Note: This story was dynamically reformatted for online reading convenience.
 
 Chapter 4

   The accursed alarm clock went off as expected at six-thirty.  We got up
and dressed and because of her appointment for testing, we hit a local
diner for breakfast of pancakes and coffee.

   At eight fifteen she was walking in the door of the school board
offices. There was a lady expecting her, and I left my business card for
her to call me if she needed me.

   "Oh, don't worry," said the lady.  "These tests are timed, but she's the
only one taking them today, so she'll be finished at eleven-thirty."

   "Good luck, Tina," I said.

   She smiled.  And kissed me on the cheek.  I was still standing there
semi-stunned when she followed the lady up the hall.

   I left, a thousand thoughts going through my head, and drove to the new
jobsite, checked in the front gate and introduced myself to the people
already on site.  A few faces and names were familiar to me, including the
engineering manager who'd asked for me by name and reputation.  I looked at
my new office, bare, with a desk and a large table to spread out prints and
drawings, and a few chairs for the inevitable meetings and conferences.  We
talked about the progress so far, and the target dates for my equipment to
begin arriving, and I looked at the schedule of construction, and we
laughed at a few old tales, and I saw it was ten-thirty, and my cell phone
rang.

   I looked at the display.  Unfamiliar number.  I answered.  Familiar
voice.  Tina.

   "Hi, Alan," she said.  "I'm finished."

   "I thought the lady said eleven-thirty."

   "Yeah, I know.  But that's if there were others who need the whole time
...  but I just did what I could and then stopped and we went to the next
one.  So I'm finished."

   "Okay, sweetie," I said.  "I'm out at the plant.  I'm leaving now."

   "Okay.  Uh ...  I see Mister Dan.  I'm gonna go see if he has time to
talk.  See ya in a bit."

   "I gotta go," I told the crew.  "Had a kid taking a test this morning.
She's finished.  I'll be here bright and early Monday." And I left.  Thirty
minutes later I walked into the school board offices.  The receptionist
spotted me immediately.

   "She's in Mr.  Jenkins' office.  Go right in."

   I walked in, spotting Tina sitting in a chair smiling.  Mr.  Jenkins...
"Hi, Dan," I said.

   "Hi, Alan.  I'm being surprised today."

   I looked at Tina.  She was smiling.  "How so?"

   "She took the placement tests.  They're timed tests, Alan.  Usually
nobody finishes."

   And I looked at Tina.  She was smiling.  And it was a self-assured
little smirk of a smile.

   Dan said, "Tina finished.  I, uh, we, the lady who gives the tests is
scoring them right now.  If you want to grab lunch, she'll be finished by
the time we get back."

   "Sure," I said.  "Come on, punkin," I told Tina.  I looked at Dan. 
"We're gonna need directions.  You up for another meal?"

   "Oh, why not," He said.  "I can always run it off..." He got up from his
desk.

   We all walked out to the truck and got in, Tina taking the center seat
again.  I know Dan noticed that she had to move the console out of the way.
But she buckled in rather more to my side than his, and she was STILL
smiling.

   This time Dan directed us to a barbecue joint.  "I don't go here often
during work," he said, "because they laugh when I come back with sauce on
my tie."

   We could see why.  The barbecue was good, but eating ribs was not for
the fastidious.  They had GOOD ribs.  We ate happily and cleaned up as best
we could.  Dan was laughing.  "They'll know where we've been."

   Back at the office, Dan walked in to see a score sheet on his desk. 
"Wow," he said.  One word.  "Wow."

   He looked at us.  "Just a sec," he said, punching the phone.  "Uh, hey,
Louise.  Yeah.  I got'em.  Thanks for doing it this fast.  I know.  I was
curious too.  Yeah.  I'll tell 'er.  Thanks!" He turned his attention to
us. Tina was sitting next to me.

   "Well," I said, "Back in the eleventh grade?"

   "Yeah, right." His tone was happy sarcasm.

   Tina was still smiling.  I wasn't.  I was trying to interpret Dan's
demeanor.  "So what's the deal?" I looked at Tina.  "You did your best,
didn't you?  You didn't just quit?"

   "No, Alan.  I did my very best."

   Dan said, "Uh, Alan, she's twelfth grade.  And I'm recommending advanced
placement in all her subjects.  That way she gets college credits before
she graduates high school."

   "You're kidding!"

   "I'm NOT kidding.  These scores are the best I've ever seen.  Or Mrs. 
Conner, too, for that matter.  She does our testing for us for years.  Oh,
and I got a faxed draft of your guardianship this morning.  So we're
operating like you can sign her papers."

