Walter shakes his head, grinning.
“You should have thought of that before you took her to a hotel! I know it’s sudden…”
“I’ll say it’s sudden.”
“…but there is no getting around it, Jerald! If you care about her at all, this is the only thing that will save you in the eyes of Fred and Dottie!”
“Listen, can you give me a minute to explain to May that she has to become my wife?”
“Poor thing. I’m sure she never expected this!” To Pops she whispers, “Sweet girl but not worldly in the slightest!”
“Yes,” he agrees like it’s a shame I’ve sullied May’s innocence without her knowing what a fiend I am.
“Say, May, I hate to break it to you, but my folks and your folks want us to get married.”
“What?!” she cries out. “But we’re too young!”
“That’s what I said, see, but there’s the matter of our staying here last night.”
“Oh, that.”
“Yes, that.”
“Your reputation and all.”
“Oh no! Is there a scandal?”
“Ma, May wants to know if there’s a scandal?”
“Not yet, but there would be if anyone in town were to find out!”
“Won’t they know when we come back hitched?”
“Which is why we’re all driving to Atlanta today. With your parents there, we will say it was planned all along. Dottie and Fred are on their way now! Your father already telephoned his friend — he knows a judge in Atlanta — who is at this very moment drawing up a license. She turns eighteen on Wednesday, but Fred won’t have waiting another day. He’s afraid you might run!”
Pops yells, “It’s legal to get married at seventeen with parental consent.”
“I was going to tell him that!”
“You told him everything else. Legalities are my department!”
“Ma!”
Mid-rebuttal she returns to me. “Yes?”
“If May’s folks are on their way over, shouldn’t you be…?”
“Oh! Yes, how thoughtful of you! Ray, Jerald reminded me we need to pack! I have to decide what to wear to my son’s wedding.”
“Don’t take an eternity to choose!”
“How can I possibly take forever with Fred Kearns scowling at me? Jerald, we’ll see you soon.” She pauses, her voice changing, “You will be there, won’t you? You won’t leave?”
I sigh like it’s a burden. “I’ll be here. May has her objections, but I’ll explain everything to her and change her mind. Hopefully one day she can forgive me, and we can have what you two have.”
“I hope you are so lucky, I really do. We shall see you tonight, goodbye!”
Pops grabs the phone. “Reserve two of their best rooms!” I hear him say in a lower volume to her, “I’ll pay the cost as an apology for our son’s indiscretion,” before he hangs up.
I lay the mouthpiece in its cradle, and turn to May. “They’ve already taken care of the license.”
She leaps into my arms and I spin her around, laughing.
Walter chuckles, “Well, I’ll be!”
49
JERALD
M ay and I are naked in bed, enjoying the quiet before the storm. It took me under five hours to drive here last night, but I was going over the thirty-five-mile-per-hour limit in my haste to put distance between us and them.
Now that it’s all settled, they won’t do the same. Their drive will be leisurely so Ma doesn’t get carsick as she is wont to do during long journeys.
Even if I’m wrong, they couldn’t make it here before six. That wouldn’t be possible, so what else was there to do but get comfortable?
Lying on our sides, legs tangled, I trace May’s curves, the gentle fall of her breast, round nipples waking up to my touch. My girl is watching with a private smile, her head propped on one hand, the other on her hip. I move to that next, running my fingertips over hers, and saying, “Put this here a minute,” placing her hand on my cock.
Her lips part as she takes hold, blue eyes flitting over as I travel between her legs and let my fingertips have a peek. May begins to stroke me as I pleasure her, circling around her hair and into the dampness where I slide and get to know her a lot better.
“I’m having a hard time keeping my mind on the task,” she breathes, eyelashes heavy. I lean in to kiss her, our tongues touching lightly a moment before I pull away to watch her feel good.
“There’s no hurry,” I murmur, my fingers sliding around. “And no task.”
A quiet laugh bubbles out of her that makes her so beautiful I have to blink to make sure I’m really here. “You know how many times I wondered what you’d look like when I touched you?”
“How many?”
“Every time I lay my head on my pillow.”
“Every night?”
“We didn’t sleep every night. Schedules ran funny.”
She tips her head up for another kiss, whispering, “Oh,” right before our lips explore. I feel her fingers tighten around me, her body stiffening. Rubbing her at an even tempo so I don’t lose her, I bring her over the edge while we kiss. Her moaning into my lips. Body tensing and going soft. Blue eyes opening to stare at me with love. These are what I dreamed of, and what kept me going.
“I wish we could just live here,” she smiles.
“Shared washrooms,” I remind her.
“We need our own place.”
I laugh, nod, and nibble on her bottom lip a second before pulling her closer to me. “Let’s spread these a little.” She opens her legs. “That’s better.” I angle my hips so my cock reaches her, and use it to rub the outside and make her shiver. I press in, adjusting our bodies for this position, and May watches my face.
“I love you, Jerald.”
Our eyes lock and I kiss her. “That’s a good thing because we’re in quite a predicament otherwise.”
She
