One with the Wind

by Jane Livingston

  Josie sat beside him in the passenger seat. “Then we will be very popular.”

  He shook his head and started the ignition. As he drove, a wet snow began to fall. Nick turned on the windshield wipers and took Josie’s hand as the wipers slapped rhythmically back and forth.

  “What are you hungry for?”

  “I could eat anything right now,” she replied.

  Nick pulled outside a taco joint take-out window and gave their order. Josie held the wrapped food on her lap while he parked in the high school parking lot. “Penn State offered me a scholarship to wrestle,” he said.

  “That’s great!” Josie said wiping cheese sauce from her face.

  He reached for another taco. “Have you given much thought to where you’re going?”

  Josie dipped her finger in the cheese sauce and thought about her choice. She knew she was going to Cornell University in New York State. She had always wanted to go there since her family camped in the Finger Lakes one summer. “I don’t know yet,” she replied.

  Crunching on a taco, Josie looked out of the window. It was a topic she really didn’t want to talk about, not now anyway. She knew it was common for high school couples, who went to different colleges, to end their relationships in the first semester of freshmen year. She had thought about giving up her dream of Cornell to go with Nick to Penn State, but she wasn’t sure if they would last anyway.

  “You told me the first night we met you were from the future. Can you tell me what will happen?” she asked.

  Nick snickered and contemplated a response. “I don’t know; they don’t tell me. I’m here to figure it out like the rest of you.”

  “Wouldn’t it be great to know the future? Decisions would be so much easier,” she said.

  “What fun would it be really, to know everything that is going to happen? Isn’t part of the fun the suspense?” He wadded up plastic trash in his hand and tossed it back in the take-out bag. He could see the reservation in her expression. “All we got is now. Who knows how it’s all going to work out?”

  Josie hated how he could be so casual, like he could take or leave her at any moment—trade her in for another model. She watched him nonchalantly slurp his iced tea. “I’ve been accepted to Cornell,” she said.

  Nick dropped the straw from his mouth and looked in front of him. “Good. That’s great,” he tried to force a smile but said nothing else. He started the car.

  “Nick—” she started.

  “There’s no use talking about it now. It’s nine months away. Anything can happen between now and then,” he said.

  It was the truth, but she wanted to know. Will we last, or are we a passing fling? Is it love, teenage puppy love, or just flat out lust and how will I know the difference? Josie watched the snow falling from the sky and suppressed the tears that started to brim. Already she missed Nick and he was sitting right beside her.

  He grabbed hold of her thigh and squeezed. “It’s going to be all right. I promise.”

  Josie placed her hand on top of his and forced a weak smile. She wiped the tears that rolled down her cheeks, hoping he didn’t notice her wet face.

  Runaway Prom

  Josie paced back and forth in her cream satin gown. She kept retying the pale yellow sash and checking her hair in the downstairs hallway mirror. Where could he be?

  “I’m sure he’ll be here any minute,” assured her mother.

  She was not convinced. It was not like Nick; he was always on time and to be late picking her up for the prom unnerved Josie. “What if something happened? What if he was in an accident?” she said, checking her cellphone again.

  She texted and called him, but still there was no answer. “I can’t believe this is happening.” Finally she received a text message: I’m on my way. She sighed and walked outside to wait for him, feeling more relaxed. She watched him approach from down the street. He parked in their driveway and slammed the car door. Josie knew something was wrong. “What happened?”

  “Nothing to worry about,” he said with a forced smile. “Sorry I’m late. You look beautiful.”

  They had the ceremonial exchanging of the corsage and boutonniere as her parents took photos, but something was off and Josie knew it. When they were finally alone in the car she asked, “Do you want to tell me what’s wrong?”

  He started the ignition. “No. It’s okay.”

  Josie admired him. He looked so dashing. “I have an idea. Why don’t we skip the prom?”

  “No! Why? You look beautiful in your dress.”

  “We’re already late and who cares? It’s just a fancy dance.” She unpinned her hair from her French twist and retrieved her sunglasses from her handbag. Reclining against the seat, she rested her arm on the open window. “Let’s be one with the wind.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Absolutely! It will be an adventure. Anyone can go to their prom on prom night; I want to ride.”

