Two Sides of the Coin (End)
By Sabrina G. Langton

***
Author's note: We come to the end. I am already missing Martinsville, the quaint busy little town with big parking lots, scrumptious restaurants, and involved waitresses... We also find out the surprise, (There was a surprise?) well a mystery that our heroine wasn't even looking for. Isn't that always the way... I hope YOU like it...

***

I was on the rock, I was once again dressed sexy as hell, I was wearing expensive heels. I came here every day early, I knew I would be alone. I ignored all of Owen's calls and texts. He came to the house twice and I locked the door, shut the windows, shut the lights, and raised the music, I let him knock and call for over an hour.

I had to call Terri, I had to call someone. I told her what happened. I told her the story in a very straight tone, very non-commital, she started to cry, she put Mike on the phone.

"When he shows up call my friend Tony, okay? Here is his number."

And I did, twice. Owen got the message, Tony got hot coffee, a hug, and a first pick through my catalog goodies table.

I then got a call from Aunt Joan. "Hi, Sabrina, is everything okay?"

"Mmm, I guess, I'm working like crazy, the holidays are busy." It was Thanksgiving, it was quiet, all the families were together in their warm houses, drinking hot cider. I was eating a turkey sandwich with coleslaw.

"I was wondering did you read the Kane book I gave you?"

"Ooh, not yet. I just finished one of her others, she is a wonderful writer."

"Read it when you can, I think you will find the story quite interesting. Okay?"

"Okay, and thank you for all the pictures, I am so glad you all are having fun. I wish I was with you."

She laughed, it was nice, I was missing her. "Well next time you better come. Oh ya know, we went somewhere today, I am going to have one of them send you a picture, text us when you start the book, okay love?"

"Okay, bye, have fun for me too."

*

There were only two places in Martinsville of note to visit; Kane's Rock and The Devil's Tree. The legend was if you touched the Devil's Tree something bad happened. You would get into an accident, break a leg, or someone you loved would die. I wouldn't touch it, I wouldn't go near it, I felt its power but I started to go and look at it. It was horrendous. Nowadays it was used mainly as a urinal, I could smell the stench from the dusty road, I would pull over and gaze, I would let the other drivers go around me. It was one of the few places I now visited that I needed to drive.

Sometimes there was a crowd of teenagers nearby, drinking, and smoking. I wanted to yell, get their attention, 'Go to Kane's Rock instead. It has a bad vibe around it too.' I didn't notice it before, but I didn't care. I totally understood the allegiance to the Tree, everyone wanted to feel the evilness surrounding it, the Rock was just bad luck. I wish all those months ago I walked straight instead of back behind my house and just hung out on the side of the road instead. Have myself get covered by the dust of the cars, the pickup trucks. Have people beep at me that I was getting too close to the street, too close to their vehicles. I wish I never ventured to Kane's Rock, but it was too late, now I could never leave.

*

It was Black Friday, everyone was shopping, I was going through my closet. It was the first time in my life that all of my clothes were together in the same place. There was a time they were in three different locations, my mother's house, the sign office, my own house in LA. Now I had everything, even the things when I was younger. I had the ruched red dress that my mother first saw me wearing, I had the white dress with roses that the brother and sister surprised me in. Crazy but every year in May I got another dress, and another jersey. I sold the four jerseys at the garage sales, I was wondering if I will get another present next May. I always assumed they were from Uncle Creme, but now I wasn't so sure. Why would he give me a football shirt, he knew I couldn't be bothered with football, with sports in general.

I also had the short denim dress I was wearing the day Miranda moved into my LA home. The things I didn't have were all her old clothes, the ones she made me wear, I sold them all at the garage sales. I even still had the one dress of my mothers that I had on once. It was blue and white and polyester. It had a weird gold pattern on it, I hated it but I wore it for the young man who lived above me. He wanted me to wear something of my mother's, I could tell it turned him on. For a year and a half, I gave him hand jobs or sucked his cock. For a year and a half he snuck into our house and pulled his pants down, he just waited. It was all about sex. Then one time I was on my knees, between his legs in my mother's ugly gold patterned dress, with her scent all around us. I was licking the side of his cock, I was rubbing his naked thighs. Soon I had him completely inside of me, he was inching down my throat, I was trying to breathe through my nose, I wanted him to ask me to be his girlfriend instead of just his plaything. I couldn't wait to take off this hideous dress.

