Decisions, Decisions

The events in this story take place shortly after Denae's Day of Research

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On the way home from Atlanta, Bill thought about the job offer and the possibility of a future with Denae. Still excited by her experiences at the strip club, she was very talkative during the drive and did not leave Bill many opportunities to speak. As he pondered and Denae talked, he looked over at her occasionally, taking delight in her mannerisms, her beauty, her joy. By the time they were nearing the Georgia border, he had decided he would take a leap of faith and ask her to marry him. He spent the rest of the drive and the next couple of days working out how and when to propose.

Having made up his mind to ask Denae to marry him, Bill wanted to be sure to do it the right way. To him, that meant seeking and getting permission from Denae's parents and then having a ring to give her should she say yes. He used funds that were earmarked for his relocation to Atlanta to purchase the ring. Deep down he knew this was unwise, but he reasoned he would be able to move economically by doing the job himself and would finance the move with money earned by working basketball games. This allowed Bill to buy what he considered a respectable diamond.

Bill knew very little about jewelry, so he placed his trust in the people at the only jewelry store in town. They counseled him extensively over the course of four visits and helped him select a 2.5 karat diamond in a white gold setting.

As for getting permission from Sam and Serena, Bill decided he would make a quick trip to Florida to speak to them in person. Keeping such a trip a secret from Denae would require a cover story and the one he concocted was his need to attend a Referee Clinic in Charlotte that would last two days and require an overnight stay. He explained to Denae that he would have limited opportunities to speak to her by phone while he was away and that she would not be able to join him because he would be compelled to share a room with another clinic attendee.

Once he had all his plans made and his cover story in place, three days before he wanted to speak to Denae's parents, Bill called Serena to ask if he might stop in to see her and Mr. Sam briefly. Serena was surprised by the request as it was unexpected and unusual. When Bill asked her not to mention his visit to Denae, she realized what the purpose of Bill's visit would be; or at least what she hoped the purpose of the visit would be. She told Bill she and Sam would love to see him and when she found out he would arrive around five thirty in the afternoon, she told him she would prepare dinner for the three of them.

After the call, Serena phoned Sam at work and told him about her conversation with Bill and his upcoming visit. Sam was puzzled and wondered why Bill would come on short notice and without Denae. Serena, smiling broadly when she spoke into the phone, said, "I know why he's coming here and I'm sure you do too. Isn't it wonderful?"

The day of his trip to Florida, Bill told Denae he would miss her and assured her he would call when opportunities arose. He put on decent pants, a nice shirt and his only jacket and made his way to Charlotte and boarded his flight to Tampa. During the flight, Bill rehearsed what he would say to the people he hoped would become his in-laws. He had gone online and utilized translation software in order to ask the Rapallinos' permission in their native Italian. He hoped the extra effort would make them more likely to give him their blessing.

From the Tampa airport, Bill took a ride-share car to the Rapallinos and arrived just after five-thirty in the afternoon. Sam, who was still dressed from his day at the office, answered the door and invited him in, shaking his hand warmly. As they walked into the family room, Serena emerged from the kitchen. She was removing an apron, revealing a nice dress. Bill could tell she had gone to some trouble fixing herself up and looked beautiful as a result. And he noticed she was barefoot, which he knew meant she had spent considerable time in the kitchen. Bill could see Serena was treating his visit as a special occasion. She hugged him and kissed him on the cheek.

Serena announced Bill's timing was perfect and that dinner was ready, so they should all proceed to the table. Bill and Sam took their seats, Bill across from Serena's chair, both their spots flanking Sam at the head of the table. Serena brought out a platter of veal cutlets and a bowl of pasta. She made a return trip to the kitchen to bring Bill a beer while Sam poured wine for Serena and himself from a bottle that had been waiting on the table.