  Nick gave her a wide grin. “Alright!”

  Josie leaned over the front seat, removed his bow tie, and unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt. “There, now you look more relaxed.”

  “Thanks sweetheart,” he said, straightening the collar of his shirt.

  Nick drove south toward Somerset. It felt absolutely liberating to break through old traditions. Josie let out an excited scream as Nick pumped up the volume on the car stereo.

  Their mood sobered, as they approached a highway sign. Nick offered a salute and as they grew closer, Josie leaned out of the window and blew a kiss to the sign that read: Flight 93 Memorial National Park.

  Nick turned southbound on route 30 toward Indian Lake. The sun was beginning to set and it cast a beautiful orange and red hue. Josie raised her arms and cheered excitedly as she read another sign: You are leaving the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and a few feet away there was another sign that read: Welcome to Maryland.

  Nick pulled into a barbecue restaurant just after they entered Cumberland city limits. He got out of the car, sauntered across the gravel parking lot and opened the door for Josie. “Your ball awaits,” he said, helping her out.

  Inside the restaurant, the air was heavy with stale smells of musty wood and charred meat. Josie wiped her arm as the grease settled on her skin. Nick looked around and saw families having dinner and blue collar men having a brew and some ribs. Everyone looked up from their food and turned their attention to Nick and Josie, who were clearly overdressed.

  “Seems you kids got off on the wrong exit,” teased the hostess.

  Josie put her arm around Nick’s waist. “No, we are right on course.”

  The hostess sat them at a wooden table with a sticky checkered plastic tablecloth. Soon the waitress appeared with her pad. “What can I get you kids?”

  Nick glanced up at Josie and said to the waitress, “I’ll have the chicken breast, a side of potato salad and an iced tea.”

  “And I’ll have the pork ribs, potato salad and a root beer,” said Josie.

  “Pork?” Nick questioned.

  “Listen buddy, I have a confession,” she said. “I like pork. I like pork ribs, I like pork chops. I like sausage¾bratwurst, kielbasa, cocktail wieners. I even like scrapple, deep-fried smothered in syrup.”

  “That’s gross,” Nick said. “Do you know what’s in scrapple?”

  “I like pork!”

  The waitress set down her plate of ribs. “Calm down honey, here you go.”

  Nick laughed as the waitress served his order. He tore into the juicy chicken breast with his teeth and winked at Josie. Josie seductively licked a pork rib, sucked on the tip and nibbled the meat until she noticed several men watching her. Noting her self-consciousness, Nick glanced over his shoulder at the men and roared with laughter.

  “You have gristle in your teeth,” she said.

  Nick felt around his teeth with his tongue and then grinned. “Better?”

  “Yeah.” She picked up another rib and delicately tore the meat from the bone and placed it on her to
ngue. “How’s that?”

  “Are you trying to make every man in here crazy?”

  “Just you,” she said.

  “You succeeded months ago.”

  “I make you crazy?”

  “Yes, especially with barbecue sauce all over your face and pork bits in your teeth.”

  Josie reached for a napkin and tried to wipe her face. “Clean?”

  He chuckled. “Not even close.” He grabbed a napkin and cleaned her face. “Now you’re good. How you got it on your ear, I’ll never know.”

  After their meal they found a motel down the road. The male receptionist eyed them as soon as they walked in the door and toward the desk. Dressed in prom attire, he knew what they wanted. “Can I help you?”

  “We’d like a room please,” said Nick.

  The receptionist looked at Nick and then at Josie. “Are you eighteen? We have a strict policy about renting rooms to minors.”

  Josie leaned toward the receptionist and rested her head on her hands. “This is our prom night and we’ve already had sex countless times. It’s not like you’re keeping us from doing something we haven’t down before.”

  “Can you pay with cash? That way, no one will know,” said the receptionist.

  Nick dug his wallet out of his pocket. “Sure. We can do that.”

  Minutes later, Nick swung open the door to their room. He carried Josie in and dumped her on the bed. Josie crinkled her nose as the smell of old sweat and sex surrounded her.

