Wendy’ Choice

Wendy got a new boyfriend, the IT guy from work. He introduced himself to her by “finding” her misplaced hairbrush. He told her he didn’t know if she lost it, and he didn’t know if it was hers, but he had waited until she arrived before asking someone if it was hers because he liked her and it seemed like the nice type of thing SHE would own.

She was a secretary at a medium sized steel parts factory in Chicago, and they had taken an instant liking to each other the very first day they had met. It was a case of instant mutual attraction, and they never let that moment pass. It was renewed every time their eyes met, too. They both felt it in their hearts and their vitals.

Wendy went out to lunch with him, and found out he was a widower, as they exchanged information, since his wife had passed about a year ago. He had an 18 year old son, who had been fathered on prom night back in high school. The boy had lived with him alone since his wife had died in childbirth, but he had still welcomed the boy into his life and opened his home to him.

“You’ve never had another woman in your life?” she asked, keeping her voice steady with great effort.

“No.” he replied. “Raising Jason alone took all my time and effort. I never had any time to spare for all of that, anyway.”

“All of that?” she asked, raising one eyebrow in a way she thought looked provocative and sexily desirable, based in the hours she had spent in front of a mirror practicing.

“I’m of the persuasion that the love of one’s life is worth every moment of one’s waking life. No time should be spent when awake that is not admiring her perfection.” he said, matter of factly.

Her breath caught in her throat for a moment, but she recovered quite quickly and told him that she was a single mother with a daughter, only 18, and recently graduated from high school. She had lived with her parents her whole life because she had gotten pregnant on her prom night and lived with her mother’s disappointment her whole adult life.

No matter how much she had debased herself to her father, she could never atone for her sins in the light of her own eyes. She felt she could see it reflected in the way he looked at her, too. Her child was a living testimony to her failure in everyone’s eyes but his. She could feel the acceptance and love in his gaze as he radiated heat with his whole being and shined it out of his eyes toward her.

She kept her silence for a long moment. No words needed to be spoken as they poured their own thoughts and emotions into each others eyes through their own. Neither of them could think a lie in that moment that lasted what felt like an eternity as one melded into the next.

The food arrived, breaking the moment temporarily, and they both spent the next ten minutes eating, not talking much until their plates were empty. Then they got back into the conversation they had abandoned when the waiter had showed up with the food.

“One kid. That and my job. That’s been my whole boring life.” he said, smiling at her. “He just graduated high school, but he doesn’t really have any plans for college. He never even sent any applications!”

“Oh, that’s too bad.” Wendy said, commiserating. “I’m afraid Miranda won’t be going to college, either. She applied to one, but she didn’t get accepted.”

“How old is she?” he asked, curious.

“Eighteen, same as your son.” she replied. “She just graduated, too.”

“Enough about them.” he said, and took her hand in his across the table. “I want to know about this pretty lady right here.”

“Oh.” she said, blushing. “I’m afraid there’s not much to tell.”

“How did you get your daughter? Were you married like me?” he asked.

She blushed again and shook her head. “My senior prom date raped me, and left me stranded a few miles outside of town when I wouldn’t suck it after he took my virginity.” she admitted, hanging her head in shame and looking at the table, embarrassed. “He’s the only man I’ve ever been with.”

“Really?” he asked. “Nobody since then?”

She shook her head, still looking at the table, still embarrassed. He put a finger under her chin and made her look at him, catching her eyes with his own and not letting her look away.

“I’m going to be the first man you give yourself to.” he said, smiling. “You got taken once, but your going to GIVE yourself to me!”

“I… I am?” she asked, blushing again, even redder than before. “I’ve never… I’ve never let a man love me because I’m not worth loving. I’m broken and ruined.”

“Not to me you’re not.” he told her, still meeting her eye. “To me, you’re a beautiful girl who has never known the love she deserves.

“Come on, let’s get out of here.” he said suddenly, throwing down a pile of money onto the table instead of waiting for the check. “That’s enough to cover lunch and a pretty generous tip.”

He took her hand as he led her out of the restaurant. “No, wait, I’ve got to go back to work!” she exclaimed, letting him lead her to his car, parked on the other side of the lot from her own. “Mr. Anderson, my boss, will fire me if I don’t show up right after lunch!”

“No, he won’t.” Bill said, matter of factly. “I let them know at your front office that I was taking you to Armando’s. They know what that means. My company is several order’s of magnitude above yours, but trust me, mine and yours have done business before, and both have profited from the relationship! This relationship between the two of us that’s developing is 100% corporate approved.”

“But we just had lunch at Brian’s Deli.” she said, confused, ignoring a little niggle of a suspicion that his words had inspired. “What’s Armando’s?”

“It’s a restaurant in Los Angeles.” he said, smiling as he opened the door for her and helped her sit down.

“But we’re in Chicago.” she said, confused. “Are we going to L.A?”

“No, we’re going to my place, and we’ll be there until tomorrow morning.”

“But… what does that mean?” she asked, sitting down in his car as he opened the door for her, then sat there looking puzzled as he walked around and got in the driver’s seat. “I’m spending the night at your house?”

He smiled at her gently and started the car. “You don’t mind, do you?”

“I don’t know.” she admitted. “Nobody has ever taken me to their home without inviting me first.”

“There’s a first time for everything.” he smiled at her. “Will this be the first time you have given yourself to a man willingly? I am inviting to my bed; not just my home.”

“This will be my first time in a bed.” she said, blushing. “I’ve never shared a man’s bed before. I got pregnant in the back seat of a car.”

He looked at her as she looked down, blushing.

“I marry you.” he said solemnly. “I marry you. I marry you.”

She smiled at him, and repeated his words, taking both his hands in hers. “I marry you, I marry you, I marry you.” She looked at him. “In the oldest cultures we know about, that is the ceremony for marriage. It is done between to people alone, because that marriage is between those two people and nobody else.”

“I know.” he smiled. “Wife.”

Her smile faltered. “Are you taking me home to enjoy your marital rights?”

He grinned even more broadly. “You guessed it!”

She swallowed nervously. “I hope you’re not disappointed.” she said softly.

“Get naked once we’re in the house, and I’ll let you know. Wife.” he smiled.

“As you command, husband.” she said, meeting his eyes with a hesitant smile.

“Tell me the truth, wife…” he said.