Derby Line Marriage Ch. 23

Hanna stood in her Greenwich Village studio apartment admiring the table she had set. The fine china, crystal glasses, and good silverware elevated the Shabbat dinner she was about to have with Jovita. A pair of Shabbat candles glowed in silver candlesticks on the window sill. A bustling nightlife was visible through the window, but inside, everything was calm and peaceful. Hanna put the challah on the her cutting board, covered it, and placed it on the table. A salt shaker went next to the braided bread. Skipping services is one perk of being a woman, Hanna thought to herself. I would never have been able to prepare everything in time if I had to go to maariv too. Lastly, she opened a bottle of Israeli wine and put it in the refrigerator to breath and chill. The sound of a doorbell told her that her girlfriend had arrived.

Hanna rushed to the front door of her building to open the door for Jovita. "You're right on time. I just finished preparing everything," she declared.

Jovita handed Hanna the bag of fresh fruit she was carrying. "Good. I'm starving. I had to work through lunch today, and I came here straight from the office." The couple walked to Hanna's apartment. There, Hanna washed the fruit and put it in a bowl. "How are things with your parents," Jovita asked.

"They still haven't returned my phone calls, but it's only been a week since they blew up at us for interdating. I'm sure they will come around with time."

Jovita nuzzled her lips in the crook of Hanna's neck. "Thanks for standing up for our relationship. I know that was difficult for you."

"You were worth it," Hanna replied.

"Do you have plans for Thanksgiving?" Jovita asked.

"Not yet. Why?"

"My parents are hosting the entire extended family up in Poughkeepsie. You're invited."

"I wouldn't miss it for anything," Hanna said.

"What time do you think we should leave to get there by noon with the holiday traffic?"

Hanna fidgeted a bit. "Let's plan the details tomorrow night when Shabbat is over. I'll make Kiddush over the wine, and then we can start the meal." Hanna got the wine out of the fridge and poured it into her ornate silver Kiddush cup. Jovita waited patiently as Hanna recited a long Hebrew paragraph. When the prayer was over, Hanna took a sip of wine from the Kiddush cup. Then she poured half the wine into Jovita's wine glass and handed it to her. Jovita tasted the red wine. Next Hanna poured the rest of the wine into her own wine glass.

"What does that Hebrew mean?" Jovita asked.

"It sanctifies Shabbat and commemorates the exodus from Egypt," Hanna answered. Hanna brought the Kiddush cup to the kitchenette sink and called over her shoulder to Jovita. "Now we wash our hands before breaking the bread."

Jovita stood next to Hanna as Hanna put water into a silver vessel with two handles. Hanna poured water from the vessel three times over one hand and then three times over the other. She pulled Jovita's hands over the sink, refilled the vessel, and repeated the ritual to wash Jovita's hands. "ברוך אתה יי אלהינו מלך העולם, אשר קדשנו במצוותיו, וצונו על נטילת ידים,"Hanna recited. Then she dried both sets of hands with a towel.

"What does that prayer mean?" Jovita asked.

Rather than answer, Hanna motioned for silence and lead Jovita back to the dinner table. She uncovered the challa and scored it with a bread knife. Then she recited more Hebrew, "ברוך אתה יי אלהינו מלך העולם המוציא לחם מן הארץ". Next Hanna sliced the bread into small pieces and shook salt on it. She ate one piece before passing the cutting board full to bread to Jovita. "Eat."

Jovita followed Hanna's order and ate a piece herself. "This is all kind of new to me."

"Don't worry. It becomes more familiar with time," Hanna assured her. "I should have told you ahead of time. There's no talking between washing the hands and eating the bread, except for reciting the prayer over the bread."

"I see," said Jovita before changing the subject. "The embroidery on that bread coverer is exquisite."

"Thanks," Hanna said. "We keep the challah covered during the prayer over the wine so the challah doesn't get embarrassed about being second."

Jovita suppressed a chuckle at the concept of bread being embarrassed. As Hannah brought the food to the table, Jovita made conversation. "I read online that this Shabbat is part of a global effort to get Jews to observe Shabbat. The program started last year in South Africa and became international this year."

"Shabbat brings the Jewish people together. It's a unifying force for us," Hanna explained as she sat down with Jovita.

