NSFW Ch. 01: Not Safe for Wife?!

The ferry chugged along smoothly as the light of the late afternoon sun glimmered off the surface of the water. The water was warm, even for late summer, and seagulls cried distantly above the ferry as it moved lazily toward the shore.

Skylar Lutz smiled tiredly as she grabbed the support bar in front of her and leaned against it. She was a young woman, twenty three years old, and her deeply tanned skin seemed to glow as the sun bounced off of her wrists, "Why are we out here?" She asked, still smiling.

Standing beside her was tall young man of average build. He too, was tanned, but it was clear that his heritage had given him naturally brown skin, "Why do we need a reason? It's a gorgeous day outside and I thought it would be nice for us to do something a little different than just going to the mall or whatever."

She chuckled lowly, "If you wanted to be alone with me, we could have gone somewhere where I'd at least have a chance to escape if you got too handsy."

He laughed as he tousled the girl's shoulder length brown hair, "How's that for hadsy, Sky? I'm gonna mess up all the work you put into your hair this morning."

She giggled and pushed him away, "It's too late Jay; the ocean has already done that."

Jay Bradburry was, among other things, Skylar's boyfriend. The two had been dating seriously for nearly two years, and Jay had recently graduated college and had gained himself a bachelor's degree in business. Skylar was on her last semester of school, and between finals the two had been enjoying a little more time with each other for the past several weeks.

Jay rescinded his assault and stepped closer to her to admire the view, "It's pretty amazing out there... the sun looks like it's CGI'd into the sky."

Skylar laughed, "What do you think people said before computers existed? 'Oh, look at the wonderful view, it's like a very realistic overstated painting' " She said mockingly as she looked at it with him.

"Don't be a jerk, I was just thinking out loud," Jay laughed.

"I'm not being a jerk, I'm just freakin' grumpy because you brought me out here and you didn't even bring a drink!" She grinned as she bumped him with her hips.

"Ta-da," Jay produced a small thermos dangling from his hip and handed it to her, "Your favorite."

She took the bottle suspiciously, "My favorite, huh? We'll see." She took a careful sip before her eyes widened, "Oh my gosh, is this yuhoo?"

Jay laughed, "Yup. I had to open five of those stupid cardboard cartons just to fill the bottle; you're welcome."

She took a long drink and shuddered with delight, "Best drink ever made," she sighed contentedly as she closed the lid.

"It's like chocolate water," Jay commented with a wry grin.

Skylar gave him a flat look, "I don't expect you uncultured swine to understand yuhoo; it's a sophisticated drink."

"Oh yeah? Then I'll stick with my pauper's beverages, thank you very much."

She cackled, "If you don't like it, why do you even have them in the first place?"

"For you, dumb head," he laughed. "Did it occur to you that I might want to keep your favorite drink around for special occasions?"

"Sure, but what's more likely is that you're carrying it around to placate me if we get into a fight."

"That's not what this is for," he assured her with a smile. "I wasn't planning on getting into a fight with you."

"Okay, so what's the occasion?"

He grinned, "Finish your drink."

She frowned, "Why?"

"Just do it, I know you can polish it in one go."

She gave him a sideways smile, "Are you goading me into drinking this entire bottle of yuhoo? Because, if you are, you should know that you're playing a losing game, sir."

He shrugged, "Big talk for someone who's five six and weighs a hundred and thirty five pounds."

She slugged him playfully, "Now who's the jerk?!" She laughed and glanced around. The closest people to them were completely oblivious and it was clear that no one was overhearing them, but she blushed slightly, "Two things: One, I'm one thiry, don't make me fatter than I am, and two, who goes around blurting out their girlfriend's weight and size to the world?"

"A guy who wants to get into a fight?" He laughed as he nudged the bottle she was holding, "Yuhoo?"

She tried to give him an angry look, but failed and ended up laughing, "This is all very entertaining, but I still want to know why you brought me out here."

"Drink the yuhoo and I'll tell you."

She sighed and shook her head as she gave him a hesitant smile, "Fine. I'll drink the stinkin' yuhoo."

