Freeing Abby

Thanks to Mostera1, Mokkelke, Kalamazoo707, and Persephone9906 for their help, suggestions, and encouragement. I especially want to thank PostScriptor for his editing and suggestions.

If the story seems to move too quickly, please remember this is a fictional SHORT story and as such is compressed into a very short time period.

*~*~*

Three young girls sat rigidly on the hard oak pew and intently watched the man pace in front of them. Their mother sat next to the youngest who was only six. All four had their hands clapped together in their laps and were dressed in their Sunday best.

The man was dressed in black and clutched a Bible in his hand. His dark, deep voice extolled the virtues of moderation and modesty.

The man lifted the Bible and turned and looked at the woman with her young daughters.

"The Lord made the man the head of the household because the man knows what is best for his family. The Lord knows 'he that sparest the rod' spoils the child. The Lord said this so that the man would know it not only right but necessary to discipline the child." After a moment the man continued, "And the Good Book says, 'If a husband suspects his wife is impure, he is to take his wife to the priest.' I am the priest in this family. I am the final authority on how this family should conduct themselves. You, each of you, will obey me!"

The man, the father of the three little girls, slammed the Bible on the make-shift podium in the make-shift church. The little girls jumped; the smallest whimpered. The woman looked defiant but only for a fleeting moment before she lowered her eyes.

Each Sunday after the 'service' was over, their father sent the girls to their room to read the Bible until he said they could come out. Often their mother was commanded, as she was today, to remain in the garage with their father. Their father had not been happy the day before with their mother's choice of clothing when she went to her part-time job at the local grocery store.

Once, one child thought, she could hear her mother screaming. Later when dinner was ready, she thought her mother had been crying, but couldn't be sure.

She knew not to question either her mother or father.

*~*~*

David ordered a bottle of wine after the waiter placed a menu down in front of each of them. As Abby went to pick up her menu, he reached across the table and covered her hand with his. Her eyes widened and she quickly looked around. She tried to discreetly pull her hand from beneath his but he didn't seem to notice the discomfort she obvious felt.

"Have I told you lately how much I love you?"

"David," she started as she tried again to move her hand away from his. "Yes, you've told me and I love you too, but I can't see my menu if you won't let me pick it up."

"You always order the same thing," he chuckled but lifted his hand from hers and picked up his own menu. "Tonight I think I'm going to get something different. I think I'll try the chicken Parmesan."

"Mmm. Everyone says it's the best here. But ..." she hesitated for a moment as if she might order something different. "I'll have ... the manicotti."

David laughed, "Big surprise!"

"I can't help it. I always think I'll try something different but then I just can't because I love their manicotti."

The waiter returned with their wine, took their orders and for a few minutes they sat in a companionable silence; then David took a sip of his wine and asked his wife how her day was.

Half listening to her, he thought about the next two days. He had spent a lot of time planning this weekend and prayed it would turn out as he hoped. Abigail Ann Marks Lindstrum was in for a big surprise. He smiled and nodded and made the appropriate remarks but his mind was really somewhere else.

They had been married six months and Abby still had problems undressing in front of him — hell, she wouldn't undress in front of him. If he wouldn't leave the bedroom, she took her clothes to the bathroom to dress. She wouldn't make love anywhere but in their bedroom with all the lights off and to his dismay the slightest display of affection in public upset her, even something minor as letting anyone see him touch her hand as he had only minutes before. And heaven forbid if he should want to hold her hand while strolling in the mall, sitting in darkened movie theater, or walking into church. Coming from a family that openly kissed and hugged one another at every occasion, he found this behavior foreign.

Meeting Abby's family the very first time should have given him a hint regarding her strange behavior, not that it would have stopped him from pursuing her. No, there was something the first time he noticed her that made him want her. He felt her parents — specifically her father — held the key to her inability to show any kind of affection in public.