"I guess you have Shabbat to unify you, and we have the Pope," Hanna's legs shifted anxiously under the table. She silently served herself some gefilte fish. Jovita continued talking about the Pope, "I really like Pope Francis. He's reforming the Church's views on homosexuality. He's only taking baby steps, but it's something." Jovita noticed Hannah's discomfort with the topic. "So tell me, what do Jews do on Shabbat."

"We go to services, have festive meals, and take Shabbat naps. Some Jews walk through the park," Hanna answered.

Jovita delved into her meal. "After such a stressful week at work, I could use a Shabbat nap," she said in between bites.

Hanna got a mischievous twinkle in her eye. "You know, Shabbat nap has a different meaning for married couples. It is also a euphemism for afternoon sex," she said as she finished the fish and loaded chicken and side dishes onto her plate. Hanna held Jovita's hand. "I'm very glad you are finally staying over for the night."

"Me too," Jovita agreed. "I'm excited and a bit nervous. I've never spent the night with a lover before, but I think I'm ready to take that step with you."

Soon, dinner was done and it was time for dessert. The lovers went to the kitchenette where they sliced up the fruit. Hanna got a parve dark chocolate spread out of the refrigerator. Both women took turns dipping the fruit into the chocolate and feeding it to each other. At one point, Hanna got a smudge of chocolate on the corner of Jovita's lip. Jovita held still while Hanna licked it off. Smiling, Jovita dipped her finger into the chocolate and smeared it on Hanna's cheek. She cleaned up the mess with her own tongue. Abandoning the fruit, Hanna and Jovita painted each other's faces and necks with chocolate so they could enjoy licking it off their bodies. Jovita started to unbutton Hanna's blouse, but Hanna stopped her with a hand. "I better bench before we get naked."

Jovita waited patiently as Hanna read several pages of Hebrew prayers from her book. Then the couple moved to the bed where they got each other undressed. "You really have never been naked with a lover before," Hanna asked.

"That's right," Jovita confirmed. "I was waiting for the right person, because I'm kind of traditional that way. I'm also saving my hymen for marriage."

Hanna fondled Jovita's D cup breasts as they faced each other in front of the bed. "I lost my virginity when I was 21, and I've gone all the way with 3 lovers in my life." Hanna's hands slid down Jovita's body to her ass. "I guess I'll take the lead here. It will be hot to guide you through love making." Hanna turned Jovita around and bent her over the side of the bed. Her hands spread Jovita's legs apart to give her access to her lover's muff. Then they glided up her inner thigh. Once there, one hand made large circles around the edge of Jovita's sex while the other massaged her back. Jovita arched her back in response.

The hand on Jovita's pussy lips found its way to her growing bud and rubbed it vigorously. Jovita gasped at the sensation. Hanna's other hand grabbed Jovita's long black hair and pulled it gently. Then a finger slipped into Jovita's cunt. At first it just explored the end of her virgin tunnel, but soon it was inching its way deeper. Two more fingers joined the first. Hanna let go of Jovita's hair and groped her ass. The fingers in her womanhood delved deeper and deeper until they met with resistance. Jovita grabbed Hanna's hand to stop her. "Careful. You're at my hymen."

"Sorry," Hanna said as she backed off. Hanna turned Jovita onto her back and knelt by the edge of the bed. She put one of Jovita's legs over each of her shoulders. Then she spent long minutes kissing her lover's inner thighs. Jovita moaned in pleasure as the slow foreplay brought her to new heights. Finally, she put a hand on the back of Hanna's head to guide the woman to her cunt. Hanna obliged by kissing and licking her labia. Eventually her tongue found its way into Jovita's pussy. Her fingers roughly fondled Jovita's clit. This treatment brought Jovita over the top, and her womanhood contracted in a sudden orgasm.

Hanna kissed her way up to Jovita's lips. "Was that good for you," she asked.

"Very good," Jovita replied.

"I'm glad," Hanna said. Then she glanced out the window as she broached a difficult topic. "You said you are saving your hymen for marriage. Can you picture us being married some day?"

"It's still early to talk seriously about marriage, but yes, I have pictured us spending our lives together."

"Me too," Hanna declared. The couple rested naked in each others arms beneath the covers until they slowly drifted off to sleep.