Story Time: End Of Innocence

So it went, while eating dinner, I'll give you one guess who made sure she sat next to me. When it was over, she helped Bonnie with the dishes while I entertained the kids with a board game. When I tried to leave at around 11:00 PM, they kids were all tucked in and everything, and Bonnie herself was going to bed, Julie followed me outside and on the porch, started talking to me, preventing me from actually leaving. So we sat there until about 3 or 4 in the morning, just talking. 

I was so tired that morning. Karen was all packed and ready to go. On my way back out the door to go to my final class for laundry school, I wished her a safe trip. We were standing in the kitchen when a hug was initiated. When we came out of it, we kissed goodbye. It was supposed to be a friendly kiss, but friendly kisses don't last that long, nor are their tongues involved, and they absolutely do not arouse me like this one did. When we came out of it, we both took in a heavy breath.

"Wow, where did that come from?" I asked.

"If only I wasn't married." She whispered.

"If only Sanoki wasn't my friend." I whispered back.

She looked up at me. "I could pretend I'm divorced."

"I could pretend I hate Sanoki." I played along.

We stared at each other before breaking into giggles and simultaneously shook our heads, "Naaaawwww."

By the time I returned from class that evening, it was quiet again. The place was empty. I probably could have gone to sleep, but I really didn't feel like being alone. Plus, I wanted to see Julie again. So I went to Bonnie's. I showed up just in time for a game of Monopoly. By the time 10PM rolled around, we were putting the game away and the kids were being tucked in. I invited everyone to come by my place on Saturday to hang out on the beach and have a cook out. Julie and I went back out to the porch. Once again, we talked for an almost seemingly an endless amount of hours. I could tell she wanted me to kiss her. I think in a way I wanted her to make the first move. We were at a stalemate though, and I left again in the wee hours of the morning.

By around noon, they showed up ready to to go swimming. I fired up the grill and everybody was having a great time. It was around 4 or 5 in the evening when Julie was horse playing with the kids by the oceans edge, and Bonnie and I were sitting in our lawn chairs watching. We were just chit chatting, nothing special really when she called out to them that it was time to go. "Take the kids into the apartment and gather everything up, okay?" She requested. Julie started to comply when she asked the obvious. "We're leaving?"

"Yeah, it's about time."

Julie looked at me real quick and then back at Bonnie. She tilted her head and motioned a signal with her eyes. Bonnie sighed. Apparently, she knew what Julie was saying to her. Finally, Bonnie came right out with it. "Hey, just ask him."

I was taking in this exchange. "Ask me what?" I assumed they were referring to me. I was the only him in the general vicinity at the time.

Bonnie turned her head to me. "She wants to spend the night with you."

Julie was behaving like she was a bit embarrassed or something. I just rolled it off. "I don't care."

Bonnie turned back to Julie. "You see, he doesn't care. Was that so difficult? Now get the kids ready to go for me, sweetie."

She scampered off back to the apartment with the kids while Bonnie and I sat there for a moment. She eventually turned to me. "Her mother is going to kill me if she ever finds out."

"Why?"

"I don't think she would appreciate me turning her daughter over to a squid."

I turned to face her. "That's the first time you ever called me a squid."

"You don't think I know about your reputation?" She told me. I got to my feet and assisted her to hers. "You could always say no." I figured. She laughed that off. "What? And spend the rest of her stay with her hating me? I don't think so."

"You're a good aunt." I said, about to begin our own walk back towards the apartment. Bonnie reached over and grabbed my shoulder, turning me around. She had a pleading look in her eyes. "Don't hurt her, Carroll. Don't break her heart."

I nodded it off. Turning around to resume my walk, I said. "Who are we kidding? She's gonna break mine."

That evening, we watched TV. And we continued to talk some more. There was a shyness about her yet, I could tell she was really into me and little by little, she would inch a little closer while on the couch. About 11Pm, she got a bright idea. "Let's take a walk on the beach?"

So we soon found ourselves walking the beach with a full moon overhead. During this, she reached for and took hold of my hand. The girl must have been really nervous because she was always talking about something. I would just listen and smile. It was obvious that this attraction we had with each other was building up. I was kind of nervous too. I don't know why. There was an innocence about her. I couldn't quite put my finger on it though. It wasn't until we got back in the area of the apartment when I soon found out what it was.

I did learn that she hoped to become a teacher someday. I thought that to be admirable. Through it all, I just found myself at some kind of internal peace with her. I don't know how to explain it. We acted like we were best friends or something and we had just met. I found it somewhat difficult to look her in the face at times. I don't know why. She seemed to be so happy about everything. About life. 

When we finally found ourselves standing in the shadow of my apartment, tt was my turn for a bright idea. "Want to go skinny dipping in the ocean?"

"What?"

"Skinny dipping." I suggested again. I then quickly began to take my clothes off. "Come on, no one is out here, it's just us." I persisted, with a smile.

 "I never been skinny dipping before. What about the sharks?" She was concerned.

"The only shark you need to worry about is me." I winked. Before I knew it, I was naked as  J-bird and running into the water. "Come on!" I encouraged some more. She finally began to remove her clothes.

Once she was nude too, she ran to the water and towards me. We came together laughing and splashing. "You see," I told her, it's not that bad, is it?"

She latched onto me around the neck and wrapped her legs around my waist. "Do you do this often?" She wondered.

I began to remove some hair from her face. 'No, not really."

We stared into each others eyes before succumbing to our urges. Our lips came together, finally! The kiss. Man, she was mining for teeth or something. She was really pressing hard against me. By the time it was over, we kept staring at each other, smiling. "I'm a little nervous." She confessed.

"I promise you, there are no sharks." I tenderly stressed.

She shook that off. "That's not what I meant."

"What did you mean?" I asked her.

She leaned into my ear. "I'm still a virgin."

That was it. That's what was eating at me. That was the innocence of her I was picking up on. I started caressing her gently. "We don't have to do anything." I said. "We can just hug and kiss. I'm cool with that."

She smiled wider. "I want to do something."

I caught her meaning. "Okay. It's up to you."

She leaned in again and kissed me. "Let's go back inside."

I recall going slowly with her. I was very gentle. I knew she was nervous, so was I actually, but our passion superseded all of that. When it was over, we laid there, her in my arms and running my fingers through her hair. This is when she made a confession. "I wanted this to happen." I remained quiet as she continued. "Bonnie sent me pictures one day and you were in them. I asked about you. The only reason I wanted to come and visit was to meet you." I remained quiet. I just pulled her closer, falling asleep to her breath on my face.