   "That's good," I said.  "When do we have to give you a decision about
the advanced placement stuff?  And when can she start classes?  Monday?"

   "Monday will be fine.  And we can set her schedule if you decide.  I'll
call the guidance counselor at the high school, but she can start Monday."
He smiled back at Tina.  "You're a pleasant surprise." To me he said, "Did
you know any of this?"

   "Uh ...  You know I've known her since Saturday.  I knew she was bright,
just talking with her, and she told me about the 3.8 GPA, but ...  how was
I supposed to know?"

   "Well now we know.  Can you go to the school Friday and get with them
about the schedule and stuff?  Since she's a new admit, you need to go with
her, Alan."

   "Okay.  Not a problem."

   Tina was still smiling.  "Mister Dan," she said.  "Thank you for taking
care of us."

   "We're the ones who are getting lucky, young lady, if YOU work to your
potential.  Just one question.  What kept you from getting a 4.0?"

   "I missed some tests when my grandma got sick.  Mom pulled me from that
school and moved me and I couldn't make them up."

   "Oh, okay.  Uh, Alan, can you sign this release so we can get her
transcripts from her old school?"

   I signed.  We left, headed to the RV park.  She got in the truck
giggling.

   "What's so funny?" I asked.

   "That lady!  Mrs.  Conner.  I took the first test and finished and she
told me to check my work, that I must've missed some pages.  And I showed
her the answer sheet.  And she asked me if I understood the questions.  It
was funny.  She just didn't believe that I did the work."

   "You've surprised a bunch of people today.  I'm one of them."

   "Really?"

   "I mean, I knew you were smart.  It shows in the way you talk about
things.  But now ...  it's like your swimming.  Another surprise."

   "I'm glad I surprise you in good ways."

   "Me too," I said.  "And I thought of something while I was out.  Let's
go get you a cellphone.  I don't want you without a way to get hold of me
or whoever..."

   "My own phone?" Squeal!

   "Yeah.  I think it's a necessity, with you in school and me at work and
schedules change and things happen.  And I don't have to tell you how you
need to take care of it."

   "Nobody will touch it, Alan," she said seriously.

   That was a minor stop.  And the day ended in what would become routine:
a walk, a swim, a dinner, TV, games, and bed.  Her at her end.  Me at mine.

   The Friday meeting at the high school with the guidance counselor was
interesting.  These things were a lot more fun when you walked in with a
winning hand, and Tina was an academic winning hand.  "Yessir," she said.
"I DO want the advanced placement classes."

   "Which ones?" he asked.  "Physics?  Trig?  English?  Social studies?"

   "All of 'em," she smiled.

   I smiled too.

   Our last weekend before we both started acceding to fixed schedules.  We
abandoned the trailer and drove a hundred and fifty miles to take in a
concert and spend Friday and Saturday nights in a hotel with a full-sized
shower and two queen-sized beds.  The concert was a very workmanlike
performance of Mozart chamber pieces by the local university's strings and
several times during the performance I stole glances at Tina, a young
perfection in an austere little black dress, tastefully simple pumps and
tiny gemmed studs in her ears.  Her hair was auburn perfection.  And her
eyes were closed and she was smiling as the notes soared over our heads.

   It was with reluctance that we headed home, talking about the museums
and the concert and the sights and the food.

   Monday morning came.  We did a bit more hurried breakfast of grits and
eggs and bacon and I headed out to the project and she cleaned up then went
to wait for the bus.

   My day went just as chaotically as I expected for Day One.  By
four-thirty I was ready to leave and I did so.  I stopped by the front
office and found Tina and Lillian talking.  Tina had a book and notebook
open on the counter.

   Lillian handed me the Fed-Ex package that contained the final versions
of the documents that gave me legal place in Tina's life, the power
normally attributed to parent.

   "She's been talking and working since she got off the bus," Lillian
said. "It's nice to have young company."

   "You don't mind her chatter?"

   "Hah!" Lillian answered.  "Half her schoolwork I don't even begin to
understand, but she talks about everything.  It's mighty nice."

   Tina poked at her trig book.  "You might have to give me a hand on some
of this.  I think I understand, but I want to be sure."

   "Okay, little girl," I said.  "Swim.  Food.  Homework?"

   "A plan," she laughed.

   We bid Lillian goodbye and went to change.  Our swim was abbreviated,
and we hit a local eatery for supper, and then homework and showers.

   Somewhere during the evening I asked about her bus ride.

