When We Were Young

Please read When We Were Young Ch. 18 and this will make a lot more sense.

Special thanks to kenjisato for the editing, whom I cannot recommend enough.

Comments would really be appreciated.

**

The alarm clock on my side of the bed woke me up. Eight o'clock, Thanksgiving morning. I shut it off, quickly, and glanced at Linda, who smiled, sleep in her eyes.

"Five minutes, ma'am," I yawned, and she nodded, closing her eyes.

I am not a morning person, but I was trying. I crawled out of bed, kicked up the thermostat, went into the bathroom, used the toilet (not easy to do with morning wood), turned the shower on, and laid out the towels, trimmer, and her robe.

Back in the bedroom, I kissed her forehead.

"Shower's ready, ma'am."

"Thank you."

I pulled the covers back and helped her up. In the bathroom, I stood quietly while she used the toilet, then removed her Backstreet Boys t-shirt (don't ask) and sleep shorts and helped her into the shower.

I washed her body while she gradually woke up, neither of us speaking. She mewled while I washed her long hair, and I couldn't resist kissing her shoulder.

"Focus on your task."

"Yes, ma'am. Sorry, ma'am."

Finished, I wrapped her hair in a towel and dried her, then applied moisturizer to her body. She was as beautiful as ever, but I had gotten better at ignoring this while I worked. I draped a towel over the toilet seat, and she sat down, legs spread.

Using a beard trimmer, I trimmed her pubic hair short, then took a razor and removed a little cleft, creating a heart-shaped pattern. Then I took a wet washcloth and removed the trimmed hair, before giving her the hand mirror.

She nodded her approval, stood, and I helped her into her robe.

"Shower."

"Yes, ma'am."

Every morning we were together, usually just weekends since school started, this is how we began our day, the hair-trimming once a week. We often had sex before we got started, but once we were finished, we slipped easily into our roles. Bridget had recommended it, and it was a great reminder of our power dynamic. It put us directly into a sub-and-dom mindset, and I found it very calming. I also noticed Linda was more self-assured and radiated a quiet confidence.

When we were out together, waiters and salespeople gravitated to her naturally, and I had begun to notice this when we were out in a group, as well.

I stepped from the shower and frowned, seeing her in sweatpants and a sweatshirt, rubbing lotion on her face.

I dried quickly, pulled on some sweats, and stepped up and kissed her neck.

"Dressing you is my job, ma'am."

"I was cold. Look at it this way, now you get to undress me AND dress me," she smiled.

"Well, aren't you a genius?"

"I believe I am. Breakfast, please."

"Yes, ma'am."

I'd bought a coffee maker for the little kitchen upstairs, and fixed us each a cup, dug out the fruit plate I had stashed in the fridge last night, and popped a bagel into the toaster oven.

Linda was sitting in bed, up against the headboard, and I set the breakfast tray between us. Linda turned on our fancy new flat-screen television, which was all the rage in 2001, to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, and we ate in companionable quiet.

The castle was empty for the first time since we had moved in, and we enjoyed the privacy we got too little of.

Mar and Mama were down in Georgia, visiting Mama's twin boys and daughter, on leave from the Coast Guard; Holly was in Indiana, visiting family; and Jazz and Thea had flown out to Seattle the previous weekend to spend some time with Miss Ruth and Cal on the bus.

Speaking of, they were enjoying themselves immensely, having visited the Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, San Francisco, and Napa Valley, then up the coast to Seattle. We spoke every few days and were looking forward to seeing them at Christmas.

Cal had sent me an email a week after they left with a link to an article in a Cleveland newspaper.

Cavs Release Brentford in Surprise Move

By Al Johnson -- Staff Writer

Jamaal Brentford, 26-year-old backup center entering his fourth season with the Cavs, was released unexpectedly yesterday, just days before training camp is set to begin. Brentford, who averaged 12.6 points and 7.8 rebounds last year, was thought to have an expanded role with the team this year. Obviously, that won't happen.

Reached for comment, GM David Hunterson said, "We had high hopes for Jamaal this year. On the court, he is quite talented. Off the court, well, there are just some things his talent can't overcome. In my seventeen years as a General Manager, I have made it a priority to meet with every player I trade or release, and try to find an opportunity for them elsewhere, be that in the NBA, or overseas, and to wish them well. That won't be happening with Mr. Brentford." Asked to elaborate, Hunterson "regrettably...declined."

