I met the woman I married at a grocery store of all places. In fact, even more unlikely it was one AM, I got home earlier a bit after 11 that night from my 3 PM to 11 PM swing shift packing paper bags into bundles.
Exhausted, I had plopped down on the couch, flicked on the late news and grabbed my paper. Of course I dozed off, waking up just after midnight hungry.
No human being should ever be forced to work two weeks of day shift, then two weeks of swing, then graveyard and start all over again.
I was always hungry at strange times, I pooped at strange times. I slept when I felt like it, nothing ever settled into any kind of anything normal.
I checked my tiny kitchen, there was the usual few cans of beans I never touched and some soup, that wasn't going to do. I needed eggs and bacon and maybe some finely grated spuds, so off down the street I went.
It was just six blocks to the all night store, and one of those late summer days that never cool off, so I was wearing my cheap blue work jeans and a t-shirt. I still smelled like fresh made paper and sweat, I knew, but I didn't care. I hadn't even brushed my teeth, let alone washed my face and hands.
I found some eggs, the big jumbo ones I like. Coming around the corner to get a pound of bacon, there she stood. She was looking at some sacks of oranges, holding one up closely to her face to read the label.
I came right to a stop.
Her hair was every color hair can be, it flowed in waves down over her shoulders. She was slender, wearing jeans and a cutoff t-shirt. It was the hair that got my attention since I couldn't see her face, but redheads make me weak in the knees. She sensed me standing there, looked over her shoulder and smiled.
It was suddenly daylight in the store!
"I'm sorry, am I in your way?" She said, as I stood there with a stupid look on my face.
"Uhhh...no. I just need to get some bacon."
She moved her cart aside, I went on past her and picked up a package. She rolled her cart right up beside me.
"Did you look at this brand?" She asked, picking up a package I never buy, way too expensive.
"No, I usually...." That was all I got out.
"See, this one is a full pound, that one is only 12 ounces. Plus look here." She flipped the little tab on the back, it showed that the strips were meaty and thick. Then she flipped the tab on the one I had picked, it had tiny thin little strips of darker meat, it was mostly just fat.
"I never really noticed." I said, taking the package she picked and putting it in my cart.
"Good food really matters, and it pays to check." She smiled at me.
I thanked her, went down to the piles of potatos. She followed right along. It actually was a bit odd, usually if I saw someone in the store I liked the looks of, all that happened was they might smile and we would pass in two different directions.
I was selecting some of the big baker type spuds I like. She started picking some of them and looking each one over, then either handed it to me or put it back.
"You work at the paper mill, don't you?"
"Yes, how did you know?" I answered, suspecting she could probably smell the stuff.
"Paper dust on your t-shirt." She giggled, flicking at a few bits on my shirt.
Now she was actually touching me, another surprise.
"My dad works there." She said.
"Oh." I managed. Out at one of the bars I can usually come up with some kind of clever pickup line, but here I was stone cold sober and she was right in front of me. No time to check her out and think of something to say.
All I could think of was I wished I had brushed my teeth at least. I was trying to turn my head so she couldn't smell my breath but pay attention at the same time. She was really cute. I thanked her and headed for the checkout. Setting my items on the little conveyor, she bumped into me from behind.
"Oh, sorry!" She said again, still smiling.
"That's OK, I liked it." I wisecracked.
She giggled like I was one of the best standup acts around, then her hand came up and brushed her hair back from her face. She had pretty green eyes, a cute round face and....freckles.
"Say, would you like to join me for a cup of coffee?" I asked her, taking a shot.
"No, thank you." I felt a momentary shot of disappointment.
"But I would like a cup of tea."
"Tea it shall be!", I smiled.
That was the start, Patty and I were an item just like that. The third date we ended up at her apartment, had a heavy necking session.
Within another week we were playing with each other's naked bodies, but no actual sex. She told me she was saving herself for marriage and she meant it. But she had no reservations at all about stroking me to climax, in fact, she seemed to delight in doing that. It was more than just delight, she was eager. I did my best to do the same for her, then one evening I was kissing the soft hairs on her stomach and I went a bit lower.
"No, don't do....that." she muttered, her hands tugging at my hair.
