Fresh Cut Romance (11 page)

He waved a hand as if to brush away my concern. "Don't worry. I'm clean."

I frowned. "How do you know?"

His head shook. "It's a long story, but I've been tested and you're the first girl since the test. And you'll be my last."

"Then why use a condom?"

He raised a single brow. "Are you on the pill?"

My brows furrowed. "Of course not. I'm a sister
…Oh, I see. I could get pregnant."  

* * * *

"Hi Daddy, its Tessa. Is it possible you come over here instead of me coming there?"

"Sure Baby, Is there a problem?

"Naw, Laurel just called in a panic and wanted to see me."

"I'll get ready now."

"Thanks, she should be here in an hour."

* * * *

I slid into my seven-year-old Ford and headed the five miles to Teresa's.

When I got there, Daddy's Buick was in the driveway. I parked next to it. I was excited to see Daddy, but I didn't know how I could talk to Tess about love and sex with him there.

Dad and Tess were both standing at the door by the time I arrived. Opening the screen door, I stepped in and hugged them both. "It's so good to see you. Isn't this a co-incidence?"

Tess spoke, "It's no co-incidence. I asked him to come."

"Yes, Tessa said you needed help to make a decision."

I'd forgot how Dad called Teresa, Tessa instead of Tess like most of us. "Well, for whatever reason you're here, I'm glad to see you."

Tess's outstretched arm pointed in the direction of the kitchen. "Come let's go in the kitchen and get comfortable."

Tess led the way, followed by me, then Dad. We took a seat at the kitchen table while Tess served three mugs of coffee and a plate of home made peanut butter cookies.

Dad smiled at Tess as she handed a mug to him. "Thank you Baby."

After handing a mug to me, Tess sat down. "I hope you don't mind. I asked Dad to come here because you seemed so confused."

"Yes, Tessa tells me you're contemplating renouncing you vows for this young man? What does he think?"

"I have no idea. He doesn't even know I'm a 'sister in waiting.'"

Tess put a hand over Daddy's. "He knows. I told him. About the operation, the hospital, everything."

My mouth and eyes flew open in shock. "You told him? How could you?"

Opening her eyes wide, Tess cocked her head. "Well you weren't and I thought he should know what he was getting into."

She was right, but I still felt betrayed.

Dad's forefinger and thumb squeezed his chin. "Well, since he knows maybe we should ask him over here. After all, he is an interested party and since there's a good chance he may father my future grand babies, I want to meet him."

A blaze of heat flashed across my body and I just knew I was as red as cherry syrup. "Teresa's given you four beautiful grandbabies. Isn't that enough?"

He got a silly smirk on his face. "I wouldn't mind three more. Seven is my lucky number."

I dug my phone out of my purse and dialed Julian. "All right, I want Daddy to meet him, too." He answered on the second ring. "Hi, I'm at Tess's, Daddy's here too. Can you come?" I turned the phone off and returned it to my handbag. "He's on his way."

"Good. I'm anxious to meet him. Tessa says he reminds her of me."

Again, my eyes grew wide, the truth of that statement sinking in. "He does remind me of you."

A super sized smile formed on Daddy's face. "Well it should be real interesting meeting myself."

Tess spoke, "Daddy, Laurel and I have some women's things to talk about until your alter ego gets here. Would you excuse us? I'll turn the TV on for you if you'd like."

"No, no. You two stay right there. I'll go in the living room." He winked. "The TV's much bigger in there anyway." 

After he left, Tess asked
sotto voce,
"So you had oral sex last night, too."

I nodded earnestly. "Did you?"

She nodded. "Did we ever. Seth is a master."

"I think Julian must be too, because I didn't even know it was possible to climax that way and he did it to me six times."

"Wow, he must be good. Did you…ah."

"Suck him off?" I ventured.

Tess nodded.

"Ah-huh. That's what I found so amazing. The thought of doing that had always sounded yucky, but once I started doing it, I loved it. Hearing his ragged breathing and moaning really aroused me. I liked the aroma and his taste, too. He showed me what he liked and once his thing was moving in my mouth, I felt closer to him. It wasn't dirty or disgusting, more like stimulating."

Tess laughed. "I feel the same way. I guess you could say they're our stimulus packages.

I laughed too. "He must have stimulated me real good too, because this morning, while he was still asleep, I put his thing inside me and made love to him."

Sis's eyes grew wide—almost round. "Really, you finally had sex with him…again, I mean?

I smiled broadly and nodded. "Yes and as I suspected, it was just as fantastic as the oral sex."

"While he was asleep? And he didn't wake up?"

"At first, but once I put him in me and started moving in and out and back and forth he woke up. At first he looked confused, but when he realized what I was doing he brightened right up and joined in."

"I'll bet."

"Funny thing is it hurt at first and like you said, I bled. It took awhile before it felt good."

"Tell me, sis, how big is Julian?"

"I shouldn't talk about that."

"Why we're sisters. Don't we tell each other everything?"

"You never told me how big Seth is?"

"You never asked. He's six and a half inches long and a little wider than a jumbo hot dog. Now, how big is Julian?"

My fingers rose between our gaze, and I held them roughly seven inches apart. Tess nodded. "And width?"

I touched my long middle finger to my thumb and showed her the opening they had formed.

She whistled. "Looks like about an inch and a half."

Sounded right to me. I nodded. Then the doorbell rang.

