First Time Tales - Stranded

by Jean-Luc Cheri

  After we shuttered the last window and pushed down the sash, we turned to each other and grinned.

  “High five,” he said, holding up his hand.

  I slapped it, and for a moment I thought he was going to give me a hug. When he didn’t, I discovered I was slightly disappointed.

  “Thanks for your help,” he said. “What do you say we change into some dry clothes and make some hot chocolate?”

  “Sounds nice.”

  “I’ll start the hot water,” he said, patting me on the back as he headed downstairs. Actually, it was a bit lower than my back, touching me just at the top curve of my butt. His touch was casual, and I didn’t think he meant anything by it, but I wasn’t used to being touched by guys at all, and it sent a shiver through me.

  Back in my room, I couldn’t get his touch off my mind as I undressed and dried off. I tried to shake off the thoughts I was having. I was being a silly teenager. Danny was a grown man, and a married one at that. He wouldn’t be interested in me. It was just a comforting pat, that’s all. I was making too big a deal out of it.

  But as I got out my dry clothes and laid them on the bed, I felt a warmth spread through my loins as I recalled his hand on me. I imagined what it would be like to be married to him, and such touches would be commonplace.

  I went to the window and peeked out through a gap in the shutters. The wind was howling, and I could hear sand striking the outside walls. Intermittent flashes of light filled the sky, followed by far off thunder. It was a little scary, but it also felt good to be safe inside, with Danny to protect me.

  I was looking out at the ocean, watching the turbulent surf, when suddenly, a bolt of lightning struck just outside the house. The ear-splitting crash of thunder boomed simultaneously, and the house immediately went dark.

  I screamed, and jumped back from the window. My foot caught on the rug, and I went down with a loud thump, crying out loudly when the back of my head hit the carpeted floor.

  As I lay there wincing and in a daze, I heard someone call, “Chrissie?” followed by footsteps coming up the stairs. When they reached the landing halfway up, I heard a crash, as if someone had run into a wall, followed by a muffled, “Shit!”

  The footsteps continued upward, and my door burst open. “Chrissie?” Danny said, breathing hard. “Are you ok?” It was too dark to see anything in the now-powerless house.

  “I think so,” I moaned.

  He followed the sound of my voice, reaching down to feel for me in the darkness. When his hand brushed against my stomach, he kneeled down next to me.

  “What happened?”

  “The lightning scared me, and then I fell. I’m sorry I’m such a klutz.”

  “Just relax. Did you hurt anything?”

  “I don’t think so.”

  “Here, let’s get you downstairs.”

  He was reaching for me, when another flash of lightning struck nearby, lighting up the room for a brief instant. It was then he noticed I was naked.

  “Oh,” he said softly.

  “I was getting dressed,” I said, stating the obvious.

  “Oh, ok. Then maybe you should finish before we go downstairs.”

  “My clothes are on the bed.” I began to get up.

  “You sure you’re ok?” he asked, reaching out to help me. His arm moved around my back, sliding under my arm to hold me steady. His fingertips just reached the side of my bare breast as he pulled me to my feet.

  “Yeah, just banged my head a little.” Another flash of lightning lit the room, and I got my bearings and headed for the bed, with Danny walking alongside, supporting me.

  When I reached the bed, I sat on it, felt for my clothes, and began dressing. I had my panties pulled partway up my thighs when another flash lit the room. I caught a brief glimpse of Danny standing in front of me, watching intently.

  “Um,” he said, as darkness surrounded us again, “maybe I could wait down–”

  “No, stay here,” I said quickly, pulling my panties on. “I feel safer with you around.”

  “Ok,” he replied, but there was uncertainty in his voice.

  As I felt for my bra, another bolt struck nearby, lighting the room and causing me to startle. My breasts bounced slightly from the movement, and I knew he had been watching them. I felt my nipples stiffen, and I hurriedly put on my bra before the lightning got a chance to give him another look. I had just adjusted the straps, when a series of flashes lit the air, creating a strobe-like effect in the room. Danny still stood there, watching me in silence.

  I found my shorts and pulled them up, then slipped my T-shirt over my head.

  “I’m ready,” I said.

  He paused a moment before answering, as if lost in thought, then said, “Oh, let’s go then. Careful now.” He stepped close and slipped his arm around my shoulder, and I slid mine around his waist. We walked slowly in the direction of the door, and half way there a lightning flash allowed us to get our bearings, and we walked more confidently.

  Reaching the stairs, he held the railing while I held onto him, and we slowly made our way down. I felt his strength as he held me tightly to him, and his body felt good against mine. The side of my breast pressed against his ribs, and I could smell his scent – an interesting mix of cologne and man.

  Chapter 19

  When we got to the first floor, he removed his arm from me and said, “Just stay right here. I saw some candles and matches in the closet. Let’s get some light going so we can see.”

  He turned away, and I immediately heard a bang, followed by another grunted, “Shit!”

  I giggled and said, “You ok?”

  “Yeah, just discovered the coffee table with my shin.”

