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An Education For Everyone By Kathy De Vincent walked into the library to see Father
shuffling through a large stack of books. “Father, Mouse said you wanted
to see me...” “Yes, I needed to speak with you.” Father
motioned towards a chair. Vincent sat down and looked at him
expectantly. “Vincent, these past few months have gone by so quickly.” “Perhaps. For me it seems like my recovery has
been slow.” Father frowned at him worriedly. “You haven’t
voiced any complaints so I imagined you were fully recovered from your
sickness.” Vincent rushed to reassure him. “I am, Father.
I’m fine…really. I…still have no memory from that time, but I do feel
better.” “Good.” “But that isn’t why you asked me here…” “No.” Father turned away and mumbled to himself,
“But maybe I shouldn’t ask…” “Father, please you can ask me anything.” Father sighed and nodded his head ruefully.
“Well...now that you’re back to teaching full time, do you feel like you
could take on yet another lesson?” Vincent shrugged nonchalantly. “Of course. What
is it?” Father grew flustered with the request he had to
make. This subject was never a comfortable one to teach and he knew
Vincent would have just as hard a time with it as he did. “I wouldn’t
normally ask, you know that, but with Kanin gone and Pascal always so
busy and Matthew tied up working with Kevin and…” “Father?” “And if that weren’t enough…the last time I
taught it, I overheard Brooke saying something in the tunnelway about me
being an old fogey...I mean...really!” Vincent quickly lowered his head to hide his
grin. He, too, had heard the term amongst the older teens, and he didn’t
want Father to know it was true – that the children often referred to
him in that way. Father was ever observant and frowned. “Hummph...so
it’s true?!” Vincent chuckled. “I’m sure it was said
affectionately.” Father grumbled and shook his head. “Either way,
sometime during your sickness, the next group of
children...discovered...one another, and it’s time to have another
sexual education class.” Vincent looked surprised. “With whom, Father?
Brooke, Michael, Amanda, Heather, Scott...they all sat through the last
class...” Father nodded. “Yes, but
Zachh, Kipper, Eric, Geoffrey, Samantha, Patricia, and Emily did
not.” “But they’re just children!” Father laughed aloud. “Yes, I thought so too,
until I caught Zachh and Patricia about to kiss in the tunnelway last
week. Yesterday Emily and Geoffrey were holding hands under the table in
the dining chamber and…I don’t know why you haven’t noticed Samantha’s
crush on you?!” Vincent chuckled and shook his head with
confusion. “Samantha?! A crush? On me?” “Yes…she hangs on your every word!” “I love all the children, Father. You know
that…but Samantha’s always been a favorite of mine. I never noticed...” “Young girls always have crushes on their
teachers, Vincent. I remember when Brooke used to bring you fudge…” “I thought she was trying to butter me up for a
better grade.” Vincent chuckled. “Well, either way, this new group of children is
becoming young men and women quite quickly, and they must be made aware
of the biological changes occurring in their bodies. Will you take it
on?” Vincent thought back to his own class and what
Father had taught them, and then he remembered how boring it was. He
reached out and took a familiar book from the stack. “Yes.” Father shook his head and offered a different
one. “This one is better. I think.” Vincent grinned devilishly and cocked his head to
the side. “Maybe, but I don’t want to be referred to as an old fogey.
I’ll use this book.” Father rolled his eyes in disgust as he waved his
hand dismissively. “Either book will do. As usual, Mary will talk to the
girls and you will speak to the boys. If they have any questions you
can’t answer, let them know that I will make myself available to any of
the children if they have any biological questions.” Vincent snorted sarcastically. “Good. I know
those were the first questions that popped into my mind!” Father sighed aloud and ignored Vincent’s
sarcasm. “When can you fit it into the lesson plan?” Vincent stood. “I’ll do it tomorrow after the
history lesson. That should get their attention again.” Father nodded in agreement. “Ahhh, yes...spring
is in the air! It’s so hard to keep them attentive when the weather
changes up top...” Vincent nodded and smiled as he got up and walked
to his chamber. ******************************** The next day, Catherine woke to find that it was
rainy morning. As she got ready for work, she decided she would ask Joe
for the afternoon off. As long as it was so dreary, she thought she
would head Below and surprise Vincent. She knew he had an early class,
but she could spend the rest of the day and evening with him. Fully
intending to leave from work, she dressed in warm clothing.