I heard the front door, I still had a dick in my mouth. "What the fuck are you doing!" My mother walked in, she walked in with one of the uncles. "Why are you wearing my dress?" She screamed and the neighbor pulled up his shorts and ran out, but not before she hit him in the head, threw the crap at him that was on the messy table. He was laughing, I could hear him as he made the trek upstairs. He didn't realize that was the last time he would be inside my lips.

My mother grabbed the phone, she called Miranda, she told her everything. She wouldn't let me get changed, she held onto my arm. They were on the phone for so long. She made it sound like I was a problem, a pervert, there was something wrong with me. Miranda came over and screamed even louder through my door as I changed into sweatpants after I took off all of my makeup. She threatened me, she hit me, after she left she told all of our friends, my friends. The next day Uncle Creme and his assistant showed me the house I was going to buy. I had to sign so many papers.

I only saw my mother once more after that. The time she sent Miranda to me, and that was it. Then Miranda died and Uncle Creme sent me to another house, I was now at my safe spot. I was at Kane's Rock reading another Andrea Kane romance, guessing that it wasn't that romantic. I texted Aunt Joan, I told her I was getting comfortable, I told her I was about to start.

----------

Two Sides of the Coin
By Andrea Kane

May in Los Angeles was beautiful. Slight wind from the ocean, a slight breeze from the west, and today surprisingly a slight sprinkle on the windows. The room was dark, classical music was playing, neoromanticism. Three women and a man were waiting, things were about to begin.

"Can I have some vodka?"

"Very funny dear now lay back, I'll go warn the doctor." The nurse checked her blood pressure and her vitals.

"Is she ready?"

The nurse looked up, "Soon. Let's wait 'til they are closer together. I'll be right back."

"Wait take me to the bathroom, I gotta puke."

"Puke?"

"No pee." The short dark woman got up from the bed, she waddled as she pulled the metal contraption, she was hooked up to an IV. She closed the curtain, she closed the bathroom door. She heard the others talking.

"I am so nervous but excited."

"Me too."

----------

"Ugh, thanks for picking me up, do you make a habit of picking up fat barefoot women?" The back of the cab was nice and clean, even the windows, the cab driver never turned around.

"Where to?"

"Take me to a hospital."

He turned around, "There is one right here." He pointed to the left, his left.

She closed her eyes. "I know there is one here, another one. Shit... and hurry."

The cab driver drove, and they waited at the light near Hollywood and Vine. "What the fuck are you waiting for, drive." He pointed to the red light, then the woman started making noise, she was breathing heavily, then she started to scream. He drove faster, he passed a couple of late model cars, the woman screamed again and he pulled over.

"Miss? I think you just had a baby."

"Ya think?" The woman was out of breath and full of blood, the clean cab was now a mess and there was a baby on her lap, screaming on the gown. "After all that I need a drink."

----------

"What the hell?" I was off the rock, I was standing, my heels were sinking into the soft dirt, "It was made up? She stole it from a book?" I looked at the first bunch of pages, the book was published less than two years ago. "What the hell?"

Ding.

I checked my phone, I was confused. Aunt Joan sent two pictures, one with her under a street sign, the other was all of them under the same street sign, Sunset, and Vine. My street sign. I leaned back on the rock. I was quiet, I was shaking my head, I tightened the belt from the coat tighter around my waist. I whispered, "What the hell."

*

"Hi, Aunt Joanie, I started reading the book, I'm a little confused."

I heard her, I couldn't make out what she was saying, I could tell she was crying.

"Are you okay?" I asked, I talked to Terri, I talked to Mike and the kids. Everyone was having a great time at Disneyland, LA in general. No one let me speak.

"Where is the house in Burbank?" Mike was asking, they would visit, take pictures, see where I grew up. "Where did you work? Where was that crazy sign storefront you used to live in?"

I told them. I even told them where my mother lived. I felt like they had to do something for me because I funded their trip, but they didn't. The thing they did for me was actually to go, to let me be a part of their vacation, their family. I didn't care about money, I only cared about them... and they wouldn't be home for another couple of days. I begged them to let me pick them up at the airport, I begged them to cancel the car service. I didn't tell them I spent all my time on Kane's rock or by the gates of the school. I told all of Terrance and Michelle's friends they would be back soon, they would be back in Martinsville. With me.

