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Happy Wednesday!

Enjoy the latest installment of “Discussion of Differences.”

Anabelle went first.

“So, of course y’all know that Bill and I are getting married. We’re thinking about sometime next year. And it wouldn’t be a happy wedding without all four of you being a part of it. So, the question is, how will this affect our European adventure?”

Everyone sighed, with Bill the loudest.

Bethany spoke up next.

“No worries. Actually, your wedding is a good sign, I think. Because of the wedding, it will give all of us more time to plan this grand adventure of ours, and definitely more working time to save as much money as possible.”

Hunter nodded in agreement. So did Will. Only Lisanna looked worried.

Hunter squeezed Lisanna’s shoulder.

“What’s wrong, birdy?”

Everyone immediately said “Aww” at the nickname, which helped.

Lisanna swallowed. This was the first time she had braved to address the whole group.

“I’m just freaked out because I’m the youngest. I don’t have anything lined up yet for when I leave LT in December. That is, if I actually leave LT …”

Her voice quivered and trailed off. Hunter kissed her temple and rubbed her shoulder.

“Birdy, it’s alright – I promise. No one here expects you to have a job as soon as you leave LT. And, you will be leaving in December – We’re all sure of it. Right, guys?”

“Oh yeah!”

“Of course!”

“Definitely!”

Lisanna smiled through her tear-filled eyes. She wiped at them, clearly embarrassed.

“I just want to be able to contribute. I’m so excited about this. I think this whole Europe thing, plus Bill and Anabelle getting married, are signs of hope.”

Hunter looked puzzled. “Hope?”

Lisanna nodded. “I’ve been so depressed recently. Lost, almost. That’s why I didn’t want you come down and stay with me last night. I wanted to sort out my thoughts and feelings before coming here today. It helped, but I’m worried about our relationship. What girl wants to be alone when your boyfriend is practically begging to come see you?”

Bethany and Anabelle had to quickly contain their laughter.

“Lizzy, you’re not alone! It’s completely normal. Trust us.”

Bill and Will immediately exchanged glances of pure bewilderment. At that, everyone busted out laughing. 

Bethany and Anabelle tried to figure out who was going to speak first.

“It’s true though. You can look as bewildered as you want. We love you, Will and Bill, but there are days and nights where we just need some peace and quiet. Everyone needs some time alone. Everyone.”

At that, Will and Bill just shrugged their shoulders; that was the universal signal to move on.

The three girls then, at that moment, felt more united than ever. Before now, Lisanna felt somewhat left out. She was the youngest out of everyone, and not nearly as close to the rest of the group. But because of all these emotions and honesty, it seemed that everyone was going to get along just fine.

—

They continued to informally plan throughout the course of that Saturday. Bethany felt like the expert of the group, having traveled both over and through Europe in three different round-trips between the ages of 12 and 19. But she tried not to act like a hot shot. She wanted everyone to feel like they were equal participants. After all, this adventure could possibly turn into something more permanent.

By the end of the evening, things started to come out of their heads and onto paper. Through all the scribbles and doodles, it seemed like one thing was clear: The six wanted to traverse as much as of the continent as they possibly could. Nearly every country was listed. There weren’t reasons for everything; it was more of a wish list. The beginning was the simplest – Fly from the U.S. into one of the England airports and start the adventure there.

Amidst all the discussion, Hunter got an idea. It was something he had mentioned, albeit briefly, to Bethany on the FlixelFlaxen. He had gotten the feeling that Bethany had glossed over it though, so he figured it was worth mentioning to the entire group.

“Hey, guys.”

All chatter ceased and each head swiveled in his direction.

Hunter cleared his throat. “I was thinking about living arrangements – What if we stumble upon a castle?”

The only response Hunter got was the ear-to-ear grins on everyone’s faces.

—

As the so-called resident expert on the continent, Bethany was quickly dubbed the de facto leader of the expedition. She knew, from previous experience, that everyone was going to go a lot smoother if she started to delegate, right from the get-go.

While everyone continued to talk with subdued excitement, she began formulating this plan in her head, and drafting notes in the little pink notebook that never left her purse. She immediately designated a page for each of the six of them. She started listing qualities – Both good and bad.

Within minutes, the delegation was nearly complete. She wanted each person to be solely responsible for at least one thing, but then everything else be more of a team effort. No one could wipe the smile off her face as she jotted down notes in her looping cursive.

Since Hunter had mentioned castles, she marked him down as being charge of living arrangements – Both temporary and potentially permanent.

Since Bill had worked in a supermarket for many years prior, Bethany knew he was the expert on food and groceries.

For Will, she immediately put down everything design-wise. What Will did with that task was completely up to him; she had the ultimate confidence that he would help design the near-perfect European adventure, as well as be excellent at marketing it to the group.

Lisanna and Anabelle were the only ones left. Bethany purposely wanted to assign tasks to the boys first – They were far less complicated. She wanted to give more thought and care to the girls – Emotions and all.

Bethany started to consider their foreign language experiences at LT. She herself had suffered through Spanish, as did Hunter. Anabelle was the resident expert on all things German, so that made it a little easier. Lisanna was Hispanic, but Bethany didn’t know how fluent she truly was. She also wanted to consult Will and Bill. Everyone had to have taken at least one foreign language throughout high school and college, no matter where they attended. Fortunately, English was a shoo-in.

Anabelle had an extensive travel history, so Bethany decided to put her in charge of the overall itinerary.

The main question was Lisanna. Bethany knew better than to call her out in front of the whole group, so she wanted to take a more subtle route.

She could go through Hunter, but that wouldn’t be fair to either of them. Besides, the whole point of this idea was to get closer as a quasi-family unit, right?

Bethany ripped a page out of the notebook and feverishly scribbled a note:

Lisanna,

I’m so happy that you’re on board with this whole adventure thing!

I want to get to know you better. I want to become good friends with you, first of all. Also, I want to find out how you can best contribute to our expedition.

Let’s chat, one-on-one, a little later, before we all part ways. I’ll give you my number too.

So excited!

-B

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

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Welcome back!

It’s Wednesday – So it’s time for another installment of “Discussion of Differences.”

Enjoy!

Finally, after what seemed like hours, it was Anabelle who broke the silence.

“Relocate? As in, move?”

Bethany and Hunter merely nodded.

Everyone’s eyes looked at each other around the circle. No one moved, no one spoke. There was barely any breathing.

Bill took a deep breath and finally said what everyone was thinking.

“This is crazy. Absolutely crazy! But, I like it.”

—

Their Saturday adventure stretched into Sunday. No one slept that night. It was like a teenage slumber party – Everyone was whispering and basically giggling. The idea was simply crazy and nutty, but it sounded like loads of fun.

Everyone eventually fell asleep, the three couples intertwined in different places in Bill’s bedroom. All six of them had different dreams of Europe dancing in their heads.

The next morning, it was like everyone had left their old lives behind. All they could talk about was the future. Everyone had a different version, but it all led down the same path.

As everyone prepared to leave Bill’s house, the excitement was electrifying. A whole new adventure was in its infancy.

Lisanna and Hunter were headed northwest – Lisanna back to LT to finish school, and Hunter back to work in the mountains.

Anabelle was staying with Bill until Monday, then she had to head back southeast to her mom’s. Bethany and Will were headed southeast as well – Back to their parents’ houses and back to work.

But as they headed their separate ways, their lives, as they knew it, would never be the same. They promised to meet again in a month’s time, back at Bill’s, for another weekend of scheming, dreaming, and achieving this concocted plan.

—

The scheming and dreaming carried everyone through that month of work, workouts at the gym, parental drama, and studying. It was stressful, carrying around this big secret. Everyone had made a pact that Saturday to not tell anyone outside of the six, not until the plans took better shape, that is. But it certainly wasn’t easy.

Bethany almost slipped up, but luckily she caught herself. She turned the story into reminiscing about her previous trips to Europe – The first was 17 days in high school, and the second was a spring break trip courtesy of an art class at LT. In fact, she was the only one of the six to have previously traveled to any country in Europe. So she was automatically considered to be the expert.

Hunter and Bethany had also decided to keep their conversation on the FlixelFlaxen to a minimum. They still messaged daily, but swore to not talk about Europe unless the six of them were together. It didn’t seem fair, or right. They wanted to keep it as even and equal as possible.

—

Finally, the weekend before Halloween had arrived. It was once again time to travel to Bill’s mom’s house. Surprisingly, no one talked about Europe in the cars on the way up – It seemed like the discussion would work best with everyone together again. But that certainly didn’t stop them from thinking about it.

Everyone had a slight difference of opinion about Europe, but the overarching theme was plain excitement. This was a grand adventure. And the best part? The six of them were going to embark on this adventure together, no matter what.

The crunch of gravel underneath tires signaled to Bill that everyone had arrived. Anabelle had come to Bill’s early, to do some more wedding planning. That was going to be a factor in their European adventure, but she didn’t want to get ahead of herself. She wanted the six of them together for both the wedding and Europe, no questions asked.

Bethany and Will were eager to continue the discussion as well. The engagement ring had been finished months ago, but Bethany knew to just keep her mouth shut. She knew Will was planning the best proposal that he could think of, and she didn’t want to bug him about it. She allowed herself to daydream about it for a few minutes each day, but then put it out of her mind. She was easily distracted anyway. She knew Will would find the right place and the right time to ask her one of the most important questions ever. She couldn’t wait for it, but at the same time wanted to be surprised and swept off her feet.

Hunter and Lisanna drove to Bill’s separately, although the original plan was for Hunter to come down to LT on Friday, on his day off, spend the night, and then Hunter would drive Lisanna to Bill’s. Hunter was lonely on the workdays and the weekends that he wasn’t staying with Lisanna. He loved spending as much time with Lisanna as he could, and missed her terribly whenever he couldn’t come visit.

However, the final semester for Lisanna was quickly eroding her spirit, and it was becoming increasingly difficult for her to keep allowing Hunter to visit her on the weekends. She wanted to get the best grades possible, but ultimately make sure she passed all of her classes. They planned to walk at commencement in May, together. They both were part of the five-year plan at LT, but neither were ashamed of that. Lisanna just wanted to pass her classes and graduate – LT itself was quickly becoming part of the problem. She was also terrified of the real world, and what that meant for her relationship with Hunter. She felt torn, and was becoming frantic with each passing day.

Fortunately, being alone in the car for the 45-minute drive to Bill’s was therapeutic. She lost herself in the mix CD that Hunter had given her a month earlier for their anniversary. Her thoughts about the future took her to another place too.

“Maybe Europe is the sign that I’ve been looking for,” she thought as she cruised down the highway.

She did miss Hunter’s company in the car – They always had their best discussions there. But at the same time, she had just come off of midterms and needed Friday to clear her head. She had desperately wanted Hunter to come stay the night with her – For him to just hold her close and tell her everything was going to be alright, that it was going to be just fine – but at the same time, she just wanted to be alone. And that wanting to be alone terrified her even more. What kind of person, in a loving long-term relationship, wanted to be alone?

