The Rabbit Died Ch. 01

I opened my mouth to speak, and then decided it would be best to let that comment go, along with the thoughts it was inspiring in me. I hoped that I could spend the evening with Jeanne, but I certainly wasn't expecting much more.

I wandered over to the buffet table and started loading a plate with food. My good friend, Tyler, who was hosting the party, yelled to me to come over to the pig roaster. He was cutting huge chunks of meat and put some on my plate. I settled down under a tree and proceeded to feed my face.

It wasn't dark yet, but the party had started to wind down. Some of the people with little kids had left, the heavy drinkers were settling down to get seriously smashed, and the rest of us were all well-satisfied with the huge amount of food we had consumed. The bonfire hadn't been lit yet, but I knew it soon would be. I decided to see if I could find Jeanne.

She was sitting in a lawn chair near her friends, who were sitting on the ground. There was an empty chair next to her. I grabbed two beers and my courage, and walked over to her.

"Remember me?" I said.

"Oh, hi, John," she said, smiling at me. "Is that beer for me? Thank you. These are the friends I told you about, Gail, and her husband, Mark. Gail and I work together. Guys, this is John."

Handshakes and greetings were exchanged all around. Gail and Mark seemed like a nice couple, and we all made small talk for a while. Gail then announced that she needed to go to the bathroom, and asked Jeanne to go with her.

Mark said, to no one in particular, "Why is that?"

"Why is what?" I asked.

"Why is it that women can never go to the bathroom alone?" Mark asked. "I guess I can see it when they're in a strange place and have to go to a public restroom, but they're just going inside Tyler's house to the powder room. I mean, what is this big deal about bathroom togetherness?"

I looked at the women and laughed. "I may be wrong, but I suspect that's where they go to discuss their plans to dominate the male gender. They plot against us, you know."

Mark laughed, gave me a high five, and said, "You sound like a married man."

"Been there, done that, and the only thing I had left after her lawyer was done was the t-shirt. But that was years ago. I am now blissfully single," I said.

Gail seemed to give Jeanne a strange look for a second, but then said, "You boys do some male bonding. I have to pee. And you're coming with me, Jeanne."

Jeanne smiled at me and said, "She's my boss Monday through Friday. Sometimes she forgets that I'm her elder when the weekend comes. OK, come on little girl, I'll help you to the bathroom."

When the women were gone, Mark leaned toward me. "You just met Jeanne today, didn't you?"

"Yeah," I said. "We talked for a while at a picnic table earlier. She seems pretty nice."

"She's very nice. I've known Jeanne for a long time. In fact, she's the one who introduced me to Gail. Jeanne's like a big sister to us both. She doesn't get out much, and we practically had to drag her here today. I wasn't sure she would enjoy herself, but she seems to be having a good time."

Mark continued, "I'm going to tell you something, as one man to another. Unless I don't know my wife of twenty years very well, I'm pretty sure she's in there with Jeanne telling her how great she thinks it would be if Jeanne would find a man to spend some time with. Ever since Gail saw you and Jeanne talking this afternoon, she's been going out of her way to watch you to see if you meet her standards for Jeanne. Right now, Gail's in there telling her that you would be perfect for her. So, if you don't want Gail to try to manipulate things, you should clear out now."

"Hmmm," I said. "Thanks for the warning. So Gail likes to play matchmaker?"

"Yeah," Mark said. "I think she saw 'Fiddler on the Roof' too many times."

"Well," I said, "I really enjoyed talking with Jeanne this afternoon. I came over here just now to see if she still wanted to sit and talk with me at the bonfire. I think they're lighting it now."

The women were coming out of the house. Mark winked at me and said, "Good luck, John. Like I said, Jeanne's a real nice lady."

I was mulling over what Mark had said. I also kept remembering what Sami and the other girls had said and had done for me. Should I try to get Jeanne to sit with me at the bonfire? Yes, I had already decided that, and it seemed like she was willing. Should I try to kiss her? Well, that depended on how things went. I knew I wanted to. Should I try to get her to stay with me tonight? That definitely depended on how things went at the bonfire. I really hoped she would. Not just because my girls had made sure we would be uninterrupted, although I certainly appreciated that. Not just because I wanted to sleep with her, although I wanted that very much. Maybe it was just because I really enjoyed her company.

