Fresh Cut Romance (5 page)

With Julian's help, I made the trip to West Hollywood in less than fifteen minutes and was at his door seconds later. Julian was holding the front door open for me as I reached his porch. Rushing through it, I shouted. "Where is she?"

He shut and locked the front door. "I laid her in my bed. Follow me."

He led me through the living room, down a hall, past one door and turned right on the second.

I saw her, pale, her beautiful gown spread around her. I was reminded of Sleeping Beauty after she'd eaten the poisoned apple. Rushing to her side, I felt her forehead. It was normal. So was her pulse. I checked her eyes, mouth and a couple other things, but everything seemed normal.

Julian stood on the opposite side of the bed. "What do you think?"

"I don't know what to think. Everything seems normal to me. It's up to you. You can call 911 if you want, but I'm betting she had too much excitement today."

He stared at me for a minute. "Are you sure?"

"Pretty much. I saw this when I was practicing. Her life is usually pretty dull, you know?"

He shook his head. "No, I don't know. I know very little about her. All I know is that I'm totally bowled over by her, like she's the girl that's meant for me and my search is over."

"Maybe. Maybe not. I don't suppose you have a nightgown?"

He shook his head.

"A clean pair of PJs?"

"Only mine."

"Those will do. Let's get this dress and shoes off and get her under the covers."

I had to laugh. Julian blushed and got a funny, somewhat shocked, sort of embarrassed look on his face. He started to say something a couple times but nothing came out. "What. You've never seen a girl in her bra and panties?"

"Yes, but
…but, but she's your sister," finally burst forth.

Then I really shocked him. "Personally, I hope you see even more of her. I would like to see a relationship develop between you and Laurel. Help me get her undressed. Then we need to talk."

* * *

Tess undressed her in silence.
Laurel looked so good, my manhood jumped up and ready for action. I hoped Teresa didn't notice, but if looking at my crotch and smiling is any indication, I'm afraid she did, Of course after hinting she wished I'd become intimate with her sister…who knows. It only took a minute to get Laurel settled in. Teresa smiled and took my hand. "C'mon, let's go into the living room.

Pulling me toward the doorway, she continued. "I'll tell you everything about
Laurel, including things that might upset you.

In the living room, she asked, "I don't suppose you have anything to drink?"

"I have a bottle of Chenin Blanc I keep for lady visitors."

"Well, I'm a lady visitor and I sure could use a glass or two. I suggest you pour yourself a glass too, because you're not going to like some of the things I'm going to tell you about my sister."

He poured a large glass of the white wine and taking my suggestion to heart poured himself a glass of Merlot. As he sipped on his wine, I sat back in the chair and told him.

I started with our mother, who died when we were both young and our father was all we had. How our father got seriously ill and was expected to die, when
Laurel was seventeen. How his only chance was an experimental operation, requiring our permission and even then, there was only a ten percent chance he'd live. How Laurel knelt in the hospital chapel praying for hours while the very complex and time consuming operation took place, refusing to leave even to go to the bathroom. 

Then I dropped the lid on him.

He jerked up. His eyes teared up and I saw water running down his cheeks. His hands each grasped a fistful of his beautiful long hair. "What do you mean, she's dedicated her life to God? What are you telling me? That she's a nun?"

"Close enough. She's a Religious Sister. After our Daddy survived, she revealed to me that she'd promised God, if he spared our father, she'd dedicate her life to helping others in His name. When the operation proved to be successful, she decided it was because God had accepted her proposal. We love our father and I can understand why she did this, but it was the operation that saved Dad, not God. I tried to convince her, but she wouldn't listen. She is convinced that God intervened and she would hold up her end of the bargain."

Julian rose and began pacing. "Is that why you said you wished we'd become involved? So we'd become intimate and she couldn't be a sister any more."

"No, she could still be a sister. Just confess her indiscretion to a priest and all would be forgiven."

"Then why—"

"Because, love is a gift, God bestowed on all his children. Love not only provides the method of procreation, but just as important, a gift of pleasure between a man and woman.
Laurel has never had the—"

Julian waved his hands in front of my face. "Wait a minute. Hold your horses.
Laurel is a virgin?"

I nodded emphatically. "To the best of my knowledge, yes. I have a feeling if
Laurel experienced the bliss and fulfillment one feels from a close relationship, she would not give it up so easily. You're the first man she's shown any interest in years. You're the best chance to show her the joy of being fulfilled with someone she's attracted to and cares for. 

"I insisted she go to college and she agreed. After she graduated from Loyola Marymount, she joined the Little Company of Mary Sisters as a postulant. She lives in a dorm near the campus of one of their hospitals in
Torrance. She initially worked there as a nurse's assistant, but when she took her temporary vows, they made her a nurse in training. Soon she'll be expected to renew her vows. If she does that, it'll be much harder to break away from the sisterhood."

With his jaw tight and neck muscles straining, the tension in Julian was evident. "Teresa, what can I do?"

"That depends."

He stood and began pacing. "On what?"

"You."

"I'll do whatever I can."

"You seem to be genuinely fond of Laurel and if anyone could change her priorities, I'll bet you could swing it. However, I'm not going to help you charm my baby sister into bed, if your motives are suspect. I won't be a party to someone—you—breaking her heart."

Julian shook his head and held his hands out, palms up. "What do I have to do to convince you that I would never hurt her?"

I gave him a withering stare. He didn't shirk. I believed him, but this was Laurel. "If I'm hearing you right, you'd like to court my sister for possible matrimony. Is that right?"