*

I was getting dressed for the airport. I was going to wear the dress I wore when I flew in from LA. It felt so long ago now, almost a lifetime. When I landed in New Jersey all I had was one small carry-on and my nude pocketbook, it matched my four-inch nude heels. I thought I was ready to take on the world. It turns out I wasn't even ready to take on Martinsville.

I went to a salon in Somerville, my first time, afterward I visited Milly.

"Hi, wow you look fantastic, I love the new hair."

I had my hair cut, for the first time ever at a salon. The stylist parted it on the side, it went a little over my left eye, she even darkened it up a bit with some red streaks through it. I liked it, it was very feminine, it was more LA than Martinsville.

I smiled at Milly, I showed her my nails. "I had my toes done too," I slipped off my too-tall black heels, showed her my red toenails almost peeking through the black nylon. She smiled. She took my hand and brought me to a far-off table.

"I haven't seen you in so long. Wine?"

"No thank you I am going to Newark to pick up the Morrison's. Do you want to come?"

She smiled, "I wish, I have three more hours. Is Owen going with you?"

"Um, no. I haven't seen him in over three weeks."

"Really?" She looked at me slightly strangely. "Why? What happened?"

I just shrugged, I thought she would know. I didn't want to talk about him, I wanted to talk about a different man I might meet, different men that would be nicer to me, understand me better. I had to go, I took cookies and fruit boxes for the kids, water bottles for the adults, I hugged her goodbye. She watched as I walked to my car, she waved, she watched as I drove away. I'm going to guess she is still outside the restaurant door, still pondering, she made me a little nervous. She had a strange look on her face.

*

I was done with the Kane book. I had a million questions. Part of me just wanted one answer. I called uncle Creme the day before, but he was really quiet, barely talked at all, said he was busy. Said he had clients coming in.

I showed up at the airport nice and early. I took the people mover, I wanted to show off my legs in the almost black pantyhose. I took the shuttle, I wanted to meet a tourist, I wanted to see a stewardess. I went and had a virgin 'cuba libra' at one of the bars surrounding the terminals. I wanted to meet a pilot, I wanted to become someone's mistress, I wanted to show the world I would be good at it.

"Well, thank you for entering my life today." I looked up. It was an older man in a dark grey suit, he seemed quite happy to see me. "What do you recommend?"

"Um, I don't know. I bet they make a great mojito."

"Okay then," He motioned to the bartender "Two mojitos please." He started opening and emptying the contents of his briefcase. There were papers all over the bar, the bartender had to make room for the drinks.

"Thank you," I smiled at him. He was nice to me for the last half hour, he was my only company. Now I had a crazy man in a suit to keep me occupied, I still had almost a half hour before the flight from LA.

He finally sat, he handed me a pen. "I work for Creme, you don't remember me?"

"Um, no. Should I?"

"Hmm." He moved back, he looked at my hair, my eyes, he felt the material of my dress. "Last time I saw you, let me think, it was after you turned eighteen, you weren't as pretty as you are now." He smiled, he pointed to the papers. He pointed to all the Xs. "My name is Marcos, I take care of all of your investments, all of your money, I'm the one that picked out that lovely house in Burbank. Didn't you just love that yard, the garage?"

"Mmm."

"I knew you would. Don't you remember I had you sign things in LA, remember your mother was yelling at us to hurry? I think she had someone coming over. She was quite angry and she wanted all of us out. Heh, she definitely didn't know what we were up to."

I looked at him again, he did look familiar. I needed to ask him something "Would you, um, know who my father is?"

"I would."

"Is it you? Is it Uncle Creme?"

There was an announcement. 'Flight 312 from LA Gate 16 now Landing.'

"C'mon quick, that's for us, well you. Here, here and here."

And I initialed, I took a quick sip of the mojito, I left a tip, and grabbed my bag. Marcos threw everything into his briefcase and he followed me out. We headed to gate 16. I would try to ask questions later.

