Innocent Milf

Chapter 29

Chapter 29

It was nearly Halloween.

The rest of the month had sped by, filled with college classes, phone calls to Cary, and even writing a few letters to Jack and Sascha. Aaron got me set up on his computer with access to email, which the school provided for free. I'd never used it before, but it came in handy for keeping in touch with other college students in different states.

Jack was much more communicative after connecting to the internet; despite his love of history and historical re-enactment, he had a lot of trouble making himself sit down and write letters by hand. He told me all about his months at college, and even revealed that he and Jenna had been trying to make things work long-distance. I empathized. It seemed hard enough having to wait to see Cary once a month; knowing that I'd have to wait until Christmas break would have been torture.

Especially since I had started to meet some more people in class that I would have been happy to date if I had been unattached. While Beth was a semi-regular visitor to the same events that Aaron and I went to, and even hung out with us for lunch or dinner more than once, I didn't have any real attraction to her. Aaron had started to speak to her like a normal human being, which of course she appreciated.

A few girls in both my piano class and my American Literature class had asked about coffee more than once. After Sascha's admonition that I was pretty dense about clues she had dropped, I paid a lot more attention to girls' behavior, and had started to pick up on little tells. Some of them would laugh more often at jokes that I made than jokes made by others, or would occasionally fiddle with their hair while talking to me.

So when Tiffany--who was helping me to work through some simple piano etudes--asked if I was free for lunch, I was less thunderstricken than my high school self would have been. Smiling, I demurred and told her that I'd take a rain check. After the third such time, Todd from my Intro to Piano class took notice.

"Dude, are you gay or something?" he asked. "Whatever you have going on, it can wait. Coffee with Tiffany or Cheryl shouldalwaystake precedence."

I shook my head and tapped the ring on my forefinger. "Not gay, just taken."

"She must be something," Todd muttered with a roll of his eyes. "She's not even here, right?"

"She's back home," I replied. "She has an art studio."

Todd nudged me and winked. "Back homeis too far away for anybody to keep an eye on things. Believe me, she's probably shopping around, too."

I rolled my eyes. "No way, dude. We'd never cheat on each other."

"Not cheating if she never finds out," Todd replied, with a slap on the back that I didn't much appreciate.

"Yeah," I answered without a backward glance. "It is."

His attitude didn't seem to be the default, but I encountered it more often than I would have thought. And it didn't come up often in conversation, but when it did, I made it clear that my loyalty was with Cary. My American Lit professor even started jokingly calling me "Galahad" after I said during a discussion aboutThe Scarlet Letterthat I thought honesty and loyalty were keystones of any stable relationship.

Cary surprised me by telling me that she had sat down with her kids and explained some of the situation to them. Nothing explicit, of course. But telling her kids that I was her boyfriend meant that of course Eric would know. I wondered if he still planned to hire a private investigator--or already had. Not that there would be anything for an investigator to find except that Cary and I spent an hour or two per week on the phone with each other.

We had planned our Halloween costumes together over the phone, and I was excited both to show mine off and to see Cary in hers. Remembering that Eric had picked out a scanty Catwoman outfit to go with his Superman costume last year, we joked that we had to match better than that. There would clearly be dozens of Halloween parties all over campus, most of which would likely be associated with frats or sororities. Ours was a history department party (the English department wasn't throwing one, and since history was one of my double minors, I was invited).

"Who are you going as?" Aaron asked Beth as we sat at a table in the mess hall, making small talk before I headed to French. A second language was a requirement for my degree, and French seemed the natural choice.

Beth looked down at her drink and frowned. "I was thinking Marie Curie or something historically relevant. I'm sure that half the girls there will be dressed as nurses or cats or something, so I want to do something different."

Aaron smiled. "I'm sure you'll stand out, no matter what," he said. I raised an eyebrow--it was the closest he'd come to flirting without being an awkward dweeb so far. Maybe there was hope for him yet. "I've got something in mind you'll probably both recognize," he continued.

"Oh yeah?" Beth took a sip of her canned iced tea. "What?"

Aaron suddenly looked a little nervous. "Uh... Tetsuo. A character from--"

"FromAkira?" Beth interrupted. "Oh, wow. That's niche. Good one. Hmmm. That gives me an idea. I bet I could pull it off before the end of the week." She turned towards me. "What about you?"