   "Not exactly my favorite thing.  Rowdy kids.  Long.  Bumpy.  I wish I
could do schoolwork, but that's pretty much impossible," she said.

   "Then let me ask you this," I said.  "I think I know how you'll answer,
but I want YOU to say it.  Can I trust you with a car?  I mean, school and
home on school days, and I know exactly where you go and who you're with at
all times?"

   Squeal!  "A car?"

   "It makes sense to me.  That way you get a little more time before and
after school.  You're carrying a heavy load.  You need the time.  And you
can run errands for us when I have to work.  Makes my job easier."

   "You're gonna give me a car?"

   I got serious.  After all, I'd known her a week.  I knew her to be a
serious and unusual specimen of teenaged girl, but...  "No, the car will be
in my name.  You're still a minor.  And I have title.  So if it disappears
from my control ...  Like if you were to take off for parts unknown..." I
left that unspoken.

   "Alan!  I would NEVER do that!  I don't have ANYTHING without YOU!"

   "Baby," I said, using the term as if she were my child, "I believe you.
But I also know that strange ideas come across people's minds.  Just
saying."

   "You needn't worry.  Really."

   She was unusually chipper when she whipped my butt at cards before we
went to bed that night.

   Another day.  This time I left work a tad early and picked Tina up at
the park and headed to a used car dealer.  I'd driven by earlier and saw
what I had in mind, a little Japanese sub-compact, reliable, safe, and with
good resale value.  Practical, that's me.  Tina looked good behind the
wheel.  With stars in her eyes.  I'd already warned my insurance agent and
the car dealer faxed him the information.

   That activity cost us the day's swim.  I wasn't sure that I could ever
wipe the grin off Tina's face.  I gave her a gas card, planning on calling
the gas card people for a second card on the account to replace it. 
Sitting in a restaurant for supper, as in "I'm driving us to supper, Alan!"
she looked at me.

   "I know you're just dying to give me the speech, huh?"

   "What speech?  I have no idea what you're talking about."

   "Yeah, right," she grinned.  "Let's see.  Obey traffic laws.  Don't
speed.  Don't take risks.  Pay attention to the road.  Nobody else drives
this car but me and you.  No illegal substances.  No alcohol.  Don't leave
it unlocked.  Keep my keys with me."

   "Okay, just do all that."

   She smiled.  "Alan, this is something Grandma would've done if she was
still alive.  It's wonderful.  I never expected..."

   "Just trying to make our lives better, babe," I said.

   We got home.  Did the homework thing.  The shower thing.  A round of
rummy, 510 to 480, my favor.  And to bed.  Her at her end.  Me at mine. 
The six o'clock alarm ruled the morning.  Wednesday.

   Thursday.  We started our swim.  She was unusually quiet.  "What's up,
Tina," I asked.  "Trouble?"

   "Well," she said, "not really.  But I don't know how to ask this."

   "Ask what?"

   "It's a new school, Alan.  And I'm making friends.  And they want to get
together Friday evening.  They ASKED me if I'd come with them."

   This was a day I knew would come.  At this point, for all intents and
purposes, she was like a daughter.  And I was a dad whose teen daughter
wanted to go out.  She was seventeen, and when it came right down to it, I
had only the most tenuous of holds on her.  "So what 's the plan?"

   "It's not a big deal," she said.  "One of the girls is getting some
movies, and we're gonna meet at her house and watch 'em."

   "Are her parents going to be there?"

   "Yes.  She seems like a nice girl.  She's in my AP English class."

   "Then I guess I should let you go.  You're seventeen.  You know the
ropes."

   "Thank you, Alan," she said.

   We swam our laps and then showered and went to supper.  A part of me was
crying inside and I couldn't tell if it was the "daddy's little girl" part
or the "there goes your heart" part or if those were both the same or what.
I did my best to keep conversation light.

   We did homework, and I noticed that she didn't need quite the help of
two days before.  She beat me by a hundred and fifty points in rummy. 
Friday.  I got tied up over a botched shipment and was still arguing on the
phone as four o'clock passed.  I pulled into the park at five and saw
Tina's car at the trailer.  Knowing she was likely doing date prep, I
knocked before entering.

   "Come in, silly," she said, giggling.

   I wanted that to be MY giggle.  I really did.  "I thought you were
getting ready for the big date," I said.

   "It's NOT a date," she said.  "There's a bunch of us."

   "No special boy?" I really didn't want to hear "yes".

   "Well, there's this guy.  He's in my AP science.  Cute.  Smart.  And my
friend Susan says he likes me..."