*

There was already a crowd outside of the gate, even though it was at least twenty minutes early. I waited on the side, I knew the kids would spot me in my red dress right away. Marcos stood behind me, he was still fiddling with his papers. He handed me a thick envelope and told me to put it in my bag. When the gates opened I got so nervous, what happens if the two children forgot what I looked like, who I was? What happens if someone else decided to pick them up, what happens if I am at the wrong airport? My anxiousness was back with a fever. I held onto a truncheon which gave me no support and I waited, I screamed.

"Over here, baby!"

Terrance, of course, saw me first, he waved, he let go of his father's hand, and started tunneling through the crowd, I waited again, I screamed once he ran up to me. He grabbed my legs.

I bent down, I picked him up. "Oh my god, I missed you." Tears blurred my vision, felt them descend on my cheeks.

"Aunt Sabrina we saw your house, all of them. Everybody told us to say hi."

"They did?"

"Mmm-mmm."

Soon everyone else was next to me, I had more kisses than I have had since, well since forever. The seven of us moved to the side. Aunt Joan gave me a hug, then she even hugged Marcos. We headed to the luggage carousel. There was a crowd already, it was pretty busy, everyone had a tan, and everyone looked happy to be back in New Jersey.

"Sabrina!" I turned and saw Milly, she was next to Owen.

They walked over, they greeted the Morrisons, they were happy to see Aunt Joanie again. I was confused, I was a little embarrassed. I was thinking the Morrisons were mine, they were my friends, but they weren't, they were everyones. I had to share them with Milly, I even had to share them with Owen.

"Hi, Sabrina," Owen whispered to me as I once again held Terrance, I gave him a smile with my mouth only, I concentrated on his shirt instead of his eyes. Once we got the luggage we headed outside. I put down Terrance and went to get the Jeep.

"Sabrina, wait." Milly was next to me, she was holding my arm. "I was thinking I would drive the Morrison's home and you could have a conversation with Owen." We walked to the garage. We picked up the Jeep, I didn't understand why I needed to talk to Owen, I was disappointed with him and I told her. I told her what happened, I told her I wanted to take the Morrisons home, I missed them too much, my heart was hurting for the first time in so long when they went away.

*

We had a convoy heading toward Martinsville. My Jeep with me in the front with aunt Joanie next to me. She was flipping through the 'Two Sides of the Coin' book. She had a huge smile on her face, she was singing along to the music on the stereo and reading some of the lines from the book. Behind me was a mother and daughter and behind them was a father and son. Everyone had a drink and was eating cookies. In the tan car behind me were Owen and Milly, Marco's loud sports car took up the rear.

The first stop was the Morrison's home, I helped with the kids as Owen, Marcos, and Mike brought in the luggage and bags. I avoided Owen, I knew he wanted to talk, but the two of them couldn't have picked a worse time. For the last three weeks, I was alone and bored. Any other day would have been better, but now that I think of it I wouldn't of let it happen. Now I'm distracted, maybe Milly was right in waiting.

The kids were showing me what they got at Disneyland, I was having fun, I was going to miss them all over again, tonight, when I was alone.

Marcos walked back into the house with a shopping bag, I thought we were getting ready to leave. "Before I head back to California, maybe we can have a quick glass of champagne. It will be nicer with everyone around." I didn't know what he meant, I didn't really understand why he was even here, in Martinsville. He pulled out two bottles and placed them on the coffee table.

Terri and Aunt Joanie found some cups and Marcos filled them all up. I gave the kids apple juice, I wanted them involved.

"I love a good celebration," Aunt Joanie said, a twinkle in her eye.

"Okay. Sabrina where is that envelope I gave you?"

I took it out of my pocketbook and handed it to him, I forgot about it, the envelope was very full. "Here."

He took it and smiled at me. He ripped open the envelope, "I'm so glad you waited, even more glad I got to be the one to rip it open, considering I licked the glue and closed it, ha."

He then pulled out some cards, some folded papers, he handed the cards to me. It was a New Jersey driver's license, there was Blue Cross, library, and credit cards all with my name on them, all with the one I gave to myself when I was nine, not the one my mother forced upon me. I started to cry, I never even thought about this, never even imagined or researched what had to be done. I was bad at things like this, I was a writer, I had imagination, I didn't have the skills for the real world. I was so happy I had uncle Creme and Marcos to help me navigate it. I passed around my new ID, and only the driver's license had to be updated, it still had my androgynous picture when I was seventeen on it.

