Wedding Bell Blues

The disclaimers: Every character who matters is at least 18. A work of fiction (more or less). Any resemblance to any person, living or dead, is coincidental (for the most part).

Part 8 picks up on Sunday morning as the couple wakes up. This installment has Tom and Hayleigh setting boundaries and ground rules, with a few frolics along the way.

I am so sorry for the delay in publishing these latest chapters. Too late I realized that I had written myself into an unacceptable corner, and that I would have to do a fair bit of reworking to fix my mess. And then real life and the need to keep my job intruded on my rewriting and editing time. And then I think I messed up submitting the previous chapter, so it sat in Drafts for four days! Fear not, I will finish this series, if for no one else's sake but my own. Thanks for your patience.

~~~@~~~@~~~

~~~ THE WEE HOURS OF SUNDAY MORNING ~~~

We abandoned the hot tub and took a quick shower to wash off the heavily-treated hot tub water and did the usual getting ready for bed stuff. I thought we were going to turn in until Hayleigh pulled back the sheets over half the monster bed and covered a smaller area with every bath towel we had left. I don't know what was going on with her, but she really was insatiable. Not that I minded! The last thing I remembered before drifting off after hour or so of inspired playtime was spooning while still buried inside, with Hayleigh clutching my arm tightly between her tits.

~~~ LATER SUNDAY MORNING ~~~

We slept in, well past breakfast. I awoke on my back with Hayleigh mostly on top of my chest and her limbs splayed out in various directions. I shifted to relieve a cramp, rousing Hayleigh from her slumber.

"That was quite a night," she said to my shoulder. "I may have overdone it. My bits are a bit sore."

I chuckled at that. "You too? Sorry about that. You were on a mission last night and I for sure wasn't going to complain."

"Something else about me you need to know," she said, blushing. "About a week before my period starts my hormones tend to go crazy, and I usually get insanely horny, almost as bad as I get in the middle of my cycle when I'm most fertile. Guess what should start in a few days. So brace yourself for sometimes having to navigate a witch's brew of cranky and unquenchable. You've been warned!"

"Forewarned is forearmed. It's nothing that my caveman forebears didn't survive."

She pulled herself from my chest and stretched out on her side, facing me. "So how are we to spend our last day here?" she asked, bright-eyed. "I'm good with anything, but I could be convinced to spend some more time on the beach."

"Beach would be great. I was thinking we grab lunch after cleaning up. I saw that the resort has bicycles for guests, so we could explore for a bit. Hit the beach, and if you're up for it, see if the concierge can suggest a night club for more music and dancing. But I'm completely flexible."

"I like that plan! I have an LBD stashed away that you haven't seen yet." She paused, contemplating. "Yesterday I was so anxious about today, knowing that it would be our last day together, and my love unrequited and all. Now I'm beyond joy and looking forward to so much. I know you had to do things in your own time, especially considering the circumstances, but thank you for telling me yesterday how you felt. It makes today perfect no matter what we do."

"What Danni said last night, she was right. It was about time I told you. Things were going so well I didn't want to upset the apple cart and ruin our last few days here. But it was time."

She took me into her arms. "I understand. I really do."

"What say we check in with our families, since they didn't hear from us while we were out sailing, and then get ready to go? I'll give you a free shampoo."

She nodded. "We need a good cleaning. We smell like chlorine and sex! If you get my nooks I'll get your crannies. I need a trim, too, if giving me a hand with that still interests you," she said luridly. "But calls to home first."

I went first, calling my mother. Danni had already filled my parents in on the sailing adventure. My father was out running errands, to it would just be Mom. She asked me to put the call on speaker so Hayleigh could talk, too. As I should have expected, the call quickly became mostly between Hayleigh and my mom. They eagerly went on almost without end about the boat, the food, the dancing, and of course Hayleigh's gown. I was listening to them bond in real time. It was a stark contrast between Jennifer and my mother. To an outsider it looked like Jennifer and Mom really liked each other, but if you knew them, you could see that they were mostly playing the parts they were expected to play. Hearing Mom talking to Hayleigh, I knew Mom would welcome her into the family with open arms. I doubted Julia would be so welcoming of me. One problem at a time, that's the ticket. The call ended with Mom inviting Hayleigh to have dinner with my family to give chapter and verse about our entire trip. I hoped Hayleigh could win over Dad, too.