   Inside I died a little.  Perfunctorily I mouthed, "Just go and have a
good time.  I'd like you to be home at a responsible hour.  Say, before
midnight.  And if you have any trouble, call me.  I mean it.  That's what
I'm here for."

   "I'll be careful, Alan.  And I planned on being home by eleven.  She was
standing in the door, ready to leave.  "Bye!  I'll see you later!"

   And I let her leave.  I rewarded my restraint by treating myself to a
tasteless TV dinner and then I showered and stretched out to watch TV, a
book in my lap.  I didn't want to close my eyes for fear of seeing images I
didn't want to see.  Time crept.  It was Friday, and I doubt that I ever
felt that lonely on a Friday in my life, at least not since my divorce.

   And that's why I was surprised when I heard the crunch of a car pulling
into the gravel parking space at a bit past eight.  And the door opened and
a Tina walked in with a hugely exasperated expression plastered on her
face.

   Silently she stalked to the sofa and plopped down.  Her face turned to
me and I saw tears marring her complexion.  "SHIT!!!" she said.  "Fresh
start, my butt!!!"

   "What's wrong, Tina?"

   "People LIE!  That's what!"

   "Uh ...  how?"

   "Oh, just peachy.  No parents at home.  And a cooler full of beer.  And
Mister "I think he likes you" is like, "Uh, let's go someplace in your car.
I got some weed..." and he's also got enough hands for a roomful of clocks
and he thinks he's all IT an' everything.  Wouldn't take "NO" for an
answer. He's gonna walk funny tomorrow."

   "I'm sorry, babe," I said.

   She was on the verge of tears.  "I expected different.  I hoped it would
be different.  But I'm the new girl and therefore I'm lucky that anybody
pays attention to me an' I live in a trailer park an' ...  I'm pissed."

   "Uh..."

   "Okay, sorry ...  I am seriously upset."

   "Better."

   Her eyes turned shyly in my direction and the barest beginning of a
smile appeared.  "Okay.  So what does Alan say about crap for friends?"

   "Move on.  People can be depended on to be people.  And the behavior you
describe is, unfortunately, pretty common among your age group.  I won't
say 'your peers', because apparently you don't have very many peers."

   "So?!?"

   "So life goes on.  Even when things don't go your way.  You get to keep
being you.  Uh ...  why's the guy gonna walk funny?"

   "I tried "NO".  I tried pushing hands away.  And he wrapped me up in his
arms and tried to kiss me and he had his hands all over, so I reached down
and grabbed.  Hard.  And yanked.  He was on the floor crying when I left.C
And Susan was looking at me funny.  And I came home."

   "You had a rough evening.  How about hot chocolate for a change." I
paused.  "On the floor crying?!?!  Whatta girl!"

   "I'm NOT going to be a slut, Alan.  NOT.  My first time is going to be
with WHO I want, WHEN I want." She paused.  "Hot chocolate?" Pause. 
"Okay."

   Now that bunch of gears in my mind was really clattering.  Her first
time?  She hadn't HAD a first time yet?  "Sorry, babe," I said.  "Hot
chocolate is instant tonight.  Remind me to buy some cocoa next time we do
grocery shopping."

   She accepted the steaming mug and sipped loudly.  "Mmmmmm" she said,
then "Dammit!"

   Her cellphone rang.  She looked at the display.  "That's Susan," she
said.  "Shhhh!" She answered the call.  "Uh, hi, Susan.  Yes, I AM mad.  I
expected a nice evening of watching movies and talking and stuff, with new
friends." Pause.  "No, I DON'T drink." Pause.  "No, I have NEVER tried
pot." Pause.  "Uh ...  No, I'm NOT a prude.  I know stuff about SEX that
will curl YOUR hair.  And I think LOVE is better." Pause.  "Oh.  How is he?
Walks funny?  Good!!!  He should.  He needs to learn the meaning of NO!"
Pause.  "No, Susan, I don't HATE you.  I don't HATE him.  But HE'S not
getting within six feet of me.  EVER.  And if you want to be my friend,
then YOU need to be straight with me." Pause.  "No.  I don't like being
blind-sided." Pause.  "No.  If you want us to do something together, tell
me what's going down, up front.  And give ME the chance to say no." Pause.
"Yeah.  Okay.  Yeah, I'll still talk to you." Pause.  "Reputation?  If I
get a reputation, it's NOT gonna be because I let Jeff Jamison put his
hands on my tits.  Or anything else." Pause.  "Yeah.  Okay.  See you
Monday." Pause.  "Yeah, you can call.  I'll talk."

