The Valley Road

This went on a couple of times per week for almost a month.

Maria knew exactly what she was doing. It was her idea to have him come over to do some work that didn't require actual professional quality, but was more than the cook or housekeeper was paid to do. She established Quan as trustworthy and a hard worker. She normalised his presence around their house.

On the few occasions her father was there to see him, all he saw was the Chinaman's son working on something that needed to be done.

She wanted him to be invisible.

After a while, Quan was allowed inside the house to do work. At first, one of Maria's parents or the housekeeper was required to be present. But after another month or so, his presence was so ubiquitous, everyone stopped caring.

Everyone but Maria.

Her family had spent the better part of a century mastering the political conventions and social mores of Jefferson County. All of the subtext was second-nature to Maria.

As was the desire and drive to get what she wanted.

At first, she stayed in her room when Quan was around. After the second week, she would pass through; long enough to be noticed, but there was no conversation or even a sideways glance.

Otherwise, they were simply schoolmates skating through their senior year of high school. She was destined for Agnes Scott, one of the "proper" women's colleges in the south.

She wasn't sure what Quan's plans were. They didn't talk about that with one another. If his draft number came up, he would need a deferment or he would be off to the service.

By the time the spring break rolled around, Quan was pretty much a fact around their household. He was known as punctual, courteous and meticulous, bordering on perfectionist.

One day when he came over, Maria was waiting for him in the parlour when Quan rang the bell.

She straightened out her blouse, which had the top two buttons open.

His jaw dropped when the door opened.

"Come in," she invited with a wink. Maria was never big in the chest, but her blouse showed just enough bare skin to get his undivided attention.

Quan stood there for a moment, unable to move. She left the door open and retreated into the living room.

It took him a moment to will himself into motion, but he soon followed.

"What did your dad want me to do today?" his slow drawl was clearly nervous.

"Daddy is out of town. Mamma has a meeting down at the Garden Club," Maria gave him a predatory look. He was handsome and muscular. "So she won't be home for a little while."

Maria did not think of herself as naïve at the time, but in hindsight, she was the biggest fish in the small pond of rural Jefferson County. She was publicly chaste as her station required. Her status afforded her access to the highest circles in the community and protected her to some extent. But it also demanded that she steer clear of obvious entanglements.

She was one who was pursued as a prize by those who were her equal. She could also use those beneath her. Maria dated all the right people as it suited her own ends, but did not form any long-term attachments or commit to any relationship outside her family.

"Let's go for a walk," she suggested.

"Are there chores for me to do?"

"You can help me check out the old barn."

Any resistance Quan had was squelched when she bent over, ostensibly to tie her shoe. She knew that the view down her blouse at the white lace bra that covered her pert breasts would spur him into motion.

She stood, and he stood with her.

They went out the front door.

Her house was set back from the road and any adjoining property. Maria knew their housekeeping and grounds staff was off that day. No one had any business within a mile of them.

The old oak trees gave them cover as they walked down the old valley road that ran parallel to the creek which wound its way through their property. It was paved up to their house, but was still dirt and gravel on the rest of their property.

Neither spoke, but Maria saw Quan eyeing her.

She didn't call him on it.

Her blouse covered as much of her as was appropriate for an early spring day. Her skirt went down past her knees.

Maria led him out to the barn, under the pretense of checking on one of the tractors.

As he gave it a cursory look, she admired his corded muscles and firm rear end. There was not an ounce of fat on him.

She licked her lips and felt a tingle between her legs. But she suppressed those immediate feelings, opting instead for the long game.

The tractor started right up after a couple of tries. Her father hadn't used it himself in years. Every now and then someone came out to the barn to mow the fields.

They weren't used for farming much anymore; her father had abandoned the cattle and tobacco business after the war, and didn't want to sell the land or have people on his property working. Her family didn't need the money. Lee had gotten in to the telecommunications business and was making lots of money running phone lines and later television cable all over the county. He had paid off all the right people and had a monopoly on the industry.

The pretense of work gone, Maria and Quan walked back to her house following the same road.