As the six friends came together at Bill’s house, all of the raw feelings surfaced, and quickly. As Bill opened the door, hugs were exchanged all around and the traditional greetings and salutations were said. But silence settled in immediately afterward. Their grand European adventure suddenly became the ugly elephant in the room – And that was the last thing that everyone wanted.

Much like the night that the idea was proposed, no one could speak up immediately. It was almost taboo, forbidden, and immensely awkward. Everyone read worry and fear that was written on each other’s faces. All six of them were basically thinking the same exact thought – What the hell are we doing?

—

Luckily, the elephant started to get smaller. Bethany had started a binder full of research, and started to pass it around. She’d also thought to bring along the photo albums from her two previous Europe excursions. That broke the tension, albeit slightly.

Everyone thumbed through the books for a few minutes, and they all got back around to Bethany eventually. She stacked them in a neat pile as she sat Indian-style on Bill’s bedroom floor, stroking the corner of the purple photo album aimlessly. Finally, she took a deep breath and said, “Well, what do y’all think?”

Everyone glanced around, unsure of what to do or say. Then, Anabelle spoke up.

“I think it’s a great start.”

Like the first night, Anabelle’s affirmation kicked off instant chatter. It was a great flurry of conversation. All three books left Bethany’s lap again and didn’t return for a good while. It was difficult keeping up and keeping track – Everyone was going in different directions. It had a wave of excitement to it, but it crashed just as quickly as a wave would on the beach.

The conversation died down again, and it became this awkward staring contest. No one wanted to kill the enthusiasm, but the challenges needed to be addressed eventually.

Come back next week for more!

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

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Welcome back to Writing Wednesdays!

I’m so excited to kick off sharing my latest NaNoWriMo novel – “Discussion of Differences.”

Last November, in those 30 days, I wrote 16,237 words, the most I’ve ever written in my entire life in one period. I look forward to destroying that number with glee six months from now, but until then, I’m more than happy to share it with you, with the world.

It all started with a discussion of differences.

How life was different in the U.S., compared to Europe.

It gave Bethany and Hunter a grand idea.

—

Before this discussion started, Bethany and Hunter were close friends. They first met in college, taking mass media courses together at the Lancer Institute.

They weren’t close in college. Bethany had originally been intimidated by Hunter. Hunter thought Bethany was a great girl, but that they’d lose touch after Bethany graduated. Bethany graduated and went back home in 2011.

As the years passed, they kept in touch through the FlixelFlaxen. Bethany was dating Will. Hunter met a girl at LT named Lisanna. And then there was another couple – Anabelle and Bill – that Bethany and Hunter both knew well.

At the time the discussion started, Anabelle and Bill had been dating the longest – A little over seven years, since they were wide-eyed freshmen at LT. Bethany and Will were next – Just past four years. And Hunter and Lisanna brought up the rear; they had recently celebrated two years together. All their anniversaries fell between the beginning of September and the first of October. Whenever they could, the three pairs enjoyed meeting up to hang out and enjoy each other’s company.

The discussion of differences came out over the FlixelFlaxen. Since Bethany and Hunter were long-distance friends, they messaged each other daily. They’d become closer because of it. They shared everything from the mundane work experiences to deep, dark secrets of relationships, both past and present.

One day, while they were both at work, something was said about the Europeans capitalizing on the 4-day work week. Bethany was always jealous that Hunter only had to work Monday through Thursday.

Plus, there were other perks that a lot of Europeans have enjoyed for years. Better healthcare. More affordable college/university studies. Cheaper travel. The sense of adventure. Actual paid maternity and paternity leave. And there was more than that.

As the discussion continued, a plan started to form. It started as just a pipe dream, but just the thought was tantalizing.

Hunter began thinking of castles and the sense of adventure.

Bethany got a thrill because Will had just started working for a German-based company six months prior, and he had already been approached about traveling there in the future.

The six of them had diverse degrees and experience. While Bethany and Hunter had mass media degrees, they were working in completely different fields – Bethany was an analyst for a health system, and Hunter was a video editor for a husband-wife team that rode horseback trails all over the world.

Lisanna was finally wrapping up her degree at LT, and was scheduled to graduate that winter. She currently had no clue about continuing education or work.

Anabelle was in graduate school, but in an online program. Bethany was in the same boat. They knew they could continue school if the need arose to move.

Bill and Will were both recent hires. Both were finally working in their respective fields after years in the same dead-end positions.

All of them were young. Will was the oldest, the closest to 30. And they were all serious about their relationships – Anabelle and Bill recently became engaged. Bethany and Will were heading down the path toward engagement. Lisanna and Hunter were serious, but not sure about their future; not until Lisanna became a LT graduate, anyway.

They all immensely enjoyed each other’s company. Most of their adventures happened at Bill’s mom’s house in the center of the state. It was a lot of Saturdays, about a month and a half in between each one. Those Saturdays slipped through their fingers, and left everyone excited for the next meeting. They couldn’t get enough.

Bethany and Hunter kept the conversation to themselves, but not for long. It was just too exciting not to share.

They waited long enough, but just barely made it to the next adventure. It was at Bill’s mom’s, about a week before Bill and Anabelle’s anniversary. The day was filled with shopping, laughter, and everything associated with autumn.

As they carried in the pizza and settled to watch some movies, both Bethany and Hunter cleared their throats simultaneously. They glanced at each other, and took a deep breath. Neither was eager to speak up first.

Finally, after a final glance at Hunter, Bethany swallowed and opened her mouth.

“Hey, guys?”

Everyone’s heads swiveled around. They were all in a rough circle, a mix of perching on Bill’s bed and on the floor.

Bethany normally didn’t get nervous. She had spoken in front of 500 people in her church sanctuary multiple times. But all of a sudden, having just ten pairs of eyes on her made her clammy and shaky.

She cleared her throat again. Will sensed something was wrong. He started to stroke her back – That calmed her, ever so slightly.

“Guys, Hunter and I have an idea that we wanted to share with you.”

Bethany motioned her head in Hunter’s direction. Fortunately, Hunter didn’t miss a beat.

“So, yeah, we’ve been thinking about an adventure.”

All eyebrows went up.

Unfazed, Hunter continued.

“Well, it’s not the normal adventure, like these meetings have been. We’re thinking bigger.”

Hunter smiled and nudged Bethany with his bony shoulder.

Bethany took another deep breath and leaned into Will before speaking.

“We’re thinking an European adventure.”

—

As the word “European” escaped her lips, everyone gasped. Not of utter shock, surprisingly, but more excitement. At least, from what Bethany could tell. The six of them were very simple people. Adventurous, yes, but not necessarily on a global scale.

No one spoke for a few moments. There was some palpable tension in the air, and neither Bethany nor Hunter knew quite what to do. Do they explain or begin to elaborate, or just let everyone process it?

Finally, Will was the first audience member to speak.

“So, Europe, huh?”

—

With that, everyone started talking at once, except for Hunter and Bethany. This was not the reaction they had prepared for, it was actually better than they had expected. They both exhaled a small sigh of relief.

Of course, the whole story hadn’t been revealed, either.

The initial conversation went on for at least 15 minutes before it died down. It seemed like every country had been discussed in that time, and with each new country and city that was named, the excitement continued to build.

Without warning, it got deathly quiet. Eight pairs of eyes slowly focused back on Hunter and Bethany.

“Oh boy, here we go again,” Bethany thought as the speaking ceased to exist.

 Fortunately, Hunter did the talking this time.

“Nothing is set in stone. It’s just an idea. But we were thinking that the six of us could, well, relocate.”

Now the gasps clearly contained shock and surprise. Everyone’s eyes were as wide as saucers. No one spoke. It appeared that all jaws had simultaneously hit the floor.

There was no flurry of conversation. Just silence.

Bethany was becoming increasingly uncomfortable. She absolutely loathed confrontation, especially among friends. She also greatly disliked tension. She knew it was definitely there in that room, and she felt like there was nothing she could do about it. The only comfort she had, at that moment, was that Will’s arm around her shoulders hadn’t budged an inch. But she could feel his eyes on her, trying to search her for understanding, almost desperate to find the meaning of what Hunter has just uttered.

Come back next week for more!

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

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This is the final installment of “Specialton.”

Posting my novels on the blog over the last several months has inspired me to start the editing process! I now have an outline of how I want all three of my novels to end 🙂 I look forward to embarking on this process, one day at a time.

My overall goal is to edit these novels, one at a time, from now until November, when I start writing a new one for NaNoWriMo 2014. I already have the main idea for that!

This is not the end of Writing Wednesdays, I promise! Remember when I posted excerpts of my 2014 novel, “Discussion of Differences,” on the Saturdays in November? Starting next week, I’ll be posting installments of that novel!

Until next week, enjoy the finale of “Specialton.”

Since she was covered in his semen, the only logical place to go next was the shower. They stepped in together and had another romp as they attempted to get clean. She kneeled on the floor as John rubbed his member in and out of her breasts. Evelyn then rubbed the semen all over her in delight, with the water washing it away. Finally, John’s body had had it, so he merely watched as Evelyn sat down in the tub, spread-eagle. She pleasured her clitoris with her fingers, starting with one finger and then moving up to two, where they slid in and out of her vagina. She kept at it until she exploded in orgasm, complete with several screams of pleasure and a full body shudder. Exhausted, John helped her up, dried themselves off, and they stumbled back to the bedroom to fall asleep in each other’s nakedness.

Two weeks later was the groundbreaking ceremony. It seemed like the entire town and the two neighboring towns showed up, along with all of the news media around. The JLA team flanked the mayor as they broke ground with their golden shovels. Flashbulbs popped and cameras rolled as John was interviewed for three local papers and the major TV station for four counties. The mayor hailed the groundbreaking as “innovative” and “a long time coming.” Evelyn could only smile as her fiancé finished his interviews like a champ, then immediately turned around and kissed her for all the world to see, complete with a dip. Everyone oohed, with the men puffing up their chests and almost all of the women swooning, wishing that their men did that with them in public, much less in front of rolling cameras. Evelyn felt like she was on top of the world.

Those feelings were soon dashed, however. She didn’t end up back in the hospital by the grace of God, but all the activity drained her of every bit of energy she’d gained back. The doctor ordered strict bed rest for at least a week until she went in for another check-up. Nothing was wrong with the baby so far as anyone could tell; she was progressing with the pregnancy properly. Both she and John were frustrated, but there was nothing anyone could do. Doctor’s orders were important to follow. It just meant more work and more stress on the rest of the team.

