(This story is the property of its author, H. K. Smythe. Any unauthorized reproduction or reprint without the express authorization of the author is strictly prohibited.)
I Dream of Jeannie
"I Dream of Jeannie with the Light Brown Hair" -- Stephen C. Foster
Jimmy
Jeannie was beautiful. Light brown, slightly curly hair streamed down her back. A slightly tan skin went well with her dark brown eyes. Even at sixteen she had a nice rack, and an even nicer butt. We had gone to different middle schools but they both fed the same high school. She sat in front of me in our Junior English Class. I was smitten when she walked in. After class I asked her how she liked the teacher. She gave me the smile that never failed to melt my heart.
"Okay, I guess. A little boring, don't you think?" she replied.
"Exactly," I told her. "Maybe she'll get sick, and we'll get a substitute."
"Too good to be true," she laughed.
"What period do you have lunch," I inquired.
"First," she said, frowning.
"Me, too," I said, "Can we have lunch together?"
"Sure," she said, and I was hooked.
I think she was, too, because for the next two years we rarely missed having lunch together. I lived on a farm with my mother and younger sisters, and so I had a hardship driver's license, and so we started dating in my mother's car. We lost our virginities together in a motel in another small town about fifteen miles away, the night after her eighteenth birthday party. I wanted her to give me her virginity on my eighteenth birthday, but she insisted that we wait the two weeks until she was also eighteen. The sex was okay, but not great. We both agreed that it would get better. And it did.
By the time we graduated from high school we were passionate lovers. Jeannie was the girl of my dreams. Our friends joked about us because we couldn't keep our hands off each other. Our parents had a different attitude about that, but when we told them we wanted to get married, they agreed to help out as much as they could with our college expenses.
I didn't think life could get any better. We rented an apartment in Austin. We paid our expenses with part-time jobs, student loans, and a little help from both sets of parents. The next two years were great. We were both working hard and incredibly happy. I was grading and she worked in an ice cream parlor. My dreams of Jeannie were nothing but sweet.
Austin is a fantastic place to be young and in love. There are all kinds of state parks in the vicinity, great restaurants, and a very active live music scene. I had the perfect partner to enjoy it with. We still couldn't keep our hands off each other and made love ten or twelve times a week.
The summer before our sophomore years, she was offered the manager's job. We talked about it and decided that she could take the job even though she would have to cut back on her classes, possibly delaying her graduation. She had the perfect personality for retail, sunny, always upbeat and smiling, yet she could and would correct her employees' behavior when necessary. That was rare because everybody liked her and wanted to please her. The only problem was guys wanting to date her. She always wore her wedding ring, and when they started getting personal, she'd wave that in their face, and smile, and that seemed to solve the problem at least with most of the guys.
I got a student assistantship for twenty hours a week and was starting to think about graduate school.
The ice cream chain was bought out by a conglomerate. Shortly thereafter, she was invited to attend a four-week executive retreat/seminar as the conglomerate wanted to assess current and future executive talent. It was just before the start of our Junior years and was to take place at a resort near San Diego toward the end of the summer. I knew I was going to miss her.
Jeannie
Jimmy was the perfect guy for me. I first thought he was just some guy, but he had a great sense of humor and also was very smart. We became lovers after my eighteenth birthday party. It wasn't that good the first time, but it rapidly got better. By the time we graduated from high school, it reached the point where I would just see him and feel myself getting damp down there. I was so happy to marry him when we graduated from high school. I knew it would be tough financially for a while, but we both got part-time jobs and never doubted that we were going to be alright.
I worked in an ice cream parlor. Everyone was nice and I enjoyed working there even though it was away from Jimmy. The only other negative was that lots of guys, particularly the fraternity guys, were always hitting on me. Usually, showing my wedding ring was enough to get them to back off, but occasionally one would be more persistent. It was never a big problem, though.
The summer before my sophomore year, the manager gave notice because her husband graduated and got a job in Dallas. She was planning to have lots of babies and be a stay-at-home mom. I envied her because that's what I wanted to do. Jimmy was on board with that.
That meant the manager's job was open. I was surprised when I was offered it. I had always tried to be nice to everyone and help the new employees with the tricks of the trade, but I was still surprised. The assistant manager was going to be a senior in the fall and didn't want the responsibility of being manager, so I took the job, even though it would mean that I was a full-time worker and a part-time student. Jimmy and I talked about it and decided it would only delay graduation a semester or two and work out nicely if he went on to graduate school. It also meant that I would have to delay my first pregnancy for as much as a year, but we were young and in love so what's a year?
Toward the end of my first year as manager, one of the frat guys became more than a little persistent and apparently considered my wedding ring to be of no importance. Dick was never threatening, and on the occasions when we chatted, he seemed like a nice enough guy. He was extremely self-confident, and clearly very wealthy, evidenced by several things, including the shiny Porsche convertible that he occasionally offered me rides in. He seemed to settle down after a while, and the jokes about when we got married became a minor annoyance, although I considered them a bit tiresome, and in poor taste. To me, the most interesting thing about him was that he seemed to like milk shakes almost as much as Jimmy did.
Near the end of the school year, the ice cream company was bought out by a conglomerate. At first, nothing much seemed to change. The insurance and pension plans changed, but I was still reporting to the same people, and we still worked under the same sign. About a month after the takeover, I received an invitation to a "current and potential executive retreat and seminar" in San Diego. I was surprised to be considered a potential executive. My area manager told me this was a fantastic opportunity, even though he hadn't been invited. I talked it over with Jimmy and he agreed with my manager that it sounded like an opportunity not to be missed. I RSVP'd and began to think about what I should take with me to San Diego.
Jimmy and I had a great time the last week before San Diego, including our first trip to a 'swimsuit optional' beach on Lake Travis.
Then I was taking my first plane flight ever to San Diego. I had only been out of Texas on family vacations to New Orleans and northern New Mexico. A shuttle had been provided and it was very interesting to see some of the other participants. There were a few women who looked to be my age or slightly older up to some apparently senior executives, gray-haired and somewhat portly in their expensive suits. On the shuttle we were provided agendas although I used my time to chat with some of the younger potential executives.
Three other girls and I decided to go to the hot tub near the building we were staying at. After I called Jimmy and told him that I had safely gotten there, I put on my new bikini and headed for the hot tub. We started soaking and one of the girls suggested that since there were no guys present, we do our hot tubbing the right way, that is, without our swimsuits. It seemed a little risqué, but also exciting so when all the other girls agreed, I joined them. After all I had been nude at Hippie Hollow, so why not here?
The hot tub water felt great. I must have dozed off, because I was startled awake and saw that the other girls were gone. I saw a shadow on the pool and instinctively grabbed for my swimsuit. A male foot was planted on my only garments. I looked to my left and Dick, from the ice cream shop in Austin, was climbing into the pool clad in swim trunks.
"Don't worry about the swimsuit!" he exclaimed.
Uh-oh, I thought. What's going on? Something I don't like was my next thought. I tried to hide my nudity with my hands and arms.
"Don't worry about that, either!" he told me, grabbing my left wrist and pulling it toward him.
"What's going on, Dick?" I asked.
"I wanted some time with you," he explained.
"Don't do this!" I pleaded, "Please!"
I didn't know what he thought he was going to do, but I wanted no part of it.
