A Gothic Lesson in Love

by Curtis Bennett

  “No, not really,” she answered dubiously.

  “Anyway, good morning to you, Irene,” he said, his smile still warm and inviting. It was a smile as sweet as wine and like a woman very much in love, she drank it up.

  She also loved what she saw. He was dressed in a pair of dark brown slacks and wearing a beige long sleeve top with a V-shaped collar. The collar had an Aztec pattern on it. His muscular form was more pronounced in this attire, his mildly scented cologne intoxicating. She wondered what it would feel like inside of his protective arms right now.

  “Good morning to you Sir Andrew,” she said with an infectious smile of her own, their eyes locking in a sensuous gaze.

  “And how are you today?” he asked, noticing that her eyes were more radiant, more lively, and much browner than he’d remembered. Her hair was the fullest, richest auburn he’d ever seen this side of the Atlantic. She seemed to glow. It was as if her skin had been illuminated from within by the warm soft light of a candle’s flame.

  “I’m feeling wonderful…just wonderful,” she said beaming and glowing.

  “Did you have breakfast, yet?” he asked, his eyes caressing her face softly.

  “My aunt made breakfast this morning but I could only get through one cinnamon toasted bagel with cream cheese and fresh strawberries along with a glass of grape juice.”

  “Was that sufficient for you or would you care for something else?”

  “I’m far too anxious to get on with my lesson to eat anything else, right now,” she said, struggling to suppress the emotions percolating deep inside of her for him. “But thank you.”

  “Well, since I’ve already eaten, I will delay no longer,” he said, blinking. “Here, I’ll take that.”

  She promptly handed him her tote bag, which contained her bathing suit, towel, comb, and other items. She watched as he set it on a nearby table before returning to her.

  “Shall we go out into the garden?” he said spiritedly as their eyes met again. Neither could deny the rising tension between them but they pretended to, just the same.

  “By all means,” she beamed. “I love it when we go outside in the garden.”

  Andrew extended his hand to her, and she took it. Her hand felt warm in his larger one.

  Matching his tempo, she followed him through the house and outside into the bright, colorful, and sensuously scented garden. She felt like she had just entered heaven.

  Andrew felt as though he was in the company of an angel. She was beautiful, radiant, and had the prettiest doe-like brown eyes, and the most deliciously moist looking full lips he had ever seen molded on a woman’s mouth. Her sweet fragrance had cast its spell on him long before they had left the house and long before she had unveiled him. Though he was completely smitten by her and longed to take her soft body into his arms, he felt reluctant to step outside of his teacher/student role and comfort zone.

  Walking through the colorful pink and white Avenue of Dogwoods, they soon arrived at Serenity Place. He positioned one chair in front of another chair. They both sat down.

  “God, I can never get enough of this garden,” she blurted. “It’s just so peaceful here.”

  “I am delighted to hear you say that,” he said, leaning back in the chair and crossing his legs.

  “Time really does fly when you’re doing something you like to do,” she said as two colorful butterflies flew by.

  “So true,” he replied, his heart beating in a rhythm he had not experienced before. It was a wonderful and exciting upbeat rhythm, and one greatly influenced by the young woman seated before him. He knew it was going to be a difficult session to get through. But he could delay it no longer. “Well, we’ve finally arrived at our last lesson of the series.”

  “Yes we have,” Irene replied solemnly but thought; it doesn’t have to be our last.

  “As you have probably figured out, our lesson today is about love and passion and devotion, all three rolled into one lesson,” he said uncrossing his legs.

  “I am eager to learn about these subjects and how I might benefit from them, especially when I am able to fully appreciate them and share them with that one special person,” she said giving him a double serving of her heart-throbbing prolonged stare.

  Leaning forward in the chair, his elbows on his slightly spread knees, his hands clasp loosely between his legs; he was touched by her words and the mere conviction of her words. He was also moved by her enchanting gaze and the subtle message she had just sent him. The combination of her words and her dreamy eyes left him with a warm sensation inside. He was beginning to feel a little lightheaded. But he managed to remain composed.

  He drew in a long breath. “You put that so well, Irene. May the man who becomes the fortunate recipient of your love and devotion dedicate his life to loving you, and as much and as deeply as you love him,” he said, probing first her left eye, then her right eye, then both simultaneously with his own enchanting gaze. It was a gaze that nearly took her breath away.

  “Likewise in your pursuit of love,” she replied as a warm flush of pleasure spread through at the sound of her name on his lips.

  “Speaking of love, have you ever given it much thought?” he asked, his voice, so calm and mild and deeply sensuous. “Better yet, have you ever pondered love’s true meaning?”

  “More often than I have let on to others, especially my mother,” she confessed, her eyes probing his. “What about you? Have you thought about love and its true meaning?”

  “On a rare occasion,” he claimed. “And when I did it was usually on a philosophical level. Now, let us speak of passion. Have you ever felt passion for another? I mean real passion?”

  “Only once before,” she professed. “But it was short-lived.”

  His tone grew more solemn, more anxious when he said, “Okay, we’ll get back to that. Now, tell me….have you ever been in love before, Irene?”

