The Homecoming

"Hot Springs Rehabilitation Center," a friendly but familiar female voice said.

"Third floor house parent Mrs. J's office please," I said excitedly.

"One moment," the voice replied.

"Hello?" Mrs. J said in her friendly southern accent.

"Hey Mrs. J, it's Karen, Mat around?" I asked happily.

"He sure is, I just saw him a few minutes ago heading to his room, I'll go get him for you, hold on Hun," she replied in her usual happy manner.

I heard the familiar clunk of the phone and distant voices which had become quite routine for me over the past few months. Then as the phone went down, came the silence. Silence and waiting is what I both feared and was excited by. It was fear that my love would be out on the town with his friends, but the anticipation of hearing his voice, which had always excited me.

He had a strong southern accent with a manly tone. I was so attracted to him. More now then when we first met over a camera on the Internet on August 9th, 2001.This was to be our last telephone conversation for a while. The date was December 19th and a day and a half later we would finally be able to hold each other for the first time. It was a day I was both looking forward to but also dreaded.

Suddenly I was jolted into awareness again. Being lost in my own thoughts as I once again heard the phone being clunked around and picked up.

"Ya ready Karen? I'll transfer you to the other phone," I heard Mrs. J say.

"Uh, uh, yeah thanks," I said still kind of lost in my own thoughts that this situation that seemed just a mere fantasy was going to actually happen.

"Hey baby!" I heard Mat say excitedly.

"Hi hun how was your day?" I asked.

"It was okay, busy with all the preparations for graduation and packing to come see y'all, y'know, that kind of stuff," He replied.

He sounded happy but worn out.

"So are you happy the day is almost here that you graduate, get out of that place and come to see me?" I asked trying to shift some of my uneasiness away from myself.

I wasn't afraid of meeting him per se. Just the feeling of we had built something so strong I was afraid of him being disappointed when he met me. I not totally being what he envisioned or perceived me to be. I only wanted to make him happy and be the almost perfect woman he has always desired.

"Yeah I am, I'll miss the friends I've made here though, we promised to keep in touch as much as possible," he sounded a little regretful and homesick already.

I understood this as I have been in that very position when I was a child going to school and living in Montreal, Quebec.

"Well things'll be okay sweetie" I tried to assure him, not knowing if I was making any headway but trying hard to make him feel better.

The conversation lasted about another ten minutes. With us talking about his family's reluctance in him leaving the United States for Canada and his friends, our plans for the first couple of days we were together and the usual teasing of him on me. With him breathing into the phone faking orgasmic ecstasy. As usual I giggled and dismissed it as just him fooling around. I had no idea of all the wonderful sensations and feelings I was about to receive at the hands of this wonderful man I was about to receive once we had met. After all he was not experienced in matters of the flesh as I was. Who would have thought that I was about to have my thoughts challenged with such unbridled passion and sensuality that before were nothing but a wonderful, sexually fulfilling fantasy.

"Well Angel it's about 9:25pm here now and I'm fixin' to go okay baby?" he said in an almost apologetic way. We both hated this part. But we knew all the good-byes would all be but a distant memory soon.

"Okay I love you, get some sleep, enjoy your graduation, don't forget names and address's and phone numbers and I'll see you soon. Tell everyone I said bye and thanks and we'll send pictures as soon as we can. Try to sleep on the bus ride down," I told him.

"Okay Angel," Mat replied.

I loved it when he called me that. I mean I was used to pet names but no one ever called me that. He made me feel so special and loved.

"You have Heidi's cell phone number right?" I asked one more time to be sure.

"Uh huh," he said.

"Good, call me at the half way point," I urged.

"I sure will Angel, I love you baby and I'll see you soon," he said.

"Okay baby I love you and have a safe trip, tell your family not to worry, I wouldn't dream of letting anything happen to you that I can control," I replied not really wanting to let him go but knowing I had no choice.

"I will baby, love you m'bye" he said in his southern drawl.

The next day and a half went by without incident. I went about my usual business of helping out Heidi and just plain hanging out. The only thing that was not altogether unusual but frustrating was the restless sleep. For me though that was normal. Ever since I lived with my father as a child and was only visited by my mother once or twice a year that became a natural occurrence, fuelled by constant butterflies of anxious excitement.