They had been dating for five months before Abby finally took him to meet her parents, shortly after he had asked her to marry him. They were cool towards him and nearly the first words from her father's mouth were they were 'not rich people and wouldn't be able to help much with wedding cost'. David had replied that it wouldn't be necessary; he and Abby would pay for their own wedding. David even ended up paying the cost of her sisters' bridesmaid's dresses although it was obvious that her parents could have afforded that, at least. But they didn't volunteer, and David didn't ask.

Abby was embarrassed but David had assured her it didn't matter, he could well afford it.

Neither parent congratulated them on their engagement; neither hugged their daughter when she told them. David was stunned but he thought he hid it well. In the following months, David never saw Abby's parents displaying any affection to any of their daughters.

They had dinner with Abby's parents on Sunday afternoon once a month and David still called them Mr. or Mrs. Marks as he had not yet been invited to call them anything more intimate or less formal.

Abby's older sister Felicity was, he thought, a duplicate of Abby's mother ... cold and untouchable, and her younger sister Charity was so timid that she rarely spoke. Both girls were attractive but like Abigail dressed in a way to understate their looks. Although neither could hold a candle to Abby, Charity would be very pretty if she dressed more fashionably, wore even the smallest amount of make-up ... and smiled once in a while.

But Charity would have to be someone else's problem. Right now he was more concerned with his own wife and teaching her that showing affection was okay — even in public. It wasn't as if he wanted her to let him pull her into a public restroom at the courthouse and screw her or anything like that.

But

he would like to kiss her if they met for lunch or hold her hand when they went out together.

*~*~*

Abby looked around, confused, "This isn't the way home."

David took his eyes off the road for a moment and took her hand in his and brought it to his lips. He could feel her stiffen slightly and look around. He smiled and wondered who would see them inside the car this late at night — and who would care if they did see him kiss Abby's fingers?

"No. I have a surprise for you, an early anniversary present."

"Anniversary present? Our anniversary isn't for six months."

"I know so we'll call it our half-year anniversary. It's so pretty in the mountains this time of the year and I thought it would be nice to go to the cabin for the weekend."

"Cabin? Weekend? But David, I haven't packed anything!"

"I know," he smiled. "I've packed everything we need."

"David, you should have told me. What if you've forgotten something?"

"Then we'll do without for a couple of days. We'll survive."

Abigail sighed. She didn't really like surprises but she loved David so come what will, she thought.

"Abby, I love you."

"I love you, too," she said, her response automatic, and let the tension ease a little.

"I know," David smiled and paused a moment before continuing. "You know I'd never hurt you, don't you?"

"Of course I know that," she responded as her brow furrowed a little.

What was this all about?

"I won't hurt you, Abby. I'll never hurt you. Trust me."

He put his hand on her thigh, patted it, and again felt her entire body stiffen again. He loved her so much but hadn't been able to break her out of her hang-ups or her inhibitions. He had yet to see Abby completely naked except for her lightening fast dashes from their bed to the master bathroom.

They first met at a downtown bistro where she had been sitting at a small table with a textbook open before her as she ate a corn beef sandwich with pickles. He'd seen her before at the same eatery near the courthouse but hadn't paid much attention. That day the bistro was crowded and as he looked around for a place to sit and eat his food, he saw her again. He let the people behind him take the last table so he could ask if she would mind if he sat at the table with her.

He remembered that day and smiled. He had promised her he wouldn't talk so she could continue to study if she'd let him share her table since all the others were taken. She had looked up almost terrified by his request, and quickly scanned the room confirming that there were no empty tables. He thought she would deny him so he quickly added that he wouldn't bother her and he would eat fast. He needed to get back to court anyway, he had said in his most serious voice. Finally she nodded. He could see she was uncomfortable with his presence so he didn't say anything but just sat down and started eating.

