Now & Forever 3 - Blind love (22 page)

When she arrived home, Jakub was there with a warm plate of
food. At first, she couldn’t look him in the eye, remembering the small pile of
neatly folded clothes she found on the chair in her bedroom. He’d undressed her
but here he was, not leering but helping, not coaxing her into bed, but coaxing
her to eat. She’d need to be stronger next week, so she ate the food he
offered.

After dinner, she turned on the television to take in the end
of a Jets game and made herself a strong drink.

“Jets! Thank you, Marcia,” Jakub said, smiling.

After the third drink, she passed out on the sofa, as always.

He carried her to bed, undressed her down to her panties.
Kissed her forehead and left.

After a week of Jakub’s food and ministrations, Marcia was
feeling stronger though she still had three strong drinks. She still passed
out, relying on Jakub to carry her upstairs.

But this night, when he went to pull the covers up, Marcia
opened her eyes, put her arms around his neck and pulled him down, covering his
mouth with hers softly in a tentative kiss. Jakub was astounded, but he
responded, slowly caressing her lips with his.

Marcia had reached her limit of being alone. She thought
she’d lose her mind in bed every night by herself. Then she remembered Jakub.
Strong, attractive Jakub, who took care of her, who’d seen her almost naked and
had not taken advantage of her. He seemed like the perfect antidote to her bone-crushing
loneliness.

“Jakub, make love to me,” she whispered in his ear.

He moved his head up and their eyes connected. He looked at
her quizzically, as if to ask her if she was sure. She nodded.

“Please,” she said.

He put his warm hand on her cheek and kissed her more
passionately, his lips parting hers, his tongue invading her mouth. It felt
strange to her at first, but the gentle insistence of Jakub’s tongue raised
desire in her, a feeling she hadn’t had for a long time.

He got up and stripped off his clothes, revealing a working
body, a body in good condition, a hard chest, strong legs and a stomach not yet
gone to pot. Then he removed Marcia’s panties, his eyes gazing on her totally
naked loveliness. He muttered something in Czech as he ran his hands down her
soft flesh, over her breasts and down to her thighs. His lips sought hers again
as he possessed her mouth with his. He lay down on the bed next to her, putting
his free hand on her breast and parting her thighs with his knee.

His lips found her peak and Marcia arched her back as the
ache in her loins grew and fire began to fill her veins. She touched his chest,
covered with soft brown hair beginning to gray. She ran her hands over his
strong shoulders and arms, the arms that had carried her night after night up
to her bed.

Marcia noticed that touching her soft warm flesh made him
hard. He kissed her, his hands caressing her body, gliding over her silky skin.
His fingers on her inner thigh slid up quickly into her soft, moist flesh,
exploring and stroking her gently. She was slipping into another world where
nothing existed but her senses. His persistent stroking filled her mind and her
veins with hot desire, pushing out rational thought, replacing it with lust.

He murmured sweet words in Czech against her neck as his lips
found her pulse. Marcia moaned and called out his name as he made the ache
inside her grow to the breaking point. Then he was inside her in an instant,
moving slowly, gently at first. She groaned as her hips moved with him, and she
was consumed by feeling, longing. Intense excitement took over her body as
Jakub increased his pace, causing her to explode in ecstasy with such force she
cried out, completely out of control, submitting totally to Jakub and the needs
of her body.

Her response caused him to lose himself in a powerful release
that followed hers. He exclaimed in Czech and held her close. Afterward they
lay there in silence. Jakub rolled off her and took her in his arms. Her
tremendous climax loosened her emotions and she sobbed onto his chest, pent-up
anger at Jay’s disease and sadness overflowing in hot tears.

“I hurt you? I’m sorry,” he said, kissing her forehead.

She shook her head, unable to control her voice. He tightened
his grip on her as if it would ease her pain. In a few minutes she calmed down,
relaxing against him, taking in his scent and refusing to think beyond the
first feeling of peace she had known in five years. When his body surrounded
her senses, shutting off her mind, nothing bad could penetrate; death was kept
at bay and all she could feel was a resurgence of life through sexual energy.
Her reawakened passion renewed her spirit, made her feel alive, feel something,
more than she felt since she could remember.