"Okay and now the most important thing, I have been working on this for over seven years. Slyvia made this very difficult for some unknown reason." It was weird hearing someone use my mother's name. I haven't heard it in years, my mother hated it and no one ever called her by it. She said it made her sound too Jewish, made it sound like someone who wasn't from LA. I never knew what she was talking about. "Well, Sylvia kept her name hidden, she didn't want a certain family to find her only daughter." He then smiled at me. "And then a little visit to LA and, well let me show you."

Everyone was watching, waiting for a reveal, but I didn't know what was going on.

Aunt Joanie found one of the papers, she walked over to me. "Sabrina, I hope you aren't angry about this. I just wish James was still alive, this was his dream to have you here with us, all of us, get you away from Slyvia, get you into a loving family."

I looked at her, everything seemed so secret, at least to me. I could tell Terri and Mike knew exactly what was going on. I looked at the sheet of paper she handed me. I couldn't even focus. "I don't understand, what's happening."

"Well," Aunt Joanie took a deep breath. "You read the book I gave you."

"Mmm,"

"Well, that was about us. I had Couvade syndrome for months, ha. Sometimes it comes back. We were the ones waiting for you to be born in the hospital room when your mother decided to leave, she didn't want us to be involved in your life." She started looking sad. "Your father and I were so upset, we couldn't really do anything, then we started to understand. But, then you left her house." Her tears fell, I started to shake, I had to sit down.

I have never heard someone reference 'My Father' ever.

Terri came over to me, put her hand on my shoulder, "We got Sylvia to sign the papers, took three visits. A man that was with her convinced her, but in the end, I think she just wanted to get rid of us. She waved us away and then told us to say hello when we saw you." She smiled, then she and Mike hugged me.

"Welcome to the family."

*

We said goodnight, I had to let the Morrisons get their sleep, the children were already in bed. I said goodnight to Joan, well mom, and thanked her for the house. She was going to stay a couple of days over the weekend with me in Terri's room before she went back to Delaware. I said goodbye to Marcos. Turns out he recently started working for the Morrison's, now he takes care of all of our finances. It was his idea for me to move into the house.

I didn't look at Owen, though I knew he had his eyes on me the entire night. I couldn't understand why he needed to talk to me. Did he want forgiveness? Did he want to introduce me to Faye, have me come over for the Christmas Holidays?

"Oh, Sabrina? Can you give me a ride home?" Milly was next to me, she pulled me away, we left Owen by himself in front of his empty tan car.

Once away from everyone, I breathed a sigh of relief. "That... was crazy?"

"Yeah, but a good crazy."

"Mmm, as crazy goes it was quite good." We laughed, I needed it. It was a stressful month, it was a lonely three weeks, I was glad everyone was back in position, back in their spots, and easy to find.

"Sabrina, you know that Faye is married don't you?"

"What, really? Then why is she bothering Owen?"

"Well, she thinks she is his life coach, and a bad one at that, I don't think she can let go. Hopefully, now she will leave him alone."

"He told me he didn't see her anymore."

"Well, he was lying. Once they broke up I thought it was finally over too, but now she shows up every once in a while and screws up his life." She shook her head, she closed her eyes and laid back on the headrest. "You know, this last time it wasn't about her, it was about him. He told her about you, I'm sure he was excited and completely happy about it too."

"She was so nasty to me when I showed up at his house. I could tell she didn't like me."

"Well you were messing up her good thing, she had Owen as her backup. One little misunderstanding with her husband and she'd be back giving Owen bad advice. Who knows what type of shit she was feeding him about you. You know sometimes an ex can suck."

I giggled as I looked at her, I had to pull over. I didn't feel bad anymore. "She told me that Owen wouldn't make love to me because he was nervous about being surprised. She called it screwing."

"I wouldn't worry about her, I set him straight. I set her straight too. I called her today and said don't fuck with my friends anymore. I told her not to come to Martinsville ever again, ha."

"Ha, when did you become so tough? You can become my new enforcer. You and Tony."

"Tony from the park and ride?"

"Is there any other?"

***

It was freezing here on the rock. I had my mouth open I was catching the light sprinkle of snow falling over me, falling on my new coat.