Hayleigh's call was not so cheerful. We braced ourselves when Julia picked up. Like my father, Paul was out running errands. Hayleigh told Julia that she had her on speaker so I could talk, too. "If you must," said Julia, clearly uncomfortable.

"Good morning, Mrs. Fredrickson," I said as politely as a human can. It felt weird to address her so formally.

"Tom, even with everything that's happened, it's foolish to go back to addressing me like we just met. Please call me Julia." A chink in the armor? "So, what you two been up to? Having a good time?" She wasn't trying to be sarcastic, but that's how it sounded to the ear. So much for the chink.

"Yes, mother, we're having a wonderful time," Hayleigh said with an edge. "If you like, I can tell you about our three-day sailing trip on this big, beautiful yacht, the incredible food, a black tie dinner party, moonlight dancing with a live band, interesting people we met, and so much more. Or we can throw rocks at each other. Which will it be, Mom?"

"Hayleigh, sweetheart, you have to understand, this is hard for your father and me! Jennifer is our daughter, just as you are. She feels that she's being punished unfairly for making a few mistakes. Your father and I know she was in the wrong, but if we support you in this, this affair, she will be more upset and alienated. If we support her, you will be upset and our relationship with suffer. You shouldn't make us choose between you. Don't make us do that."

"Mom, Tom and I are in each other's lives now. Much more than you know. Don't make me choose between Tom and my family." Neither of them said anything for a long time. Me? I was a ghost. Julia broke the impasse. "So tell me about this boating trip," she said with feigned interest and forced enthusiasm.

Hayleigh asked me to send pics while she and Julia talked. Amazingly, after a while Julia's wall showed cracks. She asked questions with what sounded like genuine interest. Then she saw a pic of Hayleigh in her gown wearing the pendant. Looking back, I think it was a turning point for Julia. A moment of clarity at a minimum.

"That's some necklace! Where did that come from?" From the inflection in Julia's voice, I surmised that Julia assumed it was originally meant as a wedding gift from me to Jennifer.

"It's a gift from Tom, Mom. It's hard to see in the picture, but the emerald matches my eyes perfectly! He found it here in Nassau and surprised me! It's way over the top, but he kept after me until I agreed to accept it."

"That's quite a gift, Tom," she said cautiously, trying to draw me out.

"She's quite the girl, Julia. She's my best friend." Julia let that slide.

They continued to chat guardedly about the photos. Julia even made an effort to include me in the conversation now and then. Thankfully, when they got to the pics of Carlos and Rosa, and Hayleigh's recounting of how Rosa surprised Carlos with the news of her pregnancy, Julia said nothing. I half expected a refresher course in the birds and the bees, and how the Pill is not a magic shield. After a few more minutes of chatter Julia politely asked if she could speak to Hayleigh privately. Hayleigh nodded at me, so I stepped out the deck to watch the surf.

Hayleigh joined me about ten minutes later. I was on pins and needles, but to my surprise she wasn't upset. She reported that her parents had talked about Paul's declarations that Hayleigh should find another place to live, but they both wanted her to continue living at home. Paul wasn't quite ready to apologize fully, but he would at least meet Hayleigh half way and let things be. It was a truce, not a reconciliation. "I'm still going to keep a bag packed in case I have to make a quick exit," Hayleigh declared. "You can sneak me into your basement and I'll play stowaway."

"If it comes to it, I know my parents would take you in. They might balk at us openly sleeping together, but we have a guest room upstairs. Danni would love to have you with us until school starts."

"I'm not worried. It will all work out." She held out her hand to pull me off the lounger. "Let's get lunch. A bike ride will help burn off some of these extra calories we've been cramming in, and then we have an appointment with a beach."

We decided to bicycle around and find a place to eat. Hayleigh spotted a tandem bike, and that was that. "That looks like fun!" she squealed. "Can I drive?" I immediately nodded. "That was too easy." Wait--you just want to ogle my tush!" she exclaimed, laughing. I shrugged my shoulders. "You're incorrigible!"

We headed to the Sandyport area, where there was a good selection of restaurants, finally deciding to give Chicken in Da Bag another go. It was a good as the last time, when Hayleigh brought it back after her shopping excursion. We spent the next hour or so looking at the myriad array of boats docked at the countless marinas. "I'll make another deal with you," she offered. "You buy the airplane, I'll buy the sailboat."

