Steamboat Springs, New Start Pt. 10

Part Ten, The first day of the rest of my life with Steph...

Sunday morning dawned crisp and clear. Steph and I had a wonderful sleep. We were refreshed and in each other's arms. I was very happy. Steph gave me a kiss. She felt so good in her sexy, silky sleepwear. I wanted to stroke on her all day long. Her nipples were soft and felt wonderful when I kissed and sucked them past my lips. She finally rolled over and crawled out of bed and when her feet hit the floor said:

"Brrrrr... it's a bit chilly this morning. My nipples are getting hard" She pulled a house coat over her teddy and panties and slipped into a pair of fur lined moccasins. She gave me a furry blanket.

"You'll need this."

"We need some heat. Let me start the heater." I found the thermostat and turned it up to 75 degrees. There was a bump from another room, then some grinding sounds and finally a low hum. A few minutes later warm air started coming from the register. That felt good. But not as good as Steph and I jumping back into bed to wait for the heat to come up. She came back to bed and crawled on top. I returned to her breasts and continue to play with her stiff, erect nipples. My dick was hard and she was grinding me gently with her crotch. It felt so good. After another half hour of snuggling and petting, it was warm enough to get out of bed and move around.

We started to dress. Steph got clean clothes out of her dresser. I went to my pile of clothes and dug out my briefs. Steph stopped me.

"Wear what you have on. Your old briefs are filthy and are going into the wash." Steph was scowling at me. My jeans and shirt were okay but the briefs were definitely a no go. She was okay with my white panties. I hadn't really noticed them since putting them on last night. They were very comfortable.

"You like these?" I asked as my hard dick was bulging out and up from our bed play. It had felt exquisite as she stroked and tickled and scratched my dick and balls through the panty fabric while we lay in bed. She could make me twitch and spasm with the lightest touches from her fingers and nails. I loved it.

"I like the way your dick feels when I touch it. The panties make it feel very, very sexy for me. I hope you like it too." She looked at my erection, then looked into my eyes and smiled.

Of course I will wear her panties for her. So, I got dressed wearing her white satin panties.

"Okay, so it's laundry day. How about I make breakfast, then we can start washing clothes." I offered.

"Coffee first, then we can think about breakfast. Your cooking scares me..." Steph countered.

So, I went to the kitchen and put new water in the coffee maker. I tracked down filters and coffee, threw out the old grounds and put in a new filter and fresh coffee grounds. I pushed the "On" button and the coffee maker sizzled to life.

Steph came out of the bedroom with a duffel full of clothes.

"Might as well start up a load while the coffee brews. Go get your other dirty clothes from your room."

"Meet you in the laundry room." I said as I dashed out the door.

Back in my room, I gathered up all my dirty clothes and stuffed them in my duffel bag. I grabbed my sock of quarters and laundry detergent and headed for the laundry room. Steph was already there, putting clothes into a couple of washers.

"Good, you brought detergent."

"And quarters." Holding up my sock of quarters. "Taught me well." I said with a smile.

We loaded up three washers with our clothes. The clothes were all mixed up so we were going to sort afterwards. I handed the quarters to Steph and began to put detergent into each washer. As I closed the lid, Steph put in the quarters and started the machines. Within a couple of minutes all the washers were filling with water and start agitating.

I stepped up behind Steph and leaned against her. This pushed her crotch into the vibrating washing machine.

"Mmmm... feels good. Nice part of doing laundry."

I reached up and put my hands on he breasts and pushed my dick into the crack between her butt cheeks. Ground into her as she ground into the vibrating washing machine. She tilted her head back and turned her face to mine and took a long kiss. I massaged her hardening nipples into my palms.

"You taste and feel so good..." I whispered.

After a few minutes Steph told me that the coffee was probably ready and there were better places for messing around. God, I felt like a kid in high school.

We picked up the detergent and duffels and headed back to the kitchen. We could smell fresh brewed coffee as we approached the back door. Smelled like the start of a new day. We both liked that smell. Inside, Steph went to the pantry and pulled out onions and pancake mix. No toast today, we're making our own bread. She went to the fridge and got out the milk, eggs, bacon, mushrooms, cheese and frozen hash browns. While she was digging out the food, I hunted down a bowl, large pan and griddle. I put the griddle over the burners and turned them up high. I put the big pan over another burner and turned it up to high.