She rushed to work and plowed through case file
after case file. She rarely looked up from her desk as her pencil
furiously scribbled out notes about each of the cases. She looked up as
she completed her last file and noticed it was 12:30. “Wow,” she
thought. She grabbed the pile of files and headed to Joe’s office. He
was on the phone but waved her in, and Catherine stacked them in front
of him with a satisfied smile. Joe ended his call and looked at her
suspiciously. “What’s this, Radcliffe?” “What’s it look like?” “Your files. Why are you giving them back to me?” Catherine grinned. “Because they’re done. Well,
everything I can do on them has been done. I need to hear back from a
few of the attorneys, but my work on them is complete.” Joe pointed over to a stack on the other side of
his desk. “There’s more...” Catherine sighed and looked at him beseechingly.
“I was hoping I could get the afternoon off...” Joe rolled his eyes. “You’re the fourth person to
ask me that today! No way, Chandler! Get back to work.” “Aww…c’mon Joe! I’ll work extra late tomorrow...” Joe frowned. He knew she had put in more hours
this week than any of her colleagues, and he also knew he took advantage
of it. He sat back in his desk and looked nervously through the window
at the other workers. “Okay, but if anyone asks, you tell them you’re
heading out to do research.” “Got it!” Catherine smiled as she headed out the
door. She grabbed her purse and an empty sheet of paper
and waved it in the air. “Hey, Carl?! I got a hot lead I need to follow
through on; it may take awhile. If anyone needs me I’ll have my beeper
on. I’ll be in first thing tomorrow...” “Got it, Cathy!” *********************************
Catherine grabbed a taxi and got dropped off near
the park entrance. Luckily, few people were out on such a rainy day and
she was able to slip inside the culvert easily and head to the library. “Catherine!” Father said with surprise. “Hi, Father. Hi, Mary.” Mary smiled sweetly. “Vincent is still in class,
dear. I’m afraid he’ll be another hour or so...” Catherine looked disappointed and glanced at her
watch. “Oh! I thought he finished his history class early.” Father nodded. “Normally he does, but today he
has an extra lesson to teach.” Mary shook her head anxiously as she turned back
to Father. “Which is why I’m here. Father I can’t possibly leave Lena
with little Cathy. The poor dear got so little sleep last night and
Cathy has been crying for hours. You’ll have to help Vincent with his
class.” “Mary, I told you I can’t. I have to meet with
Paul about the engineering in the tunnels; he could only spare me an
hour this afternoon. What about Rebecca?” “She’s preparing for Winterfest…” Catherine listened to their discussion and
anxious to spend time with Vincent, stepped forward. “I can help Vincent
with the class.” Mary looked relieved and stood. “Oh, Catherine.
Thank you. I’ll get back to Lena...” Father shook his head vehemently. “Mary, that is
not a solution! You cannot possibly ask Catherine to teach that class!” “Oh, for Pete’s sake Jacob. I’m sure she can
handle it! It’s only junior high children.”
After everything they had been through, Catherine
wondered why he was still adamant about her helping. “No one asked me,
Father. I offered. I’ve had twenty years of schooling, and I’m sure I
retained enough knowledge that I can fake my way through a lesson for
junior high students. Besides, Vincent will be there to help me.” Trying
to hide her hurt feelings, she grabbed the book from Mary and swiftly
walked away from them. Father’s mouth hung open in shock and Mary
grinned impishly at him. “Well, this should prove to be an interesting
class.” Father shook his head, then started to chuckle.
“Oh, to be a fly on the wall...” Peter unexpectedly walked into the chamber. “A
fly on the wall in which chamber?” Mary grinned and clasped her hands together
happily. “This may be just the thing those two need to push them
forward.” “Who?” Peter wondered. “Yes! That’s what I’m afraid of!” Father
commented. Mary waved her hand dismissively. “You worry too
much, Father. It’s only a few questions...” “Those kids will eat them alive!” Father
grumbled. Peter lost his patience. “All right! Tell me now!
Who are we talking about?!” Mary looked up at him gleefully. “Vincent had to
teach a sexual education class today and I was supposed to help. Lena
needed me and Catherine overheard me asking Father to take over for me.
She volunteered to help not knowing what she was getting herself in
for.” Peter looked astonished. “Let me get this right.
Vincent and Catherine are teaching a sexual education course right
now...together...” Father and Mary nodded simultaneously as Peter
roared with laughter. “To whom?” “Zach, Kipper, Eric, Geoffrey, Samantha,
Patricia, and Emily,” Mary supplied. Peter laughed even harder. “Oh, Jacob, you’re
right. Those kids will eat them alive!” Father frowned worriedly and stood up suddenly.
“I’m going to see if I can help.” Mary and Peter followed him out the door and
through the tunnelways.