My heart jumped when I realized it had to be Julian. I ran to the front door and arrived just about the time my father arrived.
We pulled the door open simultaneously and there stood Julian. He pulled the screen door open and handed me a large bouquet of at least two dozen red roses. "How beautiful."

Julian stepped inside.
"Thank you for the flowers." I kissed him on the cheek. "Julian Peters, this is my Dad, Albright Adams."

They shook hands and exchanged pleasantries.

I took Julian's hand and put my arm around Dad. "C'mon, let's go in the kitchen. That's where Tess and the coffee is."

The three of us walked into the kitchen.

"Hi Julian. Glad you could make our little family confab." Tess hugged and cheek kissed Julian.

He flashed an effusive, 'aw shucks' smile. "Well, Since you're going to talk about one of my favorite subjects,
me,
I couldn't resist."

When they parted, I handed the roses to Tess. "Oh, how beautiful." She raised a hand to her heart. "For
moi?"

I flashed an evil eye.

"Just kidding. I always think of red roses
as
fresh cut romance
."

"Or
seduction
." Dad smiled at me and winked.

My jaw dropped. "Dad!"

Julian looped an arm over my shoulder. "Or
love
."

Is that his way of saying
he loves me?

Tess pulled
down a vase from the upper shelf of a cabinet, filled it with water, and added a touch of baking soda. She glanced over. "Yes all three. Red roses are
fresh cut romance, seduction and love
." Cutting the ends off, she put the flowers in the vase and set it in the middle of the table before grabbing a mug for Julian and bringing the carafe to the table. "It works every time on me. Seth brings me lots of flowers and I give him lots of babies."

I glanced at Julian.

Pouring cream in his coffee, Julian grinned. "Don't worry. I'd only want a boy and a girl."

I tapped his hand with a forefinger. "
Not to change the subject, but Tess told me that you're aware that I am a sister in waiting. Is that right?"

His lips tightened and his head dipped
—a single short nod. "Yes, she told me."

Dad spoke up, "
Laurel thinks she's in love with you and you her. Would you agree with that assessment?"

Julian nodded. "I can only speak for myself sir. Let me assure you I am smitten by your daughter."

My hand reached for his. I chimed in, "I am smitten, too. Where is this headed?"

Tess wriggled in her chair. "I should think it's obvious. Since you're thinking of renouncing your vows for this man, you need to know if there's a future with him."

Julian face grew serious. "I would run away to Vegas and marry her tomorrow if I could."

Dad laughed. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves son. There's no rush. I'm sure
Laurel would like, and I happen to think she deserves, a conventional wedding with all the trappings, bells and whistles." He glanced at me. "Am I right?"

I kissed Daddy on the cheek. "That would be my preference."

My sister's eyes narrowed. "Laurel. When are you supposed to say your permanent vows?"

"In three weeks. Didn't you get the invitation?"

Tess shook her head.

"I didn't get one either," added Dad.

Julian's gaze burned into me. "What are you talking about? Your permanent vows are only three weeks away?"

Tess answered for me, "Yes and after the permanent vows they are true religious sisters."

I finished, "After the permanent vows are spoken, it is considered a covenant and it is much harder to renounce the vows."

Julian took a deep breath. "It looks like we're getting in just under the wire."

Dad flashed a wall-to-wall smile at Julian. "It would seem so." He held his hand across the table. I got chills when he said, "Welcome to the family," and Julian shook it.

Smiling widely Julian rubbed his hands together. "This calls for a celebration."

I shook my head. "Not yet. I still have to talk to Mother Superior."

Chapter Nine
– Mother Superior

"
Other men say they have seen angels, but I have seen thee—And thou art enough."
~ by G. Moore ~

I
hadn't been at the dorm or the hospital for that matter for over two days. True, I was off from the hospital. Nevertheless, everyone had become so accustomed to me hanging around the dorm and the chapel that my absence had been noted and apparently became the subject of some gossip.

My roommate, Sister Celeste told me Mother Superior had bee
n asking about me.
Good, this gives me an excuse to go see her
.

Since it was only eleven a
m, I headed down to the see her. Her office was located in the adjacent chapel building. I could see Sue—her name was Sue—through the glass in her office door. She was typing something on her computer keyboard. She glanced up when I knocked. Apparently, recognizing me even in the dark hall light, through the glass, she smiled and waved me in. I opened the door and stepped in. She teased, "Where have you been? Holding up in some shady motel room with a darkly handsome, Hollywood actor?"

A flush coursed through me as I thought,
she isn't far off.

She snickered. "I see I hit a nerve. What can I do for you Sister?"

I took a seat in front of her desk. "I have something to discuss with you and you're—"

Sue finished my sentence. "Not, going to like it."

It must've been obvious I was shocked, because she continued, "You want to or you're thinking of renouncing your vows, aren't you?"

I just stared at her. "How did you
…"

Before I could finish she laughed and cut me off. "I hear this little speech at least a couple times a year and ninety percent of the time it involves a man."

I knew I turned as red as fresh squeezed tomato juice when a hot flush passed through me again.

Her brows rose and she smiled. "You're in the ninety percent aren't you?"

I nodded. "He's a museum curator." My gaze averted to the floor. "I slept with him. We had sex."

"Well don't worry about it. We're all flesh and blood. The church knows these things, that's why you don't say permanent vows for three years. You are a good sister and nurse. Certainly, if you leave, we'll miss you, however, knowing someone in the biblical sense before saying permanent vows does not preclude you from going on and becoming a full-fledged sister. I'm an example of that?"