After class on Wednesday Linda finally decided to go to the Bible study as suggested by the Father. She picked out a long grey skirt and a white knit top. She wore her gold cross but skipped most of the make up and settled just for some light red lipstick. She remembered the modest part of her promises.
Picking up her Bible she walked towards the church. In front of the education wing was a girl from the college that she recognized.
"Linda, I am so glad you came to the Bible study," said Mary an acquaintance from her art history class.
"Hi Mary, I heard about the Bible study and decided to find out more," Linda responded. Mary introduced her to her boyfriend Fred and his buddy Evan.
"Great come with me," she said taking Linda by the arm. In the small room there were about twenty college age singles about half men and half women.
The leader, a young priest gave a reading from scripture in Romans 13:8-14.
Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. The commandments, "You shall not commit adultery; You shall not murder; You shall not steal; You shall not covet"; and any other commandment, are summed up in this word, "Love your neighbor as yourself." Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law. Besides this, you know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers; the night is far gone, the day is near. Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; let us live honorably as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy. Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.
After the reading he expounded on the passage in a short sermon. Linda liked the image of putting on the Lord Jesus Christ and making no provision for the flesh to gratify its desires, which had always been her problem. Linda looked around at the others they were listening attentively to the talk. Then they broke up into small groups to discuss the story amongst themselves. When the Bible study was over, on the way out, Mary told Linda the plans that she and Fred had made to go and see the Nutcracker ballet that Friday night.
"Evan's date dropped out at the last minute and we are trying to fix him up - come along with us and we can double date." she suggested.
Evan was a pleasant guy, strong yet kind of shy and quiet. He was an accounting major in the same year as she was at the college. She did not have a shift at the restaurant so she could do it.
"Well I would enjoy the evening but I guess it is really up to Evan to ask me out if he wishes," she politely deferred.
Evan brightened at her suggestion and piped in, "Linda would you like to attend the ballet? It is my favorite Christmas event and I know you will love it too."
Linda accepted his offer and they made arrangements before Linda said goodnight to her new friends.
As she walked in the door at home she got a phone call from Mary.
"Linda thanks for accepting Evan's invitation to the ballet, I hope that I was not too forward in making the suggestion," Mary asked.
"No it's really ok." Linda replied. "He seems a bit shy but he really enjoyed the opportunity that you made for him to ask me. Have you been dating Fred for long?" she said changing the subject.
"Yes isn't he dreamy!" she gushed. "We have dated for three months but it feels like a lifetime." He wants me to go all the way with him but I have been putting him off. I love him but I want to save myself" Mary confided.
"You should save yourself for marriage if he is the man God intends for your life. By waiting he will show he is the one. There will be plenty of time for that fun stuff later, right?" Linda suggested.
"Thank you Linda you are a good friend and sensible about love and romance. I don't want to get in trouble like my aunt or have Fred not respect me afterwards" she agreed.
Linda thought about Paul and how he had not respected her afterwards and dumped her.
"I am wearing my light blue dress what are you going to wear" Mary asked.
Linda had not thought about it until now. So Mary was going to get dressed up - it was a ballet after all and she wanted to impress her boyfriend Fred. Not wanting to send Evan the wrong message Linda decided to wear her peach satin dress but skip the tight fitting corset this time.
Just before the ballet they picked Linda up in Evan's car and drove to the college auditorium for the ballet. It was a community wide event with a lot of families dressed up for the event. It made Linda sort of jealous with the moms and their young daughters wearing feminine dresses and going to the ballet. She remembered doing the same with her mom years ago. One family caught her attention. It was a husband in a grey suit with the mother and elementary school daughter wearing identical dark green long satin dresses. The husband escorting them was proud of his 'girls' and it showed. She wanted to be that woman with a strong husband to walk alongside and a beautiful daughter. She prayed that it was in God's will for her life.
Fred and Evan looked nice in their suits -like they had just shown up for church. Mary wore her light sky blue dress but it was not flattering on her. It was low cut and showed off too much of her breasts, which jiggled when she walked. The dress had a slit at the front and she was giving Fred the wrong message by the way she was presenting herself, it was no wonder he wanted to go all the way.
Linda's dress was the modest peach satin dress with a white lace collar and a bow in the back. She wore white hose and heels some nail polish and lipstick of a peach hue and her gold cross. A feminine modest Christian woman was what she portrayed to Evan. He was respectful and appreciative.
When the house lights went down Evan's hand found hers in the dark and gently held it during the performance except during the applause. Mary was sitting on Linda's other side and the action was a lot hotter over there. Fred had his right arm around her and his hand rested on Mary's upper arm almost caressing her breasts. Mary's left hand was resting on his leg rather close to his loins.
When Nutcracker ended and the lights went up they untangled themselves from each other and the foursome joined the press of people leaving the auditorium. Right in front of them was the family Linda had seen earlier. The mother and daughter had on black hose and high heels with their green satin dresses. They also had long hair flowing down their backs bound up with green satin ribbons matching their dresses. The husband had his arm around his wife's waist and was holding the daughters hand. When they turned away from them she realized that the young mom was pregnant. She would have another beautiful child she was carrying her husbands love in her womb proudly.
She felt jealous when the wife looked up and smiled at her virile husband. Linda knew that she should not covet but she wanted to be walking in that woman's high heels just then.
She was pulled out of her reverie when Evan took her hand as they descended the flight of stairs outside the building.
He opened the front car door for Linda as Fred and Mary piled in the back. Heading away from campus Fred piped up "Let's go to the reservoir" and Mary voiced her approval. Evan gave an embarrassed sidelong glance at Linda and said "OK but not for long you guys. I have to work at the video store in the morning".
The reservoir was the local college make out spot and she remembered the spot well from her time with Paul. Evan was cute she might like kissing him for awhile. Evan took a side lane that she did not know about and soon they were very secluded with a view of the water in the moonlight.
In the dark car Evan took her hand as he did in the ballet and told her how much the enjoyed her company that evening. He complimented her on her pretty satin dress and said it reminded him of the happy family that they saw on the way out. Linda thanked him for the compliment and he kissed her. Leaning in again he kissed her again and she returned the kiss softly. This was going to be fun but it could get out of hand as well she knew.
From the back seat Linda heard a sound and saw Mary going down on Fred's penis as he stroked her breasts freed from her flimsy dress. The image was erotic and it was getting her aroused. Turning back around Evan kissed her and with his left hand started fondling her breast. She took his hands in hers and softly said to Evan but loud enough for Mary to hear, "No Evan don't touch me there, my body does not belong to me to give to you. It belongs to my husband. I want to stay pure for him. If I let you take me, mount me and fill me with your love you would not respect me. I don't want that. You are a sweet guy you remind me of the husband with the wife and daughter we saw. I know that is what you want for your life and not a moment of lust and pleasure at a lover's lane."
It was very quite in the back seat. Mary had stopped and was adjusting her dress listening very carefully to the conversation in front.