She made sure to move a little closer, not enough to hold hands, but enough to make it clear she was interested.

Her mother still hadn't returned. Maria went in to the kitchen and retrieved a few dollars out of a jar in the cabinet.

Quan's eyes were still locked on to her chest.

She slipped him the money, their hands touching briefly.

"Thank you for coming over today," she said sweetly. "Maybe we can find some more things for you to do on Wednesday."

He stood there, unable to move.

Impulsively, she placed her hand on his arm, lifted herself up on her tip toes and kissed him quickly on the cheek.

Quan's eyes widened in shock.

Maria giggled, her face flushing.

"Good-bye, Quan."

With that, she turned and went up the stairs, not looking back.

When she had turned into her room, she heard the front door close, and saw Quan get on his bike and ride off.

That night, as she lay in bed, her hands worked between her legs.

She clenched her teeth as the orgasm consumed her so her parents couldn't hear. Imagining the weight of the handsome Asian man pressing down on her.

**************

Quan lifted her limp body into his arms. He carried her to the couch in the living room.

Maria was crying inconsolably.

He cradled her to him. She buried her face in his shoulder, gasping for breath.

His hands stroked her hair soothingly.

No platitudes were offered. No words were spoken. No blame was exchanged, although he knew this was something she had carried within her for fifty years.

Once her breathing became regular, Quan sat her up enough for them to take their jackets and shoes off.

She was numb.

He didn't try to prod or spur her into action. He just held her. His embrace was comforting.

At one point, he got up and poured them both a tall glass of wine.

They fell asleep, still mostly dressed, in one another's arms on the couch in the house where they fell in love.

**************

The next time Quan came over, there were no chores to be done. Her mother was out seeing to the many social obligations she had.

Her father was at his office or some place doing what ever it was that paid for their lifestyle.

So they went for a walk. Talking.

They had known each other since they were little. But they had very little interaction other than what was at school.

There were no cell phones then. No internet. No social media.

When the school day ended, they each went to their separate worlds. In some ways, they were meeting for the first time.

Maria felt his attraction to her, as much as she knew she was attracted to him. She didn't know what it was. He was different than any of the other boys at school. It wasn't just his exotic looks.

He wanted out of their little town, too. Quan Liu didn't want the peak of his life to be in high school.

"What will you do after graduation?" she asked.

"Father wants me to go to live with my cousins in Seattle and get into college. He wants me to become a doctor like him," Quan frowned.

"Do you want to be a doctor?" The shrug he gave her was all the answer she needed.

"What do you want to do?" he asked.

"Mamma says I need to find a man at school. Daddy doesn't want me to leave," Maria frowned.

"What do you want?" Quan repeated.

"I want . . ."

Her voice trailed off as they looked down the past the moss-covered oak trees that lined the old valley road.

"I want . . . I want to see the world."

The two exchanged a look, realising they were trapped by their circumstances. By their families. By times that were changing everywhere but Jefferson County.

"Come on, let me show you something." Quan reached out towards her. Maria took his hand, knowing no one could see them.

A part of her didn't care.

They walked down the road for a little further, to the point that the road turned off to the barn.

An overgrown trail continued onward, following the creek. Quan led her through the trees. Soon the woods ended in a field overlooking a pristine lake.

Way out in the country, there were no developments. No houses. No people. Just the quiet of the birds and the water.

They went down to the lake's edge, watching the ducks swim by. Every now and then a fish jumped into the air before splashing down.

All too soon, Quan looked at his watch.

"We need to get back before your mother gets home."

Maria sighed with disappointment.

When they got back to the house, Quan straightened up and moved some things just to say he did some work.

"Quan . . . thank you," she said softly.

His smile was radiant.

Against her better judgment, knowing that she shouldn't, she lifted herself up on her toes again, but instead of kissing his cheek, she pressed her lips against his before pulling back with a nervous laugh.

He stumbled out the front door, sure to wipe all evidence of her lipstick away before heading home.

Over the next couple of weeks, Quan returned, usually to do chores. He got some of the old farm equipment working to the point that it could be sold.