When reached for comment, Brentford said he was "confused and mad," and referred questions to his agent, Boz Jackson, who said "I was given no reason for his release, but it's their loss," adding, "Jamaal will have no trouble finding a team that appreciates his supreme talent."

I'm not a revenge guy, not at all, but I smiled, then said a little prayer for KJ.

A week later, I saw a blurb online that he was still unsigned, and he and his agent had 'parted ways'. A month later, he was playing on a second-division team in Croatia, averaging twenty-seven points and sixteen rebounds a game against vastly inferior competition.

Mama had the stent put in, started on medication for her high cholesterol and blood pressure, and we had started walking nearly every day. She'd lost twenty-seven pounds in eleven weeks, and we were very proud of her; more importantly, she was proud of herself.

Mar loved school, and I spent Tuesdays with my girlfriend, doing whatever Mar had planned. It usually involved being out in public together, and more and more frequently, Mama would go with us. Mar would hang on my arm for a while, asking Mama to walk behind us, then have us switch places, so she could gauge the difference in reactions. Sometimes they were obvious and disgusting, but usually more subtle, and, if you weren't paying attention, you would miss it. Then Mar would send us off to get coffee or something, while she made a bunch of notes.

"It's going to be my thesis, I think. 'Openly Homosexual Relationships in Public', or something like that," she eventually told us.

Mama and I told her that if we were going to be guinea pigs, we deserved compensation. You can probably guess how she repaid us.

Holly's divorce had gone through yesterday, and she was relieved to have it over. She had given Wayne fifty million dollars and he had taken the job in Miami, then she gave Barb twenty-five million, keeping the rest, and the house, which she planned to sell. She told us she was going to go lay on a beach somewhere for a few weeks and decide what she wanted to do with her life, but I was sure she would come back to us; she loved working with plants as much as Thea, and was spending more and more time with her and Jazz.

Pam had told her husband, Gary, about her infidelity. She said he wasn't angry, just disappointed, 'which was a thousand times worse'. They went to see Carmen on our recommendation, and by Thanksgiving, Pam told me they were 'really talking about what we want and need' and their sex life was 'better than it had ever been'. Linda and I had been to dinner with them, and we really liked Gary, happy they were going to be okay.

DeeDee said everything was fine at home, and hinted at wanting to get together with Jazz and Thea again, but I don't think it had happened.

Candy and I went to lunch once, and we were becoming good friends, but we hadn't been together again. I wanted Linda to join us, and we had been too busy for that to have happened, yet.

Jazz, Thea, Mar, and I joined their Tuesday night bowling league. We were awful, but had a good time, and by Thanksgiving, most everyone had accepted Jazz, Thea, and Mar, or kept their bigotry in check around us. Partly because it was impossible to dislike Jazz, who liked everyone and worked tirelessly to be liked back. And partly because of Candy, Pam, Holly, and DeeDee, who went out of their way to show everyone how much they approved of us. Part of the reason we were so bad, I think, is because of how much effort we put in to being included. It shouldn't be that way, but that's the truth of it. It also provided a lot of material for Mar.

**

"I have a job interview tomorrow," Linda said, as we ate breakfast Thanksgiving morning.

"Really? How did that happen?"

"Bridget's partner, Andre, from Miss Ruth's party? He's president of Dynamic Wealth Bank. Bridget asked me for my resume a few weeks ago and he called me yesterday, said he wanted me to meet his IT director, John Bradford, about an opening they have."

"Wow, that's great, right?" I replied, noting she didn't seem very excited.

She sighed. "I want to earn my way to the top, not be given it, Tone, you know that. I appreciate what Bridget did, but I've worked too hard to just be given a job because of who I know."

"Why don't you wait until after your meeting before you decide they're just giving you a job because of Bridget? Maybe your resume blew them away, I mean, it's pretty damned impressive. Valedictorian in high school, top three in college, and straight A's in grad school. You're hardly scraping by."

She grinned. "Okay, I'll wait until tomorrow to decide they're just giving me a job because of Bridget."

I smiled and nodded. "That's my girl. You ready to get dressed?"

"Yeah. Let me set your outfit out first."

I took our dishes to the kitchen and made the bed while she laid my clothes out (dress pants, a button-down, and a sweater), then followed her along to the dressing room.

I removed her sweatshirt and slid a nude camisole on, then sat on a padded stool beside her, my head even with her breasts, while she put on her makeup and fixed her hair. The stool was new, Bridget's idea, and I loved it. We didn't talk, I just rested my arm on her leg, feeding off the connection. It wasn't lost on me that fifteen years ago I was in Miss Ruth's office, looking up at her.

