"Well, I'll Be John Brown"

Real stories about folks who have blessed my life with the joy and fulfillment of laughter. Long may they live.

Name:
Location: Atlanta, Georgia, United States

A Southern Boy - Born In Alabama, Reared In Georgia, and Matriculated, Married & Initiated Into Manhood In Tennessee.

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

"Autumn Belle - Chapter 13"

The wind had a gentle hint of Fall as it whipped Beau's and Autumn's clothing. The big motorcycle engine felt powerful between their legs. Traffic was picking up in the afternoon rush hour. Autumn did not know where Beau was taking her, but it really didn't matter. Her Jaguar was safely at home in the garage. She had gotten one of her college friends from Agnes Scott to drop her at the Silver Skillet. Mrs. Sibley had been told that she was out pursuing the feature on George Decker. She was pursuing something, alright - and it did, at least, have something to do with Mr. Decker and his restaurant.

Beau got off I-85 near Duluth, and headed west toward Alpharetta on one of the many roads that jutted back and forth among the farms and still-rural areas of Gwinnett County. "I wonder if he knows where I live," Autumn whispered to herself. No matter. It was a beautiful day, and she was having a ball. Several miles off the interstate, Beau guided the motorcycle to a stop in the gravel parking lot of a small barbecue place known as, "The Pig & Jig." As he cut the engine off he turned and said, "I hope you're hungry, and I hope you like barbecue." "Yes to both," Autumn replied, taking off her helmet and straightening her hair. "I guess we have have some talking to do," he said, "this place makes great barbecue...They also have screened in picnic areas...Maybe we can get one of those all to ourselves." She smiled, took off her sunglasses, and replied, "Sounds great to me!"

The food was as good. They sat and ate, and talked, and ate, and talked until the dusk of evening had settled in. She told him about her life as a rich man's daughter. He shared his many experiences as a Navy SEAL. They finally got around to talking about the debutante ball, their initial meeting, and all the things that had transpired since. They each laughed as they shared their respective assumptions about one another.

Neither of them had ever felt this comfortable with a member of the opposite sex.

As the conversation wound down, Beau's countenance took on a seriousness.

"I don't know how much longer my mother has...Maybe weeks, maybe longer...Other than some distant relatives, she is all I have left in this world...I am here, unless something unforeseen comes up, until she...," Beau could not finish the sentence. Autumn could sense the emotion building up inside him. "When I do finally leave, I don't know where they'll send me or when I'll be back...But, until I go...I would really like it if we could see one another...Get to know one another...Have some fun...And see where this goes."

"Where DOES this go?," Autumn gushed, as she wiped her mouth with a paper towel. "Well," he continued, "maybe we'll develop a 'friendship'...I have never had a female friend before...To tell the truth, I have never really even had much of a real, what you would call, 'G-I-R-L-F-R-I-E-N-D,' before...Guess what I'm trying to say is that...I would really kind of like it if maybe you became my girlfriend somewhere down the line."

Autumn blushed. She had never blushed this much before. Through all the guys who had chased her in school, and even in her many romantic encounters in college, she had never allowed a guy to have this kind of effect on her. Beau Jackson seemed to know where all her buttons were - good and bad.

"Well," she said, "let's just concentrate on the, 'getting to know,' part, and the fun part, and the other part will take care of itself - IF this is meant to be." Beau smiled and affirmed, "Deal!" They shook hands. But, instead of ending the handshake, Beau held on, pulling Autumn's hand toward him, and lightly kissed it. Autumn blushed again. She had experienced many different guys, trying to kiss her many different times. One guy had even bitten her on the behind one night as a prank during a fraternity-sorority party. But, no one had ever kissed her so innocently and tenderly before. She could feel her heart pounding.

But, just as surprisingly, Beau did something to break the mood of the moment that she never dreamed he would do. As he released her hand, he playfully threw the remainder of his fountain Coke at her. "THAT'S what you get for spilling your drink in my face, Missy!," he said, jumping up from the table and running away from her - laughing heartily.

Autumn, dripping wet in the face and neck, suddenly flew mad. "Ooooooooh," she yelled. She jumped up from the table and began chasing Beau toward front door of the restaurant. "I am going to GET you for that, Beau Jackson," she screamed. They ran across the parking lot like two kids playing tag. Slipping several times on the loose gravel, Autumn finally gave up trying to catch him. She turned and walked back to the motorcycle, perching sideways on the seat. Beau came back waving a white handerchief. "I come in peace," he mockingly said. Autumn jerked the handerchief out of his hand and wiped the residue of the drink from her face, neck and tank top.

Beau patted her head and apologized for the mean prank. "I'm sorry, Miss Hamilton," he said, in a half-serious tone, "I just couldn't help myself...I've never thrown a drink in a girl's face before...I was OVERCOME with temptation...Can you ever forgive me?"

Autumn tried not to show the grin on her face, as she looked down at her feet. She threw the handkerchief back at Beau, pulled the helmet over her hair, slung her leg over the seat and said, "I'm ready to go home now." Beau, thinking that she was pouting, said nothing. He stuffed the wet handerchief in his jeans pocket, strapped on his helmet, fired up the Harley, and scratched out of the parking lot - slinging gravel everywhere.

They hadn't gone far down the road when Autumn saw an opportunity. Time to exact her revenge! Without warning, she dug her wiry fingernails into Beau's ribs and began tickling him for all she was worth. Beau almost wrecked the motorcycle. He flinched and turned hard to the right, crossing a shallow ditch and ending up in the yard of a farm house. He skillfully laid the Harley down on its side, killing the ignition at the same time. He and Autumn rolled off the big bike and onto the soft grass. Neither was hurt, and neither could suppress their laughter. Beau rolled toward her, took off his helmet, unbuckled hers, and tossed it away. The laughter ceased, their eyes met, and Beau kissed her. He brushed her long blonde hair away from her face and kissed her a second time.

It was THE most erotic moment of her life.

Beau got up and pulled Autumn to her feet. He picked up her helmet. Handing it to her he asked, "Are we even now?" She grabbed his hand, held it for a moment, kissed it and said, "NOW we are."

They both smiled, put on their helmets and got back on the motorcycle. The rest of the ride home was like the finale to a gooey love story. She hugged him tightly, laying her head, helmet and all, against his back. Beau kept the Harley at a very slow pace. Finally, they reached the long magnolia-lined driveway to Autumn's house. He DID know where she lived!


What a day! What a week!

Neither of them wanted it to end.