The three made small talk as they began eating. Sam and Serena asked how classes were going. Bill asked how work was going for Sam and how things were for them both at home. Bill was nervous and Denae's parents could tell. Eventually, Bill stopped eating and looked at them. "I know my showing up on short notice without Denae and in the middle of the week is odd. But there is something important I felt I needed to discuss with you both."

Sam and Serena, sensing the moment had come, were both attentive. After a deep breath, Bill launched into his highly rehearsed request in his best Italian. When he finished, he sat and awaited an answer. Serena looked perplexed and Sam dipped his head and chuckled. Bill was ready for several different reactions, but neither of these.

Sam spoke first, saying, "Bill, are you asking us this or telling us this?"

Serena immediately began to scold her husband, but he cut her off. "No. Serena. We should hear the boy out."

As if he were holding back laughter, Sam turned to Bill and added, "Bill, I could not tell from your use of the verb, if you were asking us or if you were telling us you want hold Denae's hand at a wedding."

Bill deflated; Sam laughed a good-natured laugh, and Serena shook her head at her husband.

"I guess I blew that, huh?" Bill admitted.

Sam grinned. "Bill, we appreciate the effort very much, but why not just try again and in English this time?"

Bill looked at them both and, with no rehearsed speech to recite, found himself speaking from the heart. "Mr. Sam and Ms. Serena, I love Denae more than I thought I could ever love anyone. She's kind and smart and patient and generous and beautiful. She makes the world a better place and me a better person. I can't imagine what my life would be like without her. I don't know if she would have me, but may I have your permission to ask her to marry me?"

Bill did not have to wait for their reactions to this version of his request; he noticed tears welling up in Serena's eyes and Sam grinning. Serena looked at her husband and Sam spoke for them both when he said they would be very happy for Denae to marry him. Bill was greatly relieved to hear that and told them so. There was an air of celebration through the rest of dinner. Bill showed them both the ring and told them he had accepted the job offer in Atlanta. Near the end of dinner, Serena asked if Bill's mother, Cheryl, was excited that he would be proposing to Denae.

"Well, she doesn't know," he replied.

"What? You haven't told your mother yet?" Serena asked, clearly surprised.

"No ma'am. No one knows yet. Until a few minutes ago, I didn't know if I'd even be able to ask Denae. Now that I have your permission and can ask her, I don't know what she'll say. If she turns me down, I'd prefer to keep the number of witnesses as low as possible."

Serena shook her head. "Don't be silly, Bill. Of course, she'll say yes. And this is a big step in both your lives. I know Cheryl would want to know about this."

Bill reiterated his preference to keep the matter quiet for the time being. Serena begrudgingly promised she would not share the news with Cheryl, leaving that to Bill on his own schedule.

When they had finished their dinner, Serena suggested that Sam pour each of them a drink from his good bottle of scotch and asked Bill to assist her in the kitchen. Bill dutifully grabbed his plate and Sam's and followed Serena to the kitchen. After they had both deposited their dishes on the counter, Serena turned to Bill and hugged him.

"Oh, Bill, I'm so glad you're the one who will be the father of my nipotini," she said.

"Nipotini?"

"Sorry. Grandbabies. And I want lots of grandbabies," she said, expressively waiving her hands.

"Ms. Serena. Please don't put the cart before the horse. I'm not convinced Denae will say yes. And I always thought bambino was baby."

Serena was almost giddy. "You and Denae will have bambini. And they will be my nipotini. Tanti nipotini." She hugged him again, even closer than before.

She took his hand and led him out to the family room, where Sam had opened his good bottle of scotch and poured two fingers for each of them. He handed the glasses out and offered a toast. "Here is to a beautiful marriage and a long, happy life together."

Serena asked if Bill would be spending the night, to which he replied that he had a nine-thirty flight back to Charlotte and would need to call for a car to pick him up by seven-thirty. Sam insisted he would give Bill a ride to the airport and Bill gratefully accepted the offer. The three talked more about the big development in all their lives and talked about the job Bill had accepted in Atlanta.