Maria's family had hired help that took care of most of the grounds, but they were part-time and there were still lots of odd jobs to do.

Some days Quan worked at his parents's office as a clerk.

And they still had to go to school.

But there was still lots of time for them to spend together. Not every day. But enough to distract them from the fact that once they graduated, both were destined to go on with their separate paths.

One afternoon, they went down to the lake. Maria brought a blanket and some food.

They sat by the lake talking and eating.

For Maria, it was nice to be with someone who didn't want her for her name. Who wasn't using her to advance themselves.

She also enjoyed being the center of Quan's attention. Even if it was puppy love.

"Kiss me," she whispered.

"What?" his eyes widened in surprise.

"Kiss me," Maria threw herself into Quan's arms. They fell back on the blanket, a tangle of arms and legs.

Their lips met. Their bodies pressed together.

Her hands roamed his shoulders and strong arms. She pushed her small breasts up against his chest.

They began to explore one another with their hands. With their lips.

Maria fell into his embrace. She felt so safe. So unlike any of the other boys he had dated.

Before long, they pulled themselves apart. Maria straightened out her clothes, and pulled her hair back, careful to leave no trace of their encounter.

"I'll miss this," she said quietly.

"Miss what?" Quan asked, folding up the blanket.

"The quiet." Her voice was soft. Wistful. Her eyes were sad. "You. You're not coming back here are you?"

He gave her a thoughtful look. "I'd come back for you."

Maria snorted bitterly. "Daddy would never let you."

"We're eighteen, Maria. He can't stop us."

"You'd be surprised what Daddy can do around here." There was fear in her eyes. "He owns most of the town. He'll own more if he can marry me off to Cal Randolph."

Quan reached out and took her hands. The look in his eyes was full of innocence and exuberance. "Let's run away after graduation."

"And go where, Quan?" she sighed bitterly. Maria was keenly aware of the obstacles in her life at that point in time. "We don't have any money. We don't have jobs. Daddy would have me brought home."

She wiped tears from her eyes. Tears of frustration.

He had no answer.

They walked back to the house in silence.

When he got on his bike to ride away, he didn't look back.

Maria retreated into her room, sobbing.

When her mother returned a little while later, Maria's happy daughter façade returned and they cooked dinner for her father.

**************

Maria awoke in the darkness. The lights were out. Quan lay back on the couch, snoring softly.

He was still so handsome.

His face was a little fuller.

The muscle tone of his arms had faded some with age, but he was easily the most handsome man at the reunion. Of course, Maria was a little biased.

She quietly slipped upstairs to the guest room.

Maria hadn't packed much by way of clothes. She slipped out of her clothes and shoes, and put on a robe.

Quan was right where she left him.

Leaning over, she kissed him gently on the lips. He stirred and smiled in his sleep.

Her cheek brushed his.

"Come with me," she whispered in his ear.

His eyes fluttered open. Moonlight shone through the windows. In the darkness, she knew where she was going, even after all this time. Quan took her hand and followed her lead.

She led him up past her childhood bedroom, which had been mostly untouched for the past fifty years.

They stood at the door to her parents's bedroom, standing at the threshold for a long moment.

Maria took a deep breath and stepped over.

The robe fell from her shoulders, revealing her bare skin.

Quan gasped in surprise.

She crossed the room before turning to sit back on the bed.

As if in a dream, Maria beckoned to him. Her long-lost friend. The great "what if . . ." of her life.

Her lover.

Entranced, Quan slipped his tie off as he approached her.

Maria's hands went to his shirt, tugging hungrily at the buttons.

He started to un-do the buckle on his belt, but she grasped his hands and placed them on her breasts. They were never big, and had the sag of a woman who was almost seventy.

It didn't seem that Quan cared, though. His gaze was soft and wondrous. As if he were looking at the most beautiful woman in the world.

He caressed her gently, as he had done so long ago.

She opened his belt and pants, which fell to the floor, along with his boxers.

Quan's cock hardened in her grasp.

Maria lay back on her parents's bed.

