My Autumn and My Winter

"Where did this fucking money come from?" His fingers drummed on the table as he ground his teeth. There was over twenty thousand in their account that seemed to have come from nowhere familiar. He was certain there must have been a mistake, but it seemed that several large checks had been deposited recently by his fiancee. A brief notion that Autumn was blackmailing someone came and went through his mind. As much as she was an anarchistic soul, she often drew the line at straight up criminality.

Resolving not to spend a dime of the extra funds, he carefully noted how much he thought he was supposed to have in his ledger. Their honeymoon had already been paid for, and their bills were up to date. The generous payday he had received in Japan had by and large eliminated their money struggles, though they were far from what he would call wealthy.

The thought of how much it would cost to raise a child made him cringe. He did a quick web search to get a ballpark estimate, and he was not encouraged by the numbers. Every figure seemed to be right around one million dollars.

A million dollars over eighteen years...that came out to over fifty grand a year! They would have to generate a whole extra job's worth of assets in order to have a baby. He thought back to his own childhood. Deathslayer had seen to it that he and Susan were well taken care of. No, they had never attended a private school, or went on trips to the French Alps, but he couldn't remember a time that he went without something vital for lack of money.

Steve rubbed his eyes, then turned off the computer. He mulled over Rex's words the previous evening. Opening a school may not be a bad idea at all. Of course, the real way to make money in the wrestling business was to either get very lucky or be a promoter...and still get very lucky. For every old timer he knew who had retired with a nice nest egg he could think of half a dozen who bagged groceries or lived off welfare—oftentimes both.

He opened his mouth for a cavernous yawn. Glancing at the clock, he noted that it was still likely to be several hours before Autumn returned from the spa. A nap in his own bed sounded like a great idea.

Steve slipped out of his t shirt and pants and laid on the bed. He rested his hands on his toned belly and was soon sound asleep.

He wasn't sure how long he slumbered, but he did note that the sun was down when he stirred. A slight squeaking of the springs alerted him to Autumn's presence.

"Hey, beautiful," he said after a yawn. "How was the-"

He gasped as a cold draft hit is nether region. Autumn had slipped his boxers down to his knees.

"What are you doing?"

"Shh," she said, kissing his belly. She smelled of cucumber and lavender, her skin shining in the dim light. "It's your turn to be pampered, sugar..."

Steve dropped a hand atop her black head of hair as she wrapped her lips around him. With just a minor jostling of her tongue he was rapidly growing hard. Once his soldier was at full attention Autumn popped it out of her mouth and ran her tongue down the shaft.

"Oh god..." Autumn's eyes flicked to his for a moment, then closed. She started at the back of his testes and ran her slick tongue up to the tip of his cock. She repeated this several times, and before she had finished the last stroke there was moisture dribbling from the end.

"Already?" Autumn spit in her hand and grabbed a hold of him firmly. Steve groaned as she expertly moved her fingers up and down. "We need to get you a cock ring, because you're not going to come this fast on our honeymoon."

"Look out," was all Steve had time to say. Autumn giggled as he released himself in a gout. She stared at the sticky mess on her hand and arm and shrugged. Sinuously, she crawled up the length of his body and laid atop him. They smothered each other with kisses as his hands came up to cup her breasts. The soft, pliant flesh in his hands felt amazing, and he truly felt that he would never tire of the sensation.

Autumn raised up a bit, putting her pierced nipple in range of his mouth. Eagerly, he put his mouth against her skin and sucked the brown areola between his lips. Her fingers stroked through his hair as Steve slid his palms over her inked flesh until they were at the small of her back.

Autumn stood up on her knees and guided him between her slick nether lips. She threw back her head and gasped as her full weight settled across him. Their hands intertwined, bodies rocking in unison. Steve stared up at Autumn's face, gorgeous even in dim light.

"You're so beautiful," he said between gasps.

A grin creased Autumn's features for a moment, before she shut her eyes tightly. Loud cries escaped her mouth, mingling with the squeak of springs and the constant thump thump thump of the headboard striking the wall. She moved her hips like a storm at sea, taking full advantage of her position. Sometimes when she was swiveling backward she would draw her body away from his until just the tip was still inside. Then she would vigorously drive her pelvis forward. His toes curled, hands spasmed as he lost all control. From the unmitigated scream that erupted from Autumn's throat, he figured that she must have reached her own summit.