“Lena can wait a few more minutes for me,” Mary
giggled. Peter grinned wickedly. “I’m not even going to
try to come up with an excuse. I just want to see what’s going on.” ************************************* Meanwhile, Catherine stood outside the school
chamber and listened to Vincent conduct the rest of his history class.
She heard him close the book as he sat down on a desk in front of his
class. “We have one last lesson today.” Groans echoed
around the room and Vincent shrugged. “Father feels its time to teach
you about sexual education.” Catherine gasped and looked down at the title of
the book in her hands. “Oh, no,” she groaned. Vincent cocked his head curiously and peered out
through the chamber door and into the dark tunnelway. “Catherine?” Catherine was caught and she knew it. “Well,
Father tried to warn me,” she thought. She squared her shoulders and
entered the chamber tentatively. “Mary asked me to fill in for her
today. I...hope you don’t mind...” Samantha waved. “Hi, Catherine.” “Catherine!” Eric greeted happily. “Cool. She’ll be way better than Mary,” Patricia
whispered loudly to Emily. Vincent ignored the happy greetings of the
children as he reddened and looked away. “Um...no...you’re...always
welcome here.” Catherine smiled nervously. “Well, what do I need
to do?” Vincent quickly split the class by gender. The
girls went with Catherine and the boys stayed with him. Each of them
talked to their group about the changes that would eventually happen in
their young teen bodies. They showed pictures from the books and
described in detail the clinical aspect of intercourse and pregnancy. The group joined together once more and Vincent
looked at each if his students. “I want you to know that any adult here
would be happy to answer any questions you may have. Remember, it’s
better to ask the question and hear the correct answer then ask a peer
and get an incorrect answer.” Samantha raised her hand and Vincent nodded his
assent. “Can we ask you questions too, Catherine?” “Um...sure, if you need to talk to someone, I’ll
be here for you.” The children smiled at one another. Catherine was
well liked because she was unlike any other adult Below. She was more
like a friend or an older sister than an adult.
Catherine smiled at the easy question. “Part of
it’s true. Girls like to feel special and be treated to the more
romantic gestures like you mentioned, but sometimes little things will
stand out for her as well.” “Like what?” Vincent looked at her curiously wanting to know
as much as Zach what things Catherine liked. She shrugged then sighed.
“You know…little things…a secret smile from across the room, holding her
chair for her while she sits, even your hand on the small of her back as
you lead her through the room will make her heart beat faster.”
Vincent nodded his approval and added. “It
is…magical…when she responds easily to just the lightest touch on her
back or at her elbow.” He glanced at Catherine who smiled lovingly at
him. Vincent balked at the intensity in her eyes and turned quickly back
towards his students. “But remember, we are not pushing her across the
room, only gently guiding.” The kids giggled and seemed to relax. Catherine
relaxed too and came over to lean on the desk next to Vincent as she
looked out at the class. Patricia raised her hand and at Vincent’s
approval, asked her question. “Can we really ask anything?” Vincent and Catherine both nodded as Patricia
looked at Samantha, who nodded towards them. Patricia frowned and sighed as she plunged ahead.
“Brooke said that sometimes when a boy kisses you his lips are kinda wet
and sloppy and that even though you want to back away you shouldn’t.
Vincent, when you kiss Catherine does that ever happen to you?” Unknown to them, Father, Mary, and Peter arrived
in front of the chamber door. Peter grabbed the other two’s arms and
stopped them. He held his finger up to his mouth to silence them as they
overheard the question asked.
Vincent’s jaw dropped open and Catherine felt his
shock flow through the bond. Feeling sorry for him, she quickly came to
his rescue. “Patricia, a true gentleman never kisses and tells...” “But...” Catherine waved her finger and smiled. “Nope, no
buts! What happens between a boy and girl or a man and woman is private
and if a boy really likes a girl he won’t brag about it to other people.
Now, in answer to your question, sometimes the first kiss can be...kinda
wet...” The kids chuckled and Catherine giggled with them. “It’s pretty
common, so don’t worry about it. I remember my first kiss...Tommy Wilson
forgot he had mint gum in his mouth and it ended up in mine.” “Ewww...” the girls chorused. The boys glanced at one another and seemed to
make a mental note not to have gum in their mouths. Zach’s hand shot up instantly. “How do you make
sure your mouth isn’t wet and sloppy?”
That’s a good question, I
never thought about that before,
Vincent wondered to himself.
Emily raised her hand. “If you start to kiss a
boy, you don’t have to do all that other stuff we learned today, do
you?” Vincent shook his head vehemently. “No, Emily.
