The First Time Ever I…

At the house she slid the key in the lock and slowly unlocked it. Once inside she breathed a sigh of relief as everything seemed quiet. Maybe her father was asleep after all! As she turned the corner to go upstairs she heard the most dreaded sound in the universe.

"Elsa, you are late!"

"Vati, I'm sorry. Time got away from us and..."

"You have no excuses and that boy promised me, man to man, he vould have you back by two!"

"I know, I know. I can't tell you how sorry I am."

"Were you drinking?"

"No! I swear. I'm late but we did not drink a drop. Honest."

"Come, let me smell your breath."

She went to him and breathed out for him.

"Gut. I don't smell alcohol but Ido smell sex!"

"Vati, that is a personal thing..."

"Silence!" he interrupted, "You vill go to bed now and we vill discuss this in the morning. Understood?"

"Yes, Vati. I understand."

"Now go!"

Late the next morning, she showered and did her hair before going downstairs, doing anything, she thought, to delay the inevitable. Hunger finally drove her downstairs. Her father and mother were sitting at the kitchen table and for a second she thought the whole thing might be forgotten. However, she realized, they did not greet her and the air was frosty. After drinking a mug of coffee and eating some toast, she sat down in front of them and waited.

After a few seconds her father cleared his throat and began. "You have violated our rules. We were sick with worry that you and your friend vere in a horrible crash or vere assaulted or vere dead in a ditch. You have no idea how frightening that idea is to a parent."

"You're right, Vati."

"And then you had sex. Very irresponsible. Your mother and I have thought this over and there must be consequences. So, pay attention. First, tomorrow you vill go with your mother to the doctor and get yourself checked out. We don't want you to get diseases and you vill need to be followed to make sure you are not pregnant."

"But Vati, we used protection and..."

"You vill not interrupt me, Kind."

"Sorry."

"Second, you vill no longer see this Kyle. You are forbidden to contact him, call him, talk to him. If he calls or comes by, you must not speak to him. Understand?"

"Yes, Sir," she responded with a sharp pain in her heart.

"Third, you are grounded until this fall when you go to college. There vill be no after school activities, no dating, no prom, no jobs. You vill come home from school and remain here until the next morning when you go to school again."

She nodded, heartbroken that her senior year festivities had disappeared in front of her.

"Finally, I vant you to sign this application to the Catholic Women's College. You surely vill be accepted and that is where you vill attend college. Maybe they can teach you some respect and honesty and virtue."

She was devastated. That blank application had lain on her desk for weeks as she preferred to go to one of the larger state universities in the Midwest where she had hoped to broaden her horizons and meet new and exciting people. "Vati, I understand all the other things but please, I don't want to go there. It's too small and I'm afraid I wouldn't have the opportunity to try different majors and..."

"You should have thought about that when you vere, vell, when you vere vith that boy last night. You vill go to CWC and that is final."

"What if I refuse?"

"Very simple. You will go up ze stairs, get as many things you can carry and you vill march out that door never to return."

"Seriously?" she shrieked.

"Serious as cancer. Don't push your luck, Mädchen. I vill not allow disobedience in my house. The choice is yours."

Elsa turned to leave the room when her mother spoke for the first time. "Elsa, we love you and want the best for you. Please agree to these few things and before you know it, everything will all be settled."

"Sure, I'll agree but I'll always remember how cruelly you treated me over one tiny, little slipup," she cried as she fled up the stairs.

-----

Kyle was on pins and needles for the next few days. He had no idea if Elsa got in without being caught or not. Finally on the evening of the fifth, he decided to call.

"Hello?"

"Good evening, this is Kyle. May I please speak to Elsa?"

"Kyle," answered her mother, "After your little episode the other night, Elsa has wised up and decided she doesn't want to ever see or hear from you. You must never call here again."

"Is she OK, I mean...?"

"Forget you ever knew her. Good day."

As the line went dead in his ear, he stood there stunned. She had enjoyed being with him, had even instigated the sex and now didn't want to see her? It didn't make sense! Maybe, well maybe she had second thoughts or something. But why didn't she tell him herself? He wanted so much to go to her house and try to talk with her even to simply understand why. He knew, however, that could end blowing up in his face. With a saddened heart, he placed the phone back in the cradle.

