by R.H. Proenza
Chapter 4
In the two years or so that followed high school graduation Ray got busy with the risky plan that he had devised. It was doomed for failure, he knew it, but he had to try. He had trained for and become a Lab tech at a local hospital. Now he had a decent job with income. In his free time and in keeping with his 'plan' he visited Lillian and her parents. He was casually gathering information about Lori behind their backs.
Later he visited the Department of Immigration and the County Courthouse. Also, a lawyer friend of the family helped, as well as the Department of Motor Vehicles. He was driven with his preparations. He worked weekends to get overtime pay and saved his money. After a few more visits to Lillian's house, his plan was almost ready to be set in motion. The plan was insane but something was driving him to go through with it. Was it destiny or lunacy?
He found Lori's phone number he had gotten from Lillian. He called her to say he was going to be in Tampa and wanted to see her. He held his breath expecting a negative reaction.
“Hi, Lori. It’s Ray. I just ….” his mouth went dry. After some gasping and breathing on the other side of the line, Lori collected herself and heard him out. She politely and in a breathless voice invited Ray to her house. He knew Lori's address from her envelopes and using a map got there quickly. She was living with her brother and sister-in-law who were at work at the time.
Ray arrived, trying to keep his nerves in check. In the house, they found themselves alone. Their conversation started out a little strained as he expected but warmed up in a few minutes as each relaxed. They sat near each other and he could smell her light dizzying fragrance. It took willpower to ignore it. He had to keep his mind clear so he could tell her what he wanted to say.
They kept looking into each others' eyes and seem to share silent words. Lori was hiding something... he could see it on her face. All at once she let out her breath as if she had been holding it. "Ray... Ray..." she said between tears. "I didn't tell you the truth last year. I... I lied to you". Her beautiful eyes were big as saucers and full of anxiety and tears. He didn't know what to expect next.
"I did not 'meet a boy' like I told you. That was to push you away. Yes, I tried to date guys from school so I could forget you. After all, I was never going to... never going to see you again," she said with agony.
"After dating two jerks I gave up trying. But I could never forget you... because I still... I'm still...". She could not finish as huge tears ran down her cheeks. "I'm still in love with you!" she finished almost choking. "I never stopped! NEVER!”
He reached for her hand and grabbed it. Lori shivered at the first touch but then held it like it was a lifeline; like she was afraid to let it go. He told her all what happened after she left. "Oh Ray, how I hurt you. I'm so sorry."
"And I didn't know how you REALLY felt... Oh, Lori... But seeing you now has erased all the bad stuff. It's a distant memory. Being next to you and just touching you makes everything RIGHT!
"Why aren't you angry with me? I did you wrong by leaving."
"But it wasn't your fault; it was your brother's doing."
"My brother! HA!" she said sardonically. "He's been like a tyrant... like Gestapo. He told me not to fool myself, that you weren't interested in me. That I was too plain and simple for you. That you were going away to college and never look back! It's been terrible for me living here, and my sister-in-law wasn't even on my side. She didn't want to help me. I wish I could just get out of the house... just leave."
Ray sat quietly as he took in all her words. "I'm glad to hear that." He took a deep breath. "Lori, listen to me carefully. I have something important to tell you. I'm still in love with you... madly... crazy in love. Lori, marry me and I will take you away from all this". Her face appeared frozen.
"What? You said what?" came a feeble unbelieving whisper.
He pulled a ring case from his pocket and opened it to reveal a beautiful dainty diamond engagement ring. She suddenly came out of her shock and squealed. She gazed at the ring like it was the Hope diamond, then to his face, then back to the ring. Lori started sobbing as she put her arms around his neck.
She came away and covered his mouth and face all over with little kisses, all the while saying "Yes, yes, yes, yes..." She pulled away about to explode with excitement. "But Ray, wait, no. This is impossible. No. We can't do this. Can we really do this? Am I dreaming? No, this is impossible! You know I won't be 18 until February. That's four months away. My stupid brother would never, NEVER, let us get married," she said with anguish.
"Nope. He can't touch us. I have done my homework, girl! It so happens he never got legal custody of you. Lillian's mom has it. It took some doing but I got her signature to allow you to get married before 18. Um, actually... she thought she was signing a paper to help you get government college student loans... sorry about that. I'll apologize to her later. But I didn't want her checking with your brother. Tomorrow we will show your brother proof that you are married and no longer 'under his care'. And we are gone! Outta here! Now, go pack." Lori broke out in the biggest smile and wiped a tear, shook her hands in the air with excitement, and took off. She immediately doubled back, gave Ray a deep wet smoldering kiss that left him dizzy, then darted off again between squeals.
The proceedings at the courthouse with the Justice of the Peace went as planned since Ray had taken care of all the necessary paperwork. Now in the car, Lori sat so close to Ray he almost couldn't drive. She could hardly sit still and had not stopped smiling for 2 hours. It included occasional spontaneous giggles. She looked down at the rings on her finger -- the matching wedding ring had been hidden in his pocket -- then held it up to his face. "Look, Ray, did you know I just got married?" still giggling.
"So I've heard." He chuckled as he looked at her beautiful radiant face.
They arrived at the nice hotel that Ray's parents had given them as a gift. He had included them in his secret plans. Although they were a little apprehensive about the whole thing, they couldn't deny the happiness that he carried. Three days in the honeymoon suite is all they could afford, and there was also his job back home to consider.
In the room, the two were all over each other. Reluctantly he pulled away, catching his breath. "Lori, you're gonna think I'm crazy, but, let's talk."
"What? Talk? Now?" She placed her mouth on his, came away, and then looked down at his pants. "Hmmm..."