He kept his word and didn't bother her but under his lashes he checked her out. She was very pretty but almost as if she wasn't aware of her beauty or was trying to hide it. He realized if that was what she wanted, she did a very good job because he'd seen her on several occasions at the courthouse or at a diner nearby and until that day hadn't noticed that she was a beauty. Her hair was a light brown with natural highlights. At the outdoor table with the sun shinning on it, it looked almost golden. She had it pulled back in a chaste bun at the nape of her neck. He'd seen her eyes were the darkest of browns when she looked up at him. Her clothes hid her shape but sitting at the table and seeing one slender leg crossed over the other, he was fairly certain she had a nice one. He had wondered if she consciously chose clothing that understated her looks or if it was just a total lack of fashion sense.

It had taken him a couple of months of 'accidental meetings' before she would agree to have lunch with him and another several months to convince her to go on an actual date. He really wasn't sure why he had spent the time, but something told him she was worth the effort. It had never taken him more than once or twice of asking to get a girl to go out with him.

David was an up and coming lawyer, tall and good-looking or so everyone said. At least his mom thought so. He always chucked at that. Mom thought Dad was the most handsome man in the universe and he looked just like his dad. Anyway, his sisters, who took after Mom, said he was a 'catch'.

"Don't fall asleep," he cautioned Abby, "I need help so I don't miss the turn-off."

He would no more miss the road than get lost going to his own house but he didn't want her to fall asleep. He wanted her a bit drowsy when they reached the cabin. She'd be less on her guard if she were a little sleepy.

"We need to turn at County Road 54. Oh there it is. Now watch for a fork in the road. It's about two miles from the turn off then we'll follow that road for about five miles up the mountain. I think there's an old guard house on the right."

"It sounds like you know where you're going. You've been to this place before?"

"A few times." More like a few hundred times; his family owned the cabin. Abby couldn't see the brief smile that crossed his face in the dark interior of the car.

They had left the restaurant about nine o'clock and it was a little after ten now. It would be closer to ten-thirty by the time they reached the cabin and got inside. She'd had had only one glass of wine from the bottle he had ordered with supper and but that would be enough. She rarely drank any thing alcoholic — none at all when they first met. He had had to coach her to take her first sip of a sweet wine on their honeymoon.

Abby was a virgin on their wedding night and David had been very gentle when he made love to her. David had want to make love to Abby once they became engaged ... sooner if the truth be told ... but adhered to her wishes to remain a virgin until their wedding night. On their wedding night, he had wanted to watch her undress but bowed to her wishes and didn't come to bed until she was in it. There, to his shock, he discovered that she had a nightgown on that covered her from her neck nearly to her toes — and panties! He couldn't believe it and she was so nervous that it took all of his finesse to get them off of her — even in the dark.

For the next few weeks she'd just let him pull the gown up to her neck but not take it off. Finally he said it had to go or he was turning the lights on. She let him take it off, reluctantly, but she would streak to the bathroom nearly immediately after they were done to clean up and put her gown back on. He would have liked to cuddle. Wasn't that a switch, he thought? Most the time it was the woman who wanted conversation and cuddling after sex and the man who fell asleep ... but not Abby. She wanted her gown back on!

At the time of their marriage, David's law firm was in the middle of a surge of new business and all the lawyers were taking on extra cases. He'd come home so exhausted that he just let Abby have her way but now things were under control at the office again and he was getting home earlier.

This weekend, he decided, he was going to break through her shell. He'd been trying various ways to reassure her since the wedding that it was okay to make love at anytime of the day and they should try different positions occasionally. But it was like talking to a wall, the resistance was so deep-seated. Tiring of her opposition to any of his suggestions, he concluded that something more drastic needed to be done and started planning this weekend.

They finally reached the cabin and he pulled up to the front and got out pulling the duffle bag from the back. David took Abby's hand and they climbed the steps to the porch. In the darkness she really couldn't see much.

"It's very quiet out here, isn't it," she whispered.

"Yep," he whispered back, "And pretty secluded, too, so there's no need to whisper." Then in his normal voice, he continued, "Tomorrow we'll look around more and take a hike."

He opened the door and flipped on the table lamp. It gave a soft glow to the room and Abby could see vases of wild flowers and candles.

"How romantic," she sighed.

David shut and locked the door, dropped the duffle, and reached out for her. He drew her into his arms and kissed her, but when his hand went to cover her breast though she stopped him.