  “Just that one time,” she said swallowing lightly.

  “Care to elaborate?” he said straightforwardly.

  “His name was Calvin Matthews. He was the star athlete at my high school. He was handsome; you know…the All-American type. He played football and was on the high school wrestling team and managed to excel in both sports. When I fell for him I fell hard. He fell for me as well, or so I thought initially. In time I discovered that he had eyes for another at school. When I approached him about it, he dumped me on the spot and without any real explanation. Well, a week later we met at his dad’s farm to see if we could reconcile our differences and be friends. I thought that was all he wanted…just to be friends from that point on. But when I told him I’d rather just move on, he grabbed me and told me that he deserved a goodbye present from me since he took time out of his busy schedule to take me out a few times.”

  “What happened then, Irene?”

  “He shoved me to the ground inside of the barn and attempted to rape me but I fought him off. Fortunately, his dad arrived home and saw the barn doors opened and called out to him. I fixed myself up and carried on as if nothing had happened. Of course, inside I was crushed. Hurt beyond words. At that point, I decided I’d never get that close to a guy again.”

  “It was his loss, believe me. Not yours. By the same token, it was a loss for those who would have conquered your heart and secured your happiness after that unfortunate incident. You see, you have gone throughout most of your adult life missing out on various opportunities to find emotional fulfillment in another based on the experience of one bad relationship. Nevertheless, it was not your fault. Now, what about this local lad, has he had an opportunity to get to know you? And if so, in what way and to what extent?”

  “Before I answer that, allow me to say this. In retrospect, I know I have had missed opportunities, but when I think about it, it is because of those missed opportunities that I am here today, with you Andrew. So, I really don’t look at it as a lost, especially whenever I look into your eyes,” she said with supplication in her voice. “As for my friend Morris
, that is all he is…a friend.”

  Leaning forward in her chair, her elbows resting on her legs, her hands clasped loosely as well, she continued, “Have you ever been in love before, Andrew?”

  Her heart was beating wildly inside and like never before.

  “No, not like this,” he said, his voice tender, his gaze moving down to the moist pink color on her lips. Her close proximity was intoxicating and the spell she was casting over him unshakable.

  Irene’s eyes met Andrew’s eyes for a breathless moment before she said, “If not like this, then how should one love?”

  “One should love exactly like this,” he answered, as though love was a riddle. “One should never lose one’s zest for life, nor in matters of the heart, one’s love or one’s passion; no matter how difficult the road, or challenge life presents for us. Two people in love can move mountains, I’m told.”

  “Tell me more, much more,” she said, leaning even closer towards him.

  “Remember that love is a two-way street. It’s teamwork. It is two people coming together as one. Its two hearts beating as one. It is selflessness at its best.”

  “United we stand, divided we fall, as they say,” she injected.

  “Absolutely!” he snapped back.

  “But what about the challenges that we will have to face, as lovers?” she asked.

  “Yes, the challenges,” he echoed softly. “Now, heed my words and stay true to love if you want your relationship to thrive and last throughout the years. For you are right, your love will be challenged, tested, cast in doubt, with days finding you both in tears. But if you and yours cultivate trust and practice patience and give one another the benefit of the doubt, your love will withstand the test of time, washing away all of your concerns and fears.”

  “Does it end there…the lesson of love?”

  “Hardly,” he replied, cradling her hands gently into his. “One should never take the other’s love for granted, nor ever leave that loved one feeling neglected and unfulfilled. For to do so is to invite competition from outside of the union and from someone willing to step in and fulfill those needs. Remember that people in love should remain supportive of one another. There’s nothing sadder than going it alone inside of a relationship stamped ‘for two.’”

  “You’re right about that. Now, if you would, could you elaborate on the role of passion in a relationship,” she said, almost pleaded.

  “Passion is excitement captured in an emotional way and on an emotional level and directed towards a particular person or interest. It is a longing in need of an immediate resolution, one usually satisfied by indulging in a specific activity with that person or interest or attaining a sense of fulfillment in some way by the object of that passion. My thoughts are as follows…when you are truly in love, relish in the passion which comes so naturally at the onset of a blossoming relationship. It is important to nurture such passion and do everything in one’s power to keep it alive and fresh.”

  “But how can a powerful emotion as passion be harnessed?” she asked in earnest.

  “By understanding the needs of your spouse and being receptive to those needs. Incorporate this lesson into your love life and your passion and desire for one another will grow and remain vibrant. Neglect this area and your desire and passion for each other will surely die or give way to another eager to fill the void.”

  “How can two people who love one another avoid other pitfalls, I ask of you?”

  “Pitfall such as?”

  “Like growing apart,” she said.

  “By maintaining one’s good health, one’s physical condition, as much as possible, and one’s interest in the other. It also helps to keep a positive outlook on life and one’s relationship.”

  “Any examples of a healthy relationship?” she asked closing the gap between them.

  “Yes. Working together, playing together, reasoning together, crying together, suffering together, celebrating together, and growing emotionally and spiritually together…and I add to that, arguing occasionally, all contribute to a strong and healthy relationship.”