-----

Four Years Later

For the first time since he quit his janitorial job at the mall years before, Kyle went there looking for a present for his mother. Recently her life had improved considerably and he was very happy for her. There was a new man in her life, a nice fellow named Jim who doted on her and treated Kyle as an equal. Kyle figured out fairly early on his mother was 'doing it' with Jim as they would caress each other lightly when passing in the kitchen and she frequently spent the night at his place. Kyle anticipated they would get married before long. However, with Jim in the picture, it became harder for Kyle to figure out what she might want for Christmas. He decided to wander the mall and look for inspiration.

The holiday spirit was everywhere but memories of his holiday season four years before dampened his mood. He still wondered about Elsa and it seemed her ghost haunted him and any attempts at meeting other girls. Right when he thought a new girl had potential, memories of Elsa flooded back. No one, it seemed to him, could match the looks, charm, personality and, quite frankly, the sexiness of Elsa.

The good news for him was with work and school. After quitting the janitor's job, he found a position working in the civilian affairs office at the local military base. At first he was basically a gofer but as time went on, he was challenged with more and greater responsibilities. This work cemented in him the desire to continue his sociology degree and consider social work or counseling for a career, a career which would start the following summer with his graduation from City University and a full-time job at the same office. He was pleased with his grades and was on track to graduate with honors.

He slowly made his way down the mall stopping at several stores looking for inspiration. At a kitchen shop he purchased a new cutlery set but felt he wanted more so he wandered further along. At the end of the corridor stood the Christmas Village, a site which brought new pangs of sorrow to him. He remembered those wonderful evenings with Elsa teasing him, talking and then kissing him for the first time. Then of course was their one night together upstairs. He found himself smiling slightly as he thought back to those wonderful few hours when they made love.

The shouted word 'Kyle' shattered his walk down memory lane. He looked up to see the usual line of kids waiting for Santa along with the assistant who kept things moving and tried to sell photos of the kids with Santa. He figured it had been his mind playing tricks so he turned to head up the opposite side of the corridor when he heard 'Kyle' yet again.

And there she was, racing towards him with a beaming smile and the beginnings of tears on her cheeks. Elf Elsa! She raced to him and wrapped her arms around him, sobbing with happiness. Kyle stood there stunned, arms at his side, not knowing what to do. Here was the one who didn't even want hear from him yet she seemed delighted to see him. She must have sensed something in his behavior as she pulled away from him and looked up into his eyes.

"Kyle! It's me. Elsa."

"I know who you are but I thought you didn't want anything to do with me."

"What?"

"That's what your mother told me when I called after that night we...uh..."

"She said she told you I couldn't see you," she almost shrieked.

"No! She told me you didn'twant to see me."

"My mother, I'm so going to kill her! She said that?"

"Uh-huh."

"Kyle, I wanted to hear from you but I couldn't. I was caught coming in late that night. My parents lowered the boom. I was grounded until I went to college and they forced me to a small religious college that I hate. They wouldn't let me talk to you and I was to never see you again."

"So, all this time I've been thinking you dumped me when actually..."

"When actually I have missed you terribly. Oh, Sweetheart, how I've missed you."

"Are you going to get in trouble talking to me now?"

"Probably not. No one will see us and since it's been so long, well, they've eased off a bit. They've even let me do the elf thing for the first time again this year."

"When do you get off?"

"In an hour but if Belinda gets here early, maybe I can duck out sooner. Can you get me a drink at the food court?"

"Yeah, I'll buy you one."

"No more freebees?"

"I don't work here anymore. I've got a job at the base."

"Oh, we have so much to catch up on. I'll try to duck out early and meet you at the food court. Don't leave. Promise?"

"Yeah, I promise," he said before giving her a big, warm hug. As he walked away, he was the happiest he'd been in four years. His heart was singing a happy tune. Elsa still liked him!

-----

Elsa couldn't believe it. Kyle had looked so handsome in his sport coat and tie and now she'd get to talk with him. The excitement kept her distracted and she had trouble remembering the children's names for the thirty seconds before she helped them onto Santa's lap. Any attempts to help with the photography were lost in an aura of joy.

Finally, Santa turned to her and whispered, "Elsa, who was that? Ever since you saw him, you've been a basket case."

"Oh, Sam, he is a very near and dear friend I've not seen in four years. Once I leave here I'll meet him at the food court and I can't wait!"

"Well, I'm happy for you but try to concentrate a little here, OK?"

"Yeah, yeah, will do."