The very moment Sam and Bill left for the airport, Serena called Cheryl, promptly breaking her promise to Bill. After Serena told Cheryl what had transpired that evening, they were both squealing like schoolgirls at the thought of their kids marrying one another. Neither could contain their excitement. Serena swore Cheryl to secrecy and they both agreed that as soon as one of them received news of a proposal, they would call the other.

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Though the semester was young, Bill and Denae had already fallen into the habit of meeting at the coffee shop on campus during the two-hour break they both had between classes. On the first day of classes after his return from Tampa, Bill asked Denae to go for a walk with him when she found him at the coffee shop. As they strolled hand-in-hand among the campus buildings, Bill mentioned they did not have much more time at school and Denae acknowledged the fact.

"So, have you given any thought to what you will do after we graduate?" Bill asked as they continued to walk.

"I'm not sure what real options I have," Denae admitted.

Bill stopped walking, and since they were holding hands, Denae paused as well. "There is something I haven't told you. When were in Atlanta, my meeting with that Vice President was a job offer. I accepted it a few days ago."

Denae was embarrassed she had failed to ask Bill about the meeting. After apologizing for the oversight, she congratulated Bill. "I knew they would want you. So, does that mean you will be moving to Atlanta?"

Bill answered in the affirmative. They had not yet resumed walking and Bill observed they were in front of the Art Gallery. He asked if they might go in.

"What? To see some crappy art?" Denae asked.

"What if there is some good art in there?" he replied, playfully dragging her up the steps.

As they made their way through the gallery, Bill reminded her they met in that very building a year before. She stated she did not need a reminder because it was a day she would never forget. When they reached the room where they met, he suggested they sit on the bench Denae had occupied when he first saw her. Once seated, they looked at the painting on display in front of them. It was a white canvas that had splatters of several different colors of paint scattered about it.

"I would never have thought they could find something worse than that pond painting, but they sure did," Denae commented.

"Should I see if the artist is here so you can critique it for him or her like you did that day?" Denae laughed and held his hand. "I couldn't believe my luck when you slid over and let me sit next to you after I walked in," Bill recalled.

Looking at him, she smiled and said, "Yeah. But the way I remember it, you didn't sit for very long. You asked a couple of questions and then stood back up."

With his face blushing slightly, he sheepishly admitted he only asked questions so he had an excuse to speak to her and he had stood up so he could look at her. He confessed he had found her so gorgeous he made up reasons to talk to her and look at her, hoping she would not suspect his motives.

She shook her head, as if to let him know he had been silly and then said, "Whatever. I'm just glad you stumbled in here while I was here that day."

"That day changed my life," he said has he gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "In a second, I'll know just how much it changed my life."

"What?"

He eased off the bench and dropped to one knee in front of her. She looked puzzled and asked him what he was doing. Bill pulled the small box from his pocket and opened it, showing her the diamond ring. She gasped audibly and put her hand over her mouth.

"Denae, you're the most incredible person in the world. I love you and I love everything about you. Will you marry me?"

Denae was speechless and sat with her mouth wide open, looking alternately between Bill's face and the ring he held out in front of her. Then slowly, her eyes watered up and she began to nod her head. She finally uttered, "Yes," through trembling lips.

Greatly relieved, Bill laid his head on her knee and brushed her flowered skirt with his free hand. Denae put her hand on the side of his head and gently stroked him. When he raised his head and looked at her, she pulled him close and kissed him. After the kiss, she wiped her tears, looked at the ring, still in the box in his hand, and said, "Aren't you supposed to put that on my finger?"

As he slid the ring onto her finger, Bill asked Denae if she really intended to marry him, remarking that he had been afraid she would turn him down.

"Oh, no. No. No. No. I was wanting you to ask. I've been waiting for a while now. I kept thinking you might do it over the summer. But that didn't happen. So, I wondered if you would do it when we got back to school. And then I kinda started wondering if you were ever going do it."