You should never do more than you’re willing to do.” He looked pointedly
at the boys. “Kissing someone is a way to show affection for that
person...it is not an invitation to more! The rest of it will come
later...when the time is right...” Geoffrey raised his hand. “How do you know when
the time is right?” Vincent now wished he hadn’t said anything. He
sighed aloud. “Years from now when you’re grown up and married...” he
mumbled. Eric laughed. “You sound like Father!” Zach nodded. “Yeah, Vincent! I mean, what if a
guy wants it sooner?” Catherine winked at the girls then looked back at
the boys. “Sorry, guys. This is the one time when the girl gets to call
all the shots. I have to agree with Vincent. Having sexual intercourse
is a huge responsibility and it shouldn’t be taken lightly. Ideally, it
happens when two people have been in love for a very long time and they
know each other well enough to go forward. Sometimes it happens sooner,
but not until she’s ready to proceed.” Samantha raised her hand and looked at Catherine
devilishly. “You said a man and a woman should be together a long
time...” Vincent knew that look on Samantha’s face and
answered cautiously. “Yes, she did, Samantha.” Samantha sat back in her chair defiantly. “How
long?” Catherine didn’t know Samantha as well as Vincent
and had missed the look. “Oh, I don’t know...there’s not really a time
frame...but they should be adults…and responsible...” Samantha’s eyes sparkled wickedly. “What was the
longest you ever waited?” Catherine blushed and looked down. “Um….” Vincent frowned at Samantha. “That’s an
inappropriate question and you should apologize to Catherine.” Samantha blinked innocently. “I’m sorry,
Catherine! I just wanted to know how long most people wait.” Catherine fell Samantha’s remorseful comment and
decided honesty was the best approach. “It’s okay…um…a year or so…I
guess.” Patricia had caught on immediately to where
Samantha was heading with her questioning. Knowing Vincent had caught
Samantha’s look, she innocently asked the next question for her friend.
“You and Vincent have been together for almost three years...” In the tunnels, Father groaned softly. Peter
shook his head to silence him. Catherine now knew that she had been baited into
an answer. “Yes, we have.” “Ewww…” Geoffrey looked disgusted. “So you guys
do that intercourse stuff?!”
Zach saved them from answering when he punched
Geoffrey in the arm. “You idiot! Catherine just said a gentleman never
tells.” Geoffrey looked up apologetically as he rubbed
his arm. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to ask.” Emily piped in quickly. “So, if you guys keep
doing that stuff, you’ll have a baby, right?” Catherine knew that Vincent was in shock and
wouldn’t be able to answer the question. She gulped and nodded as she
nervously cleared her throat. “Yes...a direct result of intercourse is
sometimes pregnancy.” “When are you two gonna have a baby?” Emily
asked. Zach looked disgusted. “They’re not even married,
stupid! Besides who said they want kids? There are ways to prevent it,
you know.” Geoffrey looked over in surprise. “Catherine
wants kids. Don’t you, Catherine?” Catherine nodded. “Yes, someday...” “Vincent’s kids?” Samantha asked. Catherine swallowed hard and decided again to be
as honest as she could. She nodded again as she answered quietly. “I
would be honored to have Vincent’s children.” Eric smiled wide as a thought popped in his head.
“Hey! You could have a baby that would look just like Vincent!” Vincent gasped and was almost physically ill as
he looked away from the group. Samantha clasped her hands together. “Wouldn’t a
baby that looks like Vincent be super cool?!” The kids looked around at one another and nodded
in agreement. In the tunnelway, Father was about to step
forward when Peter stopped him. “No, Jacob, let
him hear her
answer,” Peter whispered vehemently. Catherine had felt Vincent’s emotions flood
through the bond, and she knew that it was important he hear how she
answered the questions. “Yes, Eric, genetically, I could have a baby
that looks exactly like Vincent. And yes, Samantha, having a baby that
looks like Vincent would be
better than super cool...” “Catherine, can you imagine how cute a little
Vincent would be to hold in your arms?” Patricia asked. Catherine blinked back the tears in her eyes as
she nodded. “Yes, Patricia, I’ve imagined it too many times to count.” Shocked, Vincent hesitantly looked over at
Catherine. She felt the change come over him and she smiled at the look
of hope in his eyes. The kids were ignorant of what was happening
between their favorite couple and talked loudly amongst themselves.
Patricia wondered, “Where would they live?” Emily rolled her eyes. “Duh, in Vincent’s
chamber...” Geoffrey shook his head. “Yes, but Catherine
works up top. She’d want the baby with her...” Samantha shook her head. “She couldn’t take it
there. According to our science books, the baby has a 50% chance of
looking like Vincent. It would have to stay Below with us...” Zach shrugged. “Lena works in the flower shop for
Mrs. Graves. Little Cathy stays with Mary and Sara in the nursery.