  “Arguing?”

  “No relationship is blissful throughout, my dear. People will have disagreements and slight differences, some which will lead to friction. Having said that, excessive anything is bad and detrimental but an occasional argument is good for it releases tension, which is but another form of passion; think of it as passion built up inside a pressure-cooker. Other forms of tension are best released through natural acts of human passion and athletic activity, others through meditation.”

  “If there is but one thought you could leave me with about love and about passion, what would it be, my love?” she asked, her eyes fixed on his.

  “I would advise you to never stop competing for the love and affection of your man. Find a way to compete and as vigorously and at the same level of intensity that you experienced in the first six hours of falling in love, and your passion will thrive at such levels twenty, forty, even sixty years later. That’s the key to a successful love life for the day you cease to compete for your spouse’s heart and affection is the day your relationship cease to thrive. One has to be committed to their relationship and completely for few relationships can ever survive on the strength of one spouse’s love. Anything less than that makes not a union but an awkward arrangement…but definitely not a union. One last thing, make your spouse’s interest, your interest.”

  By now both sat only inches away from the other’s lips, their eyes transfixed on each other’s. It was a poignant moment for both of them.

  “Do you think you could ever find love and happiness, and all the wonderful things it encompasses, in this life, my love?” she asked tenderly, her lips parting.

  “I have found love, and all that it encompasses, and I found it right here…with you, Irene,” he proclaimed, his heart racing madly.

  With his hands still gripping hers, he closed the final gap between them and pressed his mouth to her trembling lips and kissed her softly and tenderly. Both felt a sudden erupting of pent-up passion and emotion inside of them as soft aftershocks pass through their bodies. It felt like the Fourth of July.

  After savoring their first kiss, he released her. Looking into her moist eyes, he studied them and took delight in each one as though he was gazing at them for the very first time.

  “I am not sure how, but I confess that I’ve fallen madly in love with you Irene,” he said with supplication, barely above a whisper.

  “And I am in love with you, Andrew,” she affirmed, lost in his enchanting gaze. Standing, they embraced, this time their mouths locked in a more passionate kissing frenzy, their eyelashes brushing lightly, from time to time. Neither one of them had realized how badly they needed to hold and to taste each other’s lips until that very moment.

  Being in love was indeed a many splendor things, she thought. And Andrew was more than eager to show her that it was. When his hungry and probing lips suddenly increased their pressure and demand on her, her lips and body shuddered with pleasure.

  Irene caught her breath when he withdrew his mouth and began placing a trail of butterfly kisses along her face, ears, and neck. The heady sensations he sent coursing throughout her made her weak with desire. If he had wanted her, she would have given herself to him right then and there. No man had ever made her feel this way before. Not even the high school football star.

  The two walked a short distance before she paused to watch a Blue Jay light on a branch, chirping loudly as though he was giving a command performance for the two lovebirds.

  Approaching her from behind, he placed his strong arms firmly around her waist, and whispered softly into her ears, “Irene, I have never felt so happy in my life! And I thank you.” For a very brief moment he stood there and rocked her slowly in his embrace, his eyes closed…hers fused shut as well.

  “Oh Andrew, hold me tighter,” she pleaded softly. “Don’t ever let me go.”

  “How’s this?” he asked, the side of
his face glued to hers, his arms wrapped around her.

  “Just wonderful,” she purred as she continued to rock in place.

  After a few seconds he stirred.

  “You know, I believe it is time for that cool swim,” he said, inhaling the sweet fragrance of her hair.

  Irene blushed as she gently, but reluctantly, pulled away.

  With her hand clasped firmly in his hand, the two headed back towards the cottage to change into their swimwear. They met on the shaded open air patio at the back of the cottage minutes later. What they saw at that very moment both surprised and delighted them.

  Chapter 16

  Andrew’s reaction was sudden though slightly amusing. “Wow, as lovely as I find you, I never imagined that I had fallen in love with Miss America,” he exclaimed, giving her the going over. She was wearing a light blue one-piece bathing suit that looked as though she was poured into it. Draping her hour-glass figure loosely was an unfastened light blue-colored men’s denim shirt that ended several inches above her knees. She had the shapeliest tanned thighs and calves he could ever hope to see on a woman. Her heaving breasts were classical in shape, well-rounded and ample in size. The top part of her bathing suit allowed for a modest amount of cleavage to show though enough to bring a 50-man marching platoon to a halt in mid-stride.

  Irene stood a short distance away and speechless. A low, sultry pang of pleasure bubbled in her throat as she gave him a disbelieving stare. She was so enthralled; she wanted to put her hand over her mouth. Never had she seen such a masculine, muscular, and perfect body. The man must work out six hours a day, she concluded. What a body, what a six-pack! And yes, her Adonis was wearing dark brown swimming trunks, trunks that appeared to have been carefully painted on him.

  Slowly and deliberately, her eyes traveled from his head on down, and then stopped abruptly midway. She could have passed out that very moment from overexposure. Collecting herself, she was able to say, and quite pleasantly, “My…Andrew, I had no clue know that I was falling in love with Mr. Universe.”