Authors: Nicole Burkhart
“Please, oh please,” Randa pleaded.
John began kissing Randa and taking the rest of her clothes off at the same time. Standing in bold nakedness before him, Randa started undressing John, not wasting a single moment.
“I can’t wait any longer. I want you right now. I need you like a woman needs her strong, sexy, masculine man.”
“You’ve got me, all of me,” John breathed in Randa’s ear as the couple fell onto the bed. Randa’s passion exploded as John entered her and his desire grew into an all-consuming state that was finally fulfilled when he reached that ultimate pleasure at the same time as Randa
The couple collapsed into each other’s arms and the room was filled with a silence; the kind of silence that is made up of total bliss because heaven has temporarily made a home on earth, the kind of silence that carves a path for two happy lovers who truly love each other and are meant to be together.
Waking up with Randa in his arms was something that John had dreamed of almost since the moment of meeting her. She stirred. John gave her a kiss, she moaned lightly and a smile covered her face.
“Good morning Beautiful.”
“Good morning Handsome.”
“How did you sleep?”
“Wonderfully. How about you?”
“Oh Sweetheart! Talk about making dreams come true last night.”
“That was dream-making for both of us mister. I loved every second of it and I love you.”
“And I love every inch of you Randa. Your pure beauty takes my breath away.”
“Thank you very much!”
“I don’t know how life could get any better than this moment right now, but I know it will.”
“You’ve got that right Baby Doll.”
That afternoon John took Randa ice-skating on the Town Square Pond. John hadn’t been skating in years, so Randa was actually the better skater. She went a couple of times each winter to an outdoor rink that was set up yearly in downtown Tulsa, weather permitting. The couple drank hot chocolate and skated around in circles. It didn’t take long for John to get the hang of it again. There was a photographer on site and he took their picture gliding on the ice holding hands. They gladly purchased it.
When they got back to the apartment, Randa was chilled, so she filled the claw foot bathtub with warm water and slid down into the bubbles. Closing her eyes, she laid her head back. The warm water was so relaxing and soothing that she almost fell asleep, but a soft kiss on her shoulder garnered her attention. She opened her eyes to see John’s handsome face gazing down at her.
“Madam, may I have the distinct pleasure of bathing you?” John asked in his best foreign accent while trying not to laugh.
“Yes, please do so sir,” Randa said as she giggled.
John dipped the washcloth into the warm water and put body wash on it. He lovingly washed her ears and all the way down to her toes, marveling at the relentless beauty of her body. After rinsing her, he picked up the shampoo bottle and squeezed its contents into his hand. Putting the shampoo in her hair, he started gently massaging her head.
“Mmmmm,” Randa moaned in delight at the pleasure that his fingers were giving to her. While getting her hair all sudsy, shampoo bubbles fell down onto her nose. John picked up the towel and wiped them off as they both giggled. The silliness and laughter that they frequently engaged in made their love a playground for John’s soul, while it drenched his heart in blossoming ecstasy. After turning off the faucet, he blotted the excess water from her hair with the thick, plush towel. Picking a fresh lily out of the vase and snipping off its end, John put the flower behind her ear, so that the pink leaves framed the left side of her luminous face. Bending down, he affectionately kissed her on the forehead. In turn, she looked up at him beaming with pure joy and profound love on her face. Randa stood up and John began to towel the water off her. Randa soaked up the devoted love that John showered her with.
After eating a light dinner that John prepared for them, they cuddled on the leather couch and watched a movie.
When it ended, John asked, “How would you like a piggyback ride to the bedroom?”
“Oh my gosh,” Randa laughed. “Are you serious?”
“Of course I am! Hop on!”
Giggling like two little kids, Randa climbed onto John’s back and he held her legs tight. She put her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek softly and then she yelled, “Hua! Giddy-up horsey.”
John took off bucking like a saddle bronc being spurred from its shoulder to its flank.
“You didn’t tell me that you needed to be ‘broken,’ but I am definitely the one that can do it. Just keep bucking and I’ll ride you until you stop,” Randa told him between laughs.
