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.
