Choices

After that I went to the salon in the mall and got my hair washed, conditioned, and trimmed. And finally I went to ULTA and picked up some new makeup. On the one hand I knew I didn't need to do all of this, but on the other hand I really, really wanted to.

I went back to mom and dad's house and helped mom a little bit, then I finally hopped into the shower and started getting ready.

*****

HENRY

I took Natalie out to lunch and then we went to a movie. I was really just killing time. I told Natalie about the last couple weeks with Taylor, starting with the car.

"So, you spent all day fixing her car and even paid for the part, but didn't tell her? How's she going to know what you did?"

"It doesn't matter if she knows everything, Nat. She knows I fixed it, but I did it for me, because I wanted to do it for her. I know that seems strange, with your generation all for making sure the whole social media world knows what you had for breakfast, but some people do things because it makes them feel good and they don't want a big deal made out of it. Like those people that donate to charity then issue a press release. It makes we wonder if they did it to help people or to help themselves."

"Okay, I see your point, but I still wish she knew about what a nice thing it was that you did for her."

On our way home I picked up a bottle of wine and some flowers, and then we went home to get ready.

"You've never gotten dressed up for dinner at Grandma Ruth's before."

She was teasing me. She knew exactly why I was dressing up a bit and I just stuck my tongue out at her.

We walked out my door at 5:56pm and headed over to Ruth and Richard's house. I was about to ring the bell when the door flung open and Taylor was there waiting for us. We stepped into the entry and Miss Ruth was walking toward us. I gave her a peck on the cheek and handed her the wine, and introduced my daughter to the new woman in my life.

"Natalie," Miss Ruth asked, "would you help me in the kitchen, please."

"Sure Grandma Ruth."

Taylor and I stood unmoving until they had rounded the corner then looked back at each other. I handed her the flowers and then pulled her to me and gave her soft kiss on her lips.

"You look even more beautiful today. You've had your hair done. It looks nice. I missed you while I was gone."

"I missed you too, and thank you for noticing. You look nice as well. Let's go out on the deck. I'd like to talk for a bit."

I nodded, and she took my hand and led me outside. I glanced back at the kitchen as we headed outside and both Natalie and Miss Ruth were sporting wide smiles. It seemed they approved. We sat in a couple of deck chairs that were close enough so that we could hold hands.

"How'd your job go this week?"

"Good, eventually. We had some permit and staffing issues early on but we got them resolved quick enough. It was a rush job so we were getting paid overtime, but 12 hour days are 12 hour days no matter how much you're getting paid."

"Sounds tiring, but I'm glad you're back." She paused for a minute and seemed to be gathering her thoughts, and maybe the courage to say something in particular. "Henry, can I ask you a personal question?"

"Taylor, you can ask me anything you want anytime you want to, and I will always answer you as honestly as I can."

"I'm sorry to have to ask this, but I have to know. Why did you get divorced?"

"Wow, you went right for the jugular of personal questions." I adjusted myself in my chair. "I'll make you a deal: I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours."

"Deal."

"Well, basically, my wife left me for another man."

"Do you know why?"

I suspected she was fishing to see if I had done something to drive Gina into the arms of another man. Basically, had I cheated or beaten her or done anything and had that led to Gina leaving me. I laid out the entire story for her, from John and Gina's college romance all the way up to the divorce going final, and then my decision to move away and start fresh.

"Do you know how they're doing? Does she regret her decision?

"As far as I know they're doing fine. I've not heard otherwise, anyway, but I prefer not to hear about them and Nat respects that."

"I can't believe she would leave a perfectly good marriage like that. I mean, if you guys were having some sort of problem maybe, but at least from your view everything was great."

"If she was in some way dissatisfied she didn't share it with me."

"Well, that was a pretty crummy thing to do, but on the bright side: if she hadn't done that you wouldn't be sitting here with me now."

"You know, I had the same thought. Okay, your turn."

I listened in shock as she recounted the end of her marriage to Jimmy. No wonder she has some anger and trust issues when it comes to men and relationships. He had completely and utterly betrayed her. It had been 3 years and she was still hurt by it. I squeezed her hand gently and looked into her eyes, speaking softly.