They reached the bed and John turned around, proceeded to rear up, and let go of her legs. Randa tumbled onto the bed in a fit of giggles. John landed beside her and laughed along with his girl. “Baby Doll, I have never had so much fun with someone.”
“Nor I,” she told him.
That night Randa slept peacefully, but John tossed and turned. His mind kept replaying the moments repeatedly of when he was washing Randa’s hair, but each time before it would begin, a picture of him as a little boy together with a little girl would flash through his mind. It seemed so real, but he couldn’t connect the two events. When John finally woke up the next morning, he felt very groggy. He couldn’t remember what he had been dreaming about, but he knew that it was something important. He racked his brain to no avail.
During breakfast, John told Randa, “I thought that I would take you to the Portage Glacier, since it’s the number one visitor attraction here in Alaska. It’s in the Chugach National Forest which is about 50 miles south of Anchorage.”
“That sounds great! Have you ever been there?” she asked him.
“Yes, but it’s been about twenty years ago.”
Along the drive, John shared with her that Chugach State Park is actually the third largest state park in the nation with nearly one half-million acres. Randa was impressed. Their first stop was at the Begich-Boggs Visitor Center. Inside, there were fascinating exhibits and an educational film about glaciers. John and Randa then walked along the shoreline of the lake. It had been explained to them in the film that Portage Lake was naturally created behind the Portage Glacier as it began receding. They were able to view the hanging glacier, Burns Glacier, in the distance. Portage Glacier was hidden behind it, so to see it up-close, they had to drive further along the lake. When they reached the sightseeing boat dock, they bought tickets for the cruise that would take them through the lake and closer to the glacier face. Once there, John and Randa marveled at the magnificent glacier with its peaceful ambience.
“I wish there was some way that we could capture this serenity that is dangling before our eyes.”
“I do too.”
The boat bumped along through patches of icebergs, but it made it back to the dock unharmed. Driving along the road that bordered the lake, John and Randa stopped at a trailhead that would lead them to another glacier, Byron Glacier. It was quite a challenging hike, but once they reached the end, they saw that the effort that they had exerted was definitely worth the views of the breathtaking and spellbinding glaciers.
The next day they planned to camp in the Chugach National Forest. They rented snowmobiles and set off for their pre-determined campground. Randa was dressed in pink from head to toe in her new snowsuit and boots. John thought that she looked as sweet as she actually was. She had not been sure about camping outside in the cold, but John assured her that he had all of the appropriate equipment that they would need and since they weren’t hiking into the campsite, it would be much less strenuous and not as cold. On the ride in, they got to see some moose and lynx. Randa was thrilled to see any type of wildlife. They stopped at some sparkling streams and spectacular waterfalls to enjoy the tranquil sounds of the running water. After getting everything set up, they went and explored. Randa was completely in awe of Alaska’s natural beauty. John built a campfire for them after sundown and they huddled close to it, soaking up its warmth and the magic that it seemed to bring. Just remembering something that he had forgotten about, John grabbed Randa’s hand and when she arose, he took off running. She followed, trying to keep up. He slowed to a fast walk and she stepped up beside him.
“John, what is going on?” she asked.
“I’m sorry. We’ve been so busy with everything this week that I’ve forgotten to show you the Northern Lights.”
“Ahhh, okay!” Randa exclaimed.
They reached the hilltop and turned to the North. There before their eyes, the sky was being painted with the dancing red lights of the Aurora Borealis.
“Wow, red lights are very rare. I usually only see blue and green,” John told her.
Randa is very fascinated by the lights. “This is one of the most amazing things I have ever seen.”
“Yes, they are,” John agreed.
The couple basked in the beauty of the night.
Finally John spoke, “Randa, I just want you to know that since that wonderful day we met, you never leave my thoughts. My love for you grows each day and I am in awe of what an incredible lady you are. You have stepped into my life and brought something that I wasn’t even aware was missing. Now I can’t say exactly what that something is. Maybe a completeness. I don’t know. But I do know that I have truly enjoyed the time that we have spent together. You make a tremendous difference in my life and I thank God for your very existence.”
