The Journey Home Ch 01

Note from the author--

I apologize for the confusion this has caused. I don't know what happened to my original version of this story, but here it is again.

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It was a beautiful Saturday in June. The year was 1983 and Laura was getting dressed for the biggest party of the summer; her sister Sara’s wedding. Laura, the maid of honor, was so excited to have had a say in the decisions that were made regarding gowns for the female members of the bridal party. One of the bride’s maids chose a light blue gown with white flowers plastered all over it and a blue ruffle around the neckline, but Laura refused to even try it on saying it looked hideous.

Laura’s choice was a light blue gown covered in crystal organza with satin trim. The back of the gown scooped almost to her waist and the front had a princess neckline. The trim was simple in the front, but as it curved around the back there was ample material, which formed a big shimmering bow flowing down the back of the shapely gown.

Laura was radiant in her gown as she walked down the aisle right before her big sister. Everyone could tell she was nervous. Her parents were afraid she would make a mistake somewhere during the ceremony because she was so nervous, but she didn’t and the wedding went off without a hitch.

Benjamin, was the best man for his brother, Peter. Ben looked very handsome in his light gray double-breasted tuxedo with satin gray trim and matching pant and shoes, not to mention his white pinstripe shirt and blue bowtie. Other than the bride and groom, Ben was the talk of the party as he strutted his stuff around the dance floor.

During the time his brother and her sister were dating, Ben and Laura quickly became friends. Actually, they were best friends, but nothing beyond that. However, when Ben saw Laura walk up the aisle at the church something in him changed. He was becoming attracted to her sexually.

At the reception he was given plenty of opportunities to show his feelings to her, but he chickened out every time. During the bridal dance he stood a good foot from her as they danced. He didn’t want to scare her off if his raging hard-on rubbed against her thigh as they danced. He was having a difficult time controlling that organ this particular day. Not only did Laura turn him on, every time he turned around there was yet another single sexy girl watching him, but he managed to hold things together for the evening.

Two weeks had passed before Ben saw Laura again. He called her up and asked her to a picnic some friends of his were having at the local park. Laura accepted his invitation happily, telling him it sounded like it would be a lot of fun. He was quite smitten with her, but he had no idea how much she wanted him. Neither wanted to make their feelings known for fear of ruining the friendship they had for so long.

This charade continued for several more weeks until one night when they were at the drive-in. Because Ben had to work late they missed the first movie, but when they parked, “Halloween III - Season Of The Witch” was just starting. Laura and Ben sat apart as the movie began then slowly Laura moved closer to him. She screamed and held Ben’s arm tightly when the man in the hospital was murdered. “Ben hold me,” she said, her voice shaking.

At first Ben laughed it off telling her not to be such a sissy, but then he had second thoughts, “this just might be my chance and if not at least I get to hold her close for a while.”

Ben was right, this was his night, but he had no idea Laura was thinking the same thing. She didn’t plan on it at first, but when she felt the warmth of his skin against her cheek, a tingle began deep between her thighs.

As the movie continued Laura moved even closer. Soon she was so close to him she could feel his heartbeat and his breath against her neck when he turned his head to talk to her. He pulled her arm from his then placed it around her shoulders and pulled her even closer to him. He was on fire for her. His heart pounded hard against his chest, his breathing became heavy and he kept pulling at his crotch.

Laura wasn’t totally naive, but if things turned out the way she wanted, Ben would be her first boyfriend, her first kiss, and her first sexual experience. She knew exactly what she was doing to him and she enjoyed every minute of his torture, her teasing.

Nothing happened that night at the drive-in, but Ben and Laura were thought of as a couple after that. They did everything together. The weekend that followed, Ben called Laura and asked her to the drive-in once again. This time he borrowed his brother’s van. Before he picked Laura up, he fixed the back up like a bed; this wasn’t visible from the front seat though, because he hung a curtain between the two.