   She looked at me.  "Now my chocolate's cold."

   "I can fix that," I said, taking her mug to the microwave.  "That was
quite a speech."

   "Sounds like one of those "Alan" speeches, huh?"

   "You have to know that all at once I'm sorry you didn't have a good time
and I am relieved you're okay and I'm proud that you can say no ...  peer
pressure is a hard thing to get past."

   The microwave chimed.  I handed her back her mug.  "Oh, no, Alan.  I've
pretty much "peered" enough with Mom." She took a sip.  "Mmmmmm.  What are
we watching?"

   "Good movie coming on in half an hour, I said.  I was gonna stay up late
and watch it by myself."

   "You're not by yourself now," she said.

   We watched the movie and at eleven thirty she changed into her PJ's. 
"Bedtime?"

   "Yeah.  Let's do an "us" day tomorrow.  If you don't have plans." I
waited.

   "My plans pretty much got erased."

   She made her bed as I rinsed our mugs.  I started toward my end of the
trailer.

   "Wait, Alan," she said.

   "What?" I stopped and looked at her.

   She walked up to me and tiptoed and kissed me on the cheek.  "Thank
you."

   "For what?" I asked.

   "For being decent and understanding.  And good to me."

   "You're one spectacular young lady," I said.  It's easy being nice to
you." And I went to my bed.

   From the other end of the trailer I heard, "G'nite, babe!"

   And I went to sleep.  Somewhere around two o'clock I started to turn
over and ran into an unexpected obstacle.  A seventeen year old girl.  She
was lying on top of the covers and I was underneath them and I decided that
chastity was being observed, so I carefully rolled the other way.  An hour
later I awoke again, this time to feel a pajama-clad form sliding up
against me.

   "Tina," I whispered, not wanting to startle her.

   "Alan ...  I..."

   "Tina, I ...  you're..."

   "I'm ...  the sofa hurts my back ...  and I got cold laying on top of
the blankets."

   "Okay..."

   "I'm cold." She slid closer.  I didn't feel "cold".  I felt heat.

   "Okay," I said.  "Come here." And I let my arms encircle her.  And I
smelled the sweet trace of perfume on her, and I breathed and she snuggled
into me and said, "mmmmmm".  And we really DID go back to sleep.

   And that made for a very interesting wake up.  I woke up first and
looked at the lump in the bed beside me.  Her hair tossed crazily in her
sleep and ended up wreathing her face, that pretty face, asleep, looking
cherubic in its innocence.  Innocence!  That clanked in my head.  She'd
told her friend that she was a virgin.

   I started to get out of the bed and I felt a hand on my arm.  "Noooo,
babe," she said.  "Stay here."

   "I'd love to, babe, but I gotta go to the bathroom."

   "Okaaay," she whined.

   "I'll be back," I said.  "If that's what you want."

   "Mmmm-hmmm" she said.

   I was up the hall, into the bathroom and back out.  I eased under the
covers and she scooted towards me.  "Are you sure this is..."

   "I want to cuddle."

   It was my turn.  "Okaaaay..."

   Our bodies met.  For some minutes I held her, her face pressed against
my chest, my cheek against the top of her head.  She moved.  Her face
turned towards mine.  And things went horribly wrong.  Or right.  Because
she kissed me.

   I let her slide out of my arms and sat up.  "God, no, Tina..."

   "Alan..." she said, putting her hand on my arm.  "What's wrong?"

   "Tina ...  I ...  we ...  No..."

   "What?" she asked.  "D'you know that I didn't go to sleep last night? 
Not until I got in your bed?"

   "No..." I answered.

   "I didn't.  It wasn't my back.  I couldn't sleep.  I just lay there
thinking about things like how a guy my age thought that the first time he
got me in a room alone that I belonged to HIM, and he's supposed to be a
GOOD one, and I thought, "well, dummy, there's a guy thirty feet away that
never so much as made a move, that treated me like a princess and an equal
and a valuable person and SAVED me at the risk of his own life, all at
once, and I said, 'Stupid girl, exactly what ARE you looking for?'.  So I
crawled in your bed."

   "B-but ...  Tina, I didn't, I mean, I ...  I told Deputy Hurley, I
didn't take you to turn into a sex toy..."

   "I am NOT a sex toy.  You don't listen, Alan.  You treat me like I want
to be treated.  If you were only my dad, I'd have a perfect dad.  I'd be so
lucky.  But you're NOT my dad.  You're ...  well, I don't know what you
are. I know what I want you to be..."