I was on page 107, Chapter 4 of the Kane book, the one about Joan and James, the one slightly about me. This was my favorite section. The Morrison's were buying a present for an eighteen-year-old, boy or girl, it didn't matter to them. James picked out an LA Rams jersey, not a knockoff, a real official one. It was heavy it would be perfect for New Jersey weather, it would be way too hot for LA in May.

"I am going to get this for her." Joan was holding a soft white dress. It had a couple of red roses with green leaves, it was beautiful.

"Maybe it's not a her." James smiled, he loved his wife, he knew she always thought of the now unknown adult in LA as a female.

"Mmm, we'll see. I am going to bet that this dress somehow changes her life." She looked at the fabric, she checked the size, she put it to her cheek, and closed her eyes. "Maybe one day we will take her to dinner while she is wearing this. I bet she has a pair of red heels she could borrow."

"Borrow?"

"Mmm, us girls never have red heels, only blacks, tans, and whites, red is something special. I didn't own a pair of red heels until way after we were married."

I closed the book, I smiled, it was so perceptive. I was now wearing red heels. They were four-inch pumps, I bought them after I read Chapter 4. They looked so nice, they matched the roses, they made my legs and calves look even nicer. My nude stockings were twinkling in the slight light of the December morning. My white dress with flowers was hidden under my coat. I was buttoned, I had a belt tight around my waist, I had my hood up. My long red nails were hidden by red gloves now holding my favorite book. It wasn't even a romance.

"Hi!"

My concentration was now shattered. "Um, hi."

"Didn't expect to find someone on 'Kane's Rock.'" He walked closer, I watched him. "I mean all those months ago." He told me he saw me three times before he had the nerve to mow closer. He told me he watched me from the safety of the trees, hidden by the firs. He told me he rubbed his eyes, he thought I was a mirage.

I wasn't.

He told me he came up with a plan, a plan to drive me home on his mower. He has a little model of one on his shelf at home. He has it with all his fiction books, now he separates them, just like me. Why would we want lies and truth to mingle?

"I am surprised you are here so early," I told him, I closed my book. He took it from me. He helped me off the rock. I slid very ungracefully from it. I landed safely on my heels, I ended up safely in his arms.

"I couldn't wait."

We kissed, it was nice, I was glad he apologized. I was very glad I accepted. I made him come over to my house for dinner, I invited the Morrisons and Milly. It was one weekend that Joan, well, mom was visiting. I had help with all of my Christmas decorations, the kids were helping with the ornaments on my tree. He was surprised I invited him to a full house. He wanted to talk alone, but I wanted him to talk in front of everyone. I had little Terrance on my lap, he was eating a snowman lollypop. He smelled sticky. He watched Owen suspiciously.

"Go 'head. It better be good too." And it was. Terri even took notes.

***

"I don't want you to be surprised, okay?"

"Sabrina, you can stop teasing me."

"I will never stop teasing you."

Three times he met me on the rock after he apologized. The first time we talked about the weather, we shared lukewarm coffee, we talked about the Morrisons. The second time we talked about ourselves, our dreams, our fantasies. Mine was easy. I wanted to sit on my front steps looking at the quiet road. I wanted a man next to me to keep me warm, maybe we would have drinks, talk, maybe we would cuddle, maybe I would let the man make love to me later. Maybe.

We were on the front steps.

"Today is the third time we are together, well again." Owen was next to me, it was still lightly snowing. He had one arm around me and his hand in my lap. Do you remember you told me your fantasy?"

"I do, you are the only one that knows I am boring."

"Ha, so says you. Well, I think today is the day that we make love, I want to stay here all night, I want to fulfill your boring fantasy. Ha, actually I would like to stay here all weekend if you would let me. I coincidently have a change of clothes in my trunk."

"Mmm, maybe then. Would you let me be YOUR fantasy?"

He didn't answer but we kissed on the steps. The fur around my hood was wet like my panties, but my body was warm. We went inside, I wanted to take a shower together, I wanted him to see my body, no surprises. I liked to keep some things covered up and other things I liked to show off. I cried when we were outside the shower, I had on a robe. My body had become softer in some places due to the hormones and some of my body had become harder due to exercise and yoga. I suddenly didn't want to do this, I shook my head, I cried louder.