"You never said anything. Here I was scared you would say no, and you were wanting me to ask all along?" he asked.

Denae put her hand on his face; partially to show affection and partially to keep the ring in view. "Sweetie, I had to tell you to ask me out on our first real date. And the first time we made love, I had to drag you to bed because you never made a move. I sure wasn't about to tell you to propose to me. If you wanted to marry me, you were going to have to man-up and ask me on your own."

She held her hand out and continued to stare at the ring. "This ring is beautiful. And it's big. How did you ever afford this?"

"Yeah. That's something I need to tell you about," he said as he got up from the floor and sat next to her on the bench.

Denae continued to admire the engagement ring on her finger. Bill had only just begun to tell Denae about using his moving allowance to pay for the ring when she became very animated and interrupted him.

"I've got to tell Suzy about this!!" she excitedly announced. "And we've got to tell Papa and Mama and Cheryl!"

Denae hurriedly dragged Bill out of the gallery and called Suzy. She told her friend she needed to see her right away and suggested the coffee shop on campus. Denae was ecstatic as she showed Suzy the ring and told her she and Bill would be getting married. Suzy was also excited and complimented the ring.

"I'm so happy for you guys," Suzy said happily as she hugged them both in turn. "And B. C. Big cock; big rock, huh? And it must have set you back a ton. Did you pick that out yourself or did you have help?"

"I had help; the ladies at the jewelry store."

Denae wrapped her arms around Bill but carefully positioned her left hand so the ring was prominently visible as she addressed Suzy. "Maybe we can have dinner with you and Scott this evening? Right now, we're going to Bill's apartment."

"Huh? We each have another class in about forty-five minutes," Bill commented.

"Class? Fuck that. Don't you want to have sex with your fiancé? I know I do." she quipped, evoking a big laugh from Suzy.

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Bill and Denae were laying in bed after celebratory sex and Denae frequently held her hand up to look at the ring. Bill kissed her cheek. "Do you like it?"

"No. I love it," she said. "I can't believe we're engaged."

He gently brushed aside the few brunette locks of her hair that were in her face and looked at her as she continued to admire her ring. He traced the area at the corner of her eye with his finger tip.

"Why are you staring at me?" she chided.

"Because you're beautiful. And if you really do marry me, I'll get to see you grow older and see you get gray hair and wrinkles in the corners of your eyes."

"Oh, stop it. I don't want to think about getting old," Denae snapped.

Laughing, he explained, "I can't wait. I hope you get a streak of gray hair like your mom has. She's beautiful and I know you'll be even more beautiful when you're her age."

She gasped as if she suddenly remembered something. "We need to tell Papa and Mama. They'll be so excited."

"I hope they will. I am really fond of them."

"They love you," she said dismissively. "They'll be stoked about this. We've got to get up and get dressed so we can tell them the big news."

Bill put his arm over her stomach and asked if it was necessary to get out of bed to make a phone call. Denae pointed out she wanted to video chat with them so she could show them the ring.

"They've already seen it," Bill stated.

"What? How?"

"I showed it to them when I went and asked their permission to propose to you," he said with a smile.

Denae sat up letting the sheet fall to her waist, exposing her breasts. "You asked permission? When did you do that?"

Bill reached up and gently ran circles around her left nipple with his finger as he told her that he had made a quick trip to the Rapallinos' home when Denae thought he was at the referee clinic in Charlotte. Denae was annoyed that he had lied to her about his absence, but she forgave him when he explained he needed to both seek her parents' permission to propose and keep it secret from her. When Denae asked for details of the conversation he had had with her parents, Bill related everything including his failed attempt at asking them in Italian.

Denae laughed and wanted to know exactly what he had said to her parents in Italian. When Bill repeated the phrase he had so painstakingly memorized, she laughed again. "Yeah. You missed the mark there. But I'm sure they gave you points for effort." Leaning down to kiss him, she added, "That was really sweet of you to try asking them in Italian."