When she could, Evelyn would call in to the office for updates and throwing out ideas. Now that the groundbreaking ceremony was a week in the past, the pressure was on to have the first house built and furnished within a few months; six, at the most. The design was finished, so construction started almost immediately. But with construction came the pressure to continue designing and getting ready once the first house was done. This train had left the station and there was no stopping it unless there was a major emergency.

Fortunately the JLA team was extremely efficient, and the first home, designed to be a model for the rest of the neighborhood, was taking shape very quickly. The major construction was finished a month after the groundbreaking, and the designs for the next three houses were well underway. The train was chugging along with the county in terms of their services as well, with the first asphalt laid right after the foundation had been set.

Evelyn, however, was miserable. The baby was keeping her at home nearly four days a week, and weekends were devoted to sleeping and storing what energy she could. John was miserable for her, it was not fun seeing her upset and irritable. She did her best not to take it out on him, of all people, but one night it all boiled over.

“John, I wish I had the energy, but I just don’t!”

“I realize that, but I can’t do everything! I’m exhausted, too!”

“The doctor said at my last appointment that rest is the best for me and the baby. Don’t you understand that?”

“I do, really I do. It’s just frustrating, because I thought this would have passed by now.”

“Don’t you think I want that too? I’ve missed being at the office. I’ve missed my work. I’ve missed being with you. I want to get this baby out of me so I can go back to normal. If you’re frustrated, then I’m doubly so!”

She huffed out of the room, as best she could with a watermelon in her mid-section, in an attempt to cool off. She tried not to slam the bedroom door, but she did, to prove her point.

John stewed on the couch, trying to figure out what to do, where to go. He couldn’t leave, although he was sorely tempted. He wanted nothing more than to slam the front door and storm off in the car, to drive somewhere, anywhere. But, he knew Evelyn would be angrier at that, and that she’d worry until he returned.

An hour later, Evelyn opened the bedroom door a crack and peered out. The lights were still on, and she thought she heard the blare of the TV in the living room. She sighed in relief and opened the door wide.

Making her way to the living room, she picked up on John’s snores. Glancing at the wall clock, she’d missed dinner.  She knew she needed to eat something. She felt for the light switch and flipped it on, where she was met with a feast on the table. She couldn’t believe her eyes – John had fixed all of her favorites. Her hands flew to her heart as she thought over their argument, tears springing to her eyes. She was amazed that love could overcome so quickly.

She picked up a plate, heaped it with food, and carried it to the living room. John was curled up on the couch. She wriggled her way onto the couch near John’s head. He stirred for a few seconds, but then fell back asleep just as quickly. She stared at the food, the TV, and him before she smiled and sighed in content.

Evelyn tried to get up from the couch to go back into the kitchen, to put away the food. Her watermelon of a stomach bumped John’s head just right and his eyes popped open. He almost bonked his head from sitting up so quickly, and a gasp escaped his lips. Evelyn fumbled with the plate, the fork clattering on the wood floor.

“Evelyn, baby, I’m sorry. You startled me straight out of sleep. I was dreaming. Did I hit the baby?”

Evelyn shook her head. “No, honey, you’re fine. I didn’t want to wake you, I’m sorry. I was just trying to go put the food away. Thank you for all the food, it was delicious.”

John smiled as he turned around to face Evelyn. “I wanted to make it up to you. I shouldn’t have yelled – I was just frustrated at the situation, not at you. You’re the one carrying our little one.”

Evelyn bent down to kiss him on the forehead. “Are you hungry? I couldn’t eat all that food.”

She held out her free hand, where John got up from the couch and swept up the rogue fork with the other hand. They made their way to the kitchen where they finished off the feast together.

Come back next week for the start of my latest novel!

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

Image Credit: http://www.bridgeportisd.net

I’m back!

Enjoy the latest installment of “Specialton.”

John looked up and nodded. “Doctor …”

“Franklin. ER. I heard about Evelyn when I came on shift early this morning. She’s had it rough, but I know she’ll pull through. It’s too bad you’re not married …”

John smiled and shook his head. “Yep, if only we’d eloped when she told me she was pregnant a few months ago. I decided to propose instead.”

Dr. Franklin stuck out his hand and John shook it. “You’re a good man. Staying with her first of all, and then wanting to marry her the right way. Good on you. Well, can’t talk. Trauma calls. Good to meet you, John. Hopefully you and Evelyn aren’t stuck in here too much longer in this depressing place.”

John knew that all he could do was wait longer, so he took his time with his breakfast. It tasted okay, nothing like Evelyn made at home. God, he missed her. Outside of the two-week trip he’d taken recently, this was the longest he’d been separated from her. The hospital world was waking up with the day and John was a people-watcher. Everyone was perfectly pleasant and smiled at him, but left him alone.

Once he’d had breakfast, John made his way to the bathroom and then back to the waiting room. He was growing impatient, but he wanted to see Evelyn as soon as he was able to.  

The nurses went about their work, but stopped by every so often to check on John. Hours passed.  Finally, the doors opened, and the doctor appeared. John stood up, relieved. It had been a long 24-plus hours.

He greeted John with a handshake and then hurried to the exam room. One of the nurses followed after him; another went over to John.

“John, I know you’re anxious. The doctor was out of town, otherwise he would have been here a lot sooner. Evelyn has been resting, with lots of fluids. Once the doctor’s exam is over, then you can see her.”

Another agonizing 45 minutes passed. The doctor reappeared to the waiting area, as if he wanted to speak. No one else was there, as it was the middle of a beautiful Saturday afternoon, so the doctor shook John’s hand again and then sat down.

“John, it’s a pleasure to meet you, I wish this meeting was in better circumstances. You’re fortunate that your fiancée has been attending her prenatal appointments with me. However, this degree of sickness was much unexpected and I’m sorry that you both had to go through this these last few days. Fortunately, she’s stable and the baby appears to be fine, for now. I’m recommending that Evelyn stay here one more night for observation and more fluids, and then you can take her home tomorrow.”

John’s eyes were full of questions. “What about work? She and I are a team in our business. However, I understand the need for her health and the baby. What do we do?”

The doctor nodded and considered his questions. “Until she’s back to a more normal state, I highly recommend bed rest for both their health. If she is stressed, the sickness could return very quickly and you both could end up back here again.”

John paled. “We certainly don’t want that, this last day and a half has been difficult.”

The doctor took out his prescription pad. “I can’t give her any strong medicine, but I am prescribing this mild anti-nausea dosage, that should help her keep more food and water in her. She desperately needed fluids when she arrived the other night. You are a good man, you saved both their lives.”

John was relieved, slightly. “So, bed rest for now. Anything else?”

The doctor wrote down a date and time. “Can she come in to see me then?”

John nodded. “Is she able to drive?”

The doctor’s eyebrows furrowed. “In her condition, probably not. However, since I’m prescribing several days’ bed rest, she might feel strong enough to drive herself. If she doesn’t, I want you or someone else who is trustworthy to drive her to see me, okay?”

John nodded and extended his hand. “Thank you for coming so quickly. We both, er, three of us, appreciate it.”

The doctor smiled and grasped John’s hand. “Glad to hear that you’re a family already. My number is on the pad. If either of you have questions, just call.”

“Thank you, Doctor. May I see Evelyn now?”

The doctor’s smile spoke volumes.

John practically ran down the hall to Evelyn’s room. “Pull yourself together, son. She doesn’t need any more excitement.”

He knocked and the nurse waved him in.

Evelyn was a sight. Tubes stuck out of her everywhere. She looked like she’d lost weight, and not in the healthy way. Still, her eyes lit up and she breathed deeply.

“John …” Her voice was raspy, but she could speak.

John weaved his way through the maze of tubes so he could be by her side. It was refreshing to see her slightly sitting up, not sprawled on the floor by the toilet like he’d found her on Friday. He kissed her forehead and ran his hand along his cheek. Her skin was slightly gray, but she was warm.

The nurse spoke up. “Stay here as long as you like, I know you’ve been waiting. I’ll come back later.”

“John …”

“Shhh … Don’t speak. Your voice needs to rest, it sounds awful.”

“John … I love you.”

John kissed her forehead again, it was virtually the only place he could reach without snagging a tube or a wire. “You’re quite a sight, Evelyn. I love you too.”

No more words were spoken, and no more were necessary. The love and appreciation filled the room. Evelyn finally started to perk up and get back to normal.

John being in the room helped tremendously. Evelyn’s color came back, she was less nauseous, and was able to keep more food and fluids in her. She even started requesting food because she felt hungry.

She was still weak, but much improved over the condition she’d been in. As the doctor had told John, the hospital kept her for one more night to monitor her and make sure she was less prone to the severe sickness returning.

Early the next morning, John filled out the discharge papers and rolled her wheelchair to the doors.

He ran to get the car from the back of the parking lot to bring it alongside the sidewalk so he could help Evelyn into the car.

Once he had her settled in, they started the drive home. About two miles from the house, Evelyn grabbed his arm. John felt a rush of panic. “Evelyn? Are you okay? Do you need me to pull over?”

Evelyn realized that she’d startled him by grabbing him arm so suddenly. She withdrew her arm and shook her head.

“Evelyn? What’s wrong? Talk to me.”

“I – I didn’t mean to startle you like that. I’m sorry.”

“Well, do you need something?”

“I was only trying to get your attention. I’m craving a chocolate milkshake.”

John sighed in relief and had to smile. “You scared me, baby.”

“I’m sorry. I’ll say something next time. Can we go to the drugstore for that milkshake?”

John smiled and reached over to caress her face. “I have a better idea,” as he swung the car into the grocery store parking lot.

He had Evelyn wait in the car. She was surprised; John normally wasn’t the one who pulled off surprises.

Fifteen minutes later, John emerged with a small blender, milk, and several gallons of ice cream.

As he loaded the bounty into the trunk, Evelyn turned her head. John smiled and said, “Why spend 50 cents several times a day at the drugstore to satisfy those cravings, when we can make them anytime we want at home?”

Evelyn laughed. Surprising, and practical. Just one more reason why she was so in love with this man.

When they got home, John helped Evelyn into the house and got her settled. “I’m going to make you the biggest chocolate milkshake that no drugstore can make,” he proclaimed as he stepped back out to the car.

Evelyn leaned back on the couch and breathed in. “It’s sure nice to be home,” she thought as she patted her stomach. She’d been talking to the baby while in the hospital room, since no one else had been around until John was let in. “You gave us quite a scare, young man or young lady, whichever you are,” she mock-scolded.

John caught her talking mid-sentence as he came in with the groceries. He quickly put everything in their places in the kitchen and came back to the living room. “This is the first time I’ve heard you talking to it.”

Evelyn looked up and stopped, her eyes filled with fear.

John smiled. “It’s okay. I like it. It makes me realize that we’re growing a new life inside of you.”

He kissed her on the lips for the first time since driving to the hospital and caressed her stomach before whistling away into the kitchen.