Skylar popped the lid on the steel bottle and leaned back as she lifted it to her lips. She drank deeply of her favorite beverage, savoring it as it slid down her throat and cooled her insides. Her eyes were turned away from her boyfriend, and when she'd finally drained the bottle of it's contents she flipped upward and sighed heavily, "There, are you..." she stopped mid sentence as she saw Jay kneeling down in front of her.

"Marry me, Sky," he said as he held up some sort of box.

The world blurred around Skylar for a moment as she processed what was happening. Jay was down on one knee, and he was holding a box with something inside of it. It was ring, of course, she knew it was, but it was nearly five full seconds before she was actually able to look at it, "W,what?" She asked under her breath as the realization of what was happening was beginning to sink in.

"I'm asking you to marry me," he smiled and laughed nervously, "Or I can marry you, if you prefer. I'll even take your last name if that's what you want; I just want to be with you for the rest of my life, I don't care about any of those details."

Her eyes went to the ring and her mouth widened. The band of the ring was white gold, and at the top of it, set around an assortment of small, perfectly cut diamonds, was the most beautiful amethyst she'd ever seen. Purple was her favorite color, which Jay knew of course, and she'd mentioned in the past that she preferred colored gemstones to diamonds. "I... um... is this... a joke?"She asked, her voice quivering.

"God, I hope not, or else we're about to experience the most terrible punch line I've ever made," Jay smiled, but the worry in his voice was evident. "C'mon, Sky, you're killing me here."

Skylar began to tremble as her face broke out into a smile, "Yes... I will marry you," she said as tears began to flow freely down her face. "Yes, yes!" She began to laugh as her crying turned to a joyful weeping.

Jay stood suddenly and hugged her tightly, "Oh my gosh, I thought you were going to say no!" He held her against himself as he fought back tears of his own.

"Why did you think it was a good idea to propose to me on a boat?!" She yelled at him through her tears as she continued to laugh.

"I don't know, it seemed romantic at the time."

She pressed her face into his chest, staining his shirt with her happy tears, "You're an idiot."

He kissed the top of her head and nodded, "Yeah, I know."

He let go of her suddenly and took her hand, "You want to wear this now?"

She nodded eagerly, Is the sky blue?!"

He laughed as he fumbled to slip it onto her finger. To his relief, it fit her perfectly, and he dropped the ring box as if it weighed a hundred pounds.

She held her hand up in front of her and continued to cry, "I can't even see it because I'm crying too much," she sniffled with a smile. She slammed her body into him suddenly and hugged him tightly, "I love you, Jay."

"Oof!" he laughed as he embraced her in return, "I love you, too, Sky."

"My dad is going to be pissed," she said into his chest. "My mom is going to freak out about planning, and my sister..."

"Sky?" He interrupted her suddenly as he squeezed her.

"Yeah?"

"You're supposed to shut up and enjoy the moment."

She laughed and nodded, "Yeah, sorry."

Three months passed in the blink of an eye. Skylar finished out the semester and, as she'd predicted, her family was still in an uproar about the engagement. Skylar's family, particular her father, were devout Catholics that religiously went to mass every week. Jay was decidedly indifferent about religion and had openly admitted that he was still figuring things out for himself, and his stance had been less than appreciated by Skylar's dad. Still, Jay had nothing but respect for Skylar's family and had been a perfect gentleman for the entirety of their relationship. Skylar herself had been afraid that he'd be disinterested in dating her once they became serious, because she'd inflicted one giant rule on herself: She was saving herself for marriage. Skylar was a virgin, on purpose, and had deliberately abstained from sex because she felt that it was the right thing to do for herself.

To her surprise, Jay had agreed with almost no hesitation. He had fallen for her almost immediately, and he wasn't the sort of man who wanted to be in a casual relationship. When he'd met Skylar, he had been looking for a mate, and she'd not only fit the bill, she'd shattered it entirely. "I'll make up for it later," he'd told her jokingly, which had caused her to blush furiously.

Despite the physical limits she'd put on their relationship, the positive had overwritten the negative. They rarely fought, and if they did, it was over petty things. She couldn't imagine herself with anyone else, and he was just as emotionally supportive as he was hardworking and ethical. Interestingly enough, because their relationship had developed without the hard and fast heat of passion, they had grown to be not just lovers, but also best friends.

