From Simplicity to Complicated

Disclaimer: No characters are under 18 as it pertains to any sort of sexual activities. While the fictional MC's LI does afford her champagne at 18 years old, I do not condone or encourage anyone from doing this in real life.

Chapter 01

Dear Diary,

Forgive me as I've never done any kind of journaling and this whole concept, while beyond weird, is also a bit frightening. My thoughts running around my head are safe. But here on paper, they become something real, something I don't want anyone to know. But I've been so distressed, I need to do something. The briefest search on the internet recommended this in lieu of going to a therapist. Not that going to a therapist is out of my reach, my husband makes great money as an investment broker. I just don't trust easily and what has happened, I don't want to share. Well, I did trust easily until it was broken by someone I thought was a friend. Thankfully that came after meeting my future husband but also because I met him.

I suppose I should start at the beginning of us, my husband David and I, as friends and then as a couple. Though I'm not sure you could really say we were friends first...That sounds odd as I think about it, but it is what it is. Not that I really had friends. But I think I'm getting lost here. We met just over 10 years ago, and we'll be celebrating our 9th wedding anniversary this year. I was 17 at the time. I was a bit of a homebody even then, but not out of choice but because of a domineering mother. The highlight of my days back then was babysitting our next door neighbor's son Robbie. While I believe I was and am still attractive, I was rather subdued in most things because of my mom and upbringing. Maybe a bit of that "baby/teenage fat" but David loved it. After we started our life as a couple, living together I often worked out with him which really began to tone my body.

While most girls my age growing up were spreading their wings with makeup, clothes and hair styles, I wasn't allowed things that could be considered enticing. Except for certain functions my parents went to, and then I'd be sent to Esmeralda's to have my "makeup" and hair done. I could forget about parties, sleep overs and get-togethers for my age, they were strictly off limits for me. Well I did get dragged to my junior and senior prom. Gawd that was embarrassing. Who wants to go with a 40+ year old man in his Marine dress blues? I had enough of that at the functions my parents took me to. I'd have rather just stayed home.

It probably looked cool, but trust me, I was dying the whole time.

And since mom was a teacher at my high school, I couldn't do what some girls did and doll up in the bathroom in school. She even had some of her teacher friends keeping their eyes on me. And since that meant they'd have their eyes on those around me, you can imagine how alone I was after starting high school. The only ones who would occasionally walk between classes with me were the kids who were seriously interested in money. I mean, that's all they talked about. Not that I had any money but my family was very well off. Well most of the parents of the kids in my school were well off. I think the only reason mom was a teacher was to keep an eye on me.

Probably the only thing that would make it worse would be if they had been religious. My dad usually gave me whatever I wanted, as long as it hadn't been preemptively disapproved of by my mom. I often believed that somewhere in his office was a huge list of what she had said I could do or have.

Anytime I clashed with her, dad almost always took her side and if I fought her too hard I was punished for bucking what she said and wanted. It just became easier to accept what was happening and going on with my life.

Anyway, my husband David is just over 12 years older than me. I was born three days after his 12th birthday. It was a fairly random meeting. I was walking back from my evening babysitting job and a very nice BMW car pulled up along the curb. Now I know what you are thinking, if I babysat next door, why did I say "I was walking back from"? From her entrance walkway to ours it is nearly three thousand feet long, add in another six hundred feet for both houses from the main sidewalk and that's a walk. Anyway, the driver's window was barely down, eight inches at most. I think he did it to make me feel I was safe.

Approximately Ten Years Ago:

"Excuse me Miss." David called. "I don't mean to disturb you, but I'm looking for the Burello family's home?"

It wasn't unusual for people to come into our neighborhood and get lost. One giant house can look pretty much like any other and with street names like Lakewood dr, Lakewood ct, Lakewood ln, it just adds to the confusion. You'd think the gatehouse would give them better directions but they don't.

"May I ask why you are looking for it?" I asked as I bent over a bit to see him better.

"His eyes seemed to open a bit wider and I thought I saw a bit of blush on his cheeks, but it was after 9 pm and with the sky darkening the colors were being muted."

