Carrie's Romance

The GPS took her to Tony's address with no trouble. She parked in his driveway and rang the bell. He took one look at her and his face split in a big smile.

"My God, Carrie, you're gorgeous," he exclaimed. "I mean, you just... I... "

She laughed. "Cat got your tongue?"

"Do you ever wear pants?" he asked. "I've never seen you except in some perfect little dress."

"I wear pants when I'm working," she said. "When I'm relaxing or visiting, I wear a dress. I feel nice in a dress."

"You look nice in a dress, too," he said.

He invited her in and she was impressed. His house was one of those Colonial brick homes with the white columns in the front. The living room was huge and he had the biggest TV she had ever seen. It was clean and she liked his art. She recognized a painting by Elijah Burgher and she knew how much that cost. He grabbed a wrapped present and they were ready to go.

He walked behind her and she saw him checking out her butt. "Stop that," she scolded him. "You're embarrassing me."

"I can't help it," he laughed. "God you're beautiful."

"You already said that," she pointed out. "Walk in front of me."

He did and she looked at his butt. It looked very nice, she thought. He helped her in and she drove them to the hospital. They went in to see Samantha and she was her usual charming little self. Her hair was falling out and she was sad about that.

"How would you feel if I shaved my head so I'd be bald, too?" Tony asked her.

She laughed. "That would be silly. I appreciate you being willing, but I don't need anyone to do that," she said.

She did like the fuzzy slippers he brought her and they sat on her bed and ate the spaghetti Carrie had made. Her parents came and they were very happy to see Carry and meet Tony. They heard a noise in the hall and three clowns came in. They did funny routines and card tricks and Samantha was delighted with them. She asked them why they came and they told her someone had hired them for the day to come and entertain the children. She was special and they were going to spend most of their time with her.

Carrie and Tony stayed for an hour and a half and when they were in the elevator, Carrie asked him if he had hired the clowns.

"What difference does it make?' he asked. "They made her laugh and that was worth a million dollars."

"Yes, it was," Carrie said. She pushed the stop button on the elevator and a buzzer sounded. She pushed him back against the wall and pressed herself against him. His body felt hard and warm against her. "Thank you, Tony," she said. She stood on tiptoes and kissed him, letting her tongue tickle his lips. He was reaching to pull her closer when she stepped back. Her face was flaming and she pulled the stop button back out.

"It's dreadfully hot in here," she fanned her face with the empty spaghetti container. "I have hot flashes, Tony."

"Yeah, me, too, after that," he grinned at her. "What are we going to do the rest of the day?"

I was hoping you'd go to the mall with me and then we could have dinner," she said. "Then, I was hoping you'd take me dancing. I love to dance."

"Wow, the clowns are really paying off," he said. "I'll remember to always ask for the clowns."

She laughed. "It wasn't the clowns. It was the fact that you're the kind of man that would think to ask for the clowns."

They drove to the mall and she took him to the art supply store. He wandered around while she picked up a pack of colored pencils and some paper. She noticed he was looking at some of the drawings.

"Hey, Carry Benton! That's you, Carrie. You drew this picture!"

"Yes, they sell my pictures," she said.

"Jesus, they must really like them! Look at this price tag."

"Would you like one?" she asked. "I'll draw you a picture."

"I'd love one," he said. "I had no idea you were so famous!"

"Well, now you know," she giggled.

They strolled hand in hand down the mall, stopping when they saw something they were interested in and going in to look at it. Carrie bought a black dress that caught her eye and some new sandals. Tony bought them a pretzel with cinnamon and brown sugar and he got a new pair of athletic shoes. They left the Mall in time for dinner and had handmade tamales at a place Tony knew. It was very good and they talked like old friends.

After dinner, they went to a club and had a drink. Tony had bourbon and Carrie drank Mimosas. He asked her to dance and he was surprisingly light on his feet for a guy his size. Carrie was an expert dancer. She had taken classes when she was in high school and had actually worked for three years as a dancer in New York City before she married Eric.

"Carrie, I have to ask you something," Tony said as they danced a slow dance. "You told me you weren't in a relationship and you didn't want to be. Would you mind telling me why?"

"Yes, I do mind," she said. "I don't want to talk about that. I might tell you someday, but it's embarrassing. I had a bad experience with someone I trusted. He turned out not to be what I thought he was. Is that enough for now?"

