The Project

"No problem."

Mellissa said, "He cooks too?"

"My Bobby is a man of many talents. Sooner or later some very lucky young lady is going to realize what a catch he is."

I blushed and mom told me I wouldn't be needed for the day's lesson, but to be prepared to work hard the next day. As I headed for the kitchen I heard Bev ask if she and Carol could sit in. I didn't hear what mom said, but I was pretty sure it would be okay with her.

As I drove the girl's home they talked about dresses and other prom related things and when I got Mellissa home I walked her to her door. I got another kiss on the cheek and she told me to remember to save her a seat at my table next day.

I was late getting to lunch the next day and when I got there Mellissa, Carol and Bev were already at a table, but the fourth seat was occupied by Ray Hendricks so I found a seat on the other side of the cafeteria. That afternoon at three Mellissa showed up at the east door alone and as we drove to my house she apologized for not saving me a seat at the table.

"Ray sat down before I could tell him that I was saving the seat for you. He started talking to Bev about their prom date so I couldn't chase him away."

I shrugged and we pulled into my driveway. We were just walking into the house when I found out why Carol and Bev hadn't been with Mellissa when she came out of school. Ray pulled up in front of the house and he and Bev got out of his car even as Carol and Steve Miller pulled up behind him. I looked at Mellissa.

"Your mom said she would also work with Bev, Carol and their dates."

I just shrugged and said, "I guess the queen's court should look good to" and we went into the house.

Mom was in her element. She had to be a dance instructor just waiting to come out of the closet. She spent the afternoon going through the basics using me as a visual aid until about and hour before dad was due home and then I had to hit the kitchen and start fixing dinner. When dad got home he worked with mom on the lesson and around six-thirty things broke up and mom came and told me that Mellissa was staying for dinner.

Dad pretty much dominated the dinner table conversation asking Mellissa all about herself, her family, what she was going to study in college and what were her goals in life. When dinner was over he said he would handle the clean up so I could work with mom and Mellissa. At nine I drove Mellissa home and as soon as we pulled away from my house she said:

"Okay Robert, give."

"What?"

"Why the long face earlier when Ray and Steve showed up with Bev and Carol?"

I was silent for a moment and then said, "I've spent most of my school years with girls having little or nothing to do with me and then my fairy godmother took pity on me and waved her magic wand. The fairy dust settled and there you were. That is the only possible explanation for it. And like the fairy godmother only gave Cinderella until midnight I know that I am only going to have a short time with you and I guess I don't want to share what little time I will have with anyone else."

She didn't say anything to that, but then what could she say? She knew it was true. I walked her to her door and she turned to face me with a strange look on her face as she said she would see me at school the next day. She leaned forward and kissed me. Not on the cheek, but on the lips. Then she turned and went inside.

When I got home dad said that he would order pizza for the next day's dinner and then take over the kitchen chores on Saturday to give me more time to work with Mellissa.

"I think you got a good one there sport and we need to do what we can to see to it that you keep her."

"Yeah! Right" I thought. Like that could ever happen.

++++++++++++++++++++

Friday at lunch all the talk was about dancing and prom dresses and my only part of the conversation came when I was asked what dances I thought were likely to be played. I said is was more that likely that half would be waltzes and the rest fast numbers based on current popular tunes and I speculated that there would be at least one each tango, cha-cha and samba.

"Do we have time to learn those?" Carol asked.

"Maybe some of the basics" I replied.

Of course that night Carol had to bring it up and equally of course mom took it as a challenge.

"How hard do you want to work?" she asked. "We can work late tonight and then a full day tomorrow. You will need to be here Sunday most of the day and next week work a couple of hours later than we have been. We have tonight, all of this weekend and all of next week and weekend. I think we can do it, but you won't have time for much else."

I could tell that Ray and Steve were not all that interested in doing it, but Mellissa, Carol and Bev were all for it so Ray and Steve got dragged along. It was either that or possibly losing girlfriends thirteen days before the prom. We worked until ten before calling it a night and then I took Mellissa home. We were almost to Mellissa's house when she said:

"Your queen is pissed."

"And what pray tell has this lowly one done to upset his queen?"

"We haven't been on a date yet. We have spent all this time together and have yet to go on a date."

"This lowly one apologizes, but at the risk of incurring the wrath of his queen he must say that it was the queen who made the decision to fill up all of her available time with dance lessons."

She looked at me for a moment before saying, "I guess I did didn't I."

Before I got to her house she told me to take a left on Jerry Street.

"Why are we doing that?"