   I knew what I was ...  speechless.  "Uh..."

   "Alan.  Do you love me?  For real?  Not saying it to make me feel good?"

   This one was easy.  "Yes, Tina, I love you."

   "Then tell me, Mister Engineer, if you love me, don't you think it might
be possible that I love you?" She had an awfully serious look on her face.

   "Precious, I can believe that.  But then what?  I mean..."

   She knelt beside me.  "Then this..." and she kissed me.  Her lips were
hot and soft and as they met mine this time, mine parted involuntarily. 
The tip of my tongue brushed her lips softly and they parted and her own
tongue gently met mine.  "Mmmmmmm..." escaped her and resonated throughout
my being.  My arms enveloped her and she molded into me, separated from me
by only a couple of layers of cotton pajamas.

   Our lips finally parted.  Blood was pounding in my ears.  "Alan," she
said, "Tell me you love me again."

   "Heaven help me, darling," I said.  "I love you, Tina." I kissed her
this time.  Finally we stopped.  Her eyes were bright and blue and I could
lose myself in them, and there was a satisfied smile on her lips.

   "That's all I want to know.  I love you.  You love me.  I can stop
worrying." And she got up.  I had a raging hard-on that I wasn't supposed
to have, but I'd just been kissing a beautiful, nubile, intelligent, funny
seventeen year old girl.  And I wasn't dead.  But I wasn't ruled by my
baser urges, either.  I got up too.

   "So now what?" I asked.

   She pushed up against me.  "All things in due time, babe," she said,
kissing me lightly.  "Mmm-kay?"

   "Okay," I said.  I ran my hands down her sides.  The embrace was
invigorating.  And I know she felt the erection I had.  Still in each
other's arms, her face turned to me.  "In due time."

   So Saturday morning we drove out for breakfast, then a ride through the
countryside.  Away from the home area, she pushed the console out of the
way and slid beside me, wrapping my bicep with her hands, putting her chin
on my shoulder.

   "You're mine?  " she asked.

   "I'm yours," I said.  "That's kind of scary, babe," I said.

   "Why's it scary?  I love you?"

   "Because you're seventeen and I'm forty and..."

   "And it makes no difference at all.  I thought about that.  Is love
supposed to be about physical things?  Like MY looks or YOUR looks?  Or is
it supposed to be that the real YOU and the real ME, personalities, likes,
dislikes, dreams, thoughts, all of US fits.  That US is right..."

   "You're gonna make a habit of this, aren't you?"

   "A habit of what?"

   "Being all smart and right all the time..."

   She kissed me, giggling.  "Just let us be US..."

   "Okay, smart girl," I said.  "You just bought yourself a forty year old
engineer."

   "And you got yourself a ...  well, you got ME ...  and whether I'm
seventeen or the reincarnation of Cleopatra, Queen of the Nile.  And I am
YOURS..." She looked thoughtful.  "Uh, babe ...  can we do a hotel tonight?
And don't get two beds ...  Never again."

   "But, babe ...  we didn't pack..."

   "I know for a fact, Alan Addison, that you keep an emergency bag behind
your seat with a change of underwear and a shaving kit.  She smiled
demurely.  And we won't need pajamas.  Not tonight."

   "Babe, didn't you say last night that you wanted your first time to
be..."

   She interrupted, "Don't feed me my own speech, dearest.  I said, and I
quote (I loved it when she got academic) 'Who I want and when I want.' And,
Alan, the 'who' is YOU and the 'when' is before this day ends."

   "But, Tina ...  you only get to do that once."

   "You know," she said, sitting back, "I love you.  We share this
together..."

   "Okay.  Jackson is an hour up the road.  Here's my phone.  Look up
either this hotel or that one.  And get us a place..."

   A very businesslike Tina did the reservations and an hour later we
checked in with my emergency bag for luggage.  And went straight to the
room.  And locked the door.  And she pushed me back against it and almost
climbed up me, kissing.  And I gave up.  I loved it.  I loved her.  And the
girl I loved was tugging my shirt out of my pants...

   I ran my fingers through that short, sassy hair and fastened my lips to
the side of her neck, getting squeals and wiggles in response.  She pulled
free and grabbed my hand and we went toward the bed.

   Her sloppy, floppy Saturday blouse was loose and I ran my hands under
it, feeling her flesh for the first time.  "Mmmmm ...  ohhhh, baby..." and
she giggled.  "You don't know..."