  “Sorry about that. Can I help?”

  “No, you stay there.”

  Fortunately, the room lit up again as lightning crashed outside, and Danny was able to get to the closet without further pain. After a moment, a match flared, and a candle was lit. He came back to me holding a box full of them, with one in his other hand, which was creating dancing shadows on the walls.

  “Here, take a couple and start putting them around the room.”

  The candles were wide – a couple of inches in diameter – and about six inches high. I took one in each hand, lit them from Danny’s flame, and placed one at either end of the mantle. The room was beginning to take on a nice glow.

  We placed more around the living room, and a few in the kitchen, then stood back to admire our handiwork.

  “Looks good,” he said. “I think that deserves another high five.” He held up his hand.

  I laughed and slapped it. “We make a good team.”

  “Yeah, we’re both clumsy as hell.”

  I giggled. “I heard you hit the wall coming up the steps.”

  “Hey, that wasn’t my fault. The wall jumped out in front of me.”

  I laughed again. “Thanks for helping me. Again.”

  “No problem. Hey, I bet the water on the stove got hot enough before the power went out. Want to make that hot chocolate now?”

  “Sure.”

  We went into the kitchen, and Danny was smart enough to turn off the burner under the teakettle. I got out two mugs, and the steam rose as he filled them. It took a few minutes to find the Swiss Miss canister, but soon we had two full cups of hot chocolate.

  “Shall we take our refreshments in the living room, my dear?” Danny said in a haughty British accent.

  I laughed. “That would be lovely.”

  A minute later, we were sitting on the couch, with our mugs on the coffee table. The wind had picked up and was howling outside, but inside we were warm and cozy.

  “This is kinda nice,” I said.

  He smiled softly. “Yeah, it is.”

  “What about your family, um, I mean, Becky and her family? What do you think they’re doing?” I winced at my mistake, not wanting to remind him of his problems.

  “They’ve probably rented a couple hotel rooms for the night. With tho
se kids and the baby, I have a feeling we’re going to have a better night than they are.”

  “You’re probably right.”

  “As for my family, who knows what they’re doing? At least they’re away from the storm.”

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to bring that up.”

  “It’s ok. I don’t mind talking about it. It’s just hard to discuss with my family. They’re all so judgmental, especially my mother. She doesn’t understand that things are different now days. Couples who aren’t happy don’t have to stay together. To her, divorce is unthinkable.”

  I was silent for a moment, then said, “Are you–?” I stopped, deciding my question was too forward. “I’m sorry, that’s none of my business.”

  “Chrissie, it’s ok. I don’t mind. It would probably even help me if I talked about it. And since you’re not family, I don’t have to worry about you criticizing me.”

  “I would never do that. If you ask me, you’d be–” I stopped again, shocked by what I was about to say.

  “Better off without her?” he said, finishing my sentence.

  “I didn’t say that.”

  “But that’s what you were going to say, right?”

  I gave him an apologetic look. “Yes. I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be. I agree with you.”

  “You do?”

  “Yes. Don’t get me wrong. We were very happy at first. But people change. I’m not sure if I changed, or she did, but whatever we had is gone.”

  “I don’t think you’ve changed. You seem like the same nice guy to me.”

  He smiled. “Thanks. That means a lot to me.” Then his face turned sad again, and he continued, “We always did ok, as far as money went, and she seemed happy with what we had. But now she’s just not satisfied with anything.”

  “She always seems angry.”

  He looked at me a long moment. “If I tell you something, would you promise not to tell Becky?”

  “Sure.”

  “I’m serious now. Not a word of it to her.”

  “I promise.”

  He paused again. “I think Marcia is having an affair.”

  My eyes opened wide, and I stared at him. “You mean with another man?”

  “Yes.”

  “Who?”

  “My best friend, Paul.”

  I had met Paul at a couple of family picnics. “Paul? Why do you think that?”

  “A few months ago, I came home from work early. I pulled into the garage, turned off the car, and went into the house. Much to my surprise, Paul was sitting in my living room. When I asked him what he was doing there, he said he had come over to borrow my paint sprayer. When I pointed out I wasn’t usually home at this time, he just said he needed it right away, and came over to see if Marcia would give it to him. When I asked where she was, he said she was upstairs taking a shower.”

  “Wow.”

  “And since then, I’ve noticed things between them. Subtle looks and glances, smiles out of nowhere.”

  “But Paul?” I said. “He’s bald and fat. He’s not good looking like you.”

  Danny smiled. “Thanks. But Paul does have something that Marcia wants – he makes a ton of money at his job.”

  I shook my head. “She doesn’t deserve you.”

  He smiled and nodded. “You know what? It’s taken me ten years of marriage, but I’ve come to the same conclusion. If it wasn’t for the children, we would be divorced by now.”

  “So, that’s what you want too?”

  “Yes. I resisted the idea for a while, but after her act in the driveway, in front of my family, I realized I couldn’t go on like this, and now I’m looking forward to it.”

  “I’m glad you’re going to be happy then.”