After we returned the bike to the resort, it was into swimwear and onto the beach. We made the most of the deliciously warm water. The price was getting completely filthy, like the previous time. The payoff was another unhurried shower, followed by a shared bubble bath and brushing out her hair while she redid the polish on her nails.

"My mother would be very disappointed in me. The Girl Handbook says the guy is never supposed to see the preparations, only the final product. And here I am, letting you see how the magic tricks are done."

"But I so much enjoy the backstage passes."

We decided to get dinner at the resort's dining room because it would save time that we could better spend at that night club. Our dinner conversation somehow meandered toward Danni's love life, mostly because Hayleigh meandered it there. So far as I knew, Danni wasn't focused on any one guy in particular.

"There's someone she's interested in," Hayleigh confided, "but I can't say anything more. BFF Blood Oath. Pact of the Sisterhood. You'll have to get it from Danni."

"That sounds ominous. Someone I know, or perhaps someone I wouldn't approve of?"

"Sorry, my lips are sealed. Just out of curiosity though, how would you feel if it was someone you know? And before you say anything too protective big-brotherish or judgmental, I remind you that you're sleeping with your former fiance's sister."

"Would depend on the guy. Say it was Steve." I looked Hayleigh's face for a tell, but she was completely unreadable. "He's been my friend since forever, but the guy is an irredeemable pussy hound. I know he thinks Danni is cute-don't repeat that to her, please-but I don't see the attraction on her end. To my knowledge Steve isn't at all her type. And if it were Angel, good luck to her with that! He's been exclusive with this girl at school, Marci Pobleski or Popleski-something, since sophomore year."

"OK, so let's assume that even if it were one of them-and don't waste the effort trying to wheedle anything out of me, because I'm not confirming or denying anything about anybody-how would you feel about it? I'm really curious about the male thought process on this. As we see it, guys think it's OK to go out with a friend's sister, but not OK if it's his own sister."

"Not exactly, Hay. I don't speak for all men on this, OK, but there's a general code of conduct. The code varies, but it's generally OK to date a friend's sister if you treat her properly, and it's considered good form to at least mention it first if the guy is a good friend."

"So it's not necessarily taboo?"

"Again, depends on the circumstances. Aren't there rules in Girl World about not dating your friend's ex-boyfriend?"

"You don't even want to know! It mostly depends on the how and why of the breakup. If she dumped him then the chances of bloodshed go way down. But if he dumped her, and especially if he dumped her to go out with her friend, that can be popcorn worthy, particularly if they're good friends and she finds out after the fact."

"I see. But back to Danni, my own view is that so long as he treated her right, go and be happy. I'd hardly be in a position to criticize, given The Circumstances, as we've called them." Hayleigh's expression revealed nothing. "You're not going to give me any hints on this at all, are you?"

"Told ya, my lips are sealed. Don't fixate on it. I'm just curious about how guys think on this. Ready to go clubbing?"

And with that we went to our beach house to get changed for a night on the town. I also resolved NEVER to play poker against Hayleigh Fredrickson.

Hayleigh got out of her dinner attire and slipped into shorts and a tee-shirt while I got into my best suit. I asked why she wasn't getting ready and the only answer I could get was "Sorry, no preview." Once I was fitted with an appropriate tie, cuff links, and all the rest I was politely instructed to go take a walk outside and that I would receive a text when she was ready. She knew I was eager to see her in that LBD, and she knew how to generate anticipation. I pocketed my phone and wandered around outside for at least 30 minutes, until I ran into Robert and Denise entering the main building.

"Good evening," Robert said pleasantly. "You look like you're ready for a night on the town. Where's your friend Hallie?"

"Hayleigh. She's getting ready. She helped me get ready and then told me to get lost for a while."

That amused Robert. "Friend, in my experience that means she wants to hit you with it all at once. Shock and Awe. You best strap yourself in."

Robert's words of wisdom did not amuse Denise, who elbowed him subtly in the ribs. "Don't be a jackass, Robert." And then to me, "She's a nice girl. Show her a good time."

I was about to promise that I would do my best when my phone buzzed. "Ready!" followed by several heart emojis. She liked heart emojis. I bid Robert and Denise a good evening and headed back to our cabin.

