Chapter 9 - Engagement
Friday, late afternoon, Lindsay arrived. I picked her up at the airport and she was all over me with a lot of PDAs right beside the luggage carousel in the terminal building as we waited for her giant backpack to appear. I brought her home to my apartment, explaining about what Greg and Sandy were going through with their parents as part of a ruse to deflect their thinking away from anything incestuous between them.
Sarah didn't get home from work until nearly seven o'clock. She was having some sort of financial crisis at Jaycor and had a long work session rather than calling people in to work over the weekend. She found Lindsay and me on her sofa making out, but we both turned our attentions on her and gave her a heavy dose of love,
Sarah, Lindsay, and I went to a late dinner at Patrick's. I got my hit of red meat for the day, and then we went home and I think I made the two of them happy with lots of loving, orgasms, and sex play. Lindsay told us about her recent filming endeavors using crude terms that she knew would excite us -- me more than Sarah.
We ran on Saturday morning, but in deference to Lindsay, we trimmed the run to eight miles at a slower pace than Sarah and I normally did. I loved that Sarah enjoyed the long runs. I loved everything about Sarah. Just thinking about her made my heart beat faster and made all sorts of love chemicals and hormones explode in my body.
We stopped for breakfast at The Station again. After some talk about the sights that we'd passed during the run, Lindsay turned to her sister, "Hey, sis. The studio guys want me to make you an offer you can't refuse to come down to Miami and make a movie and two shorts. One week of work for $12,000."
Sarah shot me a glance and then said to Lindsay, "You know I'm not in that business any more. Tell them that I appreciate the generous offer, but I have a new life that doesn't include that stuff regardless of the pay. Attractive offer, though."
Lindsay gestured at me, "They said that if you had a boyfriend, you could bring him and they'd put him in the films. One grand a day for him."
Sarah kept shaking her head. "No, no, no. I'm not even tempted."
"Why?" Lindsay asked.
Sarah looked at me but talked to her sister. "I had a good run at the porn, but when I looked around at the characters that I wanted with me the rest of my life, there wasn't one -- not one. The men were either sleazy assholes or just not my type, and unless there's been some kind of time warp, they still are. I was in the business for over ten years and from year-to-year that opinion didn't change. I did okay and made some friends, but nothing really long-term that was male.
"I saved up and invested my money. I'd had a lot of great advice, fortunately. Some of my escort clients were nice, but I know what I was to them -- a pretty whore. I created a financial cushion and got an education. I decided to use the latter and get a job that will last me for a long time with people that I like.
"In the process, I moved into the right building and from next door met the most wonderful man in the world -- Doug. He loves me and I love him with every fiber in my being. He's even willing to allow me the freedom and flexibility to enjoy some other dick once in a while. Of course, I give him that same privilege, as you well know." She grinned and giggled.
Sarah went on, "Any way, I am hoping that Doug will propose something permanent someday. Also, sometime soon, I'm going to have to meet his parents and pass muster as 'acceptable'. To be honest with them, we've agreed that I'll tell them about my past career rather than let them discover it some other way. They most likely won't like it, but I hope they will tolerate me because it is in the past, because I dearly love their son, and because I have made what looks like a successful career transition. I don't want to do anything that screws up that transition. I've promised myself."
Lindsay grinned, "Good. I told them there was no hope, but I did say that I'd ask. I'm glad for you and your firm stance. Sometime soon, you'll be my role model for quitting the sex industry. I'm also grateful to you for sharing Doug with me once in a while." She leaned over on the sofa and kissed me. I kissed back.
I felt that I had to respond to what Sarah had said. I started slowly, organizing my thoughts as I started. "Sarah, I do want something permanent and long-term with you -- like getting engaged and then married. Just to reiterate, what my parents say or don't say about your past will have little bearing on us. I'm pretty sure they'll ask a few questions, and then forget it; I think they're pretty forgiving about that kind of stuff. Also, I don't want to wait too long for us to change our status."
Lindsay shot up and did a happy dance in place. "Yeah. If you're going to propose, which you almost did. Will you do it while I'm here?" She looked hopeful.
Sarah and I laughed. I said, "Maybe."
We introduced Lindsay to Tom and Marie -- Greg and Sandy's parents -- at lunch the next day. We all behaved and didn't do any revealing or teasing of note. Greg and Sandy's parents had a late-afternoon flight north. Lindsay was staying for the week for some R&R from her fucking job -- literally.
Sarah, Lindsay, and I took a long walk to dinner at the Cantina -- a Tex-Mex place with good food, but loud entertainment. We were lucky enough to get a table on the far side of the restaurant away from the one-man band. He was making up for a lack of talent with volume.
Over dinner, I asked Sarah, "Do you think that it takes any of the luster and excitement away from a proposal if the couple have picked out the engagement ring ahead of time?"
Sarah grinned and shook her head. "In the interest of getting the right ring that'll be on display on my finger for the next sixty years or more, I have to say no."
I admitted that those were my feelings, too. I then asked, "Might you have some time this week to go shopping up in the Tampa jewelry district. Some of my co-workers suggested that was the best place in the state to buy a diamond. I assume you want a diamond?"
Sarah laughed, "A girl's best friend, you know."
"How about Wednesday afternoon?"
"Yes. I'll move whatever I have to for these life-changing moments." She smiled.
I said to Lindsay, "As much as this has to do with Sarah and me, you are welcome to come with us. And just so you all know, after we pick a ring, I will then wait for an appropriate occasion to get down on bended knee and formalize things."
Sarah acknowledged, "Great. My heart is already soaring with joy about our future together." I could tell that she was walking about three feet off the ground and her smile lit up whatever room we were in. Lindsay looked very happy for her sister.
I was with the two of them that night, and did my best to make both of them happy and sexually sated. The next two days were a blur at work. I squeezed in some time with my A.I. software asking about diamonds and got a good education about the subject and about prices.
Wednesday, I collected Lindsay and Sarah at noon, and we drove the hour's ride to Tampa, stopping for a fast-food lunch along the way. We went to four stores. By four o'clock, I had a blue velvet box in a small bag that contained a beautiful diamond ring -- almost two carats, with two Baguettes on either side in an ornate platinum setting. Sarah was beside herself with expectation. She twitched for the entire ride back to Sarasota and kept looking at the bag that Lindsay was carrying as she sat in the backseat.
That night, I called home just after dinner to FaceTime with my parents. Sarah was with me and I introduced her to them as 'the most special person in my life'. They'd heard me talk about her in other conversations, but this was the first face-to-face contact. Also, my father sometimes introduced my mother that way -- 'the most special person in my life' -- so they knew instantly that I was sending a coded message that we were quite serious about our relationship. Everyone was very polite. We did not mention Sarah's porn and escort career.
After we ended the call, I texted my dad that I'd bought an engagement ring that afternoon and planned on popping the questions very soon. I also asked whether we could come and visit in about ten days for a three-day weekend.