After all, I reasoned, just because she stayed with me, it didn't mean anything had to happen. I would have been content just to spend more time with her. But, frankly, I was nervous. She seemed to enjoy being with me, but I could easily have been misreading her signals, putting my own horny spin on things. And, to be honest, I was horny. It had been a long time since I had been intimate with a woman. It had been even longer since I had cared about a woman. And I couldn't ever remember having enjoyed the company of a woman so much after only talking with her for a few hours.

Boy, was I going to feel like an idiot if Jeanne shot me down. I didn't know what to do. Watching her walk across the yard to me, I was in a quandary. Thankfully, Jeanne helped me along. When she got to me, she put her hand on top of mine. "John," she said, "it looks like they have the bonfire going. Do you want to sit over there for a while?"

"Sure, Jeanne. I'll grab a blanket for us to sit on. I'll be right back," I said, heading for my tent.

"Lead the way," I said to Jeanne as I returned with the blanket. I caught Jeanne and Gail staring at each other. Jeanne tried to hide from me the way she crossed the index and middle fingers of one hand in a "wish me luck" gesture, and Gail gave her a big smile and a thumbs-up. Mark smiled at me and silently mouthed, "Go for it."

When we got to the circle around the fire, I found a place to spread our blanket where it didn't seem that we would be in the direct line of the smoke. "Do you want anything from the tables at the house?" I asked. "There's still a fair amount of food left."

"Oh, God, no," Jeanne answered. "I ate enough today to hold me the rest of the weekend. But I would take another beer if you can find one."

"I'll be back," I growled in my best (actually, pathetic) Schwarzenegger imitation.

When I returned to the fire, Jeanne was sitting in the middle of the blanket. She motioned me to sit down close beside her. I noticed she had put on a sweatshirt, as I had when I was at my tent.

We sat and talked. We discussed work, friends, our children and grandchildren, music, sports, funny childhood experiences – all the things people share with each other when they want to get better acquainted. I enjoyed myself immensely, and Jeanne seemed to be having a good time, too. At one point, I touched her hand, and she clasped it, gently. We were holding hands! Maybe it's not much, but it was a huge thrill to me. I started to wonder where this was going. I knew where I wanted it to go, but I didn't allow myself to dwell on it.

It was getting late. Gail, who had been playing games with some of the others, finally came over to the fire.

"Jeanne," Gail said, "we're thinking about going home soon. I hate to be a party-pooper, but we really need to get home to let the dogs out."

Moment of truth time. I had learned that Jeanne only lived about ten miles from me. "Jeanne, if you want to stay awhile, I can run you home. I'm enjoying talking with you."

"Do you mind, Gail?" Jeanne asked.

"Of course I don't mind, Sweetie," Gail said. "I'll see you at work on Tuesday. If you want to call me tomorrow or Monday, we'll probably be home. John, it was good to meet you."

I got up to shake her hand. "I enjoyed meeting you and Mark, too, Gail. Say goodbye to him for me."

"We'll have to have you over sometime," Gail said, giving me a smile and a rather intense look. "Take good care of Jeanne tonight for me."

"She'll be fine with me. Goodnight, Gail," I said.

When I sat back down, Jeanne took my hand again. I was grateful that she had decided to stay.

We sat and talked for a while longer. Then Jeanne said, "It's getting kind of chilly. The fire is warm enough to toast my toes, but my back and shoulders are getting cold."

"I can take you home, if you like, or I can get another blanket from my tent for you," I said.

"Ooh, a blanket sounds nice," Jeanne said.

I went to my tent and grabbed a blanket. When I got back to Jeanne, I wrapped the blanket around her back and shoulders, and then sat down again next to her.

"Why do you have a tent here, John?" Jeanne asked.

"When Tyler invited me, he told me a lot of people would camp out here, and said it would be OK if I set up a tent. That's my four-man tent over there in the corner of the yard," I said, pointing.

"A four-man tent?" Jeanne asked. "Are your girls sleeping there with you?"

"That was the original plan, but they all decided to sleep in other people's tents, so I guess I'll be alone there tonight."

"Oh," was all she said.

The night air was getting cooler, and the dampness of the spring night was only partially alleviated by the heat of the fire. I shivered slightly, and Jeanne said, "I'm being a blanket hog. Here, share this with me." She opened the blanket and we wrapped it around ourselves. I could feel the warmth of her body through our clothes. It was a comfortable sensation, and it inspired heat in me that was only partially explained by the insulation our shared blanket provided.