He had called and now I was just waiting for the rest of the night to go by so I could go to sleep and await his arrival. He had said his bus was about to arrive around 6 pm the following evening.

The night was calm and the children had gone to sleep without argument. It was a nice change from my already jumpy nerves.

The next day Heidi and myself ran around the house cleaning like insane maids, getting ready to make sure everything was as perfect as it could be for Mat's arrival considering there were two children who loved making a mess around.

Around 4 o'clock I ran up or better yet climbed the stairs as fast as I could, and called to Heidi to come up and help me.

"What should I wear?" I beamed.

"Hmmmm," she wondered as she sifted through my very limited wardrobe.

"How about this?" she asked, holding up the different articles of clothing.

"It's as good as I'm going to get I guess, only have an hour and forty-five minutes left, I better hop in the shower," I said.

With that statement she left, I exited my room and steadied myself on the toy box placed outside my bedroom door so no children could get in and go through my things.

I ran the bathtub and washed my hair and body, then shaved. Climbing out of the bath onto the floor to dry off, I felt increasingly more nervous. With ever preparation I made to look as perfect as I could I knew I was one step closer to looking into those gorgeous blue eyes I had so badly missed. The thought of looking into them made my lips burn and my body shiver in delight. I have so longed for his kiss, his touch, and his caress. I knew with every pore of my body he would show me how to love someone in ways I never dreamed.

Shaking myself back to reality and out of my fantasy I hurriedly toweled off and proceeded to get dressed. I decided on black leather pants, black socks, a lacy black bra and panties and my Harley Davidson t-shirt that was about two sizes too small.

"That should catch his attention, not really showing anything but yet giving him enough to look at to make him wonder," I thought to myself smiling a devilish grin. I knew he liked my personality and my heart, but physically I think the tough girl, party animal image turned him on.

After I dressed I had brushed my teeth, mouth washed, deodorized, perfumed almost every crevice of my body. I was so hell bent on achieving perfection for this man I felt as if I was preparing to meet my rock star idol.

Then I began to finish with the hair and make-up process. I knew this was going to take awhile as I had wanted to get it just right.

When it was all said and done I had about forty-five minutes to spare. Technically I had about twenty-five as Scott Heidi's boyfriend, Heidi and myself were going to the bus station downtown twenty minutes early as to already be there when his bus pulled in.

I had decided to return back to my bedroom and smoke a cigarette and listen to some up beat music to combat my nervousness. After about two cigarettes and a couple of my favorite tunes I heard Scott call to me from downstairs.

I quickly put on my leather jacket and Doc Martens, laced them and double checked my wallet for cab fare as Scott as only dropping myself and Heidi off.

"Get the lead out woman, we gotta go or we're going to be late!" Scott shouted.

He was always teasing me. I enjoyed this though as I had not had brothers that treated me like I was a friend. They were always acting like authority figures.

I exited my room and locked the door, crawled to the stairs and began to descend them. Scott and Heidi were waiting at the bottom with my wheelchair and ready to go.

"Okay let's jet!" I said as I buckled the seatbelt to my chair.

The ride there was uneventful. Just me practically chain smoking and Heidi and Scott in the front seat talking about the usual: Scott's work, his band, the kids, and bills that needed to be paid and when. Typical relationship conversation.

Finally we arrived. Scott got out unpacked my chair from the trunk and put it together. Then he came and opened the backseat door to let me out. Heidi was already standing by his side waiting for me. I buckled myself in and Scott helped me up the curb to where people waited for others to either get on or off the bus. He kissed Heidi good-bye and walking away got back into the car. Heidi walked away from me towards the car and tapping on the driver's side window motioned for Scott to roll the window down.

"Be home in about an hour okay hun? love you," she quipped and kissed him again.

"Okay love you too," he called as he was rolling up the window and driving away.

By the time I saw his car at the corner, Heidi was back at my side. Now all there was to do was wait. This was the moment I had waited five and a half months for. I had conflicting emotions, fear, excitement, and sheer joy and of course very aroused. Heidi and I spent our time making small talk but staying away from the topic at hand that was about to unfold. I think she was doing it on purpose to help me stay calm. Her plan, if that is what it was, half worked.