Ben pulled into the lot and paid for their tickets then turned to his left as he followed the brick wall that separated the parking area of the drive-in from the residential area. Finding a parking spot, he proceeded to pull in between two speakers with the rear of the van facing the movie screen. Laura smiled excitedly then asked, “We’re sitting in the back aren’t we?” Ben smiled in return and Laura held his hand and leaned over the seat to kiss him on his cheek.

Ben almost lost it right there, but wanted this to be right and he wanted to start the action. Ben told her to wait in the van while he got some popcorn and drinks for both of them. When he returned she was sitting in the back, her feet dangled over the chrome bumper. The movie started soon after Ben returned, a comedy this time, but another horror film followed. He handed her a soda and put the popcorn between them.

The first movie, “Fast Times At Ridgemont High”, had them laughing hard as they sat apart throughout the entire movie, eating the popcorn and drinking their soda. After the intermission Ben tossed the empty bucket from the popcorn toward the front seats and sat to the left of Laura.

”The Evil Dead” lit up the screen in bright bold colors as the spooky music played. Laura didn’t waste any time at this movie, she scooted in close to Ben and clenched his arm right from the start remembering how the last horror film made her feel. Ben had other plans and suggested they lie down and use the blanket to keep the ghouls away.

Laura crawled on her hands and knees toward the front of the van, propped two pillows against the back of the front seat and laid on her back then Ben scooted in beside her. He laid on his side and supported himself with his left elbow as he faced her. He pulled the blanket over them both with his right hand then slid his hand around her waist and pulled her closer to him.

The second movie had apparently been too scary for most of the viewers and the parking lot emptied quickly. There were only a few cars scattered here and there. “Sissies!” Laura said laughing.

About a half hour into the movie Ben made his next move when Laura jumped out of freight and buried her face in the crook of his neck. He held the back of her head and when the scary part was over he told her it was okay to look. When she lifted her head he gazed into her bright green eyes and kissed her. It wasn’t just a peck; it was a full-fledged kiss, a passionate French kiss that rocked them both. Laura’s breathing became heavy and she rolled to her side and pressed her hips harder against his.

Ben straightened his left arm and slid it under her head then wrapped it around her shoulders. His right hand began to caress her thigh as he slid it under her short skirt. Laura moaned softly with his touch. She rolled over to her back and pulled Ben on top of her then parted her legs, slightly bent at the knee and wrapped them around his waist.

”Oh yeah baby!” Ben moaned as he continued kissing her open mouth wildly.

Hesitantly she pulled away, gasping for breath. “I never knew you were such a good kisser Ben,” she whispered with a slight giggle.

Ben just smiled nervously then scooted toward the back doors and pulled them closed. “We need some privacy now,” he said before he returned to Laura’s side and resumed his activity. “Mmmm, I just love kissing you girl,” he said in between smooches.

Laura surprised him when she pulled him closer and whispered breathlessly, “I want more!” as she pushed her hips into his with a slight sway.

Ben quickly kicked the blanket off her and began to unbutton her blouse, watching her chest rise and fall as she breathed heavily. Her blouse fell open and Ben licked his lips when he glanced down at her small but perky breasts, her pert nipples poking through the material of her bra. Ben was getting very excited!

Suddenly, a knock on the window of the van startled them both. A deep voice outside shouted, “C’mon kids, the movie’s over, time to get moving along.”

Ben parted the curtain that covered the back window and saw the tall, heavy-set man walking toward the only vehicle left in the lot besides them. Laura dressed and crawled through the van to the front seat, removed the speaker from the window and sighed, disappointed. Ben jumped out the back and slammed the back doors hard before walking around the side to get in the driver’s seat.

”Damn him,” Ben said with aggravation in his voice, “he could have at least let us finish what we were doing back there.” As he put the van in reverse Laura heard him curse one more time then backed the van out of the spot and drove toward the exit.

”I’m sure there will be other opportunities for that,” Laura said trying to console him, to give him hope.

Well, she was wrong. She and Ben dated steadily after that, but every time they got that close something or someone always interrupted them. In the blink of an eye, it was graduation time and both had gotten summer jobs to help pay for college; unfortunately they both had different schedules. They were still a couple, but didn’t spend as much time together as they wished they could have.

