A Weeend to Last a Lifetime

"Please, Daddy, slow down," Jennifer pleaded. She pressed her hand gently on her father's arm. "Not so fast, OK?"

Steve grunted but didn't alter his pace.

Jennifer studied his face, the set to his eyes and how he gritted his teeth. The muscles in his neck strained with tension. His arms were rock hard and his hands kept a firm grip. He looked at her but didn't really see her, so intent was he on what he was doing.

"I'm not kidding, Dad. Slow down or stop."

He looked at her again and let out a long, drawn-out breath. Her grip tightened on his arm.

"Daddy, please. Let's stop for a moment. You need to calm down."

He looked at her again and this time saw the fright in her wide eyes and a hint of moisture. Her eyes cut through the fog in his brain and he suddenly realized what he was doing.

"I'm sorry, baby," he said and started to slow down. Tears were beginning to form in his eyes.

"It's OK," she said, lightly stroking his arm. "Why don't we stop for a little while until you're relaxed?"

"Sure," he mumbled. "Sure, sure."

Jennifer continued to look at her father, her love for him causing her chest to hurt and a lump to form in her throat. He had been going through so much lately. So many unfair things were happening to him and he had no control over them. She felt she needed to be with him, to help him, to keep something sane in his life. She would be there for him even though her mother had forsaken everything their family was about. She smiled at him spontaneously. He smiled back and suddenly much of the tension drained from his face.

He was a solidly built forty year-old, with brown wavy hair and just a hint of gray in his sideburns. He kept himself in fairly good shape, jogging regularly and lifting weights on the weekend. He stood six feet tall and had the slight beginnings of a belly, but still struck a handsome enough figure that women had no reason to complain about.

"But still he's losing mom," she thought. "She's crazy to give him up."

They were approaching a convenience store on their right. He flicked on the turn signal and pulled into the parking lot. He killed the engine, slumped down in the seat, rubbed his fists into his eyes and let out a long, slow breath.

"I'm sorry baby," he said without looking at her. "Your mom just sometimes makes me crazy."

"Hey," Jennifer smiled. "I know. I had to live with her for eighteen years too."

He grinned at his daughter, then his face fell somber again.

"I don't think we're going to make it back this time, Jen. This was supposed to be our big weekend away to patch things up."

"Don't write off the whole weekend yet, Dad. She said she'd head out as soon as she was done with work."

"Yeah, you see me holding my breath, right? Look, if she had any intention of coming, why didn't she send Billy and Heather with us? That would have been more logical than hiring a sitter."

"Well, I don't want to say you have a point..."

"But I do."

"You're being pessimistic. Look on the bright side. The cabin won't be wasted. I mean, I'll have a whole weekend to tell you about the year of torture your college tuition money paid for."

He tussled his daughter's hair and laughed.

"What you don't know is that I paid extra for them to keep you under lock and key."

"Oh? Well it worked. I didn't have time for a single date all year. Where is all this happy-go-lucky party-time college kids are supposed to have?"

"I was only kidding about paying extra," he said, looking at the pout on her face. "You know that, right?"

"Dad, you're such a sucker sometimes, you know," she beamed at him. "Come on; let's get up to the cabin. And try not to kill us this time."

"This isn't what I reserved," he yelled.

The desk clerk simply stared at him.

"That's what's in the computer, sir. And don't raise your voice at me."

"OK, OK. Just change it to a three bedroom for me, please."

The clerk tapped his keyboard for a moment.

"Sorry, no threes. Booked the last one an hour ago."

"What? Look, I booked this thing weeks ago! I got a confirmation." He slammed some papers on the counter. The clerk glanced at them a second.

"Yes, sir. That reservation was changed last night to a one bedroom."

"Well, that makes no sense! How is my whole family supposed to fit in a one bedroom?"

"I don't know, sir. I can check for a two."

He turned and looked at his daughter.

"Well, Jen. Would a two do? You'd have to bunk with your brother and sister."

She shrugged. "We're supposed to be roughing it, right?"

"That's my big girl," he smiled and turned back to the clerk. "We'll take the two bedroom."

"OK. Just a minute. Whoops. It's gone."

"What do you mean, gone?"

"Well, it's the internet, sir. It just got booked out from under me."

"From under you? I'll bet you're going home to a nice cozy fire while we'll be shivering in the car!"

"You do still have the one bedroom reserved."

"Look, you just tell me how the hell my reservation could get changed in the first place."

"Well, only the credit card holder can do that."