As far as Skylar could tell, he was the perfect match for her, and so she'd happily agreed to be his wife. Everything was perfect, or so she thought, until...

"Can I see it again?" Skylar's mother, Melissa, asked excitedly.

The two were sitting at a quaint brunch bistro in a corner booth, and Melissa was bombarding her daughter with a million useless wedding ideas. On the table in front of them was a paperback catalogue that was thicker than any bible, and it was only one of the three wedding dress catalogues that the woman had brought with her.

Skylar, glad to have the subject changed for even a moment, raised her hand and showed her mother the ring.

Melissa leaned forward and smiled, "Aww, it's so gorgeous! Honestly, how did he afford it? it looks expensive."

She frowned slightly and took up her coffee, "Mom, don't be like that; I'm sure he saved up for a long time."

"I'm not trying to be rude, I'm really curious as to how he can spend so much money on a ring and be able to afford his own apartment and everything. What does he do again?"

"He's a part time financial consultant, mom, you know that," Skylar said as she tried to hold back an eye roll. "He's just really thrifty and and practical, and he gets side gigs sometimes that pay a little extra."

"That's fine, but I hope he plans to use that degree of his to get a more stable job when you move in together; the economy is so bad right now, you know?"

Skylar was unable to keep her eyes from rolling back on that particular comment, "We're gonna be fine, I'm gonna be working too."

Melissa frowned, "You don't like the idea of being a stay at home wife? Not even for a little while?"

"And do what? I'll go crazy if I'm home by myself all the time. Between two of us, I'm sure we're going to be able to make rent and everything. Anyway, it's way too early to think about that, the wedding is still months away."

"It sneaks up on you, baby, trust me," her mother's eyes narrowed. "I love Jay, you know I do, but I'm just worried for you both. I mean, at some point you're going to think about having a bab..."

"Don't you start that, already," Skylar crossed her arms and laughed. "No, no, I'll sit here and listen to you and dad belittle my fiance for this or that, but I don't wanna hear the baby propaganda."

Her mother shrugged and smiled slightly, "Have you talked about it with him?"

"Of course I have, and he's fine either way. He wants to support me, mom, and we both have aspirations. We might have kids someday, but I don't even want to think about it right now."

"Okay, I'll let it go." She smiled as a waiter came over, "Excuse me, what scones do you have right now?" She asked the waiter politely.

"Blueberry, raspberry, apple, and chocolate," the waiter replied as he refilled both of their coffees.

"Oh, can you bring me an apple scone, please? To go," Melissa added.

"Yeah, no problem, be right back with that," the waiter walked off.

"What's with the scone? You don't even like them," Skylar commented curiously.

"It's not for me, it's for Jay. I remember him telling me that he likes anything with apple in it."

"Why are you buying him a scone; you afraid he's starving to death saving for our wedding?"

"No, I'm going to give it to you so you can give to him. I've heard the way you talk to him and I'm afraid that someday he'll get fed up with your attitude and just up and leave; you should surprise him with things from time to time."

Skylar pressed her lips together and grimaced, "We tease each other, it's just the dynamic of our relationship. I'm never really mean to him."

"Well, just the same, you should take this over to him and surprise him, it'll be nice."

"Okay, sure," Skylar agreed with another eye roll. She enjoyed the company of her mother, (usually) but sometimes it got to be too much.

Skylar headed over to her fiance's apartment on the train. She had no real use for a car of her own, though that would probably change when she got a job. It felt strange heading to Jay's place without first having notified him, but she told herself that she would need to get used to it. After all, only a week prior, he'd given her a key and told her that she could come over whenever, so she would might as well embrace it sooner than later.

After getting off at the proper stop, she hoofed it the short distance to the apartment and clutched her coat close to her body. It was only late November, but the wind was chilly, and the leaves had begun to change and fall weeks earlier.

As she neared the apartment, she produced the key she had been given and slid it into the lock. An odd feeling came over her, like she was breaking in, but she shook it off with a laugh and unlocked the door.

"Jay?" She called out as she closed the door behind her.

There was no answer, but most of the lights in the apartment were on. She shrugged out of her coat and hung it up before making her way to the kitchen. She'd brought the apple scone with her, and she set the box down on the counter before calling out again, "Jay, it's Sky; you home?"