Steph was opening the bacon, so I grabbed the hash browns and tore the package open. I got a pat of butter and threw it on the griddle. The butter skittered around as it melted. When it was all melted, I threw on a couple of servings of hash browns. The hash browns started sizzling immediately. I patted the hash browns out flat to let them start cooking. A little salt and pepper and they smelled good.

Steph had bacon started in the pan and it sizzled as she began dicing onions and mushrooms. I got the bowl and broke 6 eggs, adding no chunks of egg shell fragments. I added milk, salt and pepper and whisked it smooth and frothy. Then I got another bowl and started the pancake batter. That was easy. A few cups of powder and milk and mix the ingredients to a pouring consistency. Instant pancake batter. Steph was finishing up with cheese grating and, there, we had all our fixins ready to go. What a team.

I flipped the hash browns just before they started burning. They were brown as the name implied. Right off my shoulder, Steph was turning the bacon to do the second side. We just had time to give each other a hug and a kiss. I grabbed her butt and gave a big squeeze, but Steph twisted away to the stove. The hash browns were finishing up so I turned off the burners. Steph began transferring her finished bacon to the hash browns to stay warm. She dumped the eggs into the pan and started to stir. Scrambled eggs, coming up. I hunted around the pantry and found a bottle of maple syrup for the cakes. Steph added vegetables and cheese to the eggs.

It was almost time for cakes. I found a ladle and spatula in the utensil drawer. I was ready. The eggs finished up and went onto the breakfast plates. The pan went back on the burner and I poured out three cakes. They steamed and bubbled up and rose in no time. I flipped them at the perfect time to cook the other side. Steph had the eggs, hash browns and bacon on the plate, ready to serve. She got two more small plates for the cakes. I pulled the first three cakes off and started three more. Steph was moving the plates to the table and getting out silverware. In a couple of minutes, I had the next three cakes done and on a plate. I picked up the plate and maple syrup and took it to the table.

Steph brought over the coffee pot and cups. Then she returned with two glasses and cranberry juice. The last few breakfast items touched the table and we were ready to eat.

Steph said, "Blessing?"

I bowed my head.

"Your turn to give the blessing."

I was not a religious person so I was in new territory. I looked back to movies I had seen where they said grace. Okay...

"Dear Lord. Thank you for Steph. And thank you for breakfast. And, if I forgot to mention it, thank you for Steph... Amen." There were no claps of thunder or lightning bolts, so I guess God was okay with my blessing.

Steph looked up at me and smiled. "That was sweet, and you are probably going to go to hell."

I reached over and gave her hand a squeeze and said "Thank you."

We enjoyed our hearty breakfast, made jokes, kidded each other and enjoyed our company. The food was actually pretty good for as quickly as we put it all together. Steph didn't have to give me any directions, so I think she was happy with my investment in the whole process. I'd never really done anything like that in the past but I think it turned out okay. We cleaned up and went back out to the laundry room. One washer was still running, so our timing was pretty good.

As the spin cycle stated, I positioned Steph back against the machine and held her there. She turned to face me and told me to lift her up on the machine. Then she settled her pussy down on the vibrating machine. She leaned forward and held my head into her breasts. I lifted her top and put my lips on a nipple and began to nurse as she vibrated away. She held my head tight on her nipple. She nodded her head forward to rest on top of my head.

I could feel Steph grinding into the top of the machine as it vibrated from the spinning clothes in the drum. She was obviously enjoying herself with the stimulation coming from the giant vibrator. With a loud click the washer shut down, stopped spinning and Steph let out an expletive describing the situation.

"Well, that's fucked up!"

I stopped suckling, gave her nipples a kiss and put her back on the floor. She grabbed my dick and have me a kiss on the lips. Another washer started its spin cycle so I lifted Steph and put her on that washer for a ride. We continued our grinding, rubbing and suckling as the washer rattled on. Steph was getting wet between her legs and was tensing her thigh muscles. My hand was on the small of her back and I could follow her hips rocking front to back, over and over. She was enjoying this.