"I'm sorry for what he did, Taylor. We're not all like that."

She looked over at me with what I hoped was affection for me in her eyes. I could see she was fighting tears even now.

"I know that now, Henry. You've shown that to me. Thank you."

Our reverie was interrupted by Natalie's voice from behind.

"Miss Taylor, Dad: dinner's ready."

We got up and went inside.

*****

NATALIE

I was so happy watching my dad find someone. He had mentioned Miss Taylor to me a couple of times in passing but I had no idea they were in a relationship of any kind let alone that they had progressed like they appeared to have done. While they were out on the deck I mentioned it to Grandma Ruth and she told me in more detail about what happened last weekend at the club.

As I helped with dinner I watched them out on the deck. My dad had loved my mom unconditionally, and when she left there was a light in his eyes that had gone out. But as I watched him holding hands with Miss Taylor as they talked on the deck, that light was back, and was maybe even a little brighter.

I had never actually met Miss Taylor before, but I had seen her pictures on the wall whenever we visited Grandma Ruth and dad told me a little about her this afternoon. She was pretty in those pictures but even more beautiful in person. Since I didn't really know her I couldn't entirely interpret the look on her face as she talked to dad, but I could tell for sure that she had feelings for him. As they talked she held his hand as if her life depended on it. I almost felt bad when I went out to let them know dinner was ready.

*****

TAYLOR

I held Henry's hand tightly as we got up and headed inside for dinner. I didn't want to let it go, and with the obvious goal of encouraging us we had been seated right next to each other.

Again showing his gentlemanly side, Henry pulled my chair out and slid it in as I sat down before sitting himself. I don't think Jimmy ever did anything like that. I found myself comparing everything Henry did with Jimmy, and Henry came out on top every time. I guess since Jimmy was my only serious relationship everyone would be compared to him.

I wanted to keep holding Henry's hand but that would have required me to eat with my left hand and that wasn't really going to work. I felt Henry's left hand come to rest on my right thigh as we ate, and again that tingle started between my legs. I also noticed that his left leg was pressed up against my right, like he was trying to have as much of him in contact with me as he could, so I shifted my body towards him to increase the closeness.

"So Natalie, my mom tells me you're a student at the university. What are you studying?"

"I'm studying health care management. I find medicine interesting but wasn't interested in all of that schooling, so I decided to go into the admin side of things. I'm really enjoying it. Dad tells me you're a teacher and coach volleyball."

There was a quick exchange of glances between them. Henry's seemed to say 'you weren't supposed to let her know I had told you about her' and hers seemed to say 'too bad'.

"I am, at the local high school. I really love what I do, too."

Much of the dinner conversation was me getting to know Natalie or her telling me things about her dad, all of it good. I realized she was doing her best to show him in as good a light as possible, and that made me feel good because that meant she thought I was good enough for her dad.

Growing up, the expectation was always that we all helped clean up after dinner. We were to clear our own plates and then assist with the clean-up, whether that was doing the dishes or cleaning the table or wiping down the kitchen counters. Even dad did his part, so this was my expectation even tonight.

"Henry, after we clean up would you like to take a walk?"

He looked at me and smiled like he was completely delighted that I had made the offer.

"I'd like that."

But mom had other plans.

"That's okay. The three of us can handle it. You two go take your walk. You could use some alone time."

*****

HENRY

It seemed apparent that Taylor was as into me as I was into her, and Natalie and Miss Ruth approved. At Miss Ruth's urging we skipped out on the clean-up and walked out the front door to take our walk, holding hands the whole way.

We strolled around the neighborhood for about 30 minutes just talking and getting to know each other. We finally made our way back toward my street. Just before we got there she suggested an alternate destination.

"You know, I've never been in your house."

"Would you like to see it?

She nodded, and we continued on past her parent's house and on into my house. She looked around as I waited for a response.

"I'm impressed," she finally said. "Since you're a bachelor I was expecting a keg in the corner and posters of women in bikinis on the walls."