Their bodies still joined, Autumn collapsed across Steve. Her hair spread over his chest, tickling his sensitive nipples. He caressed the back of her head as both of their breathing slowed in rhythm. He felt her hot breath on his skin when she spoke.

"That was really good. It was like we were connecting on every level...physically, emotionally..."

She lifted her head from his body and smiled softly.

"...vaginally."

"Yeah, I know what you mean. I know it's a cliché, but it's never been like this with anyone else."

"It better not be. Did you finish your homework?"

"My what?"

"Your homework. You know, the list I wanted you to do."

"Oh. No, I never really had a chance."

"Steve!" Autumn balled up her fist and punched him smartly in the ribs. "Why not?"

"Well, you didn't exactly put a rush on it, sweetness. That, and I was on the phone with the bank all afternoon."

"The bank?"

"Yeah, we've got extra money in our account, and I don't know where it came-"

"Oh, don't worry about that." Autumn's laughter rumbled through his belly. "It's legit."

"Legit? Did you sell another painting or something?"

"Or something."

Steve smacked her soundly on the ass. Autumn gasped as her buttocks danced and jiggled.

"Stop being so mysterious!"

"Well, that's not the way to make me stop." Autumn slid her face along his torso until her teeth nibbled on his nipple. "Doing that only makes me want to be more mysterious."

"Oh, is that so?"

Steve added another slap, cupping his hand beneath her rear upon impact. He kneaded the smooth, round flesh, then smacked her again. Autumn moaned with each impact, chewing on his chest in a way that he was sure would leave marks. He punctuated every blow with a smooth, gentle caressing or a hard groping. His cock had been going slack, but was regaining its rigidity thanks to Autumn's reactions. Every time he struck her across the buttocks, her cunt clamped down on him with a series of contractions.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, he was aware that Autumn never did answer his question, but it didn't seem to matter. The only thing in the world, no, the only thing in his Universe was the way their bodies and hearts intertwined.

Chapter 8

The secretary's bosom bounced merrily as she beat a rapid tattoo on her keyboard. Rich had been standing before her desk for almost a minute, but found the view to be just too amazing to interrupt her. He ran his gaze up to her pretty face and curly head of red hair. No doubt about it, she was smoking.

Finally, she noticed his presence. She raised her gaze to his and smiled pleasantly but professionally.

"Mr. Richards! I'm sorry, I didn't see you there."

"Mr. Richards?" Rich grinned. "Why so formal?"

"Sorry. I don't remember your first name, so-"

"Then allow me to enlighten you. Call me Rich."

"Your name is Rich Richards?"

He shrugged.

"Easy to remember."

"For most people. How can I help you? Mr. Vickers is still out to lunch-"

"I know he is. It's only been two hours since he left. I just wanted to drop this off."

He handed her a stack of papers. Her eyes squinted as she examined them.

"The Jenoine account? Isn't that Phil's department?"

Yeah, you remember his name just fine.

"It is, but he's my broski so I said I'd drop it off for him."

"You're so nice!" She went back to her typing.

"Actually," he said, drawing her gaze back to him "there was something else. You see, my buddy's getting married this weekend-"

"Is that the wrestling guy?"

"Yes, that's the wrestling guy. Anyway-"

"Oooh, he's got such an amazing body! I'm not normally into muscle bound guys, but those eyes."

Rich's teeth clenched for a moment, but he forced himself to relax.

"Yeah, he's a stud all right. Listen, the rehearsal is tonight, and my date flaked out on me. I was wondering if you'd like to go?"

He kept his voice casual, his gaze examining things on her desk. His instincts told him that this was the kind of woman who thrived on attention, and making out like he wasn't that interested might just make her jump on the hook a little faster.

"Go? Go where?"

Rich cursed inwardly but kept a grin on his face.

"To the rehearsal dinner."

"With you?" She pursed her lips, wiped her palms on the arm rest of her chair. "Uh, I don't think that's appropriate."

"Appropriate? C'mon, there's no rule against inter office dating."

"Yeah, but..." she stared at her computer screen for a long moment. "Look, Rich, you seem like a nice guy, but you have a certain...reputation. I'm not looking to be another one of your one night stands."

"Oh. Well, all right then. Have a nice day."

Rich turned on his heel and made a hasty retreat. He tried to will himself to turn around with each step, but he couldn't find the gumption. It was hardly the first time he'd ran into a woman resistant to his charms, and he had even learned to enjoy the cat and mouse play. This time was different, and he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that it was due to the kiss he and Susan had in her living room.