Another loud click and the washer ride was over.

"Not now!!" She cried.

One washer to go. It was in the drain cycle and the spin was yet to come. She quickly hopped off the finished washer and jumped up on the last running washer. One leg dropped off the front and the other off the side. Her clit was pressed straight down on the draining machine. I moved up to her again, Placed one hand on the small of her back and pushed my other hand between her clit and the machine. She positioned her clit on top of one of my fingers and began rocking her hips. I pressed my face into her tits.

Right on cue the draining stopped and the spin cycle began. Fortunately a wad of towels or jeans was creating a heavy spot and the unbalanced drum started shaking the machine. What luck. Steph ground into my finger and the machine vibrations shook her entire body. Her nipples were hard and her grasp on my head was insistent and firm. Steph was getting off on the mechanical rub cycle.

My hand was getting wetter from the moisture accumulating in her panties. I could hear her moaning as she rocked her hips over my finger. She was deep into filling her body with sexual tension from contact with my lips, fingers and vibrating machine. Halfway through the spin cycle Steph went over the edge of no return. She clamped her thighs around my forearm and began to thrust her hips back and forth while bearing down on my finger with her full weight.

She grunted and moaned as her orgasm spewed waves of pleasure through out her body. She held tight and continued thrusting and rubbing, getting every sensation of pleasure out of her vibrating experience. Her breasts were drenched in sweat and her nipple was stuck to the roof of my mouth. Her arm held the back of my head with desire and insistence. I could feel her body coming down from her orgasm spasms and slowing to a gentle rhythmic roll of her hips. The spin cycle finally shut off and the ride was done.

"Oh... my... god... that was wonderful." She sputtered out.

"Thank you..." She gave me a two armed hug, crushing my face into her chest. I was in heaven. She had just gotten back to rejoin me. We both slipped back into the real world together.

We transferred all the wet clothes into the dryers. When all the wet clothes were in the dryers, Steph dug out her fabric softener sheets and threw a couple into each drum. She closed the doors, added more quarters and hit the start buttons. Nothing to do now but look through the windows and watch wet clothes tumble by. We snuggled on the bench for a few moments. Tumbling clothes television finally got old so we stood up.

We walked back over to the kitchen to get our duffel bags and freshen our coffee cups. This was a nice way to do laundry. I thought back to mom, all by herself, having to dig through the rooms, looking for dirty clothes, dragging everything downstairs, loading the washer and waiting for the spin cycle to finish. Then she would put some clothes in the dryer and others on the clothes line. When everything was dry, she would iron, sort, fold and put way the clothes and sheets and towels. No one ever helped her. No one ever said "Thank You". That's fucked up. God, I was a DICK!

When the driers finished up, we loaded the duffels and took everything back to Steph's bedroom. I saw she had even stripped her bed and washed her sheets and pillow cases and blankets. I thought I should probably do that one of these days for my bedding. We emptied the duffels onto her mattress and began the sort and fold process. When I found her panties, I would model it in front of me. Steph would give me an "Oooo" or "Ahhh" or "I like that" comment. My tightie whities only got an "Ugh". I had to pay attention to how she folded her shirts, because her method was nothing like mine. So, I made the effort to learn how to fold Steph's clothes the way she wanted them folded. We ended up with a pile of my clothes and a pile of hers. I opened her top dresser drawer and found panties and socks. So, I got those from the bed and put them away. I went to the next drawer and found shorts and pull over tops. So, I got those and put those away. I opened the bottom dresser drawer and found her toys.

Steph had quite an assortment of toys. Most were of a manual nature, but there seemed to be a fair number of toys with battery packs, motors, control packs and remote controls and harnesses. There tubes containing a variety of lubricants. And a wide assortment of condoms. Steph turned and saw me looking at her things.

"See anything you would like to try?"

"Only if you show me how to use it properly."

"Of course."

We smiled at each other and Steph winked. I was surprised to find these things, but I guess I shouldn't be. She wasn't fazed at all when she saw me looking. It's all just natural, matter of fact. Guys are simple minded and just beat off with their hands. Women are more complex and want greater enjoyment options when giving themselves pleasure. I got it. This could be fun.