Two minutes to six and I saw the Greyhound bus he was supposed to be on pull in. My heart felt like it had jumped into my throat and the butterflies were more active then usual. I automatically scrambled into my purse feverishly searching for my cigarettes and lit one.

The door to the bus seemed to open in slow motion. The driver got out and walked to the side of the bus and opened the baggage compartment and began to unload the barrage of luggage that was held within for the persons getting off at that particular destination.

Then I saw HIM. It was Mat. I hadn't seen his face in months but I knew it was he. He hadn't noticed me yet as he was helping the driver collect what belongings of his he could carry.

Oh even from the back and far away he was gorgeous. I couldn't wait for that first look, first word, and first touch.

Then the driver without looking in my direction and without Mat looking up he pointed in which direction Mat was to go in. He began to walk towards me, head down, one of his bags snug over his shoulder. Even with his head down I noticed a small sexy smile, spread across his well-shaped lips. He licked them slowly, almost seductively. I noticed something shiny as he stuck the tip of his tongue out to do so. It was the sun glinting off his barbell of his pierced tongue. I thought I would melt all the snow that surrounded me on the ground at that very sight and the heat that arose deep within my body.

He still didn't look up, as he bent down and placed his bag on the cold cement beside me. He stood back up, put his hands that should have been ice cold over mine that were placed gently in my lap and said.

"Hey Angel, greetings from Arkansas," he said softly but excitedly. I thought he was going to laugh but he didn't. I sat there feeling as if I had suddenly gone mute, staring into his blue eyes as clear, soft and magnificent as ocean waters and watching his lips as he spoke.

I felt Heidi nudge me and she looked at Mat and said rather amused at the way I was acting, "She's a little nervous," she giggled.

I tore my gaze off his eyes, but still holding his hands and feeling the intense energy coming from them.

"Hey sweetheart," I replied as I nearly tugged at his hands to pull him towards me to hug him.

He wrapped his arms around me with one leg on either side of my chair almost straddling me. Then he pulled away although not completely and looked into my eyes for what seemed like an eternity, then softly he placed his lips to mine. He lingered on them, gently licking as he kissed me all the while never removing his lips from mine. I felt my body start to sweat, flush and completely relax.

Heidi went to go look at the town map she had seen a million times before to give us some privacy.

Finally he pulled away and looked deeper into my eyes, almost penetrating my soul, smiled and said, " God you taste good baby, I can't wait to see what the rest of you tastes like," he said with a little grin.

I was really aroused now. The combination of the intensity of his eyes, his accent, his erotic vocabulary, scent and touch was enough to send any woman much less myself into a frenzy of lust. Plus I had a thing for men in black, and he wore a black leather trench coat that stopped mid -thigh, black button down shirt, black belt with silver clasp and black semi baggy pants. I wanted to eat him alive right then and there but I managed to exercise control. For now.

We had only spent about ten minutes at the bus station sizing each other up and well..........teasing each other, both of us giving the other a glimpse of what we both secretly desired would come later, but were too afraid to admit.

"Hide, we should think about getting back, I'm starving," I remarked.

"Yeah and I don't want Scott to worry either, besides should go home and check on Elaina anyway," she said.

We called the cab and waited. When it arrived we piled Mat's belongings he had into it. Then the driver put me in and Mat sitting on the bucket seat behind me while Heidi got in the front. When we were all settled, we were off, back to Heidi's once again.

Back at the homestead we all decided to order pizza that night as Heidi didn't feel like cooking for all those people. The remainder of the evening was spent sitting around and talking, getting to know each other, having a few drinks and watching movies.

The children were put to bed around seven and at around 10:30 Heidi and Scott decided to retire for the evening as well.

"Well we're all alone now sweetheart, what would you like to do? " I asked as I wrapped my arms around his neck in the dim light of the living room.

"Whatever your heart desires Angel...I'm already doing what I want.... being close to you," he said calm and lovingly as he held me close to his chest and kissed my forehead.

"How about we go upstairs, listen to some music and talk?" I suggested.

