Accidental Hero Ch. 05-08

"What was that all about?" I asked, pretty sure I knew the answer.

"Do you have any idea how worried I was about what might happen this fall? In one day, you solved everything. I just wanted to reward you for being the great guy you are. It was a very lucky day when I sat beside you in that psych class. I'll bet you never guessed it would turn out this way. A virgin no more," she grinned.

"No ... you're right. It was a very lucky day for me ... and I'm definitely no longer a virgin. I had a pretty good idea how stressed you were when you told me about your problem yesterday. I'm just glad you didn't have to suffer very long."

We sat in the cab, kissing for a while before I started the truck and we continued our journey to Sym's house.

"Do you want me to come in and explain what we've arranged with the support of my parents?"

"No ... no need. I'll tell them and they won't question it. They'll just assume I solved it myself."

As I drove back to my home, I wondered just what kind of relationship Sym had with her parents. It sounded like a very distant one. Someday I'd like to ask Sym about that. I was curious to know.

When I saw Sym at school the next day, I asked her how it went with her parents.

"I haven't told them. I'll let them know when I move out," she said, not looking at me.

I was about to say something, but stopped and held back. Maybe she'd tell me in due course. Then again, maybe not. It was one of those mysterious things that surrounded her family. It was personal though, so I would let her tell me about it in her own time.

~*~

Symphony was a clever young lady. When she surveyed the bedrooms, she took note of location and chose the guest room rather than Danielle's old room. When I asked her why, she said:

"Because it's at the end of the hall as far away from the master bedroom as it can be and it's right across the hall from your room. Plus, there's a bathroom right outside the door. It's perfect," she smirked.

I could see her mind working and I smiled in recognition. The question was, when would we get the chance to take advantage of the proximity? I had always been responsible for the cleanliness of the end bathroom and my bedroom. That meant Mom never had to worry about keeping our rooms clean. Was that going to give us the privacy we were hoping for? Too soon to tell.

Sym fitted into the Dunlop household as if she'd been a part of the family all along. She didn't think twice about helping out in the kitchen, laundry or general housekeeping. I don't know whether Mom saw her as a replacement for Danielle or not, but the two of them got along really well.

In fact, I felt Sym was closer to my mother than she was to her own. I very seldom heard her talking to her parents on the phone. It was as if she was alienated from them.

It was the second Saturday after Sym moved into our home when we had a chance for some privacy. Mom and Dad had gone into town to shop and didn't expect to be back until just before supper. That left us most of the afternoon on our own. We immediately took advantage of the situation.

Sym was still in reward mode, trying to think of all the ways she could thank me for rescuing her. She showed me the right way to do doggy style, we tried reverse cowgirl (regular cowgirl was better, in my opinion) and generally made a mess of the sheets in my room. Somewhere around four o'clock, Sym decided we had better begin cleaning up the place and airing out the room. She said it stank of sex. Personally, I didn't think it smelled that bad.

Anyway, Sym's timing was perfect. She had the sheets washed and dried before my parents got home and when I made the bed you couldn't tell we'd done anything at all in my room. It got a little cool in the room, so I closed the window. Mom and Dad arrived carrying a bunch of bags and said "Hi" as they came in the door. They wondered how we spent the afternoon and we lied and said we studied some and watched a bit of TV. We didn't get any funny looks, so I guess they bought our story.

Mom was upstairs after supper, putting some things away when she came down the hall to my room. My door was open, so she stepped into the room.

"You might want to try some air freshener next time," she smiled, then turned and left.

I waited until she was downstairs before I tiptoed across the hall to Sym's room and knocked quietly. She opened the door and I told her what Mom and said. I saw her eyes get big as she realized what it meant, then immediately started to worry whether that might cost her a place in her new home.

"I don't think so," I said. "She might say something to me, but the way she reacted, she just wanted us to know that we weren't fooling anyone.

I guess the next question is going to be if she wants us to quit. It's hard to tell with her, but I don't think she's mad at me or you."