All the clothes were folded. Steph's were put away and mine were neatly stowed in my duffle bag. So, we set about making up Steph's bed. The fitted sheet went on first and then the top sheet. The top sheet only went up as far as six inches to the top end of the mattress. The other end was tucked way up under the mattress. The sheet stayed in place that way. Then we put on the blankets. Last were the pillow cases on the pillows. The pillows piled up against the headboard. Her bed looked very nice all set up with clean bedding. It was a far cry from the place where I lay my head at night. I would never be able to invite her over to my room. It was a fucking disaster, and I was just now realizing it.

"So, what have you got in your toy drawer?" I asked Steph about her collection.

"For you, I have an electronic, strapless, vibrating dildo. I know you'll like it." She said.

Steph went to her drawer and pulled out an odd looking dildo with no balls on it. There was a 10 inch portion that looked like a dick. There was a little raised ares with lots of little nubs. Finally there was a large, bulbous, elliptically shaped section that was at an acute angle to the dick portion. My guess was that the elliptical end went into the pussy, the nubs rubbed her clit and the dick went up my ass or another pussy.

"Let me show you how it works big boy." She handed me the dildo and started pressing buttons on a control fob. The dildo came to life with strong vibrations and the bulbous part vibrated and squirmed around. Extra stimulation for the experience I suppose.

While the dildo squirmed and vibrated in my hands, Steph removed her shorts and panties and pulled out a pair of panty hose. She slipped them on and they had a very shiny appearance and smooth feeling. There was also a sewn on hole in the crotch. She looked very sexy.

She pulled out a bottle of lube and spread the cream on the big bulbous portion that was squirming and vibrating. She pulled the panty hose back down to get access to her pussy. She placed the squirming, bulbous part at the entrance to her pussy and began to such it up into her body. I didn't know if she would be able to get such a large object into her pussy, but after slow and steady pressure the dildo slipped into her pussy. It was a very solid fit and was not going to pop back out like my flaccid dick.

Then she pulled the panty hose back up, putting the waist way above her hips. Then she put her hands into the hose and positioned he dildo so that the dick came out the hole in the crotch of the hose. One last pull on the panty hose and the dildo was inserted into her vagina and the vibration nubs nestled against her clit. This dildo was obviously made to give her stimulation and pleasure. I could hear it vibrating and from the motion of her hips, the insert was massaging her G-spot.

"How do I look?" She asked facing me with an erect dick coming out from between her legs. She looked great. I had to smile broadly. I naturally reached down and stroked the dick. It vibrated in my hand. I took hold and gave a little tug and the effect was to press the squirming dildo into her G-spot. Caressing the dick where balls would have been pressed the vibrating nubs int her clit and made her inhale sharply.

"Take off your shorts. Leave on you panties and get on the bed on your hands and knees." She was speaking naturally and and seemed very comfortable with the moment. This made me comfortable.

As I got on the bed she got her lube and coated the dick with a thick layer. She came up behind me and pulled the panties to the side, exposing my butt hole. Then I felt her fingers apply some cool cream into and around my hole.

"This won't hurt. It will feel different, but you should really enjoy it. Feel free to touch yourself as you desire." With that, I felt the dildo touch my ass hole and begin a slow, gentle penetration. It didn't hurt. It felt wonderful. The vibrations were magnificent. This was really special. In a few moments the dildo began to slide easily up to my prostrate and apply pressure. It gave me a full feeling and my balls tingled.

Steph placed her hands on either side of my hips and held me snugly. I felt her crotch press against my thighs and cheeks and she was penetrating me completely. It felt wonderful.

"God, this is nice. What do I do?'

"Jerk off while I fuck you..." She said.

And with that, she began to withdraw the vibrating dildo. It felt wonderful and the sensations went straight to my balls. I started scratching and stroking myself through the panties and it felt good. My dick was hard and erect. My dick head was very sensitive to touch.

With a little effort, I was able to get my balls and dick out one of the leg openings in my panties. Now I could use my hand to freely stroke and jack myself off. In the meantime, Steph had settled into a steady rhythm, Moving her hips back and forth, stroking the dildo into and out of my ass hole. I was in heaven. Here I was, doggy style on my hands and knees, while she thrust an animated dildo in and out of my body. The sensations were so arousing and I was quickly building up to an orgasm.