   I turned and sat on the bed, drawing her toward me.  "What don't I
know?"

   "That I've been wanting to do this ...  for you to touch me ...  but I
tried, too, Alan.  I tried telling myself that you were a nice guy who
really just wanted to take care of me and it wasn't like that and I
shouldn't push for anything else..."

   I laughed.  "Then we were both doing the same thing..."

   "I know," she giggled.  She started to unbutton her blouse.  I helped.

   "Uh, Alan ...  I never ...  before..."

   "But you're unbuttoning..."

   "I knowwww," she said.  "But I'm ...  uh ...  bashful..."

   "Then do it YOUR way."

   She let out an exasperated sigh.  "Okay then..." and she stopped
unbuttoning and pulled the shirt off over her head, leaving me staring at
her bra.  She reached behind her.

   "No, I'll do that, babe," and I reached around her and unhooked two
hooks.  Her bra slid off her shoulders.  Two perfect titties...

   "Your shirt," she said.  I peeled my shirt off.  Her hands went to my
chest, her fingers clutching my chest hair.  "God, I've wanted to do this
every day we went to the pool," she said.  She pushed me back on the bed
and straddled me.  We both still had jeans on at this point.  More giggles.
"D'you KNOW what you did to me this morning when I hugged you and felt that
THING pressing against me?"

   "No.  What?"

   "Beast!" She laughed.  "D'you think you're the only one that gets
aroused?  I had to go swab out my ...  uh ...  THERE!" Giggle.

   "I'm glad.  I thought I was going to explode.  And you just went
"la-di-dah..." What were you thinking?"

   "That we needed to talk," she smiled.  "'Cuz I'm only doing this once.
And you, mister, you better be forever..."

   "Forever," I repeated.  "Uh ...  little darling, you're too damned smart
to be confused as to what that means..."

   Naked chest to sweet, firm titties, we kissed.  "I know exactly what it
means." Another giggle.  "There's that thing again." She sat back, still
straddling me.  "It's time I get to see it."

   "I'm not going to ask if you're sure again."

   "Good!" Giggle.  She got up.  I stood, started to unbuckle my belt. 
"Nuh-uh," she said.  "MY present.  I get to unwrap it." She worked my belt
loose, then unsnapped my jeans and unzipped me.  I was hard. 
Diamond-cutter hard.  It tented out my drawers.  She slid my jeans down my
thighs.  I wiggled my legs and they fell to my feet.  I stepped out of
them. Blue eyes turned up to me and her mouth formed a smile.  "This is
supposed to be fun, right?"

   All I could do was nod.  Her fingers hooked the elastic of my drawers
and in one move pulled them out and down over my dick.  Keeping her eyes
fixed on it, she slid my drawers down my legs.  I stepped out of them too.

   "So this is the thing..."

   It was.  All six circumcised inches of absolutely normal.  And I died
when her fingers wrapped around it.

   "Uh, babe," she said, looking up at me standing in front of her, "Am I
supposed to think this is, uh ...  like ...  beautiful?"

   "I don't know, babe.  I never thought about it.  I'd settle for you not
finding it too disgusting to touch.,."

   Her grin was joy to behold.  "Oh, yeah, it's disgusting.  Like this."

   Every ounce of strength I had, I used to keep my knees from buckling
when she stuck the head in her mouth.  She heard me suck in a sharp breath.
"I ...  I didn't hurt you, did I?"

   "Oh, god, no, sweetness.  Surprised, yes.  Hurt?  No."

   "I've heard about that for years.  Saw yours.  Knew that I'd like it,
with YOU." She stood up.  She eyed me questioningly.  "You want?" she
touched her jeans.

   "Oh, yes," I said.  I knelt before her and unbuttoned her jeans, taking
time to run my hands over that perfectly framed ass.  "Perfect," I said.

   "Glad YOU think so, baby," she said.

   I slid them down, helping them as they clung to her thighs, then down
past her shapely calves.  She raised first her left foot, then her right,
stepping out of her jeans, leaving her clad in a pair of powder-blue
hip-hugger panties, her rounded mons, beckoning.  Yes, it WAS beckoning. 
So I did the thing I thought it needed.  I planted a kiss on it.  It was
her turn to suck in a breath.  "Ahhhhhhhh."

   "Did I hurt you?" I asked.

   Giggle again.  "No, but I'm gonna hurt YOU if you don't pull my panties
off and do that again."