"I hope not. I'm just getting used to having a nice home to live in and if I have to give up sex to keep it, that's what will happen."

"Let's wait and see what develops," I suggested. "If I can get her alone, I'll talk to her about it. I just want to know where she stands."

That's how we left it and I heard no more about it that day from either Mom or Dad. She may not have told Dad. That wouldn't be a first. A couple of days later, Dad was late getting home and Mom was in the kitchen making dinner. I thought I would take the chance to talk to her.

"Are you upset about me and Sym, Mom? I mean, about what we were doing last Saturday?"

She stopped what she was doing and turned to me.

"No, Ian. I know you are a responsible person and an adult now. I'm sure Symphony is as well. Just be sure that what you are doing is not harming either one of you. I can see how she feels about you, so you don't want to take advantage of her. I haven't said anything to your father about this and I won't unless he catches on to what's happening. I doubt he will, but you'll have to deal with that if it happens. Just use good judgement."

And that was it. That was all she had to say about the matter. It was the last thing I expected from my mother. She understood Symphony and I were having sex and she decided she could live with it. Amazing! I told Sym about the conversation and I could see she was thinking about it quite intently.

"I think I'll talk to your mother when I get a chance, Ian. I don't want to ignore her and assume she's okay with us getting together. I'd rather she understand how I feel about you. It may make things easier for us."

"Okay, Sym. I trust your judgement."

They had the conversation the next day and talked for over an hour. It must have been quite a discussion. I was sure Sym would give me a blow-by-blow, but I was wrong.

"It was just two women talking about men, Ian. She understands that we are attracted to each other and she knows that we are both old enough to make these kinds of decisions. She wants us to practice safe sex, of course. But ... I was in tears at one point when she said she felt like I was another daughter. And she said no matter what happened between you and me, she would always treat me that way. I couldn't get over how she has accepted me."

"Wow. That's one for the books. So, how do you feel?"

"I feel wonderful, Ian. I feel better than I have in a very long time. You should be very happy to live in a lovely home like this with great parents. This is something new for me and I'm still trying to get adjusted to it. But it is wonderful," she smiled, wrapping her arms around me and kissing me.

I don't know if Mom ever told Dad about Sym and me, but if she did, I never heard anything about it from him. Our life went on as before, except there was one other person in the family now.

Christmas came and since both Sym and I were working, we had a little money to spend on presents for each other. Mom helped me pick out a nice necklace for her and a light sweater that was a little more formal than just an ordinary one. Sym bought me a new wallet, and a quilted vest for the fall and spring weather. I'm sure Mom helped her pick the items out.

Our grades were all in the pass range, with Sym's considerably higher than mine. She was determined to earn another scholarship and was working toward getting her average over 90%. She should just make it.

~*~

Something always comes to mess up the best laid plans. In my case, it was Sym's scholarship. She had applied to several schools, but was really counting on the one provided by our university. Unfortunately, and unknown to either of us, the school had changed its policy and reduced the number of scholarship extensions to existing students. Her application was shot down.

However, in early April, she was informed that one of her applications to another school was accepted and she had a full scholarship for both her final year and graduate school. In addition, it included accommodation, a remarkable bonus. That was much more than she expected, but there was a catch. The school was in Montreal, three thousand miles east.

"I'm sorry, Ian. I can't turn this down, as much as I'd like to stay here. I'm really going to miss you and your family. You've been so kind and accepting of me that I feel like I'm leaving my family."

"I know, Sym. I'm realistic about it. I hate to lose you, but I know that this is important to you. I'm going to want to hear all about living in a different culture and how you are making out. When are you leaving?"

"I'm not sure when I can get into the accommodations. As soon as I know that, I can make arrangements. In the meantime, I still have to finish this semester and keep my grades up."

"This was the political science scholarship, wasn't it?"

"Yes. It fits in with my thinking about my future. I'm going to take some Quebec language courses. I'm fairly up on conventional French, but that's not what's spoken there. I'd like to see if I can get a job in the federal government. I need French for that, and my poly sci courses are necessary as well."