"I'm going to come... your bed, the mess... ohh..." I was speeding to the point of no return. It would only be seconds before I went over the edge.

"Oh, Steph... please..."

Her hand moved from my hip and a pair of panties were held up to my navel.

"Here you go... cum for me..."

My orgasm came and I began ejaculating into her panties. I held my dick tight and jerked my hand up and down quickly along the entire length of my dick. Waves of pleasure throughout my body as Steph continued thrusting the vibrating dildo in and out of me. My orgasm was playing out, but Steph kept going on her own mission.

She finally came, spasming in and out of me as the bulb worked her G-spot to a frenzy. The nubs caused her clit to release everything she had stored up. It was just as good for Steph as it was for me. She finally stopped thrusting and just stood behind me, crotch hard against my cheeks. I reached back and stroked her hose covered legs. That was great.

"Okay, I thought you might like that. It's not for everyone, but it sure turns me on."

"Me too..."

We cleaned up and took quick showers. She gave me a new set of panties and wore a matching pair. She put on new shorts and I put on my shorts from earlier. We were back to normal in no time. Laundry is not so bad...

"Hey, what say we go to the grocery and restock on food for the week?" I offered. I thought it might be a good idea to replace some of the food I'd been eating and be pre-emptive on being a provider of used materials. I still had my paycheck. It couldn't hurt. Steph agreed and put on her shoes and got her bag.

She came with me over to my room to help me sort through my clothes. I hated that idea. She was going to see firsthand what a pig I was. I opened my door and she walked in.

"Yep, just like all the other single guys who live here." She observed. I am sure she was thinking pig stye, and that would be correct. I got up early to go to work. I got home late to wash up and go to bed. Same thing the next day. I could say I didn't have time to straighten things up. But that just meant I didn't have the motivation or commitment to keep things cleaner and straighter.

"It costs me a fortune to clean up these rooms when a guy leaves. I can't rent them till I do. I should be charging a maintenance fee." Steph looked around at the different piles of stuff. Hopefully she noticed that my clean clothes were all put away. Stuff on the floor was mostly work related. She went through my drawers and stopped when she found my panty collection.

"I recognize these" she said, holding up her panties from Strawberry Park.

"Still using them?"

"Oh, yeah."

Then she held up Sandy's panties and smiled.

"Nice collection."

"I've got some shelves in the storage room. I'll give you one so you can get the work things off the floor and organized." She offered because even she knew that my small room didn't have much storage space provided to a lessor. Shelves would help.

"We can get a unit when we get back from the grocer." She smiled at me. I smiled back and gave her hand a squeeze. I knew she was trying to help me get organized.

"And make your bed!"

We were out the door, into the truck and headed for town. Traffic was light for a Sunday morning. Everyone was probably in church or having brunch somewhere. It made for a pleasant drive alongside the Yampa River as we headed down the valley. There were cows out in the meadows munching on green grasses. The aspen trees up on the ski hill were a yellow/green mixed in amongst the dark green pine trees. It was a beautiful day in the Yampa Valley.

The parking lot at the grocery store was almost empty when we pulled in. I got to park right next to the front door. Quite a change from the chaos of going in right after I got off work. This was the time to shop.

Just inside the front door, Steph saw a friend of hers. She had to go and say "Hello". She also told me I could get a cart and start shopping for items on our list over in the deli. So, I got a cart and headed for my main shopping destination I always went to whenever I went to the grocery. No looking for day old sandwiches today. Top of my list was Swiss and Cheddar cheese. I managed to find what I was looking for and dropped them into the cart. I started to push the cart looking at the list and ran head on into a cart coming the other direction.

"You fucking moron. Watch where the hell you're goin'. Do you have a license to drive that thing?"

I was startled and looked up. The first thing I saw was a woman glaring at me through her sunglasses. Then she smiled and took them off. It was Brenda. She was bra-less, wearing a tight tube top and a loose pair of running shorts. She was really showing off the body.

"I think I broke my wrist. Do you have insurance? Or do I call the cops and report you for physical assault? Either way you're goin' to pay for this, mother fucker."

