Love, Laughter and Happily Ever After: A Short Story Collection Read online

  I carefully lifted the bag and peered inside.

  Gil leaned over my shoulder and whispered, “Why do I feel a little nervous?”

  “Because it’s Selah?” I asked.

  “Stop it. Open my gift, you lovebirds.” She huffed.

  I reached inside the bag and pulled out a small blue and white box.

  Gil inhaled behind me and stiffened, but not in the good way. “This better be a joke.”

  “Now, now, no one is questioning your manhood. I just thought it would be fun for you two. You know, recreationally. I got them from that doctor I was seeing, so they’re legit. You can role-play horny teenagers. Or horny college students I should say. Second chances and all that.”

  I could feel my whole neck and face heat. I touched the tip of my ears as if I could feel their pink color.

  “Selah—”

  “Maggie—” She echoed me. “Quit glaring at me, Gil. Come on, it’s a gag gift!”

  I snorted. “Nice pun.”

  She preened. “I’m pretty proud of that one.”

  I stuffed the box back inside the bag and out of sight.

  “You haven’t even found the real gift yet.” She pouted.

  “I don’t think Gil can handle any more presents right now. I’m sure we’ll love it no matter what you got us.”

  “Unless it’s a penis pump. Then you’re banned from the house.” Gil smiled, but crossed his arms and glowered at her. “I’m serious.”

  “Okay, okay.” She held up her hands. “I’m done with my coffee and have a million errands today. Dinner later in the week, Magpie?”

  “Sure.” I kissed her cheek before she walked down the hall.

  Halfway between the kitchen and foyer, she called out, “Watch out for priapism!” With that she scampered out the door, her laughter lingering behind her.

  “Why are we still friends with her?”

  “Because we love her, and without her, I probably wouldn’t be here in your kitchen.”

  “Our kitchen.” He reminded me before kissing me again, snaking his hands under my sweater, and pulling me close.

  We broke apart a few moments later, both of us breathing a little faster than before.

  “We should straighten up this mess.” I glowered at the chaos in the kitchen.

  “Leave it. Let’s go to dinner.” He dug through the gift bag again, and pulled out the little box.

  “What are you doing with that? I thought you were pissed at Selah.”

  He shrugged.

  A smile tugged at my lips. “Someone’s curious.” It wasn’t a question and I couldn’t hide my amusement or own curiosity. He didn’t need help, but well, he wasn’t eighteen anymore either.

  “Sounds like I’m not the only one.” He arched an eyebrow.

  I sucked in my cheeks and let my gaze flit around the ceiling. Damn. I was curious. Nothing to complain about in our brief sex life, but my inner twenty-something did wonder what she’d missed all those years we’d been apart.

  ‘You are so curious, Maggie May. Your face says it all.”

  “All right, all right. I am. But not tonight. I’m tired and smelly from unpacking. Rain check?” I looked down at my hands stained with newsprint from the paper wrapped around the glasses.

  He kissed the tip of my nose. “Deal.”

  Chapter 2

  Gil

  The next afternoon, Maggie’s laughter carried down the hall into my office, breaking me out of the trance of finalizing my sophomore history class reading list.

  I found her standing in my bedroom at the foot of the unmade bed. Our bedroom. Her eyes sparkled with amusement.

  “Is that a Star Wars pillowcase?” she asked.

  “It might be, yes.” I glanced at the bed, our bed, where the pillowcase in question sat on a stack of folded sheets.

  She grinned at me. “How does a grown man come to have a Star Wars pillowcase in his possession?”

  “Don’t be dissing on the vintage Star Wars collectible memorabilia.” I picked up the pillowcase and unfolded it, before running my hand over the familiar faces.

  “Did you just pet a pillowcase?”

  I nodded. “I’ve had it forever.”

  “You mean, from when the movies first came out?” Her voice carried an incredulous note.

  I nodded again. “Yep.”

  “Gilliam Morrow, you are a sentimental fool.”

  My smile matched hers. “Damn straight.”