"Anything that includes you pretty lady sounds wonderful to me, let's go then...I would carry you Angel but I would be afraid I would drop you and I never want to hurt you, even by accident," he said with a little regret in his eyes. He wanted nothing more then to carry me in his arms to our temporary love nest and knowing he was unable to disturbed him greatly.

We got up and ascended the stairs to what was not only mine now, but our bedroom temporarily. Once there we put all the country Cd's in that we could think of that we would like that I had and listened to them all. But our song "Let's Make Love" by Faith Hill and her husband Tim McGraw was the only one being played over and over in our hearts.

We spent hours talking about the things we had already told each other a million times, our friends, family, how we grew up, past relationships, things we regretted and would do over again if given the chance and our hopes and dreams.

About 12:30 that same evening I told him to wait in the bedroom as I had to use the ladies room and also wanted to change into something a little more comfortable.

When I returned he was sitting on my four-poster wrought iron bed, his legs to his side, tucked neatly under him as he sat reading a book that he had noticed in my room that caught his eye. He didn't hear me as I entered and moved about the room therefore he never looked up from the book he found.

I busied myself lighting candles. Then I shut off the lamp and climbed onto the bed, smoothed the black negligee with the red roses on it and brown leaves and got into a comfortable position in front of him on the bed before he had a chance to look up from his book.

He strained to see what he was reading in the dim candlelight even though he was wearing his glasses it was still difficult for him to see and that is what caused him to look up.

He began to twitch his nose as if he were searching for where a particular scent was coming from.

I was now seated in front of him again with my legs outstretched and off to the side the same as he. One hand placed in my lap, the other used to steady myself. Half of my black hair with a tinge of purple hair fell over my shoulder onto my chest which appeared more ample then it was because of the slight padding and under wire of my negligee, while the rest of my hair dangled loosely behind me cascading down the bare flesh of my back.

He finally placed the book aside and looked up. The look of surprise and definite pleasure spread across his soft, sensual features. His blue eyes shot open, then softened, as he appeared to be looking at something so deliciously wonderful that he could not bare to gaze upon it any longer but yet all the same could not bare to look away.

"Wow Angel! You look beautiful," he said as he licked his lips full with desire.

"Thank you sweetheart you're not so bad yourself," I remarked with a sly smile as I peered into his blue eyes.

Silence fell upon us for a long while, as we could not speak what we truly were feeling at the moment but both of us knowing, feeling, wanting and definitely craving the passion that was so unmistakenably brewing between us. Mat was the first to break the silence.

"May I kiss you again my sweet Angel?," he asked as he leaned closer to me.

Before I could respond his lips were upon me firm but gentle and ever so passionate. I lay my hand on the open part of his shirt against his soft, hot skin. I parted my lips slightly as his hot, wet, delicate pierced tongue expertly explored, thrusted, teased and tasted every crevice within my wanting mouth. Hearing the soft 'ting' as the barbells of both our tongue piercings mingled as we kissed. He kissed me until I felt as if the very core of my being would explode and my hot, moist center would beg if it indeed had a voice of it's own for his touch. The only sounds I was able to hear any longer was his breathing which was growing deeper and shallower and my ever-quickening heartbeat. I tried to keep calm; to exert some sense of control over my lust, but this man was making me lose myself in his passion.

I moved my hand down his chest and another button on his black shirt popped free. He reluctantly moved away from my lips and looked into my eyes.

"Is this what you want baby? To let your hands feel all of me? .... go ahead...don't be afraid. I decided to give you all of me the moment I met you, I need you to touch me Karen," he said as he took my hand and placed it on his shoulder and sliding it down his arm in a slow seductive movement as the garment fell away from his body. Taking my hand again after allowing the garment to fall away he placed my hand on his collarbone, down to the waist of his pants and back up again.

"Mmmmmm...yeah babe that feels sooooo good...yeah I love it when you stroke my body," he moaned as his eyes closed for a moment then reaching his hand out again placed it on the nape of my neck at the back, entwined his fingers in my hair and pulled me to him again. His lips upon me yet again they traveled to the side of my face, down to my neck, to my earlobe and back again.