  Nick tried to close the door, but the latch didn’t work so there was a slight gap. “No bother. It’s not like we’re spending the night.” He turned toward Josie. “Let’s get naked!”

  “Hell no! I spent months picking out this dress; I’m going to have sex wearing it.”

  She raised her gown over her hips and removed her lace underwear.

  “Okay, that was hot as hell,” Nick replied.

  “How about this?” Josie reclined on the bed, swung her leg around and kicked Nick in the face with her high heel.

  “Ouch!” he yelled holding his face.

  “Oh shit, did stab you in the eye?”

  He lowered his hands away. “Just my cheek.”

  Josie laughed. “I’m so sorry.”

  “Don’t worry, I give you credit for trying.” Nick lowered his face between her legs and licked her pussy with confident strokes. Josie moaned and grabbed a fistful of his hair as he breathed into her.

  Josie rocked her body into Nick as her orgasm started to surface. Nick unzipped his tuxedo pants and tugged them off. Josie pulled him on top of her and clenched her inner muscles around his engorged penis. She grabbed hold of his sleeve and lifted herself up to watch his penis glide in and out of her vagina. With his hands on her satin covered hips, he swiveled his body to find the right spot.

  “Oh God, that feels so good!” Josie called out as shockwaves rippled through her body. “Harder! Harder!” Nick rested his hands on the mattress over her head and jammed into her. “Oh God! Oh God! Oh God!” she yelled.

  Nick’s face reddened and tightened as his pace quickened and became more urgent. His sweat dripped onto Josie’s bobbing breasts as he could feel the explosion build. Suddenly, he swung his head to the side and let out a heavy sigh. Nick collapsed on the bed and let his body recover.

  Josie rolled over on her side, massaged his balls and kissed his face. She saw the red mark left by her heel and kissed the bruise. “Man, I really nailed you.”

  He breathed heavily, glanced at her and said, “And I really nailed you, sweetheart.”

  “Ha!” Josie wrapped her palm around his penis, trying to get him hard again. When she succeeded she climbed on top of him. She looked down at him and ran her fingers over the pleats of his tuxedo shirt and the satin of his cummerbund. “Ooh, you look so handsome in a tuxedo with the red heel mark on your face.”

  Nick let out a feverous chuckle and ran his hands over her inner thighs, under the satin of her gown. She leaned forward and kissed him. “This is the best prom night ever.”

  “And we didn’t even go the prom,” he said with a wily grin.

  Josie rode him until she was satisfied and then rolled alongside him on the bed. She ran her finger gently over his nose, lips and chin. She wanted to stay there all night.

  He turned to face her. “We should head home? I gotta have you home soon and we have a little over an hour and a half drive.”

  “Yeah,” she sighed, rolling onto her back. “Won’t it be great when we can spend the night together?”

  Squeezing her breast through the satin of her dress, he kissed the tip of her nose and then her lips. “Yes, but now we gotta roll. We gotta be one with the wind.” Nick sprung to his feet and pulled up his tuxedo trousers.

  Josie propped herself up on her elbows. “Ah boo, bye, bye Willie Markovich.”

  “Don’t you worry; Willie Markovich will be making more appearances.”

  Josie stood up and straightened her gown. She was just about to get into the car when she yelled, “Wait! I forgot my corsage.” Josie ran inside and returned with the white rose wrist corsage in place.

  Nick checked to make sure he had everything and then started the car. Josie turned on the inside car light and reapplied her lipstick and fixed her hair.

  Nick quickly switched the light off. “What are you doing? If you show up at home fresh as a daisy, it would draw even more suspicion.”

  She tossed her lipstick and brush back in her purse. Josie stared out the window and admired the stars. The shining eyes of deer by the wooded tree line caught her attention and she smiled. It was a great night and certainly a prom night she would remember forever.

  Synchronized Firework Fucking

  Nick’s mother kept their home neat and colorful with gardens of hydrangeas and brightly colored windowpanes. The Markovich house was one of the brightest on the block. A wooden picketed fence secured the small backyard and dandelions grew from the cracks in the cement patio. The Markovich’s were known for their festivities and everyone in the neighborhood was always welcome.