"That doesn't really surprise me considering some of the conversations we've had," I said. "I could tell you were interested in the workings of government. Good luck," I smiled, hiding my true feelings.

"Well, I won't be going for a while yet, so I'll still be around," she said, giving me a hug and a kiss to remind me of what I was going to miss.

~*~

The end came sooner than I expected. The living quarters on campus were available to her at the beginning of June, since there were summer students in residence. We began to prepare for her departure. She was able to book far enough ahead to get a low airfare and I bought her a set of luggage to take along.

The evening before she left, we had a farewell party at the house. Sym had gone to her parents' place to say goodbye, but was back within an hour. It must have been a short farewell. Mom went all out with a nice roast beef dinner and a lemon meringue pie for dessert. We were all sad to see Symphony go, knowing it would be a long time, if ever, before we saw her again. I tried to hide how down I was feeling, but I don't think I was fooling anyone.

Mom and Dad had a special gift for Sym. It was a cheque made out to her for all the rent money she had given us. Dad explained that he'd feel like a real heel if he collected rent from a family member. That brought about some tears, me included. She knew she would always be welcome in our home, no matter when. I was really proud of my parents that evening. They had shown just what kind of people they were.

Sym and I had a little private time before we went to bed and we just talked and held each other. We weren't hiding our affection for each other, and we hadn't for some time. Later, after I'd gone to bed, she crept into my room and crawled in with me. We made love slowly, then held each other until we fell asleep.

Her flight was early, so we were up early. All four of us went to the airport and saw her off. I felt really sad that the woman who taught me what it meant to be a man was leaving. I owed her a lot, and I would always remember her. We promised to write to each other, and I wondered if this time it would last longer than it had with Kelsey.

Chapter 7 Superman and Wonder Woman

I continued my job at the works and maintenance yard during the summer and on weekends throughout the school year. I dated a few girls, but never made a connection with any of them. I don't know how to describe it, but certain girls just click with me. They either have it or they don't.

Most, it seems, don't have that special something. It wasn't about beauty, either. Heck, Sym wasn't the prettiest girl on campus. A lot of guys would tell you she was a "Plain Jane." But to me, she had that something that set her apart from the others. I was pretty sure I wouldn't settle for less now that I knew the difference. Sym did write regularly and I tried to respond to each letter. I think I did pretty well at staying even on letters.

At the beginning of my third year in college, I met another girl that had "it." I had been using the student fitness centre regularly, stopping in each morning before class. If I got up by six, I could have breakfast, drive to the campus and hit the exercise equipment for forty-five minutes or so, then shower and head to class. It was a routine I followed each weekday and I was maintaining my fitness and muscle tone after another summer of strenuous manual labour.

Now, I'm not the most observant guy, so you'll understand that it took me a while to recognize that I was often seeing a striking young lady in my fitness class each morning. Not only that, it seemed she was always nearby. If I was on the exercise bike, she would usually be on the one beside me. If I was running on a treadmill, it wouldn't surprise me to see her running beside me. When I was on the abdominal press, she was pulling cable weights on the station facing me.

When it finally dawned on me that this wasn't coincidental, I decided to talk to her. I was cooling down after a good cardio workout on the bike, and as usual, she was on the bike beside me. I turned to her.

"Hi ... we seem to be on the same equipment quite often. I'm Ian Dunlop," I said as I towelled my face and took a drink from my water bottle.

"Hi, Ian. I'm Michelle Petrovic. My friends call me Shelly," she said in a nice warm voice.

Now this girl was hot, to put it mildly. I guessed that she was at least the same height as I was. Her build was athletic, but she still had all the feminine curves that any woman could wish for. She had long black hair that she tied up in some kind of a bun on top of her head when she was working out. But it was her face and complexion that really got my attention.

She had an almost Mediterranean cast to her skin, with deep brown eyes and full lips. Her face was long and fairly narrow, and it was striking. When she smiled, she really dazzled me, her brilliant white teeth showing to their advantage. In short, she was sexy as hell and yet didn't try and flaunt it. She might have been a model with her looks. The question was, what she was doing following me around in the fitness centre?