"Well, I'll need some real tutoring in the language, not just online translations."

"So, you want to learn Italian, huh?"

"Well, yeah," Bill answered. "If I'm going to be a member of the family, I want to be able to understand what your parents are saying if they fight or if they talk about me."

The comment elicited more laughter from Denae. Despite Bill's pleas for more celebratory sex, Denae insisted they get dressed and get her parents on video chat. It took a few minutes to conference both her father and mother in since Serena was at home and Sam was at work. Once they were all on the line, Denae held the ring up for them to see and screamed, "Bill and I are getting married!" in a cheerful voice.

Serena erupted with a joyful cheer and Sam congratulated them both. Serena went on to tell Denae how Bill had come all the way to Florida to ask their permission and that had made a big impression on them. She was kind enough to leave out Bill's blunder with the inaccurate language translation. Denae told her parents how Bill proposed on one knee in the same spot where they first met.

When they were finished informing Denae's parents, Denae suggested they call Bill's mother and asked if they could also do it on video, wanting to show Cheryl the ring. In the short time between when they ended the chat with the Rapallinos and Denae was able to launch a video call to Cheryl, Serena had called Cheryl and shared the secret. Serena and Cheryl laughed and screamed but talked only briefly because Cheryl had to be available for the call from the newly engaged couple. When Bill and Denae did tell Cheryl of their big news, she managed to act surprised and was overjoyed.

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Later that evening, Bill and Denae went to Denae's apartment to eat supper with Suzy and Scott. The girls did most of the talking and all the conversation centered on the big engagement news. Denae flashed her new ring around and looked at it frequently. Suzy began to ask questions about subjects Bill and Denae had not yet discussed such as living arrangements in Atlanta, time frame for a wedding, wedding participants and guests, and what Denae would do for work in Atlanta. Denae dismissed those subjects and did not let weighty matters such as those dimmish her joy. Bill pondered some of them and realized they would need to give them a good deal of thought.

Around twelve thirty Scott whispered into Suzy's ear. Suzy giggled, looked at Denae and Bill and announced, "My boyfriend wants to fuck me. So, we'll say goodnight to you two."

As she and Scott go up to head to Suzy's bedroom, Scott congratulated them both and shook Bill's hand. Denae looked at Bill and suggested that was a good time for another round of celebration sex, so they headed for Denae's room. Once inside, Denae looked at her ring again and reached up and hugged Bill while they were both standing up. He took the opportunity to reach down and tug the skirt Denae had been wearing and let it drop to the floor.

"Ooo! Is someone anxious to fuck their fiancé?" Denae asked with a grin.

Bill nodded and kissed Denae and stuck his fingers inside the waistband of her panties and pushed them down. She held her hand up behind his head and looked at the ring on her hand again.

"Are you happy?" Bill asked.

"Oh yes," she replied.

"Me too. And it seems too good to be true. So, if you change your mind-"

"What's with you?" she interrupted as she pulled away, mildly perturbed. "I'm not going to change my mind. And I noticed a couple of times today, you've said things like, 'if you marry me.' Of course I'm going to marry you."

"Marriage is for life as far as I'm concerned. And I know I couldn't do any better than you, but I also know you could do a lot better than me."

Denae was beyond annoyed at this point. "Listen. You stop that right now. I don't want to hear any more talk like that. I know what I've got with you. I've kissed enough frogs to realize I found my prince."

Denae froze just then because a thought lept to the front of her consciousness. She remembered she had not told Bill about her sexual past, including having eleven different partners. Denea silently contemplated whether she should share that with him now. Bill was waiting because Denae looked like she needed to finish a thought.

"Are you okay?" Bill finally asked.

She snapped out of her momentary trance and smiled at him. "I'm fine. As long as you stop with the nonsense. You're all I could ever hope for and the only way we wouldn't get married is if you change your mind."

"That ain't happening," Bill chuckled and he let both is hands glide over Denae's bare butt.