Catherine’s baby could stay there during the day.” Patricia nodded. “Right. Catherine’s here almost
every night anyway...” Samantha tapped her cheek. “Wonder what its name
will be?” Eric piped in. “Ellie...if it’s a girl,
Catherine...can you name it Ellie?”
“Ellie is a beautiful name, Eric, but I always
thought I would name my daughter Caroline, after my mother.” Eric shrugged, “Caroline’s a nice name. What
about Ellie for your second kid?” “Maybe.” Catherine’s eyes filled with amusement
as she looked at Vincent. They hadn’t even spent their first night
together and the kids were already picking out names for their babies.
She reached for his hand and squeezed it as she turned to the group. Peter turned to Father and Mary. “I would imagine
Vincent and Catherine have some talking to do.” Mary smiled. “That dear girl just took away the
last of his fears.” “Then perhaps we should go in there and rescue
them from their class,” Father said as he walked in followed by Peter
and Mary. Mary shooed the children from the room and
followed them to the dining chamber for a snack.
“How did the class go today, Vincent?” Peter
asked with amusement as he slapped Vincent on the shoulder. Father stood next to Catherine and whispered
apologetically. “I promise you, I did try to warn you, Catherine...” Catherine smiled ruefully. “I know. Next time,
I’ll ask before I volunteer.”
Father looked nervously over at Vincent. “Is
everything all right, Vincent?” The shock was starting to wear off and Vincent
nodded. “Yes...I...I’m fine.” Peter grabbed Father’s arm. “C’mon. I’ve brought
you some new medicine and I want to show you how to administer it.” ********************************** Father and Peter left and Vincent and Catherine
were finally alone. The silence was deafening as each of them sorted
through their own thoughts. Finally Catherine spoke. “It was a good class. I
think the kids learned a lot.” “Yes.” “I learned a lot from them. I’d forgotten how
innocent things were back then.” “Yes.” “It was cute when they asked about a sloppy first
kiss. Its funny kids still worry about that stuff.” Vincent shook his head nervously. “It’s not
amusing to anyone who’s never experienced their first kiss before.” Catherine guessed that other than the peck she
had given him after her father’s death, he had never had his first real
kiss. She moved to stand in front of him then scooted between his legs
and pressed her palms against his chest as she leaned forward and kissed
him. She pulled slightly away then leaned in again as she waited for him
to kiss her. “Vincent?!” “Catherine…” “Please?!” Vincent bent his head forward and captured her
mouth with his own. Catherine sighed and slipped her arms around his
neck and deepened the kiss. Vincent flinched when he felt her tongue
slip into his mouth but he soon relaxed and let her lead him through
their first real kiss. Soon enough, Catherine pulled away and leaned her
forehead into his. To lighten the mood she playfully grinned at him.
“See, if you take it slow it’s not sloppy at all.” Vincent smiled and hung his head shyly. “Yes.” Catherine moved quickly to give him another brief
kiss and was surprised when Vincent gently cradled her face in his hands
and pulled her close. He kissed her softly, then deepened the kiss as
Catherine melted against him. This kiss soon soared to a new level of passion,
and Catherine moaned as Vincent’s hands slipped down her shoulders. She
backed away and tried to guide one of his hands to her breasts.
Vincent stopped suddenly and walked away from
her. “I’m sorry, Catherine.” “I’m not.” Vincent knew she misunderstood him and he turned
back to face her. “I didn’t mean the kiss. I meant the location we’re
currently in.” Catherine looked at the schoolroom and laughed
aloud. “I suppose we could find a more romantic location.” She grew
serious and looked at him uncertainly. “Would you...um...come to my
place...tonight?” Vincent thought briefly about it then took a deep
breath and looked at her nervously. “Yes, I’ll be there as soon as I
can.” Catherine knew he would be nervous coming into
her apartment and she rushed to put him at ease. “I could pick us up
something for dinner...” “That would be nice...” “Then…I guess I should...” “Yes, I’ll walk you...” “No, you don’t have to,” Catherine interrupted.
“I have to stop at the store. I’ll go out the park entrance.” “Then I’ll walk you to the park entrance.”
Vincent put his hand on the small of her back and gently guided her
forward. Catherine looked up at him and grinned. “Even the
feel of your hand on the small of her back as you lead her through a
room will make her heart beat faster...” Vincent thought back to the lesson and added.