  Josie’s family were regularly invited for dinner, but the Markovich’s were just a little too colorful for the conservative Hynes family, who spent their evenings at the lodge playing cards and talking politics. If any alcohol or spirits were served, the Hynes’ limited themselves to a beer or two—not nearly enough to provoke emotions.

  Vodka was a favorite at the Markovich’s, and because of this, it was fused with any food that could stand it—boysenberries, dandelions and even rhubarb. Vodka in any form complimented the traditional Ukrainian music and dancing that bellowed through the house at the weekends. No one in the neighborhood complained as they were all invited.

  The first time Josie attended a Markovich festivity, she returned home drenched in sweat and exhausted from all the dancing. Her staunch Methodist parents were not pleased and decided they would avoid having anything to do with the family.

  Mrs. Markovich was exactly how Josie pictured her; she was pleasantly plump, had dyed auburn hair and rosy cheeks. Despite Mrs. Markovich’s voluptuous curves, she wore blouses that enhanced her cleavage and gave her an unsuspecting sensuality. The more Josie got to know Mrs. Markovich, the more she understood Nick’s laid back and casual nature. His mother simply wouldn’t tolerate rigidity.

  Josie was shocked to learn she was the first girl Nick brought home. Although he had plenty of girls, Nick never bothered introducing any to his parents. On their first meeting, Mrs. Markovich sized Josie up. “Well, she’s pretty enough,” she said to Nick with her hands on her hips. She then cut Josie a large helping of lavender pound cake. “Here, eat this and tell me how it tastes.”

  Josie looked at Nick and back at Mrs. Markovich. “I’m not really a food critic.”

  “Of course you’re not dear. I don’t want your opinion; I want you to tell me how it tastes!”

  Josie took a small bite from the corner of the cake, looking at Mrs. Markovich as she did. The moistness
of the cake melted in her mouth, the lavender danced with her taste buds and the sugary icing electrified her senses. Josie rolled her eyes back and moaned. “Hmm, that is good.” She took another large bite.

  “Slow down dear. You don’t gulp it down like that; you savor it,” said Mrs. Markovich and smacked Nick on the arm. “Okay, she’s a good one; she just needs to learn to slow down and enjoy.”

  Nick chuckled, wrapping his arm around Josie. “I wouldn’t introduce you if I didn’t think she was.”

  When Mrs. Markovich left them alone, Josie whispered to him. “What was that?”

  “Mom’s not big on squares,” he said. “She’s very lively.”

  “And a good cook,” Josie said with a mouthful of cake.

  A few weeks later, Nick introduced Josie to his bedroom. It was like cracking open his head and seeing his brains fall out—the room was a mess. Wrestling medals were tossed in the corner, textbooks were heaped on the floor, scrunched balls of paper lay next to the bin and clothes were strewn across a chair. Everything was out of order except his bed; that was made. “I cleaned up for you,” he said.

  “I can see,” Josie said looking at a poster of a world map and photograph of the Earth pinned to his wall. “If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be?”

  Nick approached her from behind, reached down and grabbed her pussy. “Here.”

  Josie elbowed him away, “You’ve already been there. Where in the world?”

  “Machu Picchu in Peru. I’d also like to see the Ukraine since that is where my ancestors are from. I’m fascinated with the Middle East. It was once the cradle of civilization and now it is the pit of civilization. I’d like to see it before it’s gone. How about you?”

  “Germany, France…anywhere in Europe. Fiji, Bali, Tahiti…exotic, tropical islands.”

  He turned her around to face him. “I’m sure one day you’ll see them all.”

  Josie fingered the buttons on his shirt. “Anywhere with you is fine.”

  Nick pulled her closer and kissed her. He rubbed his erection against her lower belly and a surge of desire pulsed between her legs. Nick kicked the door closed and they undressed quickly. He threw Josie’s naked body on top of his made bed and she wrestled him passionately for position. Josie found herself face down in his pillow. Nick entered her from behind. Josie raised her body slightly to get a better angle and held onto the window sill next to his bed. She saw the Markovich’s patio and his neighbor shaking out a rug.