"Oh sure, I've got an appointment to discuss an investment opportunity with Willard." David smiled.

"It's the only five story on this street, just over the hill." I nodded and gestured at the same time.

"Thanks, I hope you have a good evening Miss." David smiled at me. He had a very charming smile.

I blushed a bit as I waved and he chuckled when he waved back before driving down the street.

I wasn't sure why he blushed and I thought I had imagined it. I walked on down to the entrance of our front yard and made my way up and into the house.

For the most part I had put it out of my head but as I laid in bed that night I kept wondering what could have made him blush? By the next morning I had decided it must have been a bit of my cleavage he saw. No, I'm not some double D girl, I fluctuate from a 34 B 1/2 cup to C cup.

I saw David three more times that month as he had several meetings with Mr Burello. I knew from my father's investment deals, either he was having a hard time selling him on whatever the investment was, or it was a giant project that required a lot of time. All the other times I saw him, he was leaving the neighborhood, and I was walking home from babysitting. He'd always stop to talk for a short bit before moving on. The last time that month I saw him like that was actually my birthday.

"Hey Beth." David called as he pulled over to the curb.

"Evening David. Back to try again?" I grinned.

David laughed as he kind of shrugged.

"Big projects like this can take a lot of work to motivate or lock-in the investor." David explained. "Actually it is a rare occasion but I have no evening appointments Friday. So I was wondering if you weren't busy Friday, if you would like to go get some drinks?"

I blushed even as I would love to do that. But I shook my head.

"I'm not old enough to drink." I smiled.

"What? I thought for sure you were 21." David frowned.

"No, actually today is my 18th birthday." I told him.

"Really?" David seemed surprised. "That's weird, I just turned 30 three days ago. Happy birthday to you. Well then, what about I just take you to dinner to celebrate both of our birthdays?"

I blushed harder at that. An actual date with a man?

"Happy belated birthday to you. I'm not sure, my folks are pretty strict." I hemmed.

"Do they know the Burellos?" David asked.

I nodded.

"Well, unless you have a problem with it, or don't want to go...I'll ask Willard if he will call your dad and see if he can grease some wheels with him to meet and maybe he'll let you go. Does that sound okay?" David asked.

I felt serious butterflies in my stomach at that thought.

"I think I would like that." I grinned. At least this way I wouldn't get into any trouble. I seriously couldn't wait for college to start in the fall, so I will be able to get away from my parents, well mostly my mom. I'd been accepted at the best college for culinary skills and the best part was, it was just far enough away from home that it made more sense for me to live on campus rather than try and come home every day. I hoped anyway.

David grinned as he drove away. I was on cloud nine at this point. Not about going with him, but that he wanted to take me out. I wasn't too hopeful that my parents would allow it.

Boy was I wrong. When I got home from school the next day I saw David's car in our drive. I can't begin to describe the butterflies that swelled up in my stomach at that. I was greeted by Gladys, our head maid, as I entered the house. She took my bookbag and told me dad was waiting to see me in his den. That's another sore spot between my mom and me. She dumps on me all the time about picking up after myself but she always blows through the house like a herd of teenage slobs.

Our mechanic had been asked by the staff that when she arrived at the garage he phoned the main house. That way one of the maids would greet her at the door and follow her through picking up everything as she tore through. I didn't begrudge dad from spoiling her, since he was rich before they married, but couldn't she have been a little less strict with me? I still remember my sleep shirt had a loose thread on it when I came down for breakfast one morning. You'd have thought I had committed murder the way she went off on me about my state.

Anyway, the way I felt, you'd have thought I was on the way to a firing squad as I walked through our home to daddy's den."

"Pumpkin!" My dad said with a huge smile on his face as he stood up when I rapped on his open door. Dad is a giant, almost 6 foot 8, but rail thin. His hair, while very thin on the back of his head, was streaked in that sexy aging gray way. Clean shaven and nerd glasses. "I understand you know David Gryndsley." Dad gestured at David.

I nodded as I smiled. I could feel the heat on my cheeks as I blushed.

"Good afternoon Beth." David smiled as he stood up as well.