"Yes, but that doesn't give me much of a shot," he said. "Not all of us are wolves in sheep's clothing, Carrie."

"I know that," she giggled. "I was married to the man of my dreams for a long time, Tony. When he passed, I just kind of wanted to cherish those memories. I like you. I like being with you, Tony, and I'll go out with you if you ask me, okay? Just let me get to know you. Don't push me. We'll see what happens."

"Well, that's a relief," he laughed. "I was afraid you had decided I was permanently in the friend zone."

"You've forgotten the elevator." Carrie giggled and blushed.

"No, I don't think I'll ever forget that," he said. "Would you mind if we did that again soon?"

She put her arms behind his head and pulled him down, stretching up to offer him her lips. Carrie felt a little light headed and a flush crept over her as she kissed this man. She felt like she was back in high school, dancing with her boyfriend at the prom.

If she thought the run in with the Rawlinses at the supermarket would calm things down between them she was sadly mistaken. Ever since Eric had died, they were always filing lawsuits against her. Even though the cases had no merit they still cost her time and legal fees. They had filed so many nuisance lawsuits that the judges had gotten fed up and threatened them with court costs and her legal fees the next time they filed a frivolous lawsuit. That just pissed them off even more.

Carrie could never prove it, but she was sure that they were responsible for the holes in her fences.

She put up some dummy security cameras, and with the lawsuits pretty much history, her relations with the Rawlinses settled into an armed truce, although the fallout from the supermarket altercation was yet to come.

Carrie continued seeing Tony, and while she found him charming, caring and always considerate, her experience with Jeff still hung over them like a dark cloud.

She moved even more cautiously with Tony than with Jeff. "Once bitten, twice shy." Her problem was that Jeff had never shown an abusive side, never been inappropriate, so far as she knew he never saw other women behind her back. As much as she felt she knew him, there was a side that he always kept hidden. How could she be sure that Tony wasn't hiding something sinister as well?

Despite her insecurities, their relationship progressed, albeit slowly. She did notice that Gabe was much less wary with Tony than he had been with Jeff, and she took that as a positive sign.

A few months after they started dating they went out for dinner, then to a nightclub for drinks and dancing. After a couple of drinks Tony excused himself to use the restroom, Carrie was very dismayed to witness the grand entrance of Coach Hawk.

"Carrie, Carrie Benton," he said with a shit-eating grin, "What an unexpected pleasure it is to run into you here! You shouldn't be sitting in a place like this all alone; you should have a big strong man to keep the wolves at bay." As he said this, he dropped his bulk into a chair next to Carrie's and started to put his arm around her shoulders.

"Mister Hawk," Carrie said, "As a matter of fact, I do have a date, and I don't believe that he will be pleased to find you taking such liberties with me."

"Only a wimp would leave a sweet piece of ass like you on your own. You obviously need a real man to take care of you."

Suddenly, a big hand clamped down hard on Hawk's shoulder, making him wince.

"I don't appreciate you harassing my date," Tony said, "I believe that you should remove your hand from her and leave while you can still do so under your own power."

Hawk jumped up spinning around, freeing himself from the hand holding his shoulder, unconsciously rubbing the sore spot. He was ready to put his rival in his place until he realized that his rival was as big as he was, and in better shape as well.

Hawk mumbled a grudging apology as he headed for the door.

As Tony took his seat, Carrie chided him.

"While I appreciate your help, Tony, I thought I had already shown you that I can take care of myself."

"I'm sure you can, Carrie," Tony said, "But I feel that it is a man's responsibility to take care of his woman."

"Is that what I am, Tony?" Carrie asked, grinning. "Am I your woman?"

"I'd certainly like to think so, Carrie," Tony said.

"While I certainly appreciate the sentiment, I'm very much my own woman, and intend to keep it that way for the foreseeable future."

"I understand, Carrie," Tony said, suitably chastened, "but I hope you will forgive me if I try to change your mind."

"Give it your best shot," Carrie said laughing, "but I think you have your work cut out for you."

"I've never been one to shrink from a challenge," Tony said as they walked out of the club.

As they made their way to Tony's car, Carrie heard something and turned around to see Hawk running at them swinging a tire iron.