"Secret," I answered. "Cary and I have a plan for something that matches. Aaron might get it. If anybody else does, that'll be neat."

Beth frowned. "Give us a hint."

"You'd probably recognize it if you've spent some time in an arcade," I answered.

"Like Pac-Man and Ms. Pac-Man?" Beth asked. I just shrugged.

The week passed too slowly; Friday seemed like it would never get there. After I finished class, I nearly bolted for the door, eager to see Cary. We had agreed to meet for dinner before going to the hotel room she had booked. Without the promise of most people being off-campus for break, it seemed more sensible to stay elsewhere than to try to sneak Cary into our room. Especially since Aaron would be there.

She looked nervous when she got out of her car, and my stomach dropped.

"What's wrong?" I asked as I approached, and reached for her hand.

Cary pushed herself up against me and wrapped her arms around my neck. "Rough week. Eric has been making the kids uncomfortable, and I had a hard talk with Lori."

I squeezed her. "About what?"

"About... well, about us. She still thinks it's a bad idea, and she keeps pointing out problems." Cary looked up at my face with wide eyes. "Are you happy?"

I chuckled. "Are you kidding? I'm happier now than I've been in weeks. Youmakeme happy."

Cary sighed with relief and murmured something into my chest. I hugged her tighter. "What was that?" I asked.

"I said, I just don't want to trap you," she repeated, barely audible.

I could feel a frown on my face as I held her at arms' length and studied her face. "Hey. What's all this?Trapped? I don't feel trapped. I feel as happy and free as I've ever felt in my life. Where is this coming from?" A sudden thought occurred to me, making my heartbeat thunder in my ears. "Doyoufeel trapped?"

Cary shook her head violently. "No. No, absolutely not. But I'm an old lady who's already got a family, and you have your whole life--"

I put a finger over her lips. Both she and my hand were shaking slightly. "Enough of that. 'Old lady?' What nonsense. Come here." I pulled her close and ran my hands through her hair. It abruptly occurred to me that we were standing in the parking lot with the door of her car still yawning open. "Uh... do you want to go get dinner first? Or check in first?"

Cary shuddered and held me tighter. "I just want to stand here for a moment and feel safe. I had a rough drive up." We stood for a minute until she felt better, and looked up at me again. "Okay, I'm sorry. I get nervous, you know? All these pretty girls around, and all these new experiences around every corner... I guess I just feel like I can't compete."

I slowly guided her towards my dorm so I could get my clothes for the weekend. "It's not a competition. I chose you. And I still choose you. You're my Cary, and I love you. Being away from you isn't tempting, it's torture. There's no need to worry."

Cary breathed out. "That's how I feel, too."

I snaked my hand around her hip and worked it around until I could feel skin beneath the hem of her shirt. "Hey, we started our relationship out by navigating a swingers' party and showing that even in a group of horny rich kids that you said looked like models, we could keep control and be true to each other. You thinkthiscompares?" I waved my other arm vaguely towards the campus.

A giggle combined with a snort as Cary remembered. "Oh my God. I still can't believe I did all that." She made a mock-frown and sternly poked a finger into my sternum. "This party of yours tonight better not be something similar."

I laughed. "Unless the button-up faculty of the history department are secretly a cadre of swinging cats from the 60's and tricking a bunch of college nerds into the same thing, I think we're safe." I tapped my fingers at her waist rhythmically. "I'm just looking forward to dancing with you a little and then spending the next two days together."

We opened the door to my dorm room and I grabbed a backpack stuffed with clothes and toiletries. Cary glanced around. "No Aaron today?" she asked teasingly.

I grabbed my paperback ofDune Messiahfrom my desk to shove into the backpack as well. "He's around somewhere. Not in class right now, so who knows?" I flipped the pack over my shoulder and gestured to the door. "Seriously, though. You and I knew our situation would come with some challenges. Not being able to see each other except for once a month is tough. But I feel solid, still. And it sounds like you do, too."

Cary sighed. "I do. Yeah, I do. I just... it's hard to unlearn half a lifetime's worth if distrust in relationships. Every time I thought I had true love, it blew up in my face." She held up a hand as I drew in a breath to answer, "And I don't think that you're like Adam or Eric. I really don't. I love you more than I've ever loved anybody except my kids, and I trust you. I just can't help feeling that under the surface of anything good is a simmering disaster just waiting to explode with catastrophe."