I looked across the fire and spotted my three young friends. They were sitting together, talking and laughing quietly between themselves. Tina saw me looking at her first. When our eyes met, she puckered her lips and kissed the air, then pointed toward Jeanne. Carey pantomimed fondling Sami's breasts, and Sami held her hand in front of her mouth, parted her index and middle fingers, and flicked her tongue between them, mimicking the motion of someone licking between a woman's thighs. The three of them, almost in unison, then opened their mouths, pursed their lips into an "O" shape, and imitated the motion of a woman stroking and sucking a cock. I had to look away, but I could hear them giggling.

If Jeanne noticed, she gave no indication. She did, however, shift her position so her body was pushed more tightly against me. I could clearly feel her one large breast pressing firmly against my side. We had fallen silent. Neither of us had spoken for a few minutes. The time seemed right.

I wasn't sure whether I dared to do what I wanted very badly to do. I was relieved when Jeanne made the first move. She touched my cheek with just the tip of her index finger, causing me to turn toward her. Our faces were only inches apart.

"John?" she said, in a voice barely above a whisper.

"Jeanne?" I said softly, "may I kiss you?" She let out a soft sigh. "I wish you would."

The first time our lips touched, I felt light-headed. My heart was pounding. My palms were sweating. And my cock was very, very hard.

That first kiss was soft, tentative, fairly brief, but with a promise of so much more. I pulled back reluctantly, and just stared into her eyes. I have no idea how long we stayed like that, silently peering into each other. But then, together, we moved to begin a much longer, much more tender and meaningful kiss. Without conscious thought, I moved one hand to gently stroke her hair and her face, while the other went to her back, urging her to press herself more tightly against me.

Finally, we pulled apart. "I don't really want to take you home right now, Jeanne. I like being here with you too much."

"I don't want to go, John. It feels too right to be here with you. It's been a such long time since I shared a kiss like that. It's been a such long time since I've been in a man's arms."

I thought for a second. "I don't know if I've ever enjoyed a kiss that much. I want to spend more time with you, Jeanne. A lot more time. And, I love the feel of you. You feel so good to me."

Jeanne kissed me again, more quickly this time, but more firmly. Just before she broke away from me, her lips opened slightly, and she passed just the tip of her tongue across my lower lip. "John?" she began.

"What, baby?" I said, surprising myself with my breathlessness.

"Could we go in your tent for awhile? I want to kiss you some more."

Finally, I asked the question I had been bursting to ask. "Jeanne, would you stay with me tonight? I want to kiss you, too. I want to hold you. I want to cuddle you. I want...."

She stopped me with her finger against my lips. "John, I'm scared. I want those things too. I think I may want more. It's been a long time since I've felt this way. But with you, I feel safe."

"I only have one sleeping bag, but I have lots of blankets," I said.

"I'm sure we'll find a way to get comfortable," Jeanne said, smiling.

"OK, baby," I replied.

We got up off the ground, scooping up the blankets, and made our way to my tent. We couldn't stand upright, so we crawled in on our hands and knees. After we got inside, I zipped the flap closed. We could see the flames from the bonfire flickering on the tent walls.

"Well...," I said, resting on my knees, not quite sure where to take the conversation.

Jeanne started, "Perhaps we ought to spread out the sleeping bag. You seem to have more than enough blankets to keep us warm."

We did not touch, but went to work making up a makeshift bed in the middle of the tent. With me on one side and Jeanne on the other, we just looked at each other.

I spoke first. "I know this is going to sound like a line, but I was a Boy Scout. If we crawl into bed with our damp clothes on, we're going to stay cold all night. I think that our outer clothes really ought to come off."

Jeanne laughed softly, "It does sound like a line, but I do trust you, John, if you'll just turn your head.

"Only if you turn yours, too."

We stripped out of our sweatshirts and jeans. Jeanne pulled her bra out from under her shirt, and dropped it in the corner with her clothes. She grabbed a blanket and wrapped it around her.

"Let me know when you're ready," I said.

"Done."

We turned around at the same time – each cocooned in our own blanket. I had rolled up another blanket into a pillow we could share. We lay down, facing each other, and I covered us both with another blanket.

"Hi – this is nice," Jeanne said softly.