"Please?" He then slowly slipped off my robe, it fell and we kissed again, our naked bodies rubbing together. He led me into the shower and we washed each other. It was nice. We kissed, we hugged, I kept myself well tucked and he smiled at me. I even licked his manhood while the water fell on us.

"We should do this one time in the rain," I told him, I wanted to be out in my town. Our town.

He let me wash further as he went into my bedroom surrounded by my books, he was going to find something to read. He was going to read out loud, I would get to hear his voice.

I was brushing my hair, strawberry blonde, it looked lovely, I was quite proud of it. My mother hated my long hair, she was constantly pulling it and threatening to cut it while I slept. The boy from upstairs was just ambivalent about it, he wanted something nylon and fake. Miranda didn't like the color, she said guys don't have hair that color. I told her when I was a child in school, teachers always said they wished they had my color, all the female teachers would run their fingers through it. All the kids would make fun of me because I had the teacher's attention. After school, I would get punched, have my books thrown in the street, and sometimes be knocked down in the schoolyard. I didn't understand if all that was about me or my hair.

I was thinking if anyone hurt Terrance and Michelle I would call Milly and have her take them to the Devil's Tree. All the bullies tied tightly to it. We would never let them leave, I would watch from the road. I wish I had an enforcer when I was a kid.

I interrupted Owen's reading. "Owen do you like my hair?"

"I do, I love the color!" He went back to his narrating.

I smiled, I playfully shook my hair as I gazed into the mirror. I decided it WAS about my hair, it always was. Fuck all of them, my hair is beautiful, it's nice and long, thick and full and now I knew Owen loved it.

When I told my mother about my books, or my bruise, or even my pulled hair she would shrug and chase me out of the kitchen, the living room, the house. She didn't need me as a distraction. Some part of her realized it was a mistake to keep me for herself, then it was too late, now it didn't matter. Marcos told me that Uncle Creme wanted me to meet the Morrisons when I was younger but 'Sylvia' wouldn't let it happen, she was being stubborn, she was trying to be cruel. She would give them no information at all. She made Creme and Marcos sign an aggeement, and they kept quiet until they didn't have to anymore.

I finished my makeup, I had nice dark eyes, long lashes, plump red lips, they were tingling. I knew I was taking too long but I could tell Owen didn't mind, he was still reading, he was still commenting.

"I can't believe that happened in the nineties, can you?"

"No. I can't." I'd say, I would answer, I wanted him to know I would always be listening. He would always be a distraction, a good distraction.

When I finally made it into the room I showed him my white dress with roses, I showed him my nude stockings, my new red heels. I held up the hem, I spun, he saw my panties. I walked closer, I moved my hair, I showed him my big gold hoops, I let him smell my perfume, I let him touch my strawberry blonde hair. I pursed my lips, he kissed me.

"You know someone once said that this dress will change my life."

"Hmm, did it?"

"I think so."

He put down the book, he pat the bed. "Right here." And I slipped into him, my back against his belly, his arm around my waist.

"Can you read Chapter 4?"

"Okay." And he did. He played with my bra strap hidden by the famous flowered dress, the same one that was in the story. I laid down against him as he rubbed my legs, my breasts, my flat panties. He was in a Donald Duck bathrobe, the Morrisons brought it back from Disney, I now had my hands underneath it, I was rubbing his cock as he was reading me the words, I was totally ready to lose my virginity. I was ready to change my life in this white flowered dress yet again. Then I decided to take it off. I was wearing my stockings, bra, and panties. My red heels tucked under me. We were kissing I had my hand on his cock, I was making him hard.

"I am still sorry about Faye, I should have told you."

I was close to him, our cheeks were touching, "No, you can tell me what you want. I'm okay with it."

He smiled and we kissed again. I slid down and took his manhood into my mouth. Right away I took him down my throat, I pushed against his pubic hair, I then let him slip out. I kissed the tip as he watched, I sucked his balls, I kissed his thighs. Once we were kissing again he put his fingers in my panties. This is what I wanted, I wanted a boyfriend, to touch me, to enjoy me, I wanted him to appreciate how long it took me to become beautiful.

"Owen?"

"Mmm?"

"Do you think I'm beautiful? You can lie if you want."