We had reached her car, and I opened her door for her. "I get it. I mean, I don'tgetit. I've never had to deal with anything like what you have. But I hear what you're saying. All I can say is that you don't have anything to worry about from me, and I know I don't have anything to worry about from you."

Cary relaxed as she drove, and our conversation turned to lighter things. In the back of my mind, I wondered if Cary's friends were trying to sabotage our relationship on purpose, or if they truly just thought that the age difference was insurmountable. According to Cary, her friend Lori especially had been pretty negative about things. I could never be truly mad at Lori--not after hearing how she supported Cary after the Valentines' Day debacle years ago--but it certainly didn't endear her to me any.

We broke in the hotel room bed thoroughly before going to get some light dinner. The Halloween party was due to start at 8pm, so we took our time with everything until about 7:30, and then started to get into our costumes. I had gotten a redgiand matching trousers from a martial arts supply store, and ripped off the sleeves. A pair of dark brown padded fingerless training gloves from the same store, and a black belt completed the costume.

Cary spent a while putting her hair in two braids down the back--her hair had now gotten just long enough to do that. She then pulled on a green leotard, a pair of combat boots that I recognized from our paintball getups, and a red beret. She took a few extra moments to take out some Halloween store makeup and paint some rough camouflage patterns on her legs before washing her hands and pulling on long red gloves whose fingers she had cut off.

Ken and Cammy fromStreet Fighter IIwere ready to hit the party. I felt a nostalgic twinge--our rounds of competing at arcade games had been a mainstay of our time together as our feelings grew. It felt like a callback to the roots of our friendship to dress as characters from one of our favorite shared gaming experiences.

On the drive there, we chatted about whether people would recognize our costumes, and decided to keep a running count of those who did. I was excited to dance with Cary, and to see what other costumes I could guess. And I hadn't forgotten that I planned to make sure Aaron had at least one conversation with a girl.

Once we arrived at the hall where the party was taking place, I was stricken by a sense of déjà vu; the darkening sky, the yellow lights outlining costumed dancers in the windows, and the gravel parking lot all reminded me of Cary's disastrous birthday party. Had that really been earlier this year? It seemed like a lifetime.

The doors opened and the sound of Ace of Base flooded out, making Cary smile immediately. We walked in and I started looking for familiar faces. Some of them were behind masks, but I could still pick out several classmates. A few professors hovered near the edges, watching. The dance floor was hardly packed, but enough vampires, sexy nurses, and cartoon characters were already out there that we wouldn't stand out.

I tugged Cary's hand and gestured towards the dancing, and she immediately grinned and skipped out with me. We danced for a few songs--theMonster MashandEverybody Dance Nowfollowed Ace of Base, and we took a break for some punch. I couldn't help but notice several girls in what looked like sexy sailor costumes. Cary noticed, too. "Who are they supposed to be?"

My eyebrows pulled down in concentration. "Aaron and Beth were both talking about a show calledSailor Moon. Maybe it's that?"

As we looked over the small crowd, a guy in a Beetlejuice costume came up to the punch bowl and gave us each a once-over. His eyes lingered longer on Cary's legs. "Street Fighter.Nice."

Cary grinned. "That's one," she said as he left.

"Let me introduce you around," I answered. "There's my Early American History professor."

Taking her hand lightly, I guided Cary towards an in-shape salt-and-pepper late fortysomething dressed in a Bela Lugosi-style Dracula outfit. He made a theatrical bow as we approached, and nodded towards us. "Sir Galahad," he said with a slight lisp, by way of greeting. "Nice costumes. Are you two supposed to be fromBloodsportor something?"

I chuckled. "Close. It's an arcade game calledStreet Fighter II--one of our favorites. This is my girlfriend, Cary Bernham. Cary, Professor Tully."

"Ah," Professor Tully smiled, revealing plastic fangs--the origin of his lisp at the moment. "So,thisis the fabled girlfriend. It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Bernham."

"'Fabled,' no less," Cary grinned. "What has Matt been telling people?"

"Matt--our resident Galahad--has been as tight-lipped as a Priest. His roommate, on the other hand..." Professor Tully made a 'yapping' hand gesture.

Cary colored, and I rolled my eyes. "Jeez. For real? What has he been saying?"