"Not here, David, in the bedroom." She was willing but as usual only in the darkness of the bedroom.

That'd be okay for tonight. One plus, he thought, was after the first few weeks of marriage Abby revealed herself to be passionate and responsive to his touch, although she continued to refuse to consider turning on the lights or his suggestions to try a different position when they made love.

"Okay. Let's have another glass of wine and then we'll go to bed. We'll look around tomorrow," he said as he poured them another glass. She took it reluctantly but slowly drank it all as he looked at her with undisguised desire.

"You are so beautiful, Abby."

She blushed. "You only think so because you love me."

"Yes, I love you but I'd think you were lovely even if I didn't. I won't hurt you, Abby, ever. Trust me."

Again her brow furrowed as he repeated the same words he'd said in the car.

"Are you sleepy?"

"Yes." And to second the affirmation she yawned.

He took her hand and led her to the bedroom. The cabin was small with a rustic feel. The main room was a kitchen/dining/living combination. The bathroom was modern, though, and located just off the bedroom.

"Why don't you use the bathroom, if you need to, while I make sure the doors are locked and the lights are off."

"I need my nightgown," Abby insisted.

"I get what you need if you promise to be in bed naked when I come back. I'll give you a few minutes."

She started to protest but he lifted his eyebrows and she finally said, "Okay."

David turned back towards the living area smiling. A few minutes later he stripped and slipped into bed and pulled her into his arms.

"Did you get my nightgown?" Abby asked anxiously.

"I have everything you need, my love. Everything," then he kissed her.

His hands cupped her breasts and he found himself aroused by the anticipation that tomorrow he was going to see Abby in all her natural glory. The very thought inflamed him and he made love to her with a consuming passion that nearly overwhelmed her. And as much as he wanted to go outside her boundaries, David stayed within her guidelines. He would do that tonight — for the very last time.

As his hand cupped her mound his lips caressed her neck and shoulder before his mouth finally covered her breast. As he tasted her, he knew this weekend would turn out okay —

it had too. He loved her and he knew she loved him. Abby would forgive him for forcing her to let go of her quirks.

He also knew Abby felt she shouldn't derive such pleasure from making love; she had admitted that once to his great surprise. Abby said that she didn't know why she responded the way she did because she felt it was '

unnecessary

for her to enjoy sex', but then she added that she

did

like it when she saw the shock on his face. It might have been then that the seeds of this weekend adventure were planted in his mind. Whatever brought them to this point, David knew it was

necessary

for Abby to step outside of her comfort zone if their love was to continue to grow.

When she moaned he slipped his finger between her folds and gently aroused her. He didn't rush although he was about to explode. He made sure she was totally, completely ready for him. She was easily aroused and could be brought to orgasm fairly easily. He knew their love life would only get better when Abby realized it was okay for them to 'do it' in other places, in other ways, and in the light.

He kept her on the brink for a long time — much longer than he normally did. He wanted her to be completely exhausted by the time they were done. He worked her with experience and love, taking her up close and closer then backing away, moving his fingers away from her clitoris to her thighs.

"David, please ..."

"Not yet baby, you're not ready."

"Yes ... yes ... I am," she stuttered out.

"Soon, Abby, soon."

Finally he couldn't hold out any longer and moved on top of her. He entered her in one long, hard thrust. She cried out and climaxed almost immediately. His orgasm came only moments after hers. A few minutes later he rolled to his side and pulled her into his arms.

"I need to get my gown, David," she murmured sleepily.

"Let me hold you a while, Abby. I'll have what you need before you wake."

Maybe it was the wine or maybe she was just too exhausted to fight, but finally she relaxed in his arms and fell asleep. It was the first time he'd held her this close when she was completely naked except when they were actually doing the 'deed'. It felt wonderful. She had the softest skin and she smelled wonderful — a faint scent of her soap and shampoo, the remains of her morning's perfume — the one he gotten her for Christmas, and sex. Oh yeah, sex.