That afternoon was spent relaxing, talking and enjoying several milkshakes. Finally, Evelyn was about to bust. “Those milkshakes were fabulous, but the doctor told me that I need to go easy on the sweets. Thank you, baby. You sure know how to welcome me home.”

John smiled and brushed a lock of hair off her forehead. “Anything for you, Evelyn. And the baby.”

They dissolved into passionate kissing on the couch, and then Evelyn took John’s hand and led him into the bedroom.

John was exhausted, and Evelyn was a hot mess. She still insisted on no sex because of the baby, but there were other ways.

They had carefully undressed each other, but then John became an animal.

He kissed every single inch of her beautiful ivory skin, and Evelyn’s hands went everywhere.

Since getting pregnant, Evelyn knew that the best way to make John feel good was oral sex. She had had some good practice over the last several months, but John wanted more than her mouth. After getting hard, he rubbed his member all over her body, exciting both of them. He trailed his way down to her waist, where she didn’t stop him, not immediately anyway. He pushed the tip of his member into her vagina, where her moan got him riled. He wanted to push, but she grabbed his ass and he stopped.

He carefully extracted it, briefly disappointed. However, looking up and down her naked body was enough for the disappointment to disappear in seconds.

He got on all fours, careful not to put any weight on her stomach. Then he had an idea, something they’d never tried before. He rose up on his knees and then hovered over her chest, where she’d been teasing her tits with her fingers, moaning softly. They were as hard as marbles. He carefully set his member between her silky smooth breasts as she continued to tease her tits, where he started to move back and forth, mimicking the movements in her vagina. Their moans got louder and louder until finally John grunted and shuddered. Evelyn felt the wetness of his semen but reveled in it. She felt dirty, in a good way. John slid backwards and could only watch in awe as it oozed between her fingers and she rubbed it all over her skin. She continued to touch and squeeze her tits as the semen plastered her breasts. John was shocked, but thrilled. He was excited that she wanted to be dirty and get dirty in the bedroom.

Come back next week for more!

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

Image Credit: http://www.waynesouthsmith.com

Welcome back!

Happy April! We’re already a third into 2015 … Wow!

Enjoy the latest installment of “Specialton.”

John kept the two secrets from the team, although it was extremely difficult to concentrate. He was exceedingly worried about Evelyn, since her sickness had been non-stop since the weekend started and she hadn’t left the bathroom when he went out the door. He desperately wanted to send everyone home at noon, but he had another important meeting at 1:00. “By 2:30, I’ll be home to her,” he thought as he muddled through research, paperwork, and phone calls.

Mary Anne knew he was worried without asking. She kept a straight face though so as to not give any hint that something was awry. No one seemed to notice, at least not yet. She also knew that the two of them would likely announce their big news together, so she just buried herself in her work.

At noon, John gathered the team together for a quick staff meeting.

“I have some news to share with all of you. Unfortunately, Evelyn has not been well since Friday and we are not sure what is going with her just yet. We will very likely go to the doctor together tomorrow; we are both very worried based on her symptoms and the duration of her illness thus far.”

John paused. Everyone looked concerned, but no one even dared to raise a question. It appeared the whole staff was holding their breath.

“With that said, I want everyone to take the afternoon off, and then just be on standby at home for tomorrow. I will call Mary Anne first thing in the morning, and then she will take the lead of contacting everyone based on what I tell her.”

His voice started to show emotion, which was extremely out of character. John was not one to make his emotions known, except for the brief periods of anger and frustration. He was also very mum on his personal life, although becoming involved with Evelyn changed that part very quickly. He took a deep breath and cleared his throat before continuing.

“Please keep the two of us in your thoughts, especially Evelyn. We are a team and I want to do everything in my power to keep us together – We’ve come so far already. We will fulfill our vision, I just know it. But it would not be realistic not to say that there aren’t roadblocks with a journey like this. We’ve hit several already and got through those, and this is just one more that we have to face. All of you are wonderful and I appreciate your patience, understanding, and mostly importantly, thoughts and prayers. Hope to see you all on Tuesday.”

No questions, just worry. Everyone crowded around John in a group hug. John received handshakes and nods that sent him racing back to Evelyn.

He was even more alarmed when Evelyn didn’t answer him as he stepped in the house. He dashed to the bathroom, where Evelyn was virtually in the same position where he’d left her just mere hours ago. She looked up at him and managed a smile, but didn’t say anything. He followed her eyes to the toilet bowl, which was red.

John had Evelyn lying on the bench seat, covered in a blanket and a trashcan on her chest like lightning. He took a breath after he laid her down – He went back up the walk, made sure the lights were on and the doors locked.  His hands were shaking like leaves when he went to start the engine. Evelyn’s left hand reached out to touch him. He caught a glimpse of the ring and her eyes, and that stopped him cold. He left the keys in the ignition, bent over and kissed her forehead, eyelashes, and lips before starting the engine. After that, he didn’t remember the drive to the hospital.

He squealed to a stop in front of the emergency doors and ran to find a nurse.

“My wife – er, fiancée, is pregnant. Uh, four months along, I think. My name is John Alspice.” John ran a hand through his hair and had to steady himself at the nurses’ station.

“She’s had occasional morning sickness since the conception, but it turned severe on Friday. She’s barely eaten or drank anything since Friday morning and I came home from work at 1:00 today and found blood in the toilet. I drove her straight here myself – We live about 5 miles away.” He took several breaths and stared at the nurse.

Her calm was impeccable. “Of course, sir. Let’s get your fiancée on a gurney and we’ll take good care of her. What’s her name?”

“Evelyn. Evelyn Adams. Please hurry – I’m afraid she’s dying.”

“Right away, sir. Thank you for bringing her in so quickly. We’ll get her in an exam room and then we’ll set to some paperwork, okay?”

John could only nod. He watched from the nurses’ station as several orderlies, the nurse he had spoken to, and a doctor wheeled a gurney out to the car. The doctor carefully lifted Evelyn and the blanket on to the gurney with great care, before wheeling her into the nearest exam room around the corner.

The nurse, Jenny was her name, came back five minutes later to the station. John was still standing there. To him, five minutes felt like three hours.

“Sir? John, you’re in shock. I can assure you that Evelyn is getting the best care. We do need the name of her doctor so we can contact him right away – We think there may be something wrong with the baby. Let’s get you in a chair right here, okay?”

John paled and his knees buckled. The hallway started to spin white and gray as Jenny kept talking to him, leading him to the nearest chair in the waiting area. He felt for the arms of the chair and collapsed. She ran to get him some coffee, water, and an aspirin. John felt very much like he did after he smashed all the drinks and glassware against his office wall.

“Jenny – I’m going to be sick …”

Jenny held the wastebasket as John hurled everything he had.

“John, I know you’re scared. Evelyn is going to be okay, I promise. Are you feeling better? If you’re okay for a few minutes, I’ll go back and see how they’re doing in the exam room, okay?”

John nodded and his eyes showed part relief, part thanks. He was incredibly grateful but couldn’t speak it. Jenny patted his hand and bustled away.

The next thing John knew, Jenny was shaking him awake. “John? There you are. You must have fallen asleep. Are you feeling better? Your color’s started to come back.”

John focused on Jenny’s face and nodded. Jenny smiled and sat down next to him.

“Good news, John. Evelyn’s been stabilized. We’re giving her all the fluids we can – She was severely dehydrated from the sickness. She’s certainly not out of the woods yet, but she’s more comfortable than she was. I can’t tell you how important it was that you brought her in when you did. If you had called for the doctor or an ambulance and waited, we probably would have had a dead body in that exam room.”

John felt the waves of nausea again – He felt how Evelyn had probably felt, but hers was easily ten times worse than his. He was able to suppress the feelings, but only with several strong sips of water. He took a deep breath before speaking. He swallowed another sip of water. Jenny was so patient – She was made to be a nurse.

Jenny patted his hand. “One more thing – They won’t let you see her until the doctor arrives and examines her. I wish I could tell you differently, but we want to make sure that the baby is okay before we let you in. If only you were married …”

Jenny stopped and met his eyes. John was frustrated and weak, but his eyes only spoke graciousness and peace. She squeezed his hand and patted his shoulder. “If you need anything, I’ll be right there at the station. Just call my name and I’ll come to you. You sit here and rest. I’m sure it’s been a traumatic day, to say the least. We’ll let you know when you can see Evelyn, okay?”

John just nodded and gave her a small smile. “Before – Before you go, can you go to Evelyn’s room and tell her that I love her?”

Jenny felt her eyes mist with tears. “Of course. I’ll come back to let you know what she says. Now get some rest.”

John dozed off sitting up. He started dreaming about their wedding and the baby, the neighborhood, the groundbreaking ceremony that was just two weeks away. He was picturing Evelyn in a gorgeous white gown, but he couldn’t tell if she was still with child or not. That thought suddenly caused him to sit up, almost catapulting himself out of the chair and onto his knees.

Jenny saw everything happen – It was a slow night at the hospital – and rushed over to help. She was able to get John back into the chair before she ran to refill his water cup. He gulped it down quickly and looked at Jenny. His eyes were full of tears. He sniffed and brushed his eyes. “Sorry – I’m usually not emotional …”

“John, it’s perfectly fine. You’ve been through trauma. I know that it’s upsetting that you can’t see Evelyn right now. The doctor still hasn’t arrived, and we’re not sure if he’ll come in tonight since it’s late.”

“What time is it, anyway?”

“Almost midnight. You slept for several hours, which is good. You have a choice though – You can leave and go home to your own bed, or you can wait here. I can’t tell you when they will let you see her, though. I can get you a blanket and a small pillow so you can either sleep on the floor, or you could push two of the chairs facing each other so you can at least lie down. I’ll go get the blanket and the pillow from the closet; be back in a jiffy.”

John made a mental note to write a letter to Jenny after this was all over – Her compassion and strength was amazing, and he couldn’t express in words how much everything meant to him at that moment. Then he drifted back into restless sleep.

Jenny woke him ten minutes later to help him get as comfortable as possible. She was able to scrounge up two pillows and one of the better blankets. She helped him push two chairs together so it resembled some sort of a bed. John was able to stretch out a little, using the back of one chair and the pillows as a makeshift headboard. Once John got settled under the blanket, Jenny gave him one last set of encouraging words.

“My shift ends in a few minutes. I won’t be back until tomorrow. I’ll let the other nurses know that you’ll be here for the next day or so. I really hope the doctor can come soon, he must be out of town – Normally most doctors are here by now to examine their pregnant patients. I’ll be thinking of you and praying for you, Evelyn, and the baby. Try to sleep as much as possible. The cafeteria will be open at 6:00 tomorrow morning for breakfast. I’ll see you soon, John.”

John nodded. “Thank you, for everything. You are one of the most compassionate people I have ever met. I really appreciate it. Thank you, Jenny.” He felt his voice cracking.

Jenny dipped her head at him and hurried off, likely to clock out and go home after such a long shift.