   I slid the panties off her plumpish rounded ass and down.  She stepped
out of them and I kissed her mons again through a fine down of brown pubic
hair.  Hands held the back of my head.  I eased a little lower and I let my
tongue tease the beginning of her slit.  "Nnnnnnn, baby..." I stood up and
our bodies touched naked for the first time.

   She shook her head.

   "D'you know," I said, "how wonderfully adorable you are.  Right down to
that little head shake."

   "I need a haircut," she said.  "But then you might think it's too
short."

   "Nuh-uh," I said.  "I like your neck." And I attacked it, turning her
into a wiggly, giggly mess in my arms.

   She pushed me backward onto the bed.  "Now," she said, "this is my first
time, and I know it's supposed to hurt some.  So I'm gonna be on top,
okay?"

   All I could do was nod assent.  She straddled me and for the first time
in her life her pussy met a dick.  My untold riches lay in the fact that
the dick was mine.  The wet lips of her pussy wrapped the shaft of my dick.
"Ahhhhh," she said.  "THAT is GOOD!" She smiled at me and slid back and
forth a few times, letting her clitty ride in contact with the underside of
my hard and wonderfully trapped dick.

   While she was enjoying that I was enjoying the beauty of her body,
tracing sweet curves with my hands, moving up from her delightful ass, up
her sides, around to cup twin handfuls of firm, warm flesh, letting my
thumbs tease pink strawberry nipples, circling the quarter-sized areoles.

   "You're killing me, baby ...  and I'm loving the death..." she sighed.
Finally she raised her hips and let my dick rise.  Lubrication was
complete. Her juices far exceeded my own, and between us, we were ready. 
Her hand went between her thighs and she guided me with fingertips, lining
the head of my dick with her waiting hole.  Her fae showed concentration.
She bit her bottom lip, pressing down, the head pushing against her cherry.
Her eyes went full open, she took a deep breath, and pressed.  She went
"Mmmph!" and I was in.

   "We're ...  You're in ME, Alan."

   "Are you okay?" I asked.

   She nodded.  And answered by rising, letting me slide out of her a
little, then she sat back down, pushing me all the way back inside.  Her
back arched.  I put my hands on her hips and she started slow oscillations,
back and forth, sitting back to angle me so her clitty was again in contact
with the dick inside her.  I was trying hard to keep from coming right then
but her hips were, her pussy was, working against my best intentions.

   "Oh, baby," she moaned.  I curled forward to suck one of her titties
into my mouth.  My tongue played on her nipple.  "Babe ...  tooo ...  Much
...  I ...  I ...  ohhhhh." Thrust.  "I'm ...  I'm ...  doinnnnnnnn' ... 
it..." the last syllable was a hiss.  Another thrust was all I could stand,
and I squirted.  Hard.  Deep ...  Her eyes blinked open.  "Is that ... 
you're ...  Oh, god ...  I feel it ...  again..." she breathed.  "Another
...  babyyyyy."

   She fell forward into my arms and our lips sealed together.  I ran my
hands over her ass.  It wouldn't be still, and active muscles in her pussy
teased me through orgasm to hardness and she started humping me as we
kissed.  I held her in my arms and rolled her over onto her back, still
inside her.  Her hips pushed me deeper into her.  I started plunging into
her again, rolling her almost immediate second orgasm into yet another for
me.

   After the fire subsided for the second time, I rolled her back on top of
me.

   Finally we regained the power of speech.  "Darling," she said, caressing
my face, "everyone told me the first time was gonna hurt and wouldn't be
much fun.  I had fun.  Did you have fun?"

   "I'm returning from a parallel universe, little girl," I said.

   She kissed me lightly.  I looked into those blue eyes.  "Tina, will you
marry me?"

   Giggle.  "You ask me to marry you with that THING stuck in me?  Uh..."
her hips wiggled and I fell out, soft, spent, with a soft plop.  "Okay,
it's out.  Now ask me."

   "Tina, will you marry me?"

   "Yes, Alan, I will." She got a semi-serious look.  "IN fact, in SOME
societies, we're married NOW."

   "Good enough for me," I said.  "But when you're old enough ...  we'll
make it official."

   "Old enough?  I'm seventeen..."

   "That's old enough for you to get married if your parent signs for you.
But at eighteen, you won't need a signature."

   "What about you?  You're my guardian."

   "Uh, I'm pretty sure that I can't sign for you to marry me..."

   "So we can like, live in sin for a year..."

   "I wouldn't call it sin, exactly," I said.  "After all, I am not going
to be with anyone else for the rest of my life.  What about you?"

   "You're it, babe.  One.  Only.  Forever." And that statement was sealed
with a kiss.