I was waiting for a response to my comment about her often being nearby, but that's not what I got. Instead, "I know you were going out with Symphony Broadhurst, but I also know she's moved away. Anyone taken her place?"

I shook my head, smiling at her. "Nope, not yet."

I will say this for her. She took the direct approach and didn't try to hide her intent.

"Good. Mind if I get in line?"

"As far as I know, there is no line," I said, swinging off the bike and leaning against it as we talked.

"Oh, there's a line alright. I used to hang out with Sym before she discovered you. You really surprised us being with her. She's a really interesting person, but not what I'd call really beautiful. But you seemed to have eyes only for her, so that said a lot about both you and Sym."

I didn't know how to respond to that.

"Cat got your tongue," she teased.

"Sym was something special to me," I said at length. "She was more than what she looked like on the outside."

"I know. I thought so too. I think that's what impressed me about you. There are lots of pretty boys on campus, but most of them are shallow and too busy admiring themselves. You aren't anything like that. That's why you stand out. That's why there's a line up," she said with a dazzling smile.

"That's nice of you to say," I replied to her compliment.

"Sym said you were a hero when I asked her about you. She said you solved a huge problem for her when she was about to be homeless. I tell you, Ian, her parents are really weird."

"I got that impression. I also got the impression that Sym wasn't too close to them. My parents took her in and treated her like a daughter. She was really grateful for that. I think it might have been the first time that any adult had given her that sense of security."

Shelly nodded agreement. "No doubt, and maybe love too. There were times when I thought Sym might have been a foster kid, but that wasn't the case. Anyway, you made a huge impression on her and I don't think she'll forget about you any time soon."

"Same here. We write to each other about once a month."

"Would you be interested in going to a dance with me?" she asked after a pause.

"I ... I don't know. Which dance?"

"The Halloween Charity Ball at the Duff Patullo Center. It's on Saturday, the 25th. It's also a costume ball," she said tentatively, probably wondering if that would put me off.

"Costume, huh! Well, if I got to go with a beautiful young lady like you, I'd better get a pretty good outfit," I grinned. "What are you planning on wearing?"

"Oh ... so ... you'll go ... with me?" She seemed quite surprised that I would agree that easily. Perhaps she didn't realize just how attractive she was, but I doubted that.

"Yes, of course with you. But, we need to think of a proper costume for ourselves. They should be complementary too."

"Okay ... that's great," she said with an ever bigger smile. "My dad works at the movie studio and he knows the best place for costumes."

"Even better," I smiled. "Nothing worse than a ratty looking costume. So, now all we have to do is decide who we'll go dressed as."

"Uhhm ... I have a suggestion," she said nervously.

"Okay, shoot."

"What about Superman and Lois Lane?"

I was shaking my head. "Oh no. You're not going to get away that easily," I grinned. "There's only one female superhero that fits your description and it's Wonder Woman. If I'm going to dress up in tights with a cape and look silly, then I expect you to be my partner in crime fighting. The legendary Wonder Woman was at least your height and had long, raven black hair, just like you do. I can't think of a sexier costume that would be more suitable than hers. Look up her image in the library."

"Oh. You don't think it will be too risqué, do you?"

"There's no such thing as too risqué at a college costume party. If you haven't been to one before, be prepared to be shocked. I guarantee you some young female will come as Lady Godiva. It happens every year and every year it gets a little raunchier."

"You're kidding!" She looked genuinely shocked.

"Not a bit. Just ask anyone about last year. I'm surprised she didn't catch a cold. However, you won't have that problem with your costume. You will be dressed in red, white, and blue. You'd better go to the library and look up some references. So ... there's your challenge."

"You're not trying to trick me, are you?" she asked with a worried frown.

"Nope. No tricks. The costume is well known and appeared in movies suitable for kids. Since you wanted to be first in line, we have plenty of time to get the costumes. You are definitely one very sexy young lady and I think your costume is going to show everyone just how sexy you really are."