"I do daddy, we've talked out front a few times since he got lost looking for the Burello's house." I kissed my dad's cheek as he bent over to hug me. "It's nice seeing you again David."

David kissed the back of my hand as I reached out to shake his hand. I really blushed at that.

"David wanted permission to ask you to dinner Friday, I told him I was okay with it as long as that is what you want." Dad told me.

You could have knocked me down with a feather, I was so shocked.

"I-I'd be honored." I said, still trying to understand how this worked out. My wants were seldom in consideration.

"That's wonderful." David smiled. "Would it be okay to pick you up at 6:30?"

I looked to my dad who, while nodding, had a very speculating look to his eyes as he looked at me.

"I'm looking forward to it. Is there a special way I should dress?" I asked.

"We'll be going to Samson's." David smiled.

Samson's was one of the most elite restaurants.

"Oh wait, Friday? I've got to babysit Robbie." I frowned as I looked from David to dad.

"Not a problem, I'll arrange for one of the domestics to keep an eye on him." Dad told me.

"Thanks daddy." I smiled. "Thank you David, I'm looking forward to it." Since he gave his word in front of David I knew that he'd honor it no matter how mad mom will be.

"If you kids want to visit for a while, you are more than welcome to." Dad smiled at me as he shook David's hand.

I groaned inside my head at dad calling him a kid. I mean, he's like only 6 years younger than mom, but still. Yes, mom got knocked up with me during their honeymoon, or at least to hear her tell it. It would have been close either way.

I blushed even as I smiled and I reached for David's hand. I don't know why I did that, but I did. His hand had felt amazing in mine when he kissed it a few moments ago maybe that was why. The fact that he was 12 years older than me didn't even register as an issue for me. And apparently not for dad either, dad was just short of 9 years older than my mom. I guess that's why it didn't, as long as I was okay with it.

"I'll have to leave in a bit more than an hour to babysit. I'm sorry daddy called you a kid as well." I explained as I took David out the back of the house, to one of the flower gardens.

"As long as he's going to let me take you out, he can call me whatever he wants." David just laughed at that.

I laughed with him.

The peonies were in full bloom and smelled wonderful. We sat down on one of the benches in the middle of the garden out back that had them. David quickly set his phone with a timer to let us know when 50 minutes passed so I wouldn't be late.

As you can imagine, my social skills are not really even adequate but David was charming and he talked a lot. One of our gardeners showed up at one point and was puttering around the flowerbeds. I knew then my mom was home and sent him to keep an eye on us. I did my best to ignore him.

As a type of salesman in a sense, David easily directed the conversation and he constantly brought my thoughts out into the open. I was overwhelmed to be honest, having him so interested in what I thought and felt about things. He shared his own life as well as asking about mine. He was fascinated by my desire to get my degree in the culinary arts. He told me how proud he was that I had managed to get half of the costs covered under a scholarship from my college. I probably could have gotten a full ride but mom wouldn't let me do very many extra-curricular activities. The only ones I could do were where she was at. We covered so many topics in that short time.

And then his timer sounded, it felt like a slap to my face.

"Is it okay if I walk with you to your job?" David asked as he stood and reached for my hand. I really liked that he called it my job. It was like he respected me.

I blushed again, I felt like some kind of fool I was blushing so much. I nodded even as I took his hand before standing, Andrea had never said I couldn't be escorted to her door. I just couldn't bring anyone inside her home. As he escorted me back through the house dad stopped us and David told him he'd be back in a short bit to get his car. Dad just nodded with a smile and welcomed him to stop in for a drink if David had time. Mom was scowling so I knew they had it out and she lost. How my parents can be so different is beyond me. And how he loves her so much, but that gave me hope that someone would be willing to put up with me. I just grabbed my bookbag and we left.

David gestured at my bookbag and I blushed as I handed it to him to carry it for me. That had me blushing too. Another first for me checked off.

As we walked, hand in hand, to the main sidewalk David asked me a question I really wasn't prepared for.

"I need to ask you something Beth. What are your feelings on kids?" David said as he squeezed my hand.

I thought this most likely will make or break our chance at a relationship. And it had me petrified.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't trying to put you on the spot. I just wanted us to be open with each other." David explained in my silence.