Her father's bed.

Once, she adored him as all little girls adore their fathers.

Then she came to hate him. The hate fueled her for decades. It drove her to a career she made for herself. Where she never needed him or his money.

The rift between them strained her relationship with her mother. But in Maria's mind, she was complicit as well. She died as much from a broken heart as the stroke.

It was only when Lee Bradford was on his deathbed that the hatred turned to pity. Pity at an old, beaten man who held on to his bigotry and racism because he knew nothing else.

An old man she had deprived of "legitimate" children. An old man who died knowing his family name would soon die out.

An old man whose last sight had been the daughter he had alienated. The daughter who refused to hold his feeble hands or grant him absolution as his life slipped away.

Maria's last act of revenge was to make love to the boy her father had chased off when he came to profess his love for her.

To make love to the boy in her father's bed.

She pulled Quan to her, but he did not mount her. Not right away.

As she lay on her back, he slipped down beside her, their warm bodies brushing together.

Maria spread her legs at his touch.

Quan's hard cock pressed against her leg. She stroked him gently.

His fingers caressed the insides of her thighs. The pads of his fingertips spread her labia, which slickened at his touch.

They kissed again hungrily.

His mouth worked to her neck. Kissing. Nibbling.

Then to her collarbone.

Then down her chest.

Maria cried out when he sucked one of her erect nipples just as he entered her slick pussy with one finger. Then two.

"Inside me," she pleaded. Her fingernails dug into his shoulders as he continued to suckle on her breasts.

She spread her legs as Quan moved over her, his slender form pressing down on her.

Quan lifted himself up just enough to look her in the eyes when he entered her.

The desire was evident in his gaze.

One hand cupped her breast as he leaned in to kiss her.

She reached around to grasp his firm rear end.

Pulling him until he was buried fully within her.

Bareback, they were as close as two people could possibly be.

It felt so . . . so . . . right.

"Do it, Quan Liu," Maria whispered, her thick drawl filled with hunger. "Make love to me."

Ever so slowly, Quan withdrew until only the head of his cock was within her, then he pushed forward, not hard or fast.

They savored every touch.

Making up for lost time.

He filled her up with each slow thrust.

Maria cried out every time Quan hit bottom.

Her nails dug into his bare shoulders.

The hardwood bed creaked as they made love.

Even in the darkness, she could see the outline of his almond-shaped eyes. The curve of his cheeks.

His skin was so soft against hers.

Quan didn't pound away at her. Her body tingled with each stroke.

Strong hands grasped her in all the right places. He seemed to know exactly where to kiss her.

Time seemed to stand still as the moans and the grunts came louder and more frequently.

"Look at me," Quan whispered. "Look at me when you cum . . ."

Her eyes were hooded over with pleasure, but she did not look away, even through the tears.

"I love you, Maria," he said gently.

"Cum inside me," she moaned. "Cum with me."

Both orgasmed at the same time, their eyes locked on one another.

"Oh, Quan!" she gasped, pulling him to her. Her toes tingled. "It's been so long . . ."

They kissed passionately as they rode out the cum.

Finally, he collapsed on top of her, burying his face in her shoulder. Holding her as she sobbed.

"I'm sorry . . . I'm—"

He silenced her with a kiss.

"I love you, Maria. And I'm never letting you go again."

**************

"You need to come over this afternoon," Maria said to Quan one afternoon in the hallway at school. Her voice was low. They walked far enough apart that no one suspected anything. "Mamma will be late and Daddy is out of town."

School was winding down.

Maria knew there were only a few more chances for her to see Quan again. The excuses were getting thinner.

He was just too damn efficient and good at whatever tasks she could dream up to get him to come over.

She already had a date to the prom. In fact, she was officially dating one of the school's star athletes. He was also of similar social standing and they were a good match.

He was pretty. He came from a good family. He was going to Alabama to play football.

And he was as dumb as a box of rocks.

But he was white.

He was well-mannered and polite. He was a little handsy when they went out, but he seemed to respect Maria's desire to "save herself" and never forced himself on her.