  “Only one?”

  “Twin bed.”

  She raised her eyebrows and her lips formed a small “o” shape. Her eyes softened.

  I knew that look. I picked up a pillow and gently whacked her shoulder.

  “You’re imagining me in that bed, aren’t you?”

  The pink darkening on her cheeks answered my question. “Not in a perverted way. You were a kid.”

  “Your cheeks say something different, sweetheart.”

  She shook her head and her golden red waves settled over her shoulders.

  “Okay, okay. I admit the thought of young Gil makes my heart swoon.”

  “Young or younger?”

  “Well, not the one who slept on this pillowcase.”

  “I still had it in college. Don’t you remember?”

  I watched as her forehead scrunched up in thought. “You did?”

  “Freshman year. Until Ben called me a nerd and told me I’d never get laid.”

  “Ben would say that.” She laughed. “So you ditched the force?”

  “I did.”

  “How’d that work out for you and the getting laid?”

  “Pretty well.” I met her eyes and our shared history flickered behind her lashes. “Although, from your expression, I’m thinking I should have kept on being a nerd.”

  “Why’s that?” She stepped around the bed, moving to stand by my side. She tilted her head to peer up at me.

  “Maybe I would have got the girl instead.” I leaned down to brush my lips against hers.

  “You got me now,” she whispered against my mouth. “I'll have sex with you, silly pillowcase and all.”

  “Silly?” I stepped back to stare down at her. “Silly? The greatest film franchise ever, in the history of film franchises, and you call it silly?”

  A familiar spark returned to her eye. She was teasing, pushing my buttons. “Two words—”

  “Don’t say Jar Jar.” I scowled.

  “I was going to say “gold bikini.” She shrugged. “Isn’t that every man’s fantasy?”

  I swallowed heavily. She was right. Most men of a certain age had a fantasy at one time or another about Leia’s skimpy outfit and Phoebe Cate’s red bikini.

  “You so did. I can see the lust all over your face.” She teased.

  I gave her a wolfish grin. “I’m imagining you in that bikini now.”

  “You want to role play? You can be Jabba”

  She squealed when I picked her up and threw her on the bed, toppling the stack of sheets and pillowcases onto the floor.

  “I should keep you tied to this bed.”

  Her eyes slowly blinked up at me, her chest heaving with her surprise and laughter. “Okay,” she whispered.

  “Okay what?” I dragged my nose along her jawline.

  “You can use the pillowcase.”

  “So that’s a no on the gold bikini?”

  She nodded.

  “And the tied to the bed part?”

  “Negotiable.” A slow smile teased her lips.

  I arched an eyebrow at her. “Oh, really?”

  She responded by pulling my head down, melting her mouth with mine. When she opened, I responded by sweeping my tongue against hers. Our kiss found a rhythm we first discovered decades ago, simultaneously familiar and new. I grasped her neck, angling her head to devour her. Lost in her taste, my feet slipped on the floor, and I fell heavily on top of her.

  “Oomph.”

  “Sorry.” I adjusted myself to brace my weight on my hips and elbow.

/>   After a few minutes of kissing and rounding second base, she asked, “So, thoughts about Selah’s gift?”

  I smiled against her shoulder and bit her skin with enough pressure to make her yelp. “Why do you ask?”

  “Well …”

  I waited for her to explain and occupied myself with unbuttoning her shirt. She squirmed under my touch.

  “I was thinking we could have a do-over with that fantasy of yours.”

  “You have a gold bikini?”

  “No, the getting laid in college.” She paused and I could see the meaning of her words clicking into place in her mind. “Not that you didn’t get laid in college. I meant with me. On that pillowcase.”

  “And that has to do with the magical pills how?”

  “The two might complement each other.” She sat up and shrugged, not meeting my eyes.

  “Maggie?”

  “Hmmm.”

  “Look at me.”

  Her gaze swept over my face before meeting my eyes. “I’d like nothing more than to fuck you silly like I should have freshman year, if I’d had the courage.”

