Thanks for following along so far.
This chapter deals with a part of Becky and David's relationship which has struck a definite chord with a great number of readers, judging by the incredible number of anonymous comments I have gotten. Thanks for them all, and there's no real need to be shy about what you like either. We're all friends here.
As the story nears its conclusion, Becky and David keep rolling merrily along...
*
The months flew past, and summer soon turned to fall, which became winter in the blink of an eye. In the meantime, my love for Becky kept on growing as did Becky's love for me. At least that's what she said, but there was still Jerry lurking out there somewhere.
As for me, the relationship with Becky had done me nothing but good. I had lost the extra weight I had been carrying around and was looking, if not really good, at least respectable. I had managed to get a car as well. While not a good one by any stretch of the imagination, what a six year old Neon can do for one's self esteem was more than you can imagine. Walk around everywhere you go for a couple of years if you don't understand.
Many times I would sit around the house with the kids during the "Jerry" weekends, or be driving around with them and was tempted to go spy on them just to see what this guy was all about. What he looked like, and what Becky was like when she was with him. I never did though, no matter how many times I wanted to. The sharing was painful at times, but I had to let Becky do this her way. I thought that I had made a lot of progress, and had to just keep plugging away.
Christmas rolled around, and Becky was going to spend the Saturday before Christmas with me. I made it a point to do it up in a major way, and bought a little turkey and the trimmings and made another grand production, much like our first date had been.
Becky arrived at my door wearing a Santa hat. making her look more adorable than ever. This dinner was far less nerve racking than our first one was, but in Becky's words, no less yummy.
After dinner, we sat around my Christmas tree to exchange gifts. My "tree" was actually a little potted evergreen twig about a foot tall, that Becky had given me earlier that week. She insisted that I needed something to make the place more cheerful during the holidays, and as usual, she was right.
We had agreed to exchange modest gifts for the holiday, given our equally modest financial conditions, but I was unable to hold up my end of the deal. I handed Becky the box her present was in, and enjoyed watching her unwrap the box.
Inside the box was a cereal box, and after she opened that she came across a french bread pizza box. On and on it went, to my amusement, as Becky kept opening smaller boxes.
"I hope I get royalities on this idea" Becky chuckled, as she kept opening boxes. This was a tribute to the candy she had given me at work in our beginnings, when I had to go through similar hoops for a hershey kiss.
"You've taught me everything I know" I assured her as I watched her near the end.
When she got to the last box and opened it up, the look in her eyes was well worth the payments I would be making for the next year. Becky held the diamond heart necklace up and watched it twinkle and sparkle. I know that it sounds like one of those corny commercials, except if you were there.
I helped Becky put it on and watched her face light up as she looked at her reflection in the bathroom mirror. I think her eyes were welling up with emotion, but I couldn't be sure because I had something in my eye at the time myself.
"It's beautiful" Becky managed finally, looking at me looking at us in the mirror. "You cheated on the agreement."
"Guilty" I said. "If you want, we can go to the store tomorrow and exchange it for something else. like a ring maybe? Tomorrow or any other day you want Becky."
Becky smiled as she admired the necklace. "I'll enjoy this for now David, this is enough for me to handle for now. It's been so long since I've been given anything so... "
Becky's voice trailed away as she became too choked up to speak, but I understood what she meant. Becky understood what I meant as well. That was as much of a proposal that I could manage at this point, but it was out there, which was all I cared about.
We managed to go back to the living room eventually so I could open my gift. My present was in a shirt box, but was heavy.
"I feel cheesy only giving you this now" Becky said.
"You were a woman of your word my dear" I told Becky. "I, on the other hand, have no problem reneging on my word if it results in making you happy. I live for that incredible smile of yours."
Becky responded in character with a goofy grin while contorting her face in the most gruesome way possible while I unwrapped the present.
On top was a big curly tie. Well, a tie that had Curly of the Three Stooges on it from top to bottom. It looked positively hilarious as I tried it on. Although I rarely wore ties to work, I pledged that I would wear it on the first day back after the holiday.
"A tie like this will provide the dignity that a person in my position deserves" I offered while strking as dignified a pose that one could manage while wearing a t-shirt with a Curly tie.
"Think anybody at work knows about us?" Becky asked. This was a question that I had often posed to myself over the last eight months.
While we rarely crossed paths on the job, we still shared the occassional lunch in the cafeteria. And while we tried to keep it professional at all times, much more for Becky's sake than mine, I'm sure that some people were aware something was going on. As Becky often told me, I could never make it as a poker player with my inablity to hide my feelings.
One of my co-workers, a friend of mine, did know. As for the others, most probably did not care, at least that's what I hoped. As long as the upper management did what they were best at, which was staying clueless, all would be fine, I assured Becky.
Back to my present we went, and underneath the tie was a book, which I opened with glee.
"I didn't see this in your bookcase" Becky said. "Are you familiar with it?"
"Familiar with 'The Joy of Sex'?" I asked. "I have been for almost a year now."
"I mean the book, you turd" Becky admonished.
"Yes I am familiar" I told her. "I used to have this in my previous life but I lost custody of it when we divorced, and up until you came along I didn't need it. I'm trying to imagine what she could be doing with it now but I'm drawing a blank. Probably a door stop or a plant holder"