"Oh, my...Okay, I AM crazy," he mumbled. "I'm a little late on saying these things, but... Listen to me. I have to tell you that my income is small and I live in a tiny apartment that belongs to my uncle. I just pay utilities. And I plan to go to college. You deserve so much better than that... so much more, but..."
She interrupted, "Nope, I deserve solamente [only] YOU." She gave him a brilliant smile.
Between kisses, he continued. "Anyway," taking a breath, "I couldn't lose you again. No way. Once was agony for me! I had to take this chance that you still loved me."
Lori suddenly got serious and looked deeply into his eyes. "Now you listen to ME... is my turn. Before you came along I was just bouncing around, you know, like a pelota, a rubber ball... lost, no place for me, no place to fit me in. My family didn't know what to do with me. Or where to put me. I felt like I was nothing. The world was not a good place for me.
Then YOU came along. My heart had been in a shell of ice, but you melted the ice. I couldn't believe you paid attention to me in school. I always thought I was, how you say... invisible. When we moved away it hurt me so much because I had opened my heart for you, then you were not there anymore to take it. It was terrible... terrible. And now you have asked me to marry you, and here I am. Ray, my heart belongs to you... it did from that first kiss, and it will ALWAYS be yours. And with all this behind us, I say to you we can tackle anything that gets in our way."
Ray's eyes got moist. "Wow... when did you turn 25?"
"Well,
I know my mother protected me too much, I mean she didn't even tell me about the ‘facts of life.' But I'm no dummy. I read a lot and asked questions from more, you know, 'experienced' girls. So I kinda know what I should expect from marriage. But, maybe... maybe you need to go, you know, slow and maybe, gentle, and give me a little bit more, um, education... okay? You know, since you are a little older than me and, um, more, um, experienced." She smiled sheepishly, blushing a bit. His heart was full of love for this sweet girl. All he could do is envelop her in the safety of his arms.
After a few minutes, "Ray, I left the house too fast. I need to freshen up a little, maybe even take a shower?
"A shower... did you say?" He grinned at her.
"Huh?" She looked up at him with saucer eyes and then covered her mouth with his. He heard a small whimper come from deep within her throat...
They were plastered against each other as the warm water ran over their glistening bodies. "Lori you're shivering. Are you cold?"
She looked up at him, then buried her face at his neck as if trying to hide, then again looked into his eyes. "Okay, this is how it is. Um, here I am with a beautiful nekkid man, and I'm nekkid too, and this is the most wonderful bathroom I ever see, and this man is the love of my life, and I've never done this, and I've never been happier in my whole life, and..."
His mouth covered hers so she would stop talking. In a few minutes, they covered each other in lather, sensuously sliding against each other. She spoke again. "Oh my gosh this is so good. I’m so excited.” After a pause, “Ray, what you going to do if my heart explodes from being so excited?"
"I will kiss you and hug you and love you until all the pieces come back together."
"Oh. Okay. Thas's good," she whispered like that answer was satisfying, and continued a deep hot kiss.
He entered her with incredible... loving... gentleness. She welcomed him as they finally became ONE in marriage...
~~~~~
The brilliant rays of the sun peaked over the trees that surrounded the hotel. Lori awoke feeling Ray's fingertips gently gliding over her naked body, and smiled. "Lori, you are so beautiful, and you have the smoothest most awesome smooth, velvety smooth skin. Did I tell you how smooth and lovely your skin is?"
"But I have small boobs. I wish I..."
"Lori! What? You are perfect! I LOVE your boobs... I LOVE them... they're gorgeous! Listen, I wouldn't change ANYTHING about you... Not ANYTHING!"
She sat up beaming, her eyes sparkling now. "Okay," was her cute comeback. "Ray... I never... I never knew it could be like this! What you did to me... what you DO to me... you drive me crazy... wild... like crazy-wild. I never knew, my darling, what it was like to be in love so deeply, and to be loved back". Her eyes moistened as she reached for him.
"Sweetheart, I hope I was gentle enough and... what are you d... ooh my... wait, sweetheart ... I may not be able to, um... Lori, you... are... going... to... put me... in the... hospital if you don't sto... oooooohhhh." He barely heard her sweet soft giggles...
EPILOGUE
A year had passed and it felt to Lori and Ray like they had been "playing house" all this time. It was like an incredible dream, like a walk in the clouds. Lori had gotten a job at the local flower shop and discovered a talent at arranging. Ray had been taking classes at the Junior College and working at a medical lab part time. Now, she sat clutching a vase with a gorgeous large pink rose, and the note that came with it –
Dearest Lori,
When we first met, it was not into my ear you whispered,
But into my heart.
It was not my lips you kissed,
But my soul.
Happy First Year Anniversary.
All my love, now and for ALWAYS,
---Ray
She smiled, her heart brimming with love for him. "Ray, you did it again! Que voy hacer contigo [what am I going to do with you]. Just wait... just you wait, Ray," she whispered to herself, "and see what I'm going to do to you when you get home!" Her smiled broadened and heart quickened in anticipation of seeing him walk through the door.
~~ ~~ ~~
Years passed. A beautiful daughter was born, then a handsome boy. Ray had gotten a degree in Medical Technology and eventually became head of the labs at the hospital. Lori's talent with flowers led her to become owner of a successful floral shop.
Their marriage also blossomed. Yes, they had the usual arguments and disagreements, some loud, that occur in every marriage. They didn't last long, and the making up was always sweet, and always hot. They NEVER forgot what they had gone through in the younger years -- how difficult it had been FINDING each other again. And the noisy drama when her brother found out they had eloped, and all the other obstacles that came their way. But they never forgot.
They were TOGETHER AGAIN. And that awesome love that they shared as soul mates bound them so tightly together that it made everything else insignificant. And because they had NEVER FORGOTTEN their difficult journey to this point in their lives, they always knew they could lose themselves ... in EACH OTHER.
The End
