by R.H. Proenza
****
He hung the phone up after talking with his new boss. "Baby, he says I can start tomorrow if I want to. I guess I better. Our cash wedding gifts and my college savings are dwindling."
"I guess you better. I was getting ready to mail out my own résumés. But, darling, these two weeks have been incredible; like we've been playing house together."
"I never knew married life could be like this. I'm so-o-o-o in love with you," he said grabbing her around the waist and pulling her to his chest.
"I love being married to you; do you know that, darling?" she cooed. "I hope you never tire of me."
"Never! Never-never-never ... You have stolen my heart and I'm here for keeps! I will love you until the day after Forever!" She put her mouth on his in a deep long burning kiss while she caressed the back of his neck.
"Whoa … looks like 'somebody' woke up down there." She gave her cute giggle.
"Your fault! I can't help it if you have that effect on me. Hey, by the way, I notice you don't get that little shiver with me anymore. No more of that 'anticipation-of-Dan' thingy, huh?"
"WRONG! Even now you are giving me those 'oh-boy-here-he-is' goose pimples. I've just gotten better at hiding it." He looked down at the front of her thin t-shirt and grinned.
"Hmmmm?"
"Well, okay, smarty, I can hide it most of the time!" she said with a big grin as they kissed again.
"Hey, you know what I found this morning in the bathroom?"
"My panties?"
"Um, that would have been nice, but, no… somebody with lipstick on left a kiss on the mirror right where I shave. What do you make of that?"
"A kiss on your mirror? Maybe the cleaning lady has the hots for you?"
"We have no cleaning lady!"
"Or maybe Rhonda came by for a quickie, I mean, a quick visit?" She frowned at her poor choice of words.
"I - don't - think - so!" he retorted with a chuckle.
"Okay okay. It was meeeeee! Just to remind you how much I love you."
"I love your reminders," he said against her lips as she pressed herself against him.
Callie liked to tease and play with Danny’s mind. On one occasion, she wrote out a mailing label that said, TO: Mr. Daniel Brody, FROM: Guess Who? She removed all her clothes, wrapped herself completely in clear plastic wrap up to her neck, except for one arm, put o some dark glasses, and propped herself just inside the door like a package. The label she stuck to her forehead just above the glasses.
She was not going to miss his expression when he came in from work. As she expected, Dan gasped at first seeing her, almost going bug-eyed and dropping everything he had been carrying. Her beauty always took me by surprise, but now this? ran through his head. He was speechless as he circled the clear wrapped beautiful ‘mummy’ admiring how exquisite she was through her total transparency. After a few minutes, he recovered and began talking as if thinking aloud to himself.
“Oh, look. Some thoughtful person has sent me a blow-up love doll.” Callie stifled an inaudible giggle. “And,” he continued, “the doll is an exact replica of the love of my life. I wonder if it feels rubbery, or is it life-like?” Callie clenched her teeth at realizing what he could do during her immobile state.
Instead of using his hands, he placed his mouth on certain areas of the plastic. He heard a long tiny strangled noise from her throat. “Yep, these two peaks feel pretty life-like to me.” He roamed his fingers over the rest of her arriving at what she comically called her ‘happy place.” After a few minutes of caressing, she started to quiver. At once she broke character squirming and squealing with peals of sweet uncontrollable laughter.
Dan lifted her dark glasses and imitated a startled look. “Why, Callie! I didn’t know you were here!” He placed his mouth on hers and she devoured his. “Can I unwrap the package now?” he whispered.
“Yes, yes, please…yes, please!”
A long time later he got up on one elbow and shook his head side to side. “Girl, do you know how much I love you?”
“Mmmffffff…” His mouth covered her answer.
It was another Saturday afternoon when he came home from running some errands. He found her moving around in the kitchen. She stopped and turned to look at him. Her eyes sparkled like when she was thinking of him. He noticed.
"Darling," she purred, "do you know what day it is today?" she said walking toward him.
"Uh, today, no, what? Give me a hint."
"Guess!"
"Um ... is it 'National Celebrate Your Beautiful Wife Day?' "
"No-o-o! But close. It is our Second Wedding Anniversary! Two incredible years with the greatest man I have ever known."
“Oh, was that today?” he smirked a grin. "Make that two breathtaking years with a dream-come-true gorgeous, intelligent, sweet, creative girl. You have made me the happiest luckiest man alive! And I'll have you know, I have NOT forgotten what day it is. I just happen to have reservations to a great restaurant to wine and dine you, and then..."
"And THEN," she piped in, "we will come home and luxuriate in a nice aromatic bubble bath---to include candles and more wine---and sensuously bathe each other making sure not one inch of skin is left untouched."
"Girl, you already have me breathing hard … stop it!"
"Good. My plan exactly!"
He grinned down at her, the love showing on his face, and enveloped her in his arms in a warm tight hug. It was then that the NIGHTMARE began…
Outside their house, some tires squealed. There were firecracker sounds followed by a sequence of events all happening as if in slow motion. A pop, then the sound of glass breaking, Callie giving a jerk in his arms and letting out a gasp, a sudden hard thud in his shoulder followed by a terrible excruciating burning pain, then blackness…