Without missing a beat I said, "Oh, that's the bedroom."

She caught me with a look that could have knocked me over, and I broke up into laughter.

"I'm just kidding, honey, just kidding."

"You better be..." she started to say, but then the look on her face changed.

"What?"

"You...do you realize you just called me 'honey'?

"I'm sorry. Maybe I overstepped, but that's what I thought you were."

She gave me the sweetest look, and then said, "I am. I just didn't know if you were aware of it or not."

She put her arms around my neck and pulled me into a kiss with her. My body lit up like a Christmas tree and I felt my blood being redirected to a particular location. Our tongues were doing furious battle and without really meaning to I realized my hands had come to rest on her nice round ass.

Suddenly she pulled back.

"I, uh, believe the next room I'd like to see is your bedroom."

I didn't need to be told twice. I took her hand and led her into my room. I reached behind her and slid the zipper of her dress down as far as it would go. She slipped it off her shoulders and it dropped noiselessly to the floor. She was wearing a black lace bra and matching panties that left little to the imagination, and I briefly wondered if tonight being our first time together had been her goal or just a happy coincidence.

I could hear her breathing heavily as she undid the buttons on my shirt. I don't think I could have done as well as she did in my current state of excitement, and she peeled my shirt off of me before going to work on my belt.

As my pants dropped to the floor as well I realized I still had my shoes on, and we had a comically awkward moment as we rectified that. She went to her knees and relieved me of my boxers as well, bringing her up close and personal with my manhood.

"Oh my," she said. "That's nice."

She gripped my shaft firmly and began licking the head. I was so hot for her that I was going to shoot in no time, and she seemed to realize that.

"Go ahead, baby, get it out of the way. Then we can take our time with the next one."

A few more licks was all it took, and she almost instinctively put her lips around the head as I shot into her mouth. I gripped both sides of her head to steady myself. She calmly kept her lips tight against my head as the last drops spurted out. She swallowed most of it but lost some of it and it dropped onto her thighs, where she rubbed it in.

I pulled her up to her feet and planted my lips on hers, unconcerned with the traces of cum on her lips. When I pulled away her eyes were a little wide.

"I didn't expect you to kiss me after I did that, but you can't imagine how turned on I am that you did."

My hands found their way to her bra hooks and I quickly had it off and tossed aside.

"Don't lose that," she smiled at me. "I bought it just for you."

I kissed her on her lips some more before moving to her neck and her breasts. They were small, yes, but they were beautiful. They were perky and firm and topped by perfect dark pink areolas. Her nipples were responsive and could take an eye out if you weren't careful. She moaned in response to my taking those perfect nipples into my mouth and wanted more.

"Touch my pussy, baby, please. I need it. It's been so long."

I slid my hand inside her panties and was delighted to feel a nice bush as I made my way between her thighs. She was soaking wet and her clit was at attention, and it took just a few light flicks right there before I felt her arms squeeze around me to hold her up as she came.

"Now we got that out of the way," I said. "Now we can take our time with the next one."

She smiled at my repeat of her previous words. I went to my knees and slid her panties down and her pussy was just as beautiful as I had imagined, covered in thick, dark hair with her pink slit poking out.

"I can shave it if you want," she offered.

"Don't you dare, baby. Don't you dare.

I spread her smooth thighs apart and slid my tongue into her hole then worked up and down her slit. I was soon working fingers in and out of her as I sucked her clit. Soon she was clutching the bedspread as she came again.

"Damn, baby, that was good. Do it some more."

Which I did, getting her off twice more with my mouth before we moved on. She pulled me on top of her and we kissed deeply. She licked her juices off of me.

"I taste pretty good," she said, flashing a wicked smile. "No wonder you're enjoying yourself so much. Now I want to feel you inside me, baby. But go slow: it's been 3 years.

Between her own arousal and my saliva, Taylor's pussy was nice and wet and I slid in about halfway with ease before things got a little tight.

"Sorry baby. Jimmy was a lot smaller than you. Just take it slow and I'll get you all the way in."

"Don't apologize. It feels good."