“Gently guiding her...” Catherine giggled. “No pushing...” Vincent gently pulled her closer and Catherine
leaned in and put her head against his shoulder as they walked. Too soon, they were at the culvert entrance. “Until tonight, Vincent.” “Yes.” Catherine started to walk away then stopped and
walked back in front of him. “I love you, Vincent.” He lowered his head to hers. “I love you,
Catherine,” he said before he captured her lips in his. He deepened the kiss and this time it was
Catherine who pulled away. “Tonight...” she said as she turned and walked
away before she lost her nerve. ********************************* Vincent walked back into the library and was
surprised to see Peter was still there with Father. Both men hid their
amusement when they saw how distressed Vincent was. “Vincent, come over and sit down...talk with us,”
Peter invited. Vincent sat heavily in a chair. “Where’s Catherine?” Father wondered. “She left...” Vincent answered. “Left?!” Father said anxiously. “Why?! I thought
she was having dinner here.” Vincent looked up at him nervously. “We decided
to have dinner tonight at her apartment.” Peter and Father exchanged knowing glances. “Got
a lot to talk about, eh, Vincent?” Peter ribbed. “Some things came up today that we need to
discuss, yes.” Vincent answered quietly. Father sighed. “I’m sorry, Vincent. I should have
stepped in sooner. I knew the children would ask questions. I didn’t
realize they would get so personal.” Vincent chuckled. “It’s all right, Father. I
think I learned as much in class today as the children did.” Father was relieved that his son wasn’t hurting.
“Me, too! I learned that your Catherine is a force to be reckoned with
when she puts her mind to something.” Peter laughed aloud. “She sure is! Watch out,
Vincent. Right now, I think she’s got it in her mind to seduce you
tonight!” Vincent looked away and nodded. “It seems like it
should be the next step...” Father smiled knowingly. “I remember my first
time...It was awkward...” he cleared his throat and shrugged. “...and
quick...but Margaret didn’t seem to mind. The next time...the next time
is when we really made love.” Peter chuckled in agreement. “Sounds too much
like my experience. The first time is never the best, Vincent...for
anyone...Just remember you get to spend the rest of your life perfecting
it...” “I just want to get through tonight,” Vincent
said with a sigh. Peter reached out and shook Vincent’s shoulder.
“You will. Cathy is a special kind of woman, Vincent. Let her lead the
way.” Father nodded towards the door. “It’s at least
another hour before you can leave. Why don’t you go take a nice long
bath? It should help to relax you.”
***************************************** Catherine stood in the grocery store and looked
at aisle after aisle of food. The nerves in her stomach were so tight
she thought she was going to be sick.
I’ll never be able to eat,
she thought. She decided on some wine to have with assorted
cheeses and meats on crackers. Thinking of Vincent, she grabbed a pair
of steaks and some potatoes as well as the fixings for a salad.
Impulsively, she grabbed a box of chocolate mints for dessert and headed
out. She walked into her apartment and quickly put the
food in the refrigerator. She straightened up a few piles of papers and
headed to her bedroom. “Well, I just changed the sheets yesterday, and
I’ll put out fresh towels after I shower,” she said aloud as she started
to strip off her clothes.
While she showered, she mentally went through her
lingerie and tried to decide what outfit she wanted to wear. She had one
in mind, but not wanting to make him nervous changed it and wore a two
piece silk pant and shirt ensemble. It had been dark only about a half an hour when
she heard his familiar footfall on the balcony. She walked from the
living room into her bedroom to find him bent over and balancing on one
leg as he was talking off his shoes in the doorway. “Vincent, don’t do that.” He shot up and stepped back onto the balcony.
“I’m sorry, Catherine. I thought...” Catherine realized he had misunderstood and
thought he wasn’t welcome. “I only meant to say that you can come in and
sit down on the bed or the chair to remove your boots.” Vincent’s shoulders sagged with relief. “Oh...” Catherine took his hand and led him to the side
of the bed. “Sit,” she commanded lightly. Vincent sat and Catherine bent
over and slowly untied his boots. She never lost eye contact with him as
she slid each of his boots off and set them on the floor. Vincent looked
nervous, so she backed away and held out her hands. “I’ll hang your
cloak.” Vincent stood and gave her his cloak, then
watched as she hung it over the back of a chair. Catherine walked into the living area and glanced
back at him. “I have salad and steak and potatoes or something light,
assorted cheeses and meats with crackers...some fruit…” Vincent stomach rolled at the thought of anything
heavy. “Light is good,” he said as he followed her into the living room.