I just kept on, as soon as my lips touched her, she changed her mind. It didn't take long before she returned the favor, we ended up in several fantastic 69 sessions.
Patty had freckles everywhere.
We did the meeting Mom and Dad bit, they were nice normal conservative people, he worked in the mill like I did so we talked about work and fishing trips and all the usual.
My Mom and Dad had seperated when I was young, I grew up cared for by my Aunt Betty. Aunt Betty had passed away when I was 20, she left the house to me. I hadn't seen either of my folks since I was very young, my Dad was overseas somewhere and I had no idea where my Mother was. I got a card each year at Christmas and on my birthday from Dad, nothing from my Mother at all.
I liked the idea of a real family, I liked the idea of being with Patty, so I asked her to marry me. She jumped into my arms all happy, then we had to go ask her folks.
Her Dad shook my hand and told me it was about time, her Mom actually cried.
True to her word, Patty was a virgin that first night. I wasn't exactly, but I might as well have been. I could write and say it was wonderful, the truth is it was a struggle. It hurt her, and it took us quite a long time. I kept starting and stopping, finally we managed but barely.
The truth was she liked being stroked and teased, she liked my lips brushing her. So the next night that is what we did, afterwards we slept snuggled up tight and happy, satisfied. Patty was always eager for sexual play, oral sex.
The few times we actually had intercourse she tended to stiffen up and allow it but I could tell it was uncomfortable for her.
Finally I sat down with her and we discussed that, I felt something was wrong but she didn't. She told me that she just liked the things we did together, she just didn't really like me pushing into her. I finally convinced her that we needed to see a doctor, get checked out.
After the physicals, the kind elderly Doctor explained that Patty had what he called an abnormal vaginal opening, it was very small. That combined with my being a bit larger than normal made it difficult, even painful for her.
Patty admitted to him that it was extremely painful which surprised me, she hid that well when we tried. I knew she was uncomfortable but serious pain? I felt guilty somehow at that, thinking of all of my attempts, the coaxing I had tried.
The answer of course was mild surgery, and it worked. For the surgery, she had to be completely shaved. I really liked that, and after she was fully healed we tried it again and I slipped inside with little effort. Patty reacted slowly at first, then she turned into a crazy woman as she had her first vaginal orgasm.
"I never realized." She purred, laying with her head on my chest. I kissed her forehead, she had tears in her eyes. It was almost like we were beginning again, there was a very long period there where I was completely satisfied. I was always excited to get off work, and hurry home to her.
She kept herself completely shaved, realizing my delight in that. After awhile, she started going to a nearby spa for waxing. That made her feel even softer, our lovemaking became a three or four times each week thing, regular as clockwork.
It wasn't long before little Carl came along, then just a year later Carla joined our family. Carl was her Dad's name and Carlita was her Mom's, so we did that to honor them.
They both worshipped our two little bundles of mayhem, I am sure that given the chance they would have just kept them. The kids were over at what they called Grandma's as much as they were at home with us, it seemed.
Spoiled beyond the point of reason. Our life was perfection. Except for that damned mill.
Then one day I was swinging a bundle of paper bags up onto the conveyor belt when I felt a tug in the small of my back. I didn't pay too much attention to that at first, but as the day wore on it got worse and worse. By the end of my shift I was in agony.
It didn't get any better in the days to follow. I saw the Doctor, he checked me and took X-rays, prescribed some pills. All those did was make me feel slow and confused. I took a leave of absense from my job, I had several weeks of time saved up.
One day I was outside, my neighbor came over to the fence to chat. He was an older man, retired. He spent most of his time making sure that every single blade of grass in his yard was exactly the same length.
"Hurting, Danny?" He asked me, noticing the back brace I had strapped on.
"Yea, and it doesn't seem to be getting any better. The Doc gave me some pills, says it is just muscle strain, but that isn't helping."
"Gotta get some blood flowing in there, hey, I have someone who can help you." He went inside his house, came back out and handed me a card.
I looked at it. "Lynn's massage therapy." It read, and just a phone number.
"I don't think...."
"Hey, she is magic, give her a try. What do you have to lose?" He helped himself to a cold one out of my cooler and plopped down, we talked about football the rest of the afternoon.
