Absolutely! I almost always browse the paleontology section when I visit the library."

Dinner arrived, shrimp for him, prime rib for her; they shared and found everything quite delicious. Conversation wandered over many topics; they each had the knack of discussing or summarizing without lapsing into monologue or lecture. He was pleased to see she enjoyed the food and ate heartily, including a rich chocolate desert.

Leaving the restaurant, they weren't ready for the evening to end.

"Would you care for a walk in the park, Terri?"

"Sounds delightful! Plan B?"

He cracked up again. When they got to the park he took her hand as she stepped out of the car, and held it as they walked.

"The moon is so full and lovely tonight, Cal."

"I see something even lovelier, Terri." He leaned down for a kiss. She stretched up; when their lips met he felt fire from head to toe. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close while their kiss deepened and their tongues played with one another; she wrapped her arms around him and squeezed as tight as she could against him.

Chills went up his spine; fire blazed in the wake, engulfing his arms, chest, lips, face, legs, groin, everything. He burned with desire. He broke their kiss while she clutched him for dear life.

"Terri, darling, I want you so badly! May I take you to my place, or yours, or just throw you up against a tree?"

"Which tree?" She looked around, and they both laughed, the spell momentarily broken. "You've seen my place, may I see yours? Or do you need time to disinfect it?"

They laughed again and he said "My place, then." They turned back toward the parking lot, walking hand-in-hand. Electricity surged between them. He held the car door for her; when he got in the driver's side she scooted over, laying her head against his chest. He put his arm around her.

He drove to his condo near downtown, parking in the gated, underground lot. They kissed deeply, then got out and walked to the elevator. He entered a code and pressed the next to top floor, fifteen, which was labeled PRIVATE. The doors opened directly into a sitting room.

"Would you like a drink, Terri?"

"Some water, please. A bit of lemon if you have any."

"Follow me." A short hall opened into a kitchen/dining area and he fixed a water with lemon for her, a Tom Collins for himself. They clanked "Cheers!" and took a few good sips each.

Putting his drink down, he also put hers aside, took both her hands and gazed into her eyes. "You are so beautiful, Terri."

"Look who's talking!" He laughed a bit but her gaze was just as sincere as his own. He let go of one hand and walked her back down the hall, past the sitting room, past a large dining room, past a formal parlor, stopping at the door to his bedroom.

"Oh, how lovely!" The room was fairly tidy; he did, in fact, have a cleaning service. There was a California King-sized bed, with lots of pillows up against a mahogany headboard with shelves. There were no bedposts. The room had several stuffed chairs and recliners, a love seat, a giant TV screen, several closets, a door to a huge bathroom. There was a pair of large French doors opening onto a porch with a spectacular view of city and lake.

She stepped out on the porch; he came up behind and wrapped his arms around her. She sighed and sank back against him. "It's such a wonderful view, Cal! Thanks for bringing me here!"

He squeezed her and cleared his throat. "I'm glad you like the view, Terri, but I had an ulterior motive for bringing you here..." His erection pressed into her back.

"So I gather," pushing back against him with a laugh and wiggling her bottom. Then she turned to face him: "Well, you have officially swept me off my feet, you may proceed with your diabolical plans." She stretched up to kiss him.

He scooped her up, carried her back to the bed, flung her into the middle and started removing his jacket, tie, shoes, socks and shirt. She propped up on a pillow and enjoyed the show while unbuttoning her dress.

"My god, Terri, you're incredible!" He quickly dropped his pants and jumped on the bed wearing nothing but his briefs. He propped himself above her and gazed at the way her tanned tits bulged out of her bra, with a hint of milky white skin peeking out beneath the dark lace.

"It fastens in the back, Cal."

"Uh-huh."

"If you let me up I can unhook my bra."

"Uh-huh. Oh, right!" He sat back, she leaned forward, reached behind herself, pulled the bra off and leaned back. Her tits were about half tanned, then a six-inch wide circle of white surrounding three inches of dark pink aureolas and nipples. He reverently covered them with his hands; his palms covered the white part while his fingers splayed against the tanned bulk. They were both soft and firm and delightful to squeeze and massage.