"And what's with 'Galahad?'" Cary added.

"'Galahad' is what some of the faculty have been calling Mister Baker here, ever since he got hot under the collar during aScarlet Letterdiscussion about the importance of loyalty in a relationship." The satin black-and-red cape swirled as Professor Tully shrugged. "Not to embarrass him, but it wouldn't surprise me to find out he carried an icon of you like a medieval pilgrim."

I pulled back one of the finger-stubs on my gloves to reveal the ring on my forefinger. "I mean, I kinda do," I answered sheepishly. Cary made anawsound, and pressed herself closer to me.

"And as for your associate Mister Sheffield, he seems to think that you are a goddess descended from Olympus, and that your boyfriend here is a paragon of chivalric loyalty and virtue." He gave me a broad wink and nudged me melodramatically. "Thatshould keep you out of trouble for a few days," he stage-whispered.

Cary laughed. "You should hear what my friends back home probably say aboutme," she replied. "I'm sure they're sick to death of my chattering about Matt and flashing around our bracelet."

Professor Tully glanced back and forth between us for a moment. "Forgive me if I'm being rude, but you seem as though you've probably already graduated college," he said to Cary.

Cary nodded, suddenly self-conscious. "Oh, yeah. Some time ago.Quitesome time ago."

Seeing her discomfort, the professor immediately changed tack. "And what did you major in?"

"Graphic arts," Cary answered happily. "I'm a painter. Mostly gallery work, but I occasionally do some commercial stuff."

As they chatted, I glanced over the room, and noticed Aaron entering hesitantly. I had to admit that his costume reallydidlook like the protagonist-turned-villain fromAkira. He had even apparently used a bunch of hair spray to make his dark hair stick up in spiky shocks, just like the cartoon character. His whole right arm was covered in various flexible tubing, tinfoil, and duct tape. It didn't look comfortable, but it did look kind of like a robot arm.

I waved, and he walked towards us, stopping only to smile at a few people who said something to him. I noticed that a few of theSailor Moongirls pointed and smiled in recognition. As he arrived, I turned my attention back to the conversation Professor Tully and Cary were having. By now, he had asked her to call him "James" and they were laughing about some 80's reference.

"Well, I'm not sure what you're supposed to be, Mister Sheffield," Professor Tully greeted Aaron. "Whatever it is, it's certainly remarkable."

"Super niche. It's a Japanimation character from a movie calledAkira," I answered.

My professor's shoulders twitched the Dracula cape up and down in a shrug. "The only Akira I know of is Kurosawa, and from what I remember, his movies had a lot of samurai but no robots."

"I like yourStreet Fightercostumes," Aaron mumbled towards us. He gestured to Cary. Um. Cammy is really cool. Good choice."

Cary grinned. "That's two," she said to me. Then, to Aaron, "She's my favorite. I can usually beat Matt when I choose her."

The music changed toThrillerand Cary tugged at my arm. "Let's go!" she urged. It took very little time for me to follow her out to the center of the room where several folks were dancing, and to start wobbling and bobbing like a dancing zombie. Cary giggled breathlessly, and we were soon in the middle of the floor, surrounded. A few other students danced in close to us.

By the time we had reached six people that recognized our costumes, we were starting to get more comfortable. A black-haired girl in red high heels, a pleated red miniskirt, and one of the sailor shirts cut quite a bit lower than Navy regulation moved into my peripheral view as we danced, and plucked at my elbow. I saw a flash of irritation in Cary's face. I turned to politely wave her away, and discovered Beth standing next to me.

"Hey!" I said above the music. "This is my girlfriend Cary!" I moved over to Cary and wrapped an arm around her waist. "Cary, this is Beth. She hangs out with Aaron and I from time to time. She's a history nerd, too."

Cary's annoyance vanished almost instantly. "Oh! What kind of history?"

As she and Beth briefly got to know each other, I looked for Aaron. This was a perfect chance to get him talking--after all, Beth was a familiar face. Even if she was in unfamiliar duds. I spotted him near the periphery, and motioned for him to come. For a moment, it looked like he wouldn't, but then he spotted Beth and his eyes lit up. Wading awkwardly through the press, he caught his cape more than once on other dancers. Still, he arrived and looked at Beth admiringly. "Sailor Mars? Awesome choice. Everybody else here just went with Usagi."