Again, there was no answer, so she shrugged and wandered into the hallway.

Jay's door was open slightly, and she peeked in slowly, "Are you naked in there?" She joked nervously as she stepped in.

Jay's room was empty as well, but, like always, it was completely tidy. Jay wasn't a hoarder, and he liked things clean and uncluttered, so his room looked more like a furniture store demo than an actual bedroom.

She thought that he might be in the bathroom, but the light was off, so she furrowed her brow and pulled out her phone.

Hey, are you busy today? She texted Jay.

He texted her back half a minute later, I picked up some work this morning, but I'll be free in about an hour and a half if you want to grab a late lunch or something.

She frowned slightly, "So much for your plan, mom," she commented to herself as she replied to the text, Yeah, I'll meet you at your place in an hour and a half.

Cool, was all he replied before she pocketed her phone once more.

She looked around hesitantly and realized that she'd never been alone in Jay's room before. She'd been in it once or twice for a brief moment, but Jay had always made it a point to keep their visits confined to the living room, if for no other reason than to avoid temptation for the both of them. The two hadn't gotten further than a little heavy petting and a few steamy makeout sessions, and it was always Jay who put an end to things before they got too serious. There had been many times where Skylar hated the stipulation she'd put on them, but she had nothing but appreciation for the way her significant other enforced it for her sake.

"He probably wouldn't like it if I went through his stuff," she said to herself as she smiled nervously. She was suddenly afraid if what she might find if she did, but then she realized that she was being ridiculous. "We're going to be living together in a few months," she told herself as she headed toward the door.

She was about to walk out of the bedroom when a strange feeling came over her. It wasn't paranoia, exactly, but it was close enough that it made her turn around and reconsider. If her fiance was hiding something, wouldn't it be better if she knew about it? Her concern turned to an insatiable curiosity within moments, and before she really realized what she was doing she found herself moving towards his drawers.

She opened the top drawer and saw a neat assortment of socks and underwear. A tinge of disappointment fell over her, but she laughed a moment later as she closed the drawer, "What were you expecting?" She asked herself as she moved on to the next drawer.

There was nothing notable in the second, third or fourth drawers. She moved to his closet next, where she found more, painfully normal things.

She pressed her lips together and frowned, "Under the bed?" She wondered aloud as she stooped. She glanced everywhere, but found nothing but musty carpet.

She flipped the corner of the mattress up and saw the plain bed frame in all its nondescript glory.

"Does this man have any secrets?" She asked in exasperation as she laughed lowly. Even she had a few, not quite so embarrassing secrets of her own in her room, though if anyone found them they probably wouldn't think twice about them. One such thing was an electric toothbrush in her topmost drawer that she used as a makeshift vibrator. Skylar didn't masturbate often, and when she did it was almost always after she and Jay had gone on a date. Abstaining from sex had definitely taken its toll on her, and there were many times where she thought that she suffered more from it that he did.

She went to Jay's desk and tugged on the drawer casually. To her surprise, it didn't open.

"Hm," she furrowed her brow and pulled again: same story. It wasn't exactly suspicious that the desk was locked, but what could be so important that Jay would even bother?

Fueled by a new purpose, Skylar went about the task of searching for the key. It wasn't anywhere on the desk, or under it, so she made her way methodically around the room.

It took her nearly fifteen minutes to find the key. It was folded discreetly into the middle of a particularly boring financial studies text, and she nearly squealed when it fell out onto the carpet. She snatched it up excitedly and ran to the drawer before pushing the key in and turning it.

"Okay...calm down," she told herself before sliding it open.

Much to her chagrin, the contents of the drawer weren't very exciting. Jay's laptop was inside, along with some other accessory that she didn't recognize. She was about to close the drawer when she stopped abruptly, "Wait a minute!" She barked as she took a closer look. It was definitely a laptop, but it wasn't the one she was used to seeing. In fact, it was a computer that she didn't even know Jay owned, and she pulled it out and set it on the desk nervously.

She paused for a moment before flipping it open, figuring that she was too far in to stop. The laptop powered up quickly, and she was met with a welcome screen that depicted a beautifully drawn waterfall.