  I watched her pupils dilate and her breath pause for a moment until she let out a slow, quiet exhale.

  “You’re on, Morrow.” She untangled her legs from mine and crawled over me to get to her nightstand.

  Sneaky woman had tucked the box away already.

  “Are you sure?” she asked, her voice hesitant.

  “Yeah. It’s kind of like the Matrix.”

  “I remember when you made that reference last summer.”

  I remembered, too. We were at a crossroads of living in memories of the past or choosing to create new ones together.

  “In this case, the blue pill is the better choice.” She held out the pills.

  “I’ll take it if you want.”

  “Only if you want to. No pressure from me.” Maggie looked down at the blue tablets still safely ensconced in their silvery packet.

  “I could be up for it.” I smiled at her.

  “Pun intended?”

  “What’s the worst that can happen?” I brushed my hand along her cheek.

  “A never-ending erection? A trip to the ER and the embarrassment of having to tell a doctor what’s wrong with you?”

  “If that happens, you have to promise never to breath a word of it to anyone.”

  “So you’re willing to risk all that for a roll in the hay?” Amusement colored her question.

  “Sure, as long as no actual hay is involved.”

  “Okay, bottoms up!” She handed me the glass of water from my nightstand.

  “Pun intended?” I knew my sly smile matched the devilish glint in my eyes. I also knew she wasn’t really suggesting backdoor action.

  “No.” She rolled her eyes.

  “No to the pun or the deed?”

  “No to the pun. Negotiable on the deed.”

  “Oh, really?” My eyebrows felt like they were trying to escape from the top of my head.

  “At a later date.”

  “Well, then. Nothing to do but engage in illegal prescription drug use.” I eyed the packet.

  She giggled. “I’m nervous. I don’t know why. It’s not like it will be different. I mean the equipment is the same and all. We’ve had sex before. A lot of sex. Not random and infrequent encounters, but consistent, sometimes daily, sometimes multiple orgasms in a night—”

  I stopped her. “You’re babbling.”

  “I am. And you’re not opening the packet.”

  I stalled for time. “What's the most orgasms you've had in a day?”

  “Alone? Or with someone?” Her expression gave nothing away.

  “For the sake of the current discussion, let's limit it to with a partner.”

  She twisted her lips in thought. “Three? Four? There was that weekend after Olympia ...”

  I remembered that weekend. Knowing I was the one to hit her record, I felt my confidence return. “Let's see if we can double that number.”

  “Oh,” she whispered.

  I looked down before pressing the edge of my thumbnail into the foil. “Should I put on the Cocteau Twins to set the mood?”

  Her laughter answered me. “No, not needed. Come here,” she asked as she fell back against the bed.

  I swallowed the pill. “How long do we wait?”

  “I have no idea. It’s your penis. Won’t you feel something down there?”

  “I’m already feeling something from a few minutes ago.” I did that move that teenage boys do—I reached for her hand and placed it on the bulge in my jeans.

  “Wow, that worked quick.” She teased, tracing the visible bulge.

  “Maybe this was a mistake.” I lay next to her again, staring at the ceiling, waiting for something to feel different. Her knuckle ran down the length of my cock. Okay, it didn't feel different, but it did feel good.

  “Only one way to find out.” Kneeling between my legs, she unzipped my pants and reached into the fly.

  “What if it doesn’t ever go down?” A creeping worry infiltrated my brain. “Should we note the time?” I tried to sit up to see my alarm clock. Her hand pushed me back on the bed.

  Speaking of going down, Maggie’s head moved south until her warm breath tickled my happy trail. “Relax.”

  How could I relax when her head was there and the wet heat of her mouth teased me? I clenched the pillows above my head when her mouth engulfed me.

  I knew the drugs hadn’t kicked in yet, but everything felt more intense. Fantasies of Maggie in my dorm room flooded my head. Many times I’d thought about her doing this to me, but had chickened out on making a move.