Kissing wasn't something that he was normally into. To him, lip locks were like the trailer before a movie; Interesting and fun, but just a preamble for the main feature of sex. Now he found himself re-playing the incident in his mind, which set his stomach a flutter.

No soft spots, he thought. Only hard spots for the Rich.

His hidden mantra did nothing to alleviate the mixed up feeling in his gut. Glancing at the clock, he noted that it was nearly three. Quitting time.

He blew by his desk and gathered up his papers. So what if he didn't have a date? There would likely be all kinds of desperate women at the rehearsal, not to mention the wedding. Nothing wrong with going stag, when you were the king of the forest.

"Where are you going?"

Rich looked up to see Phil leaning on his cubicle.

"To ass fuck your mother."

Phil didn't even bat an eye.

"I mean, why are you leaving early? You know we have a meeting this afternoon."

"God damn it!"

Phil arched a slender eyebrow at his outburst.

"What's got into you?"

"Nothing. I'm just tired. How long is this meeting supposed to last?"

"Probably an hour or so. Don't worry, the rehearsal doesn't start till seven-thirty. You'll make it with time to spare."

They walked towards the meeting room on the west side of the office. There were already a good amount of people sitting at the polished ebony table. Phil and Rich picked a spot near the far end, partially to get a jump start on the exodus of humanity that would soon spill from the room at the meeting's end.

Rich cleared his throat.

"Wonder how much Steve had to spend on a ring for Autumn."

Phil glanced away from his phone with a wrinkled brow.

"He didn't get her a ring."

"What? No rock? How in the hell did he pull that off?"

"It was apparently Autumn's idea. She said, and I quote "I don't need a piece of pressurized carbon dug from a godforsaken hole in the ground by a nine year old Nigerian boy to know that Steve loves me.""

Rich chuckled.

"That sounds like Autumn. Guess Steve dodged a bullet. Those pieces of carbon are expensive!"

Phil sucked in air through his teeth.

"Not so much. Autumn wanted him to spend all the money he WOULD have spent on a ring on the actual wedding ceremony. She wants it to be spectacular."

Rich nodded.

"That sounds like Autumn, too. Man, sometimes, I wonder how Steve landed a chick like that."

Phil sat back and folded his hands over his belly.

"Are you jealous, Rich?"

"Jealous?" Rich sneered. "Why would I be..."

He thought back to his kiss with Susan.

"All right, maybe a little bit. But it's not of WHO he has, but WHAT he has."

"Oh my god." Phil pointed an accusing finger at him. "You're serious! I never knew you were such a romantic!"

Rich grew silent. With a flick of his hand, he sent Phil's phone sliding over the table until it fell off. Phil squealed as it disappeared from sight.

"Asshole!" He stalked around the table to retrieve it. "You're lucky it didn't break."

"Yeah," Rich said "I'm so scared. You're a real tough guy when you slay computer pixels, I'm sure, but this is the real world."

"Whatever, man. The fact that you had that reaction just proves I'm right."

Phil sat down, a smug smile on his face. His phone had not touched the table for a nanosecond when Rich sent it skipping back to the floor.

** *

Brakes squealed as Steve and Autumn were pulled strongly forward. Autumn braced herself with a hand on the back of her father's seat and cursed.

"Dammit, Dad!"

"It's not my fault, honey," said the fiftyish black man in the front seat. Steve saw his wizened face in the rear view mirror.

"This is why I hate driving in the city," said the short, stocky man with a bald pate seated next to the driver. "Johnny, why didn't we just park at their apartment and take a cab? Typical, that you have to do things the hard way."

"Not now, Brad." Jonathon's hands were tight on the wheel.

"I'm just saying-"

"NOT NOW, Brad."

Steve swallowed, uncomfortable in the awkward silence that followed his future father in law's outburst. Fortunately, Autumn came to the rescue.

"Dad, mellow out!" She leaned forward and thrust her face into the front seat. "Seriously, I could have driven us if you were worried about it."

"It's fine, sweetie." Jonathon turned towards Brad, his lips pursed. "Sorry Bradley."

"Well, you should be," said Brad, crossing his arms over his chest.