He looked conflicted, but answered affirmatively. "Yes, yes, yes. If I was going to ask Santa for the perfect woman,
Laurel is whom I would describe. Tess. May I call you Tess?"

I nodded.

"I would like you to be my sister-in-law. I will do whatever it takes to get Laurel out of the sisterhood."

"All right then. Here's what I have in mind."  

* * * *

Slowly, my eye lids opened, but I saw nothing. It was dark.
Where am I?
I hadn't a clue. Slivers of light passed through the window coverings—likely from the full moon. I felt my body. Goodness, I'm naked. I glanced to my left. A nightstand. The digital clock upon it read six thirty-six am.
Think.
I went out with Julian. Did I drink too much? I don't remember. Why am I naked? My goodness, could this be his bedroom? Oh my God! Where is Julian?

My right hand stretched out and patted across the bedspread. The spread rose around the contour of an object. My hand followed it lightly to the apex. It was a hip.
Julian's hip?
I pulled my hand back up to the top of the cover and slipped it under. Slowly and carefully, my hand moved back toward the spot I'd felt before. All of a sudden my hand felt something strange. It was warm and felt like skin but different. I ran my fingers ever so lightly along it. It was long, with something like a ridge near the end. My hand changed direction and went back down the object. Hair—curly, fuzzy pubic hair. My mouth fell open.
Mary, mother of Jesus, forgive me. I think I've I sinned.

I jerked my hand back to my chest, where I felt the necklace I'd worn. I sat up with a start. "Eeeeeeew." I touched a penis.
I hope it was Julian's
. The man in the bed stirred. Without warning, a bright light flashed on, temporarily blinding me, as he turned on a nightstand lamp. I quickly pulled the sheet up to my neck to cover myself.

"What's the matter sweetheart? Can't sleep?"

Thank God it was Julian's signature voice.

"You were magnificent, last night, baby."

Dear God in heaven, I did sin.

Julian slid over and wrapped his arms around me. His arm brushed a nipple sending a pleasantly, naughty sensation throughout my body. As we embraced, my bare breasts rubbed against his chest redirecting the wicked feelings to the quickly warming area between my legs. I tried and tried without success to remember my sinful night.

This is maddening. I have sex for the first time and don't even know if I liked it.

After teasing me by nibbling on my lips, shivers shot through me when he whispered breathily in my ear. "Don't tell me you're ready to go again?"

Go again?
I was incredulous.
Here I sit, in a very handsome man's bed, having made love, totally naked wearing only my necklace, and I can't remember any of it.
It must have been a wild night, for as he held me close, kneading my back, I glanced over his shoulder and spied our discarded clothes spread around the room in some or the most disingenuous places. My beautiful dress was hanging from a single strap draped over a finial on the dresser mirror. My nylons rested on the top of the TV and draped over the screen. My bra hung from the shade of the lamp Julian had turned on and my panties lay across the footboard.

"Julian, why are my clothes strewn haphazardly all over the room? Were we in a hurry last night?"

"Don't you remember? We were burning with desire. Especially you. You said you had to see what it would be like to be with me at least once. We frantically undressed each other and tossed the clothes wherever it they landed."

I felt a flush of warmth in my cheeks. "No, I don't remember. That's the problem. We made love and I don't remember."

A sinful smile formed on his lips. "Really. You don't remember? Maybe you had too many strawberry daiquiris."

"And you undressed me?"

He nodded. His smile grew wider and more sinful, while the flush in my cheeks spread to my whole face. "Yes, except for your necklace. You said you wanted to keep one thing on so you weren't entirely undressed. At first you wanted to keep your bra on, but I didn't like that so I suggested the necklace and you agreed."

"And then we made love. Did I like it?"

"You loved it. Laurel, it was wonderful. You were wonderful."

"What did we do? I mean how
…what…po…sition?"

"The intercourse we started in missionary, then on our sides facing each other. Then for the finale you were on top."

I was getting aroused thinking about it. I straddled this dreamboat with his thingy I felt buried in me.

"Did I
…you know…come?"

"Did you ever." With a big grin on his face, he held up three fingers. Sideways, missionary and last, you on top. That was the biggie."

I had three orgasms. This wasn't fair. I should be ecstatic. I had sex for the first time in my life—with someone I really like—and it's a blank. "Did we use protection? I'm not on contraception and you…you get around."

He laughed and kissed my ear. "Not anymore. I'm a one woman man from now on."

My heart soared at those words and then I remembered my vows.

"And yes, I used a condom. I flushed it down the toilet."

Julian still held me. I got warm—no hot. I thought about throwing the sheet away from us. After all, we'd made love, but I held off.  Between my legs, dampness developed. I could feel something yielding, but hard poking into my thigh. It was his penis and it was ready for action. I reached down and grasped it. He jerked upright. It felt sexy. I wanted to feel it. "Sweetheart, since I don't remember last night, can we make love again."

When he didn't answer, I pulled back to look at him. He seemed puzzled. His mouth was open as if he wanted to speak, but nothing came forth, then he stuttered, "Uh…I'm…I'm not sure that's a good idea. After all it was your first time and you should recuperate."

"How do you know it was my first time? Did I tell you?"

He shook his head. "Not in so many words. You said you never felt like giving yourself to anyone until now. And then there was a little blood."

Blood?
I lifted the sheet and looked between my legs. There were some brownish-red stains on my thighs and pubis. I reached down and rubbed my sex. The moistness upon my hand had a reddish cast. I looked at the sheet. There were Brownish-red smudges here and there. There was something else I saw. His erection. It looked so good to me I had a strange urge to put it in my mouth.
Disgusting!