When she was ready, I removed her sweats, slid nude satin panties on, nude thigh-highs, then a green silk blouse, knee-length brown skirt, a tweed jacket, and two-inch heels.

"Well?"

"Beautiful. Perfect for a family reunion."

She smiled, softly. "Go get dressed, honey."

**

"How's school?" she asked, as we drove the two hours to the senior citizen day center slash nursery school my family rented for our yearly reunion.

"Fine."

"Are you passing?" she asked, nonchalantly, but I caught the concern she tried not to show.

My online lectures and assignments for the week dropped Monday mornings, and I typically chose to grind through until midnight or so, which was usually enough to get things done for the week. Online classes seemed easier, thankfully, than in-person ones, and I was taking fewer hours than Linda and Sharon.

But, between you and me, I hated it. I just didn't see the point. I liked my Thursdays with the landscapers, hanging with the security folks on Wednesday evenings, learning to be a good sub with Miss Bridget, even my meetings with our accountant, Mistress Mary. As a result, I suffered from a serious lack of motivation. Linda wouldn't let me quit, though, saying you never knew when I might need it.

I chuckled. "Yes, straight C's; one's almost a B. Don't worry, I'll pass."

"I would be very disappointed if you didn't," an unmistakable warning communicated.

I swallowed. "Yes, ma'am."

"You'll tell me if you need help, honey," her tone soft.

"I will, thank you," and she squeezed my hand.

"I talked to Carrie for a few minutes yesterday," I said, changing the subject. "She sounded exhausted. She said their business has almost doubled since Miss Ruth's party. Lauren's baseball player boyfriend, Luis, spent nearly forty thousand dollars the next day and has been back a few times since then, and a dozen people Bertie Westerfield introduced her to have been in to have Corey make them suits. She said she and Corey have been working fourteen-hour days to keep up."

"Poor things. We've got to invite them over during Christmas break; I really like them," Linda said.

"Have you heard anything from Mar or Mama?" I asked.

"Mama texted me yesterday to let me know she left us some lasagna in the freezer. I asked her how her kids reacted to her being with Mar, and she said it was tense at first, but they were warming to Mar and could tell Mama was happy," Linda replied.

"It has to be a big shock to them to see their mom with a woman, especially one as young as Mar."

"Mmmm. Oh, I invited my family over for brunch on Sunday and made reservations at Briarwood, my brother and his wife, included. I want them to see the castle."

"Okay."

"Ed's little girl, Marie, just turned four, and I was thinking about having her be the flower girl at the wedding. Would that be okay with you?" she asked.

"Whatever you want, honey," I said, making a mental note to Google what a flower girl did.

"Thanks. And what about Cody being the ring bearer? He was so cute at the Christmas party."

"His mom, my cousin Ellie, who you met briefly, will be at the reunion. Cody, too, probably. Let's ask them," I said.

"The wedding is already starting to stress me out. I can't imagine doing this without Ronny and Gabby. Speaking of, they need a list of your family to invite and their addresses."

"Yeah, they told me. I brought my laptop to get everyone's address; most of the people will be here today. You know, it's not too late to back out. We can be in Vegas by tonight and married by this time tomorrow," I grinned, saying a silent prayer.

"Is that where we're going on our honeymoon?" she asked, ignoring me.

She'd been trying to get the destination out of me for weeks.

"Hmmm, Las Vegas in July. Sounds magical, doesn't it? One hundred and fifteen degrees in the shade, desert as far as the eye can see."

"Are you ever gonna tell me?"

"Nope."

"Knobhead."

"Wanker."

**

Grandma Eleanor was still looking good, and we sat and chatted with her for a while.

"I met yo Miss Ruth," she said, delighting when we blushed.

"She's a firecracker, that one; I can understand why you like her so much. And such a dirty mouth! Words I ain't heard since yo granddaddy come home from the war," she laughed.

"She said you was both very good in bed, very giving, but shoot, I coulda told her you would be," her eyes danced with mirth when I blushed, she and Linda grinning.

"You's just like yo granddaddy, child. Don't never be embarrassed 'bout that, not 'round me," she added, patting my hand.

"No, Grandma, I won't," I smiled.

"Grandma, would you like to spend the day before our wedding at the castle? There's a big bedroom on the main floor where you can stay, and we'd love to show you all around the property; we just won't have time the next day," I asked, as Linda took her hand.