  A slow drag of her teeth returned me to the moment. Normally, I’d stop her and return the favor before moving on to other things, but today was different. Middle of the afternoon and the whole night stretched before us. A whole night with no plans. No agenda. And hopefully, no trip the ER in four and a half hours.

  I gently rested my hand on her head, not directing or commanding, driven only by the need for more contact and connection. The tingling she joked about began low in my spine. I focused on dragging out my pleasure as I felt the point of no return getting closer. I closed my eyes and tried to think of droids and annoying animated sidekicks. I concentrated on picturing epic battles and the smiting of evil overlords. Instead, my brain conjured up strawberry blond hair and breasts barely contained by swirls of gold. I opened my eyes and realized she was staring at me. The passion I could see in her eyes, the love, pushed me over the edge. My fingers tightened around the strands of her hair as my hips arched forward, seeking more, as I exploded.

  I let my head fall back on the bed. Her hands rested on my thighs for a brief moment before she flopped next to me.

  “Hi,” she whispered, her eyes sparkling with self-satisfaction.

  “Hi.” I touched her cheek and leaned down to kiss her.

  “Feeling anything yet?”

  “Oh, I’m feeling something. That was amazing.”

  She rolled to her side and wrapped a leg over mine. “I meant do you feel different?”

  I paused to think about it, taking inventory of my body. I felt satisfied, but not satiated. “I don’t feel done for the night, if that’s what you’re asking.”

  She grinned at me and I mirrored her expression.

  My hand moved down her body, cupping her through her jeans. “You’re wearing too many clothes.”

  “Let’s fix that.”

  Once naked, I returned the favor. I teased her, nipping at the skin of her inner thighs and hipbones, making her squirm. I took my time, enjoying the feel of her arousal on my tongue. Slowly, I built up the pressure and rhythm until she came undone against my mouth.

  I kissed the soft skin of her stomach and then licked my lips to taste where she lingered there.

  Maggie lay against the pillows, languid and flushed. Seeing her blissed out, and knowing I did that to her, stirred my own desire again. A low hum began to build in my blood.
It hadn’t been that long, but I was ready for round two. Maggie noticed the evidence when it brushed against her thigh.

  “Oh, hello.” She reached out her hand and grasped me in greeting. “Nice to see you again.”

  “Are you shaking hands with my penis?”

  “I am. Less rude than a leg poking.” She gave me a sidelong look. “Up for another round?”

  The hum turned into a buzz. “Definitely.”

  Her grip tightened and she stroked me a few times. I didn’t need the encouragement. I felt rock hard and more than ready.

  She rolled to her side and shifted so her leg rested on my hip, opening herself to me. Lessening her grip, she rubbed my tip against her slickness. I couldn’t stand it, I had to be inside her. Gripping her hip, I thrust into her and rolled her on top of me. She leaned forward to kiss me and I reached for her breasts, letting their weight fill my hands. When she sat back, my hands remained on her as I squeezed and brushed my thumbs over her nipples. She controlled the pace and angle in this position. I loved watching her chase her pleasure while she moved above me.

  Her hair tumbled down her back when she arched her neck and her movement began to lose its rhythm. I knew she was getting close again and reached between us to press my thumb against her, giving her that extra stimulation she needed.

  I felt her begin to clench and flutter inside. Her hand replaced mine on her breast, adding to her pleasure as she rocked with her orgasm.

  I was still hard and inside her.

  Maggie’s orgasms today: two and counting.

  Chapter 3

  Maggie

  Maybe it was the pills. Maybe it was all that talk of college Gil. Or the Star Wars pillowcase and sexy Princess Leia. Or maybe it was my eternal Hans Solo crush I failed to mention last night. Whatever the reason, we didn’t get much sleep. I wasn’t sure I could walk this morning.

  When Gil stirred beside me and threw his arm over my waist, I tensed, thinking the pills hadn’t worn off yet and he’d want to go for round … four? I tried to recall if that was the shower or the sofa. I’d lost track of my orgasms after the dining room table. I was attempting to count them when his hand cupped my breast.