The rest of her shift crawled by but fortunately Belinda arrived early and was convinced to start before her shift.

"I owe you big, Belinda. I'll work an extra thirty minutes for you tomorrow, OK?"

She raced down the corridor to see Kyle sitting at a table with two sodas in front of him and a couple of bags at his feet. When he looked up and saw her, he stood and greeted her with a huge hug, burying his lips in her hair, inhaling her wonderful scent. Elsa hugged and squeezed him back as if to make sure he was real. Eventually, they sat down with knees touching under the small table and holding hands on top.

"So, uh, how have you been?" she asked, worried he might have moved on.

"Oh, OK, I guess. It took me quite a while until I recovered from the news that you didn't want to hear from me."

"But now you know that's not true."

"Now I do, but it was rough back then. But I'm OK. I'll graduate in June and I already have a job at the base working with their civilian affairs people."

"That's great! Congrats. How's your mom?"

"Good. She's got somebody nice in her life. I predict she'll get married pretty soon. Good guy, too. What about you?"

"I'm finishing at CWC in June. I hate the school but fortunately they've got a good business program. I'll get my degree in accounting and want to work towards my CPA."

"Wow. Pretty smart."

"Thank you. Uh, Kyle, is there, uh, is there anyone...?"

"Nope. I'm still single. And I still have this little elf tucked in my wallet," he said as he placed the medallion on the table between them. "Never found anyone quite like the elf I met four years ago so I kept this to remind me of her."

"Oh, Kyle, really? You still carry that?"

"Umm-hmm. I do. What about you? Anyone...?"

"Nope. I've dated some guys but...meh."

"You'll be gone for what, another five or six months?"

"Yeah, then I'll probably move back and look for a job. Is there any chance we could get together when I get back?"

"Well, yeah, definitely. Your dad would have a stroke, though, wouldn't he?"

"Kyle, Honey, I'm twenty-three and I'll be twenty-four when I get back. I get to choose my life and if he doesn't like it, well, too bad."

"OK. So where do we go from here? I mean, for the next five months?"

"I don't think I can wait that long to see you again. You?"

"I'd love to get together. Can you sneak away this week?"

"No, I can't and I think it would be too risky. Plus, we're going to see Oma. She's getting pretty rickety and old so I don't want to miss seeing her. What about spring break?"

"Uh, you're what? Nearly five hundred miles away at CWC?"

"Yeah, but I could borrow a car and we could meet somewhere, just the two of us."

"Yeah, maybe that could work. How do I get ahold of you?"

"There's a payphone in the dorm. Here's the number," she said as she scribbled it on a paper napkin. "Call it and someone will pick it up and you ask for me. There's a ten-minute limit on calls since some twenty girls share that one phone. OK?"

"Yeah, sure, plus the long-distance charges could get to be pretty steep if we talked all night. Oh, Elsa, you have no idea how happy this has made me."

"Me, too! So, tell me more about this job you've got."

They sat there and chatted, giving information about themselves as they reconnected. In no time it seemed as if they'd been apart for a few weeks and not four years. They were teasing, joking and sharing, all the while holding hands and looking at each other longingly.

After twenty minutes Elsa looked at her watch. "Look, I've gotta go. Don't want to be too late. Can I get a good-bye kiss?"

"Are you sure Santa's elf should be kissing some guy in the mall?"

"Probably not, but I don't care. It's been four years and I demand a kiss."

It was sweet, tender and held so much promise she was barely able to tear herself away. Once they broke the kiss, she smiled as big tears slipped down her cheeks. "Bye, Kyle. Talk to you soon."

"You bet. Can't wait."

-----

"May I please speak to Elsa?"

"Sure. I'll see if she's here. Who's this?"

"Kyle."

"Oooh, Kyle. She's told us so much about you. Hang on."

A few minutes later, Elsa answered, "Kyle?"

"Yeah, it's me."

"Oh, God, it's nice to hear your voice. I just got back here last night. You didn't waste any time calling, did you?"

"Nope. It's been two weeks since we talked and I wanted to hear your voice."

Kyle was delighted to hear Elsa's voice. He knew they'd have only a few minutes to talk, but a few minutes was way better than nothing for four years. They chatted about their holidays. Elsa's grandmother seemed pretty fragile but in good spirits. And it turned out Jim did ask Kyle's mom to marry him. But the best Christmas news was Elsa and Kyle had reconnected. The ten minutes flew by and Elsa told him when the timer on the wall chimed, she needed to hang up. They said their 'Good-byes' and he promised to call soon.