"Hi, Brenda. You're not really hurt, are you?" I had a worried tone in my voice. I didn't want to tangle with her over something as innocent as a shopping cart collision. How could such a great Sunday suddenly go to hell?

"That depends, you shithead." Brenda had an evil tone in her voice. She looked at my crotch and made sure I knew she was looking. She spoke again after a few seconds.

"What color are they?" she asked as if I was being interrogated.

"What? What are you talking about?" I was confused by what she asked.

"I followed you down the aisle to get over here. What color are they?" She sounded more insistent. She wanted an answer.

"What color are what?" I responded, genuinely confused.

"Your panties, little boy. I can see the panty lines when you walk. I'm a woman. I know" She cleared the air on what she was asking about and now I was trapped.

"I'm not wearing panties." I lied. She knew I was lying. Shit, I'd forgotten all about wearing panties. I suddenly could feel them hugging my dick and balls again.

"I've been wearing panties all my life. I know what panty lines are. I use them to get attention and I can dress so they don't show. You're a rookie and they show to the trained eye. What color are they?" She asked again.

"I... I... I'm not wearing... panties, Brenda. Leave me alone, please?" I was pleading with her to stop.

"Life can be bad on the job site, sweetie. One word and you're in living hell and looking for a new job. What color are they? Show me." That was a solid ultimatum. My ass was cooked. If I didn't do as she asked, she could ruin me at work. I didn't know what to do, but I couldn't lose my job on the hill. What if I did as she asked? She would be able to black mail me forever. I was regretting wearing Steph's panties now. I had no idea what they could cause.

"Mine are red. High cut, low waist. Pretty sexy..." Brenda hooked her thumbs in the front of her waist band of her shorts and pulled them down, revealing her navel, most of her mound and low waist-ed, high cut, satin hipsters. Under any other circumstance, this would be hot, but for now I was scared. Steph was nearby and I would be screwed.

"You're on the clock honey. It's do or die." Sounded like my last chance.

"They're white. Okay?" I said looking at the floor.

"Ooooo... white, like a virgin. You're new at this, aren't you sweetie? So, show me."

I unbuttoned my shorts and lowered my zipper. I spread the flies and Brenda could clearly see I was wearing mid waist, white satin panties under my jeans. I wiggled the jeans a little lower and Brenda could see the outline of my dick. She stared intently. After a few seconds I pulled my shorts up and pulled the zipper. Then I buttoned the top button again. Okay, that was done. Hopefully Brenda would leave me alone now. Hopefully she would leave before Steph found me in the deli.

"That's a nice look on you. You have good taste. You should come to my place and I can show you other choices you may want to try. Enjoy the rest of your day." Brenda winked at me and started walking past me. She grabbed my ass as she went by. I hoped she would be done and gone now. I was rethinking Steph's decision to have me wear a pair of her panties while we were out shopping. I had liked the idea a lot at the time, but now the experience had soured me on panties. How the hell could Brenda tell I was wearing panties under my shorts?

Steph caught up with me as I started into the meat section. Hamburger, bacon, chicken and a couple of sirloins. Steph said a barbecue would be fun. We finished up on the meat selections and headed to produce. I was so conflicted on what happened with Brenda in the deli that I had to tell Steph what had just happened. She listened intently to the whole story, not showing any signs of anger. When I finished, she final spoke.

"Sorry, that happened. Most women have a little more class than that. They can tell. She just wanted to get a rise out of you. Don't give it another thought." She gave me a hug and a quick kiss. The whole episode with Brenda didn't even register with Steph and Steph felt that no response was required. We would just go on with life as if nothing had happened. We had our own lives and Brenda didn't matter.

We finished filling our list with supplies and headed for the checkout line. I saw Deb in line 3 so I headed to line 1. Steph stopped me.

"Go to line 3. I want you to meet someone." When we got up to the register Steph spoke up.

"Hi, Deb. This is the guy I've been talking about for the last couple of weeks. Jim, this is my good friend Deb. Deb, this is Jim."

Deb smiled at me with a broad, radiant smile. Her eyes twinkled. She chuckled at Steph's introduction.