John leaned against the pillows, said a prayer for Evelyn and the baby, and fell into a fitful sleep.

When John awoke, there was light. His eyes fluttered open, and he was met with a mixture of harsh fluorescents and some sunlight. He tried to stretch. Every part of his body was sore, this was certainly not the way he was used to sleeping. However, he felt improved over yesterday. He was tired, but less nauseous and calmer. He hadn’t been paged during the night, so that meant the doctor hadn’t come.

There was a new nurse at the station. He slowly rose from his chair bed and stretched. She came over to greet him.

“Hi, John, I’m Mary. Jenny wrote us a note last night that you’d be here. I’m awful sorry to hear about your fiancée, Evelyn, and the baby. I hope the doctor can come this morning – I know both of you are anxious to see each other. Evelyn is doing a bit better, but the doctor’s examination will tell us more about what’s happened and what to do next. Can I help you to the cafeteria?”

John smiled. “Just show me the way – You have work to do, I’m sure. Thanks for everything so far. See you soon.”

John helped himself to coffee, orange juice, some bacon, and a small portion of eggs. He was alone in the cafeteria, except for the workers and one doctor. John made no attempt to be sociable, but the doctor came over just before departing.

“You’ve been here all night, haven’t you? Worried about your girl?”

Come back next week for more!

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

Image Credit: prowritingaid.com

This quote could not be more true! This is why I’ve been writing for the better part of 16-17 years now!

Enjoy edition #10!

“Mary Anne, why didn’t you alert me sooner? Mr. Laton is extremely important. And I’m just learning of this meeting not 10 minutes before it’s supposed to begin?” John struggled to keep his voice from rising to a shrill level.

“Sir – I tried to – but you were in a meeting – and …” Her voice trailed off as John rushed past her and into the front of the office. She heard him greet Mr. Laton as if nothing were wrong and then seconds later the soft click of the doorknob as he closed the door behind them.

Evelyn paled as Mary Anne turned to face her. She struggled to form her words. “Mary Anne, I’m sorry, I didn’t know …”

Mary Anne looked as if she would burst into tears at any second. “Evelyn, I … I …”

Evelyn’s face fell. She steeled herself, not prepared at all for whatever Mary Anne was trying to say.

“I tried to find John to tell him ahead of time. I had forgotten about the meeting until 12:20, and by then you both had disappeared for your meeting. I searched all over to find you, then, well …”

Evelyn swallowed her tongue. “Mary Anne, where did you look?”

“Well, naturally I checked the conference rooms, since John had mentioned it was a design meeting. Then when those were empty I rode all the elevators to see if you were coming back down. Then I remembered the 6^th floor and the empty workspaces …” She shuddered.

Evelyn’s eyes went wide. “Mary Anne, did you actually go to the 6^th floor?” Mary Anne could only nod.

Evelyn’s hands slid down her face. “Oh, my God. I am so, so sorry. How horrible of me, of us.”

Mary Anne’s eyes glistened with tears. “I’m happy for you, really, I am. I’m just sad because I think I’ll be single again before Christmas …”

Evelyn reached for a tissue. Mary Anne dabbed her eyes. Neither of them spoke for a minute and a half.

Evelyn finally broke the silence. “What you witnessed was not professional at all. Truthfully, it’s been happening every day for weeks. We always thought we’d be caught, but not by, well, one of the team …”

She had to laugh. “It’s been fun, but not appropriate. I will not tell John that you saw us today, but I will tell him that I’ve been having feelings that it’s not professional or appropriate, that it needs to stay at home, in private. I guess that’s why they’re called ‘private parts,’ huh?”

Both girls broke into almost uncontrollably giggles, and then remembered where they were. Mary Anne had always admired Evelyn’s sense of humor in disparaging times.

“Besides, this little situation that’s happened almost cost us something crucial to the company today, quite literally.” She gestured her head toward John’s door, where she could hear the faint but seemingly lively discussion of the two businessmen.

As she turned to face Mary Anne again, Evelyn sighed, gave her head a little shake, her eyes downcast. She breathed in deeply before saying, “I just hope, for John’s sake, that the meeting goes well.”

Mary Anne gave Evelyn a quick hug, then lobbed their makeup-stained tissues into the kitchenette wastebasket with a swish – She was quite the athlete – and grinned. They both got back to work with sighs of relief, feeling like they’d dodged a major bullet.

The planning continued almost uninterrupted. After the meeting with Mr. Layton, everyone had extra motivation to press on toward the vision and the dream. John knew that these things took time, especially since they were a very young company. But he was determined to construct the first house of the neighborhood before the company’s two-year anniversary.

By the picnic that marked 1 ½ years of JLA Construction, the team had completed their preliminary designs of three of the houses. The community space and playground were all but complete.

The groundbreaking ceremony, complete with the mayor and almost everyone involved in real estate within 100 miles of JLA’s headquarters, was set for March 1. Everything was going swimmingly – That is, until Mary Anne discovered something about Evelyn.

Mary Anne didn’t notice immediately. She just thought Evelyn had been drinking more water and eating better, to slim down a little for the groundbreaking ceremony. Besides, she knew that their engagement wasn’t very far off – They had been rock solid since John had stopped drinking. She was surprised that John hadn’t already proposed, but Mary Anne figured that he would surprise her at the groundbreaking. Evelyn would be the one with the big surprise in store.

Mary Anne became alarmed when Evelyn appeared to start putting on weight, not lose any. She thought it was stress, everyone had been under immense stress and pressure as the groundbreaking ceremony was fast approaching.

Suddenly, just three weeks before the groundbreaking ceremony, Evelyn couldn’t make it to the bathroom in time. She hurled what little was in her stomach into the kitchenette sink. Mary Anne heard the unpleasant sounds and the light bulb came on.

She waited for Evelyn to calm down and clean up. Once Evelyn passed Mary Anne’s desk, Mary Anne snatched her elbow.

“Evelyn, you’re pregnant – Aren’t you?”

One tear rolled down Evelyn’s cheek. Mary Anne helped her swipe it away, and they rushed off to the bathroom.

“How far along are you? Does John know? What are you going to do?” Mary Anne’s questions came fast and loud.

Evelyn shushed her, looking nervous. Once she knew they were completely alone, she relaxed a little.

“You’re the first to know. I think I’m four months along now. I want to tell John, but I’m absolutely terrified!”

Mary Anne’s face turned sympathetic and she hugged Evelyn tightly.

“It will be all right. He loves you. I figured something like this would happen sooner or later, the way you two have been going at each other! I think he was going to propose at the groundbreaking, anyway!”

Evelyn scoffed at the suggestion. Mary Anne’s face fell.

“Sorry. You’re right – We have been doing it a lot, but not as much since the Mr. Layton meeting. We went home that night and I set him straight – No more sneaking around at work unless we know for sure we won’t get caught.” Evelyn smiled at the thought.

“I’m just scared. What will John think? Oh, no, I haven’t even told my parents! I don’t want an abortion – I don’t want to be sent away to a place for unwed mothers – I just want to have my baby!”

Mary Anne told her to calm down, and that broke the dam for both of them. She just held Evelyn in her arms in that bathroom stall, stroking her hair as Evelyn bawled her eyes out.

Finally, they wiped their eyes and Mary Anne reached for her stowaway mascara.

“I’m going to tell John this weekend, when we’re at home. Until then, can you keep this confidential? I don’t think anyone else has noticed, but I don’t want to assume anything, either.”

“You’ve got it. Call me this weekend when the dust settles. It will be okay!”

Evelyn sat John down from his puttering that sunny Saturday morning and started crying. John comforted her and just said, “We’re expecting, aren’t we?”

Evelyn sniffled and raised her head. “You knew?”

John smiled. “I knew you’d gained some weight, and then I started thinking about the last time we romped around – The math added up.”

Evelyn sighed. “What do we do?”

John laughed. “Well, I wanted to wait to do this until groundbreaking day, but I guess this is just as good of a time as ever …” He shifted off the loveseat and bended on one knee. “Evelyn Carlson, I love you with everything I have. Will you marry me?”

Evelyn burst into tears and happily said yes. Mary Anne was right about everything.

As soon as John stepped back outside to tend to the windows, Evelyn hurried to the phone. She was so excited that she misdialed Mary Anne’s number five times before she got it right.

“It’s Evelyn. You’ll never believe it! Not only is he actually, truly thrilled about the baby, but he proposed, right in the living room. I’m going to have a baby, and I’m getting married!”

Mary Anne jumped up and down and screamed along with her best friend. “What does the ring look like? I’m sure it’s beautiful. Oh Evelyn, I am so happy for you! Can’t wait to see you on Monday. Enjoy the weekend!”

And enjoy the weekend they did. Evelyn was scared to have full-on sex because she was convinced that it would hurt the baby, but there were other ways that they could pleasure themselves and each other. They reveled in the fact that they were spending their first weekend as parents-to-be and happily engaged. Evelyn couldn’t stop staring between her gorgeous ring, her stomach that was starting to make itself known, and John. She was blissfully happy, even if she had to camp out close to the bathroom the whole weekend. Morning sickness turned into all-the-time sickness. She subsisted on saltines and as much water as her bladder and the growing one would allow.

It was better that John camped out with her, making her as comfortable as possible in the comfiest chair and the softest blanket right outside the bathroom door. She fell asleep all three nights sitting up, with John holding her hand while he was on the floor with a sheet and blanket.

By Monday, she hadn’t slept more than three hours. John could tell that she was absolutely miserable. As the time to go to work got closer, Evelyn insisted on showering and going to the office. But she struggled to get out of the chair and nearly collapsed on the hardwood with her first few steps, like a baby animal just learning to walk. John was there to catch her and ease her back into the chair.

“You’re not going into work today like that. I’ll stay home, too. I want to take care of you, there’s nothing else I’d rather be doing.” He was such a romantic.

Fighting every urge to say yes, Evelyn finally shook her head, which she instantly regretted. She felt another wave of nausea washing over, threatening to burst any second. She took a deep breath before speaking. “I’m fine, just tired, that’s all.”

John was firm. “No, you won’t be able to concentrate. I’ll tell everyone that you’re under the weather.”

Evelyn looked at him with pleading eyes. “No, it’s time to tell everyone. Mary Anne figured it out on Friday, and I think everyone else is starting to catch on. Just tell them both pieces of news.”

John shook his head and kissed her forehead tenderly. “No, we are going to tell them together, as soon as you’re feeling better. We’re a team, always have been, and we always will be. I’m going to go in for half the day and then send everyone home so I can come straight back to you. It may be half-days for a while, I don’t want to leave you at home like this.”

Evelyn kissed him and then shooed him in the direction of the shower. “Go. You’re already late. And you hate being late.”

As John pulled his rumpled T-shirt over his head in front of her, he laughed. “I do hate being late. But I don’t mind much, especially since I’m taking care of two people.”