"Well, that would be very nice, thank you both. Oh, I been meanin' to ask, can I bring my man friend to yo weddin'?"

"Uhh, sure," I said, looking at Linda, both of us nodding.

"I mean, of course you can. We'd love to meet him. We can fix up a room for him, no problem. Right, Lin?"

"No need, child. We don't normally share a bed all night, but we been known to, time ta time."

Linda and I shared a look and Grandma tutted.

"Do you two know the number one place where STDs are spread? Nursin' homes, that's where, and our senior apartment complex ain't much different. I woulda thought yo Miss Ruth woulda broadened yo horizons some."

"You know, Grandma, you're absolutely right, and if there is one place in this state where whatever you get up to pales in comparison to what has happened there before, it's our castle. Right, Lin?"

"Absolutely," she grinned. "We can't wait to meet him and show you our home."

"Wonderful. Now you best be gettin' on, yo cousins are startin' to stare."

**

"Ellie, do you think Cody would be the ring bearer at my wedding next July?" I asked my cousin.

She grinned, looking over at Cody, who was sitting on Linda's lap, slowly reading a book to her.

"Are you kidding? He'd be thrilled. He's got quite the little crush on her; talks about Tony's girlfriend all the time and couldn't wait to get here today when I told him you'd both be here."

I chuckled. "Smart little bugger. I'll ask him when they finish the book. Thanks, Ellie."

"We're happy for you, Tony, and we like Linda; you found a good one. Now, tell me about Miss Ruth and this castle."

**

Cody, who had just turned five, and I were in a quiet corner, sitting on tiny chairs.

"Big man, Linda and I need your help."

He looked up at me, eyes wide, and nodded.

"She's pretty great, huh?" I grinned, and he grinned and nodded.

"Next summer, Linda and I are getting married like your Mommy and Daddy did, and we need somebody to bring our rings to us, you know, like your Mommy and Daddy wear. Would you do that for us, please?"

"What do I do?"

"It's super easy, but super important, too. Your Mommy will be here, and Linda and I will be here," I said, diagramming it on the floor.

"Mommy will give you a pillow with our rings on it, and you will bring them to us. We'll even practice a couple of times. What do you say? Will you help us?"

He looked at me for a few seconds, then over at Linda, then back at me.

"Sounds easy," he shrugged.

I nodded. "Yeah, but super important. We can't get married without the rings."

He nodded. "I can do it, I'll be almost six by then," he said, quite seriously.

"Whew," I said, swiping my hand across my forehead. "You're a lifesaver, Cody," and he giggled.

"You ever dunk a basketball?"

"I'm too short, Tony."

"Not if I help," I grinned. "Come on, big man," I said, picking him up and holding him on my hip.

There was a hoop outside and some of my cousins were playing P-I-G in the weak November sun. I stood him on my shoulders, and we spent a few minutes dunking the ball, then other kids wanted to do it, so I spent an hour out there, my hands frigid and the shoulders of my sweater dirty by the time I made it back inside.

**

Linda had the car seat laid back, fast asleep. We had been very popular, those who hadn't been introduced to her at my parents' Christmas party wanted to meet her, and everyone was curious about the castle, Miss Ruth, Ferguson Hills, and how we had come to live there. So much so, that two hundred and twenty-four of my closest relatives had said they planned to attend our wedding.

Jesus. Why Linda wanted to get married in front of all these people would forever boggle my mind. I mean, they were my relatives, and I couldn't name half of them!

A few people cautiously brought up money, but didn't pursue it when I glossed over or ignored it. I figured that would be much harder to do after they saw the size of the castle and all the other mansions in the Hills.

We got home about five, and paused to wish G, who was working the entrance, a happy Thanksgiving.

"I'm surprised to see you; I figured you'd be spending time with your kids (G had five)," I said.

"Five kids at home is WHY I work holidays, jefe," he laughed. "That, and double-time. Hola, Miss Linda."

"Hola, G. Happy Thanksgiving."

**

I got into some sweats, then went along to the dressing room, undressed Lin, helped her into some sweats of her own, and we went for a run through Ferguson Hills in the fading light. It really was a beautiful place, with decorative street lights every couple of hundred feet, hedges or decorative fencing bordering the streets, and beautiful homes set back from manicured lawns. The landscaping crews had hung big red bows from each light and wrapped the poles with white lights, while giant wreaths had been tied to the fencing.