"Be patient; you'll see."

She had me make a right on Paris and I looked questioningly at her because Paris was a dead end. At the end of the block she told me to pull over and park. I did as she said and then she said, "Get in the back" as she got out on her side and moved to the back and I followed.

"It doesn't look like we are going to be able to squeeze in a date before prom and I'll be damned if I'm going to wait thirteen more days to do this. We can't do it up front because of the bucket seats, center console and gear shift so we will have to do it back here. Kiss me."

I was going to argue? She broke the kiss and said, "You weren't joking when you said there hadn't been any girls in your life were you? If there were they sure didn't teach you how to kiss. Here, let me show you."

And she did. After a couple of minutes she said, "Not bad, but we will have to spend some time working on it" and then she sought my lips again. It was another half hour before she told me that it was time for me to get her home. The goodnight kiss at her front door was a little on the intense side and I drove home giving my fairy godmother effusive thanks. It might not last long, but I was going to have some very nice memories.

++++++++++++++++++++++

The next ten days took on a sameness. We spent twelve hours a day on Saturday and Sunday working under the task master that my mother had become. Monday through Friday was school and then after school four more hours of lessons. The following Saturday and Sunday were also twelve hour days. Each night when I drove Mellissa home there was a make out session. Sometimes I got the feeling that Mellissa was waiting for me to do something, but I didn't know what.

When I got home after taking Mellissa home following Sunday's session mom told me that she thought that Mellissa and I were almost good enough for competition.

"You've always been ready baby, but Mell does need just a little more work. Carol would be too if she had a better partner, but I'm sorry to say that Bev and Ray don't have what it takes. They will shine at the prom, but that will be because most of the other kids won't have had the benefit of lessons."

"You really think that we are that good together?"

"You bet baby."

I went to bed that night feeling pretty damned good.

++++++++++++++++++++

That good feeling was with me right up until the end of fourth hour. At the end of our second hour class Carol asked me to meet her outside the east door before going to the cafeteria for lunch and then she took off for her next class without giving me a chance to ask why or even agree to meet her. Curiosity being what it is I was there waiting when she came out. She walked up to me and hesitated. She wanted to say something, but it seemed she either didn't know what to say or how to say what she did want to say. I tried to help.

"Go ahead Carol. As you might imagine I'm used to hearing bad things from girls. I can handle it."

She took a deep breath and then she said, "Mell is my best friend and I usually don't butt into her business, but over the last couple of weeks I've discovered what a great guy you are and what a great family you have. I don't want to see you hurt Rob, but I'm afraid that Mell is going to hurt you. I know why she is spending time with you, but I know her Rob. I know that you aren't the kind of guy who will hold her interest for long. She is using you to satisfy some need she feels she has and then she will drop you like she has a dozen others.

"I see the way you look at her Rob and I know how you are going to feel when it happens. I guess I hoped if I prepared you for it that it might help some."

"I appreciate your concern Carol, but I'll be okay. I've always known that it wouldn't last. At least I will have had prom and that is something that wouldn't happened before Mellissa took an interest in me for whatever reason."

"That brings up the other thing. You do know that you will only be able to spend part of the prom with her right?"

"What do you mean?"

"She is bound to be elected prom queen and Dick Harbor will more than likely be named prom king and they will have to spend some time together. The there is the queen's court and tradition says that she has to dance with all the male members of her court."

I shrugged and said, "At least in the record books I will have been her date and our picture will be in the class year book. That is something I'll always have. Come on; were late for lunch."

That night after our dance lesson I drove Mellissa home and as soon as I pulled out of the drive Mellissa said:

"I saw Carol talking to you today. What was that all about?"

I hesitated and she said, "Come on sweetie; you can tell me. Carol and I are too tight for whatever you tell me to affect us."

"She says she likes me and doesn't want to see me hurt."

"So?"

"She more or less told me not to let myself get too close to you."

"Why would she do that?"

"The idea was that if I didn't get too close it wouldn't hurt as bad when you dumped me and moved on to your next conquest."

"And you think that is going to happen?"

"Given my history with the opposite sex why wouldn't I? You are the queen and I am a lowly serf and we lowly serfs know better than to try and climb too high."

"Pull over."

"What?"

"Pull the fuck over!"

I'd never heard a profane word from her so I was shocked, but I did pull over next to the curb. She turned and climbed over the center console and shift lever, turned off the ignition and then she kissed me. The kiss turned into a hot make out session. She lifted her sweater, grabbed my right hand and put it on her breast and then she placed one of her hands on my hard cock and rubbed it.