Marcia got drowsy. Jakub slowly released her from his arms
and slid across the bed to get out the other side obviously trying not to
disturb her. Her eyes flew open and she reached out and grabbed his arm.

“Stay,” she commanded.

“Stay? All night?”

“Please.”

He slid back into bed and pulled her close to him. She
cuddled up against him and quickly fell asleep.

* * * *

Jakub awoke at six with the sun. He was expected to get up
with the grandchildren, give them breakfast and get them ready for school so
his son could make love to his wife in the morning and laze in bed a little.
Jakub loved greeting the children first thing in the morning and taking care of
them. He adored his grandchildren, but this morning it was his turn to make
love.

He stroked Marcia’s hair, hoping she wouldn’t turn him away.
How did he know if this was something she wanted to do with him again or if she
lost her senses and wanted him for only one night? He took a chance. He leaned
over her and kissed her neck softly, moving his hand up her rib cage to
surround her breast.

“Make love?” he whispered in her ear, caressing her slowly.

Marcia opened her eyes and rolled over. Her gray eyes looked
into Jakub’s brown ones and she smiled. Jakub took her smile to mean she wanted
him too, and leaned down and kissed her neck, running his lips down to her
breast. Her pale body didn’t have the same inviting glow in the morning light
it did in the moonlight, but her skin was still soft and warm. Jakub looked at
her slender body, passion stirring in his veins. Marcia touched his shoulders
and his chest.

Making love to Marcia made him feel like a man again, not
just a father and grandfather. He was experienced and sweet, taking delight in
her responses to him, anxious to please her. His tentative touches became more
assertive and arousing as he, too, left his past behind, focusing on the here
and now with her.

The alarm clock sounded at seven thirty. Jakub looked at the
clock and grunted an expletive in Czech as he slowly pulled himself away from
Marcia and got out of bed. He was very late for Johnny’s children.

“Breakfast for children.”

“I understand.” She sat up and swung her legs off the side of
the bed.

He pulled his clothes on quickly and stood up. Naked, she met
him at the bedroom door. He was surprised she was not shy with him as she threw
her arms around his neck to hug and kiss him goodbye. He placed his hands on
her waist and pulled her close to him. He hated to leave her soft sweetness. He
bent his head, kissed her breasts, then her lips, went down the stairs and out
the door.

It was almost eight o’clock when he reached Johnny’s house.
He let himself in the back door and found Rebecca cleaning up the breakfast
dishes.

“I’m sorry,” he said to her, picking up the dish towel to dry
the dishes. She put her hand on his arm and stopped him.

“It’s all right. You’re entitled to a life.” She looked at
him keenly, smiling.

“Where were you?” Johnny asked, picking up a leftover piece
of toast off a plate and tearing off a piece.

“Out.”

“Out where?” Johnny persisted then popped the toast in his
mouth.

“You don’t question your father. I’m not one of your workers
or your child. Show some respect,” Jakub said in an irritated tone.

“I want to know,” Johnny demanded.

“Why?”

“Johnny, it’s obvious isn’t it?” Rebecca asked.

“What do you mean?” Johnny questioned her.

“Your dad must have a girlfriend.” Rebecca turned back to the
dishes.

“What?”

“This is not your business.” Jakub’s cheeks reddened.

“How do you know this, Rebecca?” Johnny asked, sliding down
onto a kitchen chair.

“Well, you checked his apartment and the bed had not been
slept in. He wasn’t there. He must have slept somewhere. He doesn’t look like
he was up all night does he? He looks pretty happy, well rested
and…uh…satisfied to me,” she responded, her eyes twinkling.

Jakub looked at his daughter-in-law with new respect. She was
sharp. But still he refused to tell either one of them where he had been or
with whom.

“You’re sleeping with some woman, some whore?” Johnny raised
his voice.

“No whore! You don’t talk like that to your father,” Jakub
shouted.