We took our time and finally I was in all the way. We worked into a nice, smooth rhythm, face-to-face just like I had always liked doing with Gina. Taylor was gripping my back, and sometimes scratching when I hit her just right. She climaxed a couple of times as I thrust into her. She alternated between having her legs wrapped around me and having them splayed wide. I could feel myself starting to get close and I warned her because we hadn't discussed birth control.

"It's okay, baby. I'm on the pill. Give it to me."

It was a good thing she was on the pill because it would have been too late. No sooner had she said 'to me' than I blew my load into her cunt. I kept pushing into her while she pushed back against me and she drained every drop I had.

I rolled off of her and we cuddled up, my mostly limp cock resting against her ass crack. Taylor let out a loud contented sigh.

*****

TAYLOR

As I lay there with my new man pressed against my back, I giggled as I thought that he was doing it wrong. If Jimmy was the example, he was supposed to climb off of me, tell me how good it was for him, ask me if it was good for me and then not listen for the answer, then go take a leak. In that moment, with Henry pressed against me radiating his affection for me, I realized that Jimmy and I had been all wrong, at least sexually. Our lovemaking bored him, and it wasn't about me. Something in him was wired to need that crazy, freaky degenerate-type stuff that he got from the Healy's. Being with me was just not wild enough, and so he was easily drawn into their world.

I had spent the last 3 years not just angry with him but convinced that I wasn't enough to make my man happy, but I was wrong. And I'm not going to say that Jimmy was the problem either, other than his decision to cheat on me and not communicate. We just had different wants and needs and weren't a good match. I wish it had become clear sooner, but I had the man I wanted now and he was perfect for me. I was as sure of it as I had ever been of anything.

He had his arms around me and everything felt just perfect. As we rested I felt him pull me closer then plant little kisses on the back of my neck. It raised goose bumps on my skin and made we wet again. The calm was broken when he spoke.

"Baby, how long do you have on your lease?"

It struck me as kind of a random question but I answered it.

"I have about 2 more months. Why?

"I hope this doesn't freak you out, but I don't want to go another night without you. I think you should move in here with me. I'll help you pay the rest of your lease."

I felt a huge smile form on my lips at the thought of that. I turned over so I could face him. I looked deep into his brown eyes.

"I think I should, too," I answered.

"How about you stay here tonight and we start moving your stuff tomorrow. I can get the guys to help so it won't take long."

"That sounds perfect. But we've been gone a pretty long time. We should probably get back to my parent's house."

"Agreed; we should probably shower first. As proud as I am to walk around smelling like your pussy, it probably wouldn't be appropriate in your mom and dad's house and in front of my daughter."

We climbed into his shower together, and it certainly took longer than it would have if we had been in there alone, but eventually we got it done. We got dressed then walked back to mom and dads.

We found the three of them sitting on the deck and talking. We walked out and joined them as if we hadn't just been gone...damn, almost 2 hours.

"Sorry we were gone so long, mom. We lost track of time."

"That must have been some 'walk' you guys took. You even stopped to shower before getting home."

Not that we were ashamed of it, not at all, but we had been totally busted.

*****

HENRY

Taylor and I married quickly, as soon as we had the license in hand. It was a small, civil wedding. We had both done the Big Wedding and neither had turned out so well. Perhaps it was superstition, or just the knowledge that we didn't want to go through all that again, or maybe a combination of both. But we stood before a judge at city hall and said our vows, dedicating ourselves to each other and each other only.

Gina and I hadn't honeymooned right after we were married because we couldn't afford it, but we ended up going to Hawaii for a week about 2 years later. Not wanting to mix memories, Taylor and I ended up on a cruise to Jamaica for our honeymoon. We took a ton of pictures during the day and wore out the bed in our room at night. Judging by the looks we got from our neighbors, some disapproving but mostly positive, our activities were not as private as we might have liked.

*****

Taylor wanted kids in the worst way. I would have been okay without more since I already had Natalie, but I had enjoyed being a father and was happy to do it again for her. But we hadn't specifically started trying to accomplish that. Taylor used this fact to her advantage, and got me good.