"I've never done this with any other guy. Not one of the studs and hunks I've dated have ever gotten this. You are special Robert and you are my guy. You are stuck with me asshole so get used to it!"

It was a nice thought for me to carry around even if I didn't believe it.

+++++++++++++++++++++

Tuesday and Wednesday went by quickly and it was prom night. My mom had picked out the corsage and she handed it to me as I started to leave. I was headed for the garage to get the Mustang when my dad said:

"Where are you going?"

"To get my car."

"Your ride is out in front."

I went to the front door and saw a stretch limousine sitting at the curb. He handed me two one hundred dollar bills and said, "Have fun." When I got to Mellissa's house and she came down the stairs to greet me she was so beautiful that I almost lost my breath. If I didn't get to experience anything else I at least got to see that vision walk toward me.

I had to pose for pictures as Mellissa's mom took twenty or thirty shots with her camera and she told me that she would make a set for my mom as I walked Mellissa to the door.

"You might want one of my queen getting into her chariot" I said as I opened the front door and Mellissa walked out onto the porch and saw the limo.

"Hopefully it won't turn into a pumpkin before I get you home."

Mellissa turned and kissed me with a kiss that made me weak in the knees and her mother got a shot of it.

"Would you please make me a thousand copies of that one" I asked and her mother laughed.

All eyes were on us as we walked in. Half of those watching were probably thinking "What the hell is she doing with him?" and most of the males present were drinking in her beauty and wishing they were me.

Mellissa, Carol, Bev, Ray, Steve and I dazzled the rest of the attendees as we dipped and swirled around the floor. Mellissa was indeed installed as Prom Queen and Carol and Bev ended up as part of her Court. The biggest surprise was that Dick Harbor didn't make it as King. The honor instead went to Mike Ashell who was one of Mellissa's old boyfriends.

The biggest shock of the night came when it was time for the King and Queen to dance. Mike had this big grin on his face as he walked up to Mellissa while the band started playing a waltz. The smile disappeared when Mellissa reached up, took the crown off his head, walked over to me, placed it on my head and then led me out onto the dance floor.

Just the two of us, alone on the floor with every eye in the place on us. If we had been in a dance competition during that dance we would have swept the floor with the other contestants. We were that good together. When the music finally stopped Mellissa and I bowed to each other as the place erupted in thunderous applause. I found out later that the band leader played the waltz an extra three minutes because we were doing so good he didn't want to stop us.

Mellissa took the crown from my head and took it back to Mike and then led him out onto the floor for the next dance. Carol walked up to me, elbowed me in the ribs and said:

"Show off. My turn now."

I danced with Carol, Bev and several other girls that night because there was no way I could keep Mellissa to myself for the entire evening, but I did have her for more than half the night.

There were one or two other highlights. When the band played a cha-cha mom's students were the only ones out on the floor and when a half hour later they played a second one mom's students each grabbed a partner from the crowd and led them out onto the floor and tried to lead them through the dance. The same thing happened when the band played two tangos. The first was just mom's crew and the second was mom's crew pulling partners from the crowd.

During the second tango I pulled Nancy Neubert out onto the floor and as I tried to lead her through the dance she said:

"Damn Rob. Where the hell have you been hiding?"

I almost laughed in her face. I had asked her for a date at least a half dozen times since we were in ninth grade together and she had always shot me down. I just smiled and kept my mouth shut.

The last dance was a waltz and all was well with my world as I moved around the floor with Mellissa in my arms. As the last note faded she kissed me and said:

"You are a frog no more my Prince."

+++++++++++++++++++++++

My reverie was broken as she sat down beside me.

"Having second thoughts?" she asked.

"Not at all. Just thinking back to the senior prom."

"I could tell. That's why I asked you if you were having second thoughts."

"Not a one. It was just a paving stone on the walkway that led us here."

"More like two or three."

"Want another drink?"

"I don't think so. I told the sitter we would be home by eleven."

"Okay. I just need to make a quick trip to the bathroom."

When I came out I saw Mellissa talking to Carol. Carol said something and Mellissa laughed and then Bev said something and Mellissa laughed as Carol stuck out her tongue. They all hugged and I marveled at a friendship that had lasted for over eighteen years; from the sixth grade until now. I've had friends and good buddies galore, but I couldn't think of even one that I've been as close to as Mellissa, Bev and Carol were to each other.

I walked up and put my arm around my wife. "Goodnight all" I said as Carol and I turned and walked out of the Landing Strip Lounge and headed for home.