“Johnny, let’s talk for a minute, privately. Please excuse
us, Jakub.” She pulled Johnny into the bedroom.

* * * *

A dozen blocks away, Marcia was finishing up breakfast. She
took a shower and dressed in a red dress, brushing a shine into her dark hair.
Her gray eyes looked steadier than usual and her step was a little lighter. She
felt happier as she drove the too-familiar drive to the hospital. Then she
steeled herself. When she walked in to Jay’s room, it was obvious he noticed
the difference in her right away.

“Marcia, you must have had a good night’s sleep. You look
better.”

Her face reddened so much she turned to face the window,
hoping Jay hadn’t noticed. Sleep had nothing to do with it and she didn’t want
Jay to know. Guilt consumed her so she made small talk about the falling leaves
and items from the news.

“I want you to marry again.” He motioned for her to move
closer to his bed.

Then she knew he knew. Tears came to her eyes; nothing she
did was right. Now she had hurt him and she didn’t know how to make it better.

“I want you to. Bad enough I have to be tortured by this…this
disease. I don’t want you tortured too. It’s all right.”

Tears choked her so she couldn’t speak. Finally the tears
refused to be held in abeyance and a sob broke through her control as tears
streamed down her face.

“Come here.” Jay called to her.

Taking a deep breath, Marcia fought to tame her emotions. She
wiped her face with her hands, turned from the window and walked to the bed. He
took her hand between his two.

“I love you, I have since we were nineteen. How could I deny
you happiness? The past five years have been such a roller-coaster ride. I’d
feel better if I knew you wouldn’t be alone when I’m gone. I can’t bear to
think you’ll spend your days on your own with no reason to get out of bed.” He
blinked back tears.

She sensed death hovering behind him and could deny him
nothing.

He squeezed her hand briefly before he said, “Ease my mind,
tell me you won’t be alone, dear.”

“I won’t be alone, one way or another,” she said in a small
voice. Her gaze avoided his and rested on the still-life painting on the wall.
She refused to admit there was someone.

“Good.” He patted her hand.

Marcia leaned over and kissed him, slightly repulsed by the
taste and smell of death surrounding Jay. He kissed her hand and sat back,
closing his eyes to sleep. She moved a chair to the window and pretended to
read a magazine.

* * * *

Across town on campus

Alan sat in his office with his second writing assignment on
his desk for grading. He was getting sexually excited as he searched for the
worst papers among the girls, hoping Jenna Walker or Mary Campbell would be his
victim this semester. Clarissa Gordon had been failing too, but Clarissa didn’t
have the delicious body Jenna had. Mary had beautiful long auburn hair and
large breasts. He could feel a tightening in his groin as he thought about them
taking their clothes off in his office. Looking at their young, firm bodies,
all for him. Suddenly he was hard. He looked around, nervous Rex would walk in
and discover his state of arousal.

* * * *

That night, Rex again took Alan’s keys at three o’clock and
went to the office. But again there was nothing on the cameras. Rex was
furious. He swore quietly and went home to return the keys to Alan before he
found they were missing.

* * * *

Seven blocks from the university building housing the English
department, Alan sat back with his glass of wine, watching the October sunset
and thought about Jenna’s body. She was the one…a pre-med student, smart at
everything but writing papers. She had accidentally plagiarized too…grounds for
automatic dismissal from the school and her hopes for medical school ruined.
She cried and pleaded with Alan, but he wouldn’t budge. Still she refused to
sleep with him and left him no choice. He intended to fail her.

He was angry and frustrated, sexually frustrated. He’d been
looking forward to making her a regular. Jenna in his office every week for him
to do with as he pleased made his pulse race. But it was not to be.

Alan found Mary Campbell, a phys. Ed major, much more
cooperative. She came every week and although she didn’t like it and got out as
soon as possible, she seemed resigned to her fate. Alan liked running his
fingers through her silky hair and touching her big breasts. He liked Mary. He
wore his best clothes and cologne on the days Mary was his. Maybe she’d learn
to like him, even with their age difference…maybe he could take her on a date.
Not only would he pass her, but she’d get an A.