"Yeah, it is. I really had a good time today."

"John, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure, what do you want to know?"

"Why did your girls choose to sleep elsewhere tonight?"

I thought to myself, "How the hell do I answer this one?" Aloud, I said, "Do you want the truth?"

"Of course. I wouldn't expect anything less."

I sighed, "They wanted me to have a chance to be alone with you."

"Oh. Can I ask you another question?"

"Sure."

"What did they think was going to happen?"

I really didn't know what to say at that point. Jeanne simply leaned over and tenderly kissed my lips and said, "Maybe this?"

"Yeah, and maybe this...."

I rose up a little and reached for her. Without hesitation, Jeanne came into my arms. This time when our lips met, the kiss was still gentle, but it was longer and deeper.

Her arms went around my neck and she held me close as we kissed again. When our lips separated, we stayed in each other's arms.

I finally broke the silence. "Jeanne? I meant what I said. I like you. I like you here with me."

"John, there's nowhere else I would rather be, and I trust you, but...well... it's just...."

"Shhh, baby, just let me hold you. Let me kiss you. That's all I want tonight. I just want to be with you."

"Oh God," she said. "I'm afraid."

"Of me? I told you, Jeanne, I just want to hold you and kiss you."

"I'm not afraid of you, John. I'm afraid of me. What if I don't want you to stop?"

"I promise you, I'll be strong for the both of us. I will never do more than I know you are ready for," I said. I had no idea how much that statement would be put to the test.

We continued to hold each other, kissing, whispering. Jeanne seemed to be feeling confined by the blanket she had wrapped around her.

"I'm sorry, but I really have to get out of this blanket."

She stood up and started to unwrap herself. The first thing I noticed was how beautifully shaped her legs were. The second thing I noticed was how short her t-shirt was, exposing her panty-covered ass. When Jeanne got back down on our "bed", I noticed one last thing – Jeanne was not wearing a bra. The deep V of her shirt allowed ample view of her large breasts. I stared and swallowed – hard.

"There, I feel better, "Jeanne said arranging the blanket to just lie on top of her. Lying on her side, she rose up on one arm and asked me, "Are you comfortable enough?"

"Well, it is a little confining, wrapped up like this." Hurriedly, I got out of the blanket and lay back down. As I went to cover myself, Jeanne raised her blanket, moved closer, and covered me with it. I just looked at her as she straightened the blanket around both of us.

When she settled down on her side, she looked at me and asked quietly, "Now, where were we?"

As I pulled her into my arms, I felt her full breasts push against my chest. One silky, smooth leg worked its way between mine, and she raised her head to kiss me. I had to move my hips away from her, in an effort to hide my growing desire. My mouth opened slightly and Jeanne pushed her tongue in, to play with mine.

My arms pulled her closer. Our mouths were hungry for each other. I could feel her nipples hardening against my chest. She could feel my undeniable attraction to her, and the wanting I felt.

"Oh God, Jeanne, I don't know how much more I can take."

"John, it's okay. Honest, I want this."

"No, no, not this way. Not now."

Jeanne looked confused as I pulled away from her.

"Look, I like you – a lot. And as much as I would like nothing better than to make love to you all night, I am not going to let our first time together be in a tent, on the hard ground."

"John...."

"Jeanne, please understand. I want our first time to be so very special. Can we wait?"

"Oh John, you are the dearest, sweetest man," she said, leaning in to kiss me again. Whether she knew it or not, Jeanne pushed her body against me a little more.

"You have no idea how hard you are making this, do you?" I asked in a hoarse whisper.

She looked at me with her wide eyes in a way that told me she really didn't know. I laughed out loud, and pulled her close to hold her.

"John? Does this mean you're asking me out on at date?" she giggled.

"Oh yeah," I said kissing her once more. "Oh yeah."

We kissed again. If possible, the kiss was even more expressive of our mutual need than our earlier kisses had been. The feel of Jeanne's warm body against me was pushing my arousal higher. I knew that she could feel my erection against her. The fact that she was pushing herself against it let me know how she was feeling.

"John?" Jeanne breathed. "I'm starting to get an idea of how 'hard' I'm making this." She giggled softly.

"Oh my God, Jeanne. It's been a very long time since I've held a woman this way, since I've felt this way."

She raised the leg that was between mine until it pressed noticeably against my very hard penis. "Does that feel good?"