The summer passed quickly and all too soon it was time to leave for college. Having applied to universities before they became a couple it didn’t really matter if they were at the same school or not, but now they both hated the fact that he was on the east coast and she was going to be on the west coast.

They agreed a ‘leave it as friends’ relationship would be best just in case and said their goodbyes to each other, then to their families.

That was the last time they saw each other until a year after graduation. Laura received an invitation to a wedding. It was from her best girlfriend in high school. Suzie was getting married to Joe Griggs, one of Ben’s friends. After Laura replied accepting the invitation she thought to herself, “Oh it will be so good to see Ben again, I wonder if he’s going?”

Images of the times they spent together invaded her thoughts continuously as she anxiously awaited the arrival of the wedding date.

^^^

With an MBA under her belt Laura had become a successful professional working for a large corporation in California, but when her mother had taken ill she asked for a transfer and relocated to Bloomfield Hills. Ben went off to become a lawyer after studying at Duke University. He traveled some but eventually decided to return to his home state as well to begin his own practice in Birmingham.

Ben didn’t need an invitation to the wedding of his friend since he was the best man. This time, Ben had a say in the final decision regarding wedding attire. “I will be your best man on one condition,” he told his best friend Joe, “I will not have to wear a tux like my brother made me wear at his wedding,” he said laughing.

As Ben tried to keep himself busy with the wedding arrangements he couldn’t help but think of Laura and all the fun they had together, wondering what she’s been up to lately. The last letter he received from her was at Christmas two years before her graduation from Berkley. Neither Ben nor Laura had gotten married or even found anyone they would seriously even consider marrying.

The date of the wedding arrived and Ben was nervous, much more nervous than he was at his brother’s wedding. Ben arrived at the church early to help the groom get ready and help to ease any last minute jitters.

Ben and Joe were so handsome as they took their places on the altar. Just before the music started and the bridesmaids began their march up the aisle, Laura walked in and was ushered to a pew on the bride’s side of the church. Ben was aglow at the sight of her. He recognized her instantly then nudged Joe and whispered, “Look who’s sitting beside Suzie’s Aunt Patti.” Joe knew she was coming all the while but wanted to surprise Ben.

The ceremony was beautiful, at least the parts Ben remembered. Most of his attention was spent checking out Laura, remembering their past and thinking to himself that his prayers were answered.

Ben’s biggest concern was eased when he saw Laura walk in the church alone. He looked at her hands and didn’t see a ring. Ben was uneasy about having to dance with an unfamiliar woman that Suzie would pick for him for the bridal party dance. Suzie’s sister, Joann, who declined the offer the first time, agreed to be her matron of honor with one condition, during the bridal dance the best man would sit out and Suzie’s brother in law would dance with his wife. Suzie hated to do that to Ben, but he said he didn’t mind. He did mind, but didn’t want to cause a ruckus. Now he was thrilled he didn’t have to dance with Joann at all.

Laura wiped a tear from her cheek as Suzie and Joe walked down the aisle arm in arm as husband and wife. She wiped another tear as she gazed at Ben escorting Joann down the aisle.

The wedding party was busy with the photographer after the ceremony so Laura didn’t have a chance to talk to Ben or anyone else she knew so she headed over to the banquet hall to wait for them.

As Laura drove to the reception hall, memories of the good times she and Ben shared when they were teenagers flooded her mind. All the fun trips to Cedar Point and making out on the ferris wheel when they stopped at the top; the romantic trips to the water park and the beach, not to mention the drive in.

BEEEEP! The loud horn sound startled Laura back to reality and caused her to veer off the road slightly. “No more thoughts like that,” she thought to herself as she lowered her speed. Shaken a bit, Laura pulled to the right and parked in front of a party store. She slid across the seat to avoid the non-stop traffic and then got out. She walked across the sidewalk to enter the store.