Steve grinned. The couple could not have been more different. To say that Jonathon dressed casually would be an understatement. The man had adorned himself in a pair of faded blue jeans and a shirt with his construction company logo on the front. A few holes dotted the garment, concentrated in the armpits. Bradley, on the other hand, was very dapper. Clean, pressed gray slacks complimented his dark plum polo shirt.

The differences didn't stop with their appearances. Jonathon tended to be plain spoken, almost rude, while Bradley was the portrait of manners and courtesy. Steve could honestly not fathom how they had ever hooked up in the first place.

"How'd you two meet?" he asked out loud.

"What?" said Jonathon.

"Oh, it's quite an interesting story," said Brad, turning his torso so he could see Steve in the back seat. "There I was at Esquire, trying to get through a mid shift-"

"Esquire is a gay bar," Autumn said.

"-AND who walks in and starts acting an ass but this handsome black guy with a great body but a sour expression." Brad narrowed his blue eyes at Autumn for a moment, then turned back to Steve. "It was obvious that he got an early start on his drinking. I asked him to walk, and-"

"Wait, you asked him to walk?" Steve said. When he was faced with a glower by his other future father in law, he cringed a bit. "Sorry, I hate to interrupt, but were you a bartender?"

"No," said Jonathon, a smile creasing his face, "he was a bouncer."

"A bouncer?" Autumn said and Steve in unison.

"Why does everyone say it like that?" said Brad.

"C'mon, Brad," Autumn said "you've got bottom stamped on your forehead."

"I don't care for your speculation about our love life. And anyway, who says bottoms can't be bad ass?"

"So," Steve said, glaring at Autumn "what happened after you asked him to walk?"

"I got an advanced lesson in Judo," said Jonathon with a laugh. "Brad's a former regional champion."

"Oh, stop," said Brad, though he had a broad smile on his face.

Steve and Autumn laughed.

"Anyway," continued Brad "here I am, staring over this crumpled, sobbing man, who's begging me not to call the police because he has a bad habit-"

Brad turned a withering glare on Jonathon.

"-of NOT PAYING his parking tickets. Then I get to thinking, everyone has a bad day now and then, and I offer him a ride home. Fast forward a few weeks, and we're going home together. I don't know how it happened, it just did."

"And I've been loving every minute of it ever since," said Jonathon.

Autumn and Steve smiled as the two men pecked each other on the lips. Autumn slipped her hand into Steve's and squeezed.

After forty minutes of frustration, the crew finally made it to the VFW hall in Brooklyn where the rehearsal and wedding would take place. Steve cursed loudly when he saw the news vans parked outside.

"Are you fucking kidding me? I knew those vultures would be there for the actual ceremony, but it's just the damn rehearsal!"

"Steve," Autumn said, giving his hand a tighter squeeze "chill out. It's the price we pay for being C list celebrities."

"Yeah, but they've really been bad this last couple weeks," Steve said. "I can't remember a time that we were a big enough blip on the radar to attract this much attention."

"Summer is a slow news time, Steve," said Jonathon. "Besides, there's a school of thought that the paparazzi are the ones who fuel celebrity worship—and therefore make those celebrities more money."

Steve opened his mouth to reply, then closed it. There was a kernel of truth in Jonathon's words, after all.

"Don't get stressed, sugar." Autumn pecked him on the cheek. "Smile at them. Wave, and act pleasant. If nothing else, it'll blow their freaking minds."

"I guess so."

They made their way inside the hall. It was only one story, but was as tall as a two story structure. The outside wasn't much to look at, and Steve said so.

"The inside is really nice," Autumn said. "Hey, why don't you take my dads inside? I'm gonna chat with the peeps for a second."

"Uh, okay." Steve watched her approach the paparazzi, shaking hands with some of them and calling them by name. Brad tugged on his sleeve, dragging him inside.

"C'mon, Steve. Let your woman work her magic."

"She is charming, in her own way," Steve said.

"She's a lot like her mother in that regard," said Jonathon. He whistled as they passed through the threshold and entered the hall. "It is nicer on the inside."

Steve nodded, peering around the interior. The high vaulted ceiling was set with no less than three chandeliers, two small ones on either end of the hall and one huge on in the middle that was a big as a compact car. The wooden floor was polished and scuff free, patterned with geometric shapes.

What caused him discombobulation was the multitude of men running around. They were working on what looked like lighting rigs and speakers, almost like they were setting up for a...

"Joe?" Steve said, coming up to one of the workers. "Yeah, that is you! What are you guys doing here?"