"Oh no," Denae whispered as she looked down toward the floor.

"What?" Bill asked. "Are you okay?"

Denae looked panic-stricken and sat down on the bed. "I don't know. There's something you need to know about me."

Bill sat down next to her and held her hand. "I know all I need to know about you."

"No. This is serious. It could change how you feel about me. But you deserve to know before we go any further."

"Denae. You're scaring me. Was I right? Are you changing your mind?"

"No. But you might."

He assured her nothing could change his mind about wanting to spend the rest of his life with her. She looked at him with tears forming in her eyes. "You never let me tell you my number."

Bill looked confused and then laughed. "You gave me your number the day after we met. Now, I don't have it memorized, but it's in my phone."

She shook her head. "No. I mean my number. You know? Like your number was one; Melissa."

Bill shook his head dismissively. "Oh. I don't care about that. In fact, one of your old boyfriends is now a friend of mine. Ty. And I just don't care. I'm past that."

Tears began to trickle down Denae's face. "You'll think I'm horrible."

He assured her he would never think poorly of her and that he did not need or want to know any more about her past sexual partners.

"But you deserve to know." He held up his hand to stop her, but she blurted out, "eleven," and then dropped her face in her hands.

Bill sat down on the bed beside her. Neither spoke; Bill was quietly contemplating what she had told him as she continued sobbing into her hands. After a few seconds, he put his arm around her and pulled her close. She turned her face toward him and cried into his shirt.

"I regret every one of them," she said through sniffles.

"I don't know what to say," Bill admitted. "You've eleven boyfriends?"

She would have laughed, but she choked instead. "Well, some were boyfriends; some weren't." Looking at him, she asked, "What are you thinking? Do you still want to marry me? Do you think I'm a slut?"

He held her and leaned back so they both fell back onto the bed together with Denae, still weeping, wrapped in his arms. Neither spoke as they processed what Denae had just shared. With a sigh, Bill eventually moved off the bed and onto the floor in front of Denae. She wondered if he was about to walk out, and not knowing what to say, remained still. She felt him gently ease her knees apart and move his face to her vulva. "What are you doing?" she asked as she raised her head.

He licked her; a long, slow stroke, pressing his tongue firmly against her and then looked up at her. "My fiancé is sad, and that really hurts me to my core. So, I thought I would try something to cheer her up," he whispered before kissing her there.

Denae laid her head back down on the bed, smiled, and closed her eyes, squeezing out more tears. As he spoke, his warm breath on her vagina physically aroused her. The words he spoke comforted her. With those few words, he put her mind and heart at rest about his intention to marry her. Bill began making love to Denae with his mouth as tears of joy trickled from her eyes.

Bill did what normally pleased Denae; he spent time on her soft lips and clitoris. Denae peeled off her shirt and bra and brought his hands to her chest so he would fondle her breasts as well. After Bill helped her reach climax, she pulled him to her face and kissed him. "You know one of the reasons I love you is that I feel like you really love me; love me for me. You're the only person who's ever just loved me unconditionally."

"I do," he assured her. He settled next to her and laid his head on her right breast. He liked the way it felt against his face and this position let him gaze down the length of her nude body. Denae liked the way his face felt against her breast and knew full well the view Bill had at that angle. She was glad her body was pleasing to him and hoped the day would never come when the sight of her was not pleasing to him.

She gently stroked his hair. "I'm sorry about my past. I regret it all. If I had any idea you would come along, I would have waited for you. I wish I had."

Bill held Denae's left hand out so they could both see the engagement ring and he caressed her ring finger with his thumb. "Earlier today, when you said yes to me, I was the happiest person on earth. I mean Denae Rapallino said she would marry me. Me of all people. And I thought 'I get to spend the rest of my life with the most perfect woman in the world.' And I still feel that way."

She squeezed his hand. "Do you suppose my fiancé would make love to me now?"

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