"Oh that witch," he yelled and whipped out his cell phone.

"Roberta," he yelled after being connected. "You changed the three bedroom to a one bedroom?"

"Well, yes, Steven. Seeing as I had to work this weekend, a three bedroom would have been a waste of money."

"But I thought you were coming out as soon as you were through."

"Well, things got complicated here. I won't be able to make it again."

"Then you should have just cancelled the whole thing."

"We would have lost the deposit."

"Oh, you just have an answer to everything, don't you. Well, answer me this: Where is Jennifer supposed to sleep?"

"Why, in the bedroom, of course. You wouldn't put her to sleep on the floor in the front room, would you? Use the sleeping bag. I'm sure you'll be comfortable in it."

"You planned this, didn't you. You just wanted to ruin my weekend."

"Well, I didn't plan work, and I was hoping that Jennifer would stay here with the kids."

"Well, she didn't. The resort is out of rooms, so now we have a problem."

"No, Steve. YOU have a problem. You're a big boy. Solve it."

"Look, Roberta, you can't just go.....

".....She hung up on me! Can you believe it! She hung up on me!"

"Dad," Jennifer said softly. "Let it go. You and me, we'll have fun this weekend no matter what, Ok?"

He turned back to the clerk.

"I guess we'll take the one."

"I guess you will at that." The clerk shot back.

While Steve fished through his wallet for his credit card, the clerk leaned on the counter toward Jennifer and gave her a lazy smile.

"You know," he winked at her. "I know a spot in the forest, on a ridge, that's great for watching the sunset."

"And not another soul around to ruin the perfect transition from day to night, I'll bet," Jennifer cooed back.

"Yeah. It's perfect. So...eight o'clock I'll come get you?"

"Not on your life," her voice iced over. "No one jerks my dad around like that and then takes me out." She flung her head around saucily and turned her back on him.

"Whoa, bitch. Ice princess alert," the clerk mumbled and turned back to Steven. He met a man with fire in his eyes.

"And no one says that about my daughter. Go fuck yourself. Cancel my reservation and refund my deposit or the management certainly will hear about your wisecrack!"

"Well, that could have gone better," Steve said as he and his daughter stood outside looking forlornly at the car. "I guess we go find a motel or something."

"Excuse me," a female voice said behind them. Steve and Jennifer turned to see a dark haired woman, maybe in her late thirties, wearing a bright blue sun dress and with a young, strapping man on her arms. "My son and I checked in just ahead of you. We couldn't help hearing your plight."

"Yeah, it kind of sucks," Steve said as Jennifer suddenly gripped his arm tightly.

"Hunk alert," she raised herself on tip-toes and whispered in his ear. He shot her a glance of incredulity but she was paying him no mind. She was fully engaged in ogling the black haired wonder dressed in shorts and t-shirt that showed off an athlete's physique.

"Uh, pardon my daughter. I think she's starved for attention."

"Hmmm, I'll say she's hungry, alright," the lady smiled. "Teenagers." And both parents enjoyed a small chuckle.

"Hey, listen, my name is Becky. My son and I are out of Pennsylvania for the weekend. He's Bradley."

"Hi, Brad. I'm Jenny," Jennifer waved and giggled. She held a hand out to him which he shook with a firm, confidant grasp. Jennifer practically melted and probably would have fallen to the ground if she hadn't been hanging onto her father's arms.

"I'm Steve. From right here in Vermont. It's nice to meet you two. But listen, I don't mean to be impolite, but we have no place to stay and the nearest motel is at the bottom of the mountain. I'm hoping to get there before nightfall, so we should be pushing off now."

"It's a shame for you to leave such a beautiful setting," Becky said. "Like I mentioned, we heard your plight. We have a two bedroom cabin. We wouldn't mind sharing."

"Well, that's very nice of you. Are you sure? I mean, we don't really know each other and all."

"Are you afraid I'll bite?" Becky said, looking at Steve from beneath lowered eyebrows. She then broke into a grin.

"Dahhh-deee," Jenny whispered, bouncing on his arm.

"Well, I suspect I am out-voted," Steve said. "You and my daughter in one room, Brad and I in another."

"Sounds like a plan. Though you know what they say about best laid plans..." Becky called over her shoulder as she headed for her car. "Cabin 16 on the ridge."

"Did you see him, daddy? Did you see him? Ohhhhh, what a chunk of meat. We're gonna have fun this weekend."