  He leaned back. “I’m sorry. Here we are, stranded together, and I’m boring you with my problems. What’s new with you?”

  “You’re not boring me.” And nothing’s new with me.”

  “What about that boy I saw you with today? New boyfriend, maybe?”

  “Vinny? No way. He’s Becky’s b–” I stopped myself again.

  “He’s Becky’s what?”

  “Nothing.”

  He leaned forward. “Chrissie, is my sister involved with that guy?”

  I met his eyes. “Danny, you can’t ask me to keep a secret from her, and then expect me to tell you everything she does.”

  He sat back. “Ok, fair enough. Can you at least tell me she’s being careful with him?”

  I nodded. “Yeah, she is.”

  “Good.” He was quiet a moment, and then said. “So, what about you? Any special guys in your life?”

  I shook my head. “No.”

  “None?”

  “No.”

  “You know, Chrissie, that’s one thing I could never figure out about you.”

  “What’s that?”

  “You’re a very pretty girl. Beautiful even. But I never see you with a guy. Not even one you’re not serious with.”

  I shrugged, feeling uncomfortable despite the fact this handsome man just said I was beautiful. “I don’t know. Just never had the chance, really.”

  He smiled. “I’m finding that really hard to believe. You have to have guys after you all the time. Hell, if I was ten years younger, you’d be at the top of my list to ask out.”

  “Um, my parents don’t approve of me being with guys.”

  He shook his head. “Seriously? Even at your age?”

  I shrugged. “I guess.”

  “So you’ve never been on a date?”

  “No.”

  “Have you ever kissed a boy?”

  “No.” I could feel my blush burning my cheeks.

  “Unbelievable. What are your parents thinking? That you’re going to turn twenty-one and suddenly know what’s up?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Um, we probably shouldn’t be discussing this.”

  “Tell me.”

  “No, I think we better change the subject.”

  “Please?”

  Chapter 20

  He watched me for a long moment, trying to make up his mind. Finally, he said, “Can I ask you a personal question?”

  “Sure.”

  “When you’re with your husband on your wedding night, do you want it to be your first time?”

  I looked at him in surprise. “What?”

  “I’m sorry, that was too personal. Forgive me.”

  “No, I mean, it’s ok. Um, I don’t know.”

  “Is that your answer to my question, you don’t know?”

  “Yeah. I’m still trying to figure out the whole sex thing.”

  He thought for a moment, then nodded. “I understand. So, you’re eighteen?”

  “Seventeen.” I looked at the clock on the wall. “At least for the next half hour.”

  He smiled. “That’s right. Tomorrow’s your birthday. I’m sorry, I forgot all about it.”

  “No problem. You’ve had other things on your mind.”

  “That’s pretty cool. I’m going to be the first one to know you as an eighteen-year-old. We’ll have to do something at midnight. I’ll find a cake or something to put a candle on so you can blow it out.”

  “That would be sweet.”

  “Sorry I don’t have a present for you.”

  “That’s ok. You’ve been real nice to me. Taking me to the doctor, and then coming to help me when I fell.”

  He frowned slightly. “Yeah, sorry about that. If I had known you weren’t dressed I wouldn’t have barged in on you.”

  I waved my hand. “Please, not a problem. Forget about it.”

  “Well, I appreciate that it’s not a problem, but I definitely won’t be forgetting about it any time soon.” He grinned.

  “What do you mean?”

  His smile widened. “As I said, Chrissie, you’re a pretty girl. The sight of you sitting on your bed like that is going to stay with me a while.”

  “Oh.” I felt the blush rising in my cheek
s.

  “I’m sorry. I keep forgetting I’m talking to a seventeen-year-old.” His smile let me know he was joking.

  “Hey now,” I said, pretending to be mad, “I’m almost eighteen.”

  He laughed. “Oh, that’s right. In twenty-five minutes you won’t be young and naïve anymore.”

  “Probably not in twenty-five minutes, but maybe before I go home.”

  He gave me a curious look. “What do you mean?”

  I realized I had said too much. “Nothing.”

  “You can tell me.”

  “I’d rather not.”

  “Does this have anything to do with the question I asked you, about your wedding night?”

  My face felt hot again. “Yeah.”

  He sat up straight and looked at me for a moment. “That’s why you were talking to that boy.”

  I looked down, unable to meet his eyes.

  “Chrissie, talk to me.”

  “What?”

  “You were going to have sex with him?”

  I jerked my head up. “Of course not! I told you he was Becky’s guy.”

  He thought for another moment. “One of his friends, then?”

  “Yes.”

  “Do you know this friend?”

  “Not yet.”

  “Chrissie, that doesn’t sound good.”

  “I know, but…”

  “But what?”

  “Sometimes I think I just want to get it over with. Get it out of the way so I’m not some stupid virgin anymore.”

  He paused again. “You know, I understand that. I really do. If I was your age, I might think the same way. But looking at it from my age, I just think it’s a mistake.”

  “So you think I should wait until I’m married?”