"Tony, watch out!" Carrie yelled, causing Tony to spin around in time to duck away from Hawk's first blow.

When Hawk cocked his arm for another swing, Tony moved faster than Carrie would have expected for such a big man and clamped his arm around Hawk's, throwing his other arm across Hawk's chest. Meanwhile, Carrie pulled out her phone and called 911.

The police arrived and Hawk tried to claim self-defense, but the club's security cameras had caught everything, and Hawk was hauled off to jail.

As strong as she was, Carrie was a little shaken by what happened, and was quiet on the ride home.

Tony walked her to the door and was about to leave after a gentle good night kiss when Carrie took his hand and pulled him inside, closing the door behind them.

Tony and Carrie had had some hot kisses before, but the kiss that Carrie laid on him almost curled his toes.

They stumbled over to the couch, nearly falling onto it as they continued kissing all over each other's face and neck.

Tony was a little more aggressive than Jeff, but in a good way. He still respected her boundaries, and was careful to try to read her signals before going too far.

Carrie hadn't gone down on a man since she had done it to Jeff, so Tony was a little taken aback when she got down on her knees between his legs and reached for his belt. He was no fool, so he leaned back and let her do her thing.

Unlike with Jeff, she let Tony cum in her mouth, but she didn't swallow. That was another thing that she had only done for Eric, and wasn't ready to share it with anyone else. She stood up and dashed to the bathroom to spit it out, then brushed her teeth and rinsed with a little mouthwash before returning to the couch and snuggling up to Tony.

After a few gentle kisses, Tony slowly made his way down her body, caressing and kissing her breasts and gently sucking on her nipples.

When Tony knelt on the floor and reached for her belt she was about to tell him to stop, but she kept quiet, allowing him to continue. He removed her skirt, staring in amazement at her shapely legs running up to her pretty pink lace panties. She had the body of a woman 20 years younger, smooth, firm and petite.

He kissed both legs, starting at her toes and running all the way up to her panties while she writhed in pleasure.

When he reached for the waistband of the panties, she almost stopped him again, but lay back and relaxed as the first man since Eric uncovered her pussy. Tony buried his face in her pubic hair, breathing in her feminine scent.

Tony gently stroked her pussy as he leaned in to kiss and lick her labia, and Carrie got even more turned on. He gently spread her lips while penetrating her with his tongue. She hadn't felt this wet without lube for years, and it wasn't just his saliva.

As her clit peeked out, he turned his attention to it, alternately licking around it and gently sucking on it.

Carrie was barely able to contain herself when Tony sucked on his fore and middle fingers to get them nice and wet before gently probing into her vagina. She was feeling flushed, and when he stopped moving his fingers in and out, and began stroking her g-spot she came even harder than when she had masturbated after her make out session with Jeff.

When Tony got up to wash his face, Carrie pulled him back to sit beside her. He tried to turn away when she went to kiss him, but she pulled him back as they kissed passionately, their tongues dueling furiously. She found that she didn't mind her taste; it was actually rather pleasant. It had been many years since she kissed a man's face covered with her juices, and she had forgotten.

She again drew the line when he tried to take her to bed, explaining to him as she had to Jeff her feelings regarding her loyalty to Eric's memory. Her resistance was weakening, however.

Tony was obviously disappointed, but loved her enough to respect her wishes.

They continued seeing each other, going out at least once a week, often more. Their lovemaking sessions were steamy, but he just couldn't seem to break through that final barrier. With some hesitation, she even allowed some fingering of her ass, something that had never even come up for discussion with Eric. Maybe it was a generational thing. While she often found it quite pleasurable, she never allowed more than a fingertip there.

A tipping point came with the Rawlins boys' trial. Although Carrie was reluctant to press charges, the police felt they had enough evidence to charge them on their own, and convinced Carrie that her assistance would be helpful.

When she and Tony walked into the courtroom, Tony came up short.

"Oh, crap!" he said.

"What's the matter, Tony?" Carrie asked.

"It's the defense attorney."

"Well, what about her?"

"She's my freaking ex-wife!" he said.

"So, what?" Carrie asked, "They need a lawyer, she's a lawyer. You surely don't have any feelings for her, do you?"

"God, no," Tony said, "She had three lovers that I know about, who knows how many others there were."

"Then take a deep breath and let it go," she said, "She can't hurt you anymore."