"Um, daughter. Daddy sitting right here. Your father. Papa. The guy charged with guarding your virtue until you're married or 70, whichever comes later?"

"Daddy, stop being such a prude. A body like that only comes along once in a lifetime. And hey. Becky is no slouch either. I bet we put her in a bikini and you'll be drooling like an idiot."

"Jennifer! Geez. When did it become OK for you to talk to me like that? Still the husband of your mother, remember?"

"Kill joy," Jennifer pouted. "Dad. Get real, OK. Mom doesn't care about you or us anymore. She's got her job and her horny-ass boss to keep her company. You need to loosen up, smell the mountain air and realize that you can have a life too."

"OK. I am really going to have a talk with your college dean. What in the hell are they teaching you down there?"

"Oh, stop blaming the college, Dad. I told you I had a dry year and I meant it. I haven't had a good lay since graduation night."

Steve looked at his daughter wide-eyed.

"I told you before, Jen, I am not comfortable talking about your sex life. Just because I didn't put a stop to your frolicking when I caught you at it doesn't mean we can chat it up like beer buddies."

"Why not?"

Their conversation was interrupted by their arrival at the cabin and Jennifer jumping rapidly out the car to run up to Steve.

"Wow," Jennifer said, spinning around and taking in the view from the ridge. "This place must have marvelous sunsets."

"Yeah," Brad grinned. "So the desk clerk said."

"Oh, you heard that," Jennifer said sheepishly.

"Yup. And I loved the way your dad slapped him down. He really looks out for you, doesn't he?"

"Yeah. He's my heart, but a little stiff and prudish sometimes."

"Yeah. Aren't all parents. But my mom is pretty cool most of the time. Heck, she even smokes pot with me. You do pot?"

"Sometimes. My dad and mom too, though they don't know I know. Or that I do."

"Hmmm, well my mom brought a stash along. Wanna bet that sunset will look ten times better through the smoke from a blunt?"

"Cool. Let's hurry and unpack."

The sunset was everything advertised with the four of them reclining on the porch getting mellow. Soon the night air moved in, bringing a slight chill with it and they moved the pot party inside.

"Break out the chips and beer, why don't you Brad," Becky said and plopped down on the couch beside Steve. He was acutely aware of her presence and her perfume. More specifically, he noticed her arm, warm and cuddly, pressed firmly against his.

"You have a beautiful daughter, Steve. Quite a handful, though."

"Yes, she is. She's my light. So full of life. Too full, sometimes."

"Mmmmm. She seems to be hitting it off quite well with Brad. But what's your story. I take it you and the wife are not getting along all that well."

Steve slumped in the couch a little.

"Yeah. She took this big job transfer in another city a couple years back. Only gets home on weekends. It didn't bother me. I took care of the kids fine. But then she had this affair with her new boss. I suspected and then one day was stupid enough to confront her with it. She wasn't even apologetic. Somehow twisted it so that it was my fault. I've tried everything I could think of to patch our relationship up, but nothing seems to work. This weekend was supposed to be our big 'kiss and make-up' time but she had to stay to work."

"Wow, that's tough. I don't know if you need any advice from a single mom, but I would call a marriage I wanted to keep more important than a job any day." She rested her hand on his hand and squeezed comfortingly.

Jennifer and Brad reappeared out of the kitchen laughing about something and plopped down on the floor at the foot of the couch with a couple ice cold six packs and a big bowl of chips.

"Hey, they got satellite radio," Brad boasted and grabbed a remote from the arm of the couch. He flipped through channels with Jennifer leaning over his shoulder trying to press buttons until they settled on a station.

"That's the groove," Brad said and dropped the remote. Jennifer stood up and pulled him by the hand.

"Come on. Wanna dance?"

Brad rose to his feet and started gyrating to a pop beat with Jennifer twirling in circles about him.

"Well, they seem to be enjoying themselves," Becky said. She lit another joint, took a couple puffs and handed it to Steve.

"Young love, or whatever," Steve mumbled, taking a toke. "Do they even have love anymore or just other four letter words like fuck and suck."

Becky pushed him playfully on the shoulder.

"Don't be so crass, Steve. Have you forgotten what it was like when we were young?"

"No. I caught the tail end of the sexual revolution. But still, I don't recall flaunting it about in front of our parents."

"Hey, children of the revolution, you know. And heck, you and I are still young, still capable of getting down and getting it up."

"Are we," Steve said, casting her a glance. Becky just smiled back and removed the joint from his fingers.