He glanced around at the soft candlelight and relaxed. Catherine was in the kitchen and leaned back in
the doorway. “Could you put another log in the fireplace? I thought we
could sit in front of the fire and eat.” Vincent added another log, then headed towards
the kitchen. “Can I help?” Catherine was slicing cheese and nodded towards
the bottle of wine. “Would you mind opening that? There are glasses in
the cupboard in front of you.” Vincent opened the door and grabbed two glasses. “The opener is over in this drawer to my right,”
Catherine instructed. Vincent stepped over and opened the drawer at her
side. He found the opener and looked down at her as she looked up. Her
lips were inches from his and he watched as they parted with her sigh.
He lowered his head and gave her a brief kiss. “I should open the bottle.” Catherine’s voice was husky. “I’m almost done
here.” She threw the knife in the sink and arranged the
cheeses on the plate. She grabbed the crackers and followed him in front
of the fire. Vincent set down the wine and glasses, then took
the plates from her and set them down as well. “Shall we sit?” Catherine nodded and Vincent made his way to the
floor. He sat back against her sofa and stretched his legs out in front
of him. She sat down next to him and reached over to pour the wine. Vincent was especially quiet and Catherine tried
to put him at ease. “I’m glad you came here tonight.” “I’m glad too.” Catherine pointed towards the food. She reached
for a cracker and put some sausage on it, as well as a piece of cheese,
and popped it into her mouth. Vincent’s stomach was in as knot, and it
rolled in protest, but he had watched Catherine and followed suit. His
mouth was dry and he was barely able to swallow it, but he managed to
choke it down. Catherine handed him his wine while she kept the
mood as relaxed as she could. “The cheese is good.” “Yes.” “Did you like the sausage?” “Yes.” Catherine smiled. “Good.” Her mind raced with
something to distract him, and she fell into stories about work. It
worked, and they soon relaxed enough to enjoy a light meal and each
other’s company. Surprisingly, they polished off all but a few
crackers, and Catherine picked up a strawberry and dipped it in
chocolate. She held it front of Vincent’s mouth. Surprised by the
gesture he backed away, but soon leaned back in and looked at her as he
bit into the strawberry. “Hmmm…” He smiled as chocolate assailed his taste
buds. Catherine watched as he dipped a strawberry in
chocolate and raised it to her lips. She looked in his eyes as she
slowly bit down. He had either put too much chocolate on it or her mouth
was too small, but chocolate dribbled down on her chin. “Oh!” She reached for a napkin as Vincent swiped at it
with his index finger. “Here.” He showed Catherine the dollop of chocolate on
his finger and she impulsively grabbed his hand and pulled his finger
into her mouth, gently lapping at the chocolate with her tongue. Vincent’s eyes darkened with passion as he
watched her mouth gently suck on his finger. Catherine’s heart beat
wildly as she leaned forward and kissed him. Vincent groaned as she deepened the kiss. He
grabbed her and brought her to his side and she settled comfortably
against him. Catherine slowly let herself lie back on the
floor and, as expected, Vincent followed her down. He stretched out his
length against her. She kissed him deeply and felt his hand slide
over her hip and rest at her waist. She took it and raised it slowly to
the underside of her breast. “Catherine,” he gasped as his hand slowly covered
her breast and gently caressed it. She could feel the strength of his desire against
her leg and slowly backed away. “Let’s go into the other room.” Vincent took a deep breath and nodded. Catherine
got up and reached for his hand then led him into the bedroom. She turned down the sheets and turned to him. The
room was lit by the glow of a few strategically placed candles, and
Catherine watched his face as she slowly took off her clothes. Vincent swallowed hard as she stood naked in
front of him. Getting no reaction from him for several minutes,
she became embarrassed and slowly looked down as she blushed. “Not quite
the reaction I was hoping for. I…um…I know I’m not…” “Perfect,” he answered for her. “You’re perfect.
So beautiful…” Catherine smiled as he came forward and lowered
his mouth to kiss her and pull her close to him. As they kissed, she slowly undid the laces on his
shirt, then tugged it out of his waistband. Her hands quickly slid under
his shirt to caresses him and Vincent held his breath waiting for an
adverse reaction to his body, but all he felt from the bond was love. Nervously, he tugged his shirt over his head, and
Catherine drank in her first sight of him. She smiled as she kissed his
naked chest between his breast bone. Vincent raised her chin and
captured his mouth once more. It wasn’t long before Catherine ran her
hand gently across his manhood and felt him lean into her. She undid the
buttons on his pants and Vincent quickly shed them in front of her. “Beautiful,” she gushed. “Take me to the bed,
Vincent. Make love to me.” Vincent lifted her and carried her over to the
bed. He gently laid her down then crawled in next to her.
It’s
finally going to happen!