Evelyn held on to him as she made her way to the toilet. Fortunately, it was just dry heaves, but that was almost worse. She sat back on her knees and took in the rapidly building steam from John’s shower. She certainly didn’t mind the view she was getting, either. She knew it would be a long while before she’d see him naked in any other capacity, so she wanted to take every chance she got.

Come back next week for more!

Until the next weekend, Laura Beth 🙂

“Paper is dead without words
Ink idle without a poem
All the world dead without stories
Without love and disarming beauty”
~Nightwish, “Song of Myself”

Image Credit: http://www.fromoldbooks.org

Welcome back!

It’s hard to believe that we’re already in the middle of March!

Enjoy the latest installment of “Specialton.”

She expected John home before nightfall, but she was preparing, and hoping, for some time in the afternoon. She had cleaned the entire house from top to bottom, and it had needed it, badly. John apparently had never invested in a housekeeper, ever. Evelyn was jazzed up, especially since she had spent all those hours cleaning in the buff. She smiled the entire time, enjoying her nakedness. This was the first step in prep for John to come home. In fact, she planned to stay in her birthday suit all the way up until John’s key hit the lock and he stepped into the home they shared.

At 5:30 p.m., the phone jangled. Evelyn wasn’t expecting any calls, so a wave of panic hit her when it rang. With a trembling hand, she picked it up from the cradle.

“Hello, Alspice residence. This – This is Evelyn speaking.”

“Evelyn? It’s John.” Relief washed over her, and she shivered.

“John! Is everything okay?”

“Baby, I had car trouble. Something’s wrong with the engine. I had to have it towed to a repair shop in Niceville. Maybe this two-week trip wasn’t such a good idea for the car.”

Evelyn frowned. She knew by his tone of voice that wasn’t everything he had to say, so she just waited for him to finish.

“Good news though – I called a taxi. The repair shop won’t have their best engine guy in until Monday. I’ll be home in just a few hours; I can’t wait. Sorry for the delay. I love you.”

Evelyn swallowed. She didn’t know what to say. She couldn’t tell if he was lying to her or not. She knew he hadn’t been drinking; at least, not that she could tell.

“Baby? Are you there?”

Evelyn snapped out of her funk. They could talk about this later – after he’d come home to her.

“John – I’m glad you called. Sorry about the car. Hope it can be fixed by next week. But whatever you do, tell that taxi to step on it when you get in – I’m waiting, handsome. I love you.”

Evelyn hung up and slid down to the floor. She let a tear escape – Maybe all of this was a mistake. She looked up and down her nude body.

“Well, let’s see what happens when he gets home. Niceville is only two hours away from here. He wouldn’t lie to me, would he?”

Two-and-a-half agonizing hours later, Evelyn heard a car pull up to the curb. She dared not look out the window, she did not want to give away her surprise. But she could listen.

She heard John talking to someone, expressing thanks and appreciation.

“Keep the change!”

Relief flooded her – He always paid cash to taxi drivers and gave enough for the fare and a generous tip at once. He hadn’t lied.

She tensed all over as she heard his dress shoes click on the concrete walkway. She whirled around, trying to decide whether to hide or remain out in the open, everything out for him to see at all once. Before Evelyn could decide, the key turned in the lock. She fluffed her fresh pin curls, checked her lipstick one last time, and smiled with a deep breath.

“Here goes nothing,” she thought to herself as the doorknob turned and the first shafts of new sunlight peeked through the doorjamb.

John didn’t have to say anything. His briefcase and hang-up bag hitting the floor was enough. He almost left the front door completely wide open, but slammed it shut within seconds. The slam made Evelyn jump and a stifled scream escaped from her mouth.

“Wow, baby …”

Within seconds, John had crossed the foyer and scooped Evelyn up, taking in all her nakedness. He could barely keep his mouth shut. He squeezed her tight as her bare feet left the ground. She felt weightless, free. His hands went everywhere, almost frantic that he would miss an inch of her beautiful skin.

They immersed in kisses, their hands everywhere. Evelyn desperately wanted John to undress and start making love pronto, but John wanted something else first. Holding Evelyn by the waist with his left arm with her legs wrapped around him, his right hand trailed down from her neck, to her breasts, over her hard nipples, to her navel. As his fingers grazed the skin at her hips, words hadn’t still not been said between them. Breathless with anticipation, Evelyn could only stare into his gray eyes and wait for his next, tender move. He was determined to be as gentle as possible. He wanted to make this time special for both of them, to make it up to her.

John’s fingers started to move below her hips. She tensed, but then relaxed. Her eyes spoke trust and love, exactly what John wanted to see. He touched her thighs, first the tops, and then moving inward. Her breaths started to speed up to a rapid pace. He kissed her softly, to help her relax. As she breathed out deeply, she felt his finger enter her smoothly and gently. She was surprised, but thrilled. She had wanted this to happen for a long time, and she accepted it with pleasure. He moved in and out to get her excited, and she began climaxing. Evelyn started to moan, and that’s what John loved. He kept moving his finger around, pleasuring her greatly. He put two fingers in after a few minutes, and she had to look down; she had thought it had to have been his penis. She only smiled and motioned her head toward the bedroom. John shook his head. It was going to happen right there in the foyer.

His fingers kept moving and thrusting where she had to remind herself that the best was yet to come. He wanted her to orgasm like this, and besides, he was getting harder with every move of his fingers in her hot, wet vagina. He wanted to make this experience as good, or better, than when they had their first celebratory experience on top of John’s desk.

Finally, he felt her clitoris erupt and then relax in a series of waves, and her moans matched that.

Evelyn came out of orgasm shocked that he was still fully clothed. As he carefully extricated his fingers out of her, Evelyn was ripping his clothes off, which was exactly what they both wanted. As they reveled in their nakedness, she stroked his penis with one hand and started to move his left hand toward her waist, indicating that she wanted a second round to prep for their ultimate passionate love-making in progress. They stimulated each other for only a few minutes on the freshly waxed hardwood floor, until John couldn’t take it anymore. He finally laid Evelyn on her back, breathed deeply, and pushed his penis into her vagina with such love and care that she wanted to spend the rest of her life in that position on that floor.

They made love for what seemed like hours, experiencing orgasm after orgasm.  Finally, John pulled out when he was absolutely spent. He laid his head on Evelyn’s gorgeous chest, feeling her calming breaths rise and fall between her perky breasts. Before passing out in exhaustion, John looked up into Evelyn’s robin’s egg blue eyes and just smiled. They didn’t need to say “I love you” at that point. They fell fast asleep on their foyer floor, wrapped in each other’s arms, and everything was right in the world.

Unfortunately, neither one of them wanted to go to work on Monday. That weekend had passed far too quickly – They were one of those couples who “lived for the weekends,” even though they were more than fortunate to be able to work together during the day and then go home together. They wanted to make love all the time, whenever and wherever they could.

John and Evelyn started to sneak away during the work day to have quickies. It started out with it only happening once or twice a week, and then quickly progressed to multiple times a day. John’s office was far too obvious with its frosted glass and thin walls, so they started exploring the multiple-story office building for new and exciting places. They were both adventurous, so it became very much like a game – who could find the next place with they could briefly escape but have the rush of potentially getting caught. They progressed from the bathroom stalls to the elevator to the abandoned cubicles on the 6^th floor.

One of their favorites was the janitor’s closet. They both had memorized the layout very quickly so that they could move things back once they were done so nothing would be suspect. John reveled in the fact the Evelyn wore skirts and high heels every single day and rarely any pantyhose. However, when she did have to wear hose for clients or find it necessary in the winter, she went without panties and cleverly cut a hole large enough for John’s penis to fit that squarely aligned with Evelyn’s vagina. Whenever that happened, all John had to do was unzip, hoist Evelyn up so her bombshell legs wrapped around his waist, and for her to lean back far enough that John could enter her.

It got to the point that it didn’t matter if she was wearing hose or not, Evelyn decided to go commando most every workday. She knew John wanted her all the time, and she wanted to keep the spice alive. Besides, she got a thrill and an incredible rush whenever John was able to come up behind her, undetected of course, and grab her sexy ass without having to feel panty lines. In fact, almost every time that happened, some excuse came up where they both had to step out …

The quickies went on with great frenzy until they got caught. The whole team had caught on, rather quickly, that John and Evelyn were, well, involved with one another. Mary Anne starting keeping track of their “meetings” and “appointments out of the office” over the course of several weeks, and finally put it all together on a Friday in December. She wasn’t upset; actually, she was happy for them, and even a little jealous of Evelyn and what she had with John. Her long-term relationship with her significant other was rapidly going south and she anticipated their breakup before Christmas.

That Friday, Mary Anne had forgotten that John was supposed to meet with one of the most prestigious real estate developers in the vicinity of three cities at 1:00 sharp. John and Evelyn had disappeared just after 12:25 for a supposed “design meeting.” Knowing that this real estate developer was not only prestigious but very terse and onerous, she was determined to have John ready and presentable before 1:00.

It took Mary Anne three tries before discovering them. She wandered into the still-abandoned 6^th floor at 12:37 and immediately saw John’s belt and pants hanging a little loose around his rear end. Then the sounds hit her ears – The moans, the grunting – It made her wince thinking of her degrading personal relationship. However, she didn’t dare interrupt – They were attempting to have a private moment. 

Was it appropriate, no, but Mary Anne didn’t want to risk any wrath from her boss, nor threaten the friendship he had carefully built with Evelyn.

She ducked into the hallway and found the closest bathroom to prevent drawing any kind of suspicion. She kept glancing at her watch. Apparently she had discovered them right as they had started – She didn’t hear Evelyn’s heels click until almost 12:45. As the elevator doors banged like a loud pot, she flushed and scrambled down the three flights of stairs, knowing full well that they would probably be involved in the elevator for as long as possible. Mary Anne just shook her head and couldn’t believe how any couple could have sex that much. She was doing good to have sex with her significant other a few times a week.

Mary Anne re-entered the office ahead of John and Evelyn, to her relief. Her relief was short-lived, however. She had taken not three steps through the doorway when she heard the nasal inhale of Mr. Laton – He had arrived and he was waiting impatiently.

“Welcome to JLA Construction, Mr. Laton, sir. It is a pleasure to finally meet you in person.”

Mr. William Laton was a seasoned veteran of the real estate business, with nearly 30 years under his belt. He just nodded at Mary Anne’s introduction. Finally, he cleared his throat.

“I do have a 1:00 appointment with Mr. – Mr. Alspice, correct?”

Mary Anne briefly glanced at the wall clock – 12:52.

“Yes, Mr. Laton, sir. He stepped out to a meeting with one of our designers and he will be returning very shortly.” It took everything Mary Anne had not to reveal her worry.

“Of course. Meetings are necessary in this business.” Mary Anne almost collapsed in relief.