It became a routine. He would call three times a week and those ten-minute sessions were the focus of his week. After each call he would lie in his bed and remember his time with her on New Year's night and how he wanted a repeat as soon as possible.

-----

Elsa was the first to bring up spring break during one of their calls in mid-February. She was wanting him in the worst way, particularly since a guy from the neighboring college she had slept with a few times the previous year was calling and asking her out again.

"Kyle, we talked about spring break. Any chance we can get together?"

"Sure. Maybe we can meet half-way. You said you could get a car, right?"

"Yeah. Juliette will be going to Florida and leaving her car behind. She said I could borrow it as long as I filled the tank at the end of the week."

"Does she know you're looking at hundreds of miles?"

"No, but so what? I'll fill the tank and I doubt she'll ever figure it out."

"OK. Uh, could we camp out? A motel would be pretty pricey and..."

"I would love to camp out. Figure out a good spot and maybe we can meet there."

Several calls later, the whole spring break plan was set up. Kyle would drive north and Elsa would drive south and they'd meet at Patterson Falls State Park for four days and three nights. She would bring a sleeping bag and a mattress and Kyle would provide all the rest. With each subsequent call their excitement increased as they realized they would have several days together with no one to bother them. On the last call before the break, they could barely contain their excitement. The gave each other a quick kiss over the line before hanging up.

-----

Elsa drove around the campground twice before she saw Kyle's familiar car tucked in the back of a camping spot. She pulled up and walked over to his tent while listening to his soft snores. Slowly she eased the zipper up and crawled into the tent before pouncing on him.

"Wake up, Silly! Aren't you supposed to be waiting for me with bon-bons and a glass of wine?" she giggled.

She loved the way Kyle woke up, first with a confused look and then with a huge grin. His arms grabbed her and held her tight.

"I studied late last night, took a test this morning and then had to drive up here. I was exhausted.

"But I'm worth it, right?"

"Yes, you are," he chuckled as he reached over and gave her a loving kiss. Elsa was beyond ecstatic. His kisses were as wonderful as she remembered and far better than any she had received from the guys she had dated at college. She knew there was something special about him and his kisses proved the point.

They sat in his tent talking and hugging, enjoying the opportunity to be together, to be alone and not to be worried about the clock. She eventually realized she was getting hungry and brought up the subject.

"Food. Are we going to eat anytime soon?"

"Sure," he said with an evil grin, "Drop your shorts and I'll do a little dining downtown."

"No, Silly, I need real food. Then we can have fun, if you play your cards right."

They got out of the tent and set about cooking the meal. It was fairly simple but they were both hungry and enjoyed every bit of it. Cleanup was quick, they went to the restroom and then sat by a small campfire holding hands and watching the flames.

She couldn't believe how comfortable she felt. There was no anxiety about whether the guy would like her, how he would kiss, whether he would just use her. No, she knew Kyle liked her, kissed fabulously and would never use her. As these thoughts ran through her mind, she snuggled up closer to him, enjoying his warmth on the crisp March evening. Eventually, the chill became a bit much and they agreed to crawl in the tent. She grabbed her old-fashioned roll-out sleeping bag to take to the tent.

"I have one just like it. Uh, you know we can take one and open it all up and put the other on top, kinda like a small double bed."

"Mr. Winslow, just what kind of a girl do you think I am and just what are you proposing?" she laughed.

"I'm proposing we conserve body heat by sleeping together."

"Is that all?"

"Mmmmaybe we could do a little more kissing."

"Mmmmaybe I'd kick you out in the cold if that's all we would be doing. Come on, let's set things up." With laughter and giggles, they set up the sleeping bags by flashlight. Once things were organized, they sat across from each other as the mood switched from humorous to sensual. She realized she had a hollowness in her pelvis, a sure sign she was wanting him, needing him. After laying the flashlight on the floor, she looked at him and slowly began to unbutton her top. Once it was off her shoulders, the bra came next. Elsa was proud of her breasts. They weren't huge but they were more than adequate to give her a nice figure and she really liked their shape and how they rode high on her chest. Even in the near-dark of the tent she could see Kyle must have liked them as his eyes stayed glued to her chest. She coyly held her arm across her chest and suggested it was his turn to take off his shirt. She never knew a guy could slip off a shirt so fast!