"Oh, Jim and I are old friends. He's been flirting with me ever since he got to town. He's a sweetie. A little naïve, but he'll come around some day, I think." Steph laughed.

"He's been cheating on me?" Steph jested.

"No, I've just been keeping a close eye on him for you." Deb replied.

Well, that was an interesting revelation to me. I guess it is a small town and everyone knows everyone else's business. I was glad I hadn't done or said anything that would have gotten me into more trouble with Steph. I dodged that bullet and hadn't even known it was coming for me. I would need to be a little more on guard when talking to people I didn't know. We settled up and headed out to the truck.

It was a nice drive back up the hill. I was happy that Steph wasn't mad about my Brenda encounter. And it was good to know that Steph and Deb were good friends. That would keep me from shooting myself in the foot somewhere down the road. I was happy again after the downer with Brenda. We saw kayaks, canoes and tubers frolicking in the Yampa River. There were groups of people horseback riding on the trail by the river bank. There were a few white, fluffy clouds in the sky, but it was generally sunny and warm. A nice day in Steamboat.

We got back to The Barn and unloaded the groceries. It took two trips to get everything we needed back to the office. Steph started unloading the bags and showing me where everything went. That way I could find it when she asked to get it later. I went up to the supply room to get a load of fire wood to refill the pile by the fireplace. I wanted to be ready for the next fire.

"Well, I think we're about set up to play house." Steph said unexpectedly.

"What did you have in mind?" I asked.

"You have a lot of food here, so you can make lunches for work. And maybe we can share our dinner time after work. Unless you're happy with day old sandwiches?"

"I'd like fresh food very much. Thank you."

"We're going to be friends with benefits while we see where this is going. You still have your room, and I have mine. But there is no way I'm sleeping in your bed. You are, most of the time, but not me. Okay?"

"I wouldn't want it any other way." I lied, but I was happy our relationship had grown this far. Time would tell what was in the future. And I would have a big part to play in that.

"Now, Let's get that shelving for your room. That situation has to change."

We went to storage and Steph showed me a wooden shelf unit. It stood about six feet high and four feet wide with four shelves. It was light pine and had a Deft finish. Simple, light weight and functional. It would work just fine. We strapped it to the dolly and wheeled over to my room. It fit fine against the wall next to the bed. We stacked all my junk that was on the floor. For the first day since I moved in, my room was neat and organized. Steph had left for a few minutes while I put stuff on the shelves. When she returned, she had an armload of bedding and towels. We stripped and made the bed and put the towels on the shelves with my shower kit. Standing in the doorway, my room had a neat, organized look that I would be able to show to anyone with pride. Steph stood next to me with her arm around my waist.

"Now, I won't have to worry about you over here by yourself. Keep it clean!"

It was past lunch time so we decided to go back to town to the El Rancho for late lunch and some drinks. Time to burn up some more of my first paycheck. We locked my room, put the dolly away, got Steph's stuff and headed back to town. Before we went to the El Rancho, we stopped in at FM Light & Sons to buy me a couple pair of furry moccasins, one pair for my room, one pair for Steph's. Then it was back to the El Rancho.

The El Rancho was the original Cowboy Bar/Mexican Restaurant on the strip. Weekends found the bar hopping with western bands and drunk cowboys and cowgirls. The rest of the time the bar was quiet and the Mexican restaurant was the mainstay eatery on the east end of town. The Rabbit Ears motel was a required amenity for the drunk patrons of the bar on the weekends. The food was good and we had a nice lunch.

The rest of the day was spent horsing around and doing little chores together. It was a very pleasant and satisfying way to spend the rest of our day together. And the evening brought the opportunity to share our bodies in another bout of passionate love making. Life was being good to me and I enjoyed being the kind and considerate man that Steph desired. As I got ready to head back to my room Steph told me she had plans on Wednesday.

"I'm going over to Rifle to visit my brother on Wednesday. I'll leave around noon. I'll be back really late. So, you can go party with the boys from the site." Steph's brother worked in the shale industry over in Rifle. He came to visit in Steamboat and Steph would visit in Rifle. It was her turn to travel. So, I was on my own on Wednesday.

End Part Ten