With Mr. Laton occupied by the latest architectural literature on the coffee table, Mary Anne excused herself to the restroom. Out of sight, she ducked to the elevator bay and picked one. She got lucky.

The doors clanged open with the sounds of cymbals. Fortunately, she didn’t see John and Evelyn in any kind of compromising position this time. She cleared her throat as John was straightening his tie and Evelyn was tucking her candy-apple red blouse into her camel pencil skirt.

“Mr. Laton is here, early, to see you, sir.”

John and Evelyn exchanged a look of worry as Mary Anne stood there, waiting.

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

Image Credit: http://www.quoteswave.com

Welcome back!

Enjoy the latest installment of “Specialton.”

Fortunately, John wasn’t on the floor with his scotch. He was still in his chair, but making his way down. Evelyn focused on one thing – the drink on the rocks on the desk. She grabbed it with a speed that even surprised herself, and tossed it into his potted plant. John was furious, and he let her have it.

“Evelyn – That was my drink! You just wasted a glass of really good scotch!”

She was surprised how clearly he spoke.

“John – You have a problem. I’ve seen where the money’s been going. All on drinks. I realize it’s been stressful on you – On all of us. But drinking away the stress isn’t going to solve all of these problems. It’s only going to make it worse – and it’s getting worse by the hour. I don’t like it.”

“Evelyn …”

John paused to take a shaky breath. He knew he couldn’t stand up from his chair, he’d fall on his knees in front of Evelyn within seconds.

“I know you’re upset – I can see that. But I don’t think I have a problem. I enjoy a drink in order to relax, and I’ve needed to relax lately. I didn’t realize … how many issues could come up … so quickly.”

The only thing that John heard next was the pounding in his head as Evelyn slammed his door shut, so hard that everything on his desk rattled.

He thought he’d lost her at that moment. In despair, he looked around his office. It was no longer the neat and organized workspace that he had taken so much pride in when he first formed the company. There were files all over the office, scattered like discarded toys. He very much felt like a child at that moment too. He felt everything slipping away – His work, his vision, his team, and most of all, his girl.

John needed to let it out – Let it all go. Every emotion was bubbling up and it was begging to come out, in some way. He looked at his body up and down. He saw his disheveled clothes, his scuffed dress shoes, his fists that clenched almost instantly. He needed something else to express how he felt right then. He started turning in a circle, looking for something physical to hold, or destroy.

On impulse, he saw the bottles. He was stunned that there were so many. So many different kinds of drink – Scotch, whiskey, bourbon, even a bottle of sherry. He grew more and more disgusted as he scanned the tabletop. He saw all those bottles, the glasses, the bucket of ice with the fancy silver tongs.

Whether they still had drink in them or not, John picked up every piece, once by once, and proceeded to smash them against the wall with all the force he had.

When he was finished, he slumped in his chair, looking at the shattered glass and the different colors of the drinks dripping down the wall. He felt like the mess he had just created – Shattered, broken, and fragmented.

John finally fell asleep in his drunken stupor, hoping to grasp the pieces of his life in the morning.

He awoke to sunlight streaming through the blinds on his office window. He groggily stared at his watch and gasped at the time – 10:45 a.m. John sat up in his chair, and immediately regretted it. The hangover slammed into him with full force. He groaned so loudly at the pain that both Mary Anne and Evelyn came running and almost collided in the doorway.

Mary Anne spoke first.

“John, what can I get you? Coffee, aspirin?”

John smiled at her pleasantness despite the pounding in his head. He rubbed his temples as he processed the first words that had been spoken to him in over 12 hours.

“Yes, please. And a glass of water on the … um, with ice, please. Thank you.”

Mary Anne bustled to the kitchenette without another word. Evelyn remained in the doorway, the arms of her crisp pink blouse tightly folded together. She said nothing – They was nothing for her to say to him.

John looked up, squinted at her, and opened his mouth to say something. His mouth shut as he met her fierce glare and could only watch as her curls bounced away.

Mary Anne wasn’t his enemy, at least not yet. She was sugary sweet as she brought him coffee, aspirin, a doughnut and water without another word. As the phone continued to ring, he overheard her say that he would not be taking any calls for the rest of the day and that she would take any messages.

Evelyn stewed all day, although she was secretly thrilled to have witnessed him be afflicted with what she hoped was a cure-all hangover. She wasn’t just angry about the drinking – Their relationship had faltered over the last several weeks, and she was very concerned that his vision was lost forever.

She was bound and determined not to cry over any of this, but over the course of that day, as she watched John attempt to pick up the pieces in his office alone, she let a few tears escape at her desk.

That night, everyone went home early except for Mary Anne, Evelyn, and John. Before heading home, Mary Anne found a broom and dustpan in the closet, and went to John’s office, having seen the broken glass earlier in the day. As she raised her fist to knock, Evelyn touched her shoulder.

“Mary Anne, go home. You’ve done more than enough today. Thank you. See you tomorrow.”

Mary Anne smiled and nodded her thanks. Evelyn took the broom and dustpan and knocked.

John looked up from the same papers he’d been staring at since the morning. He smiled and waved her in. Evelyn walked in and just held up the broom and dustpan. John nodded and she set to work. He went back to his papers, but couldn’t help but notice how careful Evelyn was in cleaning up the shards of glass. He didn’t mind the way she looked, either. That pink blouse with that pencil skirt. And those heels. He found himself lusting again, and his penis followed. He wanted to stop her and take her in his arms, but he knew that he would have to do a lot to win back not only her love and affection, but her trust.

At this point, all he could do was watch and wait for her to come back to him.

Fortunately for John, he didn’t have to wait as long as he’d feared. Evelyn avoided him for a good portion of a week, and then she started speaking to him again. But she gave him several ultimatums before anything could go back to normal. Those demands rang in his head over and over.

“John, you know that I love you. I was frustrated and angry and hurt. In order for things to go back to the way they were – I have several requests that have to happen.”

“First, no more drinking. Not at the office, and not in front of me. If you go out without me, that’s fine, just don’t drink in excess. I don’t want you to become an alcoholic, not when we have the dreams that we do – at least, I think we do.”

John nodded in agreement. He thought they had very similar dreams – Build the neighborhood, move in to their own home, get married, and start their own family.

“Second, I want you to take some time away from the office. The team can handle the workload right now. I want you to take at least a few days, maybe a whole week – As long as it takes, really – for you to relax and to re-focus. I think you’ve lost your dream, your vision – And I’m desperate to help you get it back. We’re only going to be young for a few more years. If your vision doesn’t happen now or soon, it won’t happen at all.”

John smiled. He knew she was absolutely right. Most women would not speak up, they’d go along with anything and everything their boyfriend, fiancé, or husband said without another thought. But John knew that Evelyn was different, and he’d known it from the moment he’d met her. After all, she’d already bucked tradition and studied design and architecture in college rather than become a teacher, nurse or a secretary. He was inspired by her, and her words cemented his desire to get back on track – The sooner, the better.

“My only other request is that you come back from your rest and rejuvenation, again however long it takes you, ready to truly work and finally realize your dream. I know that if you’re ready to get this done and that your head and your heart are in the right place, it will happen. And I’ll be right here, waiting for you to get back. Who knows, by then I’ll be ready for you to rip my clothes off and passionately make love again.”

She finally took a breath; that had been a lot of talking for her in one sitting. She winked at her amazing boyfriend and work partner. Evelyn then puckered her crimson red lipstick, signaling their first kiss after all the turmoil, and John happily accepted. He didn’t want to leave, but he knew that he needed the break. Besides, he couldn’t wait to leave because he wanted to come back to her as soon as humanly possible.

John left on a Monday as the crisp October air began to settle in, swearing to Evelyn that he was taking a minimum of a week and a half to drive to see the sights he hadn’t yet seen – All the Frank Lloyd Wright houses he’d wanted to tour since studying them in school. A few days in Chicago – Both the city and the expanding suburbs for research. Maybe even driving all the way to New York City. She laughed and repeated that he could take as much time as he needed – Everything was under control and there was plenty of work to do.

As she watched him drive off, she so wished she was in the passenger seat, going off on these fabulous adventures. But then she shook her head and smiled, thrilled that there was a bit of a break for herself and the entire team. They wanted to work as much as possible – to gather as many feasible ideas – preparing for John to come back to finally put everything into motion.

John promised to call once he arrived at each hotel, which he did, like clockwork. He was happy for the break. He did drink, but Evelyn’s pep talk had compelled him to never drink in excess again.

He thought back, albeit very briefly, to that night where he absolutely lost it. John bowed his head in shame at the thought, forgetting that he was at the hotel bar. It prompted the tuxedo-clad waiter to inquire from the shadows if he was okay. John nodded, and then asked for a glass of water.

He swirled the remainder of his whiskey in the glass, and then downed the water like a shot.

The bartender was surprised, but didn’t say another word. John swallowed, feeling the ice-cold water wash in his throat and stomach. He stared at the whiskey and the melting rocks, then got up and just left it there with his tab and generous tip, without another word.

After nearly two weeks on the road, John rang Evelyn from his last hotel room on a stormy Friday night.

“I’m coming home, baby. Tomorrow. I’m so excited I can’t wait. I may even drive back tonight – I could be at the house, to you, by dawn.”

Evelyn laughed and then suddenly turned serious. “No, John. I’ve waited this long, I can wait one more night. Besides, it’s pouring rain from your hotel to the house here, I definitely don’t want you driving now or tonight. Period. It’s supposed to be bad until tomorrow afternoon. I don’t want you leaving until the weather starts to clear. I definitely don’t want anything to happen to you.”

“But, I can tell that this is exactly what you needed. I have missed you, and the team has been working non-stop since you left. We can’t wait to see you. But I’m really excited because I get to see you first, and for the whole weekend at that.”

He could hear her smile through the receiver.

“So, you’ll be waiting for me, whenever I get home?”

“Of course, handsome. I may be asleep, depending on the time you get to the house, but I’ll be here for you – I wouldn’t miss it for anything. I love you, John.”

“I love you too, Evelyn. See you tomorrow.”

Evelyn placed the receiver in the cradle and sighed, her head flopping on the pillow. She’d turned in her apartment keys over a week and a half ago and left all the furnishings with the full intent of helping out whoever the next renter may have been – They could have been down on their luck, the rent was only $50 per month. She’d only asked the men in the company to help her move her wardrobe and her remaining personal items into John’s place the next day. It didn’t matter – She’d practically been living there for months, except for the week that she hadn’t spoken to him. Besides, she had a feeling that they wouldn’t be boyfriend and girlfriend much longer.

Evelyn was on pins and needles the whole time on Saturday morning, especially since the weather hadn’t appeared to let up at all. The few glances that she stole through the picture window blinds revealed lashing rain and very blustery weather that made the fallen leaves of red, orange and yellow dance across the sidewalks and streets.

Come back next week for more!