"Hey, you guys hogging the goods?" Brad asked and snatched the joint from his mom. He helped it into Jennifer's mouth. She took a big hit, then leaned into Brad, kissed him and shared the smoke with him.

"Yum," he said. "Good stuff."

"I hope you're talking about the weed," Steve said.

"Um, yep. Of course."

"Hey," Jennifer exclaimed and punched him in the chest.

"Rock and a hard place," Becky laughed.

Jennifer changed the music to a soft rock station and melted into Brad's arms. He glanced once at Steve, who didn't voice an objection, then placed his arms around Jenny and started to sway smoothly with her.

"Come," Becky said standing up. "Let's go look at the stars. I'll roll us another joint."

"Chilly out," Steve said, but still got to his feet.

"Oh, I think I'll manage to stay warm."

Outside it was fully dark. Crickets were chirping and once in a while a frog would call out in a high pitched voice. Becky had finished rolling the pot and they both had had a couple fresh hits apiece. They sat silently a while, listening to the night noises.

"I love the sounds of nature," Becky finally said as she snuggled up beside Steve on the porch swing. "It makes everything so romantic."

She felt Steve stiffen a little beside her.

"Still thinking about your marriage?"

"Uh, huh."

"I can cure you of that, you know."

"Yeah," Brad sighed. "I'm sure you could. It's just..."

At that moment he heard Jennifer giggle then gasp sharply. Brad moaned in a manner that could only signal one thing. Steve started to sit up in the swing, but Becky pulled him back.

"Let the kids be kids," she said. Steve relaxed slightly, but he couldn't fully take his mind off the sounds of his daughter making love drifting out through the window.

"Don't shut it out," Becky whispered. "Listen to it and be happy they are happy."

He picked out Jennifer's long slow breaths from Brad's more hoarse grunts. Their breathing formed a rhythm, almost hypnotic. He heard the couch squeaking slightly and, once in a while a whisper and a giggle. His daughter's breathing rose in frequency, then he heard high pitched gasps escaping her throat. The couch's protests became louder, more rapid. He heard Jenny's sharp intake of breath, a muffled "Ohhhh", then a long, mewling sigh as she came. Brad's efforts continued as Steve heard his child softly calling out Brad's name.

"Listen to the crickets," Becky whispered softly as she kissed his cheeks. Her right hand stroked his chest, slowly moving downward in a light, circular pattern.

"The crickets are calling for their mates," she continued. "So are the frogs."

Steve listened to the sounds of the animals around him. In the distant there was a soft "coo". Further away, a fainter sound responded. He heard wings take flight.

"Those are the sounds of nature in love. Each cricket finding another cricket. Each frog looking for its perfect mate. All of nature is making love tonight. Nature is the sound of love."

Her hand found the hard bulge in Steve's pants and she lightly stroked it.

"We are part of nature, Steve." She rubbed his cock softly and leaned over to kiss him. He responded slowly, opening his mouth slightly to her tongue. She pressed further on his lips and he slipped an arm around her shoulders. She grasped his member through his pants, giving it a slight squeeze. He hugged her body to him, sucking on her lips, drinking in her natural essence. Her thigh slid up to his lap as her hand found his zipper and undid his fly. She reached her hand inside and held the warm flesh of his pulsing cock.

He reveled in the touch a moment before suddenly gasping and breaking the kiss. He gently pushed her body away from him.

"Becky, no."

"Steve"

"Please, Becky." He looked down at his penis, standing fully upright through his jeans. Becky's soft hand was still on it, moving ever so slightly.

"What do you want, Steve?" Becky asked, continuing her motion.

"I, I don't know." He barely got out. "I don't want to cheat."

"Are we cheating? Or are we just enjoying a moment in time?"

"I don't know." His voice was croaking as Becky continued with her expert touch.

"We only have what life gives us. Only what nature tells us to do. We only have the moment."

She slid down and slowly, softly, achingly put her mouth around his penis.

He gasped and shuddered at the contact. She looked up a moment and whispered: "Listen to the music of nature," and put her mouth back over his cock.

She was careful with him, not rough, not fast, not quick. Her hand remained on the base of his penis, stroking lightly while her mouth formed a soft chamber for it to reside in. Her tongue ran its length slowly, causing him to shiver with the sensation. She felt his hand rest on her back, move to stroke her hair and she herself relaxed slightly, knowing he wouldn't now interrupt her task.

The night sounds drifted over them, intermingled with the soft music coming from the radio and sometimes, rising over it all, the gasps of their children making love just inside.