John reached over to hug Randa. Her eyes were wet with tears and he understood why. He knew how special and rare their love is.
“Your love and your words mean everything to me John. Thank you for sharing both with me. I love you so much,” Randa told him.
“I love you very much,” John said as he rose to his feet and helped her up.
The couple then returned to their camp to get a good night’s sleep.
Returning to Anchorage the next afternoon, they unpacked and spent the evening relaxing. Randa had been such a good sport about camping in the forest that for the last two nights of her visit, John had reserved the Penthouse Suite of the most prestigious hotel in Anchorage for them. Even though she had experienced luxury before, he wanted his lady to be pampered. They dined in the hotel restaurant. After dinner, they went into the bar and ordered drinks.
“It has been such an amazing week John. This has been the best five days of my life. We’ve had so many wonderful moments and we’ve created so many heartwarming memories.”
“We have, haven’t we?” John asked in agreement.
Randa smiled, “You know I used to wonder, ‘Are the moments just that? Moments?’ Single events or happenings which take place at various times strung throughout a person’s life.” She continued, “I have had lots of great moments throughout my life and I used to think that at the end of my life, that’s what I would have. Then you and I met and we fell in love. Now I realize that there is something that ties all of those moments together and creates a happy and fulfilled life. It’s a deep, long-lasting love that connects them into a story, weaving them into true love.”
“That is true Baby Doll and your love is priceless to me. There is no amount of money that I would take for it and the time that we have spent together. “
“You are my one true love John Williams,” Randa said joyously.
“And you are my one true love Randa Renee Dean.”
Nat King Cole’s “Unforgettable” began playing. Instinctively, John and Randa both rose and made their way to the small, intimate dance floor. Randa put her arms around John’s neck and laid her head on his chest. John kissed his ‘everything’ and they began to dance slowly to the music.
“You’ve changed my life John. You are the man that I always knew deep down in my heart that would come and sweep me off my feet. Do you know how many songs I wrote thinking of you?” she asked laughing all the while.
“Well now, you will have to write some new songs, won’t you? Love songs!”
“I actually started working on a couple last week, but they aren’t finished yet. I didn’t have much solitude and I’ve got to have that when I write.”
“I can be patient and wait as long as needed,” John told her as the couple returned to their room.
John’s phone rang and he looked at the screen and showed it to Randa. Randa nodded at him to go ahead and take the call. “Hello Dad” was John’s response after he pushed the ‘answer’ button. After a long pause he continued, “Okay. I have company. Randa is visiting me.” John said as another moment passed. “We’ll see you then,” John said and he ended the call.
“I usually have dinner with my Dad when I am in town. If it is okay with you, we are supposed to meet him tomorrow night at the Marx Bros. Café at 7:00.”
“Of course! I would love to meet your Dad!” Randa told him. John had met Randa’s parents, but she had not met his yet.
Randa and John spent the next morning together staying indoors and snuggling in bed. The day flew by and as evening approached, Randa admitted that she was a bit nervous about meeting Buck. “There’s nothing at all to be nervous about. He’s a down-to-earth Okie just like me,” John told her.
Buck held his hand out to her when John introduced him to Randa. She shook his hand. “It’s an honor to meet you,” she said before she leaned in and gave Buck a quick hug.
They were seated. Randa got on quite well with Buck throughout the evening. There was something about her that Buck really liked. She seemed to be ‘set-apart’ from most of the other young females that he knew, but of course, Randa knew how to bring out the best in people and make them feel good about themselves. The men talked business for a while and Randa excused herself to the ladies room.
“John, she is quite the lovely girl. I am very impressed, she’s definitely not your average or typical…..anything.”
John was taken aback by his dad’s demeanor. He wasn’t usually so warm to others, especially women. “Thanks Dad. She is very special.”
“She actually reminds me of your mother a little bit when she was that age. They both have that same innocence.”
Uh-oh John thought to himself. I do not want this conversation to start focusing on Mom and the divorce.