"I-It's okay." I said nervously. "Umm, well the truth is, I'm not sure I want to have kids. Don't get me wrong, I think they are great. But I've basically helped to raise Robbie since his mom went back to work 2 months after giving birth to him. For 5-6 hours, 5 nights a week, some nights she had meetings at the house, so I took Robbie home. And then there were vacations and many overnight trips she went on. I'm rather tired of it. How about you? I'm guessing by your question that you aren't interested in kids?"

David smiled as we turned onto the main walk to go next door.

"Well it isn't that I'm not interested in kids, the reason I asked is, my family has a genetic dysfunction. And because of that, I got a vasectomy to ensure I don't father any children. I didn't want to wait too long without discussing it with you. I wouldn't want you to feel like I led you on, waiting until you fell in love with me to tell you. My older brother did that to his wife. He didn't tell her until two years into their marriage. She wanted to go get tests done since she hadn't gotten pregnant." David told me. I could see the embarrassment on his face. "It is also why I'm single at 30. The number of women I've dated, it was almost inconceivable to me that they all had a problem with not having kids."

I nodded my acknowledgement of it as I thought about it more.

We walked in silence the rest of the way to her sidewalk while still holding hands.

"Thank you so much for bringing it up." I smiled at him as we turned onto her sidewalk. "That's not a deal breaker for me. I think it is a little noble that you didn't want to chance passing it down."

We finished the walk in silence. When we reached her front steps he let me step up on the porch first. He stood at the bottom of the steps and smiled at me. I was 2 steps above the ground and at this point we were looking more or less eye to eye. David is 6 foot 3 and I am only 5 foot 2.

That's something that is weird too. Mom is 5 foot 6, though my dad's mom is small like me. I actually hope I have taken after her physically. She has great genetics and so far I look a lot like her.

"Plus if we did get married, and one day we both wanted a child, there is reversal surgery. Or we could always do artificial insemination." I told him.

"This is true, I'll make you a deal." David smiled and reached up for my other hand. I let him take it. "Provided everything works out for us and we get married one day. If, say around our 10th anniversary if you decide you want a child, we'll look into artificial insemination."

I grinned and nodded my acceptance of his offer. To wait 12 years, at least, without having to worry about a kid sounded really good to me. I figured it would take us 2 years to get married if we actually made this work, I was wrong.

David leaned in and my breathing instantly shot up. I'd never kissed a guy before! I tried to quickly lick my lips. But my mouth felt instantly dry and my tongue felt like it was made of sandpaper. I was worried he might find my lack of experience unappealing.

And then his lips met mine and my eyes closed. Our lips parted for a moment and after changing the position of our heads he kissed me again, but a bit opened mouth. As I felt his tongue press in against my lips I felt him take a step up.

This was the most amazing thing that had happened to me. French kissing David and we hadn't even had a date yet. His hands slid up my arms even as he took another step up and he was bent over still kissing me. His arms pulled me in, hugging me tightly and mine hugged him back to me. Gawd this felt amazing. As well as scary. I couldn't believe how I was feeling and reacting. And then his right hand slipped around from my back and he cupped my left breast.

I felt like I was a puddle right there on the porch. He smiled as he broke the kiss. I felt like I was panting like crazy, like I couldn't get oxygen. I could see he was similarly affected. If he was disappointed in the kiss, I couldn't tell.

"Well I think that means we're pretty compatible." David told me with a grin. His hand was still caressing my breast.

"I think you're right." I told him with a blushing smirk, I didn't do anything about his hand caressing me.

"May I have your phone number?" David asked. He put my bookbag on the porch before he pulled his phone out of his pocket and handed it to me with his left hand. I was shocked by the phone, I hadn't seen anything like it before.

"It's a prototype and still in development. They won't hit the market for another year. I got this for finding the inventors with the capital to produce them. That's one of the first to come out of the company. His thumb had found my nipple easily as it was poking hard into my bra and he was flipping his thumb over it, over and over the whole time. I took his phone and entered my information slowly and nervously for him. My eyes kept looking at his hand cupping my breast and his thumb flipping my nipple.