She felt as though everyone was staring at her as she made her way through the store, grabbing a soda from the cooler then returning up front to pay for it. As she walked back outside, she felt a cool breeze flow through her gown and suddenly realized how wet her panties were. She felt a tingling between her thighs as she thought about her teen years with Ben, but didn’t actually realize she was so wet that it seeped through into the thin material between her flesh and her gown.

Slightly embarrassed she quickly returned to her car, getting in carefully, making sure her gown was not wrinkled. Following the map that was inserted with the invitation Laura quickly located the banquet hall for the reception. She found a parking spot that would make leaving early effortless, if that’s what she decided. Securing her belongings, she headed into the building, immediately finding the main hall.

As she entered the hall she was directed to a table that held the guest book and name cards for assigned seating. She found her name and made a mental note of the table number where she was to sit and then signed the guest book before she headed into the reception hall.

Laura gasped as she entered, “Suzie always had great taste and a flair for decorating,” she thought to herself as her eyes panned the elegant room. The guests were seated at round tables covered with white linen tablecloths. Each place setting contained a large goblet filled with ice water; the silverware had been rolled in a white linen napkin to match the tablecloths. The plates were a standard white, but complimented the elegance of the table.

To her right, Laura noticed a small round table covered in matching linen. The table held platters of hors d’oeuvres. A pianist touched the ivory and ebony keys of a grand piano with grace, filling the room with soft music. Chandeliers hanging from the ceiling and sconces on the walls emitted just enough light to make the room sparkle. As more guests arrived, a young girl dressed in black slacks and shoes with a white blouse walked around to each table and lit the votive candle in each centerpiece.

The bridal party’s table was just as elegant as the guest’s tables. The back cushion of the chairs was covered in linen that matched the tables. The material flowed down the backside of each chair to the floor and a band of material matching the colors of the groomsmen secured the material to the chair. Fresh flowers placed in the center of the table matched those on the table of the immediate family members of the bride and groom.

To the left of the bridal party table, Laura’s eyes were drawn to a long table that held the wedding cake. “Oh my God! That cake is huge!” Laura whispered to herself as she approached the table to get a closer look. It wasn’t a traditional wedding cake. Each layer was shaped like a pillow, arranged from largest to smallest, the smallest being at the top. The icing was a traditional white with a look of lace to it. Each pillow shape had tassels at the corners. The cake was simply topped with two gold rings entwined with a white frosting ribbon. There were small signs behind the cake explaining the flavors of each layer, ranging from white to cherry nut.

”Would you please stand and put your hands together to welcome the new Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Griggs,” echoed throughout the hall as the DJ announced the arrival of the bride and groom then the rest of the wedding party. The announcement was made as Laura made her way to her assigned table.

Everyone looked so nice, but Ben stood out in Laura’s eyes, “How did I ever let him get away?” she asked herself as she watched him take his seat beside the groom.

Dinner was served and the festivities began. Ben seemed like the odd man out because of Joann’s controlling husband, so Laura thought this would be the ideal time to make a possible connection with him, but before she did she refreshed herself in the restroom first. While in the stall she went over what she would say to him when she approached him, “Oh my God! Ben! It’s so good to see you again!” Was the first thing that came to mind, but she shook her head ‘no’ and tried again. “Hey Ben, how’s it been?” She paused briefly and shook her head again then continued, “Oh that just sounds stupid, I know I can do better than that,” she added as she flushed and went out to wash her hands before returning to her seat.

She didn’t know what she was getting so flustered for; he was the easiest person for her to talk to when they were kids. She wondered if things had changed that much in the years they were apart. As she walked across the room toward her seat she heard the music begin and the DJ introduced the bride and groom once again. The first song was “When I’m With You” by Sheriff and about half way into the song the bridal party was introduced.

The DJ called Joann and then Benjamin, but instead of Ben escorting her, she walked up with her jealous husband. Ben remained in his seat for a moment then had an idea. He walked over to the DJ and handed him a note scribbled on a napkin from the bar. As he began to read the note, Ben walked across the dance floor toward Laura.