"You don't know her," he said, "She has a way of getting under your skin."

"Just let her try," Carrie said, "We'll put her back in her place."

Just then, the Rawlins' lawyer walked up.

"Fancy meeting you here, Tony," she said, reaching up to stroke his cheek with her fingertips.

"Believe me, I'm not here to see you, Lila," Tony said, brusquely pushing her hand away.

"Who is your companion, Tony?" Lila said, "I wasn't aware that your mother had any sisters."

Tony had his hands full keeping Carrie from launching herself at Lila.

"You know damn good and well that she didn't, you stupid cow," he said through gritted teeth, "This is Carrie Benton, your clients' victim. We have been seeing each other."

A malicious gleam sparkled in Lila's eyes.

"Well," she said, "I guess we all have our kinks, but I never knew you to have a granny fetish."

Just before Carrie reached critical mass, the judge entered the courtroom and the Bailiff called the proceedings to order. Carrie sat down, still seething, while Tony put one arm around her shoulders, taking her hand in the other.

It was really a pretty much open and shut case, the only drama was when Carrie was called to the stand and Lyla kept trying to get under her skin. The judge finally had to tell her that she was risking contempt charges if she didn't stick to the case.

Zeke and Zach were found guilty and sentenced to 90-days in the county lock-up. When they shouted out, "We'll get even, you bitch," the judge immediately increased the sentence to 120-days. This time they showed more brains than they probably had and kept their big mouths shut, but if looks could kill, Carrie would have been six-feet under.

As everyone filed out of the courtroom, Lila swept right by Carrie and tried to wrap her arms around Tony. He backed away so fast that it looked as if he thought that she had the plague.

"Come on, Tony," she said, "we had some good times. I'll bet we could still tear up the sheets."

"Yes, Lila, we did have some good times. That was before you decided you didn't need me to have them."

"Oh, come on, Tony," she said, "You know they didn't mean anything. They were just for fun and I was up there at the capital all by myself."

"You conveniently forget that I was just as lonely, yet I never cheated on you. How many weekends did you cancel your trips home, supposedly working on an 'important' bill?"

"Okay, Tony, be that way, but you know where to find me if you change your mind." She headed for the door.

"Yeah," Tony said, "when Hell freezes over."

Lila just flipped her hair and walked out.

"Come on Carrie," Tony said, "Let's get something to drink. I need to get a bad taste out of my mouth."

Carrie was still steaming as they left the courthouse.

"That bitch!" she said, "What did you ever see in her, Tony?"

"Believe me, Carrie," Tony said, "she was nothing like that when we were together, or if she was, she kept it well hidden. She started to change when she went to the State House. I think she got a real sense of entitlement, and all those yes men and sycophants didn't help."

They walked in silence to the bar, sat in a booth and placed their drink orders.

"I know I shouldn't let it get to me," Carrie said. "I'm not some foolish school girl, worried whether the 'cool' kids like her or not. I know I'm damn hot for my age, but that's the key phrase: 'for my age.' I have to face the fact that I'm getting older, and while I may not be over the hill, I'm certainly nearing the top. Then it's all downhill from there."

"You shouldn't think like that, Carrie," Tony said, "you're a very attractive woman, and NOT just for your age. More importantly, you have an inner beauty, and that, you can never lose."

His words touched her soul. Carrie hadn't cried since she said her last good-bye to Eric, but she felt her eyes filling with tears and her shoulders began to shake. Tony quickly moved to her side of the booth and held her tightly as she sobbed into his shoulder.

The waitress arrived with their drinks, placing them on the table with a questioning look. Tony waved her off, turning back to Carrie and gently kissing her hair.

"Tony," she said, "can we please just go home?"

"Of course," he said, tossing some bills on the table and gently leading her out.

The whole way back to her house she kept a death grip on his hand while gazing emptily out the window, tears flowing down her cheeks.

Parking in front of her house Tony gently extracted his hand from hers, walked around the car to help her out and led her to her front door.

Kissing her gently on the forehead, Tony turned to leave, but Carrie grabbed his hand.

"Please don't go, Tony, I don't want to be alone now."

Tony was in a quandary; he really didn't think that Carrie should be alone, but he also knew that she was very vulnerable. He decided to stay with her, but be very careful.