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

Image Credit: google.com

“The beginning is the most important part of the work.” ~Plato

Welcome back to Writing Wednesdays!

Today, I am introducing the novel that I wrote for NaNoWriMo 2013. I hope you enjoy it! It’s a little longer than my 2012 attempt, which was I was originally striving for. One of these days, one November, I hope to reach the ultimate 50,000 words in 30 days.

But, for now, I’m just happy that for three years running, I’ve bested the previous year’s word count.

Enjoy the beginning!

Working Title: “Specialton”

Word Count, as of November 18, 2013: 14,247 words

A builder had a vision. John Alspice built a reputation from the ground up, literally. No one in his family had ever gone into construction, much less earn a Master’s degree. In the early 1950s, his father was very high up in the local bank; his mother, a homemaker with another daughter and son to raise. Through age-old hard work and perseverance, John studied architecture and business throughout college and graduate school, holding on to his dream of building the best neighborhoods for the most amazing families. He never realized that he would become part of a neighborhood so astounding. John built the neighborhood and then never left. He’s 85 years old and his proudest accomplishment, in his illustrious six-decade career, is Specialton.

John was 25 years old when he received his Master’s in business that May, bound and determined to settle the post-war land into sprawling suburbia for those who wanted the American dream. His family was surprised, but proud. His father had seen his architectural renderings. John had studied and admired Frank Lloyd Wright, he didn’t want to build another cookie-cutter Levittown. He wanted his houses to be unique, yet affordable.

Thank goodness John’s father was a banker with seniority. That’s where he started to begin financing his company – JLA Construction. However, it took more than one loan. But John started with what he was given – He was raised that way. He knew he had to be careful with the $25,000 that was offered – He didn’t know what would come next.

After securing the generous loan, John sought out his first workers. He naturally turned to his architecture classmates for their input. A couple of them signed on immediately, intrigued by John’s drive and vision – Robert, Frank, Donald. Those who didn’t want to commit right then, mostly those who were either engaged or married, promised to spread the word. Within a few weeks, John had assembled a stellar team of 25 designers and workers, ready to kick off JLA Construction. They also broke stereotypes – They had a female designer, Evelyn, and a few black construction workers – Howard, Carl, Albert, and Louis.

The next step was to work together to create a strategy and secure more funding. John didn’t realize it at first, but the team he’d assembled was more than just designers and construction workers. Several of the families of these 20- and 30-somethings were very well-off and used their social graces to drum up contributions and ideas. And those who weren’t wealthy contributed in other invaluable ways – Food, office supplies, and best of all – their mouths. Word spread like wildfire from place to place.

Word spreading wasn’t always positive, however. John almost immediately ran into naysayers and some stiff competition. John knew how to deal with the naysayers and the prejudiced – He ignored that and focused inwardly on his vision. He was fortunate that there were enough people behind him to mainly protect the women and the blacks, since there was still great turmoil in America then.

Weeks went by, then months. By November, six months in, no land had been purchased. John was trying to pay everyone fairly, but more money was going out than coming in. Some of the team members were becoming restless, especially the construction workers. Suburbs were popping up everywhere and cities were developing higher and fancier office buildings – Workers were in constant demand.

Carl and Albert left first, almost without warning. They couldn’t be dragged away from the offer in Chicago. Although discouraged, John worked hard to keep up morale.

Another seven months, and still nothing. John was running out of money and growing desperate that June. He’d lost over 40 percent of his original team. They weren’t angry with John – but most were starting families and needed stable income to support them.

Those who were left – John, Evelyn, Howard, Frank, Billy, Mary Anne, plus the construction team – were still holding on to John’s vision. These people were convinced that John would realize his dream, no matter how long it took.

Evelyn was one of John’s biggest supporters. She’d been attracted to him right after he hired her. She wanted to impress him as a ground-breaking female architectural grad from another college. She loved design, both inside and out. Evelyn not only wanted to help design John’s dream – She wanted to design the perfect family. However, she knew that love and marriage would come after the company started succeeding. She was okay with that – She was in for the long haul with John.

Finally, on an unseasonable chilly and rainy July afternoon, the phone rang. Mary Anne, as the secretary, picked it up and said in her syrupy voice:

“JLA Construction. Mary Anne speaking, how may I direct your call?”

“Yes, ma’am. This is Edward Clinton with the county. I believe we may have a tract of land for sale …”

Mary Anne struggled to maintain her composure, but Evelyn saw right through it. She banged, hard, into John’s office door, even though he despised being distributed. Her grin made his annoyance go away.

“There’s something? Finally? Is that Ed? Mary Anne, put him on my line, now!”

Mary Anne, startled, started stuttering. When she realized that Mr. Clinton was still on the phone, she flushed a deep crimson and apologized profusely.

“Mr. Clinton, I’ll transfer you to Mr. Alspice now. Thank you.”

Once she transferred the call and heard John start to speak, Mary Anne jumped up from her desk and hugged Evelyn like they were schoolgirls. They celebrated briefly, then calmed down.

“Let’s not get carried away, Mary Anne. This may not work out … but it does feel wonderful. This is the best news we’ve had in months!”

After what felt like an hour, John hung up the phone with Ed, even though it had only been 25 minutes. He made some notes and leaned back in his chair for a moment. Evelyn and Mary Anne perceived relief through the frosted glass but couldn’t quite tell. Finally, John opened the door.

“Well, girls, it’s ours for $15,000. Its 25 beautiful acres in the next town. We got it!”

Now they celebrated. It was complete pandemonium. The cheer spread like an infection. Nothing could wipe the smiles off anyone’s face. Calls were made immediately – Champagne, chocolates, a top-of-the-line floral arrangement were all delivered within the hour. The team partied for several hours in the office.

John and Evelyn finally consummated their relationship with a champagne-flavored kiss. And that wasn’t the one – Several other trysts occurred within the team throughout the night. No one cared who was with whom in that office and what anyone was doing – They were celebrating their first victory.

After the team staggered out, drunk and happy at half past midnight, only John and Evelyn remained. Their kisses turned into embraces, and soon a trail of clothes led the way to John’s office. Evelyn danced, naked, on top of John’s desk. She drunkenly kicked his neat and organized files on the floor. John staggered about to save the paperweights and lamp, then encircled her hourglass waist. He carefully helped her lay down on her back. She shivered as her skin touched the smooth wood, but she flamed and moaned as John entered her. They made love for the first time right there, kicking off the first drawings in Evelyn’s design.

John called everyone the next morning – He told everyone to take Thursday and Friday off, plus the weekend.

“Relax, spend time with your families – Because on Monday, we’re hitting the ground running. And we’re not going to stop until we’re done. Prepare yourselves. Step one is done, but we’ve got a marathon ahead of us. Good work – See you Monday.”

John and Evelyn shacked up for those blissful four days, just enjoying each other. And it wasn’t just the sex, although that was a major bonus. John admitted that he’d been smitten with her since her interview. She was stunned, but thrilled.

They both felt guilty about leaving John’s office in shambles the previous night, but no one would know since they’d be the first two in the office, bright and early on Monday morning.

She admitted that she’d never had sex on a company president’s desk while drunk and in the heat of passion, and she’d was hungry to do it again.

John just smiled, took her hand, and proceeded to make love to her in every single room of his house.

Monday morning, John and Evelyn arrived two hours earlier than clock in time, hand in hand. Before reorganizing John’s office, they made love on his desk again, and it was just as wonderful as the first time that chilly Thursday morning. Then they got to work, making sure everything was ready to help JLA Construction start down their first solid path.

The first order of business was to finalize the $15,000 payment to the county. Not wanting to overwhelm the county clerk with the whole team showing up all at once, John only took Mary Anne with him. Evelyn pined for him the entire time they were gone, but she knew that he would never touch Mary Anne. Besides, Mary Anne had called on Friday, saying that she was thoroughly enjoying the extended weekend with Frank.

John and Mary Anne returned after lunch, deed and county maps in hand. They pushed all the tables together in the middle of the office to spread out the maps. John had made it clear that everything was to be studied, no stone left unturned. He wanted to know anything and everything – good or bad – to help make this happen. Everyone was high on energy and analyzed every square inch of those 25 acres clear through to 8:00 that night. Notes were taken frantically and ideas slowly began to take shape.

John only had one request once the process kicked off that Monday afternoon – Everyone on the team should contribute ideas, and every idea should be considered.

Within the first week, plots and plans were in full swing. John and the others put their heads together and figured out that if every home was built on a quarter of an acre, then they could build 100 houses on that 25 acres. But then they laughed – Where would the streets go? Would there be a neighborhood park or community space? Besides, 100 houses was a lot for just one neighborhood in the county.

Back to the drawing board they went, and the ideas just kept flowing. They didn’t want a neighborhood, they wanted a community where people could live and grow for years.

The team started touring other neighborhoods, both old and new, within 100 miles of their land. John called them field trips, and he would rotate the team so that everyone would have a chance to explore and contribute. No field trip was complete without visiting the land offices for maps and other information gathering; it was research. Everyone was brainstorming and helping each other out, and everything seemed to be going splendidly.

The planning continued. The enthusiasm was high for the first two weeks, then it started to wane. Everyone was contributing ideas, but there was tension with some of them. The designers and the construction workers started to clash over building materials. John was the center of this brainchild, and he became increasingly frustrating that little disagreements were turning into bigger and bigger fights and arguments.

Even relationships started to be affected, especially with John and Evelyn. In the beginning, everything was practically perfect, with the sale of the land and the excitement over creating something amazing for their county. However, Evelyn was the first to notice more alcohol flow into the office, and then seeing the majority of those bottles heading to John’s office.

She didn’t mind that he drank; she knew that it was in part stress relief for him. He’d been under tremendous pressure to get the business off the ground, with generous loans to repay and a pretty big payroll to fulfill. Now that they had a massive tract of land, the pressure was only building. She also didn’t mind that his drinking fueled a lot of their sexual experiences, since all she wanted to do most workdays was send everyone else home and just shack up with him in his office or at his home.  But it wasn’t long before she started to grow concerned about him. She wanted to be as supportive as possible, but knowing the times, she knew that she needed to be submissive as well. Even if she didn’t want to have sex one particular night – If he wanted it from her, she make sure that he’d get it.

One Tuesday night in early September, Evelyn finally reached her breaking point. John was starting to get drunk during the workdays – So much so that he could barely take phone calls because of his alarmingly slurred speech. Before Mary Ann left for the night, Evelyn asked to review the recent financial records, to see what was happening with the company money. To her shock and disapproval, more than half of that month’s budget was already gone – all on alcohol, expensive drink too. She snapped.

Not caring about what John thought at that moment, she picked the lock on John’s office door with a bobby pin and stormed in. She was in a fury – They had a community to build, and everything was appearing to go straight down the drain.

I hope you enjoyed it!

Come back next week for more.

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