"Ha," He shook his head, he started putting his fingers inside of me. "Okay, I will lie." And I waited, I wanted an answer. His fingers went deeper, his smile got bigger, I forgot what I was waiting for. I laid down on his bed and he pulled off my panties, he put lotion inside of me, he let me lick his dick a little to get it wet, then I put lotion on his cock.

I was on my back and he lifted my legs. I covered my little 'clit.' I was way too embarrassed to show it to him again. His hands were on my thighs as he put the head of his cock to my 'pussy.' I felt him push in slow. He put in a couple of inches and then waited, I got used to his girth, then a couple more inches.

"Ahh," I yelled as he smiled at me.

"Sorry."

"No, it's fine, keep going." And he did. He slid it as I tried to relax. I know I wanted to see his face as he plowed into my bottom, but now I was rethinking that idea, I didn't want him to see my grimace. "Can we change positions?"

I moved, I lay on my side and Owen stood next to the bed. He took my light body and pulled it toward him. He put on more lotion and lined up his cock with my 'pussy' again, he slipped right in, I yelped. Soon we were fucking, we were making love, I was getting over-excited. I started to push back as the pain dissipated, as his cock pushed more inside of me. Soon his body was completely against my bottom, I pushed back harder, and I shook my ass.

"Baby, you feel so good." He breathed and fucked me some more, the bed was making noise, the slapping of our bodies was getting louder. He pulled out again and made me get on my back. He crawled up onto the bed and back into my hole, his manhood harder than ever. He bent my body as his lips got closer to mine. We started to kiss as we made love. I feel the sensations building up, I couldn't stop squeaking, moaning, I grabbed around his neck and we kissed harder, more random as we fucked.

"Ahh, I screamed as his sperm shot inside me, he moaned loudly with every thrust, I held onto his shoulders as our faces pulled apart. We watched each other as we had our individual orgasms, together. I was constantly moving, I was loving this, I was loving having a man in my bed. Finally, Owen slowly pulled out. I sighed as his wet cock leaned on my nylon thigh, as he laid next to me as he kissed my neck and lips, and played with my silicone breasts.

"That was fantastic, I can't wait to try this again." He lightly kissed my face.

"I love that you came inside of me, that was my favorite part." I felt his cum move, start to slip out onto my sheets. I moved on top of him, I kissed his hairy chest, I rubbed our bodies together. Surprisingly we fell asleep and had another morning of wonderful sex when we awoke. We never got to finish Chapter 4.

***

'You better watch out, you better not cry
you better not pout I'm tellin' you why...'

We were all at my kitchen table, even the kids, we were playing games, we were eating cotton candy, the adults were drinking holiday beer out of Christmas mugs. The music was loud, we were playing my father's favorites, we were playing his holiday CDs. I was on Owen's lap, he was playing with my hair, it was nice, I was having fun. I was so glad I ran out of chairs.

Ding.

I took him with me to answer the door. I wanted him to be the first to hear about what was going to happen here in Martinsville. I wanted him to finally meet our guest. We have been talking about them since we first met.

I took a deep breath and opened my eyes wide. I could tell Owen thought I was nervous, and I was, but not for the reasons he assumed. I still felt uncomfortable meeting people.

I grabbed the knob, I opened the door. "Hi come in, I hope you had a lovely Christmas."

She smiled, she giggled, "I did, thank you so much for inviting me." She walked in and I took her coat, I introduced her to Owen. I have met her once before, just last week.

"Are you ready to see everyone else again?"

She giggled again, she held her laptop, "I am. It has been a couple of years."

We walked into the kitchen, Terrance of course was the first one to notice us, I was wearing a different red dress, nice and Christmassy.

"Excuse me everyone Mrs. Kane is here," I called, everyone stopped eating, playing, or talking.

She laughed, she held my arm, "Oh, no, you all have to call me Andrea."

"Please sit, Andrea," Terri said and we made room, and she sat, we gave her beer in a Christmas mug as she took out her laptop, as she started her new book.

"I love that this story starts right here, right here in Martinsville. Right here on MY Rock."

We laughed, they all seem to agree, but I was thinking... I didn't want to say anything... but I considered Kane's rock mine. I know they would all agree with me too.

'Santa Claus is coming to town...'

***

The End (Thank you for making to the end...)

***