Catherine thought as she groaned aloud. She felt her emotions swell
inside of her. She and Vincent were in bed together and quickly racing
towards consummating their love. Suddenly, Vincent sat up and turned his
back towards her. “Don’t stop now, Vincent, please!” “I’m sorry,” he gasped, his back heaving as he
tried to restrain himself once more. “What is it?” No answer came from him, so
Catherine guessed at what was bothering him. “Vincent,” she said as she
laid a hand on his back, “you know you could never hurt me.” Vincent nodded in agreement. “I know...I believe
that now. You’ve shown me time and time again that I can rely on you to
follow me and being me back from my dark places.” Catherine sighed with relief, then cocked her
head curiously, wondering what the next barrier was. “Vincent, that’s
not what’s bothering you?” “No...” he said ruefully. “Tell me!” With a sigh, he glanced over at her then turned
away nervously. “There...have been others in your life, Catherine.” Catherine knew he wasn’t judging her. Remorse
over her past relationships had always been with her. She wished she
could come to him with her virginity still intact; she wished that
together they could explore the world of the unknown, but she knew she
could never change the fact that she had been with other men, and part
of her hoped her experience would help her guide Vincent through his
first time. “Yes,” she replied, answering the only way she
could. “I can’t change that, Vincent.” A thought popped into her mind,
and feeling suddenly vulnerable she quickly covered her exposed breasts
with the sheet. Her eyes filled with tears and her voice wavered as she
whispered, “Does it bother you so much that I’ve been with others that
you don’t want to be with me? Is that what’s kept you from coming to
me?” He turned around with shock at her question. He
had never meant for his insecurities to make Catherine feel undesirable.
He took her hands in his own and lightly caressed them. “No, Catherine.
My...desire for you...will never fade.” Catherine’s shoulders sagged with relief. “Then
what is it?! You have to tell me if we’re to get through this last step.
We’re so close, Vincent.” “I know. I...want to go there with you,
Catherine. Experience all there is with you.” “But,” she prompted, “...something just made you
stop. What is it?” “I have no...experience, Catherine. I don’t
know...how...” He shot to his feet and began to nervously pace.
Catherine’s throat went dry as she gazed upon his naked body. Caught up
in his own thoughts, he was unaware of the effect his masculinity was
having on the bond. “It’s embarrassing to admit that I’m well into my
thirties and I was about to ask you to help me with the final step. Then
it occurred to me that the others in your life probably didn’t have to
ask for help. They just knew and did it. Its daunting. I’m afraid
to...disappoint you...to not measure up.” Catherine knew he was insecure as she willed
herself to not look at his manhood and make comparisons. The men she had
been with in the past would have a very hard time...measuring up.
“Vincent,” she said as she reached out with both hands. “Please come
here. Come back to bed so we can talk.” He came over and climbed in bed next to her as
she quickly adjusted the covers and then looked up at him. “I wish I
could change my past, but I can’t anymore than you can change your past
with Lisa.” “There is no comparison, Catherine. I was never
with Lisa.” “No...but she was the first person you ever
loved.” “The love you speak of was the infatuation of an
adolescent.” “But still a form of love! Vincent, I wasn’t much
older than you and Lisa when I was with Steven. I told you before I
looked back on that time fondly because of the innocence of it all, the
newness of playing at being an adult. But I soon outgrew that
relationship and ended it.” “And found another.” “Yes, years later! Tom was everything Steven
wasn’t, and in the beginning things were great until I stopped being as
important as his work.” “He was driven to succeed.” “Yes, at all costs. He stopped asking me about my
dreams and I became an accessory to parade around on his arm at
important functions. Then one night, we were at a party. I was sitting
with a friend who needed to talk. She was going through a really bad
time in her life and needed someone. Tom came over and pulled me away
from her, told me I wasn’t supporting him enough. I explained to him
that I was helping out an old friend. He told me that she was a drunk
and didn’t need my help. He wanted me to talk to more important people,
people who could further his career. I was so mad at him for telling me
who I could talk to, I left the party. That night, I met the man who not
only saved my life but changed it...forever.” Vincent squeezed her hand, but then looked at her
uncertainly. “And Elliot?” “We were never together. Vincent, I haven’t been
with anyone since I met you. The only person I will ever be with again
is you. You are all I desire...all I ever want. I see other men on the
streets everyday and all I can think about is how they aren’t you. How
they could never measure up to the man you are. You have to believe
that. Please! If this is all that is holding you back...” Vincent moved slowly as he put his arm around her
shoulders and slowly lowered her back down to the pillow. He kissed her
and she felt the difference in him immediately. She could feel his
conviction and knew that there was nothing else that was between them. She turned herself over to him and together they
raced once again towards their final bonding. The End
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