I entered our beach house expecting to be impressed, but Robert's guess was spot-on. Shock and Awe indeed! Hayleigh's cocktail dress was black, of course. The hem came to just above the knee, except in the front where is swept upward to about mid-thigh. It was sleeveless, with a moderate plunging v-neck, and perfectly close-fitted to emphasize the curves of her bust, waist, and hips. Her emerald pendant blazed against her sun-darkened light butterscotch skin. I don't think she was wearing a bra because her nips made subtle bumps in the filmy fabric. I don't know what that dress was made from, but it shimmered even in the room's dim light. She changed up her hairstyle, too. Instead of wearing it down to fall around her shoulders (which I loved) she had it put up in large, loose semi-braids that appeared to naturally gather at the back.

Very

nice! To top it all off she had painted her nails with a sparkling green polish that matched her eyes. General Schwarzkopz's Shock and Awe show in Iraq was nothing compared to this.

"Remember when I told you that I would never see a woman as beautiful as you?" She smiled and nodded. "You topped that and then some. Wow. Just wow." And there it was again, the Hayleigh sparkle, level 10. I would never tire of seeing that.

"So I'm presentable?"

"I'll be the envy of every guy who sees us."

We took a taxi to a night club reputed by the concierge to have the better live dance bands. Hayleigh ate it up. She was a maniac. As soon as she recovered from a set she'd grab my hand for more. "Can we do this when we get home? It's so much fun getting dressed up and dancing." Of course we would! After all, she was right, it WAS fun. I never thought of myself as a dance club guy, but as with so much else, Hayleigh opened my eyes to new things.

We dragged ourselves into the beach house for our last night in Nassau. Of course we enjoyed each other, but our loving was different. Again. I couldn't put my finger on it at the time, but looking back, I think our mutual commitment to our relationship and to our future together changed how we interacted physically, too. Anxieties over what would happen once our escapist frolic ended were replaced by shared optimism. We were "all-in." We celebrated it without needing acknowledge it. It was there with every word, every touch, every glance, and every kiss.

~~~@~~~@~~~

~~~ MONDAY ~~~

I awoke to Hayleigh's fingers gliding through my hair. She snuggled closer when my hand ran across her waist and over her hip. The sun was barely poking over the horizon.

"Ready to return to planet Earth?" I asked. "Wisconsin and a several million questions await. Enquiring minds will want to know."

"If we must," she sighed. She abruptly changed course. "Actually, I'm ready," she announced with calm conviction. "This trip has been fairy-tale wonderful, but I'm ready to get home and get things squared away with everyone."

"Flight doesn't leave until 12:30. We have time for a last walk on the beach before breakfast and packing up, if you'd like."

"I would like that a lot," she replied. "Unless you'd rather start the day with some morning playtime." I couldn't resist chuckling. "Oh, stop!" she said as she lightly swatted my shoulder. "I know that technically 4 a.m. was in the morning!"

"Let's take that beach walk, and pretend that 'nail smoking hot babe in the shower' is still unchecked on my bucket list."

We dragged out of bed and threw on casual clothes suitable for a beach excursion. We walked hand-in-hand, letting the cold surf wash over our feet.

"Can we come back here again someday?" Hayleigh asked hopefully.

"To Nassau, or to this resort?"

"Either. Both. I'm getting sappy, sorry. It's just that I'm... I don't know how to explain it. I feel an attachment to this place now. You fell in love with me here. You became mine here. We became 'us' here."

"Absolutely we can come back! I'll even convince management to mount a commemorative plaque that says 'In this place Tom pulled his head out of his butt and recognized his soulmate.' You were hiding in plain sight all the time. I thank the gods that I recognized you in time."

"Goof! I don't care how we got together, all that matters is that we are. Now give me our last Nassau beach kiss for

this

trip, and let's get busy with that shower." In the annals of Nassau beach kisses, this one was epic, in my not-so-humble-opinion.

When we got back to our beach house the distance from the shore to the cabin was a mad dash. We tumbled through the sliding glass door into the main room and fumbled as we all but tore each other's clothes off on the way to the shower. After we got squeaky clean Hayleigh massaged me to hardness, then pushed me backward so that I was sitting on a ledge. I thought she was going to sit on my lap so that I would enter her from behind, but instead she faced me and slowly impaled herself.